Exhibit
4.10
[FORM OF
OPTION AWARD AGREEMENT]
Option
Award Agreement under the Benchmark Electronics, Inc. 2010 Omnibus Incentive
Compensation Plan, dated as of [●], between Benchmark Electronics, Inc. (the
“
Company
”), a
Texas corporation, and [NAME].
This
Option Award Agreement (this “
Award Agreement
”)
sets forth the terms and conditions of an award (the “
Award
”) of options to
purchase [●] shares of the Company’s common stock, $0.10 par value per share
(each, a “
Share
”), that are
being granted to you on the date hereof (such date, the “
Grant Date
”), at an
exercise price of $[●] per Share (the “
Exercise Price
”),
that are subject to the terms and conditions specified herein (each such option
to purchase one Share, an “
Option
”), and that
are granted to you under the Benchmark Electronics, Inc. 2010 Omnibus Incentive
Compensation Plan (the “
Plan
”). The Options
are not intended to qualify as “incentive stock options” (within the meaning of
Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended).
THIS
AWARD IS SUBJECT TO ALL TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE PLAN AND THIS AWARD
AGREEMENT, INCLUDING THE DISPUTE RESOLUTION PROVISIONS SET FORTH IN SECTION 10
OF THIS AWARD AGREEMENT. BY SIGNING YOUR NAME BELOW, YOU SHALL HAVE CONFIRMED
YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THIS AWARD
AGREEMENT.
SECTION
1.
The Plan.
This Award is made pursuant to the Plan, all the terms of which are hereby
incorporated in this Award Agreement. In the event of any conflict between the
terms of the Plan and the terms of this Award Agreement, the terms of the Plan
shall govern. In the event of any conflict between the terms of this Award
Agreement and the terms of any individual employment agreement between you and
the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (an “
Employment
Agreement”
), the terms of your Employment Agreement shall
govern.
SECTION
2.
Definitions.
Capitalized terms used in this Award Agreement that are not defined in this
Award Agreement have the meanings as used or defined in the Plan. As used in
this Award Agreement, the following terms have the meanings set forth
below:
(a)
“
Business Day
” means a
day that is not a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which banking institutions are
legally permitted to be closed in the City of New York.
(b)
“
Cause
” means the
occurrence of any one of the following:
(i)
your gross
negligence in the performance of your duties with the Company, which gross
negligence results in a material adverse effect on the Company, provided that no
such gross negligence shall constitute “Cause” if it relates to an action taken
or omitted by you in the good faith, reasonable belief that such action or
omission was in or not opposed to the best interests of the
Company;
(ii)
your
habitual neglect or disregard of your duties with the Company that is materially
and demonstrably injurious to the Company, after written notice from the Company
stating the duties you have failed to perform;
(iii)
your
engaging in conduct or misconduct that materially harms the reputation or
financial position of the Company;
(iv)
your
obstruction, impedance or failure to materially cooperate with an investigation
authorized by the Board, a self-regulatory organization empowered with
self-regulatory responsibilities under Federal or state laws, or a governmental
department or agency; or
(v)
your
conviction of a felony, provided that no such conviction will constitute “Cause”
if it relates to an action taken or omitted by you in the good faith, reasonable
belief that such action or omission was in or not opposed to the best interests
of the Company.
(c)
“
Good Reason
” means
the occurrence of any one of the following:
(i)
a
material diminution of your duties or responsibilities;
(ii)
a
greater than 10% reduction in your base salary, annual bonus opportunity or
long-term incentive compensation opportunity; or
(iii)
a
material breach by the Company of any provision of your Employment Agreement or
any other agreement between you and the Company.
A
termination of your employment by you for Good Reason shall be effectuated by
giving the Company written notice (“
Notice of Termination for
Good Reason
”), not later than 90 days following the date of the
occurrence of the circumstance that constitutes Good Reason, setting forth in
reasonable detail the specific conduct of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
that constitutes Good Reason and the specific provisions of this Award
Agreement, your Employment Agreement or any other agreement between you and the
Company on which you relied. The Company shall be entitled, during the 30-day
period following receipt of a Notice of Termination for Good Reason, to cure the
circumstances that gave rise to Good Reason, provided that the Company shall be
entitled to waive its right to cure or reduce the cure period by delivery of
written notice to that effect to you (such 30-day or shorter period, the “
Cure Period
”). If,
during the Cure Period, such circumstance is remedied, you shall not be
permitted to terminate your employment for Good Reason as a result of such
circumstance. If, at the end of the Cure Period, the circumstance that
constitutes Good Reason has not been remedied, you shall be entitled to
terminate your employment for Good Reason during the 90-day period that follows
the end of the Cure Period (the “
Termination Period
”).
If you do not terminate your employment during the Termination Period, you shall
not be permitted to terminate your employment for Good Reason as a result of
such circumstance.
(d)
“
Vesting Date
” means
each date on which your rights with respect to all or a portion of the Options
subject to this Award Agreement may become fully vested, and such Options shall
become exercisable, as provided in Section 3(a) or 3(b) of this Award
Agreement.
SECTION
3.
Vesting
and Exercise.
(a)
Regularly Scheduled
Vesting.
On each Vesting Date set forth below, your rights
with respect to the number of Options that corresponds to such Vesting Date, as
specified in the chart below, shall become vested and such Options shall become
exercisable, provided that you must be employed by the Company or one of its
Subsidiaries on the relevant Vesting Date, except as otherwise determined by the
Committee in its sole discretion or as otherwise provided in your Employment
Agreement.
Scheduled Vesting Date
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Incremental
Percentage Vested
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Incremental Number
of Options Vested
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«Vesting_Date_1»
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«Vesting_Date_2»
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«Vesting_Date_3»
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«Vesting_Date_4»
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(b)
Vesting following a Change
of Control.
If, during the two-year period immediately
following a Change of Control, your employment is terminated by the Company or
any of its Subsidiaries without Cause or you terminate your employment for Good
Reason, then the date of such termination shall be deemed to be the Vesting Date
of any then outstanding Options.
(c)
Exercise of
Options.
Options, to the extent that they are vested, may be
exercised, in whole or in part (but for the purchase of whole Shares only), by
delivery to the Company (i) of a written or electronic notice, complying with
the applicable procedures established by the Committee or the Company, stating
the number of Options that are thereby exercised, and (ii) full payment, in
accordance with Section 6(b) of the Plan, of the aggregate Exercise Price for
the Shares with respect to which the Options are thereby
exercised. The notice shall be signed by you or any other person then
entitled to exercise the Options. Upon exercise and full payment of
the Exercise Price for Shares with respect to which the Options are thereby
exercised, subject to Section 7(a) of this Award Agreement, the Company shall
issue to you or your legal representative (as evidenced by the appropriate entry
on the books of the Company or of a duly authorized transfer agent of the
Company, the delivery of share certificates or as otherwise determined by the
Company) one Share for each Option you have
exercised. Notwithstanding the foregoing, vested and unexercised
Options shall expire (A) automatically on the date of the termination of
your employment for Cause or (B) [PERIOD OF TIME] after the date of the
termination of your employment if your employment is terminated as a result of
death or disability or by the Company for any reason other than Cause or you
resign voluntarily for any reason. You shall be deemed to be disabled
if, in the opinion of a physician selected by the Committee, you are incapable
of performing services for the Company or any of its Subsidiaries by reason of
any medically determinable physical or mental impairment that can be expected to
result in death or to be of long, continued and indefinite
duration. Notwithstanding any provision of this Award Agreement, your
Employment Agreement or any other contract between you and the Company to the
contrary, all Options shall automatically expire on the tenth anniversary of the
Grant Date.
SECTION
4.
Forfeiture of
Options.
Unless the Committee determines otherwise, and except
as otherwise provided in your Employment Agreement or Section 3(b) of this Award
Agreement, if your rights with respect to any Options awarded to you pursuant to
this Award Agreement have not become vested prior to the date on which your
employment with the Company and its Subsidiaries terminates, your rights with
respect to such unvested Options shall immediately terminate, and you shall be
entitled to no further payments or benefits with respect thereto.
SECTION
5.
Voting
Rights; Dividend Equivalents.
Prior to the date on which your
rights with respect to an Option have become vested and you exercise your right
to purchase the Share underlying such Option, you shall not be entitled to
exercise any voting rights with respect to such Share and shall not be entitled
to receive dividends or other distributions with respect thereto.
SECTION
6.
Non-Transferability of
Options.
Unless otherwise provided by the Committee in its
discretion, Options may not be sold, assigned, alienated, transferred, pledged,
attached or otherwise encumbered except as provided in Section 9(a) of the
Plan. Any purported sale, assignment, alienation, transfer, pledge,
attachment or other encumbrance of an Option in violation of the provisions of
this Section 6 and Section 9(a) of the Plan shall be void.
SECTION
7.
Withholding,
Consents and Legends.
(a)
Withholding.
The
delivery of Shares pursuant to Section 3(c) of this Award Agreement is
conditioned on satisfaction of any applicable withholding taxes in accordance
with Section 9(d) of the Plan. In the event that there is withholding tax
liability in connection with the exercise of the Options, you may satisfy, in
whole or in part, any withholding tax liability by having the Company withhold
from the Shares you would be entitled to receive upon exercise of the Options a
number of Shares having a Fair Market Value (which shall either have the meaning
set forth in the Plan or shall have such other meaning as determined by the
Company in accordance with applicable withholding requirements) equal to such
withholding tax liability.
(b)
Consents; Compliance with
Law.
Your rights in respect of the Options are conditioned on
the receipt to the full satisfaction of the Committee of any required consents
that the Committee may determine to be necessary or advisable (including your
consenting to the Company’s supplying to any third-party recordkeeper of the
Plan such personal information as the Committee deems advisable to administer
the Plan) and, in accordance with Section 9(l) of the Plan, subject to the
Committee’s determination that the issuance of Shares pursuant to this Award
Agreement is compliant with applicable law.
(c)
Legends.
The
Company may affix to certificates for Shares issued pursuant to this Award
Agreement any legend that the Committee determines to be necessary or advisable
(including to reflect any restrictions to which you may be subject under any
applicable securities laws). The Company may advise the transfer
agent to place a stop order against any legended Shares.
SECTION
8.
Successors and Assigns of
the Company.
The terms and conditions of this Award Agreement
shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of the Company and its
successors and assigns.
SECTION
9.
Committee
Discretion.
Subject to the terms of this Award Agreement and
your Employment Agreement, the Committee shall have discretion with respect to
any actions to be taken or determinations to be made in connection with this
Award Agreement, and its determinations shall be final, binding and
conclusive.
SECTION
10.
Dispute
Resolution.
(a)
Jurisdiction and
Venue.
Notwithstanding any provision in your Employment Agreement, you
and the Company hereby irrevocably submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of (i)
the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas and (ii) the
courts of the State of Texas for the purposes of any action, suit or other
proceeding arising out of this Award Agreement or the Plan. You and the Company
agree to commence any such action, suit or other proceeding either in the United
States District Court for the Southern District of Texas or, if such action,
suit or other proceeding may not be brought in such court for jurisdictional
reasons, in the courts of the State of Texas. You and the Company further agree
that service of any process, summons, notice or document by U.S. registered mail
to the applicable address set forth in Section 11 of this Award Agreement shall
be effective service of process for any action, suit or other proceeding in
Texas with respect to any matters to which you have submitted to jurisdiction in
this Section 10(a). You and the Company irrevocably and unconditionally waive
any objection to the laying of venue of any action, suit or other proceeding
arising out of this Award Agreement or the Plan in (A) the United States
District Court for the Southern District of Texas or (B) the courts of the State
of Texas, and hereby and thereby further irrevocably and unconditionally waive
and agree not to plead or claim in any such court that any such action, suit or
other proceeding brought in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient
forum.
(b)
Waiver of Jury
Trial.
You and the Company hereby waive, to the fullest extent
permitted by applicable law, any right either of you may have to a trial by jury
in respect to any litigation directly or indirectly arising out of, under or in
connection with this Award Agreement or the Plan.
(c)
Confidentiality.
You
hereby agree to keep confidential the existence of, and any information
concerning, a dispute described in this Section 10, except that you may
disclose information concerning such dispute to the court that is considering
such dispute or to your legal counsel, accountants and other representatives
(provided that such counsel, accountants and other representatives agree not to
disclose any such information other than as necessary to the prosecution or
defense of the dispute).
SECTION
11.
Notice.
All
notices, requests, demands and other communications required or permitted to be
given under the terms of this Award Agreement shall be in writing and shall be
deemed to have been duly given when delivered by hand or overnight courier or
three Business Days after they have been mailed by U.S. registered mail, return
receipt requested, postage prepaid, addressed to the other party as set forth
below:
If
to the Company:
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Benchmark
Electronics, Inc.
3000
Technology Drive
Angleton,
Texas 77515
Attention: Legal
Dept.
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If
to you:
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To
your address as most recently supplied to the Company and set forth in the
Company’s records
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The
parties may change the address to which notices under this Award Agreement shall
be sent by providing written notice to the other in the manner specified
above.
SECTION
12.
G
overning
Law.
This Award Agreement shall be deemed to be made in the
State of Texas, and the validity, construction and effect of this Award
Agreement in all respects shall be determined in accordance with the laws of the
State of Texas, without giving effect to the conflict of law principles
thereof.
SECTION
13.
Headings and
Construction.
Headings are given to the Sections and
subsections of this Award Agreement solely as a convenience to facilitate
reference. Such headings shall not be deemed in any way material or relevant to
the construction or interpretation of this Award Agreement or any provision
thereof. Whenever the words “include”, “includes” or “including” are
used in this Award Agreement, they shall be deemed to be followed by the words
“but not limited to”. The term “or” is not exclusive.
SECTION
14.
Amendment of this
Award Agreement.
The Committee may waive any conditions or rights under,
amend any terms of, or alter, suspend, discontinue, cancel or terminate this
Award Agreement prospectively or retroactively;
provided
,
however
, that any
such waiver, amendment, alteration, suspension, discontinuance, cancelation or
termination that would materially and adversely impair your rights under this
Award Agreement shall not to that extent be effective without your consent (it
being understood, notwithstanding the foregoing proviso, that this Award
Agreement and the Options shall be subject to the provisions of Section 7(c) of
the Plan).
SECTION
15.
Counterparts.
This
Award Agreement may be signed in counterparts, each of which shall be an
original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon
the same instrument.
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have duly executed this Award Agreement as of the
date first written above.
BENCHMARK
ELECTRONICS, INC.,
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by
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Name:
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Title:
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Exhibit
4.11
[FORM OF
RESTRICTED SHARE AWARD AGREEMENT]
Restricted
Share Award Agreement under the Benchmark Electronics, Inc. 2010 Omnibus
Incentive Compensation Plan, dated as of [●], between Benchmark Electronics,
Inc. (the “
Company
”), a Texas
corporation, and [NAME].
This
Restricted Share Award Agreement (this “
Award Agreement
”)
sets forth the terms and conditions of an award (the “
Award
”) of [●] shares
of the Company’s common stock, $0.10 par value per share (each, a “
Share
”), that are
being granted to you on the date hereof (such date, the “
Grant Date
”), that
are subject to the terms and conditions specified herein (“
Restricted Shares
”),
and that are granted to you under the Benchmark Electronics, Inc. 2010 Omnibus
Incentive Compensation Plan (the “
Plan
”).
THIS
AWARD IS SUBJECT TO ALL TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE PLAN AND THIS AWARD
AGREEMENT, INCLUDING THE DISPUTE RESOLUTION PROVISIONS SET FORTH IN SECTION 10
OF THIS AWARD AGREEMENT. BY SIGNING YOUR NAME BELOW, YOU SHALL HAVE
CONFIRMED YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THIS AWARD
AGREEMENT.
SECTION
1.
The
Plan.
This Award is made pursuant to the Plan, all the terms
of which are hereby incorporated in this Award Agreement. In the
event of any conflict between the terms of the Plan and the terms of this Award
Agreement, the terms of the Plan shall govern. In the event of any
conflict between the terms of this Award Agreement and the terms of any
individual employment agreement between you and the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries (an “
Employment
Agreement”
), the terms of your Employment Agreement shall
govern.
SECTION
2.
Definitions.
Capitalized
terms used in this Award Agreement that are not defined in this Award Agreement
have the meanings as used or defined in the Plan. As used in this
Award Agreement, the following terms have the meanings set forth
below:
(a)
“
Business Day
” means a
day that is not a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which banking institutions are
legally permitted to be closed in the City of New York.
(b)
“
Cause
” means the
occurrence of any one of the following:
(i)
your
gross negligence in the performance of your duties with the Company, which gross
negligence results in a material adverse effect on the Company, provided that no
such gross negligence shall constitute “Cause” if it relates to an action taken
or omitted by you in the good faith, reasonable belief that such action or
omission was in or not opposed to the best interests of the
Company;
(ii)
your
habitual neglect or disregard of your duties with the Company that is materially
and demonstrably injurious to the Company, after written notice from the Company
stating the duties you have failed to perform;
(iii)
your
engaging in conduct or misconduct that materially harms the reputation or
financial position of the Company;
(iv)
your
obstruction, impedance or failure to materially cooperate with an investigation
authorized by the Board, a self-regulatory organization empowered with
self-regulatory responsibilities under Federal or state laws, or a governmental
department or agency; or
(v)
your
conviction of a felony, provided that no such conviction will constitute “Cause”
if it relates to an action taken or omitted by you in the good faith, reasonable
belief that such action or omission was in or not opposed to the best interests
of the Company.
(c)
“
Good Reason
” means
the occurrence of any one of the following:
(i)
a
material diminution of your duties or responsibilities;
(ii)
a
greater than 10% reduction in your base salary, annual bonus opportunity or
long-term incentive compensation opportunity; or
(iii)
a
material breach by the Company of any provision of your Employment Agreement or
any other agreement between you and the Company.
A
termination of your employment by you for Good Reason shall be effectuated by
giving the Company written notice (“
Notice of Termination for
Good Reason
”), not later than 90 days following the date of the
occurrence of the circumstance that constitutes Good Reason, setting forth in
reasonable detail the specific conduct of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
that constitutes Good Reason and the specific provisions of this Award
Agreement, your Employment Agreement or any other agreement between you and the
Company on which you relied. The Company shall be entitled, during
the 30-day period following receipt of a Notice of Termination for Good Reason,
to cure the circumstances that gave rise to Good Reason, provided that the
Company shall be entitled to waive its right to cure or reduce the cure period
by delivery of written notice to that effect to you (such 30-day or shorter
period, the “
Cure
Period
”). If, during the Cure Period, such circumstance is
remedied, you shall not be permitted to terminate your employment for Good
Reason as a result of such circumstance. If, at the end of the Cure
Period, the circumstance that constitutes Good Reason has not been remedied, you
shall be entitled to terminate your employment for Good Reason during the 90-day
period that follows the end of the Cure Period (the “
Termination
Period
”). If you do not terminate your employment during the
Termination Period, you shall not be permitted to terminate your employment for
Good Reason as a result of such circumstance.
(d)
“
Vesting Date
” means
each date on which your rights with respect to all or a portion of the
Restricted Shares subject to this Award Agreement may become fully vested, and
the restrictions set forth in this Award Agreement may lapse, as provided in
Section 3(a) or 3(b) of this Award Agreement.
SECTION
3.
Vesting and
Delivery.
(a)
Regularly Scheduled
Vesting.
On each Vesting Date set forth below, your rights
with respect to the number of Restricted Shares that corresponds to such Vesting
Date, as specified in the chart below, shall become vested and such Restricted
Shares shall become nonforfeitable and transferable, provided that you must be
employed by the Company or one of its Subsidiaries on the relevant Vesting Date,
except as otherwise determined by the Committee in its sole discretion or as
otherwise provided in your Employment Agreement.
Scheduled Vesting Date
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Incremental
Percentage Vested
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Incremental Number of
Restricted Shares Vested
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«Vesting_Date_1»
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(b)
Vesting following a Change
of Control.
If, during the two-year period immediately
following a Change of Control, your employment is terminated by the Company or
any of its Subsidiaries without Cause or you terminate your employment for Good
Reason, then the date of such termination shall be deemed to be the Vesting Date
of any then outstanding Restricted Shares.
(c)
Delivery of
Shares.
On or following the date of this Award Agreement, the
Restricted Shares subject to this Award Agreement shall be evidenced in such
manner as the Company shall determine. Any certificate or book entry
credit issued or entered in respect of such Restricted Shares shall be
registered in your name and shall bear an appropriate legend referring to the
terms, conditions and restrictions applicable to the Restricted Shares,
substantially in the following form:
“The
transferability of the shares of stock represented hereby is subject to the
terms and conditions (including forfeiture) of the Benchmark Electronics, Inc.
2010 Omnibus Incentive Compensation Plan and an Award Agreement, as well as the
terms and conditions of applicable law. Copies of such Plan and
Agreement are on file at the offices of Benchmark Electronics,
Inc.”
The
Company shall require that the certificates or book entry credits evidencing
title of the Restricted Shares be held in custody by the Company until such
time, if any, as your rights with respect to the Restricted Shares have vested,
and the Company may require that, as a condition of your receiving the
Restricted Shares you shall have delivered to the Company a stock power,
endorsed in blank, relating to such Restricted Shares. To the extent
that your rights with respect to the Restricted Shares become vested, the legend
set forth above shall be removed from the certificates or book entry credits
evidencing such Shares.
SECTION
4.
Forfeiture of Restricted
Shares.
Unless the Committee determines otherwise, and except
as otherwise provided in your Employment Agreement or Section 3(b) of this Award
Agreement, if your rights with respect to any Restricted Shares awarded to you
pursuant to this Award Agreement have not become vested prior to the date on
which your employment with the Company and its Subsidiaries terminates, your
rights with respect to such Restricted Shares shall immediately terminate, and
you shall be entitled to no further payments or benefits with respect
thereto.
SECTION
5.
Voting Rights;
Dividends.
Prior to the date on which your rights with respect
to a Restricted Share have become vested, and the restrictions set forth in this
Award Agreement with respect to such Restricted Share have lapsed, you shall be
entitled to exercise voting rights with respect to such Restricted Share and
shall be entitled to receive dividends or other distributions with respect
thereto;
provided
that any
such dividends or distributions paid in Shares shall constitute Restricted
Shares and be subject to all of the same restrictions as the Restricted Shares
with respect to which they were paid.
SECTION
6.
Non-Transferability of
Restricted Shares.
Unless otherwise provided by the Committee
in its discretion, Restricted Shares may not be sold, assigned, alienated,
transferred, pledged, attached or otherwise encumbered except as provided in
Section 9(a) of the Plan. Any purported sale, assignment, alienation,
transfer, pledge, attachment or other encumbrance of a Restricted Share in
violation of the provisions of this Section 6 and Section 9(a) of the Plan shall
be void.
SECTION 7.
Section 83(b) Election,
Withholding, Consents and Legends.
(a)
Section 83(b)
Election.
You are authorized, if you so choose, to file an election with
the Internal Revenue Service pursuant to Section 83(b) of the Code with respect
to all or a portion of the Restricted Shares. You agree that if you make such
Section 83(b) election, you shall provide a copy of such election to the Company
not later than ten days after filing the election with the Internal Revenue
Service or other governmental authority. The Company has made no recommendation
to you with respect to the advisability of making any such election. You
acknowledge that it is your sole responsibility to seek advice regarding Section
83(b) of the Code and to determine the effect of making or failing to make such
election.
(b)
Withholding.
The
delivery of Shares pursuant to Section 3(c) of this Award Agreement is
conditioned on satisfaction of any applicable withholding taxes in accordance
with Section 9(d) of the Plan. In the event that there is withholding tax
liability in connection with the vesting of the Restricted Shares, you may
satisfy, in whole or in part, any withholding tax liability by having the
Company withhold from the Shares that have vested a number of Shares having a
Fair Market Value (which shall either have the meaning set forth in the Plan or
shall have such other meaning as determined by the Company in accordance with
applicable withholding requirements) equal to such withholding tax
liability.
(c)
Consents; Compliance with
Law.
Your rights in respect of the Restricted Shares are conditioned on
the receipt to the full satisfaction of the Committee of any required consents
that the Committee may determine to be necessary or advisable (including your
consenting to the Company’s supplying to any third-party recordkeeper of the
Plan such personal information as the Committee deems advisable to administer
the Plan) and, in accordance with Section 9(l) of the Plan, subject to the
Committee’s determination that the issuance of Shares pursuant to this Award
Agreement is compliant with applicable law.
(d)
Legends.
In addition
to the legend set forth in Section 3(c) of this Award Agreement, the Company may
affix to certificates for Shares issued pursuant to this Award Agreement any
other legend that the Committee determines to be necessary or advisable
(including to reflect any restrictions to which you may be subject under any
applicable securities laws). The Company may advise the transfer agent to place
a stop order against any legended Shares.
SECTION 8.
Successors and Assigns of
the Company.
The terms and conditions of this Award Agreement shall be
binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of the Company and its successors
and assigns.
SECTION 9.
Committee Discretion.
Subject to the terms of this Award Agreement and your Employment Agreement, the
Committee shall have discretion with respect to any actions to be taken or
determinations to be made in connection with this Award Agreement, and its
determinations shall be final, binding and conclusive.
SECTION 10.
Dispute Resolution.
(a)
Jurisdiction and
Venue.
Notwithstanding any provision in your Employment Agreement, you
and the Company hereby irrevocably submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of (i)
the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas and (ii) the
courts of the State of Texas for the purposes of any action, suit or other
proceeding arising out of this Award Agreement or the Plan. You and the Company
agree to commence any such action, suit or other proceeding either in the United
States District Court for the Southern District of Texas or, if such action,
suit or other proceeding may not be brought in such court for jurisdictional
reasons, in the courts of the State of Texas. You and the Company further agree
that service of any process, summons, notice or document by U.S. registered mail
to the applicable address set forth in Section 11 of this Award Agreement shall
be effective service of process for any action, suit or other proceeding in
Texas with respect to any matters to which you have submitted to jurisdiction in
this Section 10(a). You and the Company irrevocably and unconditionally waive
any objection to the laying of venue of any action, suit or other proceeding
arising out of this Award Agreement or the Plan in (A) the United States
District Court for the Southern District of Texas or (B) the courts of the State
of Texas, and hereby and thereby further irrevocably and unconditionally waive
and agree not to plead or claim in any such court that any such action, suit or
other proceeding brought in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient
forum.
(b)
Waiver of Jury Trial.
You and the Company hereby waive, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable
law, any right either of you may have to a trial by jury in respect to any
litigation directly or indirectly arising out of, under or in connection with
this Award Agreement or the Plan.
(c)
Confidentiality.
You
hereby agree to keep confidential the existence of, and any information
concerning, a dispute described in this Section 10, except that you may disclose
information concerning such dispute to the court that is considering such
dispute or to your legal counsel, accountants and other representatives
(provided that such counsel, accountants and other representatives agree not to
disclose any such information other than as necessary to the prosecution or
defense of the dispute).
SECTION 11.
Notice.
All notices,
requests, demands and other communications required or permitted to be given
under the terms of this Award Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed
to have been duly given when delivered by hand or overnight courier or three
Business Days after they have been mailed by U.S. registered mail, return
receipt requested, postage prepaid, addressed to the other party as set forth
below:
If
to the Company:
|
Benchmark
Electronics, Inc.
3000
Technology Drive
Angleton,
Texas 77515
Attention: Legal
Dept.
|
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|
If
to you:
|
To
your address as most recently supplied to the Company and set forth in the
Company’s records
|
The
parties may change the address to which notices under this Award Agreement shall
be sent by providing written notice to the other in the manner specified
above.
SECTION
12.
G
overning
Law.
This Award Agreement shall be deemed to be made in the
State of Texas, and the validity, construction and effect of this Award
Agreement in all respects shall be determined in accordance with the laws of the
State of Texas, without giving effect to the conflict of law principles
thereof.
SECTION
13.
Headings and
Construction.
Headings are given to the Sections and
subsections of this Award Agreement solely as a convenience to facilitate
reference. Such headings shall not be deemed in any way material or relevant to
the construction or interpretation of this Award Agreement or any provision
thereof. Whenever the words “include”, “includes” or “including” are
used in this Award Agreement, they shall be deemed to be followed by the words
“but not limited to”. The term “or” is not exclusive.
SECTION 14.
Amendment of this Award
Agreement.
The Committee may waive any conditions or rights under, amend
any terms of, or alter, suspend, discontinue, cancel or terminate this Award
Agreement prospectively or retroactively;
provided
,
however
, that any
such waiver, amendment, alteration, suspension, discontinuance, cancelation or
termination that would materially and adversely impair your rights under this
Award Agreement shall not to that extent be effective without your consent (it
being understood, notwithstanding the foregoing proviso, that this Award
Agreement and the Restricted Shares shall be subject to the provisions of
Section 7(c) of the Plan).
SECTION
15.
Counterparts.
This
Award Agreement may be signed in counterparts, each of which shall be an
original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon
the same instrument.
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have duly executed this Award Agreement as of the
date first written above.
BENCHMARK
ELECTRONICS, INC.,
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by
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Name:
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Title:
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Exhibit
4.12
[FORM OF
RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT AWARD AGREEMENT]
Restricted
Stock Unit Award Agreement under the Benchmark Electronics, Inc. 2010 Omnibus
Incentive Compensation Plan, dated as of [●], between Benchmark Electronics,
Inc. (the “
Company
”), a Texas
corporation, and [NAME].
This
Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement (this “
Award Agreement
”)
sets forth the terms and conditions of an award (the “
Award
”) of [●]
restricted stock units that are subject to the terms and conditions specified
herein (“
RSUs
”)
and that are being granted to you on the date hereof under the Benchmark
Electronics, Inc. 2010 Omnibus Incentive Compensation Plan (the “
Plan
”). Each
RSU subject to this Award constitutes an unfunded and unsecured promise of the
Company to deliver (or cause to be delivered) to you, subject to the terms of
this Award Agreement, a share of the Company’s common stock, $0.10 par value (a
“
Share
”), as
set forth in Section 3 of this Award Agreement.
THIS
AWARD IS SUBJECT TO ALL TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE PLAN AND THIS AWARD
AGREEMENT, INCLUDING THE DISPUTE RESOLUTION PROVISIONS SET FORTH IN
SECTION 10 OF THIS AWARD AGREEMENT. BY SIGNING YOUR NAME BELOW,
YOU SHALL HAVE CONFIRMED YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THIS
AWARD AGREEMENT.
SECTION
1.
The
Plan.
This Award is made pursuant to the Plan, all the terms
of which are hereby incorporated in this Award Agreement. In the
event of any conflict between the terms of the Plan and the terms of this Award
Agreement, the terms of the Plan shall govern. In the event of any
conflict between the terms of this Award Agreement and the terms of any
individual employment agreement between you and the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries (an “
Employment
Agreement
”), the terms of your Employment Agreement shall
govern.
SECTION
2.
Definitions.
Capitalized
terms used in this Award Agreement that are not defined in this Award Agreement
have the meanings as used or defined in the Plan. As used in this
Award Agreement, the following terms have the meanings set forth
below:
(a)
“
Business Day
” means a
day that is not a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which banking institutions are
legally permitted to be closed in the City of New York.
(b)
“
Cause
” means the
occurrence of any one of the following:
(i)
your
gross negligence in the performance of your duties with the Company, which gross
negligence results in a material adverse effect on the Company, provided that no
such gross negligence shall constitute “Cause” if it relates to an action taken
or omitted by you in the good faith, reasonable belief that such action or
omission was in or not opposed to the best interests of the
Company;
(ii)
your
habitual neglect or disregard of your duties with the Company that is materially
and demonstrably injurious to the Company, after written notice from the Company
stating the duties you have failed to perform;
(iii)
your
engaging in conduct or misconduct that materially harms the reputation or
financial position of the Company;
(iv)
your
obstruction, impedance or failure to materially cooperate with an investigation
authorized by the Board, a self-regulatory organization empowered with
self-regulatory responsibilities under Federal or state laws, or a governmental
department or agency; or
(v)
your
conviction of a felony, provided that no such conviction will constitute “Cause”
if it relates to an action taken or omitted by you in the good faith, reasonable
belief that such action or omission was in or not opposed to the best interests
of the Company.
(c)
“
Good Reason
” means
the occurrence of any one of the following:
(i)
a
material diminution of your duties or responsibilities;
(ii)
a
greater than 10% reduction in your base salary, annual bonus opportunity or
long-term incentive compensation opportunity; or
(iii)
a
material breach by the Company of any provision of your Employment Agreement or
any other agreement between you and the Company.
A
termination of your employment by you for Good Reason shall be effectuated by
giving the Company written notice (“
Notice of Termination for
Good Reason
”), not later than 90 days following the date of the
occurrence of the circumstance that constitutes Good Reason, setting forth in
reasonable detail the specific conduct of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
that constitutes Good Reason and the specific provisions of this Award
Agreement, your Employment Agreement or any other agreement between you and the
Company on which you relied. The Company shall be entitled, during
the 30-day period following receipt of a Notice of Termination for Good Reason,
to cure the circumstances that gave rise to Good Reason, provided that the
Company shall be entitled to waive its right to cure or reduce the cure period
by delivery of written notice to that effect to you (such 30-day or shorter
period, the “
Cure
Period
”). If, during the Cure Period, such circumstance is
remedied, you shall not be permitted to terminate your employment for Good
Reason as a result of such circumstance. If, at the end of the Cure
Period, the circumstance that constitutes Good Reason has not been remedied, you
shall be entitled to terminate your employment for Good Reason during the 90-day
period that follows the end of the Cure Period (the “
Termination
Period
”). If you do not terminate your employment during the
Termination Period, you shall not be permitted to terminate your employment for
Good Reason as a result of such circumstance.
(d)
“
Vesting Date
” means
each date on which your rights with respect to all or a portion of the RSUs
subject to this Award Agreement may become fully vested, as provided in
Section 3(a) or 3(b) of this Award Agreement.
SECTION
3.
Vesting
and Delivery.
(a)
Regularly Scheduled
Vesting.
On each Vesting Date set forth below, your rights
with respect to the number of RSUs that corresponds to such Vesting Date, as
specified in the chart below, shall become vested, provided that you must be
employed by the Company or one of its Subsidiaries on the relevant Vesting Date,
except as otherwise determined by the Committee in its sole discretion or as
otherwise provided in your Employment Agreement.
Scheduled Vesting Date
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Incremental
Percentage Vested
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Incremental Number of
Restricted Stock Units
Vested
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«Vesting_Date_1»
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[ ]%
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«Vesting_Date_2»
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[ ]%
|
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«Vesting_Date_3»
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[ ]%
|
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«Vesting_Date_4»
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[ ]%
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(b)
Vesting following a Change
of Control.
If, during the two-year period immediately
following a Change of Control, your employment is terminated by the Company or
any of its Subsidiaries without Cause or you terminate your employment for Good
Reason, then the date of such termination shall be deemed to be the Vesting Date
of any then outstanding RSUs.
(c)
Delivery of
Shares.
On each Vesting Date, the Company shall deliver to you
one Share for each RSU that is scheduled to vest on such date in accordance with
the terms of this Award Agreement.
SECTION
4.
Forfeiture of
RSUs.
Unless the Committee determines otherwise, and except as
otherwise provided in your Employment Agreement or Section 3(b) of this Award
Agreement, if your rights with respect to any RSUs awarded to you pursuant to
this Award Agreement have not become vested prior to the date on which your
employment with the Company and its Subsidiaries terminates, your rights with
respect to such RSUs shall immediately terminate, and you shall be entitled to
no further payments or benefits with respect thereto.
SECTION
5.
Voting
Rights; Dividend Equivalents.
Prior to the date on which
Shares are delivered to you in settlement of the RSUs pursuant to this Award
Agreement, you shall not be entitled to exercise any voting rights with respect
to the Shares underlying such RSUs and shall not be entitled to receive
dividends or other distributions with respect to such Shares.
SECTION
6.
Non-Transferability of
RSUs.
Unless otherwise provided by the Committee in its
discretion, RSUs may not be sold, assigned, alienated, transferred, pledged,
attached or otherwise encumbered except as provided in Section 9(a) of the
Plan. Any purported sale, assignment, alienation, transfer, pledge,
attachment or other encumbrance of an RSU in violation of the provisions of this
Section 6 and Section 9(a) of the Plan shall be void.
SECTION
7.
Withholding, Consents and
Legends.
(a)
Withholding.
The
delivery of Shares pursuant to Section 3 of this Award Agreement is conditioned
on satisfaction of any applicable withholding taxes in accordance with Section
9(d) of the Plan. In the event that there is withholding tax
liability in connection with the settlement of RSUs, you may satisfy, in whole
or in part, any withholding tax liability by having the Company withhold from
the Shares you would be entitled to receive upon settlement of the RSUs a number
of Shares having a Fair Market Value (which shall either have the meaning set
forth in the Plan or shall have such other meaning as determined by the Company
in accordance with applicable withholding requirements) equal to such
withholding tax liability.
(b)
Consents; Compliance with
Law.
Your rights in respect of the RSUs are conditioned on the
receipt to the full satisfaction of the Committee of any required consents that
the Committee may determine to be necessary or advisable (including your
consenting to the Company’s supplying to any third-party recordkeeper of the
Plan such personal information as the Committee deems advisable to administer
the Plan) and, in accordance with Section 9(l) of the Plan, subject to the
Committee’s determination that the issuance of Shares pursuant to this Award
Agreement is compliant with applicable law.
(c)
Legends.
The
Company may affix to certificates for Shares issued pursuant to this Award
Agreement any legend that the Committee determines to be necessary or advisable
(including to reflect any restrictions to which you may be subject under any
applicable securities laws). The Company may advise the transfer
agent to place a stop order against any legended Shares.
SECTION
8.
Successors and Assigns of
the Company.
The terms and conditions of this Award Agreement
shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of the Company and its
successors and assigns.
SECTION
9.
Committee
Discretion.
Subject to the terms of this Award Agreement and
your Employment Agreement, the Committee shall have discretion with respect to
any actions to be taken or determinations to be made in connection with this
Award Agreement, and its determinations shall be final, binding and
conclusive.
SECTION
10.
Dispute
Resolution.
(a)
Jurisdiction and
Venue.
Notwithstanding any provision in your Employment
Agreement, you and the Company hereby irrevocably submit to the exclusive
jurisdiction of (i) the United States District Court for the Southern
District of Texas and (ii) the courts of the State of Texas for the
purposes of any action, suit or other proceeding arising out of this Award
Agreement or the Plan. You and the Company agree to commence any such
action, suit or other proceeding either in the United States District Court for
the Southern District of Texas or, if such action, suit or other proceeding may
not be brought in such court for jurisdictional reasons, in the courts of the
State of Texas. You and the Company further agree that service of any
process, summons, notice or document by U.S. registered mail to the applicable
address set forth in Section 11 of this Award Agreement shall be effective
service of process for any action, suit or other proceeding in Texas with
respect to any matters to which you have submitted to jurisdiction in this
Section 10(a). You and the Company irrevocably and unconditionally
waive any objection to the laying of venue of any action, suit or other
proceeding arising out of this Award Agreement or the Plan in (A) the
United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas or (B) the
courts of the State of Texas, and hereby and thereby further irrevocably and
unconditionally waive and agree not to plead or claim in any such court that any
such action, suit or other proceeding brought in any such court has been brought
in an inconvenient forum.
(b)
Waiver of Jury
Trial.
You and the Company hereby waive, to the fullest extent
permitted by applicable law, any right either of you may have to a trial by jury
in respect to any litigation directly or indirectly arising out of, under or in
connection with this Award Agreement or the Plan.
(c)
Confidentiality.
You
hereby agree to keep confidential the existence of, and any information
concerning, a dispute described in this Section 10, except that you may
disclose information concerning such dispute to the court that is considering
such dispute or to your legal counsel, accountants and other representatives
(provided that such counsel, accountants and other representatives agree not to
disclose any such information other than as necessary to the prosecution or
defense of the dispute).
SECTION
11.
Notice.
All
notices, requests, demands and other communications required or permitted to be
given under the terms of this Award Agreement shall be in writing and shall be
deemed to have been duly given when delivered by hand or overnight courier or
three Business Days after they have been mailed by U.S. registered mail, return
receipt requested, postage prepaid, addressed to the other party as set forth
below:
If
to the Company:
|
Benchmark
Electronics, Inc.
3000
Technology Drive
Angleton,
Texas 77515
Attention: Legal
Dept.
|
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|
If
to you:
|
To
your address as most recently supplied to the Company and set forth in the
Company’s records
|
The
parties may change the address to which notices under this Award Agreement shall
be sent by providing written notice to the other in the manner specified
above.
SECTION
12.
G
overning
Law.
This Award Agreement shall be deemed to be made in the
State of Texas, and the validity, construction and effect of this Award
Agreement in all respects shall be determined in accordance with the laws of the
State of Texas, without giving effect to the conflict of law principles
thereof.
SECTION
13.
Headings and
Construction.
Headings are given to the Sections and
subsections of this Award Agreement solely as a convenience to facilitate
reference. Such headings shall not be deemed in any way material or relevant to
the construction or interpretation of this Award Agreement or any provision
thereof. Whenever the words “include”, “includes” or “including” are
used in this Award Agreement, they shall be deemed to be followed by the words
“but not limited to”. The term “or” is not exclusive.
SECTION
14.
Amendment of this Award
Agreement.
The Committee may waive any conditions or rights
under, amend any terms of, or alter, suspend, discontinue, cancel or terminate
this Award Agreement prospectively or retroactively;
provided
,
however
, that any
such waiver, amendment, alteration, suspension, discontinuance, cancelation or
termination that would materially and adversely impair your rights under this
Award Agreement shall not to that extent be effective without your consent (it
being understood, notwithstanding the foregoing proviso, that this Award
Agreement and the RSUs shall be subject to the provisions of Section 7(c)
of the Plan).
SECTION
15.
Section
409A.
(a) For purposes of Section 409A of the Code
(“
Section
409A
”), it is intended that amounts payable pursuant to this Award
Agreement qualify for the short-term deferral exception under Treas. Reg.
Section 1.409A-1(b)(4) or any successor thereto, and all provisions of this
Award Agreement shall be construed and interpreted in a manner consistent with
such exception.
(b)
In
the event that it is determined that any amounts payable pursuant to this Award
Agreement do not qualify for the short-term deferral exception under Treas. Reg.
Section 1.409A-1(b)(4) or any successor thereto, it is intended that the
provisions of this Award Agreement comply with Section 409A, and all
provisions of this Award Agreement shall be construed and interpreted in a
manner consistent with the requirements for avoiding taxes or penalties under
Section 409A and any similar state or local law.
(c)
Neither
you nor any of your creditors or beneficiaries shall have the right to subject
any deferred compensation (within the meaning of Section 409A) payable
under this Award Agreement to any anticipation, alienation, sale, transfer,
assignment, pledge, encumbrance, attachment or garnishment. Except as
permitted under Section 409A, any deferred compensation (within the meaning
of Section 409A) payable to you or for your benefit under this Award
Agreement may not be reduced by, or offset against, any amount owing by you to
the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.
(d)
To
the extent required by Section 409A, any amount payable under the Award
Agreement that constitutes deferred compensation (within the meaning of
Section 409A) subject to, and not exempt from, Section 409A, payable
or provided to you upon a termination of employment shall only be paid or
provided to you upon your separation from service (within the meaning of Section
409A). If, at the time of your separation from service, (i) you
are a specified employee (within the meaning of Section 409A and using the
identification methodology selected by the Company from time to time) and
(ii) the Company shall make a good faith determination that an amount
payable under this Award Agreement constitutes deferred compensation the payment
of which is required to be delayed pursuant to the six-month delay rule set
forth in Section 409A in order to avoid taxes or penalties under
Section 409A, then the Company (or its Subsidiary, as applicable) shall not
pay such amount on the otherwise scheduled payment date but shall instead
accumulate such amount and pay it, without interest, on the first business day
after such six-month period.
(e)
You
shall be solely responsible and liable for the satisfaction of all taxes and
penalties that may be imposed on you or for your account in connection with this
Award Agreement (including any taxes and penalties under Section 409A), and
neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries shall have any obligation to
indemnify or otherwise hold you harmless from any or all such taxes or
penalties.
SECTION
16.
Counterparts.
This
Award Agreement may be signed in counterparts, each of which shall be an
original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon
the same instrument.
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have duly executed this Award Agreement as of the
date first written above.
BENCHMARK
ELECTRONICS, INC.,
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by
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Name:
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Title:
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Exhibit
99.1
BENCHMARK
ELECTRONICS, INC.
2010
OMNIBUS INCENTIVE COMPENSATION PLAN
SECTION
1.
Purpose.
The
purpose of this Benchmark Electronics, Inc. 2010 Omnibus Incentive Compensation
Plan (the “Plan”) is to promote the interests of Benchmark Electronics, Inc. and
its shareholders by (a) attracting and retaining exceptional directors,
officers, employees and consultants (including prospective directors, officers,
employees and consultants) of the Company (as defined below) and its Affiliates
(as defined below) and (b) enabling such individuals to participate in the
growth and financial success of the Company. This Plan is intended to replace
the Benchmark Electronics, Inc. 2000 Stock Awards Plan (the “Prior Plan”), which
Prior Plan shall be automatically terminated and replaced and superseded by this
Plan on the date on which this Plan is approved by the Company’s shareholders,
except that any awards granted under the Prior Plan shall remain in effect
pursuant to their terms.
SECTION
2.
Definitions.
As
used herein, the following terms shall have the meanings set forth
below:
“Affiliate”
means (a) any entity that, directly or indirectly, is controlled by, controls or
is under common control with, the Company and/or (b) any entity in which the
Company has a significant equity interest, in either case, as determined by the
Committee.
“Award”
means any award that is permitted under Section 6 and granted under the
Plan.
“Award
Agreement” means any written agreement, contract or other instrument or document
evidencing any Award, which may (but need not) require execution or
acknowledgment by a Participant.
“Board”
means the Board of Directors of the Company.
“Cash
Incentive Award” means an Award granted pursuant to Section 6(g).
“Change
of Control” shall (a) have the meaning set forth in an Award Agreement or (b) if
there is no definition set forth in an Award Agreement, mean the occurrence of
any of the following events:
(i) during
any period of 24 consecutive calendar months, individuals who were directors of
the Company on the first day of such period (the “Incumbent Directors”) cease
for any reason to constitute a majority of the Board;
provided
,
however
, that any
individual becoming a director subsequent to the first day of such period whose
election, or nomination for election, by the Company’s shareholders was approved
by a vote of at least a majority of the Incumbent Directors shall be considered
as though such individual were an Incumbent Director, but excluding, for
purposes of this proviso, any such individual whose initial assumption of office
occurs as a result of an actual or threatened proxy contest with respect to
election or removal of directors or other actual or threatened solicitation of
proxies or consents by or on behalf of a “person” (as such term is used in
Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act) (a “Person”), in each case, other than the
management of the Company or the Board;
Exhibit
99.1
(ii) the
consummation of a merger, consolidation, statutory share exchange or similar
form of corporate transaction involving (x) the Company or (y) any of its
Subsidiaries, but in the case of this clause (y) only if Company Voting
Securities (as defined below) are issued or issuable, or the sale or other
disposition of all or substantially all the assets of the Company to an entity
that is not an Affiliate (each of the foregoing events being hereinafter
referred to as a “Reorganization”), in each case, unless, immediately following
such Reorganization, (1) all or substantially all the individuals and entities
who were the “beneficial owners” (as such term is defined in Rule 13d-3 under
the Exchange Act (or a successor rule thereto)) of the securities eligible to
vote for the election of the Board (“Company Voting Securities”) outstanding
immediately prior to the consummation of such Reorganization continue to
beneficially own, directly or indirectly, more than 50% of the combined voting
power of the then outstanding voting securities of the corporation or other
entity resulting from such Reorganization (including, without limitation, a
corporation that, as a result of such transaction, owns the Company or all or
substantially all the Company’s assets either directly or through one or more
subsidiaries) (the “Continuing Company”) in substantially the same proportions
as their ownership, immediately prior to the consummation of such
Reorganization, of the outstanding Company Voting Securities (excluding, for
purposes of determining such proportions, any outstanding voting securities of
the Continuing Company that such beneficial owners hold immediately following
the consummation of the Reorganization as a result of their ownership prior to
such consummation of voting securities of any corporation or other entity
involved in or forming part of such Reorganization other than the Company), (2)
no Person (excluding any employee benefit plan (or related trust) sponsored or
maintained by the Continuing Company or any corporation controlled by the
Continuing Company) beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, 50% or more of
the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities of the
Continuing Company and (3) at least a majority of the members of the board of
directors of the Continuing Company (or equivalent body) were Incumbent
Directors at the time of the execution of the definitive agreement providing for
such Reorganization or, in the absence of such an agreement, at the time at
which approval of the Board was obtained for such Reorganization;
(iii) the
shareholders of the Company approve a plan of complete liquidation or
dissolution of the Company unless such liquidation or dissolution is part of a
transaction or series of transactions described in paragraph (ii) above that
does not otherwise constitute a Change of Control; or
(iv) any
Person, corporation or other entity or “group” (as used in Section 14(d)(2) of
the Exchange Act) (other than (A) the Company, (B) any trustee or other
fiduciary holding securities under an employee benefit plan of the Company or an
Affiliate or (C) any company owned, directly or indirectly, by the shareholders
of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of the
voting power of the Company Voting Securities) becomes the beneficial owner,
directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing 50% or more of
the combined voting power of the Company Voting Securities;
provided
,
however
, that for
purposes of this subparagraph (iv), the following acquisitions shall not
constitute a Change of Control: (x) any acquisition directly from the
Company, (y) any acquisition by an underwriter temporarily holding such Company
Voting Securities pursuant to an offering of such securities or (z) any
acquisition pursuant to a Reorganization that does not constitute a Change of
Control for purposes of subparagraph (ii) above.
“Code”
means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time, or any
successor statute thereto, and the regulations promulgated
thereunder.
“Committee”
means the compensation committee of the Board, or such other committee of the
Board as may be designated by the Board to administer the Plan.
“Company”
means Benchmark Electronics, Inc., a corporation organized under the laws of
Texas, together with any successor thereto.
“Deferred
Share Unit” means a deferred share unit Award that represents an unfunded and
unsecured promise to deliver Shares in accordance with the terms of the
applicable Award Agreement.
“Exchange
Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended from time to time, or
any successor statute thereto, and the regulations promulgated
thereunder.
“Exercise
Price” means (a) in the case of Options, the price specified in the applicable
Award Agreement as the price-per-Share at which Shares may be purchased pursuant
to such Option or (b) in the case of SARs, the price specified in the applicable
Award Agreement as the reference price-per-Share used to calculate the amount
payable to the applicable Participant.
Exhibit
99.1
“Fair
Market Value” means, except as otherwise provided in the applicable Award
Agreement, (a) with respect to any property other than Shares, the fair market
value of such property determined by such methods or procedures as shall be
established from time to time by the Committee and (b) with respect to Shares as
of any date, (i) the closing per-share sales price of the Shares (A) as reported
by the NYSE for such date or (B) if the Shares are listed on any other national
stock exchange, as reported on the stock exchange composite tape for securities
traded on such stock exchange for such date or, with respect to each of clauses
(A) and (B), if there were no sales on such date, on the closest preceding date
on which there were sales of Shares or (ii) in the event there shall be no
public market for the Shares on such date, the fair market value of the Shares
as determined in good faith by the Committee.
“Incentive
Stock Option” means an option to purchase Shares from the Company that (a) is
granted under Section 6(b) of the Plan and (b) is intended to qualify for
special Federal income tax treatment pursuant to Sections 421 and 422 of the
Code, as now constituted or subsequently amended, or pursuant to a successor
provision of the Code, and which is so designated in the applicable Award
Agreement.
“Independent
Director” means a member of the Board (a) who is neither an employee of the
Company nor an employee of any Affiliate, and (b) who, at the time of acting, is
a “Non-Employee Director” under Rule 16b-3.
“IRS”
means the Internal Revenue Service or any successor thereto and includes the
staff thereof.
“Nonqualified
Stock Option” means an option to purchase Shares from the Company that (a) is
granted under Section 6(b) of the Plan and (b) is not an Incentive Stock
Option.
“NYSE”
means the New York Stock Exchange.
“Option”
means an Incentive Stock Option or a Nonqualified Stock Option or both, as the
context requires.
“Participant”
means any director, officer, employee or consultant (including any prospective
director, officer, employee or consultant) of the Company or its Affiliates who
is eligible for an Award under Section 5 and who is selected by the Committee to
receive an Award under the Plan or who receives a Substitute Award pursuant to
Section 4(c).
“Performance
Compensation Award” means any Award designated by the Committee as a Performance
Compensation Award pursuant to Section 6(e) of the Plan.
“Performance
Criteria” means the criterion or criteria that the Committee shall select for
purposes of establishing the Performance Goal(s) for a Performance Period with
respect to any Performance Compensation Award, Performance Unit or Cash
Incentive Award under the Plan.
“Performance
Formula” means, for a Performance Period, the one or more objective formulas
applied against the relevant Performance Goal to determine, with regard to the
Performance Compensation Award, Performance Unit or Cash Incentive Award of a
particular Participant, whether all, some portion but less than all, or none of
such Award has been earned for the Performance Period.
“Performance
Goal” means, for a Performance Period, the one or more goals established by the
Committee for the Performance Period based upon the Performance
Criteria.
“Performance
Period” means the one or more periods of time as the Committee may select over
which the attainment of one or more Performance Goals shall be
measured for the purpose of determining a Participant’s right to and the payment
of a Performance Compensation Award, Performance Unit or Cash Incentive
Award.
Exhibit
99.1
“Performance
Unit” means an Award under Section 6(f) of the Plan that has a value set by the
Committee (or that is determined by reference to a valuation formula specified
by the Committee or the Fair Market Value of Shares), which value may be paid to
the Participant by delivery of such property as the Committee shall determine,
including without limitation, cash or Shares, or any combination thereof, upon
achievement of such Performance Goals during the relevant Performance Period as
the Committee shall establish at the time of such Award or
thereafter.
“Plan”
shall have the meaning specified in Section 1.
“Prior
Plan” shall have the meaning specified in Section 1.
“Restricted
Share” means a Share that is granted under Section 6(d) of the Plan that is
subject to certain transfer restrictions, forfeiture provisions and/or other
terms and conditions specified herein and in the applicable Award
Agreement.
“RSU”
means a restricted stock unit Award that is granted under Section 6(d) of the
Plan and is designated as such in the applicable Award Agreement and that
represents an unfunded and unsecured promise to deliver Shares, cash, other
securities, other Awards or other property in accordance with the terms of the
applicable Award Agreement.
“Rule
16b-3” means Rule 16b-3 as promulgated and interpreted by the SEC under the
Exchange Act or any successor rule or regulation thereto as in effect from time
to time.
“SAR”
means a stock appreciation right Award that is granted under Section 6(c) of the
Plan and that represents an unfunded and unsecured promise to deliver Shares,
cash, other securities, other Awards or other property equal in value to the
excess, if any, of the Fair Market Value per Share over the Exercise Price per
Share of the SAR, subject to the terms of the applicable Award
Agreement.
“SEC”
means the Securities and Exchange Commission or any successor thereto and shall
include the staff thereof.
“Shares”
means shares of common stock of the Company, $0.10 par value, or such other
securities of the Company (a) into which such shares shall be changed by reason
of a recapitalization, merger, consolidation, split-up, combination, exchange of
shares or other similar transaction or (b) as may be determined by the Committee
pursuant to Section 4(b).
“Subsidiary”
means any entity in which the Company, directly or indirectly, possesses 50% or
more of the total combined voting power of all classes of its
stock.
“Substitute
Awards” shall have the meaning specified in Section 4(c).
“Substituted
Options” shall have the meaning specified in Section 6(c)(v).
“Treasury
Regulations” means all proposed, temporary and final regulations promulgated
under the Code, as such regulations may be amended from time to time (including
corresponding provisions of succeeding regulations).
SECTION
3.
Administration.
(a)
Composition of
Committee.
The Plan shall be administered by the Committee,
which shall be composed of one or more directors, as determined by the Board;
provided
that,
to the extent necessary to comply with the rules of the NYSE and Rule 16b-3 and
to satisfy any applicable requirements of Section 162(m) of the Code and any
other applicable laws or rules, the Committee shall be composed of two or more
directors, all of whom shall be Independent Directors and all of whom shall (i)
qualify as “outside directors” under Section 162(m) of the Code and (ii) meet
the independence requirements of the NYSE.
Exhibit
99.1
(b)
Authority of
Committee.
Subject to the terms of the Plan and applicable
law, and in addition to the other express powers and authorizations conferred on
the Committee by the Plan, the Committee shall have sole and plenary authority
to administer the Plan, including the authority to (i) designate Participants,
(ii) determine the type or types of Awards to be granted to a Participant, (iii)
determine the number of Shares to be covered by, or with respect to which
payments, rights or other matters are to be calculated in connection with,
Awards, (iv) determine the terms and conditions of any Awards, (v) determine the
vesting schedules of Awards and, if certain performance criteria must be
attained in order for an Award to vest or be settled or paid, establish such
performance criteria and certify whether, and to what extent, such performance
criteria have been attained, (vi) determine whether, to what extent and under
what circumstances Awards may be settled or exercised in cash, Shares, other
securities, other Awards or other property, or canceled, forfeited or suspended
and the method or methods by which Awards may be settled, exercised, canceled,
forfeited or suspended, (vii) determine whether, to what extent and under what
circumstances cash, Shares, other securities, other Awards, other property and
other amounts payable with respect to an Award shall be deferred either
automatically or at the election of the holder thereof or of the Committee,
(viii) interpret, administer, reconcile any inconsistency in, correct any
default in and/or supply any omission in, the Plan and any instrument or
agreement relating to, or Award made under, the Plan, (ix) establish, amend,
suspend or waive such rules and regulations and appoint such agents as it shall
deem appropriate for the proper administration of the Plan, (x) accelerate the
vesting or exercisability of, payment for or lapse of restrictions on, Awards,
(xi) amend an outstanding Award or grant a replacement Award for an Award
previously granted under the Plan if, in its sole discretion, the Committee
determines that (A) the tax consequences of such Award to the Company or the
Participant differ from those consequences that were expected to occur on the
date the Award was granted or (B) clarifications or interpretations of, or
changes to, tax law or regulations permit Awards to be granted that have more
favorable tax consequences than initially anticipated and (xii) make any other
determination and take any other action that the Committee deems necessary or
desirable for the administration of the Plan.
(c)
Committee
Decisions.
Unless otherwise expressly provided in the Plan,
all designations, determinations, interpretations and other decisions under or
with respect to the Plan or any Award shall be within the sole and plenary
discretion of the Committee, may be made at any time and shall be final,
conclusive and binding upon all Persons, including the Company, any Affiliate,
any Participant, any holder or beneficiary of any Award and any
shareholder.
(d)
Indemnification.
No
member of the Board, the Committee or any employee of the Company (each such
person, a “Covered Person”) shall be liable for any action taken or omitted to
be taken or any determination made in good faith with respect to the Plan or any
Award hereunder. Each Covered Person shall be indemnified and held
harmless by the Company from and against (i) any loss, cost, liability or
expense (including attorneys’ fees) that may be imposed upon or incurred by such
Covered Person in connection with or resulting from any action, suit or
proceeding to which such Covered Person may be a party or in which such Covered
Person may be involved by reason of any action taken or omitted to be taken
under the Plan or any Award Agreement and (ii) any and all amounts paid by such
Covered Person, with the Company’s approval, in settlement thereof, or paid by
such Covered Person in satisfaction of any judgment in any such action, suit or
proceeding against such Covered Person;
provided
that the
Company shall have the right, at its own expense, to assume and defend any such
action, suit or proceeding, and, once the Company gives notice of its intent to
assume the defense, the Company shall have sole control over such defense with
counsel of the Company’s choice. The foregoing right of
indemnification shall not be available to a Covered Person to the extent that a
court of competent jurisdiction in a final judgment or other final adjudication,
in either case not subject to further appeal, determines that the acts or
omissions of such Covered Person giving rise to the indemnification claim
resulted from such Covered Person’s bad faith, fraud or willful criminal act or
omission or that such right of indemnification is otherwise prohibited by law or
by the Company’s Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation or Amended and
Restated Bylaws. The foregoing right of indemnification shall not be
exclusive of any other rights of indemnification to which Covered Persons may be
entitled under the Company’s Restated Certificate of Incorporation or Restated
Bylaws, as a matter of law, or otherwise, or any other power that the Company
may have to indemnify such persons or hold them harmless.
Exhibit
99.1
(e)
Delegation of Authority to
Officers.
The Committee may delegate, on such terms and
conditions as it determines in its sole and plenary discretion, to one or more
officers of the Company the authority to make grants of Awards to officers
(other than any officer subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act), employees
and consultants of the Company and its Affiliates (including any prospective
officer (other than any such officer who is expected to be subject to Section 16
of the Exchange Act), employee or consultant) and all necessary and appropriate
decisions and determinations with respect thereto.
(f)
Awards to
directors.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained
herein, the Board may, in its sole and plenary discretion, at any time and from
time to time, grant Awards to directors or administer the Plan with respect to
such Awards. In any such case, the Board shall have all the authority
and responsibility granted to the Committee herein.
SECTION
4.
Shares
Available for Awards; Cash Payable Pursuant to
Awards.
(a)
Shares and Cash
Available.
Subject to adjustment as provided in Section 4(b),
the maximum aggregate number of Shares that may be delivered pursuant to Awards
granted under the Plan shall be equal to (i) 5,000,000 plus (ii) any Shares with
respect to awards granted under the Prior Plan that are forfeited following the
date that the Plan is approved by the Company’s shareholders (such sum, the
“Plan Share Limit”), of which 2,500,000 Shares may be delivered pursuant to
Incentive Stock Options granted under the Plan. Subject to adjustment
as provided in Section 4(b), (x) each Share with respect to which an Option or
stock-settled SAR is granted under the Plan shall reduce the Plan Share Limit by
one Share and (y) each Share with respect to which any other Award denominated
in Shares is granted under the Plan shall reduce the Plan Share Limit by 1.53
Shares. Upon grant of a stock-settled SAR, each Share with respect to
which such stock-settled SAR is exercisable shall be counted as one Share
against the Plan Share Limit, regardless of the number of Shares
actually delivered upon settlement of such stock-settled SAR. Awards
that are required to be settled in cash shall not reduce the Plan
Share Limit. If any Award granted under the Plan is (A) forfeited, or
otherwise expires, terminates or is canceled without the delivery of all Shares
subject thereto, or (B) is settled other than by the delivery of Shares
(including, without limitation, cash settlement), then, in the case of clauses
(A) and (B), the number of Shares subject to such Award that were not issued
with respect to such Award shall not be treated as issued hereunder and the Plan
Share Limit shall be increased by the number of Shares by which the Plan Share
Limit was reduced upon issuance of such Award. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, the Plan Share Limit shall not be increased as a result of the
surrender or tender of Shares to the Company in payment of the Exercise Price of
an Award or any taxes required to be withheld in respect of an
Award. Subject to adjustment as provided in Section 4(b), (1) in the
case of Awards that are settled in Shares, the maximum aggregate number of
Shares with respect to which Awards may be granted to any Participant in any
fiscal year of the Company under the Plan shall be 200,000 (each such Share
counting as one Share for purposes of this clause (1)), and (2) in the case of
Awards that are settled in cash based on the Fair Market Value of a Share, the
maximum aggregate amount of cash that may be paid pursuant to Awards granted to
any Participant in any fiscal year of the Company under the Plan shall be equal
to the per-Share Fair Market Value as of the relevant vesting, payment or
settlement date multiplied by the number of Shares described in the preceding
clause (1). In the case of all Awards other than those described in
the preceding sentence, the maximum aggregate amount of cash and other property
(valued at its Fair Market Value) other than Shares that may be paid or
delivered pursuant to Awards under the Plan to any Participant in any fiscal
year of the Company shall be equal to $4,000,000.
(b)
Adjustments for Changes in
Capitalization and Similar Events.
(i) In the
event of any extraordinary dividend or other extraordinary distribution (whether
in the form of cash, Shares, other securities or other property),
recapitalization, rights offering, stock split, reverse stock split, split-up or
spin-off, the Committee shall, in the manner determined by the Committee to be
appropriate or desirable, adjust any or all of (A) the number of Shares or other
securities of the Company (or number and kind of other securities or property)
with respect to which Awards may be granted, including (1) the maximum aggregate
number of Shares that may be delivered pursuant to Awards granted under the Plan
(including pursuant to Incentive Stock Options) and (2) the maximum number of
Shares or other securities of the Company (or number and kind of other
securities or property) with respect to which Awards may be granted to any
Participant in any fiscal year of the Company, in each case, as provided in
Section 4(a), and (B) the terms of any outstanding Award, including (1) the
number of Shares or other securities of the Company (or number and kind of other
securities or property) subject to outstanding Awards or to which outstanding
Awards relate and (2) the Exercise Price, if applicable, with respect to any
Award.
Exhibit
99.1
(ii) In
the event that the Committee determines that any reorganization, merger,
consolidation, combination, repurchase or exchange of Shares or other securities
of the Company, issuance of warrants or other rights to purchase Shares or other
securities of the Company, or other similar corporate transaction or event
affects the Shares such that an adjustment is determined by the Committee in its
discretion to be appropriate or desirable, then the Committee may (A) in such
manner as it may deem appropriate or desirable, adjust any or all of (1) the
number of Shares or other securities of the Company (or number and kind of other
securities or property) with respect to which Awards may be granted, including
(X) the Plan Share Limit and (Y) the maximum number of Shares or other
securities of the Company (or number and kind of other securities or property)
with respect to which Awards may be granted to any Participant in any fiscal
year of the Company, in each case, as provided in Section 4(a), and (2) the
terms of any outstanding Award, including (X) the number of Shares or other
securities of the Company (or number and kind of other securities or property)
subject to outstanding Awards or to which outstanding Awards relate and (Y) the
Exercise Price, if applicable, with respect to any Award, (B) if deemed
appropriate or desirable by the Committee, make provision for a cash payment to
the holder of an outstanding Award in consideration for the cancelation of such
Award, including, in the case of an outstanding Option or SAR, a cash payment to
the holder of such Option or SAR in consideration for the cancelation of such
Option or SAR in an amount equal to the excess, if any, of the Fair Market Value
(as of a date specified by the Committee) of the Shares subject to such Option
or SAR over the aggregate Exercise Price of such Option or SAR and (C) if deemed
appropriate or desirable by the Committee, cancel and terminate any Option or
SAR having a per-Share Exercise Price equal to, or in excess of, the Fair Market
Value of a Share subject to such Option or SAR without any payment or
consideration therefor.
(c)
Substitute
Awards.
Subject to the restrictions on “repricing” of Options
and SARs as set forth in Section 7(b), Awards may, in the discretion of the
Committee, be granted under the Plan in assumption of, or in substitution for,
outstanding awards previously granted by the Company or any of its Affiliates or
a company acquired by the Company or any of its Affiliates or with which the
Company or any of its Affiliates combines (“Substitute Awards”); provided,
however, that in no event may any Substitute Award be granted in a manner that
would violate the prohibitions on repricing of Options and SARSs, as set forth
in clauses (i), (ii), and (iii) of Section 7(b). The number of Shares
underlying any Substitute Awards shall be counted against the Plan Share Limit;
provided
,
however
, that
Substitute Awards issued in connection with the assumption of, or in
substitution for, outstanding awards previously granted by an entity that is
acquired by the Company or any of its Affiliates or with which the Company or
any of its Affiliates combines shall not be counted against the Plan Share
Limit;
provided
further
,
however
, that
Substitute Awards issued in connection with the assumption of, or in
substitution for, outstanding stock options intended to qualify for special tax
treatment under Sections 421 and 422 of the Code that were previously granted by
an entity that is acquired by the Company or any of its Affiliates or with which
the Company or any of its Affiliates combines shall be counted against the
maximum aggregate number of Shares available for Incentive Stock Options under
the Plan.
(d)
Sources of Shares
Deliverable Under Awards.
Any Shares delivered pursuant to an
Award may consist, in whole or in part, of authorized and unissued Shares or of
treasury Shares.
SECTION
5.
Eligibility.
Any
director, officer, employee or consultant (including any prospective director,
officer, employee or consultant) of the Company or any of its Affiliates shall
be eligible to be designated a Participant.
SECTION
6.
Awards.
(a)
Types of
Awards.
Awards may be made under the Plan in the form of (i)
Options, (ii) SARs, (iii) Restricted Shares, (iv) RSUs, (v) Performance
Compensation Awards, (vi) Performance Units, (vii) Cash Incentive Awards, (viii)
Deferred Share Units and (ix) other equity-based or equity-related Awards that
the Committee determines are consistent with the purpose of the Plan and the
interests of the Company. Awards may be granted in tandem with other
Awards. No Incentive Stock Option (other than an Incentive Stock
Option that may be assumed or issued by the Company in connection with a
transaction to which Section 424(a) of the Code applies) may be granted to a
person who is ineligible to receive an Incentive Stock Option under the
Code.
Exhibit
99.1
(b)
Options.
(i)
Grant.
Subject
to the provisions of the Plan, the Committee shall have sole and plenary
authority to determine (A) the Participants to whom Options shall be granted,
(B) subject to Section 4(a), the number of Shares subject to Options to be
granted to each Participant, (C) whether each Option shall be an Incentive Stock
Option or a Nonqualified Stock Option and (D) the conditions and limitations
applicable to the vesting and exercise of each Option. In the case of
Incentive Stock Options, the terms and conditions of such grants shall be
subject to and comply with such rules as may be prescribed by Section 422 of the
Code and any regulations related thereto, as may be amended from time to
time. All Options granted under the Plan shall be Nonqualified Stock
Options unless the applicable Award Agreement expressly states that the Option
is intended to be an Incentive Stock Option. If an Option is intended
to be an Incentive Stock Option, and if, for any reason, such Option (or any
portion thereof) shall not qualify as an Incentive Stock Option, then, to the
extent of such nonqualification, such Option (or portion thereof) shall be
regarded as a Nonqualified Stock Option appropriately granted under the Plan;
provided
that
such Option (or portion thereof) otherwise complies with the Plan’s requirements
relating to Nonqualified Stock Options.
(ii)
Exercise
Price.
The Exercise Price of each Share covered by an Option
shall be not less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of such Share (determined
as of the date the Option is granted);
provided
,
however
, in the case
of an Incentive Stock Option granted to an employee who, at the time of the
grant of such Option, owns stock representing more than 10% of the voting power
of all classes of stock of the Company or any Affiliate, the per-Share Exercise
Price shall be no less than 110% of the Fair Market Value per Share on the date
of the grant. Options are intended to qualify as “qualified
performance-based compensation” under Section 162(m) of the Code.
(iii)
Vesting and
Exercise.
Each Option shall be vested and exercisable at such
times, in such manner and subject to such terms and conditions as the Committee
may, in its sole and plenary discretion, specify in the applicable Award
Agreement or thereafter. Except as otherwise specified by the
Committee in the applicable Award Agreement, an Option may only be exercised to
the extent that it has already vested at the time of exercise. Except
as otherwise specified by the Committee in the Award Agreement, Options shall
become vested and exercisable with respect to 25% of the Shares subject to such
Options on each of the first four anniversaries of the date of
grant. An Option shall be deemed to be exercised when written or
electronic notice of such exercise has been given to the Company in accordance
with the terms of the Award by the person entitled to exercise the Award and
full payment pursuant to Section 6(b)(iv) for the Shares with respect to which
the Award is exercised has been received by the Company. Exercise of
an Option in any manner shall result in a decrease in the number of Shares that
thereafter may be available for sale under the Option. The Committee
may impose such conditions with respect to the exercise of Options, including,
without limitation, any conditions relating to the application of Federal or
state securities laws, as it may deem necessary or advisable.
(iv)
Payment.
(A) No
Shares shall be delivered pursuant to any exercise of an Option until payment in
full of the aggregate Exercise Price therefor is received by the Company, and
the Participant has paid to the Company (or the Company has withheld in
accordance with Section 9(d)) an amount equal to any Federal, state, local and
foreign income and employment taxes required to be withheld. Such
payments may be made in cash (or its equivalent) or, in the Committee’s sole and
plenary discretion, (1) by exchanging Shares owned by the Participant (which are
not the subject of any pledge or other security interest), (2) if there shall be
a public market for the Shares at such time, subject to such rules as may be
established by the Committee, through delivery of irrevocable instructions to a
broker to sell the Shares otherwise deliverable upon the exercise of the Option
and to deliver promptly to the Company an amount equal to the aggregate Exercise
Price or (3) through any other method (or combination of methods) as approved by
the Committee;
provided
that the
combined value of all cash and cash equivalents and the Fair Market Value of any
such Shares so tendered to the Company, together with any Shares withheld by the
Company in accordance with Section 9(d), as of the date of such tender, is at
least equal to such aggregate Exercise Price and the amount of any Federal,
state, local or foreign income or employment taxes required to be withheld, if
applicable.
Exhibit
99.1
(B) Wherever
in the Plan or any Award Agreement a Participant is permitted to pay the
Exercise Price of an Option or taxes relating to the exercise of an Option by
delivering Shares, the Participant may, subject to procedures satisfactory to
the Committee, satisfy such delivery requirement by presenting proof of
beneficial ownership of such Shares, in which case the Company shall treat the
Option as exercised without further payment and shall withhold such number of
Shares from the Shares acquired by the exercise of the Option.
(v)
Expiration.
Except
as otherwise set forth in the applicable Award Agreement, each Option shall
expire immediately, without any payment, upon the earlier of (A) the tenth
anniversary of the date the Option is granted and (B) (i) in the case of
Participants who are not directors, three months after the date the Participant
who is holding the Option ceases to be an officer, employee or consultant of the
Company or one of its Affiliates or (ii) in the case of Participants who are
directors, two years after the date the Participant who is holding the Option
ceases to be a director of the Company or one of its Affiliates. In
no event may an Option be exercisable after the tenth anniversary of the date
the Option is granted.
(c)
SARs.
(i)
Grant.
Subject
to the provisions of the Plan, the Committee shall have sole and plenary
authority to determine (A) the Participants to whom SARs shall be granted, (B)
subject to Section 4(a), the number of SARs to be granted to each Participant,
(C) the Exercise Price thereof and (D) the conditions and limitations applicable
to the exercise thereof.
(ii)
Exercise
Price.
The Exercise Price of each Share covered by a SAR shall
be not less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of such Share (determined as of
the date the SAR is granted). SARs are intended to qualify as
“qualified performance-based compensation” under Section 162(m) of the
Code.
(iii)
Exercise.
A
SAR shall entitle the Participant to receive an amount upon exercise equal to
the excess, if any, of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of exercise
of the SAR over the Exercise Price thereof. The Committee shall
determine, in its sole and plenary discretion, whether a SAR shall be settled in
cash, Shares, other securities, other Awards, other property or a combination of
any of the foregoing.
(iv)
Other Terms and
Conditions.
Subject to the terms of the Plan and any
applicable Award Agreement, the Committee shall determine, at or after the grant
of a SAR, the vesting criteria, term, methods of exercise, methods and form of
settlement and any other terms and conditions of any SAR;
provided
,
however
, that in no
event may any SAR be exercisable after the tenth anniversary of the date the SAR
is granted. Except as otherwise specified by the Committee in the
Award Agreement, SARs shall become vested with respect to 25% of the Shares
subject to such SARs on each of the first four anniversaries of the date of
grant. Any determination by the Committee that is made pursuant to
this Section 6(c)(iv) may be changed by the Committee from time to time and may
govern the exercise of SARs granted or exercised thereafter.
(d)
Restricted Shares and
RSUs.
(i)
Grant.
Subject
to the provisions of the Plan, the Committee shall have sole and plenary
authority to determine (A) the Participants to whom Restricted Shares and RSUs
shall be granted, (B) subject to Section 4(a), the number of Restricted Shares
and RSUs to be granted to each Participant, (C) the duration of the period
during which, and the conditions, if any, under which, the Restricted Shares and
RSUs may vest or may be forfeited to the Company and (D) the other terms and
conditions of such Awards.
(ii)
Transfer
Restrictions.
Restricted Shares and RSUs may not be sold,
assigned, transferred, pledged or otherwise encumbered except as provided in the
Plan or as may be provided in the applicable Award Agreement;
provided
,
however
, that the
Committee may, in its discretion, determine that Restricted Shares and RSUs may
be transferred by the Participant for no consideration. Restricted
Shares may be evidenced in such manner as the Committee shall
determine. If certificates representing Restricted Shares are
registered in the name of the applicable Participant, such certificates must
bear an appropriate legend referring to the terms, conditions and restrictions
applicable to such Restricted Shares, and the Company may, at its discretion,
retain physical possession of such certificates until such time as all
applicable restrictions lapse.
Exhibit
99.1
(iii)
Payment/Lapse of
Restrictions.
Each RSU shall be granted with respect to one
Share or shall have a value equal to the Fair Market Value of one
Share. RSUs shall be paid in cash, Shares, other securities, other
Awards or other property, as determined in the sole and plenary discretion of
the Committee, upon the lapse of restrictions applicable thereto, or otherwise
in accordance with the applicable Award Agreement. Except as
otherwise specified by the Committee in the Award Agreement, Restricted Shares
and RSUs shall become vested with respect to 25% of the Shares subject to such
Awards on each of the first four anniversaries of the date of
grant. If a Restricted Share or an RSU is intended to qualify as
“qualified performance-based compensation” under Section 162(m) of the Code,
unless the grant of such Restricted Share or RSU is contingent on satisfaction
of the requirements for the payment of “qualified performance-based
compensation” under Section 162(m) of the Code (whether pursuant to Section 6(e)
of this Plan or any other plan), all requirements set forth in Section 6(e) must
be satisfied in order for the restrictions applicable thereto to
lapse.
(e)
Performance Compensation
Awards.
(i)
General.
The
Committee shall have the authority, at the time of grant of any Award, to
designate such Award (other than an Option or SAR) as a Performance Compensation
Award in order for such Award to qualify as “qualified performance-based
compensation” under Section 162(m) of the Code. Options and SARs
granted under the Plan shall not be included among Awards that are designated as
Performance Compensation Awards under this Section 6(e).
(ii)
Eligibility.
The
Committee shall, in its sole discretion, designate within the first 90 days of a
Performance Period (or, if shorter, within the maximum period allowed under
Section 162(m) of the Code) which Participants shall be eligible to receive
Performance Compensation Awards in respect of such Performance
Period. However, designation of a Participant as eligible to receive
an Award hereunder for a Performance Period shall not in any manner entitle such
Participant to receive payment in respect of any Performance Compensation Award
for such Performance Period. The determination as to whether or not
such Participant becomes entitled to payment in respect of any Performance
Compensation Award shall be decided solely in accordance with the provisions of
this Section 6(e). Moreover, designation of a Participant as eligible
to receive an Award hereunder for a particular Performance Period shall not
require designation of such Participant as eligible to receive an Award
hereunder in any subsequent Performance Period and designation of one person as
a Participant eligible to receive an Award hereunder shall not require
designation of any other person as a Participant eligible to receive an Award
hereunder in such period or in any other period.
(iii)
Discretion of Committee with
Respect to Performance Compensation Awards.
With regard to a
particular Performance Period, the Committee shall have full discretion to
select (A) the length of such Performance Period, (B) the type(s) of Performance
Compensation Awards to be issued, (C) the Performance Criteria that shall be
used to establish the Performance Goal(s), (D) the kind(s) and/or level(s) of
the Performance Goals(s) that is (are) to apply to the Company or any of its
Subsidiaries, Affiliates, divisions or operational units, or any combination of
the foregoing, and (E) the Performance Formula. Within the first 90
days of a Performance Period (or, if shorter, within the maximum period allowed
under Section 162(m) of the Code), the Committee shall, with regard to the
Performance Compensation Awards to be issued for such Performance Period,
exercise its discretion with respect to each of the matters enumerated in the
immediately preceding sentence and record the same in writing.
Exhibit
99.1
(iv)
Performance
Criteria.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Performance
Criteria that shall be used to establish the Performance Goal(s) with respect to
Performance Compensation Awards shall be based on the attainment of specific
levels of performance of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, Affiliates,
divisions or operational units, or any combination of the foregoing, and shall
be limited to the following: (A) share price, (B) net income or
earnings before or after taxes (including earnings before interest, taxes,
depreciation and/or amortization), (C) operating income, (D) earnings per share
(including specified types or categories thereof), (E) cash flow (including
specified types or categories thereof), (F) cash flow return on capital, (G)
revenues (including specified types or categories thereof), (H) return measures
(including specified types or categories thereof), (I) sales or product volume,
(J) working capital, (K) gross or net profitability/profit margins, (L)
objective measures of productivity or operating efficiency, (M) costs (including
specified types or categories thereof), (N) budgeted expenses (operating and
capital), (O) market share (in the aggregate or by segment), (P) level or amount
of acquisitions, (Q) economic value-added, (R) enterprise value, (S) book value
and (T) customer satisfaction survey results. Such Performance
Criteria may be applied on an absolute basis, be relative to one or more peer
companies of the Company or indices or any combination thereof or, if
applicable, be computed on an accrual or cash accounting basis. To
the extent required under Section 162(m) of the Code, the Committee shall,
within the first 90 days of the applicable Performance Period (or, if shorter,
within the maximum period allowed under Section 162(m) of the Code), define in
an objective manner the method of calculating the Performance Criteria it
selects to use for such Performance Period.
(v)
Modification of Performance
Goals.
The Committee is authorized at any time during the
first 90 days of a Performance Period (or, if shorter, within the maximum period
allowed under Section 162(m) of the Code), or any time thereafter (but only to
the extent the exercise of such authority after such 90-day period (or such
shorter period, if applicable) would not cause the Performance Compensation
Awards granted to any Participant for the Performance Period to fail to qualify
as “qualified performance-based compensation” under Section 162(m) of the Code),
in its sole and plenary discretion, to adjust or modify the calculation of a
Performance Goal for such Performance Period to the extent permitted under
Section 162(m) of the Code (A) in the event of, or in anticipation of, any
unusual or extraordinary corporate item, transaction, event or development
affecting the Company, or any of its Affiliates, Subsidiaries, divisions or
operating units (to the extent applicable to such Performance Goal) or (B) in
recognition of, or in anticipation of, any other unusual or nonrecurring events
affecting the Company or any of its Affiliates, Subsidiaries, divisions or
operating units (to the extent applicable to such Performance Goal), or the
financial statements of the Company or any of its Affiliates, Subsidiaries,
divisions or operating units (to the extent applicable to such Performance
Goal), or of changes in applicable rules, rulings, regulations or other
requirements of any governmental body or securities exchange, accounting
principles, law or business conditions.
(vi)
Payment of Performance
Compensation Awards.
(A)
Condition to Receipt of
Payment.
A Participant must be employed by the Company or one of its
Subsidiaries on the last day of a Performance Period to be eligible for payment
in respect of a Performance Compensation Award for such Performance Period.
Notwithstanding the foregoing and to the extent permitted by Section 162(m) of
the Code, in the discretion of the Committee, Performance Compensation Awards
may be paid to Participants who have retired or whose employment has terminated
prior to the last day of the Performance Period for which a Performance
Compensation Award is made, or to the designee or estate of a Participant who
died prior to the last day of a Performance Period.
(B)
Limitation.
Except
as otherwise permitted by Section 162(m) of the Code, a Participant shall be
eligible to receive payments in respect of a Performance Compensation Award only
to the extent that (1) the Performance Goal(s) for the relevant Performance
Period are achieved and certified by the Committee in accordance with Section
6(e)(vi)(C) and (2) the Performance Formula as applied against such Performance
Goal(s) determines that all or some portion of such Participant’s Performance
Compensation Award has been earned for such Performance Period.
(C)
Certification.
Following
the completion of a Performance Period, the Committee shall meet to review and
certify in writing whether, and to what extent, the Performance Goals for the
Performance Period have been achieved and, if so, to calculate and certify in
writing that amount of the Performance Compensation Awards earned for the period
based upon the Performance Formula. The Committee shall then
determine the actual size of each Participant’s Performance Compensation Award
for the Performance Period and, in so doing, may apply negative discretion as
authorized by Section 6(e)(vi)(D).
(D)
Negative
Discretion.
In determining the actual size of an individual
Performance Compensation Award for a Performance Period, the Committee may, in
its sole and plenary discretion, reduce or eliminate the amount of the Award
earned in the Performance Period, even if applicable Performance Goals have been
attained and without regard to any employment agreement between the Company and
a Participant.
Exhibit
99.1
(E)
Discretion.
Except as otherwise
permitted by Section 162(m) of the Code, in no event shall any discretionary
authority granted to the Committee by the Plan be used to (1) grant or provide
payment in respect of Performance Compensation Awards for a Performance Period
if the Performance Goals for such Performance Period have not been attained, (2)
increase a Performance Compensation Award for any Participant at any time after
the first 90 days of the Performance Period (or, if shorter, the maximum period
allowed under Section 162(m) of the Code) or (3) increase a Performance
Compensation Award above the maximum amount payable under Section 4(a) of the
Plan.
(F)
Form of
Payment.
In the case of any Performance Compensation Award
other than a Restricted Share, RSU or other equity-based Award that is subject
to performance-based vesting conditions, such Performance Compensation Award
shall be payable, in the discretion of the Committee, in cash or in Restricted
Shares, RSUs or fully vested Shares of equivalent value and shall be paid on
such terms as determined by the Committee in its discretion. Any
Restricted Shares and RSUs shall be subject to the terms of this Plan (or any
successor equity-compensation plan) and any applicable Award
Agreement. The number of Restricted Shares, RSUs or Shares that is
equivalent in value to a dollar amount shall be determined in accordance with a
methodology specified by the Committee within the first 90 days of the relevant
Performance Period (or, if shorter, within the maximum period allowed under
Section 162(m) of the Code).
(f)
Performance
Units.
(i)
Grant.
Subject
to the provisions of the Plan, the Committee shall have sole and plenary
authority to determine the Participants to whom Performance Units shall be
granted.
(ii)
Value of Performance
Units.
Each Performance Unit shall have an initial value that
is established by the Committee at the time of grant. The Committee
shall set Performance Goals in its discretion which, depending on the extent to
which they are met during a Performance Period, shall determine in accordance
with Section 4(a) the number and/or value of Performance Units that shall be
paid out to the Participant.
(iii)
Earning of Performance
Units.
Subject to the provisions of the Plan, after the
applicable Performance Period has ended, the holder of Performance Units shall
be entitled to receive a payout of the number and value of Performance Units
earned by the Participant over the Performance Period, to be determined by the
Committee, in its sole and plenary discretion, as a function of the extent to
which the corresponding Performance Goals have been achieved.
(iv)
Form and Timing of Payment
of Performance Units.
Subject to the provisions of the Plan,
the Committee, in its sole and plenary discretion, may pay earned Performance
Units in the form of cash or in Shares (or in a combination thereof) that have
an aggregate Fair Market Value equal to the value of the earned Performance
Units at the close of the applicable Performance Period. Such Shares
may be granted subject to any restrictions in the applicable Award Agreement
deemed appropriate by the Committee. The determination of the
Committee with respect to the form and timing of payout of such Awards shall be
set forth in the applicable Award Agreement. If a Performance Unit is
intended to qualify as “qualified performance-based compensation” under Section
162(m) of the Code, all requirements set forth in Section 6(e) must be satisfied
in order for a Participant to be entitled to payment.
(g)
Cash Incentive
Awards.
Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Committee,
in its sole and plenary discretion, shall have the authority to grant Cash
Incentive Awards. Subject to Section 4(a), the Committee shall
establish Cash Incentive Award levels to determine the amount of a Cash
Incentive Award payable upon the attainment of Performance Goals. If
a Cash Incentive Award is intended to qualify as “qualified performance-based
compensation” under Section 162(m) of the Code, all requirements set forth in
Section 6(e) must be satisfied in order for a Participant to be entitled to
payment.
Exhibit
99.1
(h)
Other Stock-Based
Awards.
Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Committee
shall have the sole and plenary authority to grant to Participants other
equity-based or equity-related Awards (including Deferred Share Units and fully
vested Shares) (whether payable in cash, equity or otherwise) in such amounts
and subject to such terms and conditions as the Committee shall determine,
provided that any such Awards must comply, to the extent deemed desirable by the
Committee, with Rule 16b-3 and applicable law.
(i)
Dividends and Dividend
Equivalents.
In the sole and plenary discretion of the
Committee, an Award, other than an Option or SAR or a Cash Incentive Award, may
provide the Participant with dividends or dividend equivalents, payable in cash,
Shares, other securities, other Awards or other property, on a current or
deferred basis, on such terms and conditions as may be determined by the
Committee in its sole and plenary discretion, including, without limitation, (A)
payment directly to the Participant, (B) withholding of such amounts by the
Company subject to vesting of the Award or (C) reinvestment in additional
Shares, Restricted Shares or other Awards; provided, however, that a Participant
shall be eligible to receive dividends or dividend equivalents in respect of any
Award that is payable upon the achievement of Performance Goal(s) only to the
extent that (1) the Performance Goal(s) for the relevant Performance Period are
achieved and (2) the Performance Formula as applied against such Performance
Goal(s) determines that all or some portion of such Award has been earned for
such Performance Period.
SECTION
7.
Amendment and
Termination.
(a)
Amendments to the
Plan.
Subject to any applicable law or government regulation,
to any requirement that must be satisfied if the Plan is intended to be a
shareholder-approved plan for purposes of Section 162(m) of the Code and to the
rules of the NYSE or any successor exchange or quotation system on which the
Shares may be listed or quoted, the Plan may be amended, modified or terminated
by the Board without the approval of the shareholders of the Company, except
that shareholder approval shall be required for any amendment that would (i)
increase the Plan Share Limit or increase the maximum number of Shares that may
be delivered pursuant to Incentive Stock Options granted under the Plan;
provided
,
however
, that any
adjustment under Section 4(b) shall not constitute an increase for purposes of
this Section 7(a), or (ii) change the class of employees or other individuals
eligible to participate in the Plan. No amendment, modification or
termination of the Plan may, without the consent of the Participant to whom any
Award shall theretofor have been granted, materially and adversely affect the
rights of such Participant (or his or her transferee) under such Award, unless
otherwise provided by the Committee in the applicable Award
Agreement.
(b)
Amendments to
Awards.
The Committee may waive any conditions or rights
under, amend any terms of, or alter, suspend, discontinue, cancel or terminate
any Award theretofor granted, prospectively or retroactively;
provided
,
however
, that, except
as set forth in the Plan, unless otherwise provided by the Committee in the
applicable Award Agreement, any such waiver, amendment, alteration, suspension,
discontinuance, cancelation or termination that would materially and adversely
impair the rights of any Participant or any holder or beneficiary of any Award
theretofor granted shall not to that extent be effective without the consent of
the applicable Participant, holder or beneficiary. Notwithstanding
the preceding sentence, in no event may any Option or SAR (i) be amended to
decrease the Exercise Price thereof, (ii) be cancelled at a time when its
Exercise Price exceeds the Fair Market Value of the underlying Shares in
exchange for another Option or SAR or any Restricted Share, RSU, other
equity-based Award, award under any other equity-compensation plan or any cash
payment or (iii) be subject to any action that would be treated, for accounting
purposes, as a “repricing” of such Option or SAR, unless such amendment,
cancellation or action is approved by the Company’s
shareholders. For the avoidance of doubt, an adjustment to the
Exercise Price of an Option or SAR that is made in accordance with Section 4(b)
or Section 8 shall not be considered a reduction in Exercise Price or
“repricing” of such Option or SAR.
Exhibit
99.1
(c)
Adjustment of Awards Upon
the Occurrence of Certain Unusual or Nonrecurring
Events.
Subject to Section 6(e)(v) and the penultimate
sentence of Section 7(b), the Committee is hereby authorized to make adjustments
in the terms and conditions of, and the criteria included in, Awards in
recognition of unusual or nonrecurring events (including, without limitation,
the events described in Section 4(b) or the occurrence of a Change of Control)
affecting the Company, any Affiliate, or the financial statements of the Company
or any Affiliate, or of changes in applicable rules, rulings, regulations or
other requirements of any governmental body or securities exchange, accounting
principles or law (i) whenever the Committee, in its sole and plenary
discretion, determines that such adjustments are appropriate or desirable,
including, without limitation, providing for a substitution or assumption of
Awards, accelerating the exercisability of, lapse of restrictions on, or
termination of, Awards or providing for a period of time for exercise prior to
the occurrence of such event, (ii) if deemed appropriate or desirable by the
Committee, in its sole and plenary discretion, by providing for a cash payment
to the holder of an Award in consideration for the cancelation of such Award,
including, in the case of an outstanding Option or SAR, a cash payment to the
holder of such Option or SAR in consideration for the cancelation of such Option
or SAR in an amount equal to the excess, if any, of the Fair Market Value (as of
a date specified by the Committee) of the Shares subject to such Option or SAR
over the aggregate Exercise Price of such Option or SAR and (iii) if deemed
appropriate or desirable by the Committee, in its sole and plenary discretion,
by canceling and terminating any Option or SAR having a per-Share Exercise Price
equal to, or in excess of, the Fair Market Value of a Share subject to such
Option or SAR without any payment or consideration therefor.
SECTION
8.
Change
of Control.
Unless otherwise provided in the applicable Award
Agreement, in the event of a Change of Control after the date of the adoption of
the Plan, unless provision is made in connection with the Change of Control for
(a) assumption of Awards previously granted or (b) substitution for such Awards
of new awards covering stock of a successor corporation or its “parent
corporation” (as defined in Section 424(e) of the Code) or “subsidiary
corporation” (as defined in Section 424(f) of the Code) with appropriate
adjustments as to the number and kinds of shares and the Exercise Prices, if
applicable, (i) any outstanding Options or SARs then held by Participants that
are unexercisable or otherwise unvested shall automatically be deemed
exercisable or otherwise vested, as the case may be, as of immediately prior to
such Change of Control, (ii) all Performance Units, Cash Incentive Awards and
Awards designated as Performance Compensation Awards shall be paid out as if the
date of the Change of Control were the last day of the applicable Performance
Period and “target” performance levels had been attained and (iii) all other
outstanding Awards (
i.e.
, other than
Options, SARs, Performance Units, Cash Incentive Awards and Awards designated as
Performance Compensation Awards) then held by Participants that are
unexercisable, unvested or still subject to restrictions or forfeiture, shall
automatically be deemed exercisable and vested and all restrictions and
forfeiture provisions related thereto shall lapse as of immediately prior to
such Change of Control.
SECTION
9.
General
Provisions.
(a)
Nontransferability.
Except
as otherwise specified in the applicable Award Agreement, during the
Participant’s lifetime each Award (and any rights and obligations thereunder)
shall be exercisable only by the Participant, or, if permissible under
applicable law, by the Participant’s legal guardian or representative, and no
Award (or any rights and obligations thereunder) may be assigned, alienated,
pledged, attached, sold or otherwise transferred or encumbered by a Participant
otherwise than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution, and any such
purported assignment, alienation, pledge, attachment, sale, transfer or
encumbrance shall be void and unenforceable against the Company or any
Affiliate;
provided
that (i) the
designation of a beneficiary shall not constitute an assignment, alienation,
pledge, attachment, sale, transfer or encumbrance and (ii) the Board or the
Committee may permit further transferability, on a general or specific basis,
and may impose conditions and limitations on any permitted transferability;
provided
,
however
, that
Incentive Stock Options granted under the Plan shall not be transferable in any
way that would violate Section 1.422-2(a)(2) of the Treasury Regulations and in
no event may any Award (or any rights and obligations thereunder) be transferred
in any way in exchange for value. All terms and conditions of the
Plan and all Award Agreements shall be binding upon any permitted successors and
assigns.
(b)
No Rights to
Awards.
No Participant or other Person shall have any claim to
be granted any Award, and there is no obligation for uniformity of treatment of
Participants or holders or beneficiaries of Awards. The terms and
conditions of Awards and the Committee’s determinations and interpretations with
respect thereto need not be the same with respect to each Participant and may be
made selectively among Participants, whether or not such Participants are
similarly situated.
Exhibit
99.1
(c)
Share
Certificates.
All certificates for Shares or other securities
of the Company or any Affiliate delivered under the Plan pursuant to any Award
or the exercise thereof shall be subject to such stop transfer orders and other
restrictions as the Committee may deem advisable under the Plan, the applicable
Award Agreement or the rules, regulations and other requirements of the SEC, the
NYSE or any other stock exchange or quotation system upon which such Shares or
other securities are then listed or reported and any applicable Federal or state
laws, and the Committee may cause a legend or legends to be put on any such
certificates to make appropriate reference to such restrictions.
(d)
Withholding.
(i)
Authority to
Withhold.
A Participant may be required to pay to the Company
or any Affiliate, and the Company or any Affiliate shall have the right and is
hereby authorized to withhold from any Award, from any payment due or transfer
made under any Award or under the Plan or from any compensation or other amount
owing to a Participant, the amount (in cash, Shares, other securities, other
Awards or other property) of any applicable withholding taxes in respect of an
Award, its exercise or any payment or transfer under an Award or under the Plan
and to take such other action as may be necessary in the opinion of the
Committee or the Company to satisfy all obligations for the payment of such
taxes.
(ii)
Alternative Ways to Satisfy
Withholding Liability.
Without limiting the generality of
clause (i) above, a Participant may satisfy, in whole or in part, the foregoing
withholding liability by delivery of Shares owned by the Participant (which are
not subject to any pledge or other security interest) having a Fair Market Value
equal to such withholding liability or, at the discretion of the Participant, by
having the Company withhold from the number of Shares otherwise issuable
pursuant to the exercise of the Option or SAR, or the lapse of the restrictions
on any other Award (in the case of SARs and other Awards, if such SARs and other
Awards are settled in Shares), a number of Shares having a Fair Market Value
equal to such withholding liability.
(e)
Section
409A.
(i) It is intended that the provisions of the Plan
comply with Section 409A of the Code, and all provisions of the Plan shall be
construed and interpreted in a manner consistent with the requirements for
avoiding taxes or penalties under Section 409A of the Code.
(ii) No
Participant or the creditors or beneficiaries of a Participant shall have the
right to subject any deferred compensation (within the meaning of Section 409A
of the Code) payable under the Plan to any anticipation, alienation, sale,
transfer, assignment, pledge, encumbrance, attachment or
garnishment. Except as permitted under Section 409A of the Code, any
deferred compensation (within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code) payable
to any Participant or for the benefit of any Participant under the Plan may not
be reduced by, or offset against, any amount owing by any such Participant to
the Company or any of its Affiliates.
(iii) If,
at the time of a Participant’s separation from service (within the meaning of
Section 409A of the Code), (A) such Participant shall be a specified employee
(within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code and using the identification
methodology selected by the Company from time to time) and (B) the Company shall
make a good faith determination that an amount payable pursuant to an Award
constitutes deferred compensation (within the meaning of Section 409A of the
Code) the payment of which is required to be delayed pursuant to the six-month
delay rule set forth in Section 409A of the Code in order to avoid taxes or
penalties under Section 409A of the Code, then the Company shall not pay such
amount on the otherwise scheduled payment date but shall instead pay it on the
first business day after such six-month period. Such amount shall be
paid without interest, unless otherwise determined by the Committee, in its sole
discretion, or as otherwise provided in any applicable employment agreement
between the Company and the relevant Participant.
(iv) Notwithstanding
any provision of the Plan to the contrary, in light of the uncertainty with
respect to the proper application of Section 409A of the Code, the Company
reserves the right to make amendments to any Award as the Company deems
necessary or desirable to avoid the imposition of taxes or penalties under
Section 409A of the Code. In any case, a Participant shall be solely
responsible and liable for the satisfaction of all taxes and penalties that may
be imposed on such Participant or for such Participant’s account in connection
with an Award (including any taxes and penalties under Section 409A of the
Code), and neither the Company nor any of its Affiliates shall have any
obligation to indemnify or otherwise hold such Participant harmless from any or
all of such taxes or penalties.
Exhibit
99.1
(f)
Award
Agreements.
Each Award hereunder shall be evidenced by an
Award Agreement, which shall be delivered to the Participant and shall specify
the terms and conditions of the Award and any rules applicable thereto,
including the effect on such Award of the death, disability or termination of
employment or service of a Participant and the effect, if any, of such other
events as may be determined by the Committee.
(g)
No Limit on Other
Compensation Arrangements.
Nothing contained in the Plan shall
prevent the Company or any Affiliate from adopting or continuing in effect other
compensation arrangements, which may, but need not, provide for the grant of
options, restricted stock, shares, other types of equity-based awards (subject
to shareholder approval if such approval is required) and cash incentive awards,
and such arrangements may be either generally applicable or applicable only in
specific cases.
(h)
No Right to
Employment.
The grant of an Award shall not be construed as
giving a Participant the right to be retained as a director, officer, employee
or consultant of or to the Company or any Affiliate, nor shall it be construed
as giving a Participant any rights to continued service on the
Board. Further, the Company or an Affiliate may at any time dismiss a
Participant from employment or discontinue any directorship or consulting
relationship, free from any liability or any claim under the Plan, unless
otherwise expressly provided in the Plan or in any Award Agreement.
(i)
No Rights as
Shareholder.
No Participant or holder or beneficiary of any Award shall
have any rights as a shareholder with respect to any Shares to be distributed
under the Plan until he or she has become the holder of such Shares. In
connection with each grant of Restricted Shares, except as provided in the
applicable Award Agreement, the Participant shall be entitled to the rights of a
shareholder (including the right to vote) in respect of such Restricted Shares.
Except as otherwise provided in Section 4(b), Section 7(c) or the applicable
Award Agreement, no adjustments shall be made for dividends or distributions on
(whether ordinary or extraordinary, and whether in cash, Shares, other
securities or other property), or other events relating to, Shares subject to an
Award for which the record date is prior to the date such Shares are
delivered.
(j)
Governing
Law.
The validity, construction and effect of the Plan and any
rules and regulations relating to the Plan and any Award Agreement shall be
determined in accordance with the laws of the State of Texas, without giving
effect to the conflict of laws provisions thereof.
(k)
Severability.
If
any provision of the Plan or any Award is or becomes or is deemed to be invalid,
illegal or unenforceable in any jurisdiction or as to any Person or Award, or
would disqualify the Plan or any Award under any law deemed applicable by the
Committee, such provision shall be construed or deemed amended to conform to the
applicable laws, or if it cannot be construed or deemed amended without, in the
determination of the Committee, materially altering the intent of the Plan or
the Award, such provision shall be construed or deemed stricken as to such
jurisdiction, Person or Award and the remainder of the Plan and any such Award
shall remain in full force and effect.
(l)
Other Laws; Restrictions on
Transfer of Shares.
The Committee may refuse to issue or
transfer any Shares or other consideration under an Award if, acting in its sole
and plenary discretion, it determines that the issuance or transfer of such
Shares or such other consideration might violate any applicable law or
regulation or entitle the Company to recover the same under Section 16(b) of the
Exchange Act, and any payment tendered to the Company by a Participant, other
holder or beneficiary in connection with the exercise of such Award shall be
promptly refunded to the relevant Participant, holder or
beneficiary. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, no
Award granted hereunder shall be construed as an offer to sell securities of the
Company, and no such offer shall be outstanding, unless and until the Committee
in its sole and plenary discretion has determined that any such offer, if made,
would be in compliance with all applicable requirements of the U.S. Federal and
any other applicable securities laws.
(m)
No Trust or Fund
Created.
Neither the Plan nor any Award shall create or be
construed to create a trust or separate fund of any kind or a fiduciary
relationship between the Company or any Affiliate, on one hand, and a
Participant or any other Person, on the other. To the extent that any
Person acquires a right to receive payments from the Company or any Affiliate
pursuant to an Award, such right shall be no greater than the right of any
unsecured general creditor of the Company or such Affiliate.
Exhibit
99.1
(n)
No Fractional
Shares.
No fractional Shares shall be issued or delivered
pursuant to the Plan or any Award, and the Committee shall determine whether
cash, other securities or other property shall be paid or transferred in lieu of
any fractional Shares or whether such fractional Shares or any rights thereto
shall be canceled, terminated or otherwise eliminated.
(o)
Requirement of Consent and
Notification of Election Under Section 83(b) of the Code or Similar
Provision.
No election under Section 83(b) of the Code (to
include in gross income in the year of transfer the amounts specified in Section
83(b) of the Code) or under a similar provision of law may be made unless
expressly permitted by the terms of the applicable Award Agreement or by action
of the Committee in writing prior to the making of such election. If
an Award recipient, in connection with the acquisition of Shares under the Plan
or otherwise, is expressly permitted under the terms of the applicable Award
Agreement or by such Committee action to make such an election and the
Participant makes the election, the Participant shall notify the Committee of
such election within ten days of filing notice of the election with the IRS or
other governmental authority, in addition to any filing and notification
required pursuant to regulations issued under Section 83(b) of the Code or any
other applicable provision.
(p)
Requirement of Notification
Upon Disqualifying Disposition Under Section 421(b) of the
Code.
If any Participant shall make any disposition of Shares
delivered pursuant to the exercise of an Incentive Stock Option under the
circumstances described in Section 421(b) of the Code (relating to certain
disqualifying dispositions) or any successor provision of the Code, such
Participant shall notify the Company of such disposition within ten days of such
disposition.
(q)
Headings and
Construction.
Headings are given to the Sections and
subsections of the Plan solely as a convenience to facilitate reference. Such
headings shall not be deemed in any way material or relevant to the construction
or interpretation of the Plan or any provision thereof. Whenever the
words “include”, “includes” or “including” are used in this Plan, they shall be
deemed to be followed by the words “but not limited to”.
SECTION
10.
Term of
the Plan.
(a)
Effective
Date.
The Plan shall be effective as of the date of its
adoption by the Board and approval by the Company’s shareholders.
(b)
Expiration
Date.
No Award shall be granted under the Plan after the tenth
anniversary of the date the Plan is approved by the Company’s shareholders under
Section 10(a). Unless otherwise expressly provided in the Plan or in
an applicable Award Agreement, any Award granted hereunder, and the authority of
the Board or the Committee to amend, alter, adjust, suspend, discontinue or
terminate any such Award or to waive any conditions or rights under any such
Award, shall nevertheless continue thereafter.