As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on
May 19, 2010
Registration
No. 333-165212
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND
EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C.
20549
Amendment No. 4
to
Form S-1
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
Oasis Petroleum Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as
specified in its charter)
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Delaware
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1311
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80-0554627
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(State or other jurisdiction
of
incorporation or organization)
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(Primary Standard Industrial
Classification Code Number)
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(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)
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1001 Fannin Street, Suite 202
Houston, Texas 77002
(713) 574-1770
(Address, including zip code,
and telephone number, including area code, of registrants
principal executive offices)
Thomas B. Nusz
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer
Oasis Petroleum Inc.
1001 Fannin Street, Suite 202
Houston, Texas 77002
(713) 574-1770
(Name, address, including zip
code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for
service)
Copies to:
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T. Mark Kelly
David P. Oelman
Vinson & Elkins L.L.P.
1001 Fannin, Suite 2500
Houston, Texas
77002-6760
(713) 758-2222
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G. Michael OLeary
David C. Buck
Andrews Kurth LLP
600 Travis Street, Suite 4200
Houston, TX 77002
(713) 220-4200
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Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the
public
: As soon as practicable after the effective date of
this registration statement.
If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be
offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to
Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933 check the
following
box:
o
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an
offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act,
please check the following box and list the Securities Act
registration statement number of the earlier effective
registration statement for the same
offering.
o
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to
Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following
box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of
the earlier effective registration statement for the same
offering.
o
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to
Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following
box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of
the earlier effective registration statement for the same
offering.
o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large
accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated
filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of
large accelerated filer, accelerated
filer and smaller reporting company in
Rule 12b-2
of the Exchange Act. (Check one):
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Large accelerated filer
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Accelerated filer
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Non-accelerated filer
þ
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Smaller reporting company
o
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(Do not check if a smaller reporting company)
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The registrant hereby amends this registration statement on
such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective
date until the registrant shall file a further amendment which
specifically states that this registration statement shall
thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a)
of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the registration
statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission
acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
EXPLANATORY
NOTE
This Amendment No. 4 to the registration statement on
Form S-1
(File
No. 333-165212)
of Oasis Petroleum Inc. is being filed solely to amend
Item 16 of Part II thereof and to transmit certain
exhibits thereto. This Amendment No. 4 does not modify any
provision of the preliminary prospectus contained in Part I
or Items 13, 14, 15 or 17 of Part II of the
registration statement. Accordingly, this Amendment No. 4
does not include a copy of the preliminary prospectus.
Part II
INFORMATION
NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
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ITEM 13.
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Other
Expenses of Issuance and Distribution
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The following table sets forth an itemized statement of the
amounts of all expenses (excluding underwriting discounts and
commissions) payable by us in connection with the registration
of the common stock offered hereby. With the exception of the
Registration Fee, FINRA Filing Fee and New York Stock Exchange
listing fee), the amounts set forth below are estimates. The
selling stockholder will not bear any portion of such expenses.
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SEC Registration Fee
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$
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24,955
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FINRA Filing Fee
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35,500
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New York Stock Exchange listing fee
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Accountants fees and expenses
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1,000,000
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Legal fees and expenses
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1,500,000
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Printing and engraving expenses
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375,000
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Transfer agent and registrar fees
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3,500
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Miscellaneous
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1,061,045
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Total
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$
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4,000,000
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ITEM 14.
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Indemnification
of Directors and Officers
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Our certificate of incorporation provides that a director will
not be liable to the corporation or its stockholders for
monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director,
except for liability (1) for any breach of the
directors duty of loyalty to the corporation or its
stockholders, (2) for acts or omissions not in good faith
or which involved intentional misconduct or a knowing violation
of the law, (3) under section 174 of the DGCL for
unlawful payment of dividends or improper redemption of stock or
(4) for any transaction from which the director derived an
improper personal benefit. In addition, if the DGCL is amended
to authorize the further elimination or limitation of the
liability of directors, then the liability of a director of the
corporation, in addition to the limitation on personal liability
provided for in our certificate of incorporation, will be
limited to the fullest extent permitted by the amended DGCL. Our
bylaws provide that the corporation will indemnify, and advance
expenses to, any officer or director to the fullest extent
authorized by the DGCL.
Section 145 of the DGCL provides that a corporation may
indemnify directors and officers as well as other employees and
individuals against expenses, including attorneys fees,
judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement in connection
with specified actions, suits and proceedings whether civil,
criminal, administrative, or investigative, other than a
derivative action by or in the right of the corporation, if they
acted in good faith and in a manner they reasonably believed to
be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation
and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no
reasonable cause to believe their conduct was unlawful. A
similar standard is applicable in the case of derivative
actions, except that indemnification extends only to expenses,
including attorneys fees, incurred in connection with the
defense or settlement of such action and the statute requires
court approval before there can be any indemnification where the
person seeking indemnification has been found liable to the
corporation. The statute provides that it is not exclusive of
other indemnification that may be granted by a
corporations certificate of incorporation, bylaws,
disinterested director vote, stockholder vote, agreement or
otherwise.
Our certificate of incorporation also contains indemnification
rights for our directors and our officers. Specifically, our
certificate of incorporation provides that we shall indemnify
our officers and directors to the fullest extent authorized by
the DGCL. Further, we may maintain insurance on behalf of our
officers and directors against expense, liability or loss
asserted incurred by them in their capacities as officers and
directors.
II-1
We have obtained directors and officers insurance to
cover our directors, officers and some of our employees for
certain liabilities.
We will enter into written indemnification agreements with our
directors and officers. Under these proposed agreements, if an
officer or director makes a claim of indemnification to us,
either a majority of the independent directors or independent
legal counsel selected by the independent directors must review
the relevant facts and make a determination whether the officer
or director has met the standards of conduct under Delaware law
that would permit (under Delaware law) and require (under the
indemnification agreement) us to indemnify the officer or
director.
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ITEM 15.
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Recent
Sales of Unregistered Securities
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In connection with its formation in February 2010, Oasis
Petroleum Inc. issued 1,000 shares of its common stock to
Oasis Petroleum LLC in exchange for consideration of $10.00. The
issuance of shares did not involve any underwriters or a public
offering, and we believe that such issuance was exempt from the
registration requirements pursuant to Section 4(2) of the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities
Act).
During the past three years, Oasis Petroleum LLC has issued
additional membership interests in connection with capital
contributions from its members, which consist of funds
affiliated with EnCap Investments, L.P. (EnCap);
Oasis Petroleum Management LLC, which is controlled by members
of management of Oasis Petroleum Inc.; and other private
investors. Aggregate capital contributions were
$104.6 million, $80.5 million and $49.9 million
for the years ended December 31, 2009 and 2008 and the
period ended December 31, 2007, respectively. None of these
transactions involved any underwriters or any public offerings,
and we believe that each of these transactions was exempt from
the registration requirements pursuant to Section 4(2) of
the Securities Act. Each of our members has represented that it
is an accredited investor as defined in
Rule 501(a) under the Securities Act.
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ITEM 16.
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Exhibits
and Financial Statement Schedules
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(a) Exhibits
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Exhibit
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Number
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Description
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*1
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.1
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Form of Underwriting Agreement
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*2
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.1
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Form of Plan of Merger among OAS Mergerco LLC, OAS Holding
Company LLC and Oasis Petroleum LLC
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*2
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.2
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Form of Contribution Agreement among Oasis Petroleum Inc., Oasis
Petroleum LLC, OAS Holding Company LLC, OAS Mergerco LLC and
EnCap Energy Capital Fund VI, L.P.
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3
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.1
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Form of Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of
Oasis Petroleum Inc.
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3
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.2
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Form of Amended and Restated Bylaws of Oasis Petroleum Inc.
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4
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.1
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Form of Common Stock Certificate
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*5
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.1
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Opinion of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. as to the legality
of the securities being registered
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**10
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.1
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Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated as of
February 26, 2010, among Oasis Petroleum LLC, Oasis
Petroleum North America LLC, BNP Paribas, as Administrative
Agent, and the lenders party thereto
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*10
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.2
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First Amendment to Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, among
Oasis Petroleum LLC, Oasis Petroleum Inc., Oasis Petroleum North
America LLC, BNP Paribas, as Administrative Agent, and the
lenders party thereto
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10
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.3
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Form of Employment Agreement between Oasis Petroleum Inc. and
Thomas B. Nusz
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10
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.4
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Form of Employment Agreement between Oasis Petroleum Inc. and
Taylor L. Reid
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*10
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.5
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Form of Registration Rights Agreement between Oasis Petroleum
Inc. and OAS Holding Company LLC
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10
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.6
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Long Term Incentive Plan of Oasis Petroleum Inc.
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10
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.7
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Form of Indemnification Agreement between Oasis Petroleum Inc.
and each of the directors thereof
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10
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.8
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Executive Change in Control and Severance Benefit Plan of Oasis
Petroleum Inc.
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10
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.9
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2010 Annual Incentive Compensation Plan of Oasis Petroleum Inc.
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10
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.10
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Form of Notice of Grant of Restricted Stock
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10
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.11
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Form of Restricted Stock Agreement
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II-2
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Exhibit
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Number
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Description
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10
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.12
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Form of Notice of Grant of Restricted Stock Unit
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10
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.13
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Form of Notice of Grant of Restricted Stock Unit Designated as a
Performance Share Unit
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10
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.14
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Form of Restricted Stock Unit Agreement
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10
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.15
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Form of Services Agreement between Oasis Petroleum Inc. and
Oasis Petroleum Management LLC
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10
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.16
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Form of Services Agreement between Oasis Petroleum Inc. and OAS
Holding Company LLC
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****21
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.1
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List of Subsidiaries of Oasis Petroleum Inc.
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*****23
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.1
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Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
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*****23
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.2
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Consent of W.D. Von Gonten & Co.
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*****23
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.3
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Consent of DeGolyer and MacNaughton
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*23
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.4
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Consent of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. (included as part of
Exhibit 5.1 hereto)
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**24
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.1
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Power of Attorney (included on the signature page of the initial
filing of the registration statement)
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24
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.2
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Power of Attorney of Michael McShane
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***99
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Report of W.D. Von Gonten & Co. for reserves as of
December 31, 2007
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***99
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.2
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Report of W.D. Von Gonten & Co. for reserves as of
December 31, 2008
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**99
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.3
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Report of DeGolyer and MacNaughton for reserves as of
December 31, 2009
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*
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To be filed by amendment.
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**
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Previously filed as part of the registration statement on
Form S-1
(Registration No. 333-165212) on March 4, 2010.
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***
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Previously filed as part of the registration statement on
Form S-1
(Registration
No. 333-165212)
on April 9, 2010.
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****
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Previously filed as part of the registration statement on
Form S-1
(Registration
No. 333-165212)
on April 23, 2010.
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*****
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Previously filed as part of the registration statement on
Form S-1
(Registration
No. 333-165212)
on May 17, 2010.
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The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to provide to the
underwriters at the closing specified in the underwriting
agreement certificates in such denominations and registered in
such names as required by the underwriters to permit prompt
delivery to each purchaser.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and
controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing
provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that
in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such
indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the
Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event
that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other
than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid
by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant
in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is
asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in
connection with the securities being registered, the registrant
will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been
settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of
appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such
indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in
the Securities Act and will be governed by the final
adjudication of such issue.
The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that:
(1) For purposes of determining any liability under the
Securities Act, the information omitted from the form of
prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in
reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of
prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to
Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities
Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as
of the time it was declared effective.
(2) For the purpose of determining any liability under the
Securities Act, each post-effective amendment that contains a
form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration
statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be
the initial bona fide offering thereof.
II-3
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the
registrant has duly caused this registration statement to be
signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized in the City of Houston, State of Texas, on
May 19, 2010.
OASIS PETROLEUM INC.
Thomas B. Nusz
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
registration statement has been signed by the following persons
in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
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Signature
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Title
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Date
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/s/ Thomas
B. Nusz
Thomas
B. Nusz
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Chairman, President and Chief
Executive Officer
(Principal Executive Officer)
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May 19, 2010
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*
Taylor
L. Reid
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Director, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
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May 19, 2010
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Roy
W. Mace
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Senior Vice President, Chief
Accounting Officer and Corporate Secretary
(Principal Financial Officer and
Principal Accounting Officer)
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May 19, 2010
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Michael
McShane
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Director
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May 19, 2010
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Douglas
E. Swanson, Jr.
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Director
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May 19, 2010
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Robert
L. Zorich
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Director
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May 19, 2010
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*By:
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/s/ Thomas
B. Nusz
Thomas
B. Nusz, Attorney-in-fact
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II-4
INDEX TO
EXHIBITS
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Exhibit
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Number
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Description
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*1.1
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Form of Underwriting Agreement
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*2.1
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Form of Plan of Merger among OAS Mergerco LLC, OAS Holding
Company LLC and Oasis Petroleum LLC
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*2.2
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Form of Contribution Agreement among Oasis Petroleum Inc., Oasis
Petroleum LLC, OAS Holding Company, OAS Mergerco LLC and EnCap
Energy Capital Fund VI, L.P.
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3.1
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Form of Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of
Oasis Petroleum Inc.
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3.2
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Form of Amended and Restated Bylaws of Oasis Petroleum Inc.
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4.1
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Form of Common Stock Certificate
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*5.1
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Opinion of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. as to the legality
of the securities being registered
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**10.1
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Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated as of
February 26, 2010, among Oasis Petroleum LLC, Oasis
Petroleum North America LLC, BNP Paribas, as Administrative
Agent, and the lenders party thereto
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*10.2
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First Amendment to Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, among
Oasis Petroleum LLC, Oasis Petroleum Inc., Oasis Petroleum North
America LLC, BNP Paribas, as Administrative Agent, and the
lenders party thereto
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10.3
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Form of Employment Agreement between Oasis Petroleum Inc. and
Thomas B. Nusz
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10.4
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Form of Employment Agreement between Oasis Petroleum Inc. and
Taylor L. Reid
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*10.5
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Form of Registration Rights Agreement between Oasis Petroleum
Inc. and OAS Holding Company LLC
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10.6
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Long Term Incentive Plan of Oasis Petroleum Inc.
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10.7
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Form of Indemnification Agreement between Oasis Petroleum Inc.
and each of the directors thereof
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10.8
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Executive Change in Control and Severance Benefit Plan of Oasis
Petroleum Inc.
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10.9
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2010 Annual Incentive Compensation Plan of Oasis Petroleum Inc.
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10.10
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Form of Notice of Grant of Restricted Stock
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10.11
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Form of Restricted Stock Agreement
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10.12
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Form of Notice of Grant of Restricted Stock Unit
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10.13
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Form of Notice of Grant of Restricted Stock Unit Designated as a
Performance Share Unit
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10.14
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Form of Restricted Stock Unit Agreement
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10.15
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Form of Services Agreement between Oasis Petroleum Inc. and
Oasis Petroleum Management LLC
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10.16
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Form of Services Agreement between Oasis Petroleum Inc. and OAS
Holding Company LLC
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****21.1
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List of Subsidiaries of Oasis Petroleum Inc.
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*****23.1
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Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
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*****23.2
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Consent of W.D. Von Gonten & Co.
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*****23.3
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Consent of DeGolyer and MacNaughton
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*23.4
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Consent of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. (included as part of
Exhibit 5.1 hereto)
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**24.1
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Power of Attorney (included on the signature page of the initial
filing of the registration statement)
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24.2
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Power of Attorney of Michael McShane
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***99.1
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Report of W.D. Von Gonten & Co. for reserves as of
December 31, 2007
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***99.2
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Report of W.D. Von Gonten & Co. for reserves as of
December 31, 2008
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**99.3
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Report of DeGolyer and MacNaughton for reserves as of
December 31, 2009
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*
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To be filed by amendment.
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**
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Previously filed as part of the registration statement on Form
S-1
(Registration No. 333-165212) on March 4, 2010.
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***
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Previously filed as part of the registration statement on
Form S-1
(Registration
No. 333-165212)
on April 9, 2010.
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****
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Previously filed as part of the registration statement on
Form S-1
(Registration
No. 333-165212)
on April 23, 2010.
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*****
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Previously filed as part of the registration statement on
Form S-1
(Registration No.
333-165212)
on May 17, 2010.
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Exhibit 3.1
AMENDED AND RESTATED
CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION
OF
OASIS PETROLEUM INC.
FIRST: The name of the corporation is Oasis Petroleum Inc. (the
Corporation
).
SECOND: The address of its registered office in the State of Delaware is Corporation Trust
Center, 1209 Orange Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19801 in New Castle County, Delaware. The name of
its registered agent at such address is The Corporation Trust Company.
THIRD: The nature of the business or purposes to be conducted or promoted by the Corporation
is to engage in any lawful act or activity for which corporations may be organized under the
Delaware General Corporation Law.
FOURTH: The total number of shares of stock which the Corporation shall have authority to
issue is 350,000,000 shares of capital stock, classified as (i) 50,000,000 shares of preferred
stock, par value $0.01 per share (
Preferred Stock
), and (ii) 300,000,000 shares of common
stock, par value $0.01 per share (
Common Stock
).
The designations and the powers, preferences, rights, qualifications, limitations and
restrictions of the Preferred Stock and Common Stock are as follows:
1. Provisions Relating to the Preferred Stock.
(a) The Preferred Stock may be issued from time to time in one or more classes or series, the
shares of each class or series to have such designations and powers, preferences, and rights, and
qualifications, limitations, and restrictions thereof, as are stated and expressed herein and in
the resolution or resolutions providing for the issue of such class or series adopted by the board
of directors of the Corporation as hereafter prescribed (a
Preferred Stock Designation
).
(b) Authority is hereby expressly granted to and vested in the board of directors of the
Corporation to authorize the issuance of the Preferred Stock from time to time in one or more
classes or series, and with respect to each class or series of the Preferred Stock, to fix and
state by the resolution or resolutions from time to time adopted providing for the issuance thereof
the designation and the powers, preferences, rights, qualifications, limitations and restrictions
relating to each class or series of the Preferred Stock, including, but not limited to, the
following:
(i) whether or not the class or series is to have voting rights, full, special or limited, or
is to be without voting rights, and whether or not such class or series is to be entitled to vote
as a separate class either alone or together with the holders of one or more other classes or
series of stock;
(ii) the number of shares to constitute the class or series and the designations thereof;
(iii) the preferences, and relative, participating, optional or other special rights, if any,
and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, if any, with respect to any class or
series;
(iv) whether or not the shares of any class or series shall be redeemable at the option of the
Corporation or the holders thereof or upon the happening of any specified event, and, if
redeemable, the redemption price or prices (which may be payable in the form of cash, notes,
securities or other property), and the time or times at which, and the terms and conditions upon
which, such shares shall be redeemable and the manner of redemption;
(v) whether or not the shares of a class or series shall be subject to the operation of
retirement or sinking funds to be applied to the purchase or redemption of such shares for
retirement, and, if such retirement or sinking fund or funds are to be established, the annual
amount thereof, and the terms and provisions relative to the operation thereof;
(vi) the dividend rate, whether dividends are payable in cash, stock of the Corporation or
other property, the conditions upon which and the times when such dividends are payable, the
preference to or the relation to the payment of dividends payable on any other class or classes or
series of stock, whether or not such dividends shall be cumulative or noncumulative, and if
cumulative, the date or dates from which such dividends shall accumulate;
(vii) the preferences, if any, and the amounts thereof which the holders of any class or
series thereof shall be entitled to receive upon the voluntary or involuntary dissolution of, or
upon any distribution of the assets of, the Corporation;
(viii) whether or not the shares of any class or series, at the option of the Corporation or
the holder thereof or upon the happening of any specified event, shall be convertible into or
exchangeable for, the shares of any other class or classes or of any other series of the same or
any other class or classes of stock, securities or other property of the Corporation and the
conversion price or prices or ratio or ratios or the rate or rates at which such exchange may be
made, with such adjustments, if any, as shall be stated and expressed or provided for in such
resolution or resolutions; and
(ix) such other special rights and protective provisions with respect to any class or series
as may to the board of directors of the Corporation seem advisable.
(c) The shares of each class or series of the Preferred Stock may vary from the shares of any
other class or series thereof in any or all of the foregoing respects. The board of directors of
the Corporation may increase the number of shares of the Preferred Stock designated for any
existing class or series by a resolution adding to such class or series authorized and
2
unissued shares of the Preferred Stock not designated for any other class or series. The
board of directors of the Corporation may decrease the number of shares of the Preferred Stock
designated for any existing class or series by a resolution subtracting from such class or series
authorized and unissued shares of the Preferred Stock designated for such existing class or series,
and the shares so subtracted shall become authorized, unissued, and undesignated shares of the
Preferred Stock.
2. Provisions Relating to the Common Stock.
(a) Each share of Common Stock of the Corporation shall have identical rights and privileges
in every respect. The Common Stock shall be subject to the express terms of the Preferred Stock
and any series thereof. Except as may otherwise be provided in this Certificate of Incorporation,
in a Preferred Stock Designation or by applicable law, the holders of shares of Common Stock shall
be entitled to one vote for each such share upon all questions presented to the stockholders, the
holders of shares of Common Stock shall have the exclusive right to vote for the election of
directors and for all other purposes, and the holders of Preferred Stock shall not be entitled to
vote at or receive notice of any meeting of stockholders.
(b) Notwithstanding the foregoing, except as otherwise required by law, holders of Common
Stock, as such, shall not be entitled to vote on any amendment to this Certificate of Incorporation
(including any certificate of designations relating to any series of Preferred Stock) that relates
solely to the terms of one or more outstanding series of Preferred Stock if the holders of such
affected series are entitled, either separately or together with the holders of one or more other
such series, to vote thereon pursuant to this Certificate of Incorporation (including any
certificate of designations relating to any series of Preferred Stock) or pursuant to the General
Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.
(c) Subject to the prior rights and preferences, if any, applicable to shares of the Preferred
Stock or any series thereof, the holders of shares of the Common Stock shall be entitled to receive
such dividends (payable in cash, stock or otherwise) as may be declared thereon by the board of
directors at any time and from time to time out of any funds of the Corporation legally available
therefor.
(d) In the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the
Corporation, after distribution in full of the preferential amounts, if any, to be distributed to
the holders of shares of the Preferred Stock or any class or series thereof, the holders of shares
of the Common Stock shall be entitled to receive all of the remaining assets of the Corporation
available for distribution to its stockholders, ratably in proportion to the number of shares of
the Common Stock held by them. A liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Corporation, as
such terms are used in this Paragraph (d), shall not be deemed to be occasioned by or to include
any consolidation or merger of the Corporation with or into any other corporation or corporations
or other entity or a sale, lease, exchange or conveyance of all or a part of the assets of the
Corporation.
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3. General.
(a) Subject to the foregoing provisions of this Certificate of Incorporation and any
then-existing Preferred Stock Designation, the Corporation may issue shares of its Preferred Stock
and Common Stock from time to time for such consideration (not less than the par value thereof) as
may be fixed by the board of directors of the Corporation, which is expressly authorized to fix the
same in its absolute and uncontrolled discretion subject to the foregoing conditions. Shares so
issued for which the consideration shall have been paid or delivered to the Corporation shall be
deemed fully paid stock and shall not be liable to any further call or assessment thereon, and the
holders of such shares shall not be liable for any further payments in respect of such shares.
(b) The Corporation shall have authority to create and issue rights and options entitling
their holders to purchase shares of the Corporations capital stock of any class or series or other
securities of the Corporation, and such rights and options shall be evidenced by instrument(s)
approved by the board of directors of the Corporation. The board of directors of the Corporation
shall be empowered to set the exercise price, duration, times for exercise, and other terms of such
options or rights;
provided, however
, that the consideration to be received for any shares of
capital stock subject thereto shall not be less than the par value thereof.
(c) The Corporation shall be entitled to treat the person in whose name any share of its stock
is registered as the owner thereof for all purposes and shall not be bound to recognize any
equitable or other claim to, or interest in, such share on the part of any other person, whether or
not the Corporation shall have notice thereof, except as expressly provided by applicable law.
FIFTH:
(a) Prior to the 2010 annual meeting of stockholders of the Corporation, all of the directors
shall be elected annually at the annual meeting of stockholders.
(b) Commencing with the 2010 annual meeting of stockholders of the Corporation, the directors,
other than those who may be elected by the holders of any series of Preferred Stock specified in
the related Preferred Stock Designation, shall be divided, with respect to the time for which they
severally hold office, into three classes, as nearly equal in number as is reasonably possible,
with the term of office of the first class to expire at the 2011 annual meeting of stockholders,
the term of office of the second class to expire at the 2012 annual meeting of stockholders and the
term of office of the third class to expire at the 2013 annual meeting of stockholders, with each
director to hold office until his or her successor shall have been duly elected and qualified. At
each annual meeting of stockholders, commencing with the 2011 annual meeting, (i) directors elected
to succeed those directors whose terms then expire shall be elected for a term of office to expire
at the third succeeding annual meeting of stockholders after their election, with each director to
hold office until his or her successor shall have been duly elected and qualified, and (ii) if
authorized by a resolution of the Board of Directors, directors may be elected to fill any vacancy
on the Board of Directors, regardless of how such vacancy shall have been created.
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The number of directors of the Corporation shall be as specified in, or determined in the
manner provided in, the bylaws of the Corporation. Unless and except to the extent that the bylaws
of the Corporation so provide, the election of directors need not be by written ballot.
SIXTH: Special meetings of stockholders of the Corporation may be called only by the Chairman
of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer or the Board of Directors pursuant to a resolutions
adopted by a majority of the total number of directors which the Corporation would have if there
were no vacancies;
provided
,
however
, that prior to the Trigger Date, special meetings of the
stockholders of the Corporation may also be called by the holders of a majority of the outstanding
shares of the Corporation entitled to vote. The person or persons authorized to call special
meetings of the Board of Directors may fix the place and time of the meetings.
SEVENTH: In furtherance of, and not in limitation of, the powers conferred by the laws of the
State of Delaware, the Board of Directors of the Corporation is expressly authorized to adopt,
amend or repeal the bylaws of the Corporation by a majority vote of the total number of directors
which the Corporation would have if there were no vacancies, subject to the power of the
stockholders of the Corporation to alter or repeal any bylaw whether adopted by them or otherwise
;
provided, however
, that, the provisions of this Seventh Article notwithstanding, bylaws shall not
be adopted, altered, amended or repealed by the stockholders of the Corporation except by the vote
of holders of not less than (i) a majority in voting power of the then-outstanding shares of stock
entitled to vote generally in the election of directors (considered for this purpose as one class)
at any time prior to the Trigger Date or
(ii) 66⅔% in voting power of the then-outstanding shares
of stock entitled to vote generally in the election of directors (considered for this purpose as
one class) at any time on or after the Trigger Date.
EIGHTH: Whenever a compromise or arrangement is proposed between the Corporation and its
creditors or any class of them and/or between the Corporation and its stockholders or any class of
them, any court of equitable jurisdiction within the State of Delaware may, on the application in a
summary way of the Corporation or of any creditor or stockholder thereof or on the application of
any receiver or receivers appointed for the Corporation under the provisions of Section 291 of
Title 8 of the Delaware Code or on the application of trustees in dissolution or of any receiver or
receivers appointed for the Corporation under the provisions of Section 279 of Title 8 of the
Delaware Code order a meeting of the creditors or class of creditors, and/or of the stockholders or
class of stockholders of the Corporation, as the case may be, to be summoned in such manner as the
said court directs. If a majority in number representing three-fourths in value of the creditors
or class of creditors, and/or of the stockholders or class of stockholders of the Corporation, as
the case may be, agree to any compromise or arrangement and to any reorganization of the
Corporation as a consequence of such compromise or arrangement, the said compromise or arrangement
and the said reorganization shall, if sanctioned by the court to which the said application has
been made, be binding on all the creditors or class of creditors, and/or on all the stockholders or
class of stockholders, of the Corporation, as the case may be, and also on the Corporation.
NINTH: No director of the Corporation shall be liable to the Corporation or its stockholders
for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except for liability (i) for any
breach of the directors duty of loyalty to the Corporation or its stockholders, (ii) for acts or
omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing
5
violation of law, (iii) under Section 174 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, or (iv) for
any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit. In addition to the
circumstances in which a director of the Corporation is not personally liable as set forth in the
preceding sentence, a director of the Corporation shall not be liable to the fullest extent
permitted by any amendment to the Delaware General Corporation Law hereafter enacted that further
limits the liability of a director.
The Corporation shall indemnify each director or officer to the fullest extent permitted by
Delaware law.
Any amendment, repeal or modification of this Ninth Article shall be prospective only and
shall not affect any limitation on liability of a director for acts or omissions occurring prior to
the date of such amendment, repeal or modification.
TENTH: To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Corporation, on behalf of
itself and its subsidiaries, renounces any interest or expectancy of the Corporation and its
subsidiaries in, or in being offered an opportunity to participate in, business opportunities that
are from time to time presented to EnCap Investments, L.P. or any private fund that it manages or
advises (the
Sponsor
) or any of its officers, directors, agents, shareholders, members,
partners, affiliates and subsidiaries (other than the Corporation and its subsidiaries) (each, a
Specified Party
) or are business opportunities in which a Specified Party participates or
desires to participate, even if the opportunity is one that the Corporation or its subsidiaries
might reasonably be deemed to have pursued or had the ability or desire to pursue if granted the
opportunity to do so and each such Specified Party shall have no duty to communicate or offer such
business opportunity to the Corporation and, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law,
shall not be liable to the Corporation or any of its subsidiaries or any stockholder for breach of
any fiduciary or other duty, as a director or officer or controlling stockholder or otherwise, by
reason of the fact that such Specified Party pursues or acquires such business opportunity, directs
such business opportunity to another person or fails to present such business opportunity, or
information regarding such business opportunity, to the Corporation or its subsidiaries.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, a Specified Party who is a director or officer of the Corporation
and who is offered a business opportunity in his or her capacity as a director or officer of the
Corporation (a
Directed Opportunity
) shall be obligated to communicate such Directed
Opportunity to the Corporation,
provided
,
however
, that all of the protections of this Tenth
Article shall otherwise apply to the Specified Parties with respect to such Directed Opportunity,
including, without limitation, the ability of the Specified Parties to pursue or acquire such
Directed Opportunity or to direct such Directed Opportunity to another person.
Neither the amendment nor repeal of this Tenth Article, nor the adoption of any provision of
this Certificate of Incorporation or the bylaws of the Corporation, nor, to the fullest extent
permitted by Delaware Law, any modification of law, shall adversely affect any right or protection
of any person granted pursuant hereto existing at, or arising out of or related to any event, act
or omission that occurred prior to, the time of such amendment, repeal, adoption or modification
(regardless of when any proceeding (or part thereof) relating to such event, act or omission arises
or is first threatened, commenced or completed).
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If any provision or provisions of this Tenth Article shall be held to be invalid, illegal or
unenforceable as applied to any circumstance for any reason whatsoever: (a) the validity, legality
and enforceability of such provisions in any other circumstance and of the remaining provisions of
this Tenth Article (including, without limitation, each portion of any paragraph of this Tenth
Article containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable that is not
itself held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall not in any way be affected or impaired
thereby and (b) to the fullest extent possible, the provisions of this Tenth Article (including,
without limitation, each such portion of any paragraph of this Tenth Article containing any such
provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall be construed so as to permit the
Corporation to protect its directors, officers, employees and agents from personal liability in
respect of their good faith service to or for the benefit of the Corporation to the fullest extent
permitted by law.
This Tenth Article shall not limit any protections or defenses available to, or
indemnification rights of, any director or officer of the Corporation under this Certificate of
Incorporation or applicable law. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any
interest in any securities of the Corporation shall be deemed to have notice of and to have
consented to the provisions of this Tenth Article.
ELEVENTH: Prior to the first date on which Oasis Holdings LLC and its Affiliates (as such
term is defined in Rule 12b-2 promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) no longer own
more than 50% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Corporation (the
Trigger
Date
), any action required or permitted to be taken by the stockholders of the Corporation may
be taken without a meeting if a consent in writing, setting forth the action so taken, is signed by
the holders of outstanding stock having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be
necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all shares entitled to vote
thereon were present and voted. On and after the Trigger Date, subject to the rights of holders of
any series of Preferred Stock with respect to such series of Preferred Stock, any action required
or permitted to be taken by the stockholders of the Corporation must be taken at a duly held annual
or special meeting of stockholders and may not be taken by any consent in writing of such
stockholders.
TWELFTH: The Corporation shall have the right, subject to any express provisions or
restrictions contained in this Certificate of Incorporation or bylaws of the Corporation, from time
to time, to amend this Certificate of Incorporation or any provision hereof in any manner now or
hereafter provided by law, and all rights and powers of any kind conferred upon a director or
stockholder of the Corporation by this Certificate of Incorporation or any amendment hereof are
subject to such right of the Corporation.
THIRTEENTH: Notwithstanding any other provision of this Certificate of Incorporation or the
bylaws of the Corporation (and in addition to any other vote that may be required by law, this
Certificate of Incorporation or the bylaws), from and after the Trigger Date, the affirmative vote
of the holders of at least
66⅔% in voting power of the outstanding shares of stock of the
Corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors (considered for this purpose as
one class) shall be required to amend, alter or repeal any provision of this Certificate of
Incorporation.
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[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this Amended and Restated Certificate of
Incorporation as of this day of
, 2010.
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OASIS PETROLEUM INC.
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By:
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Name:
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Title:
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Exhibit 3.2
AMENDED AND RESTATED
BYLAWS
OF
OASIS PETROLEUM INC.
Incorporated under the Laws of the State of Delaware
ARTICLE I
OFFICES AND RECORDS
SECTION 1.1.
Registered Office
. The registered office of the Corporation in the State
of Delaware shall be located at 1209 Orange Street, City of Wilmington, County of New Castle, and
the name of the Corporations registered agent at such address is The Corporation Trust Company.
The registered office and registered agent of the Corporation may be changed from time to time by
the board of directors of the Corporation (the
Board of Directors
) in the manner provided
by law.
SECTION 1.2.
Other Offices
. The Corporation may have such other offices, either
within or without the State of Delaware, as the Board of Directors may designate or as the business
of the Corporation may from time to time require.
SECTION 1.3.
Books and Records
. The books and records of the Corporation may be kept
outside the State of Delaware at such place or places as may from time to time be designated by the
Board of Directors.
ARTICLE II
STOCKHOLDERS
SECTION 2.1.
Annual Meeting
. The annual meeting of the stockholders of the
Corporation shall be held on such date and at such place and time as may be fixed by resolution of
the Board of Directors.
SECTION 2.2.
Special Meeting
. Subject to the rights of the holders of any series of
stock having a preference over the Common Stock of the Corporation as to dividends or upon
liquidation (
Preferred Stock
) with respect to such series of Preferred Stock, special
meetings of the stockholders may be called only in accordance with the Corporations Certificate of
Incorporation as it may be amended and restated from time to time.
SECTION 2.3.
Place of Meeting
. The Board of Directors or the Chairman of the Board,
as the case may be, may designate the place of meeting for any annual meeting or for any special
meeting of the stockholders called by the Board of Directors or the Chairman of the Board. If no
designation is so made, the place of meeting shall be the principal executive offices of the
Corporation.
SECTION 2.4.
Notice of Meeting
. Written or printed notice, stating the place, day and
hour of the meeting and the purpose or purposes for which the meeting is called, shall be delivered
by the Corporation not less than 10 days nor more than 60 days before the date of the meeting, in a
manner pursuant to Section 6.8 hereof, to each stockholder of record entitled to vote at such
meeting. If mailed, such notice shall be deemed to be delivered when deposited in the United
States mail with postage thereon prepaid, addressed to the stockholder at his address as it appears
on the stock transfer books of the Corporation. Such further notice shall be given as may be
required by law. Only such business shall be conducted at a special meeting of stockholders as
shall have been brought before the meeting pursuant to the Corporations notice of meeting.
Meetings may be held without notice if all stockholders entitled to vote are present, or if notice
is waived by those not present in accordance with Section 6.4 of these Bylaws. Any previously
scheduled meeting of the stockholders may be postponed, and (unless the Certificate of
Incorporation otherwise provides) any special meeting of the stockholders may be cancelled, by
resolution of the Board of Directors upon public notice given prior to the date previously
scheduled for such meeting of stockholders.
SECTION 2.5.
Quorum and Adjournment
. Except as otherwise provided by law or by the
Certificate of Incorporation, the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of the
Corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors (the
Voting Stock
),
represented in person or by proxy, shall constitute a quorum at a meeting of stockholders, except
that when specified business is to be voted on by a class or series of stock voting as a class, the
holders of a majority of the shares of such class or series shall constitute a quorum of such class
or series for the transaction of such business. The Chairman of the meeting or a majority of the
shares so represented may adjourn the meeting from time to time, whether or not there is such a
quorum. No notice of the time and place of adjourned meetings need be given except as required by
law. At the adjournment meeting, the Corporation may transact any business which might have been
transacted at the original meeting. If the adjournment is for more than 30 days, or after the
adjournment a new record date is fixed for the adjourned meeting, a notice of the adjourned meeting
shall be given to each stockholder of record entitled to notice of such adjourned meeting. The
stockholders present at a duly called meeting at which a quorum is present may continue to transact
business until adjournment, notwithstanding the withdrawal of enough stockholders to leave less
than a quorum.
SECTION 2.6.
Proxies
. At all meetings of stockholders, a stockholder may vote by
proxy executed in writing (or in such other manner prescribed by the General Corporation Law of the
State of Delaware) by the stockholder, or by his duly authorized attorney in fact. Any copy,
facsimile transmission or other reliable reproduction of the writing or transmission created
pursuant to this section may be substituted or used in lieu of the original writing or transmission
for any and all purposes for which the original writing or transmission could be
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used, provided
that such copy, facsimile transmission or other reproduction shall be a complete reproduction
of the entire original writing or transmission.
SECTION 2.7.
Notice of Stockholder Business and Nominations
.
(A)
Annual Meetings of Stockholders
. (1) Nominations of persons for election to the
Board of Directors and the proposal of other business to be considered by the stockholders may be
made at an annual meeting of stockholders (a) pursuant to the Corporations notice of meeting (or
any supplement thereto), (b) by or at the direction of the Board of Directors or (c) by any
stockholder of the Corporation who (i) was a stockholder of record at the time of giving of notice
provided for in this Bylaw and at the time of the annual meeting, (ii) is entitled to vote at the
meeting and (iii) complies with the notice procedures set forth in this Bylaw as to such business
or nomination; clause 1(c) of this Section 2.7(A) shall be the exclusive means for a stockholder to
make nominations or submit other business (other than matters properly brought under Rule 14a-8
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the
Exchange Act
), and included in
the Corporations notice of meeting) before an annual meeting of the stockholders.
(2) Without qualification, for any nominations or any other business to be properly brought
before an annual meeting by a stockholder pursuant to Section 2.7(A)(1)(c) of this Bylaw, the
stockholder must have given timely notice thereof in writing to the Secretary and such other
business must otherwise be a proper matter for stockholder action. To be timely, a stockholders
notice shall be delivered to the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation
not earlier than the close of business on the 120
th
day and not later than the close of
business on the 90
th
day prior to the first anniversary of the preceding years annual
meeting;
provided
,
however
, that in the event that the date of the annual meeting
is more than 30 days before or more than 60 days after such anniversary date, notice by the
stockholder to be timely must be so delivered not earlier than the close of business on the
120
th
day prior to the date of such annual meeting and not later than the close of
business on the later of the 90
th
day prior to such annual meeting or, if the first
public announcement of the date of such annual meeting is less than 100 days prior to the date of
such annual meeting, the 10
th
day following the day on which public announcement of the
date of such meeting is first made by the Corporation. In no event shall any adjournment or
postponement of an annual meeting or the announcement thereof commence a new time period for the
giving of a stockholders notice as described above. To be in proper form, a stockholders notice
(whether given pursuant to this Section 2.7(A)(2) or Section 2.7(B)) to the Secretary must:
(a) set forth, as to the stockholder giving the notice and the beneficial owner, if
any, on whose behalf the nomination or proposal is made (i) the name and address of such
stockholder, as they appear on the Corporations books, and of such beneficial owner, if
any, (ii) (A) the class or series and number of shares of the Corporation which are,
directly or indirectly, owned beneficially and of record by such stockholder and such
beneficial owner, (B) any option, warrant, convertible security, stock appreciation right,
or similar right with an exercise or conversion privilege or a settlement payment or
mechanism at a price related to any class or series of shares of the Corporation or with a
value derived in whole or in part from the value of any class or
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series of shares of the Corporation, whether or not such instrument or right shall be
subject to settlement in the underlying class or series of capital stock of the Corporation
or otherwise (a
Derivative Instrument
) directly or indirectly owned beneficially
by such stockholder and any other direct or indirect opportunity to profit or share in any
profit derived from any increase or decrease in the value of shares of the Corporation,
(C) a description of any proxy, contract, arrangement, understanding, or relationship
pursuant to which such stockholder has a right to vote any shares of any security of the
Company, (D) any short interest in any security of the Company (for purposes of this Bylaw a
person shall be deemed to have a short interest in a security if such person directly or
indirectly, through any contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship or otherwise, has
the opportunity to profit or share in any profit derived from any decrease in the value of
the subject security), (E) any rights to dividends on the shares of the Corporation owned
beneficially by such stockholder that are separated or separable from the underlying shares
of the Corporation, (F) any proportionate interest in shares of the Corporation or
Derivative Instruments held, directly or indirectly, by a general or limited partnership in
which such stockholder is a general partner or, directly or indirectly, beneficially owns an
interest in a general partner and (G) any performance-related fees (other than an
asset-based fee) that such stockholder is entitled to based on any increase or decrease in
the value of shares of the Corporation or Derivative Instruments, if any, as of the date of
such notice, including without limitation any such interests held by members of such
stockholders immediate family sharing the same household (which information shall be
supplemented by such stockholder and beneficial owner, if any, not later than 10 days after
the record date for the meeting to disclose such ownership as of the record date), (iii) any
other information relating to such stockholder and beneficial owner, if any, that would be
required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filings required to be made in
connection with solicitations of proxies for, as applicable, the proposal and/or for the
election of directors in a contested election pursuant to Section 14 of the Exchange Act and
the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, (iv) a representation that the stockholder
was a holder of record of stock of the Corporation entitled to vote at such meeting and
intends to appear in person or by proxy at the meeting to bring such nomination or other
business before the meeting, and (v) a representation as to whether such stockholder or any
such beneficial owner intends or is part of a group that intends to (x) deliver a proxy
statement and/or form of proxy to holders of at least the percentage of the voting power of
the Corporations outstanding capital stock required to approve or adopt the proposal or to
elect each such nominee and/or (y) otherwise to solicit proxies from stockholders in support
of such proposal or nomination. If requested by the Corporation, the information required
under clauses (a)(i) and (ii) of the preceding sentence of this Section 2.7 shall be
supplemented by such stockholder and any such beneficial owner not later than 10 days after
the record date for notice of the meeting to disclose such information as of such record
date;
(b) if the notice relates to any business other than a nomination of a director or
directors that the stockholder proposes to bring before the meeting, set forth (i) a brief
description of the business desired to be brought before the meeting, the reasons for
conducting such business at the meeting and any material interest of such
stockholder and beneficial owner, if any, in such business and (ii) a description of
all
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agreements, arrangements and understandings between such stockholder and beneficial
owner, if any, and any other person or persons (including their names) in connection with
the proposal of such business by such stockholder;
(c) set forth, as to each person, if any, whom the stockholder proposes to nominate for
election or reelection to the Board of Directors (i) all information relating to such person
that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filings required to be
made in connection with solicitations of proxies for election of directors in a contested
election pursuant to Section 14 of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations
promulgated thereunder (including such persons written consent to being named in the proxy
statement as a nominee and to serving as a director if elected) and (ii) a description of
all direct and indirect compensation and other material monetary agreements, arrangements
and understandings during the past three years, and any other material relationships,
between or among such stockholder and beneficial owner, if any, and their respective
affiliates and associates, or others acting in concert therewith, on the one hand, and each
proposed nominee, and his or her respective affiliates and associates, or others acting in
concert therewith, on the other hand, including, without limitation all information that
would be required to be disclosed pursuant to Rule 404 promulgated under Regulation S-K if
the stockholder making the nomination and any beneficial owner on whose behalf the
nomination is made, if any, or any affiliate or associate thereof or person acting in
concert therewith, were the registrant for purposes of such rule and the nominee were a
director or executive officer of such registrant; and
(d) with respect to each nominee for election or reelection to the Board of Directors,
include a completed and signed questionnaire, representation and agreement required by
Section 2.8 of this Bylaw. The Corporation may require any proposed nominee to furnish such
other information as may reasonably be required by the Corporation to determine the
eligibility of such proposed nominee to serve as an independent director of the Corporation
or that could be material to a reasonable stockholders understanding of the independence,
or lack thereof, of such nominee.
(3) Notwithstanding anything in the second sentence of Section 2.7(A)(2) of this Bylaw to the
contrary, in the event that the number of directors to be elected to the Board of Directors of the
Corporation is increased and there is no public announcement by the Corporation naming all of the
nominees for director or specifying the size of the increased Board of Directors at least 100 days
prior to the first anniversary of the preceding years annual meeting, a stockholders notice
required by this Bylaw shall also be considered timely, but only with respect to nominees for any
new positions created by such increase, if it shall be delivered to the Secretary at the principal
executive offices of the Corporation not later than the close of business on the 10
th
day following the day on which such public announcement is first made by the Corporation.
(B)
Special Meetings of Stockholders
. Only such business shall be conducted at a
special meeting of stockholders as shall have been brought before the meeting pursuant to
the Corporations notice of meeting. Nominations of persons for election to the Board of
Directors may be made at a special meeting of stockholders at which directors are to be elected
- 5 -
pursuant to the Corporations notice of meeting (a) by or at the direction of the Board of
Directors or (b)
provided
, that the Board of Directors has determined that directors shall
be elected at such meeting, by any stockholder of the Corporation who is a stockholder of record at
the time of giving of notice provided for in this Bylaw and at the time of the special meeting,
(ii) is entitled to vote at the meeting, and (iii) complies with the notice procedures set forth in
this Bylaw. In the event a special meeting of stockholders is called for the purpose of electing
one or more directors to the Board of Directors, any such stockholder may nominate a person or
persons (as the case may be), for election to such position(s) as specified in the Corporations
notice of meeting, if the stockholders notice required by Section 2.7(A)(2) of this Bylaw with
respect to any nomination (including the completed and signed questionnaire, representation and
agreement required by Section 2.8 of this Bylaw) shall be delivered to the Secretary at the
principal executive offices of the Corporation not earlier than the close of business on the
120
th
day prior to such special meeting and not later than the close of business on the
later of the 90
th
day prior to such special meeting or, if the first public announcement
of the date of such special meeting is less than 100 days prior to the date of such special
meeting, the 10
th
day following the day on which public announcement is first made of
the date of the special meeting and of the nominees proposed by the Board of Directors to be
elected at such meeting. In no event shall the public announcement of an adjournment or
postponement of a special meeting commence a new time period for the giving of a stockholders
notice as described above.
(C)
General
. (1) Only such persons who are nominated in accordance with the
procedures set forth in this Bylaw shall be eligible to serve as directors and only such business
shall be conducted at a meeting of stockholders as shall have been brought before the meeting in
accordance with the procedures set forth in this Bylaw. Except as otherwise provided by law, the
Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, the Chairman of the meeting shall have the power and
duty to determine whether a nomination or any business proposed to be brought before the meeting
was made or proposed, as the case may be, in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Bylaw
and, if any proposed nomination or business is not in compliance with this Bylaw, to declare that
such defective proposal or nomination shall be disregarded.
(2) For purposes of this Bylaw,
public announcement
shall mean disclosure in a press
release reported by Dow Jones News Service, the Associated Press, or any other national news
service or in a document publicly filed by the Corporation with the Securities and Exchange
Commission pursuant to Section 13, 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations
promulgated thereunder.
(3) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Bylaw, a stockholder shall also comply
with all applicable requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder with
respect to the matters set forth in this Bylaw;
provided
,
however
, that any
references in these Bylaws to the Exchange Act or the rules promulgated thereunder are not intended
to and shall not limit the requirements applicable to nominations or proposals as to any other
business to be considered pursuant to Section 2.7(A)(1)(c) or Section 2.7(B) of this Bylaw.
Nothing in this Bylaw shall be deemed to affect any rights (i) of stockholders to request inclusion
of proposals in the Corporations proxy statement pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the
Exchange Act or (ii) of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock if and to the extent
provided for under law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws.
- 6 -
(D)
Conduct of Business
. The Chairman shall also conduct the meeting in an orderly
manner, rule on the precedence of, and procedure on, motions and other procedural matters, and
exercise discretion with respect to such procedural matters. Without limiting the foregoing, the
Chairman may (a) restrict attendance at any time to bona fide stockholders of record and their
proxies and other persons in attendance at the invitation of the presiding officer or Board of
Directors, (b) restrict use of audio or video recording devices at the meeting, and (c) impose
reasonable limits on the amount of time taken up at the meeting on discussion in general or on
remarks by any one stockholder. Should any person in attendance become unruly or obstruct the
meeting proceedings, the Chairman shall have the power to have such person removed from the
meeting. Notwithstanding anything in the Bylaws to the contrary, no business shall be conducted at
a meeting except in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Article II. The Chairman of a
meeting may determine and declare to the meeting that any proposed item of business was not brought
before the meeting in accordance with the provisions of this Article II, and if he should so
determine, he shall so declare to the meeting and any such business not properly brought before the
meeting shall not be transacted.
(E)
Meetings by Remote Communication
. If authorized by the Board of Directors, and
subject to such guidelines and procedures as the Board of Directors may adopt, stockholders and
proxy holders not physically present at a meeting of stockholders may, by means of remote
communication, participate in the meeting and be deemed present in person and vote at the meeting,
whether such meeting is to be held at a designated place or solely by means of remote
communication, provided that (i) the Corporation shall implement reasonable measures to verify that
each person deemed present and permitted to vote at the meeting by means of remote communication is
a stockholder or proxy holder, (ii) the Corporation shall implement reasonable measures to provide
such stockholders and proxy holders a reasonable opportunity to participate in the meeting and to
vote on matters submitted to the stockholders, including an opportunity to read or hear the
proceedings of the meeting substantially concurrently with such proceedings, and (iii) if any
stockholder or proxy holder votes or takes other action at the meeting by means of remote
communication, a record of such vote or other action shall be maintained by the Corporation.
SECTION 2.8.
Submission of Questionnaire. Representation and Agreement.
To be eligible
to be a nominee for election or reelection as a director of the Corporation, a person must deliver
(in accordance with the time periods prescribed for delivery of notice under Section 2.7 of this
Bylaw) to the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation a written
questionnaire with respect to the background and qualification of such person and the background of
any other person or entity on whose behalf the nomination is being made (which questionnaire shall
be provided by the Secretary upon written request) and a written representation and agreement (in
the form provided by the Secretary upon written request) that such person (A) is not and will not
become a party to (1) any agreement, arrangement or understanding with, and has not given any
commitment or assurance to, any person or entity as to how such person, if elected as a director of
the Corporation, will act or vote on any issue or question (a
Voting Commitment
) that has
not been disclosed to the Corporation or (2) any Voting Commitment that could limit or interfere
with such persons ability to
comply, if elected as a director of the Corporation, with such persons fiduciary duties under
applicable law, (B) is not and will not become a party to any agreement, arrangement or
understanding with any person or entity other than the Corporation with respect to any
- 7 -
direct or
indirect compensation, reimbursement or indemnification in connection with service or action as a
director that has not been disclosed therein, and (C) in such persons individual capacity and on
behalf of any person or entity on whose behalf the nomination is being made, would be in
compliance, if elected as a director of the Corporation, and will comply with all applicable
publicly disclosed corporate governance, conflict of interest, confidentiality and stock ownership
and trading policies and guidelines of the Corporation.
SECTION 2.9.
Procedure for Election of Directors; Required Vote
. Election of
directors at all meetings of the stockholders at which directors are to be elected shall be by
ballot, and, subject to the rights of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock to elect
directors under specified circumstances, a plurality of the votes cast thereat shall elect
directors. Except as otherwise provided by law, the Certificate of Incorporation, or these Bylaws,
in all matters other than the election of directors, the affirmative vote of a majority of the
shares present in person or represented by proxy at the meeting and entitled to vote on the matter
shall be the act of the stockholders.
SECTION 2.10.
Inspectors of Elections; Opening and Closing the Polls
. The Board of
Directors by resolution shall appoint one or more inspectors, which inspector or inspectors may
include individuals who serve the Corporation in other capacities, including, without limitation,
as officers, employees, agents or representatives, to act at the meetings of stockholders and make
a written report thereof. One or more persons may be designated as alternate inspectors to replace
any inspector who fails to act. If no inspector or alternate has been appointed to act or is able
to act at a meeting of stockholders, the Chairman of the meeting shall appoint one or more
inspectors to act at the meeting. Each inspector, before discharging his or her duties, shall take
and sign an oath faithfully to execute the duties of inspector with strict impartiality and
according to the best of his or her ability. The inspectors shall have the duties prescribed by
law.
The Chairman of the meeting shall fix and announce at the meeting the date and time of the
opening and the closing of the polls for each matter upon which the stockholders will vote at a
meeting.
SECTION 2.11.
Stockholder Action by Written Consent
. Except as otherwise provided by
law or by the Certificate of Incorporation, prior to the first date on which Oasis Holdings LLC and
its Affiliates (as such term is defined in Rule 12b-2 promulgated under the Exchange Act) no longer
own more than 50% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Corporation (the
Trigger
Date
), any action required or permitted to be taken by the stockholders of the Corporation may
be taken without a meeting if a consent in writing, setting forth the action so taken, is signed by
the holders of outstanding stock having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be
necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all shares entitled to vote
thereon were present and voted. On and after the Trigger Date, subject to the rights of holders of
any series of Preferred Stock with respect to such series of Preferred Stock, any action required
or permitted to be taken by the stockholders of the
Corporation must be taken at a duly held annual or special meeting of stockholders and may not
be taken by any consent in writing of such stockholders.
- 8 -
ARTICLE III
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
SECTION 3.1.
General Powers
. The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be
managed under the direction of the Board of Directors elected in accordance with these Bylaws. In
addition to the powers and authorities by these Bylaws expressly conferred upon them, the Board of
Directors may exercise all such powers of the Corporation and do all such lawful acts and things as
are not by statute or by the Certificate of Incorporation or by these Bylaws required to be
exercised or done by the stockholders.
SECTION 3.2.
Number, Tenure and Qualifications
. Subject to the rights of the holders
of any series of Preferred Stock to elect directors under specified circumstances, the number of
directors shall be fixed from time to time exclusively pursuant to a resolution adopted by a
majority of the total number of directors which the Corporation would have if there were no
vacancies (the Whole Board).
SECTION 3.3.
Regular Meetings
. A regular meeting of the Board of Directors shall be
held without other notice than this Bylaw immediately after, and at the same place as, the Annual
Meeting of Stockholders. Subject to Section 3.5, the Board of Directors may, by resolution,
provide the time and place for the holding of additional regular meetings without other notice than
such resolution.
SECTION 3.4.
Special Meetings
. Except as otherwise provided by law or by the
Certificate of Incorporation and subject to Section 3.5, special meetings of stockholders of the
Corporation may be called only by the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer or the
Board of Directors pursuant to a resolutions adopted by a majority of the Whole Board;
provided
,
however
, that prior to the Trigger Date, special meetings of the stockholders of the Corporation
may also be called by the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Corporation
entitled to vote. The person or persons authorized to call special meetings of the Board of
Directors may fix the place and time of the meetings.
SECTION 3.5.
Notice
. Notice of any meeting of directors shall be given to each
director at his business or residence in writing by hand delivery, first-class or overnight mail or
courier service, telegram or facsimile transmission, electronic transmission or orally by
telephone. If mailed by first-class mail, such notice shall be deemed adequately delivered when
deposited in the United States mails so addressed, with postage thereon prepaid, at least five days
before such meeting. If by telegram, overnight mail or courier service, such notice shall be
deemed adequately delivered when the telegram is delivered to the telegraph company or the notice
is delivered to the overnight mail or courier service company at least 24 hours before such
meeting. If by facsimile transmission, such notice shall be deemed adequately delivered when the
notice is transmitted at least 12 hours before such meeting. If by telephone or by hand delivery,
the notice shall be given at least 12 hours prior to the time set for the meeting. Neither
the business to be transacted at, nor the purpose of, any regular or special meeting of the
Board of Directors need be specified in the notice of such meeting, except for amendments to these
Bylaws, as provided under Section 8.1. A meeting may be held at any time
- 9 -
without notice if all the
directors are present or if those not present waive notice of the meeting in accordance with
Section 6.4 of these Bylaws.
SECTION 3.6.
Action by Consent of Board of Directors
. Any action required or
permitted to be taken at any meeting of the Board of Directors or of any committee thereof may be
taken without a meeting if all members of the Board or committee, as the case may be, consent
thereto in writing, and the writing or writings are filed with the minutes of proceedings of the
Board or committee.
SECTION 3.7.
Conference Telephone Meetings
. Members of the Board of Directors, or any
committee thereof, may participate in a meeting of the Board of Directors or such committee by
means of conference telephone or similar communications equipment by means of which all persons
participating in the meeting can hear each other, and such participation in a meeting shall
constitute presence in person at such meeting.
SECTION 3.8.
Quorum
. Subject to Section 3.9, a whole number of directors equal to at
least a majority of the Whole Board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, but
if at any meeting of the Board of Directors there shall be less than a quorum present, a majority
of the directors present may adjourn the meeting from time to time without further notice. The act
of the majority of the directors present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act
of the Board of Directors. The directors present at a duly organized meeting may continue to
transact business until adjournment, notwithstanding the withdrawal of enough directors to leave
less than a quorum.
SECTION 3.9.
Vacancies
. Subject to applicable law and the rights of the holders of
any series of Preferred Stock with respect to such series of Preferred Stock, and unless the Board
of Directors otherwise determines, vacancies resulting from death, resignation, retirement,
disqualification, removal from office or other cause, and newly created directorships resulting
from any increase in the authorized number of directors, may be filled only by the affirmative vote
of a majority of the remaining directors, though less than a quorum of the Board of Directors, and
directors so chosen shall hold office for a term expiring at the annual meeting of stockholders at
which the term of office of the class to which they have been elected expires and until such
directors successor shall have been duly elected and qualified. No decrease in the number of
authorized directors constituting the Whole Board shall shorten the term of any incumbent director.
SECTION 3.10.
Executive and Other Committees
. The Board of Directors may, by
resolution adopted by a majority of the Whole Board, designate an Executive Committee to exercise,
subject to applicable provisions of law, all the powers of the Board in the management of the
business and affairs of the Corporation when the Board is not in session, including without
limitation the power to declare dividends, to authorize the issuance of the Corporations capital
stock and to adopt a certificate of ownership and merger pursuant to Section 253 of the General
Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, and may, by resolution similarly adopted, designate
one or more other committees. The Executive Committee and each such other committee shall
consist of one or more directors of the Corporation. The Board may designate one or more directors
as alternate members of any committee, who may replace any absent or disqualified member at any
meeting of the committee. Any such committee, other than the Executive
- 10 -
Committee (the powers of
which are expressly provided for herein), may to the extent permitted by law exercise such powers
and shall have such responsibilities as shall be specified in the designating resolution. In the
absence or disqualification of any member of such committee or committees, the member or members
thereof present at any meeting and not disqualified from voting, whether or not constituting a
quorum, may unanimously appoint another member of the Board to act at the meeting in the place of
any such absent or disqualified member. Each committee shall keep written minutes of its
proceedings and shall report such proceedings to the Board when required.
A majority of any committee may determine its action and fix the time and place of its
meetings, unless the Board shall otherwise provide. Notice of such meetings shall be given to each
member of the committee in the manner provided for in Section 3.5 of these Bylaws. The Board shall
have power at any time to fill vacancies in, to change the membership of, or to dissolve any such
committee. Nothing herein shall be deemed to prevent the Board from appointing one or more
committees consisting in whole or in part of persons who are not directors of the Corporation;
provided
,
however
, that no such committee shall have or may exercise any authority
of the Board.
SECTION 3.11.
Removal
. Subject to the rights of the holders of any series of
Preferred Stock with respect to such series of Preferred Stock, any director, or the Whole Board,
may be removed from office at any time, but only for cause and only by the affirmative vote of the
holders of at least (i) a majority of the voting power of all of the then-outstanding shares of
Voting Stock, voting together as a single class, at any time prior to the Trigger Date or (ii) 80
percent of the voting power of all of the then-outstanding shares of Voting Stock, voting together
as a single class, at any time on or after the Trigger Date.
SECTION 3.12.
Records
. The Board of Directors shall cause to be kept a record
containing the minutes of the proceedings of the meetings of the Board and of the stockholders,
appropriate stock books and registers and such books of records and accounts as may be necessary
for the proper conduct of the business of the Corporation.
SECTION 3.13.
Compensation
. Unless otherwise restricted by the Certificate of
Incorporation or these bylaws, the board of directors shall have authority to fix the compensation
of directors, including fees and reimbursement of expenses.
ARTICLE IV
OFFICERS
SECTION 4.1.
Elected Officers
. The elected officers of the Corporation shall be a
Chairman of the Board of Directors, a President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and such other
officers (including, without limitation, a Chief Financial Officer) as the Board of Directors
from time to time may deem proper. The Chairman of the Board shall be chosen from among the
directors. All officers elected by the Board of Directors shall each have such powers and duties
as generally pertain to their respective offices, subject to the specific provisions of this
- 11 -
ARTICLE IV. Such officers shall also have such powers and duties as from time to time may be
conferred by the Board of Directors or by any committee thereof. The Board or any committee
thereof may from time to time elect, or the Chairman of the Board or President may appoint, such
other officers (including one or more Assistant Vice Presidents, Assistant Secretaries, Assistant
Treasurers, and Assistant Controllers) and such agents, as may be necessary or desirable for the
conduct of the business of the Corporation. Such other officers and agents shall have such duties
and shall hold their offices for such terms as shall be provided in these Bylaws or as may be
prescribed by the Board or such committee or by the Chairman of the Board or President, as the case
may be.
SECTION 4.2.
Election and Term of Office
. The elected officers of the Corporation
shall be elected annually by the Board of Directors at the regular meeting of the Board of
Directors held after the annual meeting of the stockholders. If the election of officers shall not
be held at such meeting, such election shall be held as soon thereafter as convenient. Each
officer shall hold office until his successor shall have been duly elected and shall have qualified
or until his death or until he shall resign, but any officer may be removed from office at any time
by the affirmative vote of a majority of the Whole Board or, except in the case of an officer or
agent elected by the Board, by the Chairman of the Board or President. Such removal shall be
without prejudice to the contractual rights, if any, of the person so removed.
SECTION 4.3.
Chairman of the Board
. The Chairman of the Board shall preside at all
meetings of the stockholders and of the Board of Directors. The Chairman of the Board shall be
responsible for the general management of the affairs of the Corporation and shall perform all
duties incidental to his office which may be required by law and all such other duties as are
properly required of him by the Board of Directors. He shall make reports to the Board of
Directors and the stockholders, and shall see that all orders and resolutions of the Board of
Directors and of any committee thereof are carried into effect. The Chairman of the Board may also
serve as President, if so elected by the Board.
SECTION 4.4.
Chief Executive Officer
. The Chief Executive Officer shall act in a
general executive capacity and shall assist the Chairman of the Board in the administration and
operation of the Corporations business and general supervision of its policies and affairs. The
Chief Executive Officer shall, in the absence of or because of the inability to act of the Chairman
of the Board, perform all duties of the Chairman of the Board and preside at all meetings of
stockholders and of the Board of Directors.
SECTION 4.5.
President.
The President shall have such powers and shall perform such
duties as shall be assigned to him by the Board of Directors.
SECTION 4.5.
Vice-Presidents
. Each Vice President shall have such powers and shall
perform such duties as shall be assigned to him by the Board of Directors.
SECTION 4.6.
Chief Financial Officer
. The Chief Financial Officer (if any) shall be a
Vice Chief Executive Officer and act in an executive financial capacity. He shall assist the
Chairman of the Board and the Chief Executive Officer in the general supervision of the
Corporations financial policies and affairs.
- 12 -
SECTION 4.7.
Treasurer
. The Treasurer shall exercise general supervision over the
receipt, custody and disbursement of corporate funds. The Treasurer shall cause the funds of the
Corporation to be deposited in such banks as may be authorized by the Board of Directors, or in
such banks as may be designated as depositaries in the manner provided by resolution of the Board
of Directors. He shall have such further powers and duties and shall be subject to such directions
as may be granted or imposed upon him from time to time by the Board of Directors, the Chairman of
the Board or the Chief Executive Officer.
SECTION 4.8.
Secretary
. The Secretary shall keep or cause to be kept in one or more
books provided for that purpose, the minutes of all meetings of the Board, the committees of the
Board and the stockholders; he shall see that all notices are duly given in accordance with the
provisions of these Bylaws and as required by law; he shall be custodian of the records and the
seal of the Corporation and affix and attest the seal to all stock certificates of the Corporation
(unless the seal of the Corporation on such certificates shall be a facsimile, as hereinafter
provided) and affix and attest the seal to all other documents to be executed on behalf of the
Corporation under its seal; and he shall see that the books, reports, statements, certificates and
other documents and records required by law to be kept and filed are properly kept and filed; and
in general, he shall perform all the duties incident to the office of Secretary and such other
duties as from time to time may be assigned to him by the Board, the Chairman of the Board or the
Chief Executive Officer.
SECTION 4.9.
Removal
. Any officer elected, or agent appointed, by the Board of
Directors may be removed by the affirmative vote of a majority of the Whole Board whenever, in
their judgment, the best interests of the Corporation would be served thereby. Any officer or
agent appointed by the Chairman of the Board or the Chief Executive Officer may be removed by him
whenever, in his judgment, the best interests of the Corporation would be served thereby. No
elected officer shall have any contractual rights against the Corporation for compensation by
virtue of such election beyond the date of the election of his successor, his death, his
resignation or his removal, whichever event shall first occur, except as otherwise provided in an
employment contract or under an employee deferred compensation plan.
SECTION 4.10.
Vacancies
. A newly created elected office and a vacancy in any elected
office because of death, resignation, or removal may be filled by the Board of Directors for the
unexpired portion of the term at any meeting of the Board of Directors. Any vacancy in an office
appointed by the Chairman of the Board or the Chief Executive Officer because of death,
resignation, or removal may be filled by the Chairman of the Board or the Chief Executive Officer.
ARTICLE V
STOCK CERTIFICATES AND TRANSFERS
SECTION 5.1.
Stock Certificates and Transfers
. The interest of each stockholder of
the Corporation shall be evidenced by certificates for shares of stock in such form as the
appropriate officers of the Corporation may from time to time prescribe; provided that the Board of
Directors of the Corporation may provide by resolution or resolutions that some or all of any
- 13 -
or
all classes or series of its stock may be uncertificated or electronic shares. The shares of the
stock of the Corporation shall be transferred on the books of the Corporation, which may be
maintained by a third party registrar or transfer agent, by the holder thereof in person or by his
attorney, upon surrender for cancellation of certificates for at least the same number of shares,
with an assignment and power of transfer endorsed thereon or attached thereto, duly executed, with
such proof of the authenticity of the signature as the Corporation or its agents may reasonably
require or upon receipt of proper transfer instructions from the registered holder of
uncertificated shares and upon compliance with appropriate procedures for transferring shares in
uncertificated form.
Each certificated share of stock shall be signed, countersigned and registered in such manner
as the Board of Directors may by resolution prescribe, which resolution may permit all or any of
the signatures on such certificates to be in facsimile. In case any officer, transfer agent or
registrar who has signed or whose facsimile signature has been placed upon a certificate has ceased
to be such officer, transfer agent or registrar before such certificate is issued, it may be issued
by the Corporation with the same effect as if he were such officer, transfer agent or registrar at
the date of issue.
SECTION 5.2.
Lost, Stolen or Destroyed Certificates
. No certificate for shares or
uncertificated shares of stock in the Corporation shall be issued in place of any certificate
alleged to have been lost, destroyed or stolen, except on production of such evidence of such loss,
destruction or theft and on delivery to the Corporation of a bond of indemnity in such amount, upon
such terms and secured by such surety, as the Board of Directors or any financial officer may in
its or his discretion require.
ARTICLE VI
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
SECTION 6.1.
Fiscal Year
. The fiscal year of the Corporation shall begin on the first
day of January and end on the thirty-first day of December of each year.
SECTION 6.2.
Dividends
. Except as otherwise provided by law or the Certificate of
Incorporation, the Board of Directors may from time to time declare, and the Corporation may pay,
dividends on its outstanding shares of capital stock, which dividends may be paid in either cash,
property or shares of capital stock of the Corporation.
SECTION 6.3.
Seal
. The corporate seal shall have enscribed thereon the words
Corporate Seal, the year of incorporation and around the margin thereof the words Oasis
Petroleum Inc. Delaware.
SECTION 6.4.
Waiver of Notice
. Whenever any notice is required to be given to any
stockholder or director of the Corporation under the provisions of the General Corporation Law of
the State of Delaware, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, a waiver thereof in
writing, signed by the person or persons entitled to such notice, whether before or after the time
stated therein, shall be deemed equivalent to the giving of such notice. Neither the business
- 14 -
to
be transacted at, nor the purpose of, any annual or special meeting of the stockholders or the
Board of Directors or committee thereof need be specified in any waiver of notice of such meeting.
Attendance of a person at a meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting, except
when the person attends a meeting for the express purpose of objecting at the beginning of the
meeting, to the transaction of any business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened.
SECTION 6.5.
Audits
. The accounts, books and records of the Corporation shall be
audited upon the conclusion of each fiscal year by an independent certified public accountant
selected by the Board of Directors, and it shall be the duty of the Board of Directors to cause
such audit to be done annually.
SECTION 6.6.
Resignations
. Any director or any officer, whether elected or appointed,
may resign at any time by giving written notice or notice via electronic transmission of such
resignation to the Chairman of the Board, the President, or the Secretary, and such resignation
shall be deemed to be effective as of the close of business on the date said notice is received by
the Chairman of the Board, the President, or the Secretary, or at such later time as is specified
therein. No formal action shall be required of the Board of Directors or the stockholders to make
any such resignation effective.
SECTION 6.7.
Indemnification and Insurance
. (A)(1) Each person who was or is a party
or is threatened to be made a party to or is involved in any Proceeding (other than a Proceeding
by or in the right of the Corporation), by reason of the fact that he or she or a person of whom he
or she is the legal representative is or was a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of a
Subject Enterprise, or by reason of any act or omission by such person in such capacity, shall be
indemnified and held harmless by the Corporation to the fullest extent authorized by the General
Corporation Law of the State of Delaware as the same exists or may hereafter be amended (but, in
the case of any such amendment, only to the extent that such amendment permits the Corporation to
provide broader indemnification rights than said law permitted the Corporation to provide prior to
such amendment), against all Expenses, liabilities and amounts paid in settlement which were
actually and reasonably incurred by, or in the case of retainers, to be incurred by, such person in
connection therewith, and such indemnification shall continue as to a person who has ceased to be a
director, officer, employee or agent and shall inure to the benefit of his or her heirs, executors
and administrators.
(2) Each person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to or is involved in
any Proceeding brought by or in the right of the Corporation to procure a judgment
in its favor by reason of the fact that he or she or a person of whom he or she is the legal
representative is or was a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of a Subject Enterprise,
or by reason of any act of omission by such person in such capacity, against all Expenses actually
and reasonably incurred by, or in the case of retainers, to be incurred by, such person in
connection therewith, and such indemnification shall continue as to a person who has ceased to be a
director, officer, employee or agent and shall inure to the benefit of his or her heirs, executors
and administrators.
(3) Notwithstanding
Section 6.7(A)(1)
and
(2)
, no indemnification shall be
made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged
- 15 -
to
be liable to the Corporation in a final adjudication by a court of competent jurisdiction from
which there is no further right of appeal, unless and to the extent that the Court of Chancery of
the State of Delaware, or the court in which such Proceeding shall have been brought or is pending,
shall determine that such indemnification may be made.
(4) Notwithstanding
Section 6.7(A)(1)
and
(2)
, except as provided in paragraph
(C) of this Bylaw, the Corporation shall indemnify any such person seeking indemnification in
connection with a Proceeding (or part thereof) initiated by such person only if such Proceeding (or
part thereof) was authorized by the Board of Directors.
(5) The right to indemnification conferred in this Bylaw shall be a contract right and shall
include the right to be paid by the Corporation the Expenses incurred or, in the case of retainer
or similar fees, reasonably expected to be incurred, in defending any such Proceeding in advance of
its final disposition, such advances to be paid by the Corporation within seven days after the
receipt by the Corporation of a statement or statements from the claimant requesting such advance
or advances from time to time;
provided
,
however
, that if the General Corporation
Law of the State of Delaware requires, the payment of such expenses incurred by a director or
officer in his or her capacity as a director or officer (and not in any other capacity in which
service was or is rendered by such person while a director or officer, including, without
limitation, service to an employee benefit plan) in advance of the final disposition of a
Proceeding, shall be made only upon delivery to the Corporation of a written affirmation by such
person of such persons good faith belief that such person has met the standard of conduct
necessary for indemnification under this Bylaw and an undertaking by or on behalf of such to repay
such amount if it is ultimately determined that such is not entitled to be indemnified against such
Expenses by the Company pursuant to this Bylaw or otherwise.
(B) To obtain indemnification under this Bylaw, a claimant shall submit to the Corporation a
written request, including documentation and information which is reasonably available to the
claimant and is reasonably necessary to determine whether the claimant is entitled to
indemnification. Upon written request by a claimant for indemnification pursuant to the first
sentence of this paragraph (B), a determination, if required by applicable law, with respect to the
claimants entitlement thereto shall be made as follows: (1) if requested by the claimant, by
Independent Counsel (as hereinafter defined) in a written opinion to the Board of Directors, a copy
of which shall be delivered to the claimant, or (2) if no request is made by the claimant for a
determination by Independent Counsel, (i) by the Board of Directors by a majority vote of a quorum
consisting of Disinterested Directors (as hereinafter defined), or (ii) if a quorum
of the Board of Directors consisting of Disinterested Directors is not obtainable or, even if
obtainable, such quorum of Disinterested Directors so directs, by Independent Counsel in a written
opinion to the Board of Directors, a copy of which shall be delivered to the claimant. The
Independent Counsel shall be selected by the Board of Directors unless there shall have occurred
within two years prior to the date of the commencement of the Proceeding for which indemnification
is claimed a Change of Control as defined in the Corporations 2010 Long Term Incentive Plan, in
which case the Independent Counsel shall be selected by the claimant unless the claimant shall
request that such selection be made by the Board of Directors. Such determination of entitlement
to indemnification shall be made not later than 45 days after receipt by the Corporation of a
written request for indemnification. If it is so determined that the
- 16 -
claimant is entitled to
indemnification, payment to the claimant shall be made within 15 days after such determination.
(C) If the Board of Directors or the Independent Counsel, as applicable, shall have failed to
make a determination as to entitlement to indemnification within 45 days after receipt by the
Corporation of such request, the requisite determination of entitlement to indemnification shall be
deemed to have been made and the claimant shall be absolutely entitled to such indemnification,
absent actual and material fraud in the request for indemnification, a prohibition of
indemnification under applicable law in effect, or a subsequent determination that such
indemnification is prohibited by applicable law. The termination of any Proceeding by judgment,
order, settlement or conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not, of
itself: (i) create a presumption that the claimant acted in bad faith or in a manner which he/she
reasonably believed to be opposed to the best interests of the Corporation, or, with respect to any
criminal Proceeding, that the claimant has reasonable cause to believe that the claimants conduct
was unlawful; or (ii) otherwise adversely affect the rights of the claimant to indemnification,
except as may be provided herein
(D) If a determination shall have been made pursuant to paragraph (B) of this Bylaw that the
claimant is entitled to indemnification, the Corporation shall be bound by such determination and
shall be precluded from asserting that such determination has not been made in any judicial
Proceeding commenced pursuant to paragraph (C) of this Bylaw.
(E) The Corporation shall be precluded from asserting in any judicial Proceeding commenced
pursuant to paragraph (C) of this Bylaw that the procedures and presumptions of this Bylaw are not
valid, binding and enforceable and shall stipulate in such Proceeding that the Corporation is bound
by all the provisions of this Bylaw.
(F) The right to indemnification and the payment of Expenses incurred, or in the case of
retainers or similar Expenses, reasonably expected to be incurred, in defending a Proceeding in
advance of its final disposition conferred in this Bylaw shall not be exclusive of any other right
which any person may have or hereafter acquire under any statute, provision of the Certificate of
Incorporation, Bylaws, agreement, vote of stockholders or Disinterested Directors or otherwise. No
repeal or modification of this Bylaw shall in any way diminish or adversely affect the rights of
any director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation hereunder in respect of any occurrence
or matter arising prior to any such repeal or modification.
(G) The Corporation may maintain insurance, at its expense, to protect itself and any
director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation or another corporation, partnership, joint
venture, trust or other enterprise against any expense, liability or loss, whether or not the
Corporation would have the power to indemnify such person against such expense, liability or loss
under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware. To the extent that the Corporation
maintains any policy or policies providing such insurance, each such director or officer, and each
such agent or employee to which rights to indemnification have been granted as provided in
paragraph (H) of this Bylaw, shall be covered by such policy or policies in accordance with its or
their terms to the maximum extent of the coverage thereunder for any such director, officer,
employee or agent.
- 17 -
(H) The Corporation may, to the extent authorized from time to time by the Board of Directors,
grant rights to indemnification, and rights to be paid by the Corporation the expenses incurred in
defending any Proceeding in advance of its final disposition, to any employee or agent of the
Corporation to the fullest extent of the provisions of this Bylaw with respect to the
indemnification and advancement of expenses of directors and officers of the Corporation.
(I) If any provision or provisions of this Bylaw shall be held to be invalid, illegal or
unenforceable for any reason whatsoever: (1) the validity, legality and enforceability of the
remaining provisions of this Bylaw (including, without limitation, each portion of any paragraph of
this Bylaw containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that is not
itself held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall not in any way be affected or impaired
thereby; and (2) to the fullest extent possible, the provisions of this Bylaw (including, without
limitation, each such portion of any paragraph of this Bylaw containing any such provision held to
be invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall be construed so as to give effect to the intent
manifested by the provision held invalid, illegal or unenforceable.
(J) For purposes of this Bylaw:
(1)
Disinterested Director
means a director of the Corporation who is
not and was not a party to the matter in respect of which indemnification is sought.
(2)
Expenses
means judgments, penalties (including, but not limited
to, excise and similar taxes) and fines against such person and all reasonable
attorneys fees, accountants fees, retainers, court costs, transcript costs, fees
of experts, witness fees, travel expenses, duplicating costs, printing and binding
costs, telephone charges, postage, delivery service fees, and all other
disbursements or expenses incurred in connection with prosecuting, defending,
preparing to prosecute or defend, investigating or being or preparing to be a
witness in any Proceeding or establishing such persons right of entitlement to
indemnification for any of the foregoing.
(3)
Independent Counsel
means a law firm of at least 50 attorneys or
a member of a law firm of at least 50 attorneys that is experienced in
matters of corporate law and that neither is presently nor in the past five
years has been retained to represent (i) the Corporation or the claimant or any
affiliate thereof in any matter material to either such party or (ii) any other
party to the Proceeding giving rise to a claim for indemnification hereunder.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the term Independent Counsel shall not include any
person who, under the applicable standards of professional conduct then prevailing,
would have a conflict of interest in representing either the Corporation or the
claimant in an action to determine the claimants right to indemnification under
this Bylaw.
(4) P
roceeding
means any threatened, pending or completed action,
suit, arbitration, investigation, inquiry, alternate dispute resolution mechanism,
administrative or legislative hearing, or any other proceeding
- 18 -
(including, without
limitation, any securities laws action, suit, arbitration, investigation, inquiry,
alternative dispute resolution mechanism, hearing or procedure) whether civil,
criminal, administrative, arbitrative or investigative and whether or not based upon
events occurring, or actions taken, before the date hereof, and any appeal in or
related to any such action, suit, arbitration, investigation, inquiry, alternate
dispute resolution mechanism, hearing or proceeding and any inquiry or investigation
(including discovery), whether conducted by or in the right of the Corporation or
any other person, that such person in good faith believes could lead to any such
action, suit, arbitration, investigation, inquiry, alternative dispute resolution
mechanism, hearing or other proceeding or appeal thereof.
(5)
Subject Enterprise
means the Corporation or any of the
Corporations direct or indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries or any other entity,
including, but not limited to, another corporation, partnership, limited liability
company, employee benefit plan, joint venture, trust or other enterprise for which a
person is or was serving as a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary at the
request of the Corporation.
(K) Any notice, request or other communication required or permitted to be given to the
Corporation under this Bylaw shall be in writing and either delivered in person or sent by
facsimile, electronic transmission, overnight mail or courier service, or certified or registered
mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested, to the Secretary of the Corporation and shall be
effective only upon receipt by the Secretary.
SECTION 6.8.
Notices
. Except as otherwise specifically provided herein or required by
law, all notices required to be given to any stockholder, director, officer, employee or agent
shall be in writing and may in every instance be effectively given by hand delivery to the
recipient thereof, by depositing such notice in the mails, postage paid, or by sending such notice
by commercial courier service, or by facsimile or other electronic transmission, provided that
notice to stockholders by electronic transmission shall be given in the manner provided in Section
232 of the Delaware General Corporation Law. Any such notice shall be addressed to such
stockholder, director, officer, employee or agent at his or her last known address as the same
appears on the books of the Corporation. The time when such notice shall be deemed to
given shall be the time such notice is received by such stockholder, director, officer
employee or agent, or by any person accepting such notice on behalf of such person, if delivered by
hand, facsimile, other electronic transmission or commercial courier service, or the time such
notice is dispatched, if delivered through the mails. Without limiting the manner by which notice
otherwise may be given effectively, notice to any stockholder shall be deemed given: (1) if by
facsimile, when directed to a number at which the stockholder has consented to receive notice; (2)
if by electronic mail, when directed to an electronic mail address at which the stockholder has
consented to receive notice; (3) if by posting on an electronic network together with separate
notice to the stockholder of such specific posting, upon the later of (A) such posting and (B) the
giving of such separate notice; (4) if by any other form of electronic transmission, when directed
to the stockholder; and (5) if by mail, when deposited in the mail, postage prepaid, directed to
the stockholder at such stockholders address as it appears on the records of the Corporation.
- 19 -
SECTION 6.9.
Facsimile Signatures
. In addition to the provisions for use of facsimile
signatures elsewhere specifically authorized in these Bylaws, facsimile signatures of any officer
or officers of the Corporation may be used whenever and as authorized by the Board of Directors or
a committee thereof.
SECTION 6.10.
Time Periods
. In applying any provision of these Bylaws which require
that an act be done or not done a specified number of days prior to an event or that an act be done
during a period of a specified number of days prior to an event, calendar days shall be used, the
day of the doing of the act shall be excluded, and the day of the event shall be included.
SECTION 6.11.
Reliance Upon Books, Reports and Records
. Each director, each member of
any committee designated by the Board of Directors, and each officer of the Corporation shall, in
the performance of his duties, be bully protected in relying in good faith upon the books of
account or other records of the Corporation as provided by law, including reports made to the
Corporation by any of its officers, by an independent certified public accountant, or by an
appraiser selected with reasonable care.
ARTICLE VII
CONTRACTS, PROXIES, ETC.
SECTION 7.1.
Contracts
. Except as otherwise required by law, the Certificate of
Incorporation or these Bylaws, any contracts or other instruments may be executed and delivered in
the name and on the behalf of the Corporation by such officer or officers of the Corporation as the
Board of Directors may from time to time direct. Such authority may be general or confined to
specific instances as the Board may determine. The Chairman of the Board, the President or any
Vice President may execute bonds, contracts, deeds, leases and other instruments to be made or
executed for or on behalf of the Corporation. Subject to any restrictions imposed by the Board of
Directors or the Chairman of the Board, the President or any Vice President of the Corporation may
delegate contractual powers to others under his jurisdiction, it being understood, however, that
any such delegation of power shall not relieve such officer of responsibility with respect to the
exercise of such delegated power.
SECTION 7.2.
Proxies
. Unless otherwise provided by resolution adopted by the Board of
Directors, the Chairman of the Board, the President or any Vice President may from time to time
appoint an attorney or attorneys or agent or agents of the Corporation, in the name and on behalf
of the Corporation, to cast the votes which the Corporation may be entitled to cast as the holder
of stock or other securities in any other corporation, any of whose stock or other securities may
be held by the Corporation, at meetings of the holders of the stock or other securities of such
other corporation, or to consent in writing, in the name of the Corporation as such holder, to any
action by such other corporation, and may instruct the person or persons so appointed as to the
manner of casting such votes or giving such consent, and may execute or cause to be executed in the
name and on behalf of the Corporation and under its corporate seal or otherwise, all such written
proxies or other instruments as he may deem necessary or proper in the premises.
- 20 -
ARTICLE VIII
AMENDMENTS
SECTION 8.1.
Amendments
. These Bylaws may be altered, amended, or repealed at any
meeting of the Board of Directors or of the stockholders as set forth in these Bylaws or in the
Corporations Certificate of Incorporation, as it may be amended or restated from time to time,
provided notice of the proposed change was given in the notice of the meeting and, in the case of a
meeting of the Board of Directors, in a notice given not less than two days prior to the meeting;
provided
,
however
, that, in the case of amendments by stockholders from or after
the Trigger Date, notwithstanding any other provisions of these Bylaws or any provision of law
which might otherwise permit a lesser vote or no vote, but in addition to any affirmative vote of
the holders of any particular class or series of the capital stock of the Corporation required by
law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, the affirmative vote of the holders of at
least 66⅔ percent of the voting power of all the then outstanding shares of the Voting Stock,
voting together as a single class, shall be required to alter, amend or repeal any provision of
these Bylaws.
- 21 -
Exhibit 10.3
EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
This Employment Agreement (this
Agreement
) is made by and between Oasis Petroleum Inc., a
Delaware corporation (the
Company
), and Thomas B. Nusz (
Employee
) effective as of
, 2010 (the
Effective Date
).
WHEREAS
, the Company currently employs Employee as its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer;
WHEREAS
, the Company desires to continue to employ Employee and Employee desires to continue
to be employed by the Company and to commit himself to serve the Company on the terms herein
provided.
NOW, THERFORE
, in consideration of the mutual covenants contained herein and other good and
valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties
hereto agree as follows:
1.
Employment
. The Company shall continue to employ Employee, and Employee accepts
continued employment with the Company, upon the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement.
Unless earlier terminated pursuant to Section 4 below, the initial term of this Agreement shall
begin on the Effective Date and end on the third anniversary of the Effective Date (the
Initial
Term
),
provided
,
however
, that the term shall be automatically renewed for
successive one-year periods (each such period an
Extension Term
) unless the Company provides a
written notice of non-renewal to the Employee more than 60 days before the end of the Initial Term
or, if applicable, the current Extension Term. The Initial Term together with each Extension Term,
if any, shall be the
Term
. If the Company gives timely notice of non-renewal, then Employees
employment shall end on the last day of the Term. A termination of Employees employment and the
Term by reason of notice of non-renewal given by the Company shall be considered a termination
without Cause for purposes of Section 4.
2.
Position and Duties; Exclusive Compensation and Services
.
(a) During the Term, Employee shall hold the title of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
The Company and Employee agree that the Employee shall have duties and responsibilities consistent
with the position set forth above in a company the size and of the nature of the Company, and such
other duties and authority that are assigned to Employee from time to time by the Companys Board
of Directors (the
Board
), or such other officer of the Company as shall be designated by the
Board. Employee shall report to the Board, or to such other officer of the Company as shall be
designated by the Board. All services that Employee may render to the Company or any of its
Affiliates in any capacity during the Term shall be deemed to be services required by this
Agreement and the consideration for such services is that provided for in this Agreement.
(b) During the Term, Employee agrees to devote his full business time and attention to the
business and affairs of the Company, unless Employee notifies the Board in advance of Employees
intent to engage in other paid work and receives the Boards express written consent to do so.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, so long as such activities do not conflict with the Companys
interests, interfere with Employees duties and responsibilities or
violate Employees obligations hereunder, Employee will not be prohibited from (i) managing
his personal, financial, and legal affairs; (ii) engaging in professional, charitable or community
activities or organizations or (iii) serving on the boards of directors, or advisory boards of
directors, of not-for-profit charitable organizations, not-for-profit professional organizations,
or for-profit corporations, so long as Employee secures the Boards express written consent for
Employee to serve on such boards prior to undertaking such service.
(c) During the Term, Employee agrees to comply with and, where applicable, enforce the
policies of the Company, including without limitation such policies with respect to legal
compliance, conflicts of interest, confidentiality, professional conduct and business ethics as are
from time to time in effect. Employee shall cooperate with any investigation or inquiry authorized
by the Board or conducted by a governmental authority related to the Companys or an Affiliates
business or the Employees conduct related to the Company or an Affiliate.
3.
Compensation
.
(a)
Base Salary
. During the Term, Employees base salary shall be $325,000 per annum,
which salary may be increased (but not decreased without the Employees written consent) by the
Board (or a designated committee thereof) in its discretion (the
Base Salary
), which Base Salary
shall be payable in regular installments in accordance with the Companys general payroll
practices.
(b)
Annual Bonus
. During the Term, Employee shall be eligible to receive an annual
performance bonus payment (a
Performance Bonus
) for each calendar year pursuant to an annual cash
performance bonus program (the
Bonus Plan
). Pursuant to the terms of the Bonus Plan, each annual
Performance Bonus shall be payable based on the achievement of reasonable performance targets
established in accordance herewith, and for each calendar year Employees target Performance Bonus
shall be equal to 80% of Employees annual Base Salary in effect on the last day of the applicable
calendar year (the
Target Performance Bonus
). For each calendar year, the Board and the Employee
will mutually determine and will establish in writing (i) the applicable performance targets, (ii)
the percentage of annual Base Salary payable to Employee if some lesser or greater percentage of
the target annual performance is achieved, and (iii) such other applicable terms and conditions of
the Bonus Plan necessary to satisfy the requirements of Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code
of 1986, as amended (the
Code
). Except as otherwise provided in Section 5, any Performance Bonus
that Employee becomes entitled to receive (as a result of the applicable performance targets
ultimately being achieved) will be deemed earned on the last day of the calendar year to which such
bonus relates and will be paid to Employee as soon as administratively feasible following
preparation of the Companys unaudited financial statements for the applicable calendar year, but
in no event later than March 15 of the calendar year following the calendar year to which such
Performance Bonus relates.
(c)
Employee Benefits
. Employee will be entitled during the Term to receive such
welfare benefits and other fringe benefits (including, but not limited to vacation, financial and
tax planning assistance, medical, dental, life insurance, 401(k) and other employee benefits and
perquisites, such as club membership dues) as the Company may offer from time to time to similarly
situated executive level employees, subject to applicable eligibility requirements. The
2
Company shall not, however, by reason of this Section 3(c), be obligated to refrain from
changing, amending, or discontinuing any such benefit plan or program, on a prospective basis, so
long as any such changes are similarly applicable to similarly situated employees of the Company.
(d)
Business Expenses
. The Company shall reimburse Employee for all reasonable
expenses incurred by him in the course of performing his duties during the Term to the extent
consistent with the Companys written policies in effect from time to time with respect to travel,
entertainment and other business expenses, subject to the Companys requirements with respect to
reporting and documentation of such expenses (
Business Expenses
). Notwithstanding any provision
in this Agreement to the contrary, the amount of Business Expenses for which Employee is eligible
to receive reimbursement during any calendar year shall not affect the amount of Business Expenses
for which Employee is eligible to receive reimbursement during any other calendar year within the
Term. Reimbursement of Business Expenses under this Section 3(d) shall generally be made within
two weeks of Employees submission of expense reports pursuant to Company policy, but in no event
later than March 15 of the calendar year following the calendar year in which the expense was
incurred. Employee is not permitted to receive a payment or other benefit in lieu of reimbursement
under this Section 3(d).
(e)
Long Term Incentive Compensation
. Employee may, as determined by the Board (or a
designated committee thereof) in its sole discretion, periodically receive grants of stock options
or other equity or non-equity related awards pursuant to the Companys long-term incentive plan(s),
subject to the terms and conditions thereof. Any grants previously awarded to Employee pursuant to
the Companys long-term incentive plan(s) that are outstanding on the Effective Date hereof shall
continue to be governed by the terms and conditions of such plan(s).
4.
Termination of Employment
. Unless otherwise agreed to in writing by the Company
and Employee, Employees employment hereunder may be terminated under the following circumstances:
(a)
Death
. Employees employment hereunder shall terminate upon his death.
(b)
Inability to Perform
. Employees employment may be terminated by the Company if
Employee has incurred a Disability. For purposes of this Agreement,
Disability
means Employees
inability to perform the essential functions of Employees position with or without reasonable
accommodation, if required by law, due to physical or mental impairment. The existence of any such
Disability shall be certified by a physician acceptable to both the Company and Employee. If the
parties are not able to agree on the choice of a physician, each party shall select a physician
who, in turn, shall select a third physician to render such certification. In no event will
Employees employment be terminated as a result of Disability pursuant to this Section 4(b) until
at least 180 consecutive days of paid leave have elapsed and the Company has provided Employee with
at least thirty days advance written notice of termination. During the 180 days of paid leave,
the Company may offset the payment of Employees Base Salary then in effect by the amount of any
short-term or long-term disability benefits Employee receives pursuant to Section 3(c) above.
3
(c)
Termination by the Company
. The Company may terminate Employees employment with
or without Cause. For purposes of this Agreement, the term
Cause
means Employee (i) has been
convicted of a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude or a felony, (ii) has engaged in grossly
negligent or willful misconduct in the performance of his duties for the Company, which actions
have had a material detrimental effect on the Company, (iii) has breached any material provision of
this Agreement, (iv) has engaged in conduct which is materially injurious to the Company
(including, without limitation, misuse or misappropriation of the Companys funds or other
property), or (v) has committed an act of fraud, provided, however, that the Company must give
Employee written notice of the acts or omissions constituting Cause within 60 days after an officer
of the Company (other than Employee) first learns of the occurrence of such event, and no
termination shall be for Cause under clauses (ii), (iii), (iv), or (v) contained in this Section
4(c) unless and until Employee fails to cure such acts or omissions within 30 days following
receipt of such written notice.
(d)
Termination by Employee
. Employee may, upon giving the Company no less than 30
days advance written notice, terminate Employees employment without Good Reason or for Good
Reason. For purposes of this Agreement, the term
Good Reason
shall mean, without the express
written consent of Employee, the occurrence of one of the following arising on or after the
Effective Date, as determined in a manner consistent with Treasury Regulation § 1.409A-1(n)(2)(ii):
(i) a material reduction in Employees base compensation, (ii) a material diminution in Employees
authority, duties or responsibilities, (iii) a permanent relocation in the geographic location at
which Employee must perform services to a location more than 50 miles from the location at which
Employee normally performed services immediately before the relocation; (iv) a requirement that
Employee report to an officer or employee instead of the Board; or (v) any other action or inaction
that constitutes a material breach by the Company of this Agreement. Neither a transfer of
employment among the Company and any of its Affiliates nor the Company or an Affiliate entering
into a co-employer relationship with a personnel services organization constitutes Good Reason. In
the case of Employees allegation of Good Reason, (A) Employee shall provide notice to the Company
of the event alleged to constitute Good Reason within 60 days after the occurrence of such event,
and (B) the Company shall have the opportunity to remedy the alleged Good Reason event within 30
days from receipt of notice of such allegation. If not remedied within that 30-day period,
Employee may submit a Notice of Termination pursuant to Section 5(e), provided that the Notice of
Termination must be given no later than 100 days after the expiration of such 30 day period;
otherwise, Employee is deemed to have accepted such event, or the Companys remedy of such event,
that may have given rise to the existence of Good Reason; provided, however, such acceptance shall
be limited to the occurrence of such event and shall not waive Employees right to claim Good
Reason with respect to future similar events.
(e)
Investigation; Suspension
. The Company may suspend Employee with pay pending an
investigation authorized by the Company or a governmental authority or a determination by the
Company whether Employee has engaged in acts or omissions constituting Cause, and such paid
suspension shall not constitute Good Reason or a termination of this Agreement or Employees
employment.
4
5.
Compensation Upon Termination
.
(a)
For Cause or Without Good Reason
. In the event Employees employment is
terminated by the Company for Cause or by the Employee without Good Reason, the Company shall pay
to Employee (i) any unpaid portion of the Base Salary through the Date of Termination at the rate
then in effect, (ii) any unpaid Performance Bonus earned in the calendar year prior to the Date of
Termination, (iii) unreimbursed Business Expenses through the Date of Termination, and (iv) such
employee benefits, if any, as to which Employee may be entitled pursuant to the terms governing
such benefits. The amounts, if any, set forth in (i), (ii), (iii), and (iv) shall be collectively
referred to herein as the
Accrued Payments
. The Accrued Payments shall be paid at the time and
in the manner required by applicable law but in no event later than 30 business days after the Date
of Termination, with the exception of (ii), which shall be paid at the time provided in and in
accordance with Section 3(b).
(b)
Without Cause or For Good Reason
. In addition to the Accrued Payments, in the
event Employees employment is terminated by the Company without Cause or by Employee for Good
Reason and such termination constitutes a separation from service (as defined in Section 5(i)),
the Company shall pay to Employee a pro-rata portion of the Performance Bonus that Employee would
have been entitled to receive pursuant to Section 3(b) hereof for the calendar year of termination,
multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of days during which Employee was
employed by the Company in the calendar year of Employees termination, and the denominator of
which is 365 (the
Pro-Rata Bonus
), payable as soon as administratively feasible following
preparation of the Companys unaudited financial statements for the applicable calendar year, but
in no event later than March 15 of the calendar year following the calendar year to which such
Performance Bonus relates. In addition, the Company shall provide Employee with the following (the
Severance Package
), contingent upon Employee satisfying the Severance Conditions, as defined
below:
(i) Payment of an amount (the
Separation Payment
) equal to the greater of either (1)
the aggregate amount of Base Salary as of the Date of Termination or, if greater, before any
reduction not consented to by Employee, that would have been paid to Employee if he had
continued performing services pursuant to this Agreement for the remainder of the
then-current Term or (2) the equivalent of twelve months of Employees Base Salary as of the
Date of Termination or, if greater, before any reduction not consented to by Employee,
payable at the time and in the manner provided in this Section 5(b) below; plus
(ii) Pay or reimburse on a monthly basis the premiums required to continue Employees
group health care coverage for a period of 18 months following Employees Date of
Termination, under the applicable provisions of the Consolidated Omnibus Budget
Reconciliation Act of 1985 (
COBRA
), provided that Employee elects to continue and remains
eligible for these benefits under COBRA; plus
(iii) (A) if the Date of Termination occurs during the Initial Term, an amount equal to
the aggregate of each Target Performance Bonus that Employee would have been eligible to
receive if he had continued performing services pursuant to this Agreement for the remainder
of the then-current Term, calculated based on Employees
5
Base Salary in effect on the Date of Termination or, if greater, before any reduction
not consented to by Employee or (B) if the Date of Termination occurs during any Extension
Term, an amount equal to 80% of the aggregate amount of Base Salary as of the Date of
Termination or, if greater, before any reduction not consented to by Employee, that would
have been paid to Employee if he had continued performing services pursuant to this
Agreement for the remainder of the then-current Term, minus any Pro-Rata Bonus received by
the Employee pursuant to section 5(b) above, payable as soon as administratively feasible
following preparation of the Companys unaudited financial statements for the applicable
calendar year, but in no event later than March 15 of the calendar year following the
calendar year to which such Target Performance Bonus relates; plus
(iv) immediate vesting of all unvested equity awards under the Companys 2010 Long Term
Incentive Plan or other plans of the Company as of the Date of Termination, regardless of
any other established vesting schedule, such that all remaining unvested equity awards shall
be fully vested on the Date of Termination.
To receive the Severance Package, Employee must execute and return to the Company on or prior to
the 60th day following the Date of Termination a waiver and release of claims agreement in the
Companys customary form, which shall exclude claims for indemnification, claims for coverage under
officer and director policies, and claims as a stockholder of the Company and which may be amended
by the Company to reflect changes in applicable laws and regulations (the
Release
), and where
applicable, not timely revoke such Release (the
Severance Conditions
).
The Separation Payment shall be paid as follows:
(A) If the Separation Payment is greater than the Section 409A Exempt Amount (defined below),
then
(1) the Section 409A Exempt Amount shall be paid in substantially equal monthly installments
over a period of twelve (12) months beginning on the first payroll date which occurs on or after
the 60th day following the Date of Termination, and
(2) the excess of the Separation Payment over the Section 409A Exempt Amount shall be paid in
a single lump sum no later than 60 days after the Date of Termination.
For purposes of this Agreement, the Section 409A Exempt Amount is two times the lesser of (x)
Employees annualized compensation based upon the annual rate of pay for services provided to the
Company for the calendar year preceding the calendar year in which Employee has a separation from
service (as defined in Section 5(i)) with the Company (adjusted for any increase during that year
that was expected to continue indefinitely if Employee had not separated from service) or (y) 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 Employee has a separation from service.
6
(B) If the Separation Payment is equal to or less than the Section 409A Exempt Amount, then
the Separation Payment shall be paid in equal monthly installments over a period of months (limited
to 24 such months) determined by dividing (x) the Separation Payment by (y) the Employees Monthly
Base Salary as of the Date of Termination, commencing in payment on the first day of the third
month following the Date of Termination, provided that the Date of Termination constitutes a
separation from service (as defined in Section 5(i)).
(c)
Death or Disability
. In the event Employees employment terminates by reason of
his death or Disability, Employee (or his estate) shall be entitled to receive:
(i) the Accrued Payments;
(ii) a Pro-Rata Bonus for the calendar year of termination, payable as soon as
administratively feasible following preparation of the Companys unaudited financial
statements for the applicable calendar year, but in no event later than March 15 of the
calendar year following the calendar year to which such Performance Bonus relates; and
(iii) provided Employee satisfies the Severance Conditions, (1) an amount equivalent to
twelve (12) months of Employees Base Salary as of the Date of Termination, or, if greater,
before any reduction not consented to by Employee, payable in a lump sum within 60 days of
the Date of Termination; and (2) pay or reimburse on a monthly basis the premiums required
to continue Employees group health care coverage for a period of 18 months following
Employees Date of Termination, under the applicable provisions of COBRA, provided that
Employee or his dependents, as applicable, elect to continue and remain eligible for these
benefits under COBRA.
(d)
Exclusive Compensation and Benefits
. The compensation and benefits described in
this Section 5 or in Section 6 as applicable, along with the associated terms for payment,
constitute all of the Companys obligations to Employee with respect to the termination of
Employees employment. Nothing in this Agreement, however, is intended to limit any earned, vested
benefits (other than any entitlement to severance or separation pay, if any) that Employee may have
under the applicable provisions of any benefit plan of the Company in which Employee is
participating on the Date of Termination, any rights Employee may have to continue or convert
coverage under certain employee benefit plans in accordance with the terms of those plans and
applicable law, or any rights Employee may have under long-term incentive or equity compensation
plan.
(e)
Notice of Termination
. Any termination of Employees employment occurring in
accordance with the terms of this Section 5 (other than by reason of Employees death) shall be
communicated to the other party by written notice that (i) indicates the specific termination
provisions of this Agreement relied upon, (ii) sets forth in reasonable detail the facts and
circumstances claimed to provide a basis for the termination, and (iii) specifies the Date of
Termination (a
Notice of Termination
), and that is delivered to the other party in accordance
with Section 9(i) of this Agreement.
7
(f)
Date of Termination
. For purposes of this Agreement,
Date of Termination
means
the date of receipt of the Notice of Termination or any later date specified therein, as the case
may be; provided, however that if Employees employment is terminated by reason of his death, the
Date of Termination shall be the date of death of Employee.
(g)
Deemed Resignations
. Unless otherwise agreed to in writing by the Company and
Employee prior to termination of Employees employment, any termination of Employees employment
shall constitute an automatic resignation of Employee from all positions he then holds as an
employee, officer, director, manager or other service provider of the Company and each Affiliate of
the Company.
(h)
Offset
. Employee agrees that the Company may set off against, and Employee
authorizes the Company to deduct from, any payments due to Employee, or to his estate, heirs, legal
representatives, or successors, any amounts which may be due and owing to the Company or an
Affiliate by Employee, whether arising under this Agreement or otherwise; provided that no such
offset may be made with respect to amounts payable that are subject to the requirements of Section
409A of the Code unless the offset would not result in a violation of the requirements of Section
409A of the Code.
(i)
Application of Section 409A
. The amounts payable pursuant to Sections 5 and 6 of
this Agreement are intended to comply with the short-term deferral exception and/or separation pay
exception to Section 409A of the Code. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no amount payable pursuant
to this Agreement which constitutes a deferral of compensation within the meaning of the Treasury
Regulations issued pursuant to Section 409A of the Code (the
Section 409A Regulations
) shall be
paid unless and until Employee has incurred a separation from service within the meaning of the
Section 409A Regulations. Furthermore, to the extent that Employee is a specified employee
within the meaning of the Section 409A Regulations as of the date of Employees separation from
service, no amount that constitutes a deferral of compensation which is payable on account of
Employees separation from service shall be paid to Employee before the date (the
Delayed Payment
Date
) which is first day of the seventh month after the date of Employees separation from service
or, if earlier, the date of Employees death following such separation from service. All such
amounts that would, but for this Section 5(i), become payable prior to the Delayed Payment Date
will be accumulated and paid on the Delayed Payment Date. No interest will be paid by the Company
with respect to any such delayed payments. For purposes of Section 409A of the Code, each payment
or amount due under this Agreement shall be considered a separate payment, and Employees
entitlement to a series of payments under this Agreement is to be treated as an entitlement to a
series of separate payments.
6.
Change in Control
.
(a) Upon the occurrence of a Change in Control (as defined in the Companys 2010 Long Term
Incentive Plan) during the Term, all unvested equity awards under the Companys 2010 Long Term
Incentive Plan or other plans of the Company as of such date shall become immediately vested,
regardless of any other established vesting schedule, such that all remaining unvested equity
awards shall be fully vested on the date of such Change in Control. In addition, if a Change in
Control occurs during the Term and (x) Employee is terminated by the
8
Company for any reason other than for Cause within one year following such Change in Control
or (y) Employee terminates employment for Good Reason within one year following such Change in
Control, and any such termination constitutes a separation from service (as defined in Section
5(i)), then, the Company shall:
(i) Pay Employee within 60 days following the Date of Termination, a lump sum payment
equal to two (2) times the sum of (i) Employees annual rate of Base Salary as of the Date
of Termination or, if greater, before any reduction not consented to by Employee, plus (ii)
(A) if the Date of Termination occurs during the Initial Term, the maximum Performance Bonus
Employee is eligible to receive for the calendar year in which the Change in Control occurs
or (B) if the Date of Termination occurs during any Extension Term, Employees Target
Performance Bonus, calculated based on Employees Base Salary as of the Date of Termination
or, if greater, before any reduction not consented to by Employee; plus
(ii) pay or reimburse on a monthly basis the premiums required to continue Employees
group health care coverage for a period of 18 months following Employees separation date,
under COBRA, provided that Employee elects to continue and remains eligible for these
benefits under COBRA.
provided, that, nothing in this Section 6 shall relieve the Company or any successor-in-interest
thereof of its obligation to continue, following any Change in Control, to provide Employee with
the compensation due pursuant to Section 3 of this Agreement or to otherwise comply with its
obligations hereunder in the event Employees service continues pursuant to this Agreement
following the occurrence of such Change in Control; provided, further, that, in the event Employee
is terminated simultaneously with the occurrence of a Change in Control or within one year thereof,
Employee shall be entitled to receive the greater of the payments or benefits provided under
Section 5(b) of this Agreement and this Section 6(a), which receipt shall be conditioned upon
Employees satisfaction of the Severance Conditions.
(b) In the event it shall be determined that any payment, benefit or distribution (or
combination thereof) by the Company or any of its wholly-owned subsidiaries or any other affiliate
(as that term is used in Treas. Reg. § 1.280G-1, Q/A-46) to or for the benefit of Employee (whether
paid or payable or distributed or distributable pursuant to the terms of this Agreement or
otherwise) (a Payment) is subject to the excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code, or any
interest and penalties are incurred by Employee with respect to such excise tax (such excise tax,
together with any such interest and penalties, hereinafter collectively referred to as the
Excise
Tax
), Employee shall be entitled to receive, in accordance with
Exhibit A
hereof, an
additional payment (a
Gross-Up Payment
) in an amount such that after payment by Employee of all
taxes (including any interest or penalties imposed with respect to such taxes), including, without
limitation, any federal, state and local income taxes and employment taxes (and any interest and
penalties imposed with respect thereto) and the Excise Tax imposed upon the Gross-Up Payment,
Employee retains an amount of the Gross-Up Payment equal to the Excise Tax imposed upon the
Payments.
Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 6(b), if it is determined that
Employee is entitled to a Gross-Up Payment, but that the value of the Parachute Payments
9
(as defined below) does not exceed 110% of the Safe Harbor Amount (as defined below), then no
Gross-Up Payment shall be made to Employee and the Payments, in the aggregate, will be reduced to
the Safe Harbor Amount. The reduction of the Payments to the Safe Harbor Amount will be made in
the following order:
(i) First, by reducing the cash amounts of Parachute Payments that would not constitute
deferred compensation (within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code) subject to Section
409A of the Code (with the Payments subject to such reduction to be determined by Employee),
to the extent necessary to decrease the Payments that would otherwise constitute Parachute
Payments to the Safe Harbor Amount.
(ii) Next, if after the reduction to zero of the amounts described in paragraph (i)
above, the remaining scheduled Parachute Payments are greater than the Safe Harbor Amount,
then by reducing the cash amounts of Payments that constitute deferred compensation (within
the meaning of Section 409A of the Code) subject to Section 409A of the Code, with the
reductions to be applied first to the Payments scheduled for the latest distribution date,
and then applied to distributions scheduled for progressively earlier distribution dates, to
the extent necessary to decrease the Payments that would otherwise constitute Parachute
Payments to the Safe Harbor Amount.
(iii) Next, if after the reduction to zero of the amounts described in paragraphs (i)
and (ii) above, the remaining scheduled Parachute Payments are greater than the Safe Harbor
Amount, then, by reducing any of the remaining scheduled Payments, in an order to be
determined by the Company, to the extent necessary to decrease the Payments that would
otherwise constitute Parachute Payments to the Safe Harbor Amount.
The term Parachute Payment is the portion of the Payments that would be treated as parachute
payments under Section 280G of the Code. The Safe Harbor Amount is the maximum amount of
Payments that could be made to Employee without giving rise to any Excise Tax.
7.
Protection of Information
.
(a)
Disclosure to and Property of the Company
. All information, trade secrets,
designs, ideas, concepts, improvements, product developments, discoveries and inventions, whether
patentable or not, that are conceived, made, developed or acquired by Employee, individually or in
conjunction with others, during the term of his employment (whether during business hours or
otherwise and whether on the Companys premises or otherwise) that relate to the Companys or any
of its wholly-owned subsidiaries business, products or services and all writings or materials of
any type embodying any such matters (collectively,
Confidential Information
) shall be disclosed
to the Company, and are and shall be the sole and exclusive property of the Company. Confidential
Information does not, however, include any information that is available to the public other than
as a result of any unauthorized act of Employee.
(b)
No Unauthorized Use or Disclosure
. Employee agrees that Employee will preserve
and protect the confidentiality of all Confidential Information and work product of the Company and
its wholly-owned subsidiaries, and will not, at any time during or after the
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termination of Employees employment with the Company, make any unauthorized disclosure of,
and shall not remove from the Company premises, and will use reasonable efforts to prevent the
removal from the Company premises of, Confidential Information or work product of the Company or
its wholly-owned subsidiaries, or make any use thereof, in each case, except in the carrying out of
Employees responsibilities hereunder. Employee shall have no obligation hereunder to keep
confidential any Confidential Information if and to the extent disclosure thereof is specifically
required by law; provided, however, that in the event disclosure is required by applicable law and
Employee is making such disclosure, Employee shall provide the Company with prompt notice of such
requirement, and shall use commercially reasonable efforts to give such notice prior to making any
disclosure so that the Company may seek an appropriate protective order.
(c)
Remedies
. Employee acknowledges that money damages would not be a sufficient
remedy for any breach of this Section 7 by Employee, and the Company or its wholly-owned
subsidiaries shall be entitled to enforce the provisions of this Section 7 by obtaining an order
for specific performance and/or injunctive relief as remedies for any such breach or threatened
breach, including but not limited to an order terminating payments owing to Employee under this
Agreement. Such remedies shall not be deemed the exclusive remedies for a breach of this Section
7, but shall be in addition to all remedies available at law or in equity to the Company, including
the recovery of damages from Employee and remedies available to the Company pursuant to other
agreements with Employee.
(d)
No Prohibition
. Nothing in this Section 7 shall be construed as prohibiting
Employee, following the termination of the Prohibited Period (as defined below), from being
employed by any Competing Business (as defined below) or engaging in any Prohibited Activity (as
defined below); provided, that during such employment or engagement Employee complies with his
obligations under this Section 7.
8.
Non-Competition and Non-Solicitation
.
(a)
Definitions
. As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the
following meanings:
(i)
Affiliate
shall mean an individual or entity that, directly or indirectly through
one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by or is under common control with a
specified individual or entity.
(ii)
Competing Business
means any business, individual, partnership, firm,
corporation or other entity engaged in oil and gas exploration and production.
(iii)
Prohibited Activity
means any service or activity on behalf of a Competing
Business that involves the planning, management, supervision, or providing of services that
are substantially similar to those services Employee provided to the Company within the last
12 months of Employees employment with the Company.
(iv)
Prohibited Period
means the Term and the 12 month period following the
termination of Employees employment with the Company.
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(v)
Restricted Area
means any area within a six (6) mile radius of the boundary of
any existing leasehold or other property of the Company or its Affiliates, either during the
Term or as of the Employees Date of Termination. The parties stipulate that the forgoing
is a reasonable area restriction because the area identified is the market area with respect
to which Employee will help the Company provide its products and services, help analyze,
and/or receive access to Confidential Information.
(b)
Protective Covenants and Restrictions
. Acknowledging delivery of Confidential
Information and that such Confidential Information is vital to Employees continued performance of
services to the Company and acknowledging that the Company is delivering and will deliver the
Confidential Information partly in reliance on the protective covenants and restrictions set forth
herein, Employee agrees that the following protective covenants are reasonable and necessary for
the protection of the Companys legitimate business interests, do not create any undue hardship on
Employee, and are not contrary to the public interest:
(i)
Non-compete
. Employee expressly covenants and agrees that, during the
Prohibited Period, he will not engage in any Prohibited Activity in the Restricted Area.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event Employee resigns his employment or is
terminated, for any reason, on or after a Change in Control, Employee shall have no
obligations to comply with this Section 8(b)(i).
(ii)
Non-solicitation
. Employee further expressly covenants and agrees that
during the Prohibited Period, he will not (A) solicit any individual who, on the Date of
Termination, is an employee of the Company, to leave such employment, provided that Employee
will not be deemed to have violated this provision if employees of the Company directly
contact Employee regarding employment or respond to general advertisements for employment,
or (B) solicit any client or customer of the Company, with whom Employee has had direct
contact with, to terminate or modify its relationship with Company that exists on the Date
of Termination. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event Employee resigns his employment
or is terminated, for any reason, on or after a Change in Control, Employee shall have no
obligations to comply with this Section 8(b)(ii).
(c)
Permitted Ownership
. Notwithstanding any of the foregoing, Employee shall not be
prohibited from owning 2.5% or less of the outstanding equity securities of any entity whose equity
securities are listed on a national securities exchange or publicly traded in any over-the-counter
market, provided that neither Employee nor any of his Affiliates, together or alone, has the power,
directly or indirectly, to control or direct or is involved in the management or affairs of any
such corporation that is a Competing Business.
(d)
Reasonableness
. Employee and the Company agree and acknowledge that the
limitations as to time, geographical area and scope of activity to be restrained as set forth in
this Section 8 are the result of arms-length bargaining, are fair and reasonable, and do not
impose any greater restraint than is necessary to protect the legitimate business interests of the
Company in light of (i) the nature and geographic scope of the Companys operations; (ii)
Employees level of control over and contact with the Companys business in the Restricted
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Area; (iii) the fact that the Companys business is conducted throughout the Restricted Area;
and (iv) the amount of compensation that Employee is receiving in connection with the performance
of his duties hereunder.
(e)
Relief and Enforcement
. Employee hereby represents to the Company that he has
read and understands, and agrees to be bound by, the terms of this Section 8. It is the desire and
intent of the parties hereto that the provisions of this Section 8 be enforced to the fullest
extent permitted under applicable law, whether now or hereafter in effect. However, to the extent
that any part of this Section 8 may be found invalid, illegal or unenforceable for any reason, it
is intended that such part shall be enforceable to the extent that a court of competent
jurisdiction shall determine that such part, if more limited in scope, would have been enforceable,
and such part shall be deemed to have been so written and the remaining parts shall as written be
effective and enforceable in all events. Employee and the Company further agree and acknowledge
that, in the event of a breach or threatened breach of any of the provisions of this Section 8, the
Company shall be entitled to immediate injunctive relief, as any such breach would cause the
Company irreparable injury for which it would have no adequate remedy at law. Nothing herein shall
be construed so as to prohibit the Company from pursuing any other remedies available to it
hereunder, at law or in equity, for any such breach or threatened breach.
9.
General Provisions
.
(a)
Amendments and Waiver
. Other than pursuant to Section 4(d), (i) the terms and
provisions of this Agreement may not be modified or amended, nor may any of the provisions hereof
be waived, temporarily or permanently, unless such modification or amendment is agreed to in
writing and signed by Employee and by a duly authorized officer of the Company, and such waiver is
set out in writing and signed by the party to be bound by waiver, and (ii) the failure of any party
to enforce any of the provisions of this Agreement shall in no way be construed as a waiver of such
provisions and shall not affect the right of such party thereafter to enforce each and every
provision of this Agreement in accordance with its terms, and a waiver on one occasion shall not be
deemed to be a waiver of the same or any other type of breach on a future occasion.
(b)
Withholding and Deductions
. With respect to any payment to be made to Employee,
the Company shall deduct, where applicable, any amounts authorized by Employee, and shall withhold
and report all amounts required to be withheld and reported by applicable law.
(c)
Mitigation
. Employee shall not be required to mitigate the amount of any payment
provided for in this Agreement by seeking other employment or otherwise, nor shall the amount of
any payment provided for in this Agreement be reduced by any compensation earned by Employee as the
result of employment by another employer after the Date of Termination, or otherwise.
(d)
Survival
. The termination of Employees employment shall not impair the rights or
obligations of any party that have accrued prior to such termination or which by their nature or
terms survive termination of the Term, including without limitation the Companys obligations under
Sections 5 and 6 and Employees obligations under Sections 7 and 8.
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(e)
No Obligation to Pay.
With regard to any payment due to Employee under this
Agreement, it shall not be a breach of any provision of this Agreement for the Company to fail to
make such payment to Employee if by doing so, the Company violates applicable law.
(f)
Validity
. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision or provisions of
this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision of this
Agreement, which shall remain in full force and effect.
(g)
Entire Agreement
. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties
with regard to the subject matter hereof, and contains all the covenants, promises,
representations, warranties and agreements between the parties with respect to employment of
Employee by the Company. Without limiting the scope of the preceding sentence, all understandings
and agreements preceding the date of execution of this Agreement and relating to the subject matter
hereof are hereby null and void and of no further force and effect.
(h)
Successors and Assigns; Binding Agreement
. This Agreement shall bind and inure to
the benefit of and be enforceable by the parties hereto and their respective successors, permitted
assigns, heirs and personal representatives and estates, as the case may be. Neither this
Agreement nor any right or obligation hereunder of any party may be assigned or delegated without
the prior written consent of the other party hereto; provided, however, that the Company may assign
this Agreement to any of its Affiliates and Employee may direct payment of any benefits that will
accrue upon death. Employee shall not have any right to pledge, hypothecate, anticipate, or in any
way create a lien upon any payments or other benefits provided under this Agreement; and no
benefits payable under this Agreement shall be assignable in anticipation of payment either by
voluntary or involuntary acts, or by operation of law, except by will or pursuant to the laws of
descent and distribution. This Agreement shall not confer any rights or remedies upon any person
or legal entity other than the parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted
assigns.
(i)
Notices
. For purposes of this Agreement, notices and all other communications
provided for herein shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given (i) when
received, if delivered personally or by courier, (ii) on the date receipt is acknowledged, if
delivered by certified mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested, or (iii) one day after
transmission, if sent by facsimile transmission with confirmation of transmission, as follows:
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Oasis Petroleum Inc.
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Attn:
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1001 Fannin Street, Suite 202
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14
or to such other address as either party may furnish to the other in writing in accordance
herewith, except that notices or changes of address shall be effective only upon receipt.
(j)
Construction
. Where specific language is used to clarify by example a general
statement contained herein, such specific language shall not be deemed to modify, limit or restrict
in any manner the construction of the general statement to which it relates. The language used in
this Agreement shall be deemed to be the language chosen by the parties to express their mutual
intent, and no rule of strict construction shall be applied against any party. The section
headings in this Agreement are for convenience of reference only, and they form no part of this
Agreement and shall not affect its construction.
(k)
Assistance in Litigation
. During the Term and for a period of four years
following the Date of Termination, Employee shall, if given at least two (2) weeks notice, furnish
such information and proper assistance to the Company or any of its Affiliates as may reasonably be
required by the Company in connection with any litigation, investigations, arbitrations, and/or any
other fact-finding or adjudicative proceedings involving the Company or any of its Affiliates,
provided that if such assistance is requested after the Date of Termination: (i) such assistance
not unreasonably interfere with Employees employment or other activities or endeavors; and (ii)
such assistance not exceed forty hours in any twelve month period, unless otherwise agreed in
writing by the parties. This obligation shall include, without limitation, to meet with counsel
for the Company or any of its Affiliates and provide truthful testimony at the request of the
Company or as otherwise required by law or valid legal process. The Company shall reimburse
Employee for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by Employee and approved in advance by
the Company in rendering such assistance (such as travel, parking, and meals but not attorneys
fees). In addition, following the Date of Termination, the Company shall pay the Employee $300/hr
for his time in providing information and assistance in accordance with this Section 9(k).
(l)
Governing Law; Construction; Venue; Jury-Trial Waiver
. The parties (i) agree that
this Agreement is governed by and shall be construed and enforced in accordance with Texas law,
excluding its choice-of-law principles, except where federal law may preempt the application of
state law; (ii) agree that this Agreement is to be construed as a whole, according to its fair
meaning, and not strictly for or against any of the parties; (iii) submit and consent to the
exclusive jurisdiction, including removal jurisdiction, of the state and federal courts located in
Harris County, Texas (or the county where the Companys principal executive offices are located if
different) for any action or proceeding relating to this Agreement or Employees employment; (iv)
waive any objection to such venue; (v) agree that any judgment in any such action or proceeding may
be enforced in other jurisdictions; and (vi) irrevocably waive the right to trial by jury and agree
not to ask for a jury in any such proceeding.
(m)
Mutual Contribution
. The parties to this Agreement have mutually contributed to
its drafting. Consequently, no provision of this Agreement shall be construed against any party on
the grounds that such party drafted the provision or caused it to be drafted.
15
IN WITNESS WHEREOF
, the parties hereto have executed this Employment Agreement as of the
Effective Date.
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OASIS PETROLEUM INC.
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By:
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Name:
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Title:
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EMPLOYEE
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Thomas B. Nusz
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Signature Page
EXHIBIT A
GROSS-UP PAYMENT
This
Exhibit A
shall govern the Gross-Up Payment described in Section 6 of the Agreement.
Capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings assigned to such
terms in the Agreement.
Section 1
. All determinations required to be made under this
Exhibit A
, including whether
and when a Gross-Up Payment is required and the amount of such Gross-Up Payment, whether a
reduction to the Safe Harbor Amount is required and, if so, the amount of the reduction, and the
assumptions to be utilized in arriving at such determination, shall be made by a nationally
recognized accounting firm designated by the Company (the
Accounting Firm
), which shall provide
detailed supporting calculations both to the Company and Employee within ten (10) business days of
the receipt of notice from Employee that there has been a Payment, or such earlier time as is
requested by the Company. All fees and expenses of the Accounting Firm shall be borne solely by
the Company. Any Gross-Up Payment, as determined pursuant to this
Exhibit A
, shall be paid
by the Company to Employee (or to the appropriate taxing authority on Employees behalf) when the
tax is due. If the Accounting Firm determines that no Excise Tax is payable by Employee, it shall
so indicate to Employee in writing. Any determination by the Accounting Firm shall be binding upon
the Company and Employee (subject to Section 2 hereof). As a result of the uncertainty in the
application of Section 4999 of the Code, it is possible that Gross-Up Payments determined by the
Accounting Firm to be due to (or on behalf of) Employee was lower than the amount actually due
(
Underpayment
). In the event that the Company exhausts its remedies pursuant to Section 2 of this
Exhibit A
and Employee thereafter is required to make a payment of any Excise Tax, the
Accounting Firm shall determine the amount of the Underpayment that has occurred, and any such
Underpayment shall be promptly paid by the Company to or for the benefit of Employee (but in any
case no later than the calendar year following the calendar year in which such tax was payable).
Section 2
. Employee shall notify the Company in writing of any claim by the Internal Revenue
Service that, if successful, would require the payment by the Company of any Gross-Up Payment. Such
notification shall be given as soon as practicable but no later than ten (10) business days after
Employee is informed in writing of such claim and shall apprise the Company of the nature of such
claim and the date on which such claim is requested to be paid. Employee shall not pay such claim
prior to the expiration of the thirty (30) day period following the date on which it gives such
notice to the Company (or such shorter period ending on the date that any payment of taxes with
respect to such claim is due). If the Company notifies Employee in writing prior to the expiration
of such period that it desires to contest such claim, Employee shall (i) give the Company any
information reasonably requested by the Company relating to such claim, (ii) take such action in
connection with contesting such claim as the Company shall reasonably request in writing from time
to time, including, without limitation, accepting legal representation with respect to such claim
by an attorney reasonably selected by the Company, (iii) cooperate with the Company in good faith
in order to effectively contest such claim, and (iv) permit the Company to participate in any
proceedings relating to such claim; provided, however, that the Company shall bear and pay directly
all costs and expenses (including additional interest and penalties) incurred in connection with
such contest and shall indemnify and hold Employee
Exhibit A
1
harmless, on an after-tax basis, for any Excise Tax or income tax (including interest and penalties
with respect thereto) imposed as a result of such representation and payment of costs and expenses.
Without limitation on the foregoing provisions of this Section 2, the Company shall control all
proceedings taken in connection with such contest and, at its sole option, may pursue or forego any
and all administrative appeals, proceedings, hearings and conferences with the taxing authority in
respect of such claim and may, at its sole option, either direct Employee to pay the tax claimed
and sue for a refund or contest the claim in any permissible manner, and Employee agrees to
prosecute such contest to a determination before any administrative tribunal, in a court of initial
jurisdiction and in one (1) or more appellate courts, as the Company shall determine; provided that
if the Company directs Employee to pay such claim and sue for a refund, the Company shall advance
the amount of such payment to Employee, on an interest-free basis, and shall indemnify and hold
Employee harmless, on an after-tax basis, from any Excise Tax or income tax (including interest or
penalties with respect thereto) imposed with respect to such advance or with respect to any imputed
income with respect to such advance; provided, further, that if Employee is required to extend the
statute of limitations to enable the Company to contest such claim, Employee may limit this
extension solely to such contested amount. The Companys control of the contest shall be limited to
issues with respect to which a Gross-Up Payment would be payable hereunder and Employee shall be
entitled to settle or contest, as the case may be, any other issue raised by the Internal Revenue
Service or any other taxing authority.
Section 3
. If, after the receipt by Employee of an amount paid or advanced by the Company pursuant
to this
Exhibit A
, Employee becomes entitled to receive any refund with respect to a
Gross-Up Payment, Employee shall (subject to the Companys complying with the requirements of
Section 2 of this
Exhibit A
) promptly pay to the Company the amount of such refund received
(together with any interest paid or credited thereon after taxes applicable thereto). If, after the
receipt by Employee of an amount advanced by the Company pursuant to Section 2 of this
Exhibit
A
, a determination is made that Employee shall not be entitled to any refund with respect to
such claim, and the Company does not notify Employee in writing of its intent to contest such
denial of refund prior to the expiration of thirty (30) days after such determination, then such
advance shall be forgiven and shall not be required to be repaid, and the amount of such advance
shall offset, to the extent thereof, the amount of the Gross-Up Payment required to be paid.
Section 4
. For the avoidance of doubt, all payments to or for the benefit of Employee provided for
in this
Exhibit A
shall be made no later than the end of the calendar year in which the
applicable Excise Tax has become due, or if as a result a tax audit or litigation, it is determined
that no additional Excise Tax has become due, the end of the calendar year in which the audit is
completed or there is a final and non-appealable settlement or other resolution.
Exhibit A
2
Exhibit 10.4
EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT
This Employment Agreement (this
Agreement
) is made by and between Oasis Petroleum Inc., a
Delaware corporation (the
Company
), and Taylor L. Reid (
Employee
) effective as of
, 2010 (the
Effective Date
).
WHEREAS
, the Company currently employs Employee as its Executive Vice President and Chief
Operating Officer;
WHEREAS
, the Company desires to continue to employ Employee and Employee desires to continue
to be employed by the Company and to commit himself to serve the Company on the terms herein
provided.
NOW, THERFORE
, in consideration of the mutual covenants contained herein and other good and
valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties
hereto agree as follows:
1.
Employment
. The Company shall continue to employ Employee, and Employee accepts
continued employment with the Company, upon the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement.
Unless earlier terminated pursuant to Section 4 below, the initial term of this Agreement shall
begin on the Effective Date and end on the third anniversary of the Effective Date (the
Initial
Term
),
provided
,
however
, that the term shall be automatically renewed for
successive one-year periods (each such period an
Extension Term
) unless the Company provides a
written notice of non-renewal to the Employee more than 60 days before the end of the Initial Term
or, if applicable, the current Extension Term. The Initial Term together with each Extension Term,
if any, shall be the
Term
. If the Company gives timely notice of non-renewal, then Employees
employment shall end on the last day of the Term. A termination of Employees employment and the
Term by reason of notice of non-renewal given by the Company shall be considered a termination
without Cause for purposes of Section 4.
2.
Position and Duties; Exclusive Compensation and Services
.
(a) During the Term, Employee shall hold the title of Executive Vice President and Chief
Operating Officer. The Company and Employee agree that the Employee shall have duties and
responsibilities consistent with the position set forth above in a company the size and of the
nature of the Company, and such other duties and authority that are assigned to Employee from time
to time by the Companys Board of Directors (the
Board
), or such other officer of the Company as
shall be designated by the Board. Employee shall report to the Board, or to such other officer of
the Company as shall be designated by the Board. All services that Employee may render to the
Company or any of its Affiliates in any capacity during the Term shall be deemed to be services
required by this Agreement and the consideration for such services is that provided for in this
Agreement.
(b) During the Term, Employee agrees to devote his full business time and attention to the
business and affairs of the Company, unless Employee notifies the Board in advance of Employees
intent to engage in other paid work and receives the Boards express written consent to do so.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, so long as such activities do not conflict with the Companys
interests, interfere with Employees duties and responsibilities or
violate Employees obligations hereunder, Employee will not be prohibited from (i) managing
his personal, financial, and legal affairs; (ii) engaging in professional, charitable or community
activities or organizations or (iii) serving on the boards of directors, or advisory boards of
directors, of not-for-profit charitable organizations, not-for-profit professional organizations,
or for-profit corporations, so long as Employee secures the Boards express written consent for
Employee to serve on such boards prior to undertaking such service.
(c) During the Term, Employee agrees to comply with and, where applicable, enforce the
policies of the Company, including without limitation such policies with respect to legal
compliance, conflicts of interest, confidentiality, professional conduct and business ethics as are
from time to time in effect. Employee shall cooperate with any investigation or inquiry authorized
by the Board or conducted by a governmental authority related to the Companys or an Affiliates
business or the Employees conduct related to the Company or an Affiliate.
3.
Compensation
.
(a)
Base Salary
. During the Term, Employees base salary shall be $275,000 per annum,
which salary may be increased (but not decreased without the Employees written consent) by the
Board (or a designated committee thereof) in its discretion (the
Base Salary
), which Base Salary
shall be payable in regular installments in accordance with the Companys general payroll
practices.
(b)
Annual Bonus
. During the Term, Employee shall be eligible to receive an annual
performance bonus payment (a
Performance Bonus
) for each calendar year pursuant to an annual cash
performance bonus program (the
Bonus Plan
). Pursuant to the terms of the Bonus Plan, each annual
Performance Bonus shall be payable based on the achievement of reasonable performance targets
established in accordance herewith, and for each calendar year Employees target Performance Bonus
shall be equal to 60% of Employees annual Base Salary in effect on the last day of the applicable
calendar year (the
Target Performance Bonus
). For each calendar year, the Board and the Employee
will mutually determine and will establish in writing (i) the applicable performance targets, (ii)
the percentage of annual Base Salary payable to Employee if some lesser or greater percentage of
the target annual performance is achieved, and (iii) such other applicable terms and conditions of
the Bonus Plan necessary to satisfy the requirements of Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code
of 1986, as amended (the
Code
). Except as otherwise provided in Section 5, any Performance Bonus
that Employee becomes entitled to receive (as a result of the applicable performance targets
ultimately being achieved) will be deemed earned on the last day of the calendar year to which such
bonus relates and will be paid to Employee as soon as administratively feasible following
preparation of the Companys unaudited financial statements for the applicable calendar year, but
in no event later than March 15 of the calendar year following the calendar year to which such
Performance Bonus relates.
(c)
Employee Benefits
. Employee will be entitled during the Term to receive such
welfare benefits and other fringe benefits (including, but not limited to vacation, financial and
tax planning assistance, medical, dental, life insurance, 401(k) and other employee benefits and
perquisites, such as club membership dues) as the Company may offer from time to time to similarly
situated executive level employees, subject to applicable eligibility requirements. The
2
Company shall not, however, by reason of this Section 3(c), be obligated to refrain from
changing, amending, or discontinuing any such benefit plan or program, on a prospective basis, so
long as any such changes are similarly applicable to similarly situated employees of the Company.
(d)
Business Expenses
. The Company shall reimburse Employee for all reasonable
expenses incurred by him in the course of performing his duties during the Term to the extent
consistent with the Companys written policies in effect from time to time with respect to travel,
entertainment and other business expenses, subject to the Companys requirements with respect to
reporting and documentation of such expenses (
Business Expenses
). Notwithstanding any provision
in this Agreement to the contrary, the amount of Business Expenses for which Employee is eligible
to receive reimbursement during any calendar year shall not affect the amount of Business Expenses
for which Employee is eligible to receive reimbursement during any other calendar year within the
Term. Reimbursement of Business Expenses under this Section 3(d) shall generally be made within
two weeks of Employees submission of expense reports pursuant to Company policy, but in no event
later than March 15 of the calendar year following the calendar year in which the expense was
incurred. Employee is not permitted to receive a payment or other benefit in lieu of reimbursement
under this Section 3(d).
(e)
Long Term Incentive Compensation
. Employee may, as determined by the Board (or a
designated committee thereof) in its sole discretion, periodically receive grants of stock options
or other equity or non-equity related awards pursuant to the Companys long-term incentive plan(s),
subject to the terms and conditions thereof. Any grants previously awarded to Employee pursuant to
the Companys long-term incentive plan(s) that are outstanding on the Effective Date hereof shall
continue to be governed by the terms and conditions of such plan(s).
4.
Termination of Employment
. Unless otherwise agreed to in writing by the Company
and Employee, Employees employment hereunder may be terminated under the following circumstances:
(a)
Death
. Employees employment hereunder shall terminate upon his death.
(b)
Inability to Perform
. Employees employment may be terminated by the Company if
Employee has incurred a Disability. For purposes of this Agreement,
Disability
means Employees
inability to perform the essential functions of Employees position with or without reasonable
accommodation, if required by law, due to physical or mental impairment. The existence of any such
Disability shall be certified by a physician acceptable to both the Company and Employee. If the
parties are not able to agree on the choice of a physician, each party shall select a physician
who, in turn, shall select a third physician to render such certification. In no event will
Employees employment be terminated as a result of Disability pursuant to this Section 4(b) until
at least 180 consecutive days of paid leave have elapsed and the Company has provided Employee with
at least thirty days advance written notice of termination. During the 180 days of paid leave,
the Company may offset the payment of Employees Base Salary then in effect by the amount of any
short-term or long-term disability benefits Employee receives pursuant to Section 3(c) above.
3
(c)
Termination by the Company
. The Company may terminate Employees employment with
or without Cause. For purposes of this Agreement, the term
Cause
means Employee (i) has been
convicted of a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude or a felony, (ii) has engaged in grossly
negligent or willful misconduct in the performance of his duties for the Company, which actions
have had a material detrimental effect on the Company, (iii) has breached any material provision of
this Agreement, (iv) has engaged in conduct which is materially injurious to the Company
(including, without limitation, misuse or misappropriation of the Companys funds or other
property), or (v) has committed an act of fraud, provided, however, that the Company must give
Employee written notice of the acts or omissions constituting Cause within 60 days after an officer
of the Company (other than Employee) first learns of the occurrence of such event, and no
termination shall be for Cause under clauses (ii), (iii), (iv), or (v) contained in this Section
4(c) unless and until Employee fails to cure such acts or omissions within 30 days following
receipt of such written notice.
(d)
Termination by Employee
. Employee may, upon giving the Company no less than 30
days advance written notice, terminate Employees employment without Good Reason or for Good
Reason. For purposes of this Agreement, the term
Good Reason
shall mean, without the express
written consent of Employee, the occurrence of one of the following arising on or after the
Effective Date, as determined in a manner consistent with Treasury Regulation § 1.409A-1(n)(2)(ii):
(i) a material reduction in Employees base compensation, (ii) a material diminution in Employees
authority, duties or responsibilities, (iii) a permanent relocation in the geographic location at
which Employee must perform services to a location more than 50 miles from the location at which
Employee normally performed services immediately before the relocation; (iv) a material reduction
in the authority, duties, or responsibilities of the person to whom Employee reports; or (v) any
other action or inaction that constitutes a material breach by the Company of this Agreement.
Neither a transfer of employment among the Company and any of its Affiliates nor the Company or an
Affiliate entering into a co-employer relationship with a personnel services organization
constitutes Good Reason. In the case of Employees allegation of Good Reason, (A) Employee shall
provide notice to the Company of the event alleged to constitute Good Reason within 60 days after
the occurrence of such event, and (B) the Company shall have the opportunity to remedy the alleged
Good Reason event within 30 days from receipt of notice of such allegation. If not remedied within
that 30-day period, Employee may submit a Notice of Termination pursuant to Section 5(e), provided
that the Notice of Termination must be given no later than 100 days after the expiration of such 30
day period; otherwise, Employee is deemed to have accepted such event, or the Companys remedy of
such event, that may have given rise to the existence of Good Reason; provided, however, such
acceptance shall be limited to the occurrence of such event and shall not waive Employees right to
claim Good Reason with respect to future similar events.
(e)
Investigation; Suspension
. The Company may suspend Employee with pay pending an
investigation authorized by the Company or a governmental authority or a determination by the
Company whether Employee has engaged in acts or omissions constituting Cause, and such paid
suspension shall not constitute Good Reason or a termination of this Agreement or Employees
employment.
4
5.
Compensation Upon Termination
.
(a)
For Cause or Without Good Reason
. In the event Employees employment is
terminated by the Company for Cause or by the Employee without Good Reason, the Company shall pay
to Employee (i) any unpaid portion of the Base Salary through the Date of Termination at the rate
then in effect, (ii) any unpaid Performance Bonus earned in the calendar year prior to the Date of
Termination, (iii) unreimbursed Business Expenses through the Date of Termination, and (iv) such
employee benefits, if any, as to which Employee may be entitled pursuant to the terms governing
such benefits. The amounts, if any, set forth in (i), (ii), (iii), and (iv) shall be collectively
referred to herein as the
Accrued Payments
. The Accrued Payments shall be paid at the time and
in the manner required by applicable law but in no event later than 30 business days after the Date
of Termination, with the exception of (ii), which shall be paid at the time provided in and in
accordance with Section 3(b).
(b)
Without Cause or For Good Reason
. In addition to the Accrued Payments, in the
event Employees employment is terminated by the Company without Cause or by Employee for Good
Reason and such termination constitutes a separation from service (as defined in Section 5(i)),
the Company shall pay to Employee a pro-rata portion of the Performance Bonus that Employee would
have been entitled to receive pursuant to Section 3(b) hereof for the calendar year of termination,
multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of days during which Employee was
employed by the Company in the calendar year of Employees termination, and the denominator of
which is 365 (the
Pro-Rata Bonus
), payable as soon as administratively feasible following
preparation of the Companys unaudited financial statements for the applicable calendar year, but
in no event later than March 15 of the calendar year following the calendar year to which such
Performance Bonus relates. In addition, the Company shall provide Employee with the following (the
Severance Package
), contingent upon Employee satisfying the Severance Conditions, as defined
below:
(i) Payment of an amount (the
Separation Payment
) equal to the greater of either (1)
the aggregate amount of Base Salary as of the Date of Termination or, if greater, before any
reduction not consented to by Employee, that would have been paid to Employee if he had
continued performing services pursuant to this Agreement for the remainder of the
then-current Term or (2) the equivalent of twelve months of Employees Base Salary as of the
Date of Termination or, if greater, before any reduction not consented to by Employee,
payable at the time and in the manner provided in this Section 5(b) below; plus
(ii) Pay or reimburse on a monthly basis the premiums required to continue Employees
group health care coverage for a period of 18 months following Employees Date of
Termination, under the applicable provisions of the Consolidated Omnibus Budget
Reconciliation Act of 1985 (
COBRA
), provided that Employee elects to continue and remains
eligible for these benefits under COBRA; plus
(iii) (A) if the Date of Termination occurs during the Initial Term, an amount equal to
the aggregate of each Target Performance Bonus that Employee would have been eligible to
receive if he had continued performing services pursuant to this Agreement for the remainder
of the then-current Term, calculated based on Employees
5
Base Salary in effect on the Date of Termination or, if greater, before any reduction
not consented to by Employee or (B) if the Date of Termination occurs during any Extension
Term, an amount equal to 60% of the aggregate amount of Base Salary as of the Date of
Termination or, if greater, before any reduction not consented to by Employee, that would
have been paid to Employee if he had continued performing services pursuant to this
Agreement for the remainder of the then-current Term, minus any Pro-Rata Bonus received by
the Employee pursuant to section 5(b) above, payable as soon as administratively feasible
following preparation of the Companys unaudited financial statements for the applicable
calendar year, but in no event later than March 15 of the calendar year following the
calendar year to which such Target Performance Bonus relates; plus
(iv) immediate vesting of all unvested equity awards under the Companys 2010 Long Term
Incentive Plan or other plans of the Company as of the Date of Termination, regardless of
any other established vesting schedule, such that all remaining unvested equity awards shall
be fully vested on the Date of Termination.
To receive the Severance Package, Employee must execute and return to the Company on or prior to
the 60th day following the Date of Termination a waiver and release of claims agreement in the
Companys customary form, which shall exclude claims for indemnification, claims for coverage under
officer and director policies, and claims as a stockholder of the Company and which may be amended
by the Company to reflect changes in applicable laws and regulations (the
Release
), and where
applicable, not timely revoke such Release (the
Severance Conditions
).
The Separation Payment shall be paid as follows:
(A) If the Separation Payment is greater than the Section 409A Exempt Amount (defined below),
then
(1) the Section 409A Exempt Amount shall be paid in substantially equal monthly installments
over a period of twelve (12) months beginning on the first payroll date which occurs on or after
the 60th day following the Date of Termination, and
(2) the excess of the Separation Payment over the Section 409A Exempt Amount shall be paid in
a single lump sum no later than 60 days after the Date of Termination.
For purposes of this Agreement, the Section 409A Exempt Amount is two times the lesser of (x)
Employees annualized compensation based upon the annual rate of pay for services provided to the
Company for the calendar year preceding the calendar year in which Employee has a separation from
service (as defined in Section 5(i)) with the Company (adjusted for any increase during that year
that was expected to continue indefinitely if Employee had not separated from service) or (y) 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 Employee has a separation from service.
6
(B) If the Separation Payment is equal to or less than the Section 409A Exempt Amount, then
the Separation Payment shall be paid in equal monthly installments over a period of months (limited
to 24 such months) determined by dividing (x) the Separation Payment by (y) the Employees Monthly
Base Salary as of the Date of Termination, commencing in payment on the first day of the third
month following the Date of Termination, provided that the Date of Termination constitutes a
separation from service (as defined in Section 5(i)).
(c)
Death or Disability
. In the event Employees employment terminates by reason of
his death or Disability, Employee (or his estate) shall be entitled to receive:
(i) the Accrued Payments;
(ii) a Pro-Rata Bonus for the calendar year of termination, payable as soon as
administratively feasible following preparation of the Companys unaudited financial
statements for the applicable calendar year, but in no event later than March 15 of the
calendar year following the calendar year to which such Performance Bonus relates; and
(iii) provided Employee satisfies the Severance Conditions, (1) an amount equivalent to
twelve (12) months of Employees Base Salary as of the Date of Termination, or, if greater,
before any reduction not consented to by Employee, payable in a lump sum within 60 days of
the Date of Termination; and (2) pay or reimburse on a monthly basis the premiums required
to continue Employees group health care coverage for a period of 18 months following
Employees Date of Termination, under the applicable provisions of COBRA, provided that
Employee or his dependents, as applicable, elect to continue and remain eligible for these
benefits under COBRA.
(d)
Exclusive Compensation and Benefits
. The compensation and benefits described in
this Section 5 or in Section 6 as applicable, along with the associated terms for payment,
constitute all of the Companys obligations to Employee with respect to the termination of
Employees employment. Nothing in this Agreement, however, is intended to limit any earned, vested
benefits (other than any entitlement to severance or separation pay, if any) that Employee may have
under the applicable provisions of any benefit plan of the Company in which Employee is
participating on the Date of Termination, any rights Employee may have to continue or convert
coverage under certain employee benefit plans in accordance with the terms of those plans and
applicable law, or any rights Employee may have under long-term incentive or equity compensation
plan.
(e)
Notice of Termination
. Any termination of Employees employment occurring in
accordance with the terms of this Section 5 (other than by reason of Employees death) shall be
communicated to the other party by written notice that (i) indicates the specific termination
provisions of this Agreement relied upon, (ii) sets forth in reasonable detail the facts and
circumstances claimed to provide a basis for the termination, and (iii) specifies the Date of
Termination (a
Notice of Termination
), and that is delivered to the other party in accordance
with Section 9(i) of this Agreement.
7
(f)
Date of Termination
. For purposes of this Agreement,
Date of Termination
means
the date of receipt of the Notice of Termination or any later date specified therein, as the case
may be; provided, however that if Employees employment is terminated by reason of his death, the
Date of Termination shall be the date of death of Employee.
(g)
Deemed Resignations
. Unless otherwise agreed to in writing by the Company and
Employee prior to termination of Employees employment, any termination of Employees employment
shall constitute an automatic resignation of Employee from all positions he then holds as an
employee, officer, director, manager or other service provider of the Company and each Affiliate of
the Company.
(h)
Offset
. Employee agrees that the Company may set off against, and Employee
authorizes the Company to deduct from, any payments due to Employee, or to his estate, heirs, legal
representatives, or successors, any amounts which may be due and owing to the Company or an
Affiliate by Employee, whether arising under this Agreement or otherwise; provided that no such
offset may be made with respect to amounts payable that are subject to the requirements of Section
409A of the Code unless the offset would not result in a violation of the requirements of Section
409A of the Code.
(i)
Application of Section 409A
. The amounts payable pursuant to Sections 5 and 6 of
this Agreement are intended to comply with the short-term deferral exception and/or separation pay
exception to Section 409A of the Code. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no amount payable pursuant
to this Agreement which constitutes a deferral of compensation within the meaning of the Treasury
Regulations issued pursuant to Section 409A of the Code (the
Section 409A Regulations
) shall be
paid unless and until Employee has incurred a separation from service within the meaning of the
Section 409A Regulations. Furthermore, to the extent that Employee is a specified employee
within the meaning of the Section 409A Regulations as of the date of Employees separation from
service, no amount that constitutes a deferral of compensation which is payable on account of
Employees separation from service shall be paid to Employee before the date (the
Delayed Payment
Date
) which is first day of the seventh month after the date of Employees separation from service
or, if earlier, the date of Employees death following such separation from service. All such
amounts that would, but for this Section 5(i), become payable prior to the Delayed Payment Date
will be accumulated and paid on the Delayed Payment Date. No interest will be paid by the Company
with respect to any such delayed payments. For purposes of Section 409A of the Code, each payment
or amount due under this Agreement shall be considered a separate payment, and Employees
entitlement to a series of payments under this Agreement is to be treated as an entitlement to a
series of separate payments.
6.
Change in Control
.
(a) Upon the occurrence of a Change in Control (as defined in the Companys 2010 Long Term
Incentive Plan) during the Term, all unvested equity awards under the Companys 2010 Long Term
Incentive Plan or other plans of the Company as of such date shall become immediately vested,
regardless of any other established vesting schedule, such that all remaining unvested equity
awards shall be fully vested on the date of such Change in Control. In addition, if a Change in
Control occurs during the Term and (x) Employee is terminated by the
8
Company for any reason other than for Cause within one year following such Change in Control
or (y) Employee terminates employment for Good Reason within one year following such Change in
Control, and any such termination constitutes a separation from service (as defined in Section
5(i)), then, the Company shall:
(i) Pay Employee within 60 days following the Date of Termination, a lump sum payment
equal to two (2) times the sum of (i) Employees annual rate of Base Salary as of the Date
of Termination or, if greater, before any reduction not consented to by Employee, plus (ii)
(A) if the Date of Termination occurs during the Initial Term, the maximum Performance Bonus
Employee is eligible to receive for the calendar year in which the Change in Control occurs
or (B) if the Date of Termination occurs during any Extension Term, Employees Target
Performance Bonus, calculated based on Employees Base Salary as of the Date of Termination
or, if greater, before any reduction not consented to by Employee; plus
(ii) pay or reimburse on a monthly basis the premiums required to continue Employees
group health care coverage for a period of 18 months following Employees separation date,
under COBRA, provided that Employee elects to continue and remains eligible for these
benefits under COBRA.
provided, that, nothing in this Section 6 shall relieve the Company or any successor-in-interest
thereof of its obligation to continue, following any Change in Control, to provide Employee with
the compensation due pursuant to Section 3 of this Agreement or to otherwise comply with its
obligations hereunder in the event Employees service continues pursuant to this Agreement
following the occurrence of such Change in Control; provided, further, that, in the event Employee
is terminated simultaneously with the occurrence of a Change in Control or within one year thereof,
Employee shall be entitled to receive the greater of the payments or benefits provided under
Section 5(b) of this Agreement and this Section 6(a), which receipt shall be conditioned upon
Employees satisfaction of the Severance Conditions.
(b) In the event it shall be determined that any payment, benefit or distribution (or
combination thereof) by the Company or any of its wholly-owned subsidiaries or any other affiliate
(as that term is used in Treas. Reg. § 1.280G-1, Q/A-46) to or for the benefit of Employee (whether
paid or payable or distributed or distributable pursuant to the terms of this Agreement or
otherwise) (a Payment) is subject to the excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code, or any
interest and penalties are incurred by Employee with respect to such excise tax (such excise tax,
together with any such interest and penalties, hereinafter collectively referred to as the
Excise
Tax
), Employee shall be entitled to receive, in accordance with
Exhibit A
hereof, an
additional payment (a
Gross-Up Payment
) in an amount such that after payment by Employee of all
taxes (including any interest or penalties imposed with respect to such taxes), including, without
limitation, any federal, state and local income taxes and employment taxes (and any interest and
penalties imposed with respect thereto) and the Excise Tax imposed upon the Gross-Up Payment,
Employee retains an amount of the Gross-Up Payment equal to the Excise Tax imposed upon the
Payments.
Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 6(b), if it is determined that
Employee is entitled to a Gross-Up Payment, but that the value of the Parachute Payments
9
(as defined below) does not exceed 110% of the Safe Harbor Amount (as defined below), then no
Gross-Up Payment shall be made to Employee and the Payments, in the aggregate, will be reduced to
the Safe Harbor Amount. The reduction of the Payments to the Safe Harbor Amount will be made in
the following order:
(i) First, by reducing the cash amounts of Parachute Payments that would not constitute
deferred compensation (within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code) subject to Section
409A of the Code (with the Payments subject to such reduction to be determined by Employee),
to the extent necessary to decrease the Payments that would otherwise constitute Parachute
Payments to the Safe Harbor Amount.
(ii) Next, if after the reduction to zero of the amounts described in paragraph (i)
above, the remaining scheduled Parachute Payments are greater than the Safe Harbor Amount,
then by reducing the cash amounts of Payments that constitute deferred compensation (within
the meaning of Section 409A of the Code) subject to Section 409A of the Code, with the
reductions to be applied first to the Payments scheduled for the latest distribution date,
and then applied to distributions scheduled for progressively earlier distribution dates, to
the extent necessary to decrease the Payments that would otherwise constitute Parachute
Payments to the Safe Harbor Amount.
(iii) Next, if after the reduction to zero of the amounts described in paragraphs (i)
and (ii) above, the remaining scheduled Parachute Payments are greater than the Safe Harbor
Amount, then, by reducing any of the remaining scheduled Payments, in an order to be
determined by the Company, to the extent necessary to decrease the Payments that would
otherwise constitute Parachute Payments to the Safe Harbor Amount.
The term Parachute Payment is the portion of the Payments that would be treated as parachute
payments under Section 280G of the Code. The Safe Harbor Amount is the maximum amount of
Payments that could be made to Employee without giving rise to any Excise Tax.
7.
Protection of Information
.
(a)
Disclosure to and Property of the Company
. All information, trade secrets,
designs, ideas, concepts, improvements, product developments, discoveries and inventions, whether
patentable or not, that are conceived, made, developed or acquired by Employee, individually or in
conjunction with others, during the term of his employment (whether during business hours or
otherwise and whether on the Companys premises or otherwise) that relate to the Companys or any
of its wholly-owned subsidiaries business, products or services and all writings or materials of
any type embodying any such matters (collectively,
Confidential Information
) shall be disclosed
to the Company, and are and shall be the sole and exclusive property of the Company. Confidential
Information does not, however, include any information that is available to the public other than
as a result of any unauthorized act of Employee.
(b)
No Unauthorized Use or Disclosure
. Employee agrees that Employee will preserve
and protect the confidentiality of all Confidential Information and work product of the Company and
its wholly-owned subsidiaries, and will not, at any time during or after the
10
termination of Employees employment with the Company, make any unauthorized disclosure of,
and shall not remove from the Company premises, and will use reasonable efforts to prevent the
removal from the Company premises of, Confidential Information or work product of the Company or
its wholly-owned subsidiaries, or make any use thereof, in each case, except in the carrying out of
Employees responsibilities hereunder. Employee shall have no obligation hereunder to keep
confidential any Confidential Information if and to the extent disclosure thereof is specifically
required by law; provided, however, that in the event disclosure is required by applicable law and
Employee is making such disclosure, Employee shall provide the Company with prompt notice of such
requirement, and shall use commercially reasonable efforts to give such notice prior to making any
disclosure so that the Company may seek an appropriate protective order.
(c)
Remedies
. Employee acknowledges that money damages would not be a sufficient
remedy for any breach of this Section 7 by Employee, and the Company or its wholly-owned
subsidiaries shall be entitled to enforce the provisions of this Section 7 by obtaining an order
for specific performance and/or injunctive relief as remedies for any such breach or threatened
breach, including but not limited to an order terminating payments owing to Employee under this
Agreement. Such remedies shall not be deemed the exclusive remedies for a breach of this Section
7, but shall be in addition to all remedies available at law or in equity to the Company, including
the recovery of damages from Employee and remedies available to the Company pursuant to other
agreements with Employee.
(d)
No Prohibition
. Nothing in this Section 7 shall be construed as prohibiting
Employee, following the termination of the Prohibited Period (as defined below), from being
employed by any Competing Business (as defined below) or engaging in any Prohibited Activity (as
defined below); provided, that during such employment or engagement Employee complies with his
obligations under this Section 7.
8.
Non-Competition and Non-Solicitation
.
(a)
Definitions
. As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the
following meanings:
(i)
Affiliate
shall mean an individual or entity that, directly or indirectly through
one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by or is under common control with a
specified individual or entity.
(ii)
Competing Business
means any business, individual, partnership, firm,
corporation or other entity engaged in oil and gas exploration and production.
(iii)
Prohibited Activity
means any service or activity on behalf of a Competing
Business that involves the planning, management, supervision, or providing of services that
are substantially similar to those services Employee provided to the Company within the last
12 months of Employees employment with the Company.
(iv)
Prohibited Period
means the Term and the 12 month period following the
termination of Employees employment with the Company.
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(v)
Restricted Area
means any area within a six (6) mile radius of the boundary of
any existing leasehold or other property of the Company or its Affiliates, either during the
Term or as of the Employees Date of Termination. The parties stipulate that the forgoing
is a reasonable area restriction because the area identified is the market area with respect
to which Employee will help the Company provide its products and services, help analyze,
and/or receive access to Confidential Information.
(b)
Protective Covenants and Restrictions
. Acknowledging delivery of Confidential
Information and that such Confidential Information is vital to Employees continued performance of
services to the Company and acknowledging that the Company is delivering and will deliver the
Confidential Information partly in reliance on the protective covenants and restrictions set forth
herein, Employee agrees that the following protective covenants are reasonable and necessary for
the protection of the Companys legitimate business interests, do not create any undue hardship on
Employee, and are not contrary to the public interest:
(i)
Non-compete
. Employee expressly covenants and agrees that, during the
Prohibited Period, he will not engage in any Prohibited Activity in the Restricted Area.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event Employee resigns his employment or is
terminated, for any reason, on or after a Change in Control, Employee shall have no
obligations to comply with this Section 8(b)(i).
(ii)
Non-solicitation
. Employee further expressly covenants and agrees that
during the Prohibited Period, he will not (A) solicit any individual who, on the Date of
Termination, is an employee of the Company, to leave such employment, provided that Employee
will not be deemed to have violated this provision if employees of the Company directly
contact Employee regarding employment or respond to general advertisements for employment,
or (B) solicit any client or customer of the Company, with whom Employee has had direct
contact with, to terminate or modify its relationship with Company that exists on the Date
of Termination. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event Employee resigns his employment
or is terminated, for any reason, on or after a Change in Control, Employee shall have no
obligations to comply with this Section 8(b)(ii).
(c)
Permitted Ownership
. Notwithstanding any of the foregoing, Employee shall not be
prohibited from owning 2.5% or less of the outstanding equity securities of any entity whose equity
securities are listed on a national securities exchange or publicly traded in any over-the-counter
market, provided that neither Employee nor any of his Affiliates, together or alone, has the power,
directly or indirectly, to control or direct or is involved in the management or affairs of any
such corporation that is a Competing Business.
(d)
Reasonableness
. Employee and the Company agree and acknowledge that the
limitations as to time, geographical area and scope of activity to be restrained as set forth in
this Section 8 are the result of arms-length bargaining, are fair and reasonable, and do not
impose any greater restraint than is necessary to protect the legitimate business interests of the
Company in light of (i) the nature and geographic scope of the Companys operations; (ii)
Employees level of control over and contact with the Companys business in the Restricted
12
Area; (iii) the fact that the Companys business is conducted throughout the Restricted Area;
and (iv) the amount of compensation that Employee is receiving in connection with the performance
of his duties hereunder.
(e)
Relief and Enforcement
. Employee hereby represents to the Company that he has
read and understands, and agrees to be bound by, the terms of this Section 8. It is the desire and
intent of the parties hereto that the provisions of this Section 8 be enforced to the fullest
extent permitted under applicable law, whether now or hereafter in effect. However, to the extent
that any part of this Section 8 may be found invalid, illegal or unenforceable for any reason, it
is intended that such part shall be enforceable to the extent that a court of competent
jurisdiction shall determine that such part, if more limited in scope, would have been enforceable,
and such part shall be deemed to have been so written and the remaining parts shall as written be
effective and enforceable in all events. Employee and the Company further agree and acknowledge
that, in the event of a breach or threatened breach of any of the provisions of this Section 8, the
Company shall be entitled to immediate injunctive relief, as any such breach would cause the
Company irreparable injury for which it would have no adequate remedy at law. Nothing herein shall
be construed so as to prohibit the Company from pursuing any other remedies available to it
hereunder, at law or in equity, for any such breach or threatened breach.
9.
General Provisions
.
(a)
Amendments and Waiver
. Other than pursuant to Section 4(d), (i) the terms and
provisions of this Agreement may not be modified or amended, nor may any of the provisions hereof
be waived, temporarily or permanently, unless such modification or amendment is agreed to in
writing and signed by Employee and by a duly authorized officer of the Company, and such waiver is
set out in writing and signed by the party to be bound by waiver, and (ii) the failure of any party
to enforce any of the provisions of this Agreement shall in no way be construed as a waiver of such
provisions and shall not affect the right of such party thereafter to enforce each and every
provision of this Agreement in accordance with its terms, and a waiver on one occasion shall not be
deemed to be a waiver of the same or any other type of breach on a future occasion.
(b)
Withholding and Deductions
. With respect to any payment to be made to Employee,
the Company shall deduct, where applicable, any amounts authorized by Employee, and shall withhold
and report all amounts required to be withheld and reported by applicable law.
(c)
Mitigation
. Employee shall not be required to mitigate the amount of any payment
provided for in this Agreement by seeking other employment or otherwise, nor shall the amount of
any payment provided for in this Agreement be reduced by any compensation earned by Employee as the
result of employment by another employer after the Date of Termination, or otherwise.
(d)
Survival
. The termination of Employees employment shall not impair the rights or
obligations of any party that have accrued prior to such termination or which by their nature or
terms survive termination of the Term, including without limitation the Companys obligations under
Sections 5 and 6 and Employees obligations under Sections 7 and 8.
13
(e)
No Obligation to Pay.
With regard to any payment due to Employee under this
Agreement, it shall not be a breach of any provision of this Agreement for the Company to fail to
make such payment to Employee if by doing so, the Company violates applicable law.
(f)
Validity
. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision or provisions of
this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision of this
Agreement, which shall remain in full force and effect.
(g)
Entire Agreement
. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties
with regard to the subject matter hereof, and contains all the covenants, promises,
representations, warranties and agreements between the parties with respect to employment of
Employee by the Company. Without limiting the scope of the preceding sentence, all understandings
and agreements preceding the date of execution of this Agreement and relating to the subject matter
hereof are hereby null and void and of no further force and effect.
(h)
Successors and Assigns; Binding Agreement
. This Agreement shall bind and inure to
the benefit of and be enforceable by the parties hereto and their respective successors, permitted
assigns, heirs and personal representatives and estates, as the case may be. Neither this
Agreement nor any right or obligation hereunder of any party may be assigned or delegated without
the prior written consent of the other party hereto; provided, however, that the Company may assign
this Agreement to any of its Affiliates and Employee may direct payment of any benefits that will
accrue upon death. Employee shall not have any right to pledge, hypothecate, anticipate, or in any
way create a lien upon any payments or other benefits provided under this Agreement; and no
benefits payable under this Agreement shall be assignable in anticipation of payment either by
voluntary or involuntary acts, or by operation of law, except by will or pursuant to the laws of
descent and distribution. This Agreement shall not confer any rights or remedies upon any person
or legal entity other than the parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted
assigns.
(i)
Notices
. For purposes of this Agreement, notices and all other communications
provided for herein shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given (i) when
received, if delivered personally or by courier, (ii) on the date receipt is acknowledged, if
delivered by certified mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested, or (iii) one day after
transmission, if sent by facsimile transmission with confirmation of transmission, as follows:
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If to Employee, at:
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If to the Company, at:
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Oasis Petroleum Inc.
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Attn:
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1001 Fannin Street, Suite 202
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Houston, Texas 77002
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14
or to such other address as either party may furnish to the other in writing in accordance
herewith, except that notices or changes of address shall be effective only upon receipt.
(j)
Construction
. Where specific language is used to clarify by example a general
statement contained herein, such specific language shall not be deemed to modify, limit or restrict
in any manner the construction of the general statement to which it relates. The language used in
this Agreement shall be deemed to be the language chosen by the parties to express their mutual
intent, and no rule of strict construction shall be applied against any party. The section
headings in this Agreement are for convenience of reference only, and they form no part of this
Agreement and shall not affect its construction.
(k)
Assistance in Litigation
. During the Term and for a period of four years
following the Date of Termination, Employee shall, if given at least two (2) weeks notice, furnish
such information and proper assistance to the Company or any of its Affiliates as may reasonably be
required by the Company in connection with any litigation, investigations, arbitrations, and/or any
other fact-finding or adjudicative proceedings involving the Company or any of its Affiliates,
provided that if such assistance is requested after the Date of Termination: (i) such assistance
not unreasonably interfere with Employees employment or other activities or endeavors; and (ii)
such assistance not exceed forty hours in any twelve month period, unless otherwise agreed in
writing by the parties. This obligation shall include, without limitation, to meet with counsel
for the Company or any of its Affiliates and provide truthful testimony at the request of the
Company or as otherwise required by law or valid legal process. The Company shall reimburse
Employee for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by Employee and approved in advance by
the Company in rendering such assistance (such as travel, parking, and meals but not attorneys
fees). In addition, following the Date of Termination, the Company shall pay the Employee $300/hr
for his time in providing information and assistance in accordance with this Section 9(k).
(l)
Governing Law; Construction; Venue; Jury-Trial Waiver
. The parties (i) agree that
this Agreement is governed by and shall be construed and enforced in accordance with Texas law,
excluding its choice-of-law principles, except where federal law may preempt the application of
state law; (ii) agree that this Agreement is to be construed as a whole, according to its fair
meaning, and not strictly for or against any of the parties; (iii) submit and consent to the
exclusive jurisdiction, including removal jurisdiction, of the state and federal courts located in
Harris County, Texas (or the county where the Companys principal executive offices are located if
different) for any action or proceeding relating to this Agreement or Employees employment; (iv)
waive any objection to such venue; (v) agree that any judgment in any such action or proceeding may
be enforced in other jurisdictions; and (vi) irrevocably waive the right to trial by jury and agree
not to ask for a jury in any such proceeding.
(m)
Mutual Contribution
. The parties to this Agreement have mutually contributed to
its drafting. Consequently, no provision of this Agreement shall be construed against any party on
the grounds that such party drafted the provision or caused it to be drafted.
15
IN WITNESS WHEREOF
, the parties hereto have executed this Employment Agreement as of the
Effective Date.
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OASIS PETROLEUM INC.
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By:
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Name:
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Title:
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EMPLOYEE
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Taylor L. Reid
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Signature Page
EXHIBIT A
GROSS-UP PAYMENT
This
Exhibit A
shall govern the Gross-Up Payment described in Section 6 of the Agreement.
Capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings assigned to such
terms in the Agreement.
Section 1
. All determinations required to be made under this
Exhibit A
, including whether
and when a Gross-Up Payment is required and the amount of such Gross-Up Payment, whether a
reduction to the Safe Harbor Amount is required and, if so, the amount of the reduction, and the
assumptions to be utilized in arriving at such determination, shall be made by a nationally
recognized accounting firm designated by the Company (the
Accounting Firm
), which shall provide
detailed supporting calculations both to the Company and Employee within ten (10) business days of
the receipt of notice from Employee that there has been a Payment, or such earlier time as is
requested by the Company. All fees and expenses of the Accounting Firm shall be borne solely by
the Company. Any Gross-Up Payment, as determined pursuant to this
Exhibit A
, shall be paid
by the Company to Employee (or to the appropriate taxing authority on Employees behalf) when the
tax is due. If the Accounting Firm determines that no Excise Tax is payable by Employee, it shall
so indicate to Employee in writing. Any determination by the Accounting Firm shall be binding upon
the Company and Employee (subject to Section 2 hereof). As a result of the uncertainty in the
application of Section 4999 of the Code, it is possible that Gross-Up Payments determined by the
Accounting Firm to be due to (or on behalf of) Employee was lower than the amount actually due
(
Underpayment
). In the event that the Company exhausts its remedies pursuant to Section 2 of this
Exhibit A
and Employee thereafter is required to make a payment of any Excise Tax, the
Accounting Firm shall determine the amount of the Underpayment that has occurred, and any such
Underpayment shall be promptly paid by the Company to or for the benefit of Employee (but in any
case no later than the calendar year following the calendar year in which such tax was payable).
Section 2
. Employee shall notify the Company in writing of any claim by the Internal Revenue
Service that, if successful, would require the payment by the Company of any Gross-Up Payment. Such
notification shall be given as soon as practicable but no later than ten (10) business days after
Employee is informed in writing of such claim and shall apprise the Company of the nature of such
claim and the date on which such claim is requested to be paid. Employee shall not pay such claim
prior to the expiration of the thirty (30) day period following the date on which it gives such
notice to the Company (or such shorter period ending on the date that any payment of taxes with
respect to such claim is due). If the Company notifies Employee in writing prior to the expiration
of such period that it desires to contest such claim, Employee shall (i) give the Company any
information reasonably requested by the Company relating to such claim, (ii) take such action in
connection with contesting such claim as the Company shall reasonably request in writing from time
to time, including, without limitation, accepting legal representation with respect to such claim
by an attorney reasonably selected by the Company, (iii) cooperate with the Company in good faith
in order to effectively contest such claim, and (iv) permit the Company to participate in any
proceedings relating to such claim; provided, however, that the Company shall bear and pay directly
all costs and expenses (including additional interest and penalties) incurred in connection with
such contest and shall indemnify and hold Employee
Exhibit A
1
harmless, on an after-tax basis, for any Excise Tax or income tax (including interest and penalties
with respect thereto) imposed as a result of such representation and payment of costs and expenses.
Without limitation on the foregoing provisions of this Section 2, the Company shall control all
proceedings taken in connection with such contest and, at its sole option, may pursue or forego any
and all administrative appeals, proceedings, hearings and conferences with the taxing authority in
respect of such claim and may, at its sole option, either direct Employee to pay the tax claimed
and sue for a refund or contest the claim in any permissible manner, and Employee agrees to
prosecute such contest to a determination before any administrative tribunal, in a court of initial
jurisdiction and in one (1) or more appellate courts, as the Company shall determine; provided that
if the Company directs Employee to pay such claim and sue for a refund, the Company shall advance
the amount of such payment to Employee, on an interest-free basis, and shall indemnify and hold
Employee harmless, on an after-tax basis, from any Excise Tax or income tax (including interest or
penalties with respect thereto) imposed with respect to such advance or with respect to any imputed
income with respect to such advance; provided, further, that if Employee is required to extend the
statute of limitations to enable the Company to contest such claim, Employee may limit this
extension solely to such contested amount. The Companys control of the contest shall be limited to
issues with respect to which a Gross-Up Payment would be payable hereunder and Employee shall be
entitled to settle or contest, as the case may be, any other issue raised by the Internal Revenue
Service or any other taxing authority.
Section 3
. If, after the receipt by Employee of an amount paid or advanced by the Company pursuant
to this
Exhibit A
, Employee becomes entitled to receive any refund with respect to a
Gross-Up Payment, Employee shall (subject to the Companys complying with the requirements of
Section 2 of this
Exhibit A
) promptly pay to the Company the amount of such refund received
(together with any interest paid or credited thereon after taxes applicable thereto). If, after the
receipt by Employee of an amount advanced by the Company pursuant to Section 2 of this
Exhibit
A
, a determination is made that Employee shall not be entitled to any refund with respect to
such claim, and the Company does not notify Employee in writing of its intent to contest such
denial of refund prior to the expiration of thirty (30) days after such determination, then such
advance shall be forgiven and shall not be required to be repaid, and the amount of such advance
shall offset, to the extent thereof, the amount of the Gross-Up Payment required to be paid.
Section 4
. For the avoidance of doubt, all payments to or for the benefit of Employee provided for
in this
Exhibit A
shall be made no later than the end of the calendar year in which the
applicable Excise Tax has become due, or if as a result a tax audit or litigation, it is determined
that no additional Excise Tax has become due, the end of the calendar year in which the audit is
completed or there is a final and non-appealable settlement or other resolution.
Exhibit A
2
Exhibit 10.6
OASIS PETROLEUM INC.
2010 LONG TERM INCENTIVE PLAN
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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1. Purpose
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1
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2. Definitions
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3. Administration
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(a) Authority of the Committee
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(b) Manner of Exercise of Committee Authority
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(c) Limitation of Liability
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4. Stock Subject to Plan
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(a) Overall Number of Shares Available for Delivery
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(b) Application of Limitation to Grants of Awards
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(c) Availability of Shares Not Issued under Awards
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(d) Stock Offered
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5. Eligibility
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7
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6. Specific Terms of Awards
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7
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(a) General
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7
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(b) Options
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8
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(c) Stock Appreciation Rights
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9
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(d) Restricted Stock
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10
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(e) Restricted Stock Units
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11
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(f) Bonus Stock and Awards in Lieu of Obligations
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11
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(g) Dividend Equivalents
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12
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(h) Other Stock-Based Awards
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12
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7. Certain Provisions Applicable to Awards
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12
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(a) Termination of Employment
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12
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(b) Stand-Alone, Additional, Tandem, and Substitute Awards
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12
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(c) Term of Awards
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13
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(d) Form and Timing of Payment under Awards
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13
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(e) Exemptions from Section 16(b) Liability
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13
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(f) Non-Competition Agreement
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13
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8. Performance Awards
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14
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(a) Performance Conditions
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14
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(b) Performance Awards Granted to Designated Covered Employees
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14
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(c) Written Determinations
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16
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(d) Status of Section 8(b) Performance Awards under Section 162(m) of the Code
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16
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9. Subdivision or Consolidation; Recapitalization; Change in Control; Reorganization
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17
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(a) Existence of Plans and Awards
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17
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i
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Page
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(b) Subdivision or Consolidation of Shares
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17
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(c) Corporate Recapitalization
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18
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(d) Additional Issuances
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18
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(e) Change in Control
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18
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(f) Change in Control Price
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19
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(g) Impact of Corporate Events on Awards Generally
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19
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10. General Provisions
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20
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(a) Transferability
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20
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(b) Taxes
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21
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(c) Changes to this Plan and Awards
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21
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(d) Limitation on Rights Conferred under Plan
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22
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(e) Unfunded Status of Awards
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22
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(f) Nonexclusivity of this Plan
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22
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(g) Fractional Shares
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22
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(h) Severability
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22
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(i) Governing Law
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23
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(j) Conditions to Delivery of Stock
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23
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(k) Section 409A of the Code
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23
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(l) Plan Effective Date and Term
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23
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ii
OASIS PETROLEUM INC.
2010 Long Term Incentive Plan
1.
Purpose
. The purpose of the Oasis Petroleum Inc. 2010 Long Term Incentive Plan (the
Plan
) is to provide a means through which Oasis Petroleum Inc., a Delaware corporation (the
Company
), and its Subsidiaries may attract and retain able persons as employees, directors and
consultants and provide a means whereby those persons, upon whom the responsibilities of the
successful administration and management rest and whose present and potential contributions to the
welfare of the Company and its Subsidiaries are of importance, can acquire and maintain stock
ownership or awards, the value of which is tied to the performance of the Company, thereby
strengthening their concern for the welfare of the Company and its Subsidiaries and their desire to
remain employed. A further purpose of this Plan is to provide such employees, directors and
consultants with additional incentive and reward opportunities designed to enhance the profitable
growth of the Company. Accordingly, this Plan primarily provides for the granting of Incentive
Stock Options, Nonqualified Stock Options, Stock Appreciation Rights, Restricted Stock Awards,
Restricted Stock Units, Bonus Stock, Dividend Equivalents, and Other Stock-Based Awards, any of
which may be further designated as Performance Awards.
2.
Definitions
. For purposes of this Plan, the following terms shall be defined as set forth
below, in addition to such terms defined in Section 1 hereof:
(a)
Award
means any Option, SAR (including Limited SAR), Restricted Stock Award, Restricted
Stock Unit, Bonus Stock, Dividend Equivalent or Other Stock-Based Award, including any of the
foregoing that is designated as a Performance Award, together with any other right or interest
granted to a Participant under this Plan.
(b)
Beneficiary
means one or more persons, trusts or other entities which have been
designated by a Participant, in his or her most recent written beneficiary designation filed with
the Committee, to receive the benefits specified under this Plan upon such Participants death or
to which Awards or other rights are transferred if and to the extent permitted under Section 10(a)
hereof. If, upon a Participants death, there is no designated Beneficiary or surviving designated
Beneficiary, then the term Beneficiary means the persons, trusts or other entities entitled by will
or the laws of descent and distribution to receive such benefits.
(c)
Board
means the Companys Board of Directors.
(d)
Bonus Stock
means Stock granted as a bonus pursuant to Section 6(f).
(e)
Business Day
means any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday, or a day on which banking
institutions in the state of Texas are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.
(f)
Change in Control
means the occurrence of any of the following events:
1
(i) The consummation of an agreement to acquire or a tender offer for beneficial ownership
(within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act by any Person, of 50% or more
of either (x) the then outstanding shares of Stock (the
Outstanding Stock
) or (y) the combined
voting power of the then outstanding voting securities of the Company entitled to vote generally in
the election of directors (the
Outstanding Company Voting Securities
); provided, however, that
for purposes of this paragraph (i), the following acquisitions shall not constitute a Change in
Control: (A) any acquisition directly from the Company, (B) any acquisition by the Company, (C)
any acquisition by any employee benefit plan (or related trust) sponsored or maintained by the
Company or any entity controlled by the Company or (D) any acquisition by any entity pursuant to a
transaction that complies with clauses (A), (B) and (C) of paragraph (iii) below;
(ii) Individuals who constitute the Incumbent Board cease for any reason to constitute at
least a majority of the Board;
(iii) Consummation of a reorganization, merger or consolidation or sale or other disposition
of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company or an acquisition of assets of another
entity (a
Business Combination
), in each case, unless, following such Business Combination, (A)
the Outstanding Stock and Outstanding Company Voting Securities immediately prior to such Business
Combination represent or are converted into or exchanged for securities which represent or are
convertible into more than 50% of, respectively, the then outstanding shares of common stock or
common equity interests and the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities
entitled to vote generally in the election of directors or other governing body, as the case may
be, of the entity resulting from such Business Combination (including, without limitation, an
entity which as a result of such transaction owns the Company, or all or substantially all of the
Companys assets either directly or through one or more subsidiaries), (B) no Person (excluding any
employee benefit plan (or related trust) of the Company or the entity resulting from such Business
Combination) beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, 20% or more of, respectively, the then
outstanding shares of common stock or common equity interests of the entity resulting from such
Business Combination or the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities
entitled to vote generally in the election of directors or other governing body of such entity
except to the extent that such ownership results solely from ownership of the Company that existed
prior to the Business Combination, and (C) at least a majority of the members of the board of
directors or similar governing body of the entity resulting from such Business Combination were
members of the Incumbent Board at the time of the execution of the initial agreement, or of the
action of the Board, providing for such Business Combination; or
(iv) Approval by the stockholders of the Company of a complete liquidation or dissolution of
the Company.
For purposes of an Award that provides for a deferral of compensation under the Nonqualified
Deferred Compensation Rules, to the extent the impact of a Change in Control on such Award would
subject a Participant to additional taxes under the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Rules, a
Change in Control for purposes of such Award will mean both a Change in Control and a change in
the ownership or effective control of a corporation, or a change in the ownership of
2
a substantial portion of the assets of a corporation within the meaning of the Nonqualified
Deferred Compensation Rules.
(g)
Code
means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time, including
regulations thereunder and successor provisions and regulations thereto.
(h)
Committee
means a committee of two or more directors designated by the Board to
administer this Plan; provided, however, that, unless otherwise determined by the Board, the
Committee shall consist solely of two or more directors, each of whom shall be a Qualified Member
(except to the extent administration of this Plan by outside directors is not then required in
order to qualify for tax deductibility under section 162(m) of the Code).
(i)
Covered Employee
means an Eligible Person who is a Covered Employee as specified in
Section 8(d) of this Plan.
(j)
Dividend Equivalent
means a right, granted to an Eligible Person under Section 6(g), to
receive cash, Stock, other Awards or other property equal in value to dividends paid with respect
to a specified number of shares of Stock, or other periodic payments.
(k)
Effective Date
means as of the closing of the initial public offering.
(l)
Eligible Person
means all officers and employees of the Company or of any of its
Subsidiaries, and other persons who provide services to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries,
including directors of the Company. An employee on leave of absence may be considered as still in
the employ of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries for purposes of eligibility for participation
in this Plan.
(m)
Exchange Act
means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended from time to time,
including rules thereunder and successor provisions and rules thereto.
(n)
Fair Market Value
means, as of any specified date, (i) if the Stock is listed on a
national securities exchange, the closing sales price of the Stock, as reported on the stock
exchange composite tape on that date (or if no sales occur on that date, on the last preceding date
on which such sales of the Stock are so reported); (ii) if the Stock is not traded on a national
securities exchange but is traded over the counter at the time a determination of its fair market
value is required to be made under the Plan, the average between the reported high and low bid and
asked prices of Stock on the most recent date on which Stock was publicly traded; (iii) in the
event Stock is not publicly traded at the time a determination of its value is required to be made
under the Plan, the amount determined by the Committee in its discretion in such manner as it deems
appropriate, taking into account all factors the Committee deems appropriate including, without
limitation, the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Rules; or (iv) on the date of a Qualifying
Public Offering of Stock, the offering price under such Qualifying Public Offering.
(o)
Incentive Stock Option
or
ISO
means any Option intended to be and designated as an
incentive stock option within the meaning of section 422 of the Code or any successor provision
thereto.
3
(p)
Incumbent Board
means the portion of the Board constituted of the individuals who are
members of the Board as of the Effective Date, and any individual who becomes a director of the
Company after the Effective Date and whose election or appointment by the Board or nomination for
election by the Companys stockholders was approved by a vote of at least a majority of the
directors then comprising the Incumbent Board, but excluding, for this purpose, any such individual
whose initial assumption of office occurs as a result of an actual or threatened election contest
with respect to the election or removal of directors or other actual or threatened solicitation of
proxies or consents by or on behalf of a Person other than the Incumbent Board.
(q)
Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Rules
means the limitations or requirements of
section 409A of the Code and the guidance and regulations promulgated thereunder.
(r)
Nonqualified Stock Option
means any Option that is not intended to be and that is not
designated as an Incentive Stock Option.
(s)
Option
means a right, granted to an Eligible Person under Section 6(b) hereof, to
purchase Stock or other Awards at a specified price during specified time periods.
(t)
Other Stock-Based Awards
means Awards granted to an Eligible Person under Section 6(h)
hereof.
(u)
Participant
means a person who has been granted an Award under this Plan which remains
outstanding, including a person who is no longer an Eligible Person.
(v)
Performance Award
means a right, granted to an Eligible Person under Section 8 hereof,
to receive Awards based upon performance criteria specified by the Committee.
(w)
Performance Share Unit
means a Restricted Stock Unit that has been designated hereunder
as a Performance Award.
(x)
Person
means any person or entity of any nature whatsoever, specifically including an
individual, a firm, a company, a corporation, a partnership, a limited liability company, a trust
or other entity; a Person, together with that Persons Affiliates and Associates (as those terms
are defined in Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act, provided that registrant as used in Rule 12b-2
shall mean the Company), and any Persons acting as a partnership, limited partnership, joint
venture, association, syndicate or other group (whether or not formally organized), or otherwise
acting jointly or in concert or in a coordinated or consciously parallel manner (whether or not
pursuant to any express agreement), for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting or disposing of
securities of the Company with such Person, shall be deemed a single Person.
(y)
Qualifying Public Offering
means a firm commitment underwritten public offering of Stock
for cash where the shares of Stock registered under the Securities Act are listed on a national
securities exchange.
4
(z)
Qualified Member
means a member of the Committee who is a nonemployee director within
the meaning of Rule 16b-3(b)(3) and an outside director within the meaning of Treasury Regulation
§1.162-27 under section 162(m) of the Code.
(aa)
Restricted Stock
means Stock granted to an Eligible Person under Section 6(d) hereof,
that is subject to certain restrictions and to a risk of forfeiture.
(bb)
Restricted Stock Unit
means a right, granted to an Eligible Person under Section 6(e)
hereof, to receive Stock, cash or a combination thereof at the end of a specified vesting or
deferral period.
(cc)
Rule 16b-3
means Rule 16b-3, promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission
under section 16 of the Exchange Act, as from time to time in effect and applicable to this Plan
and Participants.
(dd)
Securities Act
means the Securities Act of 1933 and the rules and regulations
promulgated thereunder, or any successor law, as it may be amended from time to time.
(ee)
Stock
means the Companys Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share, and such other
securities as may be substituted (or resubstituted) for Stock pursuant to Section 9.
(ff)
Stock Appreciation Rights
or
SAR
means a right granted to an Eligible Person under
Section 6(c) hereof.
(gg)
Subsidiary
means, with respect to the Company, any corporation or other entity of which
a majority of the voting power of the voting equity securities or equity interest is owned,
directly or indirectly, by the Company.
3.
Administration
.
(a)
Authority of the Committee
. This Plan shall be administered by the Committee
except to the extent the Board elects to administer this Plan, in which case references herein to
the Committee shall be deemed to include references to the Board. Subject to the express
provisions of the Plan and Rule 16b-3, the Committee shall have the authority, in its sole and
absolute discretion, to (i) adopt, amend, and rescind administrative and interpretive rules and
regulations relating to the Plan; (ii) determine the Eligible Persons to whom, and the time or
times at which, Awards shall be granted; (iii) determine the amount of cash and/or the number of
Options, Stock Appreciation Rights, Restricted Stock Awards, Restricted Stock Units, Bonus Stock,
Dividend Equivalents, or Other Stock-Based Awards, including any of the foregoing that are
designated as Performance Awards, as applicable, or any combination thereof, that shall be the
subject of each Award; (iv) determine the terms and provisions of each Award agreement (which need
not be identical), including provisions defining or otherwise relating to (A) the term and the
period or periods and extent of exercisability of the Options, (B) the extent to which the
transferability of shares of Stock issued or transferred pursuant to any Award is restricted, (C)
except as otherwise provided herein, the effect of termination of employment, or termination of the
service relationship with the Company, of a Participant on the Award, and (D) the effect of
5
approved leaves of absence (consistent with any applicable regulations of the Internal Revenue
Service); (v) accelerate the time of exercisability of any Award that has been granted; (vi)
construe the respective Award agreements and the Plan; (vii) make determinations of the Fair Market
Value of the Stock pursuant to the Plan; (viii) delegate its duties under the Plan to such agents
as it may appoint from time to time, provided that the Committee may not delegate its duties where
such delegation would violate state corporate law, or with respect to making Awards to, or
otherwise with respect to Awards granted to, Eligible Persons who are subject to section 16(b) of
the Exchange Act or who are Covered Employees receiving Awards that are intended to constitute
performance-based compensation within the meaning of section 162(m) of the Code; (ix) subject to
Section 10(c), terminate, modify or amend the Plan; and (x) make all other determinations, perform
all other acts, and exercise all other powers and authority necessary or advisable for
administering the Plan, including the delegation of those ministerial acts and responsibilities as
the Committee deems appropriate. Subject to Rule 16b-3 and section 162(m) of the Code, the
Committee may correct any defect, supply any omission, or reconcile any inconsistency in the Plan,
in any Award, or in any Award agreement in the manner and to the extent it deems necessary or
desirable to carry the Plan into effect, and the Committee shall be the sole and final judge of
that necessity or desirability. The determinations of the Committee on the matters referred to in
this Section 3(a) shall be final and conclusive.
(b)
Manner of Exercise of Committee Authority
. At any time that a member of the
Committee is not a Qualified Member, any action of the Committee relating to an Award granted or to
be granted to an Eligible Person who is then subject to section 16 of the Exchange Act in respect
of the Company, or relating to an Award intended by the Committee to qualify as performance-based
compensation within the meaning of section 162(m) of the Code and regulations thereunder, may be
taken either (i) by a subcommittee, designated by the Committee, composed solely of two or more
Qualified Members, or (ii) by the Committee but with each such member who is not a Qualified Member
abstaining or recusing himself or herself from such action; provided, however, that, upon such
abstention or recusal, the Committee remains composed solely of two or more Qualified Members.
Such action, authorized by such a subcommittee or by the Committee upon the abstention or recusal
of such non-Qualified Member(s), shall be the action of the Committee for purposes of this Plan.
Any action of the Committee shall be final, conclusive and binding on all Persons, including the
Company, its Subsidiaries, stockholders, Participants, Beneficiaries, and transferees under Section
10(a) hereof or other persons claiming rights from or through a Participant. The express grant of
any specific power to the Committee, and the taking of any action by the Committee, shall not be
construed as limiting any power or authority of the Committee. The Committee may delegate to
officers or managers of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or committees thereof, the
authority, subject to such terms as the Committee shall determine, to perform such functions,
including administrative functions, as the Committee may determine, to the extent that such
delegation will not result in the loss of an exemption under Rule 16b-3 for Awards granted to
Participants subject to section 16 of the Exchange Act in respect of the Company and will not cause
Awards intended to qualify as performance-based compensation under section 162(m) of the Code to
fail to so qualify. The Committee may appoint agents to assist it in administering the Plan.
(c)
Limitation of Liability
. The Committee and each member thereof shall be entitled
to, in good faith, rely or act upon any report or other information furnished to him or her by any
officer or employee of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, the Companys legal
6
counsel, independent auditors, consultants or any other agents assisting in the administration
of this Plan. Members of the Committee and any officer or employee of the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries acting at the direction or on behalf of the Committee shall not be personally liable
for any action or determination taken or made in good faith with respect to this Plan, and shall,
to the fullest extent permitted by law, be indemnified and held harmless by the Company with
respect to any such action or determination.
4.
Stock Subject to Plan
.
(a)
Overall Number of Shares Available for Delivery
. Subject to adjustment in a
manner consistent with any adjustment made pursuant to Section 9, the total number of shares of
Stock reserved and available for issuance in connection with Awards under this Plan shall not
exceed 7,200,000 shares.
(b)
Application of Limitation to Grants of Awards
. No Award may be granted if the
number of shares of Stock to be delivered in connection with such Award exceeds the number of
shares of Stock remaining available under this Plan minus the number of shares of Stock issuable in
settlement of or relating to then-outstanding Awards. The Committee may adopt reasonable counting
procedures to ensure appropriate counting, avoid double counting (as, for example, in the case of
tandem or substitute awards) and make adjustments if the number of shares of Stock actually
delivered differs from the number of shares previously counted in connection with an Award.
(c)
Availability of Shares Not Issued under Awards
. Shares of Stock subject to an
Award under this Plan that expire or are canceled, forfeited, settled in cash or otherwise
terminated without an issuance of shares to the Participant, including (i) shares forfeited with
respect to Restricted Stock, (ii) the number of shares withheld in payment of any exercise or
purchase price of an Award or taxes relating to Awards, and (iii) the number of shares surrendered
in payment of any exercise or purchase price of an Award or taxes relating to any Award, will again
be available for Awards under this Plan, except that if any such shares could not again be
available for Awards to a particular Participant under any applicable law or regulation, such
shares shall be available exclusively for Awards to Participants who are not subject to such
limitation.
(d)
Stock Offered
. The shares to be delivered under the Plan shall be made available
from (i) authorized but unissued shares of Stock, (ii) Stock held in the treasury of the Company,
or (iii) previously issued shares of Stock reacquired by the Company, including shares purchased on
the open market.
5.
Eligibility
. Awards may be granted under this Plan only to Persons who are Eligible
Persons at the time of grant thereof.
6.
Specific Terms of Awards
.
(a)
General
. Awards may be granted on the terms and conditions set forth in this
Section 6. In addition, the Committee may impose on any Award or the exercise thereof, at the date
of grant or thereafter (subject to Section 10(c)), such additional terms and conditions, not
inconsistent with the provisions of this Plan, as the Committee shall determine, including
7
terms requiring forfeiture of Awards in the event of termination of employment by the
Participant, or termination of the Participants service relationship with the Company, and terms
permitting a Participant to make elections relating to his or her Award. The Committee shall
retain full power and discretion to accelerate, waive or modify, at any time, any term or condition
of an Award that is not mandatory under this Plan; provided, however, that the Committee shall not
have any discretion to accelerate, waive or modify any term or condition of an Award that is
intended to qualify as performance-based compensation for purposes of section 162(m) of the Code
if such discretion would cause the Award to not so qualify or to accelerate the terms of payment of
any Award that provides for deferral of compensation under the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation
Rules if such acceleration would subject a Participant to additional taxes under the Nonqualified
Deferred Compensation Rules.
(b)
Options
. The Committee is authorized to grant Options, which may be designated as
either Incentive Stock Options or Nonqualified Stock Options, to Eligible Persons on the following
terms and conditions:
(i)
Exercise Price
. Each Option agreement shall state the exercise price per share of
Stock (the
Exercise Price
); provided, however, that the Exercise Price per share of Stock subject
to an Option shall not be less than the greater of (A) the par value per share of the Stock or (B)
100% of the Fair Market Value per share of the Stock as of the date of grant of the Option (or in
the case of the grant of an ISO to an individual who owns stock possessing more than 10 percent of
the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or its parent or any
subsidiary, 110% of the Fair Market Value per share of the Stock on the date of grant).
(ii)
Time and Method of Exercise
. The Committee shall determine the time or times at
which or the circumstances under which an Option may be exercised in whole or in part (including
based on achievement of performance goals and/or future service requirements), the methods by which
such Exercise Price may be paid or deemed to be paid, the form of such payment, including without
limitation cash, Stock, other Awards or awards granted under other plans of the Company or any
Subsidiary, or other property (including notes or other contractual obligations of Participants to
make payment on a deferred basis), and the methods by or forms in which Stock will be delivered or
deemed to be delivered to Participants, including, but not limited to, the delivery of Restricted
Stock subject to Section 6(d). In the case of an exercise whereby the Exercise Price is paid with
Stock, such Stock shall be valued as of the date of exercise.
(iii)
ISOs
. The terms of any ISO granted under this Plan shall comply in all respects
with the provisions of section 422 of the Code. Except as otherwise provided in Section 9, no term
of this Plan relating to ISOs (including any SAR in tandem therewith) shall be interpreted, amended
or altered, nor shall any discretion or authority granted under this Plan be exercised, so as to
disqualify either this Plan or any ISO under section 422 of the Code, unless the Participant has
first requested the change that will result in such disqualification. ISOs shall not be granted
more than ten years after the earlier of the adoption of this Plan or the approval of this Plan by
the Companys stockholders. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Fair Market Value of shares of Stock
subject to an ISO and the aggregate Fair Market Value of shares of stock of any parent or
subsidiary corporation (within the meaning of sections 424(e) and (f) of the Code)
8
subject to any other ISO (within the meaning of section 422 of the Code) of the Company or a
parent or subsidiary corporation (within the meaning of sections 424(e) and (f) of the Code) that
first becomes purchasable by a Participant in any calendar year may not (with respect to that
Participant) exceed $100,000, or such other amount as may be prescribed under section 422 of the
Code or applicable regulations or rulings from time to time. As used in the previous sentence,
Fair Market Value shall be determined as of the date the ISOs are granted. Failure to comply with
this provision shall not impair the enforceability or exercisability of any Option, but shall cause
the excess amount of shares to be reclassified in accordance with the Code.
(c)
Stock Appreciation Rights
. The Committee is authorized to grant SARs to Eligible
Persons on the following terms and conditions:
(i)
Right to Payment
. An SAR shall confer on the Participant to whom it is granted a
right to receive, upon exercise thereof, the excess of (A) the Fair Market Value of one share of
Stock on the date of exercise over (B) the grant price of the SAR as determined by the Committee.
(ii)
Rights Related to Options
. An SAR granted pursuant to an Option shall entitle a
Participant, upon exercise, to surrender that Option or any portion thereof, to the extent
unexercised, and to receive payment of an amount computed pursuant to Section 6(c)(ii)(B). That
Option shall then cease to be exercisable to the extent surrendered. SARs granted in connection
with an Option shall be subject to the terms of the Award agreement governing the Option, which
shall comply with the following provisions in addition to those applicable to Options:
(A) An SAR granted in connection with an Option shall be exercisable only at such time or
times and only to the extent that the related Option is exercisable and shall not be transferable
except to the extent that the related Option is transferable.
(B) Upon the exercise of an SAR related to an Option, a Participant shall be entitled to
receive payment from the Company of an amount determined by multiplying:
(1) the difference obtained by subtracting the Exercise Price with respect to a share of Stock
specified in the related Option from the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock on the date of
exercise of the SAR, by
(2) the number of shares as to which that SAR has been exercised.
(iii)
Right Without Option
. An SAR granted independent of an Option shall be
exercisable as determined by the Committee and set forth in the Award agreement governing the SAR,
which Award agreement shall comply with the following provisions:
(A) Each Award agreement shall state the total number of shares of Stock to which the SAR
relates.
9
(B) Each Award agreement shall state the time or periods in which the right to exercise the
SAR or a portion thereof shall vest and the number of shares of Stock for which the right to
exercise the SAR shall vest at each such time or period.
(C) Each Award agreement shall state the date at which the SARs shall expire if not previously
exercised.
(D) Each SAR shall entitle a Participant, upon exercise thereof, to receive payment of an
amount determined by multiplying:
(1) the difference obtained by subtracting the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock on the
date of grant of the SAR from the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock on the date of exercise of
that SAR, by
(2) the number of shares as to which the SAR has been exercised.
(iv)
Terms
. Except as otherwise provided herein, the Committee shall determine at the
date of grant or thereafter, the time or times at which and the circumstances under which an SAR
may be exercised in whole or in part (including based on achievement of performance goals and/or
future service requirements), the method of exercise, method of settlement, form of consideration
payable in settlement, method by or forms in which Stock will be delivered or deemed to be
delivered to Participants, whether or not an SAR shall be in tandem or in combination with any
other Award, and any other terms and conditions of any SAR. SARs may be either freestanding or in
tandem with other Awards.
(d)
Restricted Stock
. The Committee is authorized to grant Restricted Stock to
Eligible Persons on the following terms and conditions:
(i)
Grant and Restrictions
. Restricted Stock shall be subject to such restrictions on
transferability, risk of forfeiture and other restrictions, if any, as the Committee may impose,
which restrictions may lapse separately or in combination at such times, under such circumstances
(including based on achievement of performance goals and/or future service requirements), in such
installments or otherwise, as the Committee may determine at the date of grant or thereafter.
During the restricted period applicable to the Restricted Stock, the Restricted Stock may not be
sold, transferred, pledged, hypothecated, margined or otherwise encumbered by the Participant.
(ii)
Certificates for Stock
. Restricted Stock granted under this Plan may be
evidenced in such manner as the Committee shall determine. If certificates representing Restricted
Stock are registered in the name of the Participant, the Committee may require that such
certificates bear an appropriate legend referring to the terms, conditions and restrictions
applicable to such Restricted Stock, that the Company retain physical possession of the
certificates, and that the Participant deliver a stock power to the Company, endorsed in blank,
relating to the Restricted Stock.
(iii)
Dividends and Splits
. As a condition to the grant of an Award of Restricted
Stock, the Committee may require or permit a Participant to elect that any cash
10
dividends paid on a share of Restricted Stock be automatically reinvested in additional shares
of Restricted Stock, applied to the purchase of additional Awards under this Plan or deferred
without interest to the date of vesting of the associated Award of Restricted Stock; provided,
that, to the extent applicable, any such election shall comply with the Nonqualified Deferred
Compensation Rules. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, Stock distributed in connection
with a Stock split or Stock dividend, and other property (other than cash) distributed as a
dividend, shall be subject to restrictions and a risk of forfeiture to the same extent as the
Restricted Stock with respect to which such Stock or other property has been distributed.
(e)
Restricted Stock Units
. The Committee is authorized to grant Restricted Stock
Units (including Performance Share Units), which are rights to receive Stock or cash (or a
combination thereof) at the end of a specified deferral period (which may or may not be coterminous
with the vesting schedule of the Award), to Eligible Persons, subject to the following terms and
conditions:
(i)
Award and Restrictions
. Settlement of an Award of Restricted Stock Units shall
occur upon expiration of the deferral period specified for such Restricted Stock Unit by the
Committee (or, if permitted by the Committee, as elected by the Participant). In addition,
Restricted Stock Units shall be subject to such restrictions (which may include a risk of
forfeiture) as the Committee may impose, if any, which restrictions may lapse at the expiration of
the deferral period or at earlier specified times (including based on achievement of performance
goals and/or future service requirements), separately or in combination, in installments or
otherwise, as the Committee may determine. Restricted Stock Units shall be satisfied by the
delivery of cash or Stock in the amount equal to the Fair Market Value of the specified number of
shares of Stock covered by the Restricted Stock Units, or a combination thereof, as determined by
the Committee at the date of grant or thereafter.
(ii)
Dividend Equivalents
. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee at date of
grant, Dividend Equivalents on the specified number of shares of Stock covered by an Award of
Restricted Stock Units shall be either (A) paid with respect to such Restricted Stock Units on the
dividend payment date in cash or in shares of unrestricted Stock having a Fair Market Value equal
to the amount of such dividends, or (B) deferred with respect to such Restricted Stock Units and
the amount or value thereof automatically deemed reinvested in additional Restricted Stock Units,
other Awards or other investment vehicles, as the Committee shall determine or permit the
Participant to elect.
(f)
Bonus Stock and Awards in Lieu of Obligations
. The Committee is authorized to
grant Bonus Stock, or to grant Stock or other Awards in lieu of obligations to pay cash or deliver
other property under this Plan or under other plans or compensatory arrangements; provided, that,
in the case of Participants subject to section 16 of the Exchange Act, the amount of such grants
remains within the discretion of the Committee to the extent necessary to ensure that acquisitions
of Stock or other Awards are exempt from liability under section 16(b) of the Exchange Act. Stock
or Awards granted hereunder shall be subject to such other terms as shall be determined by the
Committee. In the case of any grant of Stock to an officer of the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries in lieu of salary or other cash compensation, the number of shares granted in place of
such compensation shall be reasonable, as determined by the Committee.
11
(g)
Dividend Equivalents
. The Committee is authorized to grant Dividend Equivalents
to an Eligible Person, entitling a Participant to receive cash, Stock, other Awards, or other
property equal in value to dividends paid with respect to a specified number of shares of Stock, or
other periodic payments. Dividend Equivalents may be awarded on a free-standing basis or in
connection with another Award. The Committee may provide that Dividend Equivalents shall be paid
or distributed when accrued or shall be deemed to have been reinvested in additional Stock, Awards,
or other investment vehicles, and subject to such restrictions on transferability and risks of
forfeiture, as the Committee may specify.
(h)
Other Stock-Based Awards
. The Committee is authorized, subject to limitations
under applicable law, to grant to Eligible Persons such other Awards that may be denominated or
payable in, valued in whole or in part by reference to, or otherwise based on, or related to,
Stock, as deemed by the Committee to be consistent with the purposes of this Plan, including
without limitation convertible or exchangeable debt securities, other rights convertible or
exchangeable into Stock, purchase rights for Stock, Awards with value and payment contingent upon
performance of the Company or any other factors designated by the Committee, and Awards valued by
reference to the book value of Stock or the value of securities of, or the performance of,
specified Subsidiaries of the Company. The Committee shall determine the terms and conditions of
such Other Stock-Based Awards. Stock delivered pursuant to an Award in the nature of a purchase
right granted under this Section 6(h) shall be purchased for such consideration, paid for at such
times, by such methods, and in such forms, including, without limitation, cash, Stock, other
Awards, or other property, as the Committee shall determine. Cash awards, as an element of or
supplement to any other Award under this Plan, may also be granted pursuant to this Section 6(h).
7.
Certain Provisions Applicable to Awards
.
(a)
Termination of Employment
. Except as provided herein, the treatment of an Award
upon a termination of employment or any other service relationship by and between a Participant and
the Company or any Subsidiary shall be specified in the agreement controlling such Award.
(b)
Stand-Alone, Additional, Tandem, and Substitute Awards
. Awards granted under this
Plan may, in the discretion of the Committee, be granted either alone or in addition to, in tandem
with, or in substitution or exchange for, any other Award or any award granted under another plan
of the Company, or any of its Subsidiaries, or of any business entity to be acquired by the Company
or any of its Subsidiaries, or any other right of an Eligible Person to receive payment from the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries. Such additional, tandem and substitute or exchange Awards may
be granted at any time. If an Award is granted in substitution or exchange for another Award, the
Committee shall require the surrender of such other Award in consideration for the grant of the new
Award. Notwithstanding the foregoing, but subject to Section 9 of the Plan, without the approval
of stockholders, the terms of outstanding Awards may not be amended to reduce the Exercise Price of
outstanding Options or SARs or to cancel outstanding Options and SARs in exchange for cash, other
Awards, or Options or SARs with an Exercise Price that is less than the Exercise Price of the
original Options or SARs. Awards under this Plan may be granted in lieu of cash compensation,
including in lieu of cash amounts payable under other plans of the Company or any of its
12
Subsidiaries, in which the value of Stock subject to the Award is equivalent in value to the
cash compensation. Awards granted pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be designed, awarded
and settled in a manner that does not result in additional taxes under the Nonqualified Deferred
Compensation Rules.
(c)
Term of Awards
. Except as specified herein, the term of each Award shall be for
such period as may be determined by the Committee; provided, that in no event shall the term of any
Option or SAR exceed a period of ten years (or such shorter term as may be required in respect of
an ISO under section 422 of the Code).
(d)
Form and Timing of Payment under Awards
. Subject to the terms of this Plan and
any applicable Award agreement, payments to be made by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries upon
the exercise of an Option or other Award or settlement of an Award may be made in such forms as the
Committee shall determine, including without limitation cash, Stock, other Awards or other
property, and may be made in a single payment or transfer, in installments, or on a deferred basis;
provided, however, that any such deferred payment will be set forth in the agreement evidencing
such Award and/or otherwise made in a manner that will not result in additional taxes under the
Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Rules. Except as otherwise provided herein, the settlement of
any Award may be accelerated, and cash paid in lieu of Stock in connection with such settlement, in
the discretion of the Committee or upon occurrence of one or more specified events (in addition to
a Change in Control). Installment or deferred payments may be required by the Committee (subject
to Section 10(c) of this Plan, including the consent provisions thereof in the case of any deferral
of an outstanding Award not provided for in the original Award agreement) or permitted at the
election of the Participant on terms and conditions established by the Committee and in compliance
with the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Rules. Payments may include, without limitation,
provisions for the payment or crediting of reasonable interest on installment or deferred payments
or the grant or crediting of Dividend Equivalents or other amounts in respect of installment or
deferred payments denominated in Stock. Any deferral shall only be allowed as is provided in a
separate deferred compensation plan adopted by the Company and shall be made pursuant to the
Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Rules. This Plan shall not constitute an employee benefit
plan for purposes of section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as
amended.
(e)
Exemptions from Section 16(b) Liability
. It is the intent of the Company that the
grant of any Awards to or other transaction by a Participant who is subject to section 16 of the
Exchange Act shall be exempt from such section pursuant to an applicable exemption (except for
transactions acknowledged in writing to be non-exempt by such Participant). Accordingly, if any
provision of this Plan or any Award agreement does not comply with the requirements of Rule 16b-3
as then applicable to any such transaction, such provision shall be construed or deemed amended to
the extent necessary to conform to the applicable requirements of Rule 16b-3 so that such
Participant shall avoid liability under section 16(b) of the Exchange Act.
(f)
Non-Competition Agreement
. Each Participant to whom an Award is granted under
this Plan may be required to agree in writing as a condition to the granting of such Award not to
engage in conduct in competition with the Company or any of its Subsidiaries for a
13
period after the termination of such Participants employment with the Company and its
Subsidiaries as determined by the Committee.
8.
Performance Awards
.
(a)
Performance Conditions
. The right of an Eligible Person to receive a grant, and
the right of a Participant to exercise or receive settlement of any Award, and the timing thereof,
may be subject to such performance conditions as may be specified by the Committee. The Committee
may use such business criteria and other measures of performance as it may deem appropriate in
establishing any performance conditions, and may exercise its discretion to reduce or increase the
amounts payable under any Award subject to performance conditions, except as limited under Section
8(b) hereof in the case of a Performance Award intended to qualify under section 162(m) of the
Code.
(b)
Performance Awards Granted to Designated Covered Employees
. If the Committee
determines that a Performance Award to be granted to an Eligible Person who is designated by the
Committee as likely to be a Covered Employee should qualify as performance-based compensation for
purposes of section 162(m) of the Code, the grant, exercise and/or settlement of such Performance
Award may be contingent upon achievement of preestablished performance goals and other terms set
forth in this Section 8(b).
(i)
Performance Goals Generally
. The performance goals for such Performance Awards
shall consist of one or more business criteria or individual performance criteria and a targeted
level or levels of performance with respect to each of such criteria, as specified by the Committee
consistent with this Section 8(b). Performance goals shall be objective and shall otherwise meet
the requirements of section 162(m) of the Code and regulations thereunder (including Treasury
Regulation §1.162-27 and successor regulations thereto), including the requirement that the level
or levels of performance targeted by the Committee result in the achievement of performance goals
being substantially uncertain at the time the Committee actually establishes the performance goal
or goals. The Committee may determine that such Performance Awards shall be granted, exercised,
and/or settled upon achievement of any one performance goal or that two or more of the performance
goals must be achieved as a condition to grant, exercise, and/or settle such Performance Awards.
Performance goals may differ for Performance Awards granted to any one Participant or to different
Participants. In establishing or adjusting a performance goal, the Committee may exclude the
impact of any of the following events or occurrences which the Committee determines should
appropriately be excluded: (a) any amounts accrued by the Company or its Subsidiaries pursuant to
management bonus plans or cash profit sharing plans and related employer payroll taxes for the
fiscal year; (b) any discretionary or matching contributions made to a savings and deferred
profit-sharing plan or deferred compensation plan for the fiscal year; (c) asset write-downs;
(d) litigation, claims, judgments or settlements; (e) the effect of changes in tax law or other
such laws or regulations affecting reported results; (f) accruals for reorganization and
restructuring programs; (g) any extraordinary, unusual or nonrecurring items as described in the
Accounting Standards Codification Topic 225, as the same may be amended or superseded from time to
time; (h) any change in accounting principle as defined in the Accounting Standards Codification
Topic 250, as the same may be amended or superseded from time to time; (i) any loss from a
discontinued operation as described in the Accounting Standards Codification Topic 360, as the
14
same may be amended or superseded from time to time; (j) goodwill impairment charges;
(k) operating results for any business acquired during the applicable performance period; (l) third
party expenses associated with any acquisition by the Company or any Subsidiary; and (m) any other
extraordinary events or occurrences identified by the Committee.
(ii)
Business and Individual Performance Criteria
.
(A)
Business Criteria
. One or more of the following business criteria for the
Company, on a consolidated basis, and/or for specified Subsidiaries or business or geographical
units of the Company (except with respect to the total stockholder return and earnings per share
criteria), shall be used by the Committee in establishing performance goals for such Performance
Awards: (1) earnings per share; (2) increase in revenues; (3) increase in cash flow; (4) increase
in cash flow from operations; (5) increase in cash flow return; (6) return on net assets; (7)
return on assets; (8) return on investment; (9) return on capital; (10) return on equity; (11)
economic value added; (12) operating margin; (13) contribution margin; (14) net income; (15) net
income per share; (16) pretax earnings; (17) pretax earnings before interest, depreciation and
amortization; (18) pretax operating earnings after interest expense and before incentives, service
fees, and extraordinary or special items; (19) total stockholder return; (20) debt reduction; (21)
market share; (22) change in the Fair Market Value of the Stock; (23) operating income; (24)
reserve growth; (25) reserve replacement; (26) production growth; (27) finding/ development costs;
(28) lease operating expense; and (29) any of the above goals determined on an absolute or relative
basis or as compared to the performance of a published or special index deemed applicable by the
Committee including, but not limited to, the Standard & Poors 500 Stock Index or a group of
comparable companies.
(B)
Individual Performance Criteria
. The grant, exercise and/or settlement of
Performance Awards may also be contingent upon individual performance goals established by the
Committee, including individual business objectives and criteria specific to an individuals
position and responsibility with the Company or its Subsidiaries. If required for compliance with
section 162(m) of the Code, such criteria shall be approved by the stockholders of the Company.
(iii)
Performance Period; Timing for Establishing Performance Goals
. Achievement of
performance goals in respect of such Performance Awards shall be measured over a performance period
of up to ten years, as specified by the Committee. Performance goals shall be established not
later than 90 days after the beginning of any performance period applicable to such Performance
Awards, or at such other date as may be required or permitted for performance-based compensation
under section 162(m) of the Code.
(iv)
Performance Award Pool
. The Committee may establish a Performance Award pool,
which shall be an unfunded pool, for purposes of measuring performance of the Company in connection
with Performance Awards. The amount of such Performance Award pool shall be based upon the
achievement of a performance goal or goals based on one or more of the criteria set forth in
Section 8(b)(ii) hereof during the given performance period, as specified by the Committee in
accordance with Section 8(b)(iii) hereof. The Committee may, in its discretion, adjust the amount
of such Performance Award pool to reflect the events or occurrences set forth in Section 8(b)(i).
The Committee may specify the
15
amount of the Performance Award pool as a percentage of any such criteria, a percentage
thereof in excess of a threshold amount, or as another amount which need not bear a strictly
mathematical relationship to such criteria.
(v)
Settlement of Performance Awards; Other Terms
. After the end of each performance
period, the Committee shall determine (A) the amount, if any, of the Performance Award pool, and
the maximum amount of the potential Performance Award payable to each Participant who is designated
to participate in the Performance Award pool, or (B) the amount of the potential Performance Award
otherwise payable to each Participant. Settlement of such Performance Awards shall be in cash,
Stock, other Awards or other property, in the discretion of the Committee. The Committee may, in
its discretion, reduce the amount of a settlement otherwise to be made in connection with such
Performance Awards, and/or adjust the amount of a settlement otherwise to be made in connection
with such Performance Awards to reflect the events or occurrences set forth in Section 8(b)(i), but
may not exercise discretion to increase any such amount payable to a Covered Employee in respect of
a Performance Award subject to this Section 8(b). The Committee shall specify the circumstances in
which such Performance Awards shall be paid or forfeited in the event of termination of employment
by the Participant prior to the end of a performance period or settlement of Performance Awards.
(c)
Written Determinations
. All determinations by the Committee as to the
establishment of performance goals, the amount of any Performance Award pool or potential
individual Performance Awards, and the achievement of performance goals relating to and final
settlement of Performance Awards under Section 8(b) shall be made in writing in the case of any
Award intended to qualify under section 162(m) of the Code. The Committee may not delegate any
responsibility relating to such Performance Awards.
(d)
Status of Section 8(b) Performance Awards under Section 162(m) of the Code
. It is
the intent of the Company that Performance Awards under Section 8(b) hereof granted to Persons who
are designated by the Committee as likely to be Covered Employees within the meaning of section
162(m) of the Code and the regulations thereunder (including Treasury Regulation §1.162-27 and
successor regulations thereto) shall, if so designated by the Committee, constitute
performance-based compensation within the meaning of section 162(m) of the Code and regulations
thereunder. Accordingly, the terms of Sections 8(b), (c), and (d), including the definitions of
Covered Employee and other terms used therein, shall be interpreted in a manner consistent with
section 162(m) of the Code and regulations thereunder. The foregoing notwithstanding, because the
Committee cannot determine with certainty whether a given Eligible Person will be a Covered
Employee with respect to a fiscal year that has not yet been completed, the term Covered Employee
as used herein shall mean only a Person designated by the Committee, at the time of grant of a
Performance Award, who is likely to be a Covered Employee with respect to that fiscal year. If any
provision of this Plan as in effect on the date of adoption of any agreements relating to
Performance Awards that are designated as intended to comply with section 162(m) of the Code does
not comply or is inconsistent with the requirements of section 162(m) of the Code or regulations
thereunder, such provision shall be construed or deemed amended to the extent necessary to conform
to such requirements. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 8(d) or elsewhere
in this Plan, the Company intends to rely on the transition relief described in Treasury Regulation
§1.162-27(f), and hence the deduction limitation imposed by section 162(m) of the Code shall not be
16
applicable to the Company until the earliest to occur of (i) the material modification of the
Plan within the meaning of Treasury Regulation § 1.162-27(b)(1)(iii); (ii) the issuance of the
number of shares of Stock set forth in Section 4(a); or (iii) the first meeting of stockholders of
the Company at which directors are to be elected that occurs after December 31, 2013 (the
Transition Period
), and during the Transition Period, Performance Awards to Covered Employees
shall only be required to comply with the transition relief described in this Section 8(d).
9.
Subdivision or Consolidation; Recapitalization; Change in Control; Reorganization
.
(a)
Existence of Plans and Awards
. The existence of this Plan and the Awards granted
hereunder shall not affect in any way the right or power of the Board or the stockholders of the
Company to make or authorize any adjustment, recapitalization, reorganization or other change in
the Companys capital structure or its business, any merger or consolidation of the Company, any
issue of debt or equity securities ahead of or affecting Stock or the rights thereof, the
dissolution or liquidation of the Company or any sale, lease, exchange or other disposition of all
or any part of its assets or business or any other corporate act or proceeding. In no event will
any action taken by the Committee pursuant to this Section 9 result in the creation of deferred
compensation within the meaning of the Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Rules.
(b)
Subdivision or Consolidation of Shares
. The terms of an Award and the number of
shares of Stock authorized pursuant to Section 4 for issuance under the Plan shall be subject to
adjustment from time to time, in accordance with the following provisions:
(i) If at any time, or from time to time, the Company shall subdivide as a whole (by
reclassification, by a Stock split, by the issuance of a distribution on Stock payable in Stock, or
otherwise) the number of shares of Stock then outstanding into a greater number of shares of Stock
or in the event the Company distributes an extraordinary cash dividend, then, as appropriate, (A)
the maximum number of shares of Stock available for the Plan or in connection with Awards as
provided in Section 4 shall be increased proportionately, and the kind of shares or other
securities available for the Plan shall be appropriately adjusted, (B) the number of shares of
Stock (or other kind of shares or securities) that may be acquired under any then outstanding Award
shall be increased proportionately, and (C) the price (including the exercise price) for each share
of Stock (or other kind of shares or securities) subject to then outstanding Awards shall be
reduced proportionately, without changing the aggregate purchase price or value as to which
outstanding Awards remain exercisable or subject to restrictions.
(ii) If at any time, or from time to time, the Company shall consolidate as a whole (by
reclassification, by reverse Stock split, or otherwise) the number of shares of Stock then
outstanding into a lesser number of shares of Stock, (A) the maximum number of shares of Stock for
the Plan or available in connection with Awards as provided in Section 4 shall be decreased
proportionately, and the kind of shares or other securities available for the Plan shall be
appropriately adjusted, (B) the number of shares of Stock (or other kind of shares or securities)
that may be acquired under any then outstanding Award shall be decreased
17
proportionately, and (C) the price (including the exercise price) for each share of Stock (or
other kind of shares or securities) subject to then outstanding Awards shall be increased
proportionately, without changing the aggregate purchase price or value as to which outstanding
Awards remain exercisable or subject to restrictions.
(iii) Whenever the number of shares of Stock subject to outstanding Awards and the price for
each share of Stock subject to outstanding Awards are required to be adjusted as provided in this
Section 9(b), the Committee shall promptly prepare a notice setting forth, in reasonable detail,
the event requiring adjustment, the amount of the adjustment, the method by which such adjustment
was calculated, and the change in price and the number of shares of Stock, other securities, cash,
or property purchasable subject to each Award after giving effect to the adjustments. The
Committee shall promptly provide each affected Participant with such notice.
(iv) Adjustments under Sections 9(b)(i) and (ii) shall be made by the Committee, and its
determination as to what adjustments shall be made and the extent thereof shall be final, binding,
and conclusive. No fractional interest shall be issued under the Plan on account of any such
adjustments.
(c)
Corporate Recapitalization
. If the Company recapitalizes, reclassifies its
capital stock, or otherwise changes its capital structure (a recapitalization) without the
occurrence of a Change in Control, the number and class of shares of Stock covered by an Option or
an SAR theretofore granted shall be adjusted so that such Option or SAR shall thereafter cover the
number and class of shares of stock and securities to which the holder would have been entitled
pursuant to the terms of the recapitalization if, immediately prior to the recapitalization, the
holder had been the holder of record of the number of shares of Stock then covered by such Option
or SAR and the share limitations provided in Section 4 shall be adjusted in a manner consistent
with the recapitalization.
(d)
Additional Issuances
. Except as hereinbefore expressly provided, the issuance by
the Company of shares of stock of any class or securities convertible into shares of stock of any
class, for cash, property, labor or services, upon direct sale, upon the exercise of rights or
warrants to subscribe therefor, or upon conversion of shares or obligations of the Company
convertible into such shares or other securities, and in any case whether or not for fair value,
shall not affect, and no adjustment by reason thereof shall be made with respect to, the number of
shares of Stock subject to Awards theretofore granted or the purchase price per share, if
applicable.
(e)
Change in Control
. Upon a Change in Control, the Committee, acting in its sole
discretion without the consent or approval of any holder, shall affect one or more of the following
alternatives, which may vary among individual holders and which may vary among Options or SARs
(collectively
Grants
) held by any individual holder: (i) accelerate the time at which Grants then
outstanding may be exercised so that such Grants may be exercised in full for a limited period of
time on or before a specified date (before or after such Change in Control) fixed by the Committee,
after which specified date all unexercised Grants and all rights of holders thereunder shall
terminate, (ii) require the mandatory surrender to the Company by selected holders of some or all
of the outstanding Grants held by such holders (irrespective of
18
whether such Grants are then exercisable under the provisions of this Plan) as of a date,
before or after such Change in Control, specified by the Committee, in which event the Committee
shall thereupon cancel such Grants and pay to each holder an amount of cash per share equal to the
excess, if any, of the amount calculated in Section 9(f) (the
Change in Control Price
) of the
shares subject to such Grants over the Exercise Price(s) under such Grants for such shares (except
to the extent the Exercise Price under any such Grant is equal to or exceeds the Change in Control
Price, in which case no amount shall be payable with respect to such Grant), or (iii) make such
adjustments to Grants then outstanding as the Committee deems appropriate to reflect such Change in
Control; provided, however, that the Committee may determine in its sole discretion that no
adjustment is necessary to Grants then outstanding; provided, further, however, that the right to
make such adjustments shall include, but not require or be limited to, the modification of Grants
such that the holder of the Grant shall be entitled to purchase or receive (in lieu of the total
number of shares of Stock as to which an Option or SAR is exercisable (the
Total Shares
) or other
consideration that the holder would otherwise be entitled to purchase or receive under the Grant
(the
Total Consideration
)), the number of shares of stock, other securities, cash or property to
which the Total Shares or Total Consideration would have been entitled to in connection with the
Change in Control (A) (in the case of Options), at an aggregate exercise price equal to the
Exercise Price that would have been payable if the Total Shares had been purchased upon the
exercise of the Grant immediately before the occurrence of the Change in Control, and (B) in the
case of SARs, if the SARs had been exercised immediately before the occurrence of the Change in
Control.
(f)
Change in Control Price
. The Change in Control Price shall equal the amount
determined in the following clause (i), (ii), (iii), (iv) or (v), whichever is applicable, as
follows: (i) the price per share offered to holders of Stock in any merger or consolidation,
(ii) the per share Fair Market Value of the Stock immediately before the Change in Control without
regard to assets sold in the Change in Control and assuming the Company has received the
consideration paid for the assets in the case of a sale of the assets, (iii) the amount distributed
per share of Stock in a dissolution transaction, (iv) the price per share offered to holders of
Stock in any tender offer or exchange offer whereby a Change in Control takes place, or (v) if such
Change in Control occurs other than pursuant to a transaction described in clauses (i), (ii),
(iii), or (iv) of this Section 9(f), the Fair Market Value per share of the Stock that may
otherwise be obtained with respect to such Grants or to which such Grants track, as determined by
the Committee as of the date determined by the Committee to be the date of cancellation and
surrender of such Grants. In the event that the consideration offered to stockholders of the
Company in any transaction described in this Section 9(f) or in Section 9(e) consists of anything
other than cash, the Committee shall determine the fair cash equivalent of the portion of the
consideration offered which is other than cash and such determination shall be binding on all
affected Participants to the extent applicable to Awards held by such Participants.
(g)
Impact of Corporate Events on Awards Generally
. In the event of changes in the
outstanding Stock by reason of a recapitalization, reorganization, merger, consolidation,
combination, exchange or other relevant change in capitalization occurring after the date of the
grant of any Award and not otherwise provided for by this Section 9, any outstanding Awards and any
Award agreements evidencing such Awards shall be subject to adjustment by the Committee at its
discretion, which adjustment may, in the Committees discretion, be described in the Award
agreement and may include, but not be limited to, adjustments as to the number and
19
price of shares of Stock or other consideration subject to such Awards, accelerated vesting
(in full or in part) of such Awards, conversion of such Awards into awards denominated in the
securities or other interests of any successor Person, or the cash settlement of such Awards in
exchange for the cancellation thereof. In the event of any such change in the outstanding Stock,
the aggregate number of shares of Stock available under this Plan may be appropriately adjusted by
the Committee, whose determination shall be conclusive.
10.
General Provisions
.
(a)
Transferability
.
(i)
Permitted Transferees
. The Committee may, in its discretion, permit a Participant
to transfer all or any portion of an Option or SAR, or authorize all or a portion of an Option or
SAR to be granted to an Eligible Person to be on terms which permit transfer by such Participant;
provided that, in either case, the transferee or transferees must be a child, stepchild,
grandchild, parent, stepparent, grandparent, spouse, former spouse, sibling, niece, nephew,
mother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law,
including adoptive relationships, in each case with respect to the Participant, an individual
sharing the Participants household (other than a tenant or employee of the Company), a trust in
which any of the foregoing individuals have more than fifty percent of the beneficial interest, a
foundation in which any of the foregoing individuals (or the Participant) control the management of
assets, or any other entity in which any of the foregoing individuals (or the Participant) own more
than fifty percent of the voting interests (collectively, Permitted Transferees); provided
further that, (A) there may be no consideration for any such transfer and (B) subsequent transfers
of Options or SARs transferred as provided above shall be prohibited except subsequent transfers
back to the original holder of the Option or SAR and transfers to other Permitted Transferees of
the original holder. Agreements evidencing Options or SARs with respect to which such
transferability is authorized at the time of grant must be approved by the Committee, and must
expressly provide for transferability in a manner consistent with this Section 10(a)(i).
(ii)
Qualified Domestic Relations Orders
. An Option, Stock Appreciation Right,
Restricted Stock Unit Award, Restricted Stock Award or other Award may be transferred, to a
Permitted Transferee, pursuant to a domestic relations order entered or approved by a court of
competent jurisdiction upon delivery to the Company of written notice of such transfer and a
certified copy of such order.
(iii)
Other Transfers
. Except as expressly permitted by Sections 10(a)(i) and
10(a)(ii), Awards shall not be transferable other than by will or the laws of descent and
distribution. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 10, an Incentive Stock
Option shall not be transferable other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution.
(iv)
Effect of Transfer
. Following the transfer of any Award as contemplated by
Sections 10(a)(i), 10(a)(ii) and 10(a)(iii), (A) such Award shall continue to be subject to the
same terms and conditions as were applicable immediately prior to transfer, provided that the term
Participant shall be deemed to refer to the Permitted Transferee, the recipient under a qualified
domestic relations order, or the estate or heirs of a deceased
20
Participant or other transferee, as applicable, to the extent appropriate to enable the
Participant to exercise the transferred Award in accordance with the terms of this Plan and
applicable law and (B) the provisions of the Award relating to exercisability shall continue to be
applied with respect to the original Participant and, following the occurrence of any applicable
events described therein the Awards shall be exercisable by the Permitted Transferee, the recipient
under a qualified domestic relations order, or the estate or heirs of a deceased Participant, as
applicable, only to the extent and for the periods that would have been applicable in the absence
of the transfer.
(v)
Procedures and Restrictions
. Any Participant desiring to transfer an Award as
permitted under Sections 10(a)(i), 10(a)(ii) or 10(a)(iii) shall make application therefor in the
manner and time specified by the Committee and shall comply with such other requirements as the
Committee may require to assure compliance with all applicable securities laws. The Committee
shall not give permission for such a transfer if (A) it would give rise to short swing liability
under section 16(b) of the Exchange Act or (B) it may not be made in compliance with all applicable
federal, state and foreign securities laws.
(vi)
Registration
. To the extent the issuance to any Permitted Transferee of any
shares of Stock issuable pursuant to Awards transferred as permitted in this Section 10(a) is not
registered pursuant to the effective registration statement of the Company generally covering the
shares to be issued pursuant to this Plan to initial holders of Awards, the Company shall not have
any obligation to register the issuance of any such shares of Stock to any such transferee.
(b)
Taxes
. The Company and any of its Subsidiaries are authorized to withhold from
any Award granted, or any payment relating to an Award under this Plan, including from a
distribution of Stock, amounts of withholding and other taxes due or potentially payable in
connection with any transaction involving an Award, and to take such other action as the Committee
may deem advisable to enable the Company and Participants to satisfy obligations for the payment of
withholding taxes and other tax obligations relating to any Award. This authority shall include
authority to withhold or receive Stock or other property and to make cash payments in respect
thereof in satisfaction of a Participants tax obligations, either on a mandatory or elective basis
in the discretion of the Committee.
(c)
Changes to this Plan and Awards
. The Board may amend, alter, suspend, discontinue
or terminate this Plan or the Committees authority to grant Awards under this Plan without the
consent of stockholders or Participants, except that any amendment or alteration to this Plan,
including any increase in any share limitation, shall be subject to the approval of the Companys
stockholders not later than the annual meeting next following such Board action if such stockholder
approval is required by any federal or state law or regulation or the rules of any stock exchange
or automated quotation system on which the Stock may then be listed or quoted, and the Board may
otherwise, in its discretion, determine to submit other such changes to this Plan to stockholders
for approval; provided, that, without the consent of an affected Participant, no such Board action
may materially and adversely affect the rights of such Participant under any previously granted and
outstanding Award. The Committee may waive any conditions or rights under, or amend, alter,
suspend, discontinue or terminate any Award theretofore granted and any Award agreement relating
thereto, except as otherwise provided in this Plan; provided,
21
however, that, without the consent of an affected Participant, no such Committee action may
materially and adversely affect the rights of such Participant under such Award. For purposes of
clarity, any adjustments made to Awards pursuant to Section 9 will be deemed not to materially or
adversely affect the rights of any Participant under any previously granted and outstanding Award
and therefore may be made without the consent of affected Participants.
(d)
Limitation on Rights Conferred under Plan
. Neither this Plan nor any action taken
hereunder shall be construed as (i) giving any Eligible Person or Participant the right to continue
as an Eligible Person or Participant or in the employ or service of the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries, (ii) interfering in any way with the right of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
to terminate any Eligible Persons or Participants employment or service relationship at any time,
(iii) giving an Eligible Person or Participant any claim to be granted any Award under this Plan or
to be treated uniformly with other Participants and/or employees and/or other service providers, or
(iv) conferring on a Participant any of the rights of a stockholder of the Company unless and until
the Participant is duly issued or transferred shares of Stock in accordance with the terms of an
Award.
(e)
Unfunded Status of Awards
. To the extent applicable, Awards under this Plan are
unfunded and unsecured.
(f)
Nonexclusivity of this Plan
. Neither the adoption of this Plan by the Board nor
its submission to the stockholders of the Company for approval shall be construed as creating any
limitations on the power of the Board or a committee thereof to adopt such other incentive
arrangements as it may deem desirable, including incentive arrangements and awards which do not
qualify under section 162(m) of the Code. Nothing contained in this Plan shall be construed to
prevent the Company or any of its Subsidiaries from taking any corporate action which is deemed by
the Company or such Subsidiary to be appropriate or in its best interest, whether or not such
action would have an adverse effect on this Plan or any Award made under this Plan. No employee,
beneficiary or other person shall have any claim against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries as
a result of any such action.
(g)
Fractional Shares
. No fractional shares of Stock shall be issued or delivered
pursuant to this Plan or any Award. The Committee shall determine whether cash, other Awards or
other property shall be issued or paid in lieu of such fractional shares or whether such fractional
shares or any rights thereto shall be forfeited or otherwise eliminated.
(h)
Severability
. If any provision of this Plan is held to be illegal or invalid for
any reason, the illegality or invalidity shall not affect the remaining provisions hereof, but such
provision shall be fully severable and the Plan shall be construed and enforced as if the illegal
or invalid provision had never been included herein. If any of the terms or provisions of this
Plan or any Award agreement conflict with the requirements of Rule 16b-3 (as those terms or
provisions are applied to Eligible Persons who are subject to section 16(b) of the Exchange Act) or
section 422 of the Code (with respect to Incentive Stock Options), then those conflicting terms or
provisions shall be deemed inoperative to the extent they so conflict with the requirements of Rule
16b-3 (unless the Board or Committee, as appropriate, has expressly determined that the Plan or
such Award should not comply with Rule 16b-3) or section 422 of the Code. With respect to
Incentive Stock Options, if this Plan does not contain any provision
22
required to be included herein under section 422 of the Code, that provision shall be deemed
to be incorporated herein with the same force and effect as if that provision had been set out at
length herein; provided, further, that, to the extent any Option that is intended to qualify as an
Incentive Stock Option cannot so qualify, that Option (to that extent) shall be deemed an Option
not subject to section 422 of the Code for all purposes of the Plan.
(i)
Governing Law
. All questions arising with respect to the provisions of the Plan
and Awards shall be determined by application of the laws of the State of Texas, without giving
effect to any conflict of law provisions thereof, except to the extent Texas state law is preempted
by federal law. The obligation of the Company to sell and deliver Stock hereunder is subject to
applicable federal and state laws and to the approval of any governmental authority required in
connection with the authorization, issuance, sale, or delivery of such Stock.
(j)
Conditions to Delivery of Stock
. Nothing herein or in any Award granted hereunder
or any Award agreement shall require the Company to issue any shares with respect to any Award if
that issuance would, in the opinion of counsel for the Company, constitute a violation of the
Securities Act or any similar or superseding statute or statutes, any other applicable statute or
regulation, or the rules of any applicable securities exchange or securities association, as then
in effect. At the time of any exercise of an Option or Stock Appreciation Right, or at the time of
any grant of a Restricted Stock Award, Restricted Stock Unit, or other Award the Company may, as a
condition precedent to the exercise of such Option or Stock Appreciation Right or settlement of any
Restricted Stock Award, Restricted Stock Unit or other Award, require from the Participant (or in
the event of his or her death, his or her legal representatives, heirs, legatees, or distributees)
such written representations, if any, concerning the holders intentions with regard to the
retention or disposition of the shares of Stock being acquired pursuant to the Award and such
written covenants and agreements, if any, as to the manner of disposal of such shares as, in the
opinion of counsel to the Company, may be necessary to ensure that any disposition by that holder
(or in the event of the holders death, his or her legal representatives, heirs, legatees, or
distributees) will not involve a violation of the Securities Act or any similar or superseding
statute or statutes, any other applicable state or federal statute or regulation, or any rule of
any applicable securities exchange or securities association, as then in effect. No Option or
Stock Appreciation Right shall be exercisable and no settlement of any Restricted Stock Award or
Restricted Stock Unit shall occur with respect to a Participant unless and until the holder thereof
shall have paid cash or property to, or performed services for, the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries that the Committee believes is equal to or greater in value than the par value of the
Stock subject to such Award.
(k)
Section 409A of the Code
. In the event that any Award granted pursuant to this
Plan provides for a deferral of compensation within the meaning of the Nonqualified Deferred
Compensation Rules, such Award will be designed to comply with the Nonqualified Deferred
Compensation Rules.
(l)
Plan Effective Date and Term
. This Plan was adopted by the Board on May 17, 2010,
and approved by the stockholders of the Company on May 17, 2010, to be effective as of the
Effective Date. No Awards may be granted under this Plan on and after ten years after the
Effective Date.
23
Exhibit 10.7
FORM
OF
INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT
INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT (this Agreement), made and executed as of
, 2010,
by and between Oasis Petroleum Inc., a Delaware corporation (the Company) and
, an
individual resident of the State of
(the Indemnitee).
WITNESSETH
:
WHEREAS, the Company is aware that, to induce and to retain highly competent persons to serve
the Company as directors or officers or in other capacities, the Company must provide such persons
with adequate protection through insurance and indemnification against inordinate risks of claims
and actions against them arising out of their service to and activities on behalf of the Company;
WHEREAS, the Company recognizes the substantial increase in corporate litigation in general,
subjecting directors and officers to expensive litigation risks at the same time as the
availability and coverage of liability insurance has been severely limited;
WHEREAS, the Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company (the Bylaws) contain indemnification
provisions which entitle the members of the Board of Directors and officers of the Company to
indemnification protection to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law; and
WHEREAS, it is reasonable, prudent and necessary for the Company to obligate itself
contractually to indemnify such persons to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law and to
provide an express process and procedure for seeking indemnification so that they will continue to
serve the Company free from undue concern.
AGREEMENT
:
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual promises and covenants
contained herein, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of
which are hereby acknowledged, the Company and the Indemnitee do hereby agree as follows:
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1.
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DEFINITIONS. For purposes of this Agreement, the following terms shall have the meanings
set forth below:
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(a) Disinterested Director shall mean a director of the Company who is not or was not
a party to the Proceeding in respect of which indemnification is being sought.
(b) Expenses shall include all reasonable attorneys fees, accountants fees,
retainers, court costs, transcript costs, fees of experts, witness fees, travel expenses,
duplicating costs, printing and binding costs, telephone charges, postage, delivery service
fees, and all other disbursements or expenses incurred in connection with prosecuting,
defending, preparing to prosecute or defend, investigating or being or preparing to be a
witness in any Proceeding or establishing the Indemnitees right of entitlement to
indemnification for any of the foregoing.
(c) Independent Counsel shall mean a law firm of at least 50 attorneys or a member of
a law firm of at least 50 attorneys that is experienced in matters of corporate law and that
neither is presently nor in the past five years has been retained to represent (i) the
Company or the Indemnitee or any affiliate thereof in any matter material to either such
party or (ii) any other party to the Proceeding giving rise to a claim for indemnification
hereunder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the term Independent Counsel shall not include
any person who, under the applicable standards of professional conduct then prevailing,
would have a conflict of interest in representing either the Company or the Indemnitee in an
action to determine the Indemnitees right to indemnification under this Agreement.
(d) Proceeding shall mean any threatened, pending or completed action, suit,
arbitration, investigation, inquiry, alternate dispute resolution mechanism, administrative
or legislative hearing, or any other proceeding (including, without limitation, any
securities laws action, suit, arbitration, investigation, inquiry, alternative dispute
resolution mechanism, hearing or procedure) whether civil, criminal, administrative,
arbitrative or investigative and whether or not based upon events occurring, or actions
taken, before the date hereof, and any appeal in or related to any such action, suit,
arbitration, investigation, inquiry, alternate dispute resolution mechanism, hearing or
proceeding and any inquiry or investigation (including discovery), whether conducted by or
in the right of the Company or any other person, that the Indemnitee in good faith believes
could lead to any such action, suit, arbitration, investigation, inquiry, alternative
dispute resolution mechanism, hearing or other proceeding or appeal thereof.
2. SERVICE BY THE INDEMNITEE. The Indemnitee agrees to serve or to continue to serve as a
director or officer of the Company and will discharge his/her duties and responsibilities to the
best of his/her ability so long as the Indemnitee is duly elected or appointed in accordance with
the provisions of the Companys Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (the
Certificate), the Bylaws, and the Delaware General Corporation Law, as amended (the DGCL), or
until his/her earlier death, retirement, resignation or removal, or also in the case of a
director, until his/her successor shall have been duly elected and qualified. The Indemnitee may
at any time and for any reason resign from such position (subject to any other obligation, whether
contractual or imposed by operation of law), in which event this Agreement shall continue in full
force and effect after such resignation. Additionally, this Agreement shall remain in full force
and effect after the death, retirement or removal of the Indemnitee, or also in the case of a
director, until his/her successor shall have been duly elected and qualified. Notwithstanding the
forgoing, this Agreement may be terminated in accordance with Section 22 hereof. Nothing in this
Agreement shall confer upon the Indemnitee the right to continue in the employ of the Company or
as a director of the Company, or affect the right of the Company to terminate, in the Companys
sole discretion (with or without cause) and at any time, the Indemnitees employment or position
as a director, in each case, subject to any contractual rights of the Indemnitee existing
otherwise than under this Agreement.
3. INDEMNIFICATION. The Company shall indemnify the Indemnitee and advance Expenses to the
Indemnitee as provided in this Agreement to the fullest extent permitted by the Certificate, the
Bylaws in effect as of the date hereof and the DGCL or other
2
applicable law in effect on the date hereof and to any greater extent that the Bylaws, the
DGCL, or applicable law may in the future from time to time permit. Without diminishing the scope
of the indemnification provided by this Section 3, the rights of indemnification of the Indemnitee
provided hereunder shall include, but shall not be limited to, those rights hereinafter set forth,
except that no indemnification shall be paid hereunder to the Indemnitee:
(a) on account of conduct of the Indemnitee which is adjudged in a final adjudication
by a court of competent jurisdiction from which there is no further right of appeal or in a
final adjudication of an arbitration pursuant to Section 12 hereof, if the Indemnitee elects
to seek such arbitration, to have been knowingly fraudulent or to constitute conduct not in
good faith, or in the case of a criminal matter, to have been knowingly unlawful;
(b) in any circumstance where such indemnification is expressly prohibited by
applicable law in effect as of the date of this Agreement or subsequently determined to be
expressly prohibited by applicable law;
(c) with respect to liability for which payment is actually made to the Indemnitee
under an insurance policy or under an indemnity clause, Bylaws provision or other agreement
(other than this Agreement), except in respect of any liability in excess of payment under
such insurance, clause, Bylaws provision or other agreement; or
(d) if a final decision by a court having jurisdiction in the matter shall determine
that such indemnification is not lawful.
4. ACTIONS OR PROCEEDINGS OTHER THAN AN ACTION BY OR IN THE RIGHT OF THE COMPANY. The
Indemnitee shall be entitled to the indemnification rights provided in this Agreement if the
Indemnitee was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any Proceeding, other than a
Proceeding by or in the right of the Company, by reason of the fact that the Indemnitee is or was
a director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of the Company or any of the Companys direct or
indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries, or is or was serving at the request of the Company or any of
the Companys direct or indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries as a director, officer, employee, agent
or fiduciary of any other entity, including, but not limited to, another corporation, partnership,
limited liability company, employee benefit plan, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, or by
reason of any act or omission by him/her in such capacity. Pursuant to this Section 4, the
Indemnitee shall be indemnified against all judgments, penalties (including, but not limited to,
excise and similar taxes) and fines against the Indemnitee, and all Expenses, liabilities and
amounts paid in settlement which were actually and reasonably incurred by, or in the case of
retainers, to be incurred by, the Indemnitee or on the Indemnitees behalf in connection with such
Proceeding (including, but not limited to, the investigation, defense or appeal thereof).
5. ACTIONS BY OR IN THE RIGHT OF THE COMPANY. The Indemnitee shall be entitled to the
indemnification rights provided in this Agreement if the Indemnitee was or is a party or is
threatened to be made a party to any Proceeding brought by or in the right of the Company to
procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that the Indemnitee is or was a director,
officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of the Company or any of the Companys direct or indirect
wholly-owned subsidiaries, or is or was serving at the request of the
3
Company or any of the Companys direct or indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries as a director,
officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of another entity, including, but not limited to, another
corporation, partnership, limited liability company, employee benefit plan, joint venture, trust
or other enterprise, or by reason of any act or omission by him/her in any such capacity. Pursuant
to this Section 5, the Indemnitee shall be indemnified against all Expenses actually and
reasonably incurred by, or in the case of retainers, to be incurred by, him/her in connection with
such Proceeding (including, but not limited to the investigation, defense or appeal thereof);
provided, however, that no indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter
as to which the Indemnitee shall have been adjudged to be liable to the Company in a final
adjudication by a court of competent jurisdiction from which there is no further right of appeal
or in a final adjudication of an arbitration pursuant to Section 12 hereof, if the Indemnitee
elects to seek such arbitration, unless and to the extent that the Court of Chancery of the State
of Delaware, or the court in which such Proceeding shall have been brought or is pending, shall
determine that such indemnification may be made.
6. GOOD FAITH DEFINITION. For purposes of this Agreement, the Indemnitee shall be deemed to
have acted in good faith and in a manner the Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in or not
opposed to the best interests of the Company, or, with respect to any criminal Proceeding, to have
had no reasonable cause to believe the Indemnitees conduct was unlawful, if such action was based
on any of the following: (a) the records or books of the account of the Company or other
enterprise, including financial statements; (b) information supplied to the Indemnitee by the
officers of the Company or any of the Companys direct or indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries or
any entity at which the Indemnitee is or was serving as a director, officer, employee, agent or
fiduciary at the request of the Company or any of the Companys direct or indirect wholly-owned
subsidiaries (each such entity, a Subject Enterprise) in the course of his/her duties; (c) the
advice of legal counsel for the Company or Subject Enterprise; or (d) information or records given
in reports made to the Company or Subject Enterprise by an independent certified public accountant
or by an appraiser or other expert selected with reasonable care by the Company or other
enterprise. The provisions of this Section 6 shall not be deemed to be exclusive or to limit in
any way the other circumstances in which the Indemnitee may be deemed to have met the applicable
standard of conduct set forth in this Agreement.
7. INDEMNIFICATION FOR EXPENSES OF WITNESS. Notwithstanding the other provisions of this
Agreement, to the extent that the Indemnitee has served on behalf of the Company or any of the
Companys direct or indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries, or is or was serving at the request of the
Company or any of the Companys direct or indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries, as a witness or
other similar participant in any Proceeding, the Indemnitee shall be indemnified against all
Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by, or in the case of retainers, to be incurred by, the
Indemnitee in connection therewith to be paid by the Company within seven days of receipt by the
Company of a statement from the Indemnitee requesting such payment and detailing such Expenses.
8. PARTIAL INDEMNIFICATION. If the Indemnitee is entitled under any provision of this
Agreement to indemnification by the Company for some or a portion of the judgments, penalties and
fines and Expenses and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by, or in the
case of retainers to be incurred by, the Indemnitee in connection with the investigation, defense,
appeal or settlement of such Proceeding described
4
in Sections 4 and 5 hereof, but is not entitled to indemnification for the total amount
thereof, the Company shall nevertheless indemnify the Indemnitee for the portion of such
judgments, penalties and fines and Expenses and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably
incurred by, or in the case of retainers, to be incurred by, the Indemnitee for which the
Indemnitee is entitled to be indemnified. For purposes of this Section 8 and without limitation,
the termination of any claim, issue, or matter in such a Proceeding described herein (a) by
dismissal, summary judgment, judgment on the pleading, or final judgment, with or without
prejudice, or (b) by agreement without payment or assumption or admission of liability by the
Indemnitee, shall be deemed to be a successful determination or result as to such claim, issue or
matter.
9. PROCEDURE FOR DETERMINATION OF ENTITLEMENT TO INDEMNIFICATION.
(a) To obtain indemnification under this Agreement, the Indemnitee shall submit to the
Company a written request, including documentation and information which is reasonably
available to the Indemnitee and is reasonably necessary to determine whether the Indemnitee
is entitled to indemnification. The Secretary of the Company shall, promptly upon receipt of
a request for indemnification, advise the Board of Directors that the Indemnitee has
requested indemnification. Any Expenses incurred by, or in the case of retainers, to be
incurred by, the Indemnitee in connection with the Indemnitees request for indemnification
hereunder shall be borne by the Company.
(b) Upon written request by the Indemnitee for indemnification pursuant to Sections 4
and 5 hereof, the entitlement of the Indemnitee to indemnification pursuant to the terms of
this Agreement shall be determined by the following person or persons, who shall be
empowered to make such determination: (i) if requested by the Indemnitee, by Independent
Counsel in a written opinion to the Board of Directors, a copy of which shall be delivered
to the Indemnitee; or (ii) if not so requested, (A) by the Board of Directors of the
Company, by a majority vote of a quorum (determined in accordance with the Bylaws)
consisting of Disinterested Directors, or (B) if a quorum consisting of Disinterested
Directors is not obtainable or if a majority vote of a quorum consisting of Disinterested
Directors so directs, by Independent Counsel in a written opinion to the Board of Directors,
a copy of which shall be delivered to the Indemnitee. The Independent Counsel shall be
selected by the Board of Directors of the Company unless there shall have occurred within
two years prior to the date of the commencement of the Proceeding for which indemnification
is claimed a Change of Control as defined in the Companys 2010 Long Term Incentive Plan
in which case the Independent Counsel shall be selected by the claimant unless the claimant
shall request that such selection be made by the Board of Directors. Such determination of
entitlement to indemnification shall be made not later than 45 days after receipt by the
Company of a written request for indemnification. If it is so determined that the
Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, payment to the Indemnitee shall be made within 15
days after such determination.
(c) The Indemnitee shall be entitled to indemnification hereunder without a separate
determination by or on behalf of the Company pursuant to Section 9(b) hereof with respect to
any Proceeding and/or any claim, issue, or matter with respect thereto: (i) which is
resolved by agreement without any payment or assumption or admission of
5
liability by the Indemnitee; or (ii) as to which a final decision on the merits has been
made by the court or other body with jurisdiction over that Proceeding, in which the
Indemnitee was not determined to be liable with respect to such claim, issue, or matter
asserted against the Indemnitee in the Proceeding; or (iii) as to which a court or
arbitrator determines upon application that, despite such a determination of liability on
the part of the Indemnitee, but in view of all the circumstances of the Proceeding and of
the Indemnitees conduct with respect thereto, the Indemnitee is fairly and reasonably
entitled to indemnification for such judgments, penalties, fines, amounts paid in
settlement, and Expenses as such court or arbitrator shall deem proper; provided, however,
such decision shall have been rendered in or with respect to the Proceeding for which the
Indemnitee seeks indemnification under this Agreement.
10. PRESUMPTIONS AND EFFECT OF CERTAIN PROCEEDINGS.
(a) In making a determination with respect to entitlement to indemnification, the
Indemnitee shall be presumed to be entitled to full indemnification hereunder, and the
Company shall have the burden of proof in the making of any determination contrary to such
presumption. Neither the failure of the Board of Directors (or such other person or persons
empowered to make the determination of whether the Indemnitee is entitled to
indemnification) to have made a determination prior to the commencement of any action
pursuant to this Agreement that indemnification is proper in the circumstances because the
Indemnitee has met the applicable standard of conduct, nor any determination thereby that
the Indemnitee has not met such applicable standard of conduct, shall be a defense or
admissible as evidence in any Proceeding for any purpose or create a presumption that the
Indemnitee has acted in bad faith or failed to meet any other applicable standard of
conduct.
(b) If the Board of Directors or the Independent Counsel, as applicable, shall have
failed to make a determination as to entitlement to indemnification within 45 days after
receipt by the Company of such request, the requisite determination of entitlement to
indemnification shall be deemed to have been made and the Indemnitee shall be absolutely
entitled to such indemnification, absent actual and material fraud in the request for
indemnification, a prohibition of indemnification under applicable law in effect as of the
date of this Agreement, or a subsequent determination that such indemnification is
prohibited by applicable law. The termination of any Proceeding described in Sections 4 or
5 hereof by judgment, order, settlement or conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or
its equivalent, shall not, of itself: (i) create a presumption that the Indemnitee acted in
bad faith or in a manner which he/she reasonably believed to be opposed to the best
interests of the Company, or, with respect to any criminal Proceeding, that the Indemnitee
has reasonable cause to believe that the Indemnitees conduct was unlawful; or (ii)
otherwise adversely affect the rights of the Indemnitee to indemnification, except as may be
provided herein.
11. ADVANCEMENT OF EXPENSES. Subject to applicable law, all reasonable Expenses actually
incurred by, or in the case of retainers, to be incurred by, the Indemnitee in connection with any
Proceeding shall be paid by the Company in advance of the final disposition of such Proceeding, if
so requested by the Indemnitee, within seven days after the receipt by the Company of a statement
or statements from the Indemnitee requesting such
6
advance or advances. The Indemnitee may submit such statements from time to time. The
Indemnitees entitlement to such Expenses shall include those incurred, or in the case of
retainers, to be incurred, in connection with any Proceeding by the Indemnitee seeking an
adjudication or award in arbitration pursuant to this Agreement. Such statement or statements
shall reasonably evidence the Expenses incurred by, or in the case of retainers, to be incurred
by, the Indemnitee in connection therewith and shall include or be accompanied by a written
affirmation by the Indemnitee of the Indemnitees good faith belief that the Indemnitee has met
the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification under this Agreement and an undertaking by
or on behalf of the Indemnitee to repay such amount if it is ultimately determined that the
Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified against such Expenses by the Company pursuant to this
Agreement or otherwise. The form of Written Affirmation is attached as
Exhibit A
hereto.
Each written undertaking to pay amounts advanced must be an unlimited general obligation but need
not be secured, and shall be accepted without reference to financial ability to make repayment.
12. REMEDIES OF THE INDEMNITEE IN CASES OF DETERMINATION NOT TO INDEMNIFY OR FAILURE TO
ADVANCE EXPENSES. In the event that a determination is made that the Indemnitee is not entitled
to indemnification hereunder or if the payment has not been timely made following a determination
of entitlement to indemnification pursuant to Sections 9 and 10 hereof, or if Expenses are not
advanced pursuant to Section 11 hereof, the Indemnitee shall be entitled to seek a final
adjudication in an appropriate court of the State of Delaware or any other court of competent
jurisdiction of the Indemnitees entitlement to such indemnification or advance. Alternatively,
the Indemnitee may, at the Indemnitees option, seek an award in arbitration to be conducted by a
single arbitrator chosen by the Indemnitee and approved by the Company, which approval shall not
be unreasonably withheld or delayed. If the Indemnitee and the Company do not agree upon an
arbitrator within 30 days following notice to the Company by the Indemnitee that it seeks an award
in arbitration, the arbitrator will be chosen pursuant to the rules of the American Arbitration
Association (the AAA). The arbitration will be conducted pursuant to the rules of the AAA, and
an award shall be made within 60 days following the filing of the demand for arbitration. The
arbitration shall be held in Houston, Texas. The Company shall not oppose the Indemnitees right
to seek any such adjudication or award in arbitration or any other claim. Such judicial proceeding
or arbitration shall be made de novo, and the Indemnitee shall not be prejudiced by reason of a
determination (if so made) that the Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification. If a
determination is made or deemed to have been made pursuant to the terms of Section 9 or Section 10
hereof that the Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, the Company shall be bound by such
determination and shall be precluded from asserting that such determination has not been made or
that the procedure by which such determination was made is not valid, binding and enforceable. The
Company further agrees to stipulate in any such court or before any such arbitrator that the
Company is bound by all the provisions of this Agreement and is precluded from making any
assertions to the contrary. If the court or arbitrator shall determine that the Indemnitee is
entitled to any indemnification hereunder, the Company shall pay all reasonable Expenses actually
incurred by, or in the case of retainers to be incurred by, the Indemnitee in connection with such
adjudication or award in arbitration (including, but not limited to, any appellate Proceedings).
13. NOTIFICATION AND DEFENSE OF CLAIM. Promptly after receipt by the Indemnitee of notice of
the commencement of any Proceeding, the Indemnitee will, if a claim
7
in respect thereof is to be made against the Company under this Agreement, notify the Company
in writing of the commencement thereof. The omission or delay by the Indemnitee to so notify the
Company will not relieve the Company from any liability that it may have to the Indemnitee under
this Agreement or otherwise, except to the extent that the Company may suffer material prejudice
by reason of such failure or delay. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, with
respect to any such Proceeding as to which the Indemnitee gives notice to the Company of the
commencement thereof:
(a) The Company will be entitled to participate therein at its own expense.
(b) Except as otherwise provided in this Section 13(b), to the extent that it may wish,
the Company, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, shall be entitled
to assume the defense thereof with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnitee. After
prior written notice from the Company to the Indemnitee of its election to so assume the
defense thereof, the Company shall not be liable to the Indemnitee under this Agreement for
any legal or other Expenses subsequently incurred by the Indemnitee in connection with the
defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation or as otherwise provided below.
The Indemnitee shall have the right to employ the Indemnitees own counsel in such
Proceeding, but the fees and Expenses of such counsel incurred after such notice from the
Company of its assumption of the defense thereof shall be at the expense of the Indemnitee
unless (i) the employment of counsel by the Indemnitee has been authorized by the Company;
(ii) the Indemnitee shall have reasonably concluded that there may be a conflict of interest
between the Company and the Indemnitee in the conduct of the defense of such Proceeding, and
such determination by the Indemnitee shall be supported by an opinion of counsel, which
opinion shall be reasonably acceptable to the Company; or (iii) the Company shall not in
fact have employed counsel to assume the defense of the Proceeding, in each of which cases
the fees and Expenses of counsel shall be at the expense of the Company. The Company shall
not be entitled to assume the defense of any Proceeding brought by or on behalf of the
Company or as to which the Indemnitee shall have reached the conclusion provided for in
clause (ii) above.
(c) The Company shall not be liable to indemnify the Indemnitee under this Agreement
for any amounts paid in settlement of any Proceeding without its prior written consent,
which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. The Company shall not be required to
obtain the consent of the Indemnitee to settle any Proceeding which the Company has
undertaken to defend if the Company assumes full and sole responsibility for such settlement
and such settlement grants the Indemnitee a complete and unqualified release in respect of
any potential liability. The Company shall have no obligation to indemnify the Indemnitee
under this Agreement with regard to any judicial award issued in a Proceeding, or any
related Expenses of the Indemnitee, if the Company was not given a reasonable and timely
opportunity, at its expense, to participate in the defense of such Proceeding, except to the
extent the Company was not materially prejudiced thereby.
(d) If, at the time of the receipt of a notice of a claim pursuant to this Section 13,
the Company has director and officer liability insurance in effect, the Company shall give
prompt notice of the commencement of the Proceeding for which indemnification is
8
sought to the insurers in accordance with the procedures set forth in the respective
policies.
The Company shall thereafter take all necessary or desirable action to cause such insurers to
pay, on behalf of the Indemnitee, all amounts payable as a result of such Proceeding in accordance
with the terms of the policies.
14. OTHER RIGHTS TO INDEMNIFICATION. The indemnification and advancement of Expenses
provided by this Agreement are cumulative, and not exclusive, and are in addition to any other
rights to which the Indemnitee may now or in the future be entitled under any provision of the
Bylaws or Certificate of the Company, or other governing documents of any direct or indirect
wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, any vote of the stockholders of the Company or
Disinterested Directors, any provision of law or otherwise. Except as required by applicable law,
the Company shall not adopt any amendment to its Bylaws or Certificate the effect of which would
be to deny, diminish or encumber the Indemnitees right to indemnification under this Agreement.
15. NO IMPUTATION. The knowledge or actions, or failure to act, of any director, officer,
agent or employee of the Company or the Company itself shall not be imputed to the Indemnitee for
purposes of determining the right to indemnification under this Agreement.
16. DIRECTOR AND OFFICER LIABILITY INSURANCE. The Company shall, from time to time, make the
good faith determination whether it is practicable for the Company to obtain and maintain a policy
or policies of insurance with reputable insurance companies providing the officers and directors
of the Company and any direct or indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company with coverage for
losses from wrongful acts or to ensure the Companys performance of its indemnification
obligations under this Agreement. Among other considerations, the Company will weigh the costs of
obtaining such insurance coverage against the protection afforded by such coverage.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall have no obligation to obtain or maintain such
insurance if the Company determines in good faith that such insurance is not necessary or is not
reasonably available, if the premium costs for such insurance are disproportionate to the amount
of coverage provided, if the coverage provided by such insurance is limited by exclusions so as to
provide an insufficient benefit or if the Indemnitee is covered by similar insurance maintained by
a direct or indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company. However, the Companys decision
whether or not to adopt and maintain such insurance shall not affect in any way its obligations to
indemnify the Indemnitee under this Agreement or otherwise. In all policies of director and
officer liability insurance, the Indemnitee shall be named as an insured in such a manner as to
provide the Indemnitee the same rights and benefits as are accorded to the most favorably insured
of the Companys directors, if the Indemnitee is a director; or of the Companys officers, if the
Indemnitee is not a director of the Company but is an officer. The Company agrees that the
provisions of this Agreement shall remain in effect regardless of whether liability or other
insurance coverage is at any time obtained or retained by the Company; except that any payments
made to, or on behalf of, the Indemnitee under an insurance policy shall reduce the obligations of
the Company hereunder with respect to the amount of such payment in accordance with Section 3(c)
hereof.
9
17. INTENT. This Agreement is intended to be broader than any statutory indemnification
rights applicable in the State of Delaware and shall be in addition to and supplemental to any
other rights the Indemnitee may have under the Certificate, the Bylaws, applicable law or
otherwise. To the extent that a change in applicable law (whether by statute or judicial decision)
permits greater indemnification by agreement than would be afforded currently under the
Certificate, the Bylaws, applicable law or this Agreement, it is the intent of the parties that
the Indemnitee enjoy by this Agreement the greater benefits so afforded by such change. To the
extent there is any conflict between this Agreement and the Bylaws with respect to any right or
obligation of any party hereto, the terms of this Agreement shall control; provided, however, the
foregoing shall not apply to a reduction of any right of the Indemnitee.
18. ATTORNEYS FEES AND OTHER EXPENSES TO ENFORCE AGREEMENT. In the event that the
Indemnitee is subject to or intervenes in any Proceeding in which the validity or enforceability
of this Agreement is at issue or seeks an adjudication or award in arbitration to enforce the
Indemnitees rights under, or to recover damages for breach of, this Agreement the Indemnitee, if
he/she prevails in whole or in part in such action, shall be entitled to recover from the Company
and shall be indemnified by the Company against any actual expenses for attorneys fees and
disbursements reasonably incurred by the Indemnitee.
19. SUBROGATION. In the event of payment under this Agreement, the Company shall be
subrogated to the extent of such payment to all of the rights of recovery of the Indemnitee, who
shall execute all documents required and shall do all acts that may be necessary to secure such
rights and to enable the Company effectively to bring suit to enforce such rights.
20. EFFECTIVE DATE. The provisions of this Agreement shall cover claims or Proceedings
whether now pending or hereafter commenced and shall be retroactive to cover acts or omissions or
alleged acts or omissions which heretofore have taken place. The Company shall be liable under
this Agreement, pursuant to Sections 4 and 5 hereof, for all acts of the Indemnitee while serving
as a director and/or officer, notwithstanding the termination of the Indemnitees service, if such
act was performed or omitted to be performed during the term of the Indemnitees service to the
Company.
21. GROSS-UP FOR TAXES. In the event any payment of indemnity to the Indemnitee under this
Agreement shall be deemed to be income for federal, state or local income, excise or other tax
purposes, then the Company shall pay to the Indemnitee, in addition to any amount for
indemnification provided for herein, an amount equal to the amount of taxes for which the
Indemnitee shall become liable (with offset for any deductions which the Indemnitee may have that
are related to the indemnification amount but without offset for any other deductions which the
Indemnitee may have that are not related to the indemnification amount), promptly upon receipt
from the Indemnitee of a request for reimbursement of such taxes together with a copy of the
Indemnitees tax return, which shall be maintained in strictest confidence by the Company. Any
such tax gross-up payment shall be paid to the Indemnitee within 60 days following receipt by the
Company of the Indemnitees request and tax return, which shall be received by the Company no
later than the end of the calendar year next following the calendar year in which the Indemnitee
remits the related taxes; provided, however, that in the event the Indemnitee is audited by the
Internal Revenue Service, the deadline for receipt by the Company of the Indemnitees request and
tax return shall be
10
extended to the end of three calendar years (plus the time length of any audit extensions
requested by the Internal Revenue Service) next following the calendar year in which the
Indemnitee remits the related taxes.
22. DURATION OF AGREEMENT. This Agreement shall continue until and terminate upon the later
of: (a) ten years after the Indemnitee has ceased to occupy any of the positions or have any
relationships described in Sections 4 and 5 of this Agreement; (b) the final termination of all
Proceedings to which the Indemnitee may be subject by reason of the fact that he/she is or was a
director, officer, employee, agent or fiduciary of the Company or any of the Companys direct or
indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries, or is or was serving at the request of the Company or any of
the Companys direct or indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries as a director, officer, employee, agent
or fiduciary of any other entity, including, but not limited to, another corporation, partnership,
limited liability company, employee benefit plan, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, or by
reason of any act or omission by the Indemnitee in any such capacity; or (c) the expiration of all
statutes of limitation applicable to possible Proceedings to which the Indemnitee may be subject
arising out of the Indemnitees positions or relationships described in Sections 4 and 5 of this
Agreement. The indemnification provided under this Agreement shall continue as to the Indemnitee
even though he/she may have ceased to be a director or officer of the Company or any of the
Companys direct or indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries. This Agreement shall be binding upon the
Company and its successors and assigns, including, without limitation, any corporation or other
entity which may have acquired all or substantially all of the Companys assets or business or
into which the Company may be consolidated or merged, and shall inure to the benefit of the
Indemnitee and his/her spouse, successors, assigns, heirs, devisees, executors, administrators or
other legal representations. The Company shall require any successor or assignee (whether direct
or indirect, by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise) to all or substantially all of the
business and/or assets of the Company, by written agreement in form and substance reasonably
satisfactory to the Company, expressly to assume and agree to perform this Agreement in the same
manner and to the same extent that the Company would be required to perform if no such succession
or assignment had taken place.
23. DISCLOSURE OF PAYMENTS. Except as required by any federal securities laws or other
federal or state law, neither party hereto shall disclose any payments under this Agreement unless
prior approval of the other party is obtained.
24. CONTRIBUTION. To the fullest extent permissible under applicable law, if the
indemnification provided for in this Agreement is unavailable to the Indemnitee for any reason
whatsoever, the Company, in lieu of indemnifying the Indemnitee, shall contribute to the amount
incurred by the Indemnitee, whether for judgments, fines, penalties, excise taxes, amounts paid or
to be paid in settlement, and/or for Expenses, in connection with any claim relating a Proceeding
under this Agreement, in such proportion as is deemed fair and reasonable in light of all of the
circumstances of such Proceeding in order to reflect (i) the relative benefits received by the
Company and the Indemnitee as a result of the event(s) and/or transaction(s) giving rise to such
Proceeding; and/or (ii) the relative fault of the Company (and its directors, officers, employees,
and agents) and the Indemnitee in connection with such event(s) and/or transaction(s). If such
contribution constitutes deferred compensation subject to Section 409A of the Internal Revenue
Code of 1986, as amended, and the Treasury Regulations and other guidance thereunder (Section
409A), as determined by the Company,
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such contribution shall be paid to the Indemnitee (or the Indemnitees estate in the event of
death) upon the earlier of (a) the Indemnitees separation from service (as defined by the
Company in accordance with Section 409A); (b) the Indemnitees death; (c) the Indemnitees
becoming disabled (as defined in Section 409A); (d) the occurrence of an unforeseeable
emergency (as defined in Section 409A); or (e) a change in the ownership or effective control of
the Company or in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets of the Company (as defined
in Section 409A).
25. IRC SECTION 409A. This Agreement is intended to comply with Section 409A (as defined in
Section 23 of this Agreement) and any ambiguous provisions will be construed in a manner that is
compliant with the application of Section 409A. If (a) the Indemnitee is a specified employee
(as such term is defined by the Company in accordance with Section 409A) and (b) any payment
payable upon separation from service (as such term is defined by the Company in accordance with
Section 409A) under this Agreement is subject to Section 409A and is required to be delayed under
Section 409A because the Indemnitee is a specified employee, that payment shall be payable on the
earlier of (i) the first business day that is six months after the Indemnitees separation from
service; (ii) the date of the Indemnitees death; or (iii) the date that otherwise complies with
the requirements of Section 409A. This Section 25 shall be applied by accumulating all payments
that otherwise would have been paid within six months of the Indemnitees separation from service
and paying such accumulated amounts on the earliest business day which complies with the
requirements of Section 409A. For purposes of Section 409A, each payment or amount due under this
Agreement shall be considered a separate payment, and the Indemnitees entitlement to a series of
payments under this Agreement is to be treated as an entitlement to a series of separate payments.
26. SEVERABILITY. If any provision or provisions of this Agreement shall be held invalid,
illegal or unenforceable for any reason whatsoever, (a) the validity, legality and enforceability
of the remaining provisions of this Agreement (including, but not limited to, all portions of any
Sections of this Agreement containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or
unenforceable) shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby and (b) to the fullest extent
possible, the provisions of this Agreement (including, but not limited to, all portions of any
paragraph of this Agreement containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or
unenforceable, that are not themselves invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall be construed so as
to give effect to the intent manifested by the provision held invalid, illegal or unenforceable.
27. COUNTERPARTS. This Agreement may be executed by one or more counterparts, each of which
shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original but all of which together shall constitute one
and the same agreement. Only one such counterpart signed by the party against whom enforceability
is sought shall be required to be produced to evidence the existence of this Agreement.
28. CAPTIONS. The captions and headings used in this Agreement are inserted for convenience
only and shall not be deemed to constitute part of this Agreement or to affect the construction
thereof.
29. ENTIRE AGREEMENT, MODIFICATION AND WAIVER. This Agreement, along with any employment
agreement addressing the subject matter hereof and the Certificate
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and the Bylaws, interpreted as described in Section 17 hereof, constitutes the entire
agreement and understanding of the parties hereto regarding the subject matter hereof, and no
supplement, modification or amendment of this Agreement shall be binding unless executed in
writing by all parties hereto. No waiver of any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be
deemed or shall constitute a waiver of any other provisions hereof (whether or not similar) nor
shall such waiver constitute a continuing waiver. No supplement, modification or amendment to this
Agreement shall limit or restrict any right of the Indemnitee under this Agreement in respect of
any act or omission of the Indemnitee prior to the effective date of such supplement, modification
or amendment unless expressly provided therein.
30. NOTICES. All notices, requests, demands or other communications hereunder shall be in
writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if (a) delivered by hand with receipt
acknowledged by the party to whom said notice or other communication shall have been directed, (b)
mailed by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested with postage prepaid, on the date
shown on the return receipt or (c) delivered by facsimile transmission on the date shown on the
facsimile machine report:
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(a)
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If to the Indemnitee to:
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Facsimile:
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(b)
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If to the Company, to:
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Oasis Petroleum Inc.
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1001 Fannin Street, Suite 202
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Houston, TX 77002
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Facsimile:
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Attn: Board of Directors
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or to such other address as may be furnished to the Indemnitee by the Company or to the
Company by the Indemnitee, as the case may be.
31. GOVERNING LAW. The parties hereto agree that this Agreement shall be governed by, and
construed and enforced in accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware, applied without
giving effect to any conflicts of law principles.
[
Signature Page Follows
]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement on the day and year first
above written.
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THE COMPANY
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OASIS PETROLEUM INC.
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By:
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Name:
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Title:
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INDEMNITEE
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EXHIBIT A
[DATE]
The Board of Directors of Oasis Petroleum Inc.
1001 Fannin Street
Houston, TX 77002
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Pursuant to Section 11 (Advancement of Expenses) of that certain Indemnification Agreement,
dated
, 2010, by and among Oasis Petroleum Inc., a Delaware corporation (the
Company) and me (the Indemnification Agreement), I request that the Company pay in advance the
reasonable expenses incurred by me in the defense of a Proceeding (as such term is defined in the
Indemnification Agreement). I also request that the Company pay in advance the reasonable Expenses
incurred by me in the defense of any other Proceeding, as such terms are defined in the
Indemnification Agreement, arising from substantially the same matters that are in the original
Proceeding in which I am named as a defendant by reason of the fact that I am or was an officer or
member of the Board of Directors of the Company or its affiliates.
In relation to the request made above, I believe, in good faith, that I have met the standard
of conduct necessary for indemnification under the Indemnification Agreement, and I hereby
undertake to repay to the Company, immediately and upon demand, any expenses (including attorneys
fees) paid by it to me or on my behalf in advance of the final disposition of the above-described
Proceedings, if it shall ultimately be determined that I am not entitled to be indemnified by the
Company pursuant to the Indemnification Agreement or otherwise.
Sincerely,
Printed Name:
Exhibit 10.8
OASIS PETROLEUM INC.
EXECUTIVE CHANGE IN CONTROL AND SEVERANCE BENEFIT PLAN
1.
Purpose and Effective Date
. Oasis Petroleum Inc. (the
Company
) has adopted this
Executive Change in Control and Severance Benefit Plan (the
Plan
) to provide for the payment of
severance and/or change in control benefits to Eligible Individuals. The Plan was approved by the
Board of Directors of the Company (the
Board
) on May 17, 2010 and will be effective as of the
closing of the initial public offering (the
Effective Date
).
2.
Definitions
. For purposes of the Plan, the terms listed below will have the
meanings specified herein:
(a)
Accrued Payments
means (i) any unpaid Base Salary through the Date of Termination (but
calculated at the rate then in effect), which shall be paid within 30 business days of the Date of
Termination, (ii) any unpaid Performance Bonus earned in the calendar year prior to the Date of
Termination, which shall be paid at the time annual bonuses are normally paid by the Company, (iii)
unreimbursed business expenses that are eligible for reimbursement in accordance with the
applicable Company policies through the Date of Termination, and (iv) such employee benefits, if
any, as to which an Eligible Individual may be entitled pursuant to the terms governing such
benefits.
(b)
Base Salary
means the amount an Eligible Individual is entitled to receive as wages or
salary on an annualized basis, calculated as of the Date of Termination or, if greater, before any
reduction not consented to by the Eligible Individual.
(c)
Cause
means a determination made in good faith by two-thirds (2/3) of the Board that an
Eligible Individual (i) has been convicted of a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude or a felony,
(ii) has engaged in grossly negligent or willful misconduct in the performance of his duties for
the Company (other than due to the Eligible Individuals incapacity due to physical or mental
illness), which actions have had a material detrimental effect on the Company and which actions
continued for a period of thirty (30) days after a written notice of demand for performance has
been delivered to the Eligible Individual specifying the manner in which the Eligible Individual
has failed to perform, (iii) has breached the provisions of Section 7 of this Plan, (iv) has
engaged in conduct which is materially injurious to the Company (including, without limitation,
misuse or misappropriation of the Companys funds or other property), or (v) has committed an act
of fraud. No termination of the Eligible Individuals employment shall be for Cause as set forth
in clauses (iii), (iv) or (v) above until (A) there shall have been delivered to the Eligible
Individual a copy of a written notice setting forth that the Eligible Individual was guilty of the
conduct set forth in clauses (iii), (iv) or (v), as applicable, and specifying the particulars
thereof in detail, and (B) the Eligible Individual shall have been provided an opportunity to be
heard by the Board (with the assistance of the Eligible Individuals counsel if the Eligible
Individual so desires). No act, nor failure to act, on the Eligible Individuals part shall be
considered willful unless he has acted, or failed to act, with an absence of good faith and
without reasonable belief that his action or failure to act was in the best interest of the Company
and its affiliates. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Plan
to the contrary, no failure to perform by the Eligible Individual after Notice of Termination
is given by the Eligible Individual shall constitute Cause.
(d)
Change in Control
shall have the meaning given such term in the Companys 2010 Long Term
Incentive Plan.
(e)
COBRA
means the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, as amended.
(f)
Code
means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and applicable administrative
guidance issued thereunder.
(g)
Date of Termination
means the date of receipt of the Notice of Termination or any later
date specified therein, as the case may be; provided, however, that if an Eligible Individuals
employment is terminated by reason of death, the Date of Termination shall be the date of death of
the Eligible Individual. For all purposes of the Plan, an Eligible Individuals Date of
Termination shall not occur prior to the date the Eligible Individual incurs a separation from
service within the meaning of Section 409A(a)(2)(A)(i) of the Code.
(h)
Disability
shall have the meaning given such term in any employment agreement between
the Eligible Individual and the Company; provided, however, that if there is no existing employment
agreement between the Eligible Individual and the Company, the term Disability shall mean the
Eligible Individuals inability to perform the essential functions of his or her position with or
without reasonable accommodation, if required by law, due to physical or mental impairment. The
existence of any such Disability shall be certified, at the Companys discretion, by either the
Companys disability carrier or a physician acceptable to both the Eligible Individual and the
Company. If the parties are not able to agree on the choice of physician, each party shall select
a physician who, in turn, shall select a third physician to render such certification. In no event
will an Eligible Individuals employment be terminated as a result of Disability, unless otherwise
agreed to by the Eligible Individual and the Company, until at least 180 consecutive days of leave
have elapsed and the Company has provided the Eligible Individual with written notice of
termination.
(i)
Good Reason
means, without the express written consent of the Eligible Individual, the
occurrence of one of the following arising on or after the date such Eligible Individual commences
participation in this Plan, as determined in a manner consistent with Treasury Regulation §
1.409A-1(n)(2)(ii): (i) a material reduction in the Eligible Individuals base compensation, (ii) a
material diminution in the Eligible Individuals authority, duties or responsibilities, (iii) a
permanent relocation in the geographic location at which the Eligible Individual must perform
services to a location more than 50 miles from the location at which the Eligible Individual
normally performed services immediately before the relocation, (iv) a material reduction in the
authority, duties, or responsibilities of the person to whom the Eligible Individual reports, or
(v) any other action or inaction that constitutes a material breach by the Company of its
obligations under this Plan. Neither a transfer of employment among the Company and any of its
affiliates nor the Company or an affiliate entering into a co-employer relationship with a
personnel services organization constitutes Good Reason. In the case of an Eligible Individuals
allegation of Good Reason, (A) the Eligible Individual shall provide notice
2
to the Company of the event alleged to constitute Good Reason within 60 days after the
occurrence of such event, and (B) the Company shall have the opportunity to remedy the alleged Good
Reason event within 30 days from receipt of notice of such allegation. If not remedied within that
30-day period, the Eligible Individual may submit a Notice of Termination, provided that the Notice
of Termination must be given no later than 100 days after the expiration of such 30 day period;
otherwise, the Eligible Individual will be deemed to have accepted such event, or the Companys
remedy of such event, that may have given rise to the existence of Good Reason; provided, however,
such acceptance shall be limited to the occurrence of such event and shall not waive the Eligible
Individuals right to claim Good Reason with respect to future similar events.
(j)
Notice of Termination
means a written notice communicated by the Company or the Eligible
Individual, as applicable, that (i) indicates the specific reason for termination of the Eligible
Individuals employment, (ii) sets forth in reasonable detail the facts and circumstances claimed
to provide a basis for the termination, and (iii) specifies the Date of Termination.
(k)
Performance Bonus
means the annual performance bonus payment an Eligible Individual is
eligible to receive for a given calendar year pursuant to the Companys 2010 Annual Incentive
Compensation Plan, as amended from time to time, or any successor annual cash performance bonus
program subsequently adopted by the Company.
(l)
Pro-Rata Bonus
means a pro-rata portion of the Performance Bonus that an Eligible
Individual would have been entitled to receive for the calendar year of termination, such portion
to be determined by multiplying the Performance Bonus that would have been payable had the Eligible
Individual remained employed through the end of the calendar year by a fraction, the numerator of
which is the number of days during which the Eligible Individual was employed by the Company in the
calendar year of termination, and the denominator of which is 365.
(m)
Severance Conditions
means an Eligible Individuals execution and delivery to the
Company on or prior to the 60th day following the Date of Termination of a release of claims
agreement in the Companys customary form, which shall exclude claims for indemnification, claims
for coverage under officer and director policies, and claims as a stockholder of the Company and
which may be amended by the Company to reflect changes in applicable laws and regulations and,
where applicable, the Eligible Individuals non-revocation of such release.
3.
Administration of the Plan
.
(a)
Authority of the Administrator
. The Plan will be administered by the Board, or by a
person or committee appointed by the Board to administer the Plan (the
Administrator
). Subject
to the express provisions of the Plan and applicable law, the Administrator will have the
authority, in its sole and absolute discretion, to: (i) adopt, amend, and rescind administrative
and interpretive rules and regulations related to the Plan, (ii) delegate its duties under the Plan
to such agents as it may appoint from time to time, and (iii) make all other determinations,
perform all other acts and exercise all other powers and authority necessary or advisable for
administering the Plan, including the delegation of those ministerial acts and
3
responsibilities as the Administrator deems appropriate. The Administrator shall have
complete discretion and authority with respect to the Plan and its application except to the extent
that discretion is expressly limited by the Plan. The Administrator may correct any defect, supply
any omission, or reconcile any inconsistency in the Plan in any manner and to the extent it deems
necessary or desirable to carry the Plan into effect, and the Administrator will be the sole and
final judge of that necessity or desirability. The determinations of the Administrator on the
matters referred to in this Section 3(a) will be final and conclusive.
(b)
Manner of Exercise of Authority
. Any action of, or determination by, the Administrator
will be final, conclusive and binding on all persons, including the Company, its owners, each
Eligible Individual, or other persons claiming rights from or through an Eligible Individual. The
express grant of any specific power to the Administrator, and the taking of any action by the
Administrator, will not be construed as limiting any power or authority of the Administrator. The
Administrator may delegate to officers or managers of the Company, or committees thereof, the
authority, subject to such terms as the Administrator will determine, to perform such functions,
including administrative functions, as the Administrator may determine. The Administrator may
appoint agents to assist it in administering the Plan.
(c)
Limitation of Liability
. The Administrator will be entitled to, in good faith, rely or
act upon any report or other information furnished to him or her by any officer or employee of the
Company, the Companys legal counsel, independent auditors, consultants or any other agents
assisting in the administration of the Plan. The Administrator and any officer or employee of the
Company acting at the direction or on behalf of the Administrator will not be personally liable for
any action or determination taken or made in good faith with respect to the Plan and will, to the
fullest extent permitted by law, be indemnified and held harmless by the Company with respect to
any such action or determination.
4.
Eligibility
. The employees of the Company listed on
Exhibit A
attached
hereto, as the same may be updated from time to time by the Board, are eligible (
Eligible
Individuals
) to receive the benefits described in this Plan; provided, that any individual who is
entitled to severance or change in control benefits pursuant to a separate written agreement
between the Company (or one of its affiliates) and the individual shall not be an Eligible
Individual.
5.
Plan Benefits
.
(a)
Termination Due to Death or Disability
. In the event an Eligible Individuals employment
terminates by reason of his death or Disability, the Eligible Individual (or his estate) will be
entitled to receive:
(i) the Accrued Payments;
(ii) a Pro-Rata Bonus for the calendar year of termination, payable as soon as
administratively feasible following preparation of the Companys unaudited financial
statements for the applicable calendar year, but in no event later than March 15 of the
calendar year following the calendar year to which such Performance Bonus relates; and
4
(iii) provided the Eligible Individual satisfies the Severance Conditions, (A) an
amount equivalent to twelve (12) months of the Eligible Individuals Base Salary, payable in
a lump sum within 60 days of the Date of Termination; and (B) payment or reimbursement on a
monthly basis of the premiums required to continue the Eligible Individuals group health
care coverage for a period of 18 months following the Eligible Individuals Date of
Termination, under the applicable provisions of COBRA, provided that the Eligible Individual
or his dependents, as applicable, elect to continue and remain eligible for these benefits
under COBRA.
(b)
Termination Without Cause or For Good Reason
. In the event an Eligible Individuals
employment is terminated by the Company without Cause or by the Eligible Individual for Good
Reason, the Eligible Individual will be entitled to receive:
(i) the Accrued Payments;
(ii) a Pro-Rata Bonus for the calendar year of termination, payable as soon as
administratively feasible following preparation of the Companys unaudited financial
statements for the applicable calendar year, but in no event later than March 15 of the
calendar year following the calendar year to which such Performance Bonus relates; and
(iii) provided the Eligible Individual satisfies the Severance Conditions, (A) an
amount equivalent to twelve (12) months of the Eligible Individuals Base Salary, payable in
twelve (12) equal monthly installments commencing in payment on the first day of the third
month following the Date of Termination; plus (B) payment or reimbursement on a monthly
basis of the premiums required to continue the Eligible Individuals group health care
coverage for a period of 18 months following the Eligible Individuals Date of Termination,
under the applicable provisions of COBRA, provided that the Eligible Individual or his
dependents, as applicable, elect to continue and remain eligible for these benefits under
COBRA; plus (C) immediate vesting of all unvested equity awards under the Companys 2010
Long Term Incentive Plan or other plans of the Company as of the Date of Termination,
regardless of any other established vesting schedule, such that all remaining unvested
equity awards shall be fully vested on the Date of Termination.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent the amount payable pursuant to Section 5(b)(iii)(A)
above is greater than two times the lesser of the Eligible Individuals annualized compensation
based upon the annual rate of pay for services provided to the Company for the calendar year
preceding the calendar year of the Eligible Individuals Date of Termination (adjusted for any
increase during that year that was expected to continue indefinitely if the Eligible Individual had
not separated from service) or 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 the Eligible Individuals
Date of Termination occurs (the
Section 409A Exempt Amount
), the excess of the amount payable
pursuant to Section 5(b)(iii)(A) above over the Section 409A Exempt Amount will be paid in a single
lump sum no later than 60 days after the Date of Termination.
(c)
Change in Control
.
5
(i) Upon the occurrence of a Change in Control, all unvested equity awards under the
Companys 2010 Long Term Incentive Plan or other plans of the Company held by an Eligible
Individual as of such date shall become immediately vested, regardless of any other
established vesting schedule, such that all remaining unvested equity awards shall be fully
vested on the date of such Change in Control.
(ii) In the event an Eligible Individual is terminated by the Company for any reason
other than for Cause or an Eligible Individual terminates employment for Good Reason, in
each case within two years following a Change in Control, then the Company shall:
(A) pay the Eligible Individual, within 60 days following the Date of
Termination, a lump sum payment equal to two (2) times the sum of (1) an amount
equivalent to twelve (12) months of Base Salary, plus (2) the Eligible Individuals
target Performance Bonus for the calendar year in which the Change in Control
occurs, calculated based on the Eligible Individuals Base Salary; plus
(B) pay or reimburse on a monthly basis the premiums required to continue the
Eligible Individuals group health care coverage for a period of 18 months following
the Eligible Individuals Date of Termination, under COBRA, provided that the
Eligible Individual elects to continue and remains eligible for these benefits under
COBRA.
In the event the Eligible Individual is terminated simultaneously with the occurrence of a Change
in Control or within two years thereof, the Eligible Individual shall be entitled to receive the
greater of the payments or benefits provided under Section 5(b) of this Plan and this Section 5(c),
which receipt shall be conditioned upon the Eligible Individuals satisfaction of the Severance
Conditions.
6.
Gross Up Payment
. In the event it shall be determined that any payment, benefit or
distribution (or combination thereof) by the Company or any of its wholly-owned subsidiaries or any
other affiliate (as that term is used in Treas. Reg. § 1.280G-1, Q/A-46) to or for the benefit of
an Eligible Individual (whether paid or payable or distributed or distributable pursuant to the
terms of this Plan or otherwise) (a
Payment
) is subject to the excise tax imposed by Section 4999
of the Code, or any interest and penalties are incurred by the Eligible Individual with respect to
such excise tax (such excise tax, together with any such interest and penalties, hereinafter
collectively referred to as the
Excise Tax
), the Eligible Individual shall be entitled to
receive, in accordance with
Exhibit B
hereof, an additional payment (a
Gross-Up Payment
)
in an amount such that after payment by the Eligible Individual of all taxes (including any
interest or penalties imposed with respect to such taxes), including, without limitation, any
federal, state and local income taxes and employment taxes (and any interest and penalties imposed
with respect thereto) and the Excise Tax imposed upon the Gross-Up Payment, the Eligible Individual
retains an amount of the Gross-Up Payment equal to the Excise Tax imposed upon the Payments.
Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 6, if it is determined that an Eligible
Individual is entitled to a Gross-Up Payment, but that the value of the Parachute Payments (as
defined below) does not exceed 110% of the Safe Harbor Amount (as defined below), then no Gross-Up
Payment shall be made to the Eligible Individual and the
6
Payments, in the aggregate, will be reduced to the Safe Harbor Amount. The reduction of the
Payments to the Safe Harbor Amount will be made in the following order:
(a) First, by reducing the cash amounts of Parachute Payments that would not constitute
deferred compensation (within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code) subject to Section 409A of
the Code (with the Payments subject to such reduction to be determined by the Eligible Individual),
to the extent necessary to decrease the Payments that would otherwise constitute Parachute Payments
to the Safe Harbor Amount.
(b) Next, if after the reduction to zero of the amounts described in paragraph (a) above, the
remaining scheduled Parachute Payments are greater than the Safe Harbor Amount, then by reducing
the cash amounts of Payments that constitute deferred compensation (within the meaning of Section
409A of the Code) subject to Section 409A of the Code, with the reductions to be applied first to
the Payments scheduled for the latest distribution date, and then applied to distributions
scheduled for progressively earlier distribution dates, to the extent necessary to decrease the
Payments that would otherwise constitute Parachute Payments to the Safe Harbor Amount.
(c) Next, if after the reduction to zero of the amounts described in paragraphs (a) and (b)
above, the remaining scheduled Parachute Payments are greater than the Safe Harbor Amount, then, by
reducing any of the remaining scheduled Payments, in an order to be determined by the Company, to
the extent necessary to decrease the Payments that would otherwise constitute Parachute Payments to
the Safe Harbor Amount.
The term
Parachute Payment
is the portion of the Payments that would be treated as parachute
payments under Section 280G of the Code. The
Safe Harbor Amount
is the maximum amount of
Payments that could be made to an Eligible Individual without giving rise to any Excise Tax.
7.
Eligible Individual Covenants
. As a condition to participation in this Plan and
the receipt of payments or benefits hereunder, each Eligible Individual agrees to the following
covenants and restrictions.
(a)
No Unauthorized Use or Disclosure
. All information, trade secrets, designs, ideas,
concepts, improvements, product developments, discoveries and inventions, whether patentable or
not, that are conceived, made, developed or acquired by an Eligible Individual, individually or in
conjunction with others, during the term of his employment (whether during business hours or
otherwise and whether on the Companys premises or otherwise) that relate to the Companys or any
of its wholly-owned subsidiaries business, products or services and all writings or materials of
any type embodying any such matters (collectively,
Confidential Information
) shall be disclosed
to the Company, and are and shall be the sole and exclusive property of the Company. Confidential
Information does not, however, include any information that is available to the public other than
as a result of any unauthorized act of the Eligible Individual. Each Eligible Individual shall
agree to preserve and protect the confidentiality of all Confidential Information and work product
of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, and will not, at any time during or after the
termination of the Eligible Individuals employment with the Company, make any unauthorized
disclosure of, and shall not
7
remove from the Company premises, and will use reasonable efforts to prevent the removal from
the Company premises of, Confidential Information or work product of the Company or its
wholly-owned subsidiaries, or make any use thereof, in each case, except in the carrying out of the
Eligible Individuals responsibilities hereunder. An Eligible Individual shall have no obligation
hereunder to keep confidential any Confidential Information if and to the extent disclosure thereof
is specifically required by law; provided, however, that in the event disclosure is required by
applicable law and the Eligible Individual is making such disclosure, the Eligible Individual shall
provide the Company with prompt notice of such requirement, and shall use commercially reasonable
efforts to give such notice prior to making any disclosure so that the Company may seek an
appropriate protective order.
(b)
Protective Covenants and Restrictions
. Acknowledging delivery of Confidential Information
and that such Confidential Information is vital to an Eligible Individuals performance of services
to the Company and acknowledging that the Company is delivering and will deliver the Confidential
Information partly in reliance on the protective covenants and restrictions set forth herein, each
Eligible Individual shall agree that the following protective covenants are reasonable and
necessary for the protection of the Companys legitimate business interests, do not create any
undue hardship on the Eligible Individual, and are not contrary to the public interest:
(i)
Non-compete
. Each Eligible Individual shall expressly covenant and agree
that, during the Eligible Individuals employment with the Company and the 12 month period
following the Eligible Individuals Date of Termination (the
Prohibited Period
), he will
not engage in any service or activity on behalf of any business, individual, partnership,
firm, corporation or other entity engaged in oil and gas exploration and production (a
Competing Business
) that involves the planning, management, supervision, or providing of
services that are substantially similar to those services the Eligible Individual provided
to the Company within the last 12 months of the Eligible Individuals employment with the
Company (
Prohibited Activity
) in any area within a six (6) mile radius of the boundary of
any existing leasehold or other property of the Company or its affiliates, either during the
period the Eligible Individual is employed by the Company or as of the Eligible Individuals
Date of Termination (the
Restricted Area
). Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event an
Eligible Individual resigns his employment or is terminated, for any reason, on or after a
Change in Control, the Eligible Individual shall have no obligations to comply with this
Section 7(b)(i).
(ii)
Non-solicitation
. Each Eligible Individual shall further expressly
covenant and agree that during the Prohibited Period, he will not (A) solicit any individual
who, on the Date of Termination, is an employee of the Company, to leave such employment,
provided that the Eligible Individual will not be deemed to have violated this provision if
employees of the Company directly contact the Eligible Individual regarding employment or
respond to general advertisements for employment, or (B) solicit any client or customer of
the Company, with whom the Eligible Individual has had direct contact with, to terminate or
modify its relationship with Company that exists on the Date of Termination.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event an Eligible Individual resigns his employment or
is terminated, for any reason, on or after a
8
Change in Control, the Eligible Individual shall have no obligations to comply with
this Section 7(b)(ii).
(c)
Permitted Ownership
. Notwithstanding any of the foregoing, an Eligible Individual shall
not be prohibited from owning 2.5% or less of the outstanding equity securities of any entity whose
equity securities are listed on a national securities exchange or publicly traded in any
over-the-counter market, provided that neither the Eligible Individual nor any of his affiliates,
together or alone, has the power, directly or indirectly, to control or direct or is involved in
the management or affairs of any such corporation that is a Competing Business.
(d)
Reasonableness
. Each Eligible Individual agrees with the Company and acknowledges that
the limitations as to time, geographical area and scope of activity to be restrained as set forth
in this Section 7 are the result of arms-length bargaining, are fair and reasonable, and do not
impose any greater restraint than is necessary to protect the legitimate business interests of the
Company in light of (i) the nature and geographic scope of the Companys operations; (ii) the
Eligible Individuals level of control over and contact with the Companys business in the
Restricted Area; (iii) the fact that the Companys business is conducted throughout the Restricted
Area; and (iv) the amount of compensation that the Eligible Individual is receiving in connection
with the performance of his duties.
(e)
Relief and Enforcement
. Each Eligible Individual shall represent to the Company that he
has read and understands, and agrees to be bound by, the terms of this Section 7. It is the desire
and intent of the Company and each Eligible Individual that the provisions of this Section 7 be
enforced to the fullest extent permitted under applicable law, whether now or hereafter in effect.
However, to the extent that any part of this Section 7 may be found invalid, illegal or
unenforceable for any reason, it is intended that such part shall be enforceable to the extent that
a court of competent jurisdiction shall determine that such part, if more limited in scope, would
have been enforceable, and such part shall be deemed to have been so written and the remaining
parts shall as written be effective and enforceable in all events. Each Eligible Individual and
the Company shall further agree and acknowledge that, in the event of a breach or threatened breach
of any of the provisions of this Section 7, the Company shall be entitled to immediate injunctive
relief, as any such breach would cause the Company irreparable injury for which it would have no
adequate remedy at law. Nothing herein shall be construed so as to prohibit the Company from
pursuing any other remedies available to it hereunder, at law or in equity, for any such breach or
threatened breach.
8.
General Provisions
.
(a)
Taxes
. The Company is authorized to withhold from any payments made hereunder amounts of
withholding and other taxes due or potentially payable in connection therewith, and to take such
other action as the Company may deem advisable to enable the Company and Eligible Individuals to
satisfy obligations for the payment of withholding taxes and other tax obligations relating to any
payments made under this Plan.
(b)
Offset
. The Company may set off against, and each Eligible Individual authorizes the
Company to deduct from, any payments due to the Eligible Individual, or to his estate, heirs, legal
representatives, or successors, any amounts which may be due and owing to
9
the Company or an affiliate by the Eligible Individual, whether arising under this Plan or
otherwise; provided that no such offset may be made with respect to amounts payable that are
subject to the requirements of Section 409A of the Code unless the offset would not result in a
violation of the requirements of Section 409A of the Code.
(c)
Term of the Plan; Amendment and Termination
. Prior to a Change in Control, the Plan may
be amended or modified in any respect, and may be terminated, in any such case, by resolution
adopted by two-thirds (2/3) of the Board; provided, however, that no such amendment, modification
or termination that is adopted within one (1) year prior to a Change in Control that would
adversely affect the benefits or protections hereunder of any individual who is an Eligible
Individual as of the date such amendment, modification or termination is adopted shall be effective
as it relates to such individual; provided, further, however, that the Plan may not be amended,
modified or terminated, (i) at the request of a third party who has indicated an intention or taken
steps to effect a Change in Control and who effectuates a Change in Control, or (ii) otherwise in
connection with, or in anticipation of, a Change in Control that actually occurs, any such
attempted amendment, modification or termination being null and void
ab initio.
Any action taken
to amend, modify or terminate the Plan which is taken subsequent to the execution of an agreement
providing for a transaction or transactions which, if consummated, would constitute a Change in
Control shall conclusively be presumed to have been taken in connection with a Change in Control.
For a period of two (2) years following the occurrence of a Change in Control, the Plan may not be
amended or modified in any manner that would in any way adversely affect the benefits or
protections provided hereunder to any individual who is an Eligible Individual under the Plan on
the date the Change in Control occurs.
(d)
Successors
. The Plan shall bind and inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by the
parties hereto and their respective successors, permitted assigns, heirs and personal
representatives and estates, as the case may be. Neither the Plan nor any right or obligation
hereunder of any party may be assigned or delegated without the prior written consent of the other
party hereto; provided, however, that the Company may assign this Plan to any of its affiliates and
an Eligible Individual may direct payment of any benefits that will accrue upon death. An Eligible
Individual shall not have any right to pledge, hypothecate, anticipate, or in any way create a lien
upon any payments or other benefits provided under the Plan; and no benefits payable under the Plan
shall be assignable in anticipation of payment either by voluntary or involuntary acts, or by
operation of law, except by will or pursuant to the laws of descent and distribution. The Plan
shall not confer any rights or remedies upon any person or legal entity other than the parties
hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns.
(e)
Unfunded Obligation
. All benefits due an Eligible Individual under this Plan are unfunded
and unsecured and are payable out of the general funds of the Company.
(f)
Receipt and Release
. Any payment to any Eligible Individual in accordance with the
provisions of the Plan shall, to the extent thereof, be in full satisfaction of all claims against
the Company, its affiliates and the Administrator under the Plan, and the Administrator may require
such Eligible Individual, as a condition precedent to such payment, to execute a receipt and
release to such effect. If any Eligible Individual is determined by the Administrator to be
incompetent, by reason of physical or mental disability, to give a valid
10
receipt and release, the Administrator may cause the payment or payments becoming due to such
person to be made to another person for his benefit without responsibility on the part of the
Administrator or the Company to follow the application of such funds.
(g)
Limitation on Rights Conferred Under Plan
. Neither the Plan nor any action taken
hereunder will be construed as (i) giving an Eligible Individual the right to continue in the
employ or service of the Company or an affiliate; (ii) interfering in any way with the right of the
Company or any affiliate to terminate an Eligible Individuals employment or service at any time;
or (iii) giving an Eligible Individual any claim to be treated uniformly with other employees.
(h)
Nonexclusivity of the Plan
. The adoption of the Plan by the Company will not be construed
as creating any limitations on the power of the Company to adopt such other incentive arrangements
as it may deem desirable. Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, nothing contained in the
Plan will be construed to prevent the Company from taking any action which is deemed by the Company
to be appropriate or in its best interest, whether or not such action would have an adverse effect
on the Plan or any payments made under the Plan. No employee, beneficiary or other person will have
any claim against the Company as a result of any such action. Any action with respect to the Plan
taken by the Administrator, the Company, or any designee of the foregoing shall be conclusive upon
all Eligible Individuals and beneficiaries entitled to benefits under the Plan.
(i)
Severability
. If any provision of the Plan is held to be illegal or invalid for any
reason, the illegality or invalidity will not affect the remaining provisions of the Plan, but such
provision will be fully severable and the Plan will be construed and enforced as if the illegal or
invalid provision had never been included herein.
(j)
Application of Section 409A
. The amounts payable pursuant to Section 5 of this Plan are
intended to comply with the short-term deferral exception and/or separation pay exception to
Section 409A of the Code. To the extent that an Eligible Individual is a specified employee
within the meaning of the Treasury Regulations issued pursuant to Section 409A of the Code (the
Section 409A Regulations
) as of the Eligible Individuals Date of Termination, no amount that
constitutes a deferral of compensation which is payable on account of the Eligible Individuals
separation from service shall be paid to the Eligible Individual before the date (the
Delayed
Payment Date
) which is first day of the seventh month after the Eligible Individuals Date of
Termination or, if earlier, the date of the Eligible Individuals death following such Date of
Termination. All such amounts that would, but for this Section 8(j), become payable prior to the
Delayed Payment Date will be accumulated and paid on the Delayed Payment Date. No interest will be
paid by the Company with respect to any such delayed payments. For purposes of Section 409A of the
Code, each payment or amount due under this Plan shall be considered a separate payment, and an
Eligible Individuals entitlement to a series of payments under this Plan is to be treated as an
entitlement to a series of separate payments.
(k)
Governing Law
. All questions arising with respect to the provisions of the Plan and
payments due hereunder will be determined by application of the laws of the State of Texas, without
giving effect to any conflict of law provisions thereof, except to the extent Texas law is
preempted by federal law.
11
(l)
Word Usage
. Words used in the masculine shall apply to the feminine, where applicable,
and wherever the context of the Plan dictates, the plural shall be read as the singular and the
singular as the plural.
[Signature Page Follows]
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OASIS PETROLEUM INC.
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By:
Name:
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/s/ Thomas B. Nusz
Thomas B. Nusz
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Title:
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Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer
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Date:
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May 17, 2010
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13
EXHIBIT A
ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS
Robin Edward Hesketh
Roy William Mace
Robert Lowell Stovall
Robert James Candito
Kent O. Beers
Harold Brett Newton
Dean Allan Gilbert
Steven Carroll Ellsberry
Walter S. Smithwick
Thomas F. Hawkins
Michael H. Lou
Exhibit A
EXHIBIT B
GROSS-UP PAYMENT
This
Exhibit B
shall govern the Gross-Up Payment described in Section 6 of the Plan.
Capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings assigned to such
terms in the Plan.
Section 1
. All determinations required to be made under this
Exhibit B
, including whether
and when a Gross-Up Payment is required and the amount of such Gross-Up Payment, whether a
reduction to the Safe Harbor Amount is required and, if so, the amount of the reduction, and the
assumptions to be utilized in arriving at such determination, shall be made by a nationally
recognized accounting firm designated by the Company (the
Accounting Firm
), which shall provide
detailed supporting calculations both to the Company and the Eligible Individual within ten (10)
business days of the receipt of notice from the Eligible Individual that there has been a Payment,
or such earlier time as is requested by the Company. All fees and expenses of the Accounting Firm
shall be borne solely by the Company. Any Gross-Up Payment, as determined pursuant to this
Exhibit B
, shall be paid by the Company to the Eligible Individual (or to the appropriate
taxing authority on the Eligible Individuals behalf) when the tax is due. If the Accounting Firm
determines that no Excise Tax is payable by the Eligible Individual, it shall so indicate to the
Eligible Individual in writing. Any determination by the Accounting Firm shall be binding upon the
Company and the Eligible Individual (subject to Section 2 hereof). As a result of the uncertainty
in the application of Section 4999 of the Code, it is possible that Gross-Up Payments determined by
the Accounting Firm to be due to (or on behalf of) the Eligible Individual was lower than the
amount actually due (
Underpayment
). In the event that the Company exhausts its remedies pursuant
to Section 2 of this
Exhibit B
and the Eligible Individual thereafter is required to make a
payment of any Excise Tax, the Accounting Firm shall determine the amount of the Underpayment that
has occurred, and any such Underpayment shall be promptly paid by the Company to or for the benefit
of the Eligible Individual (but in any case no later than the calendar year following the calendar
year in which such tax was payable).
Section 2
. The Eligible Individual shall notify the Company in writing of any claim by the
Internal Revenue Service that, if successful, would require the payment by the Company of any
Gross-Up Payment. Such notification shall be given as soon as practicable but no later than ten
(10) business days after the Eligible Individual is informed in writing of such claim and shall
apprise the Company of the nature of such claim and the date on which such claim is requested to be
paid. The Eligible Individual shall not pay such claim prior to the expiration of the thirty (30)
day period following the date on which it gives such notice to the Company (or such shorter period
ending on the date that any payment of taxes with respect to such claim is due). If the Company
notifies the Eligible Individual in writing prior to the expiration of such period that it desires
to contest such claim, the Eligible Individual shall (i) give the Company any information
reasonably requested by the Company relating to such claim, (ii) take such action in connection
with contesting such claim as the Company shall reasonably request in writing from time to time,
including, without limitation, accepting legal representation with respect to such claim by an
attorney reasonably selected by the Company, (iii) cooperate with the Company in good faith in
order to effectively contest such claim, and (iv) permit the Company to participate in any
proceedings relating to such claim; provided, however, that the Company shall bear and pay
Exhibit B
1
directly all costs and expenses (including additional interest and penalties) incurred in
connection with such contest and shall indemnify and hold the Eligible Individual harmless, on an
after-tax basis, for any Excise Tax or income tax (including interest and penalties with respect
thereto) imposed as a result of such representation and payment of costs and expenses. Without
limitation on the foregoing provisions of this Section 2, the Company shall control all proceedings
taken in connection with such contest and, at its sole option, may pursue or forego any and all
administrative appeals, proceedings, hearings and conferences with the taxing authority in respect
of such claim and may, at its sole option, either direct the Eligible Individual to pay the tax
claimed and sue for a refund or contest the claim in any permissible manner, and the Eligible
Individual agrees to prosecute such contest to a determination before any administrative tribunal,
in a court of initial jurisdiction and in one (1) or more appellate courts, as the Company shall
determine; provided that if the Company directs the Eligible Individual to pay such claim and sue
for a refund, the Company shall advance the amount of such payment to the Eligible Individual, on
an interest-free basis, and shall indemnify and hold the Eligible Individual harmless, on an
after-tax basis, from any Excise Tax or income tax (including interest or penalties with respect
thereto) imposed with respect to such advance or with respect to any imputed income with respect to
such advance; provided, further, that if the Eligible Individual is required to extend the statute
of limitations to enable the Company to contest such claim, the Eligible Individual may limit this
extension solely to such contested amount. The Companys control of the contest shall be limited to
issues with respect to which a Gross-Up Payment would be payable hereunder and the Eligible
Individual shall be entitled to settle or contest, as the case may be, any other issue raised by
the Internal Revenue Service or any other taxing authority.
Section 3
. If, after the receipt by the Eligible Individual of an amount paid or advanced by the
Company pursuant to this
Exhibit B
, the Eligible Individual becomes entitled to receive any
refund with respect to a Gross-Up Payment, the Eligible Individual shall (subject to the Companys
complying with the requirements of Section 2 of this
Exhibit B
) promptly pay to the Company
the amount of such refund received (together with any interest paid or credited thereon after taxes
applicable thereto). If, after the receipt by the Eligible Individual of an amount advanced by the
Company pursuant to Section 2 of this
Exhibit B
, a determination is made that the Eligible
Individual shall not be entitled to any refund with respect to such claim, and the Company does not
notify the Eligible Individual in writing of its intent to contest such denial of refund prior to
the expiration of thirty (30) days after such determination, then such advance shall be forgiven
and shall not be required to be repaid, and the amount of such advance shall offset, to the extent
thereof, the amount of the Gross-Up Payment required to be paid.
Section 4
. For the avoidance of doubt, all payments to or for the benefit of the Eligible
Individual provided for in this
Exhibit B
shall be made no later than the end of the
calendar year in which the applicable Excise Tax has become due, or if as a result a tax audit or
litigation, it is determined that no additional Excise Tax has become due, the end of the calendar
year in which the audit is completed or there is a final and non-appealable settlement or other
resolution.
Exhibit B
2
Exhibit 10.9
OASIS PETROLUEM INC.
2010 ANNUAL INCENTIVE COMPENSATION PLAN
May 17, 2010
SECTION 1
PURPOSE
SECTION 1.1
Purpose
. This 2010 Annual Incentive Compensation Plan (the
Plan
),
effective as of the closing of the initial public offering (the
Effective Date
), is established
by Oasis Petroleum Inc., a Delaware corporation (the
Company
), to create incentives and rewards
that are designed to motivate Participants to put forth maximum effort toward the success and
growth of the Company and to enable the Company to attract and retain experienced individuals who
by their position, ability and diligence are able to make important contributions to the Companys
success. Toward these objectives, the Plan permits the grant of Awards subject to the conditions
set forth in the Plan.
SECTION 2
DEFINITIONS
For purposes of this Plan, terms not otherwise defined in the Plan shall be defined as set
forth below:
SECTION 2.1
Award
means a conditional right to receive annual cash incentive compensation
granted under the Plan to an Employee or other Participant by the Plan Administrator for a calendar
year pursuant to such terms, conditions, restrictions, and/or limitations, if any, as the Plan
Administrator may establish.
SECTION 2.2
Board
means the Companys Board of Directors.
SECTION 2.3
Cause
shall have the meaning given such term in any employment agreement between
the Company and an Employee or, if an Employee is a participant in the Companys Executive Change
in Control and Severance Benefit Plan, the meaning given such term in that plan; provided, however,
that if there is no existing employment agreement between the Company and an Employee and the
Employee does not participate in the Companys Executive Change in Control and Severance Benefit
Plan, the term
Cause
shall mean, when used in connection with the termination of an Employees
employment with the Company, the termination of the Employees employment by the Company on account
of:
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(i)
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the willful and continued failure by the Employee to substantially perform his
or her duties and obligations (other than any such failure resulting from his or her
incapacity due to physical or mental illness), after a written demand for substantial
performance has been delivered to the Employee by the Company or by the Employees
supervisor, which demand identifies in reasonable detail the
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manner in which the Employee is believed to have not substantially performed his or
her duties;
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(ii)
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the Employees willful and serious misconduct which has resulted in or could
reasonably be expected to result in material injury to the business, financial
condition or reputation of the Company;
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(iii)
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the Employees conviction of, or entering of a plea of nolo contendere to, a
crime that constitutes a felony or serious misdemeanor; or
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(iv)
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the breach by the Employee of any written covenant or agreement with the
Company not to disclose any information pertaining to the Company or not to compete or
interfere with the Company.
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SECTION 2.4
Change in Control
means the occurrence of any of the following events:
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(i)
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The consummation of an agreement to acquire or a tender offer for beneficial
ownership (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, as amended (the
Exchange Act
), by any Person, of 50% or more of either
(x) the then outstanding shares of the Companys Common Stock, par value $0.001 per
share (the
Outstanding Stock
) or (y) the combined voting power of the then
outstanding voting securities of the Company entitled to vote generally in the election
of directors (the
Outstanding Company Voting Securities
); provided, however, that for
purposes of this paragraph (i), the following acquisitions shall not constitute a
Change in Control: (A) any acquisition directly from the Company, (B) any acquisition
by the Company, (C) any acquisition by any employee benefit plan (or related trust)
sponsored or maintained by the Company or any entity controlled by the Company or (D)
any acquisition by any entity pursuant to a transaction that complies with clauses (A),
(B) and (C) of paragraph (iii) below;
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(ii)
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Individuals who constitute the Incumbent Board cease for any reason to
constitute at least a majority of the Board;
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(iii)
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Consummation of a reorganization, merger or consolidation or sale or other
disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company or an acquisition
of assets of another entity (a
Business Combination
), in each case, unless, following
such Business Combination, (A) the Outstanding Stock and Outstanding Company Voting
Securities immediately prior to such Business Combination represent or are converted
into or exchanged for securities which represent or are convertible into more than 50%
of, respectively, the then outstanding shares of common stock or common equity
interests and the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities
entitled to vote generally in the election of directors or other governing body, as the
case may be, of the entity resulting from such Business Combination (including, without
limitation, an entity which as a result of such transaction owns the Company, or
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all or substantially all of the Companys assets either directly or through one or
more subsidiaries), (B) no Person (excluding any employee benefit plan (or related
trust) of the Company or the entity resulting from such Business Combination)
beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, 20% or more of, respectively, the then
outstanding shares of common stock or common equity interests of the entity
resulting from such Business Combination or the combined voting power of the then
outstanding voting securities entitled to vote generally in the election of
directors or other governing body of such entity except to the extent that such
ownership results solely from ownership of the Company that existed prior to the
Business Combination, and (C) at least a majority of the members of the board of
directors or similar governing body of the entity resulting from such Business
Combination were members of the Incumbent Board at the time of the execution of the
initial agreement, or of the action of the Board, providing for such Business
Combination; or
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(iv)
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Approval by the stockholders of the Company of a complete liquidation or
dissolution of the Company.
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SECTION 2.5
Code
means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time,
including regulations thereunder and successor provisions and regulations thereto.
SECTION 2.6
Committee
means a committee of two or more directors designated by the Board to
administer this Plan; provided, however, that unless otherwise determined by the Board, the
Committee shall consist solely of two or more directors, each of whom shall be an outside
director within the meaning of Treasury Regulation §1.162 27 under section 162(m) of the Code,
except to the extent administration of this Plan by outside directors is not then required in
order to qualify for tax deductibility under section 162(m) of the Code.
SECTION 2.7
Covered Employee
means an Employee who is a Covered Employee as specified in
Section 6 of this Plan.
SECTION 2.8
Employee
means any employee (including, without limitation, officers and
directors who are also employees) of the Company who provides services to the Company or any
subsidiary or affiliated entity thereof as a common law employee and whose remuneration is subject
to the withholding of federal income tax pursuant to section 3401 of the Code. Employee shall not
include any individual (A) who provides services to the Company or any subsidiary or affiliated
entity thereof under an agreement, contract, or any other arrangement pursuant to which the
individual is initially classified as an independent contractor or (B) whose remuneration for
services has not been treated initially as subject to the withholding of federal income tax
pursuant to section 3401 of the Code even if the individual is subsequently reclassified as a
common law employee as a result of a final decree of a court of competent jurisdiction or the
settlement of an administrative or judicial proceeding. Leased employees shall not be treated as
Employees under this Plan.
SECTION 2.9
Incumbent Board
means the portion of the Board constituted of the individuals
who are members of the Board as of the Effective Date, and any individual who becomes a director of
the Company after the Effective Date and whose election or appointment
3
by the Board or nomination for election by the Companys stockholders was approved by a vote
of at least a majority of the directors then comprising the Incumbent Board, but excluding, for
this purpose, any such individual whose initial assumption of office occurs as a result of an
actual or threatened election contest with respect to the election or removal of directors or other
actual or threatened solicitation of proxies or consents by or on behalf of a Person other than the
Incumbent Board.
SECTION 2.10
Person
means any person or entity of any nature whatsoever, specifically
including an individual, a firm, a company, a corporation, a partnership, a limited liability
company, a trust or other entity; a Person, together with that Persons affiliates and
associates (as those terms are defined in Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act, provided that
registrant as used in Rule 12b-2 shall mean the Company), and any Persons acting as a
partnership, limited partnership, joint venture, association, syndicate or other group (whether or
not formally organized), or otherwise acting jointly or in concert or in a coordinated or
consciously parallel manner (whether or not pursuant to any express agreement), for the purpose of
acquiring, holding, voting or disposing of securities of the Company with such Person, shall be
deemed a single Person.
SECTION 3
ADMINISTRATION
SECTION 3.1
Plan Administrator
. This Plan shall be administered by the Committee except to
the extent the Board elects to administer the Plan (the
Plan Administrator
). The Plan
Administrator shall have the authority, in its sole and absolute discretion, to delegate its duties
and functions under the Plan to such agents as it may appoint from time to time, provided the Plan
Administrator may not delegate its duties where such delegation would violate state corporate law
or with respect to making Awards to, or otherwise with respect to Awards granted to, individuals
who are Covered Employees receiving Awards that are intended to constitute performance-based
compensation within the meaning of section 162(m) of the Code.
SECTION 3.2
Powers of the Plan Administrator
. Subject to Section 3.3, the Plan Administrator
shall have complete authority and power to interpret the Plan, select Employees and other
individuals to be granted Awards, select performance measures and performance goals, determine a
Participants right to an Award and the amount of the Award, determine the time or times when
Awards will be made, determine the form of an Award and all the terms, conditions (including
performance requirements), restrictions and/or limitations, if any, of an Award, and take all other
actions necessary or desirable for the administration of the Plan including, but not limited to,
prescribing, amending and rescinding rules relating to administration of the Plan. All actions of
the Plan Administrator shall be final and binding upon all Participants.
SECTION 3.3
Determination of Company Performance
. With respect to all Participants, the Board
or Committee shall be solely responsible for determining the extent to which any performance goals
tied to the performance of the Company as a whole have been met.
4
SECTION 4
PARTICIPANTS
SECTION 4.1
Participants
. The Plan Administrator shall determine and designate the Employees
of the Company and any of its subsidiaries, and other persons who provide services to the Company
or any of its subsidiaries, who will receive an Award under the Plan for a specified calendar year
(the
Participants
). The grant of any Award hereunder shall not create a claim for any future
Awards.
SECTION 5
AWARD DETERMINATION
SECTION 5.1
Establishment of Awards
. For each calendar year, the Plan Administrator shall
determine the Participants in the Plan who will receive Awards, shall select one or more
performance measures, shall establish the performance goals with respect to each selected
performance measure, and shall establish the Award opportunities and other terms of the Award to be
made to each Participant. The selected performance measures and goals may be different for
different Participants.
SECTION 5.2
Adjustments in Performance Goals
. The Plan Administrator may adjust the
performance goals established for a particular calendar year to account for extraordinary events
which may affect the determination of performance, in order to avoid distortions in the operation
of the Plan. Such events may include, without limitation, special charges and other extraordinary
items or significant acquisitions or divestitures.
SECTION 5.3
Determination of Awards Earned
. Subject to Section 3.3, after the end of the
calendar year, the Plan Administrator shall determine the extent to which the applicable
performance goals have been satisfied and the amount, if any, payable to the Participant pursuant
to his or her Award by reason of such performance. The Plan Administrator may, at its discretion,
increase, decrease or eliminate the Award for a Participant based on its assessment of the
Participants individual performance, subject to Section 6 with respect to Awards to Covered
Employees.
SECTION 5.4
Termination of Employment
. The Plan Administrator shall have full authority in
its discretion to determine whether an Employee whose employment terminates for any reason other
than for Cause during a calendar year shall receive any payment pursuant to an Award for that
calendar year and, if so, the amount of such payment; provided, that, with respect to Awards to
Covered Employees that are intended to constitute performance based compensation within the
meaning of section 162(m) of the Code, the Plan Administrator shall not take any action in this
regard that would cause any such Award to fail to so qualify. Employees who are terminated for
Cause will not be eligible to receive an Award payment.
SECTION 6
AWARDS TO COVERED EMPLOYEES
5
SECTION 6.1
Awards Granted to Designated Covered Employees
. If the Plan Administrator
determines that an Award to be granted to an Employee who is designated by the Plan Administrator
as likely to be a Covered Employee should qualify as performance-based compensation for purposes
of section 162(m) of the Code, such Award shall be subject to the terms set forth in this Section
6, notwithstanding any contrary term otherwise provided in this Plan.
SECTION 6.2
Performance Goals Generally
. The performance goals for Awards subject to this
Section 6 shall consist of one or more business criteria or individual performance criteria and a
targeted level or levels of performance with respect to each of such criteria, as specified by the
Plan Administrator consistent with this Section 6.2. Performance goals shall be objective and
shall otherwise meet the requirements of section 162(m) of the Code and regulations thereunder
(including Treasury Regulation §1.162-27 and successor regulations thereto), including the
requirement that the level or levels of performance targeted by the Plan Administrator result in
the achievement of performance goals being substantially uncertain at the time the Plan
Administrator actually establishes the performance goal or goals. The Plan Administrator may
determine that such Awards shall be granted, exercised, and/or settled upon achievement of any one
performance goal or that two or more of the performance goals must be achieved as a condition to
the payment of such Awards. Performance goals may differ for Awards granted to any one Participant
or to different Participants. In establishing or adjusting a performance goal, the Plan
Administrator may exclude the impact of any of the following events or occurrences which the Plan
Administrator determines should appropriately be excluded: (i) any amounts accrued by the Company
or its subsidiaries pursuant to management bonus plans or cash profit sharing plans and related
employer payroll taxes for the fiscal year; (ii) any discretionary or matching contributions made
to a savings and deferred profit-sharing plan or deferred compensation plan for the fiscal year;
(iii) asset write-downs; (iv) litigation, claims, judgments or settlements; (v) the effect of
changes in tax law or other such laws or regulations affecting reported results; (vi) accruals for
reorganization and restructuring programs; (vii) any extraordinary, unusual or nonrecurring items
as described in the Accounting Standards Codification Topic 225, as the same may be amended or
superseded from time to time; (viii) any change in accounting principle as defined in the
Accounting Standards Codification Topic 250, as the same may be amended or superseded from time to
time; (ix) any loss from a discontinued operation as described in the Accounting Standards
Codification Topic 360, as the same may be amended or superseded from time to time; (x) goodwill
impairment charges; (xi) operating results for any business acquired during a specified calendar
year; (xii) third party expenses associated with any acquisition by the Company or any subsidiary;
and (xiii) any other extraordinary events or occurrences identified by the Plan Administrator.
SECTION 6.3
Business Criteria
. One or more of the following business criteria for the
Company, on a consolidated basis, and/or for specified subsidiaries or business or geographical
units of the Company (except with respect to the total stockholder return and earnings per share
criteria), shall be used by the Plan Administrator in establishing performance goals for Awards
that are subject to this Section 6: (i) earnings per share; (ii) increase in revenues; (iii)
increase in cash flow; (iv) increase in cash flow from operations; (v) increase in cash flow
return; (vi) return on net assets; (vii) return on assets; (viii) return on investment; (ix) return
on capital; (x) return on equity; (xi) economic value added; (xii) operating margin; (xiii)
contribution margin; (xiv) net income; (xv) net income per share; (xvi) pretax earnings; (xvii)
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pretax earnings before interest, depreciation and amortization; (xviii) pretax operating
earnings after interest expense and before incentives, service fees, and extraordinary or special
items; (xix) total stockholder return; (xx) debt reduction; (xxi) market share; (xxii) change in
the fair market value of the Companys stock; (xxiii) operating income; (xxiv) reserve growth;
(xxv) reserve replacement; (xxvi) production growth; (xxvii) finding/ development costs; (xxviii)
lease operating expense; and (xxix) any of the above goals determined on an absolute or relative
basis or as compared to the performance of a published or special index deemed applicable by the
Plan Administrator including, but not limited to, the Standard & Poors 500 Stock Index or a group
of comparable companies.
SECTION 6.4
Individual Performance Criteria
. Payment of Awards subject to this Section 6 may
also be contingent upon individual performance goals established by the Plan Administrator,
including individual business objectives and criteria specific to an individuals position and
responsibility with the Company or its subsidiaries. If required for compliance with section
162(m) of the Code, such criteria shall be approved by the stockholders of the Company.
SECTION 6.5
Time for Establishing Performance Goals
. Performance goals applicable to Awards
subject to this Section 6 shall be established not later than 90 days after the beginning of the
calendar year applicable to such Awards, or at such other date as may be required or permitted for
performance-based compensation under section 162(m) of the Code.
SECTION 6.6
Payout of Awards
. After the end of each applicable calendar year, the Plan
Administrator shall determine the amount of any Award that is subject to this Section 6 payable to
each Participant. The Committee may, in its discretion, reduce the amount of a payment otherwise
to be made in connection with an Award that subject to this Section 6, and/or adjust the amount of
a payment otherwise to be made in connection therewith to reflect the events or occurrences set
forth in Section 6.2, but may not exercise discretion to increase any such amount in the case of an
Award intended to qualify as performance-based compensation under section 162(m) of the Code.
The Committee shall specify the circumstances in which such an Award shall be paid or forfeited in
the event of termination of employment by an Employee prior to the end of the applicable calendar
year or payment of such Award; provided, that, with respect to Awards intended to constitute
performance-based compensation within the meaning of section 162(m) of the Code, the Plan
Administrator shall not take any action in this regard that would cause any such Award to fail to
so qualify.
SECTION 6.7
Written Determinations
. All determinations by the Plan Administrator as to the
establishment of performance goals, the amount of any Award, and the achievement of performance
goals relating to and final payment of Awards under this Section 6 shall be made in writing in the
case of any Award intended to qualify as performance-based compensation under section 162(m) of
the Code. The Plan Administrator may not delegate any responsibility relating to such Awards.
SECTION 6.8
Status of Awards under
Section 162(m)
of the Code
. It is the intent of the
Company that Awards under this Section 6 granted to Employees who are designated by the Plan
Administrator as likely to be Covered Employees within the meaning of section 162(m) of the Code
and the regulations thereunder (including Treasury Regulation §1.162-27 and successor regulations
thereto) shall, if so designated by the Plan Administrator, constitute
7
performance-based compensation within the meaning of section 162(m) of the Code and
regulations thereunder. Accordingly, the terms of this Section 6, including the definitions of
Covered Employee and other terms used herein, shall be interpreted in a manner consistent with
section 162(m) of the Code and regulations thereunder. The foregoing notwithstanding, because the
Plan Administrator cannot determine with certainty whether a given Employee will be a Covered
Employee with respect to a calendar year that has not yet been completed, the term
Covered
Employee
as used herein shall mean only an Employee designated by the Plan Administrator, at the
time of grant of an Award, who is likely to be a Covered Employee with respect to that calendar
year. If any provision of this Plan as in effect on the date of adoption of any agreements
relating to Awards that are designated as intended to comply with section 162(m) of the Code does
not comply or is inconsistent with the requirements of section 162(m) of the Code or regulations
thereunder, such provision shall be construed or deemed amended to the extent necessary to conform
to such requirements. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 6.8 or elsewhere in
this Plan, the Company intends to rely on the transition relief described in Treasury Regulation
§1.162-27(f), and hence the deduction limitation imposed by section 162(m) of the Code shall not be
applicable to the Company until the earliest to occur of (i) the material modification of the Plan
within the meaning of Treasury Regulation § 1.162-27(b)(1)(iii); or (ii) the first meeting of
stockholders of the Company at which directors are to be elected that occurs after December 31,
2013 (the
Transition Period
), and during the Transition Period, Awards to Covered Employees shall
only be required to comply with the transition relief described in this Section 6.8.
SECTION 7
PAYMENT OF INCENTIVE AWARD
SECTION 7.1
Payment of Awards
. Each Participant shall be paid his or her Award, to the extent
earned (as determined by the Plan Administrator in its sole discretion), for the respective
calendar year in the form of a cash payment as soon as reasonably practicable following the date on
which the amount payable under the Award is determined by the Plan Administrator, but in no event
will any such payment be made later than March 15th of the calendar year following the calendar
year to which such Award relates.
SECTION 7.2
Payment Upon Change in Control
. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Plan,
in the event of a Change in Control of the Company, the target Award amount that a Participant is
eligible to earn for the calendar year in which the Change in Control occurs shall be deemed earned
by such Participant and shall be paid to such Participant in cash within 30 days after the date of
the Change in Control.
SECTION 8
GENERAL
SECTION 8.1
Amendment or Termination of Plan
. The Board or Committee may at any time suspend
or terminate the Plan, in whole or in part, or revise or amend it in any respect whatsoever.
Nothing herein shall restrict the Plan Administrators ability to exercise its discretionary
authority pursuant to Section 3 hereof, which discretion may be exercised without
8
amendment to the Plan. However, no action hereunder may, without the consent of a
Participant, reduce the Participants rights to receive any benefits accrued hereunder prior to the
effective date of such amendment, suspension or termination. Nothing herein shall limit the right
of the Company to pay compensation of any kind outside the terms of the Plan.
SECTION 8.2
Incapacity of Participant
. If the Plan Administrator finds that any Participant
to whom a payment is payable under the Plan is unable to care for his or her affairs because of
illness or accident or is under a legal disability, any payment due (unless a prior claim shall
have been made by a duly appointed legal representative) at the discretion of the Plan
Administrator, may be paid to the spouse, child, parent, brother or sister of such Participant or
to any person whom the Plan Administrator has determined has incurred expense for such Participant.
Any such payment shall be a complete discharge of the obligations of the Company under the
provisions of the Plan.
SECTION 8.3
No Right to Continued Employment
. Nothing contained in the Plan shall confer upon
any Employee any right to continued employment with the Company nor interfere in any way with the
right of the Company to terminate the employment of such Employee at any time or to increase or
decrease the compensation of the Employee.
SECTION 8.4
No Right to an Award
. Nothing contained in the Plan shall be deemed to give any
Employee or any other individual any right to be selected as a Participant or to be granted an
Award.
SECTION 8.5
Nonassignment
. The right of a Participant to the payment of any amounts under the
Plan may not be assigned, transferred, pledged or encumbered in any manner nor shall such right or
other interests be subject to attachment, garnishment, execution or other legal process.
SECTION 8.6
Withholding Taxes
. Appropriate taxes shall be withheld from all payments made to
Participants pursuant to this Plan.
SECTION 8.7
Unfunded Obligations
. The amounts to be paid to Participants pursuant to this
Plan are unfunded obligations of the Company. The Company is not required to segregate any monies
from its general funds, to create any trusts, or to make any special deposits with respect to this
obligation.
SECTION 8.8
Applicable Law
. Except to the extent superseded by applicable federal law, the
Plan shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Texas.
9
Exhibit 10.11
OASIS PETROLEUM INC.
2010 LONG TERM INCENTIVE PLAN
FORM
OF RESTRICTED STOCK AGREEMENT
This Agreement is made and entered into as of the Date of Grant set forth in the Notice of
Grant of Restricted Stock (
Notice of Grant
) by and between Oasis Petroleum Inc., a Delaware
corporation (the
Company
), and you;
WHEREAS
, the Company in order to induce you to enter into and to continue and dedicate service
to the Company and to materially contribute to the success of the Company agrees to grant you this
restricted stock award;
WHEREAS
, the Company adopted the Oasis Petroleum Inc. 2010 Long Term Incentive Plan as it may
be amended from time to time (the
Plan
), under which the Company is authorized to grant
restricted stock awards to certain employees and service providers of the Company;
WHEREAS
, a copy of the Plan has been furnished to you and shall be deemed a part of this
restricted stock award agreement (
Agreement
) as if fully set forth herein and the terms
capitalized but not defined herein shall have the meanings set forth in the Plan; and
WHEREAS
, you desire to accept the restricted stock award made pursuant to this Agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE,
in consideration of and mutual covenants set forth herein and for other
valuable consideration hereinafter set forth, the parties agree as follows:
1.
The Grant
. Subject to the conditions set forth below, the Company hereby grants
you effective as of the Date of Grant set forth in the Notice of Grant, as a matter of separate
inducement but not in lieu of any salary or other compensation for your services for the Company,
an award (the
Award
) consisting of the aggregate number of shares of Stock set forth in the
Notice of Grant in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth herein and in the Plan.
2.
Escrow of Restricted Shares
. The Company shall evidence the Restricted Shares in
the manner that it deems appropriate. The Company may issue in your name a certificate or
certificates representing the Restricted Shares and retain that certificate or those certificates
until the restrictions on such Restricted Shares expire as contemplated in Section 5 of this
Agreement and described in the Notice of Grant or the Restricted Shares are forfeited as described
in Sections 4 and 6 of this Agreement. If the Company certificates the Restricted Shares, you
shall execute one or more stock powers in blank for those certificates and deliver those stock
powers to the Company. The Company shall hold the Restricted Shares and the related stock powers
pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, if applicable, until such time as (a) a certificate or
certificates for the Restricted Shares are delivered to you, (b) the Restricted Shares are
otherwise transferred to you free of restrictions, or (c) the Restricted Shares are canceled and
forfeited pursuant to this Agreement.
3.
Ownership of Restricted Shares
. From and after the time the Restricted Shares are
issued in your name, you will be entitled to all the rights of absolute ownership of the Restricted
Shares, including the right to vote those shares and to receive dividends thereon if, as, and when
declared by the Board, subject, however, to the terms, conditions and restrictions set forth in
this Agreement; provided, however, that each dividend payment will be made no later than the
30
th
day following the date such dividend payment is made to stockholders generally.
4.
Restrictions; Forfeiture
. The Restricted Shares are restricted in that they may
not be sold, transferred or otherwise alienated or hypothecated until these restrictions are
removed or expire as contemplated in Section 5 of this Agreement and as described in the Notice of
Grant. The Restricted Shares are also restricted in the sense that they may be forfeited to the
Company (the
Forfeiture Restrictions
). You hereby agree that if the Restricted Shares are
forfeited, as provided in Section 6, the Company shall have the right to deliver the Restricted
Shares to the Companys transfer agent for, at the Companys election, cancellation or transfer to
the Company.
5.
Expiration of Restrictions and Risk of Forfeiture
. The restrictions on the
Restricted Shares granted pursuant to this Agreement will expire and the Restricted Shares will
become transferable, except to the extent provided in Section 11 of this Agreement, and
nonforfeitable as set forth in the Notice of Grant, provided that you remain in the employ of, or a
service provider to, the Company or its Subsidiaries until the applicable dates set forth therein.
6.
Termination of Services
.
(a)
Termination Generally
. Except as otherwise provided in the Notice of Grant and
subject to Section 6(b) below, if your service relationship with the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries is terminated for any reason, then those Restricted Shares for which the restrictions
have not lapsed as of the date of termination shall become null and void and those Restricted
Shares shall be forfeited to the Company. The Restricted Shares for which the restrictions have
lapsed as of the date of such termination shall not be forfeited to the Company.
(b)
Effect of Employment Agreement or Plan
. Notwithstanding any provision herein to
the contrary, in the event of any inconsistency between Section 6(a) and the terms of any
employment agreement entered into by and between you and the Company or its Subsidiaries, or in the
event you are a participant therein, the terms of the Companys Executive Change in Control and
Severance Benefit Plan, the terms of the employment agreement or the Companys Executive Change in
Control and Severance Benefit Plan, as applicable, shall control.
7.
Leave of Absence
. With respect to the Award, the Company may, in its sole
discretion, determine that if you are on leave of absence for any reason you will be considered to
still be in the employ of, or providing services for, the Company, provided that rights to the
Restricted Shares during a leave of absence will be limited to the extent to which those rights
were earned or vested when the leave of absence began.
8.
Delivery of Stock
. Promptly following the expiration of the restrictions on the
Restricted Shares as contemplated in Section 5 of this Agreement, the Company shall cause to be
2
issued and delivered to you or your designee a certificate or other evidence of the number of
Restricted Shares as to which restrictions have lapsed, free of any restrictive legend relating to
the lapsed restrictions, upon receipt by the Company of any tax withholding as may be requested
pursuant to Section 9. The value of such Restricted Shares shall not bear any interest owing to
the passage of time.
9.
Payment of Taxes
. The Company may require you to pay to the Company (or the
Companys Subsidiary if you are an employee of a Subsidiary of the Company), an amount the Company
deems necessary to satisfy its (or its Subsidiarys) current or future obligation to withhold
federal, state or local income or other taxes that you incur as a result of the Award. With
respect to any required tax withholding, you may (a) direct the Company to withhold from the shares
of Stock to be issued to you under this Agreement the number of shares necessary to satisfy the
Companys obligation to withhold taxes; which determination will be based on the shares Fair
Market Value at the time such determination is made; (b) deliver to the Company shares of Stock
sufficient to satisfy the Companys tax withholding obligations, based on the shares Fair Market
Value at the time such determination is made; (c) deliver cash to the Company sufficient to satisfy
its tax withholding obligations; or (d) satisfy such tax withholding through any combination of
(a), (b) and (c). If you desire to elect to use the stock withholding option described in
subparagraph (a), you must make the election at the time and in the manner the Company prescribes.
The Company, in its discretion, may deny your request to satisfy its tax withholding obligations
using a method described under subparagraph (a) or (b). In the event the Company determines that
the aggregate Fair Market Value of the shares of Stock withheld as payment of any tax withholding
obligation is insufficient to discharge that tax withholding obligation, then you must pay to the
Company, in cash, the amount of that deficiency immediately upon the Companys request.
10.
Compliance with Securities Laws; Company Policies
. Notwithstanding any provision
of this Agreement to the contrary, the issuance of Stock (including Restricted Shares) will be
subject to compliance with all applicable requirements of federal, state, or foreign law with
respect to such securities and with the requirements of any stock exchange or market system upon
which the Stock may then be listed. No Stock will be issued hereunder if such issuance would
constitute a violation of any applicable federal, state, or foreign securities laws or other law or
regulations or the requirements of any stock exchange or market system upon which the Stock may
then be listed. In addition, Stock will not be issued hereunder unless (a) a registration
statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the
Act
), is at the time of issuance in
effect with respect to the shares issued or (b) in the opinion of legal counsel to the Company, the
shares issued may be issued in accordance with the terms of an applicable exemption from the
registration requirements of the Act. The inability of the Company to obtain from any regulatory
body having jurisdiction the authority, if any, deemed by the Companys legal counsel to be
necessary to the lawful issuance and sale of any shares subject to the Award will relieve the
Company of any liability in respect of the failure to issue such shares as to which such requisite
authority has not been obtained. As a condition to any issuance hereunder, the Company may require
you to satisfy any qualifications that may be necessary or appropriate to evidence compliance with
any applicable law or regulation and to make any representation or warranty with respect to such
compliance as may be requested by the Company. From time to time, the Board and appropriate
officers of the Company are authorized to take the actions necessary and appropriate to file
required documents with governmental authorities, stock exchanges, and other
3
appropriate Persons to make shares of Stock available for issuance. You agree not to sell any
shares of Stock acquired pursuant to this Award in violation of the Companys securities trading
policy, to the extent applicable.
11.
Lock-Up Period
. You hereby agree that, if so requested by the Company or any
representative of the underwriters (the
Managing Underwriter
) in connection with any registration
of the offering of any securities of the Company under the Act, you will not sell or otherwise
transfer any Stock acquired hereunder or other securities of the Company during the 180-day period
(or such other period as may be requested in writing by the Managing Underwriter and agreed to in
writing by the Company) (the
Market Standoff Period
) following the effective date of a
registration statement of the Company filed under the Act. Such restriction will apply only to the
first registration statement of the Company to become effective under the Act that includes
securities to be sold on behalf of the Company to the public in an underwritten public offering
under the Act. The Company may impose stop-transfer instructions with respect to securities
subject to the foregoing restrictions until the end of such Market Standoff Period.
12.
Legends
. The Company may at any time place legends referencing any restrictions
imposed on the shares pursuant to Sections 4, 10, and 11 of this Agreement on all certificates
representing shares issued with respect to this Award.
13.
Right of the Company and Subsidiaries to Terminate Services
. Nothing in this
Agreement confers upon you the right to continue in the employ of or performing services for the
Company or any Subsidiary, or interfere in any way with the rights of the Company or any Subsidiary
to terminate your employment or service relationship at any time.
14.
Furnish Information
. You agree to furnish to the Company all information
requested by the Company to enable it to comply with any reporting or other requirements imposed
upon the Company by or under any applicable statute or regulation.
15.
Remedies
. The parties to this Agreement shall be entitled to recover from each
other reasonable attorneys fees incurred in connection with the successful enforcement of the
terms and provisions of this Agreement whether by an action to enforce specific performance or for
damages for its breach or otherwise.
16.
No Liability for Good Faith Determinations
. The Company and the members of the
Board shall not be liable for any act, omission or determination taken or made in good faith with
respect to this Agreement or the Restricted Shares granted hereunder.
17.
Execution of Receipts and Releases
. Any payment of cash or any issuance or
transfer of shares of Stock or other property to you, or to your legal representative, heir,
legatee or distributee, in accordance with the provisions hereof, shall, to the extent thereof, be
in full satisfaction of all claims of such Persons hereunder. The Company may require you or your
legal representative, heir, legatee or distributee, as a condition precedent to such payment or
issuance, to execute a release and receipt therefor in such form as it shall determine.
18.
No Guarantee of Interests
. The Board and the Company do not guarantee the Stock
of the Company from loss or depreciation.
4
19.
Company Records
. Records of the Company or its Subsidiaries regarding your period
of service, termination of service and the reason(s) therefor, leaves of absence, re-employment,
and other matters shall be conclusive for all purposes hereunder, unless determined by the Company
to be incorrect.
20.
Notice
. All notices required or permitted under this Agreement must be in writing
and personally delivered or sent by mail and shall be deemed to be delivered on the date on which
it is actually received by the person to whom it is properly addressed or if earlier the date it is
sent via certified United States mail or reputable overnight delivery service (charges prepaid).
21.
Waiver of Notice
. Any person entitled to notice hereunder may waive such notice
in writing.
22.
Information Confidential
. As partial consideration for the granting of the Award
hereunder, you hereby agree to keep confidential all information and knowledge, except that which
has been disclosed in any public filings required by law, that you have relating to the terms and
conditions of this Agreement; provided, however, that such information may be disclosed as required
by law and may be given in confidence to your spouse and tax and financial advisors. In the event
any breach of this promise comes to the attention of the Company, it shall take into consideration
that breach in determining whether to recommend the grant of any future similar award to you, as a
factor weighing against the advisability of granting any such future award to you.
23.
Successors
. This Agreement shall be binding upon you, your legal representatives,
heirs, legatees and distributees, and upon the Company, its successors and assigns.
24.
Severability
. If any provision of this Agreement is held to be illegal or invalid
for any reason, the illegality or invalidity shall not affect the remaining provisions hereof, but
such provision shall be fully severable and this Agreement shall be construed and enforced as if
the illegal or invalid provision had never been included herein.
25.
Company Action
. Any action required of the Company shall be by resolution of the
Board or by a person or entity authorized to act by resolution of the Board.
26.
Headings
. The titles and headings of Sections are included for convenience of
reference only and are not to be considered in construction of the provisions hereof.
27.
Governing Law
. All questions arising with respect to the provisions of this
Agreement shall be determined by application of the laws of Texas, without giving any effect to any
conflict of law provisions thereof, except to the extent Texas state law is preempted by federal
law. The obligation of the Company to sell and deliver Stock hereunder is subject to applicable
laws and to the approval of any governmental authority required in connection with the
authorization, issuance, sale, or delivery of such Stock.
28.
Consent to Texas Jurisdiction and Venue
. You hereby consent and agree that state
courts located in Harris County, Texas and the United States District Court for the Southern
5
District of Texas each shall have personal jurisdiction and proper venue with respect to any
dispute between you and the Company arising in connection with the Award or this Agreement. In any
dispute with the Company, you will not raise, and you hereby expressly waive, any objection or
defense to any such jurisdiction as an inconvenient forum.
29.
Amendment
. This Agreement may be amended by the Board or by the Committee at any
time (a) if the Board or the Committee determines, in its sole discretion, that amendment is
necessary or advisable in light of any addition to or change in any federal or state, tax or
securities law or other law or regulation, which change occurs after the Date of Grant and by its
terms applies to the Award; or (b) other than in the circumstances described in clause (a) or
provided in the Plan, with your consent.
30.
The Plan
. This Agreement is subject to all the terms, conditions, limitations and
restrictions contained in the Plan.
[Remainder of page intentionally left blank]
6
Exhibit 10.14
OASIS PETROLEUM INC.
2010 LONG TERM INCENTIVE PLAN
FORM
OF RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT AGREEMENT
This Agreement is made and entered into as of the Date of Grant set forth in the Notice of
Grant of Restricted Stock Unit (
Notice of Grant
) by and between Oasis Petroleum Inc., a Delaware
corporation (the
Company
), and you.
WHEREAS
, the Company in order to induce you to enter into and to continue and dedicate service
to the Company and to materially contribute to the success of the Company, agrees to grant you this
restricted stock unit award;
WHEREAS
, the Company adopted the Oasis Petroleum Inc. 2010 Long Term Incentive Plan, as it may
be amended from time to time (the
Plan
) under which the Company is authorized to grant restricted
stock units to certain employees, directors and other service providers of the Company;
WHEREAS
, a copy of the Plan has been furnished to you and shall be deemed a part of this
Restricted Stock Unit Agreement (
Agreement
) as if fully set forth herein and the terms
capitalized but not defined herein shall have the meanings set forth in the Plan; and
WHEREAS
, you desire to accept the restricted stock unit award made pursuant to this Agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE,
in consideration of and mutual covenants set forth herein and for other
valuable consideration hereinafter set forth, the parties agree as follows:
1.
The Grant
. Subject to the conditions set forth below, the Company hereby grants
you, effective as of the Date of Grant set forth in the Notice of Grant, as a matter of separate
inducement but not in lieu of any salary or other compensation for your services for the Company,
an award consisting of an aggregate number of Restricted Stock Units, whereby each Restricted Stock
Unit represents the right to receive one share of common stock of the Company, par value $0.001 per
share (
Stock
), or a cash payment equal to the Fair Market Value on the applicable Date of
Settlement set forth in the Notice of Grant of one share of Stock, as determined by the Committee
in its sole and absolute discretion, plus the additional rights to Dividend Equivalents set forth
in Section 3, in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth herein and in the Plan (the
Award
). Except as provided below, to the extent that any provision of this Agreement conflicts
with the expressly applicable terms of the Plan, you acknowledge and agree that those terms of the
Plan shall control and, if necessary, the applicable terms of this Agreement shall be deemed
amended so as to carry out the purpose and intent of the Plan.
2.
No Shareholder Rights
. The Restricted Stock Units granted pursuant to this
Agreement do not and shall not entitle you to any rights of a holder of Stock.
3.
Dividend Equivalents
. In the event that the Company declares and pays any
dividends in respect of its outstanding shares of Stock at any time during the period you hold
Restricted Stock Units granted pursuant to this Agreement that have not yet been settled, the
Company shall pay to you, on the applicable Date of Settlement set forth in the Notice of
Grant, an additional cash payment for Dividend Equivalents, which payment shall be equal in value
to the value of all dividends made by the Company with respect to a number of shares of Stock equal
to the number of Restricted Stock Units set forth in the Notice of Grant which have become vested
in accordance with the terms of the Notice of Grant and this Agreement; provided, however, that no
interest shall be payable with respect to such Dividend Equivalents for the period of time
beginning on the date a dividend with respect to Stock is paid to the Companys shareholders and
ending on the date the Dividend Equivalents are paid to you pursuant to this Agreement.
4.
Restrictions
. The Restricted Stock Units are restricted in that they may not be
sold, transferred or otherwise alienated or hypothecated. The Restricted Stock Units are also
restricted in the sense that they may be forfeited to the Company.
5.
Expiration of Restrictions and Settlement of Award
. The restrictions on the
Restricted Stock Units granted pursuant to this Agreement will expire as set forth in the Notice of
Grant, provided that you remain in the employ of, or a service provider to, the Company or its
Subsidiaries until the applicable dates set forth in the Notice of Grant. On the applicable Date
of Settlement set forth in the Notice of Grant, the Company shall cause to be issued Stock in book
entry form registered in your name or shall cause a cash payment to be made to you in settlement of
your vested Restricted Stock Units, such form of settlement to be determined by the Committee in
its sole and absolute discretion. To the extent application of the vesting terms set forth in the
Notice of Grant would result in you becoming vested in a fractional number of Restricted Stock
Units, the number of Restricted Stock Units vested will be rounded down to the nearest whole share.
The value of the shares of Stock, or any cash payable, shall not bear any interest owing to the
passage of time.
6.
Termination of Services
.
(a)
Termination Generally
. Except as otherwise provided in the Notice of Grant and
subject to Section 6(b) below, if your service relationship with the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries is terminated for any reason, then those Restricted Stock Units for which the
restrictions have not lapsed as of the date of termination shall become null and void and those
Restricted Stock Units shall be forfeited to the Company. The Restricted Stock Units for which the
restrictions have lapsed as of the date of such termination, including Restricted Stock Units for
which the restrictions lapsed in connection with such termination, shall not be forfeited to the
Company and shall be settled on the applicable Date of Settlement set forth in the Notice of Grant.
(b)
Effect of Employment Agreement or Plan
. Notwithstanding any provision herein to
the contrary, in the event of any inconsistency between
Section 6(a) and the terms of any employment
agreement entered into by and between you and the Company or its Subsidiaries, or in the event you
are a participant therein, the terms of the Companys Executive Change in Control and Severance
Benefit Plan, the terms of the employment agreement or the Companys Executive Change in Control
and Severance Benefit Plan, as applicable, shall control.
2
7.
Leave of Absence
. With respect to the Award, the Company may, in its sole
discretion, determine that if you are on leave of absence for any reason you will be considered to
still be in the employ of, or providing services for, the Company, provided that rights to the
Restricted Stock Units during a leave of absence will be limited to the extent to which those
rights were earned or vested when the leave of absence began.
8.
Payment of Taxes
. The Company may require you to pay to the Company (or the
Companys Subsidiary if you are an employee of a Subsidiary of the Company), an amount the Company
deems necessary to satisfy its (or its Subsidiarys) current or future obligation to withhold
federal, state or local income or other taxes that you incur as a result of the Award. With
respect to any required tax withholding, you may (a) direct the Company to withhold from the cash
payment to be made to you under this Agreement the amount or, if applicable, from the shares of
Stock to be issued to you the number of shares necessary to satisfy the Companys obligation to
withhold taxes, such determination to be made, in the case of the withholding of shares of Stock,
based on the shares Fair Market Value at the time such determination is made, or (b) deliver cash
to the Company sufficient to satisfy its tax withholding obligations. In the event the Company
determines that the amount withheld as payment of any tax withholding obligation is insufficient to
discharge that tax withholding obligation, then you must pay to the Company, in cash, the amount of
that deficiency immediately upon the Companys request.
9.
Compliance with Securities Laws; Company Policies
. Notwithstanding any provision
of this Agreement to the contrary, any issuance of Stock hereunder will be subject to compliance
with all applicable requirements of federal, state or foreign law with respect to such securities
and with the requirements of any stock exchange or market system upon which the Stock may then be
listed. No Stock will be issued hereunder if such issuance would constitute a violation of any
applicable federal, state or foreign securities laws or other law or regulations or the
requirements of any stock exchange or market system upon which the Stock may then be listed. In
addition, Stock will not be issued hereunder unless (a) a registration statement under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the
Act
), is at the time of issuance in effect with respect
to the shares issued, or (b) in the opinion of legal counsel to the Company, the shares issued may
be issued in accordance with the terms of an applicable exemption from the registration
requirements of the Act. As a condition to any issuance hereunder, the Company may require you to
satisfy any qualifications that may be necessary or appropriate to evidence compliance with any
applicable law or regulation and to make any representation or warranty with respect to such
compliance as may be requested by the Company. From time to time, the Board and appropriate
officers of the Company are authorized to take the actions necessary and appropriate to file
required documents with governmental authorities, stock exchanges, and other appropriate Persons to
make shares of Stock available for issuance. You agree not to sell any shares of Stock acquired
pursuant to this Award in violation of the Companys securities trading policy, to the extent
applicable.
10.
Right of the Company and Subsidiaries to Terminate Services
. Nothing in this
Agreement confers upon you the right to continue in the employ of or performing services for the
Company or any Subsidiary, or interfere in any way with the rights of the Company or any Subsidiary
to terminate your employment or service relationship at any time.
3
11.
Furnish Information
. You agree to furnish to the Company all information
requested by the Company to enable it to comply with any reporting or other requirements imposed
upon the Company by or under any applicable statute or regulation.
12.
Remedies
. The parties to this Agreement shall be entitled to recover from each
other reasonable attorneys fees incurred in connection with the successful enforcement of the
terms and provisions of this Agreement whether by an action to enforce specific performance or for
damages for its breach or otherwise.
13.
No Liability for Good Faith Determinations
. The Company and the members of the
Board shall not be liable for any act, omission or determination taken or made in good faith with
respect to this Agreement or the Restricted Stock Units granted hereunder.
14.
Execution of Receipts and Releases
. Any payment of cash or any issuance of shares
of Stock or other property to you, or to your legal representative, heir, legatee or distributee,
in accordance with the provisions hereof, shall, to the extent thereof, be in full satisfaction of
all claims of such Persons hereunder. The Company may require you or your legal representative,
heir, legatee or distributee, as a condition precedent to such payment or issuance, to execute a
release and receipt therefor in such form as it shall determine.
15.
No Guarantee of Interests
. The Board and the Company do not guarantee the Stock
of the Company from depreciation.
16.
Company Records
. Records of the Company or its Subsidiaries regarding your period
of service, termination of service and the reason(s) therefor, leaves of absence, re-employment,
and other matters shall be conclusive for all purposes hereunder, unless determined by the Company
to be incorrect.
17.
Notice
. All notices required or permitted under this Agreement must be in writing
and personally delivered or sent by mail and shall be deemed to be delivered on the date on which
it is actually received by the person to whom it is properly addressed or if earlier the date it is
sent via certified United States mail or reputable overnight delivery service (charges prepaid).
18.
Waiver of Notice
. Any person entitled to notice hereunder may waive such notice
in writing.
19.
Information Confidential
. As partial consideration for the granting of the Award
hereunder, you hereby agree to keep confidential all information and knowledge, except that which
has been disclosed in any public filings required by law, that you have relating to the terms and
conditions of this Agreement; provided, however, that such information may be disclosed as required
by law and may be given in confidence to your spouse and tax and financial advisors. In the event
any breach of this promise comes to the attention of the Company, it shall take into consideration
that breach in determining whether to recommend the grant of any future similar award to you, as a
factor weighing against the advisability of granting any such future award to you.
4
20.
Successors
. This Agreement shall be binding upon you, your legal representatives,
heirs, legatees and distributees, and upon the Company, its successors and assigns.
21.
Severability
. If any provision of this Agreement is held to be illegal or invalid
for any reason, the illegality or invalidity shall not affect the remaining provisions hereof, but
such provision shall be fully severable and this Agreement shall be construed and enforced as if
the illegal or invalid provision had never been included herein.
22.
Company Action
. Any action required of the Company shall be by resolution of the
Board or by a person or entity authorized to act by resolution of the Board.
23.
Headings
. The titles and headings of Sections are included for convenience of
reference only and are not to be considered in construction of the provisions hereof.
24.
Governing Law
. All questions arising with respect to the provisions of this
Agreement shall be determined by application of the laws of Texas, without giving any effect to any
conflict of law provisions thereof, except to the extent Texas state law is preempted by federal
law.
25.
Consent to Texas Jurisdiction and Venue
. You hereby consent and agree that state
courts located in Harris County, Texas and the United States District Court for the Southern
District of Texas each shall have personal jurisdiction and proper venue with respect to any
dispute between you and the Company arising in connection with the Restricted Stock Units or this
Agreement. In any dispute with the Company, you will not raise, and you hereby expressly waive,
any objection or defense to such jurisdiction as an inconvenient forum.
26.
Amendment
. This Agreement may be amended by the Board or by the Committee at any
time (a) if the Board or the Committee determines, in its sole discretion, that amendment is
necessary or advisable in light of any addition to or change in any federal or state, tax or
securities law or other law or regulation, which change occurs after the Date of Grant and by its
terms applies to the Award; or (b) other than in the circumstances described in clause (a) or
provided in the Plan, with your consent.
27.
Unfunded Arrangement
. Neither the Notice of Grant, this Agreement nor the Plan
shall give you any security or other interest in any assets of the Company; rather, your right to
the Award is that of a general, unsecured creditor of the Company.
28.
The Plan
. This Agreement is subject to all terms, conditions, limitations and
restrictions contained in the Plan.
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