UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Form 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): 05/14/2013
Discovery Communications, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Commission File Number: 001-34177
|
|
|
|
Delaware
|
|
35-2333914
|
(State or other jurisdiction of
|
|
(IRS Employer
|
incorporation)
|
|
Identification No.)
|
One Discovery Place
Silver Spring, Maryland 20910
(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)
240-662-2000
(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
[ ] Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
[ ] Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
[ ] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
[ ] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))
Item 5.02. Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers
At the annual meeting of stockholders of Discovery Communications, Inc. (the "Company") held on May 14, 2013 (the "2013 Annual Meeting"), the Company's stockholders approved the Company's 2013 Incentive Plan (the "2013 Stock Plan"), which had previously been adopted by the Company's Board of Directors subject to stockholder approval.
The following brief description of the 2013 Stock Plan is qualified in its entirety by reference to the complete text of the plan, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 10.1 hereto and is incorporated herein by reference. The material terms of the 2013 Stock Plan are summarized on pages 21-30 of the proxy statement for the 2013 Annual Meeting, which description is incorporated herein by reference. Under the 2013 Stock Plan, the Company is authorized to issue up to 40,000,000 shares of Series A common stock pursuant to awards that may be granted to eligible employees and independent contractors. The 2013 Stock Plan provides for awards of nonqualified stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock and performance restricted stock, restricted stock units and performance restricted stock units, other stock-based awards and cash-based awards. The 2013 Stock Plan will be administered by the Compensation Committee of our Board of Directors. We will not make new grants under our 2005 Stock Incentive Plan.
Item 5.07. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
The following are the results of the voting on the proposals submitted to stockholders at the 2013 Annual Meeting.
1. Stockholders elected each of the Company's six nominees for director, three elected by the holders of shares of our Series A common stock and Series B common stock voting together as a single class, and three elected by the holders of shares of our Series A convertible preferred stock voting separately as a class, as set forth below:
Director Nominees Elected by Holders of Shares of Series A Common Stock and Series B Common Stock as Class II Directors
Name Votes For Votes Withheld Broker Non-Votes
Paul A. Gould 123,281,502 61,379,015 10,578,384
John S. Hendricks 142,039,841 42,620,676 10,578,384
M. LaVoy Robison 176,772,590 7,887,927 10,578,384
Director Nominees Elected by Holders of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock
Name Votes For Votes Withheld Broker Non-Votes
S. Decker Anstrom 71,107,312 0 0
Robert J. Miron 71,107,312 0 0
Steven A. Miron 71,107,312 0 0
2. Stockholders ratified the selection of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the Company's independent registered public accounting firm for 2013, as set forth below:
Votes For Votes Against Abstentions
264,070,219 2,111,795 164,199
3. Stockholders approved the 2013 Stock Plan, as set forth below:
Votes For Votes Against Abstentions Broker Non-Votes
178,130,564 77,416,299 220,966 10,578,384
Item. 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits
(d) Exhibits
Exhibit No.
Description
10.1 2013 Stock Plan
10.2 Form of Employee Stock Option Agreement (2013 Stock Plan)
10.3 Form of Employee Restricted Stock Unit (RSU) Agreement (2013 Stock Plan)
10.4 Form of Employee Performance Restricted Stock Unit (PRSU) Agreement (2013 Stock Plan)
10.5 Form of Employee Stock Appreciation Right (SAR) Agreement (2013 Stock Plan)
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
Discovery Communications, Inc.
Date: May
16
, 2013 By:
/s/ Bruce L. Campbell
Bruce L. Campbell
Chief Development Officer and General Counsel
EXHIBIT INDEX
10.1 2013 Stock Plan
10.2 Form of Employee Stock Option Agreement (2013 Stock Plan)
10.3 Form of Employee Restricted Stock Unit (RSU) Agreement (2013 Stock Plan)
10.4 Form of Employee Performance Restricted Stock Unit (PRSU) Agreement (2013 Stock Plan)
10.5 Form of Employee Stock Appreciation Right (SAR) Agreement (2013 Stock Plan)
Exhibit 10.1
DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
2013 INCENTIVE PLAN
(As Submitted to the Board of Directors on January 30, 2013)
ARTICLE I
PURPOSE AND AMENDMENT OF PLAN
1.1
Purpose.
The purpose of the Plan is to promote the success of the Company by providing a method whereby (i) eligible employees of the Company and its Subsidiaries and (ii) independent contractors providing services to the Company and its Subsidiaries may be awarded additional remuneration for services rendered and encouraged to invest in capital stock of the Company, thereby increasing their proprietary interest in the Company’s businesses, encouraging them to remain in the employ of the Company or its Subsidiaries, and increasing their personal interest in the continued success and progress of the Company and its Subsidiaries. The Plan is also intended to aid in (i) attracting Persons of exceptional ability to become officers and employees of the Company and its Subsidiaries and (ii) inducing independent contractors to agree to provide services to the Company and its Subsidiaries.
1.2
Adoption of Plan.
The Plan was approved by the Company’s Board of Directors on January 30, 2013 and by the stockholders of the Company on May 14, 2013 (the “
Shareholder Approval Date
”). It replaces the Company’s 2005 Incentive Plan (the “
2005 Plan
”) with respect to grants made after the Shareholder Approval Date, and the Company will not make additional grants under the 2005 Plan after such date.
ARTICLE II
DEFINITIONS
2.1
Certain Defined Terms.
Capitalized terms not defined elsewhere in the Plan shall have the following meanings (whether used in the singular or plural):
“
Affiliate
” of the Company means any corporation, partnership or other business association that, directly or indirectly, through one or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with the Company.
“
Agreement
” means a stock option agreement, stock appreciation rights agreement, restricted shares agreement, stock units agreement, cash award agreement or an agreement evidencing another type of equity-based Award, or more than one type of Award, as any such Agreement may be supplemented or amended from time to time.
“
Approved Transaction
” means any transaction in which the Board (or, if approval of the Board is not required as a matter of law, the stockholders of the Company) shall approve (i) any consolidation or merger of the Company, or binding share exchange, pursuant to which shares of Common Stock of the Company would be changed or converted into or exchanged for cash, securities, or other property, other than any such transaction in which the common stockholders of the Company immediately prior to such transaction have the same proportionate ownership of the Common Stock of, and voting power with respect to, the surviving corporation immediately after such transaction, (ii) any merger, consolidation or binding share exchange to which the Company is a party as a result of which the Persons who are common stockholders of the Company immediately prior thereto have less than a majority of the combined voting power of the outstanding capital stock of the Company ordinarily (and apart from the rights accruing under special circumstances) having the right to vote in the election of directors immediately following such merger, consolidation or binding share exchange, (iii) the adoption of any plan or proposal for the liquidation or dissolution of the Company, or (iv) any sale, lease, exchange or other transfer (in one transaction or a series of related transactions) of all, or substantially all, of the assets of the Company, provided that, with respect to clauses (i) through (iv), the Approved Transaction will not occur until the closing of the event described in such clause.
“
Award
” means a grant of Options, SARs, Restricted Shares, Restricted Stock Units, Performance Awards, Cash Awards, or Other Stock-Based Awards.
“
Board
” means the Board of Directors of the Company.
“
Board Change
” means, during any period of two consecutive years, individuals who at the beginning of such period constituted the entire Board cease for any reason to constitute a majority thereof unless the election, or the nomination for election, of each new director was approved by a vote of at least two-thirds of the directors then still in office who were directors at the beginning of the period.
“
Cash Award
” means an Award made pursuant to Section 10.1 of the Plan to a Holder that is paid solely on account of the attainment of one or more Performance Objectives that have been preestablished by the Committee.
“
Code
” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time, or any successor statute or statutes thereto. Reference to any specific Code section shall include any successor section.
“
Committee
” means the Compensation Committee (or another committee) of the Board (or a subcommittee of such committee) appointed pursuant to Section 3.1 to administer the Plan.
“
Common Stock
” means each or any (as the context may require) series of the Company’s common stock.
“
Company
” means Discovery Communications, Inc., a Delaware corporation.
“
Control Purchase
” means any transaction (or series of related transactions) in which (i) any person (as such term is defined in Sections 13(d)(3) and 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act), corporation or other entity (other than the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company or any employee benefit plan sponsored by the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company or any Exempt Person (as defined below)) shall become the “beneficial owner” (as such term is defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing 30% or more of the combined voting power of the then outstanding securities of the Company ordinarily (and apart from the rights accruing under special circumstances) having the right to vote in the election of directors (calculated as provided in Rule 13d-3(d) under the Exchange Act in the case of rights to acquire the Company’s securities), other than in a transaction (or series of related transactions) approved by the Board. For purposes of this definition, “
Exempt Person
” means each of (a) the Chairman of the Board, the President and each of the directors of Discovery Holding Company as of the Distribution Date, and (b) the respective family members, estates and heirs of each of the persons referred to in clause (a) above and any trust or other investment vehicle for the primary benefit of any of such persons or their respective family members or heirs. As used with respect to any person, the term “
family member
” means the spouse, siblings and lineal descendants of such person.
“
Disability
” means the inability to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or which has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months.
“
Distribution Date
” means the date on which Discovery Holding Company ceased to be a wholly-owned subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation, a Delaware corporation.
“
Dividend Equivalents
” means, with respect to Restricted Stock Units, to the extent specified by the Committee only, an amount equal to all dividends and other distributions (or the economic equivalent thereof) which are payable to stockholders of record during the Restriction Period on a like number and kind of shares of Common Stock.
“
Domestic Relations Order
” means a domestic relations order as defined by the Code or Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, or the rules thereunder.
“
Effective Date
” means May 14, 2013, the date on which the Plan originally becomes effective.
“
Equity Security
” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3(a)(11) of the Exchange Act, and an equity security of an issuer shall have the meaning ascribed thereto in Rule 16a-1 promulgated under the Exchange Act, or any successor Rule.
“
Exchange Act
” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended from time to time, or any successor statute or statutes thereto. Reference to any specific Exchange Act section shall include any successor section.
“
Fair Market Value
” of a share of any series of Common Stock on any day means the last sale price (or, if no last sale price is reported, the average of the high bid and low asked prices) for a share of such series of Common Stock on such day (or, if such day is not a trading day, on the next preceding trading day) as reported on the consolidated transaction reporting system for the principal national securities exchange on which shares of such series of Common Stock are listed on such day, or the Committee can, in its sole discretion, use averages or weighted averages either on a daily basis or such longer period as complies with Code Section 409A. If for any day the Fair Market Value of a share of the applicable series of Common Stock is not determinable by any of the foregoing means, then the Fair Market Value for such day shall be determined in good faith by the Committee on the basis of such quotations and other considerations as the Committee deems appropriate.
“
Free Standing SAR
” has the meaning ascribed thereto in Section 7.1.
“
Holder
” means a person who has received an Award under the Plan that has not been fully satisfied or terminated.
“
Nonqualified Stock Option
” means a stock option granted under Article VI.
“
Option
” means a Nonqualified Stock Option.
“
Performance Award
” means an Award made pursuant to Article X of the Plan to a Holder that is subject to the attainment of one or more Performance Objectives.
“
Performance Objective
” means a standard established by the Committee to determine in whole or in part whether a Performance Award shall be earned.
“
Person
” means an individual, corporation, limited liability company, partnership, trust, incorporated or unincorporated association, joint venture or other entity of any kind.
“
Plan
” means this Discovery Communications, Inc. 2013 Incentive Plan.
“
Restricted Shares
” means shares of any series of Common Stock awarded pursuant to Article VIII.
“
Restricted Stock Unit Awards
” has the meaning ascribed thereto in Section 9.1.
“
Restriction Period
” means a period of time beginning on the date of each Award of Restricted Shares or Restricted Stock Units and ending on the Vesting Date with respect to such Award.
“
Retained Distribution
” has the meaning ascribed thereto in Section 8.1.
“
SARs
” means stock appreciation rights, awarded pursuant to Article VII, with respect to shares of any specified series of Common Stock.
“
Subsidiary
” of a Person means any present or future subsidiary (as defined in Section 424(f) of the Code) of such Person or any business entity in which such Person owns, directly or indirectly, 50% or more of the voting, capital or profits interests. An entity shall be deemed a subsidiary of a Person for purposes of this definition only for such periods as the requisite ownership or control relationship is maintained.
“
Tandem SAR
” has the meaning ascribed thereto in Section 7.1.
“
Vesting Date
,” with respect to any Restricted Shares or Restricted Stock Units awarded hereunder, means the date on which such Restricted Shares or Restricted Stock Units cease to be subject to a risk of forfeiture, as designated in or determined in accordance with the Agreement with respect to such Award of Restricted Shares pursuant to Article VIII or of Restricted Stock Units pursuant to Article IX. If more than one Vesting Date is designated for an Award, reference in the Plan to a Vesting Date in respect of such Award shall be deemed to refer to each part of such Award and the Vesting Date for such part.
ARTICLE III
ADMINISTRATION
3.1
Committee.
The Plan shall be administered by the Committee. The Committee shall be comprised of not less than two Persons. The Board or committee of the Board may from time to time appoint members of the Committee in substitution for or in addition to members previously appointed, may fill vacancies in the Committee and may remove members of the Committee. The Committee shall select one of its members as its chairman and shall hold its meetings at such times and places as it shall deem advisable. A majority of its members shall constitute a quorum and all determinations shall be made by a majority of such quorum. Any determination reduced to writing and signed by all of the members shall be as fully effective as if it had been made by a majority vote at a meeting duly called and held.
3.2
Powers.
The Committee shall have full power and authority to grant Awards to eligible persons, to determine the terms and conditions (which need not be identical) of all Awards so granted, to interpret the provisions of the Plan and any Agreements relating to Awards granted under the Plan and to supervise the administration of the Plan. The Committee in making an Award may provide for the granting or issuance of additional, replacement or alternative Awards upon the occurrence of specified events, including the exercise of the original Award. The Committee shall have sole authority in the selection of persons to whom Awards may be granted under the Plan and in the determination of the timing, pricing and amount of any such Award, subject only to the express provisions of the Plan. In making determinations hereunder, the Committee may take into account the nature of the services rendered by the respective employees and independent contractors, their present and potential contributions to the success of the Company and its Subsidiaries, and such other factors as the Committee in its discretion deems relevant.
3.3
Interpretation.
The Committee is authorized, subject to the provisions of the Plan, to establish, amend and rescind such rules and regulations as it deems necessary or advisable for the proper administration of the Plan and to take such other action in connection with or in relation to the Plan as it deems necessary or advisable. Each action and determination made or taken pursuant to the Plan by the Committee, including any interpretation or construction of the Plan, shall be final and conclusive for all purposes and upon all persons.
ARTICLE IV
SHARES SUBJECT TO THE PLAN
4.1
Number of Shares; Award Limits.
Subject to the provisions of this Article IV, the maximum number of shares of Common Stock with respect to which Awards may be granted during the term of the Plan shall be 40 million shares.
Shares of Common Stock will be made available from the authorized but unissued shares of the Company or from shares reacquired by the Company, including shares purchased in the open market. The shares of Common Stock subject to (i) any Award granted under the Plan that shall expire, terminate or be annulled for any reason without having been exercised (or considered to have been exercised as provided in Section 7.2), (ii) any Award of any SARs granted under the Plan that shall be exercised for cash, and (iii) any Award of Restricted Shares or Restricted Stock Units that shall be forfeited prior to becoming vested (provided that the Holder received no benefits of ownership of such Restricted Shares or Restricted Stock Units other than voting rights and the accumulation of Retained Distributions and unpaid Dividend Equivalents that are likewise forfeited) shall again be available for purposes of the Plan. Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) in the case of the exercise of a SAR for shares, the number of shares counted against the shares available under the Plan shall be the full number of shares subject to the SAR multiplied by the percentage of the SAR actually exercised, regardless of the number of shares actually used to settle such SAR upon exercise; (ii) shares of Common Stock delivered (either by actual delivery, attestation, or net exercise ) to the Company by a Holder to (I) purchase shares of Common Stock upon the exercise of an Award or (II) satisfy tax withholding obligations (including shares retained from the Award creating the tax obligation) shall not be added back to the number of shares available for the future grant of Awards; and (iii) shares of Common Stock repurchased by the Company on the open market using the proceeds from the exercise of an Award shall not increase the number of shares available for future grant of Awards. Except for Awards described in Section 4.3 or 11.1, no person may be granted in any calendar year Awards covering more than six million shares of Common Stock (as such amount may be adjusted from time to time as provided in Section 4.2). No person shall be awarded
Cash Awards during any calendar year that are designed to pay out in excess of $10,000,000 per calendar year covered by the Cash Award.
4.2
Adjustments.
If the Company subdivides its outstanding shares of any series of Common Stock into a greater number of shares of such series of Common Stock (by stock dividend, stock split, reclassification, or otherwise) or combines its outstanding shares of any series of Common Stock into a smaller number of shares of such series of Common Stock (by reverse stock split, reclassification, or otherwise) or if the Committee determines that any stock dividend, extraordinary cash dividend, reclassification, recapitalization, reorganization, split-up, spin-off, combination, exchange of shares, warrants or rights offering to purchase such series of Common Stock or other similar corporate event (including mergers or consolidations other than those which constitute Approved Transactions, adjustments with respect to which shall be governed by Section 11.1(b)) affects any series of Common Stock so that an adjustment is required to preserve the benefits or potential benefits intended to be made available under the Plan, then the Committee, in such manner as the Committee, in its sole discretion, deems equitable and appropriate, shall make such adjustments to any or all of (i) the number and kind of shares of stock which thereafter may be awarded, optioned or otherwise made subject to the benefits contemplated by the Plan, (ii) the number and kind of shares of stock subject to outstanding Awards, and (iii) the purchase or exercise price and the relevant appreciation base with respect to any of the foregoing,
provided, however,
that the number of shares subject to any Award shall always be a whole number. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if all shares of any series of Common Stock are redeemed, then each outstanding Award shall be adjusted to substitute for the shares of such series of Common Stock subject thereto the kind and amount of cash, securities or other assets issued or paid in the redemption of the equivalent number of shares of such series of Common Stock and otherwise the terms of such Award, including, in the case of Options or similar rights, the aggregate exercise price, and, in the case of Free Standing SARs, the aggregate base price, shall remain constant before and after the substitution (unless otherwise determined by the Committee and provided in the applicable Agreement). The Committee may, if deemed appropriate, provide for a cash payment to any Holder of an Award in connection with any adjustment made pursuant to this Section 4.2.
4.3
Substitute Awards.
In connection with a merger or consolidation of an entity with the Company or the acquisition by the Company of property or stock of an entity, the Board may grant Awards in substitution for any options or other stock or stock-based awards granted by such entity or an affiliate thereof. Substitute Awards may be granted on such terms as the Board deems appropriate in the circumstances, notwithstanding any limitations on Awards contained in the Plan. Substitute Awards shall not count against the overall share limit set forth in Section 4.1.
ARTICLE V
ELIGIBILITY
5.1
General.
The persons who shall be eligible to participate in the Plan and to receive Awards under the Plan shall, subject to Section 5.2, be such persons who are employees (including officers) of or independent contractors providing services to the Company or its Subsidiaries as the Committee shall select. Awards may be made to employees or independent contractors who hold or have held Awards under the Plan or any similar or other awards under any other plan of the Company or any of its Affiliates.
5.2
Ineligibility.
No member of the Committee, while serving as such, shall be eligible to receive an Award.
ARTICLE VI
STOCK OPTIONS
6.1
Grant of Options.
Subject to the limitations of the Plan, the Committee shall designate from time to time those eligible persons to be granted Options, the time when each Option shall be granted to such eligible persons, the series and number of shares of Common Stock subject to such Option, and, subject to Section 6.2, the purchase price of the shares of Common Stock subject to such Option.
6.2
Option Price.
The price at which shares may be purchased upon exercise of an Option shall be fixed by the Committee and may be no less than the Fair Market Value of the shares of the applicable series of Common Stock subject to the Option as of the date the Option is granted.
6.3
Term of Options.
Subject to the provisions of the Plan with respect to death, retirement and termination of employment, the term of each Option shall be for such period as the Committee shall determine as set forth in the applicable Agreement.
6.4
Exercise of Options.
An Option granted under the Plan shall become (and remain) exercisable during the term of the Option to the extent provided in the applicable Agreement and the Plan and, unless the Agreement otherwise provides, may be exercised to the extent exercisable, in whole or in part, at any time and from time to time during such term;
provided, however,
that subsequent to the grant of an Option, the Committee, at any time before complete termination of such Option, may accelerate the time or times at which such Option may be exercised in whole or in part.
6.5
Manner of Exercise.
(a)
Form of Payment.
An Option shall be exercised by notice to the Company upon such terms and conditions as the Agreement may provide and in accordance with such other procedures for the exercise of Options as the Committee may establish from time to time. The method or methods of payment of the purchase price for the shares to be purchased upon exercise of an Option and of any amounts required by Section 11.9 shall be determined by the Committee and may consist of (i) cash, (ii) check, (iii) whole shares of any series of Common Stock (whether by delivery or attestation), (iv) the withholding of shares of the applicable series of Common Stock issuable upon such exercise of the Option, (v) the delivery, together with a properly executed exercise notice, of irrevocable instructions to a broker to deliver promptly to the Company the amount of sale or loan proceeds required to pay the purchase price, or (vi) any combination of the foregoing methods of payment, or such other consideration and method of payment as may be permitted for the issuance of shares under the Delaware General Corporation Law. The permitted method or methods of payment of the amounts payable upon exercise of an Option, if other than in cash, shall be set forth in the applicable Agreement and may be subject to such conditions as the Committee deems appropriate.
(b)
Value of Shares.
Unless otherwise determined by the Committee and provided in the applicable Agreement, shares of any series of Common Stock delivered in payment of all or any part of the amounts payable in connection with the exercise of an Option, and shares of any series of Common Stock withheld for such payment, shall be valued for such purpose at their Fair Market Value as of the exercise date.
(c)
Issuance of Shares.
The Company shall effect the transfer of the shares of Common Stock purchased under the Option as soon as practicable after the exercise thereof and payment in full of the purchase price therefor and of any amounts required by Section 11.9, and within a reasonable time thereafter, such transfer shall be evidenced on the books of the Company. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee and provided in the applicable Agreement, (i) no Holder or other person exercising an Option shall have any of the rights of a stockholder of the Company with respect to shares of Common Stock subject to an Option granted under the Plan until due exercise and full payment has been made, and (ii) no adjustment shall be made for cash dividends or other rights for which the record date is prior to the date of such due exercise and full payment.
6.6
Limitation on Repricing.
Unless such action is approved by the Company’s stockholders, the Company may not (except as provided for under Section 4.2): (1) amend any outstanding Option granted under the Plan to provide an exercise price per share that is lower than the then-current exercise price per share of such outstanding Option, (2) cancel any outstanding option (whether or not granted under the Plan) and grant in substitution therefor new Awards under the Plan (other than Awards granted pursuant to Section 4.3) covering the same or a different number of shares of Common Stock and having an exercise price per share lower than the then-current exercise price per share of the cancelled option, (3) cancel in exchange for a cash payment any outstanding Option with an exercise price per share above the then-current Fair Market Value, other than pursuant to Section 11.1(b), or (4) take
any other action under the Plan that constitutes a “repricing” within the meaning of the rules of the NASDAQ Stock Market (“
NASDAQ
”).
ARTICLE VII
SARS
7.1
Grant of SARs.
Subject to the limitations of the Plan, SARs may be granted by the Committee to such eligible persons in such numbers, with respect to any specified series of Common Stock, and at such times during the term of the Plan as the Committee shall determine. A SAR may be granted to a Holder of an Option (hereinafter called a “
related Option
”) with respect to all or a portion of the shares of Common Stock subject to the related Option (a “
Tandem SAR
”) or may be granted separately to an eligible employee (a “
Free Standing SAR
”). Subject to the limitations of the Plan, SARs shall be exercisable in whole or in part upon notice to the Company upon such terms and conditions as are provided in the Agreement.
7.2
Tandem SARs.
A Tandem SAR may be granted either concurrently with the grant of the related Option or at any time thereafter prior to the complete exercise, termination, expiration or cancellation of such related Option. Tandem SARs shall be exercisable only at the time and to the extent that the related Option is exercisable (and may be subject to such additional limitations on exercisability as the Agreement may provide) and in no event after the complete termination or full exercise of the related Option. Upon the exercise or termination of the related Option, the Tandem SARs with respect thereto shall be canceled automatically to the extent of the number of shares of Common Stock with respect to which the related Option was so exercised or terminated. Subject to the limitations of the Plan, upon the exercise of a Tandem SAR and unless otherwise determined by the Committee and provided in the applicable Agreement, (i) the Holder thereof shall be entitled to receive from the Company, for each share of the applicable series of Common Stock with respect to which the Tandem SAR is being exercised, consideration (in the form determined as provided in Section 7.4) equal in value to the excess of the Fair Market Value of a share of the applicable series of Common Stock with respect to which the Tandem SAR was granted on the date of exercise over the related Option purchase price per share, and (ii) the related Option with respect thereto shall be canceled automatically to the extent of the number of shares of Common Stock with respect to which the Tandem SAR was so exercised.
7.3
Free Standing SARs
. Free Standing SARs shall be exercisable at the time, to the extent and upon the terms and conditions set forth in the applicable Agreement. The base price of a Free Standing SAR may be no less than the Fair Market Value of the applicable series of Common Stock with respect to which the Free Standing SAR was granted as of the date the Free Standing SAR is granted. Subject to the limitations of the Plan, upon the exercise of a Free Standing SAR and unless otherwise determined by the Committee and provided in the applicable Agreement, the Holder thereof shall be entitled to receive from the Company, for each share of the applicable series of Common Stock with respect to which the Free Standing SAR is being exercised, consideration (in the form determined as provided in Section 7.4) equal in value to the excess of the Fair Market Value of a share of the applicable series of Common Stock with respect to which the Free Standing SAR was granted on the date of exercise over the base price per share of such Free Standing SAR.
7.4
Consideration
. The consideration to be received upon the exercise of a SAR by the Holder shall be paid in the applicable series of Common Stock with respect to which the SAR was granted (valued at Fair Market Value on the date of exercise of such SAR) or cash equivalent thereto, as determined by the Committee and provided in the applicable Agreement. No fractional shares of Common Stock shall be issuable upon exercise of a SAR, and unless otherwise provided in the applicable Agreement, the Holder will receive cash in lieu of fractional shares. Unless the Committee shall otherwise determine, to the extent a Free Standing SAR is exercisable, it will be exercised automatically on its expiration date.
7.5
Limitations
. The applicable Agreement may provide for a limit on the amount payable to a Holder upon exercise of SARs at any time or in the aggregate, for a limit on the time periods during which a Holder may exercise SARs, and for such other limits on the rights of the Holder and such other terms and conditions of the SAR, including a condition that the SAR may be exercised only in accordance with rules and regulations adopted from
time to time, as the Committee may determine. Unless otherwise so provided in the applicable Agreement, any such limit relating to a Tandem SAR shall not restrict the exercisability of the related Option. Such rules and regulations may govern the right to exercise SARs granted prior to the adoption or amendment of such rules and regulations as well as SARs granted thereafter.
7.6
Exercise
. For purposes of this Article VII, the date of exercise of a SAR shall mean the date on which the Company shall have received notice from the Holder of the SAR of the exercise of such SAR (unless otherwise determined by the Committee and provided in the applicable Agreement).
7.7
Limitation on Repricing.
Unless such action is approved by the Company’s stockholders, the Company may not (except as provided for under Section 4.2): (1) amend any outstanding SAR granted under the Plan to provide a base price per share that is lower than the then-current base price per share of such outstanding SAR, (2) cancel any outstanding stock appreciation right (whether or not granted under the Plan) and grant in substitution therefor new Awards under the Plan (other than Awards granted pursuant to Section 4.3) covering the same or a different number of shares of Common Stock and having a base price per share lower than the then-current base price per share of the cancelled stock appreciation right, (3) cancel in exchange for a cash payment any outstanding SAR with an exercise price per share above the then-current Fair Market Value, other than pursuant to Section 11.1(b), or (4) take any other action under the Plan that constitutes a “repricing” within the meaning of the rules of NASDAQ.
ARTICLE VIII
RESTRICTED SHARES
8.1
Grant.
Subject to the limitations of the Plan, the Committee shall designate those eligible persons to be granted Awards of Restricted Shares, shall determine the time when each such Award shall be granted, and shall designate (or set forth the basis for determining) the Vesting Date or Vesting Dates for each Award of Restricted Shares, and may prescribe other restrictions, terms and conditions applicable to the vesting of such Restricted Shares in addition to those provided in the Plan. The Committee shall determine the price, if any, to be paid by the Holder for the Restricted Shares;
provided, however,
that the issuance of Restricted Shares shall be made for at least the minimum consideration necessary to permit such Restricted Shares to be deemed fully paid and nonassessable. All determinations made by the Committee pursuant to this Section 8.1 shall be specified in the Agreement.
Unless otherwise provided in the applicable Award agreement, any dividends (whether paid in cash, stock or property) declared and paid by the Company with respect to shares of Restricted Shares (“
Retained Distributions
”) shall be paid to the Holder only if and when such shares become free from the restrictions on transferability and forfeitability that apply to such shares. Each payment of Retained Distributions will be made no later than the end of the calendar year in which the dividends are paid to stockholders of that class of stock or, if later, the 15th day of the third month following the lapsing of the restrictions on transferability and the forfeitability provisions applicable to the underlying shares of Restricted Stock.
8.2
Issuance of Restricted Shares.
When shares of the applicable series of Common Stock are issued at the beginning of the Restriction Period, the stock certificate or certificates representing such Restricted Shares shall be registered in the name of the Holder to whom such Restricted Shares shall have been awarded. During the Restriction Period, certificates representing the Restricted Shares and any securities constituting Retained Distributions shall bear a restrictive legend to the effect that ownership of the Restricted Shares (and such Retained Distributions), and the enjoyment of all rights appurtenant thereto, are subject to the restrictions, terms and conditions provided in the Plan and the applicable Agreement. Such certificates shall remain in the custody of the Company or its designee, and the Holder shall deposit with the custodian stock powers or other instruments of assignment, each endorsed in blank, so as to permit retransfer to the Company of all or any portion of the Restricted Shares and any securities constituting Retained Distributions that shall be forfeited or otherwise not become vested in accordance with the Plan and the applicable Agreement.
8.3
Restrictions.
Restricted Shares issued at the beginning of the Restriction Period shall constitute issued and outstanding shares of the applicable series of Common Stock for all corporate purposes. The Holder will have the right to vote such Restricted Shares and to exercise all other rights, powers and privileges of a Holder of shares of the applicable series of Common Stock with respect to such Restricted Shares;
except, that
, unless otherwise determined by the Committee and provided in the applicable Agreement, (i) the Holder will not be entitled to delivery of the stock certificate or certificates representing such Restricted Shares until the Restriction Period shall have expired and unless all other vesting requirements with respect thereto shall have been fulfilled or waived; (ii) the Company or its designee will retain custody of the stock certificate or certificates representing the Restricted Shares during the Restriction Period as provided in Section 8.2; (iii) the Holder may not sell, assign, transfer, pledge, exchange, encumber or dispose of the Restricted Shares or his or her interest in any of them during the Restriction Period; and (iv) a breach of any restrictions, terms or conditions provided in the Plan or established by the Committee with respect to any Restricted Shares will cause a forfeiture of such Restricted Shares with respect thereto.
8.4
Cash Payments.
In connection with any Award of Restricted Shares, an Agreement may provide for the payment of a cash amount to the Holder of such Restricted Shares after such Restricted Shares shall have become vested. Such cash amounts shall be payable in accordance with such additional restrictions, terms and conditions as shall be prescribed by the Committee in the Agreement and shall be in addition to any other salary, incentive, bonus or other compensation payments which such Holder shall be otherwise entitled or eligible to receive from the Company.
8.5
Completion of Restriction Period.
On the Vesting Date with respect to each Award of Restricted Shares and the satisfaction of any other applicable restrictions, terms and conditions, (i) all or the applicable portion of such Restricted Shares shall become vested, (ii) any Retained Distributions with respect to such Restricted Shares shall become vested to the extent that the Restricted Shares related thereto shall have become vested, and (iii) any cash amount to be received by the Holder with respect to such Restricted Shares shall become payable, all in accordance with the terms of the applicable Agreement. Any such Restricted Shares and Retained Distributions that shall not become vested shall be forfeited to the Company, and the Holder shall not thereafter have any rights (including dividend and voting rights) with respect to such Restricted Shares and Retained Distributions that shall have been so forfeited. The Committee may, in its discretion, provide that the delivery of any Restricted Shares and Retained Distributions that shall have become vested, and payment of any related cash amounts that shall have become payable under this Article VIII, shall be deferred until such date or dates as the recipient may elect. Any election of a recipient pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be filed in writing with the Committee in accordance with such rules and regulations, including any deadline for the making of such an election, as the Committee may provide, and shall be made in compliance with Section 409A of the Code.
ARTICLE IX
RESTRICTED STOCK UNITS
9.1
Grant.
In addition to granting Awards of Options, SARs and Restricted Shares, the Committee shall, subject to the limitations of the Plan, have authority to grant to eligible persons Awards of Restricted Stock Units which may be in the form of shares of any specified series of Common Stock or units, the value of which is based, in whole or in part, on the Fair Market Value of the shares of any specified series of Common Stock. Subject to the provisions of the Plan, including any rules established pursuant to Section 9.2, Awards of Restricted Stock Units shall be subject to such terms, restrictions, conditions, vesting requirements and payment rules as the Committee may determine in its discretion, which need not be identical for each Award. The terms of each Award need not be identical, and the Board need not treat Holders uniformly. The determinations made by the Committee pursuant to this Section 9.1 shall be specified in the applicable Agreement.
9.2
Rules.
The Committee may, in its discretion, establish any or all of the following rules for application to an Award of Restricted Stock Units:
(a) Any shares of Common Stock which are part of an Award of Restricted Stock Units may not be assigned, sold, transferred, pledged or otherwise encumbered prior to the date on which the shares are issued or, if later, the date provided by the Committee at the time of the Award.
(b) Such Awards may provide for the payment of cash consideration by the person to whom such Award is granted or provide that the Award, and any shares of Common Stock to be issued in connection therewith, if applicable, shall be delivered without the payment of cash consideration;
provided, however,
that the issuance of any shares of Common Stock in connection with an Award of Restricted Stock Units shall be for at least the minimum consideration necessary to permit such shares to be deemed fully paid and nonassessable.
(c) Awards of Restricted Stock Units may provide for deferred payment schedules, vesting over a specified period of employment, the payment (on a current or deferred basis) of dividend equivalent amounts with respect to the number of shares of Common Stock covered by the Award, and elections by the employee to defer payment of the Award or the lifting of restrictions on the Award, if any, provided that any such deferrals shall comply with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code. Restricted Stock Units shall not constitute issued and outstanding shares of the applicable series of Common Stock, and the Holder shall not have any of the rights of a stockholder with respect to the shares of Common Stock covered by such an Award of Restricted Stock Units, in each case until Awards have paid out in shares of Common Stock after the end of the Restriction Period.
(d)
Dividend Equivalents
. The Awards of Restricted Stock Units may provide Holders with the right to receive Dividend Equivalents. Dividend Equivalents may be settled in cash and/or shares of Common Stock and will be subject to the same restrictions on transfer and forfeitability as the Restricted Stock Units with respect to which paid, in each case to the extent provided in the Award agreement.
(e) In such circumstances as the Committee may deem advisable, the Committee may waive or otherwise remove, in whole or in part, any restrictions or limitations to which a Restricted Stock Unit Award was made subject at the time of grant.
ARTICLE X
CASH AWARDS, OTHER STOCK-BASED AWARDS, AND PERFORMANCE AWARDS
10.1
Cash Awards.
In addition to granting Options, SARs, Restricted Shares, Restricted Stock Units, or Other Stock-Based Awards, the Committee shall, subject to the limitations of the Plan, have authority to grant to eligible persons Cash Awards. Each Cash Award shall be subject to such terms and conditions, restrictions and contingencies as the Committee shall determine. Restrictions and contingencies limiting the right to receive a cash payment pursuant to a Cash Award shall be based upon the achievement of single or multiple Performance Objectives over a performance period established by the Committee. The determinations made by the Committee pursuant to this Section 10.1 shall be specified in the applicable Agreement.
10.2
Other Stock-Based Awards.
Other Awards of shares of Common Stock, and other Awards that are valued in whole or in part by reference to, or are otherwise based on, shares of Common Stock, may be granted hereunder to Holders (“
Other Stock-Based-Awards
”). Such Other Stock-Based Awards shall also be available as a form of payment in the settlement of other Awards granted under the Plan or as payment in lieu of compensation to which a Holder is otherwise entitled. Other Stock-Based Awards may be paid in shares of Common Stock or cash, as the Board or the Committee may determine. Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Board or the Committee shall determine the terms and conditions of each Other Stock-Based Award, including any purchase price applicable thereto.
10.3
Designation as a Performance Award.
The Committee shall have the right to designate any Award of Options, SARs, Restricted Shares, Restricted Stock Units, or Other Stock-Based Awards as a Performance Award. All Cash Awards shall be designated as Performance Awards.
10.4
Performance Objectives.
The grant or vesting of a Performance Award shall be subject to the achievement of Performance Objectives over a performance period established by the Committee based upon one or more of the following business criteria that apply to the Holder, one or more business units, divisions or Subsidiaries of the Company or the applicable sector of the Company, or the Company as a whole, and if so desired by the Committee, by comparison with a peer group of companies: increased revenue; net income measures (including income after capital costs and income before or after taxes); stock price measures (including growth measures and total stockholder return); price per share of Common Stock; market share; audience metrics (such as program ratings, web impressions, and subscribers); earnings per share (actual or targeted growth); earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA); economic value added; market value added; debt to equity ratio; cash flow measures (including cash flow return on capital, cash flow return on tangible capital, net cash flow and net cash flow before financing activities); return measures (including return on equity, return on average assets, return on capital, risk-adjusted return on capital, return on investors’ capital and return on average equity); operating measures (including operating income, adjusted operating income before depreciation and amortization, funds from operations, cash from operations, after-tax operating income; sales volumes, production volumes and production efficiency); expense measures (including overhead cost and general and administrative expense); margins; stockholder value; total stockholder return; proceeds from dispositions; total market value and corporate values measures (including ethics compliance, environmental and safety). Unless otherwise stated, such a Performance Objective need not be based upon an increase or positive result under a particular business criterion and could include, for example, maintaining the status quo or limiting economic losses (measured, in each case, by reference to specific business criteria). The Committee shall have the authority to determine whether the Performance Objectives and other terms and conditions of the Award are satisfied, and the Committee’s determination as to the achievement of Performance Objectives relating to a Performance Award shall be made in writing.
The Committee may specify that such performance measures shall be adjusted to exclude any one or more of (i) extraordinary items, (ii) gains or losses on the dispositions of discontinued operations, (iii) the cumulative effects of changes in accounting principles, (iv) the writedown of any asset, (vi) fluctuation in foreign currency exchange rates, and (vi) charges for restructuring and rationalization programs. Such performance measures: (i) may vary by Holder and may be different for different Awards; (ii) may be particular to a Holder or the department, branch, line of business, subsidiary or other unit in which the Holder works and may cover such period as may be specified by the Committee; and (iii) shall be set by the Committee within the time period prescribed by, and shall otherwise comply with the requirements of, Section 162(m). Awards that are not intended to qualify as Performance-Based Compensation may be based on these or such other performance measures as the Board or the Committee may determine.
10.5
Section 162(m) of the Code.
Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions, if the Committee intends for a Performance Award to be granted and administered in a manner designed to preserve the deductibility of the compensation resulting from such Award in accordance with Section 162(m) of the Code, then the Performance Objectives for such particular Performance Award relative to the particular period of service to which the Performance Objectives relate shall be established by the Committee in writing (i) no later than 90 days after the beginning of such period and (ii) prior to the completion of 25% of such period.
10.6
Waiver of Performance Objectives.
The Committee shall have no discretion to modify or waive the Performance Objectives or conditions to the grant or vesting of a Performance Award unless such Award is not intended to qualify as qualified performance-based compensation under Section 162(m) of the Code and the relevant Agreement provides for such discretion.
ARTICLE XI
GENERAL PROVISIONS
11.1
Acceleration of Awards.
(a)
Death or Disability.
If a Holder’s employment shall terminate by reason of death or Disability, notwithstanding any contrary waiting period, installment period, vesting schedule or Restriction Period in any
Agreement or in the Plan, unless the applicable Agreement provides otherwise: (i) in the case of an Option or SAR, each outstanding Option or SAR granted under the Plan shall immediately become exercisable in full in respect of the aggregate number of shares covered thereby; (ii) in the case of Restricted Shares, the Restriction Period applicable to each such Award of Restricted Shares shall be deemed to have expired and all such Restricted Shares and any related Retained Distributions shall become vested and any related cash amounts payable pursuant to the applicable Agreement shall be adjusted in such manner as may be provided in the Agreement; and (iii) in the case of Restricted Stock Units, each such Award of Restricted Stock Units and any unpaid Dividend Equivalents shall become vested in full.
(b)
Approved Transactions; Board Change; Control Purchase.
In the event of any Approved Transaction, Board Change or Control Purchase, notwithstanding any contrary waiting period, installment period, vesting schedule or Restriction Period in any Agreement or in the Plan, unless the applicable Agreement provides otherwise: (i) in the case of an Option or SAR, each such outstanding Option or SAR granted under the Plan shall become exercisable in full in respect of the aggregate number of shares covered thereby; (ii) in the case of Restricted Shares, the Restriction Period applicable to each such Award of Restricted Shares shall be deemed to have expired and all such Restricted Shares, any related Retained Distributions and any unpaid Dividend Equivalents shall become vested and any related cash amounts payable pursuant to the applicable Agreement shall be adjusted in such manner as may be provided in the Agreement; and (iii) in the case of Restricted Stock Units, each such Award of Restricted Stock Units shall become vested in full, in each case effective upon the Board Change or Control Purchase or immediately prior to consummation of the Approved Transaction. The effect, if any, on a Cash Award or Other Stock-Based Award of an Approved Transaction, Board Change or Control Purchase shall be prescribed in the applicable Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, unless otherwise provided in the applicable Agreement, the Committee may, in its discretion, determine that any or all outstanding Awards of any or all types granted pursuant to the Plan will not vest or become exercisable on an accelerated basis in connection with an Approved Transaction if effective provision has been made for the taking of such action which, in the opinion of the Committee, is equitable and appropriate to substitute a new Award for such Award or to assume such Award and to make such new or assumed Award, as nearly as may be practicable, equivalent to the old Award (before giving effect to any acceleration of the vesting or exercisability thereof), taking into account, to the extent applicable, the kind and amount of securities, cash or other assets into or for which the applicable series of Common Stock may be changed, converted or exchanged in connection with the Approved Transaction.
Notwithstanding any provision of the Plan to the contrary, in the event of a corporate merger, consolidation, acquisition of property or stock, separation, reorganization or liquidation, the Committee shall be authorized, in its discretion, (i) to provide, prior to the transaction, for the acceleration of the vesting and exercisability of, or lapse of restrictions with respect to, the Award and, if the transaction is a cash merger, provide for the termination of any portion of the Award that remains unexercised at the time of such transaction, or (ii) to cancel any such Awards and to deliver to the Holders cash in an amount that the Committee shall determine in its sole discretion is equal to the fair market value of such Awards on the date of such event, which in the case of Options or SARs shall be the excess of the Fair Market Value of Common Stock on such date over the purchase price of the Options or the base price of the SARs, as applicable.
No action pursuant to this Section 11.1(b) shall be made in a manner that results in noncompliance with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code, to the extent applicable.
11.2
Termination of Employment.
(a)
General.
If a Holder’s employment shall terminate prior to an Option’s or SAR’s becoming exercisable or being exercised (or deemed exercised, as provided in Section 7.2) in full, or during the Restriction Period with respect to any Restricted Shares or prior to the vesting or complete exercise of any Restricted Stock Units, then such Option or SAR shall thereafter become or be exercisable, such Restricted Stock Units to the extent vested shall thereafter be exercisable, and the Holder’s rights to any unvested Restricted Shares, Retained Distributions, unpaid Dividend Equivalents and related cash amounts and any such unvested Restricted Stock Units shall thereafter vest, in each case solely to the extent provided in the applicable Agreement;
provided, however,
that, unless otherwise determined by the Committee and provided in the applicable Agreement, (i) no Option or SAR may be exercised after the scheduled expiration date thereof; (ii) if the Holder’s employment terminates by reason of death or Disability, the Option or SAR shall remain exercisable for a period of at least one year following such termination (but not later than the scheduled expiration of such Option or SAR); and (iii) any termination of the Holder
’
s employment for “cause” will be treated in accordance with the provisions of Section 11.2(b). The effect on a Cash Award or Other Stock-Based Award of the termination of a Holder’s employment for any reason, other than for Cause, shall be prescribed in the applicable Agreement.
(b)
Termination for Cause.
If a Holder’s employment with the Company or a Subsidiary of the Company shall be terminated by the Company or such Subsidiary for “cause” during the Restriction Period with respect to any
Restricted Shares or prior to any Option or SAR becoming exercisable or being exercised in full or prior to the vesting or complete exercise of any Restricted Stock Unit or the payment in full of any Cash Award (for these purposes, “
cause
” shall have the meaning ascribed thereto in any employment agreement to which such Holder is a party or, in the absence thereof, shall include insubordination, dishonesty, incompetence, moral turpitude, other misconduct of any kind and the refusal to perform his duties and responsibilities for any reason other than illness or incapacity, then, unless otherwise determined by the Committee and provided in the applicable Agreement, (i) all Options and SARs and all unvested or unexercised Restricted Stock Units and all unpaid Cash Awards held by such Holder shall immediately terminate, and (ii) such Holder’s rights to all Restricted Shares, Retained Distributions, any unpaid Dividend Equivalents and any related cash amounts shall be forfeited immediately. The Committee may determine retroactively, within one year after employment ends, that the Company had “cause” for termination of a Holder who has ceased to be employed and may forfeit any still outstanding Awards.
(c)
Miscellaneous.
The Committee may determine whether any given leave of absence constitutes a termination of employment;
provided, however,
that for purposes of the Plan, (i) a leave of absence, duly authorized in writing by the Company for military service or sickness, or for any other purpose approved by the Company if the period of such leave does not exceed 90 days, and (ii) a leave of absence in excess of 90 days, duly authorized in writing by the Company provided the employee’s right to reemployment is guaranteed either by statute or contract, shall not be deemed a termination of employment. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee and provided in the applicable Agreement, Awards made under the Plan shall not be affected by any change of employment so long as the Holder continues to be an employee of the Company.
11.3
Right of Company to Terminate Employment.
Nothing contained in the Plan or in any Award, and no action of the Company or the Committee with respect thereto, shall confer or be construed to confer on any Holder any right to continue in the employ of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or interfere in any way with the right of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company to terminate the employment of the Holder at any time, with or without cause, subject, however, to the provisions of any employment agreement between the Holder and the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company.
11.4
Nonalienation of Benefits; Nontransferability of Awards
. Except as set forth below, no right or benefit under the Plan shall be subject to anticipation, alienation, sale, assignment, hypothecation, pledge, exchange, transfer, encumbrance or charge, and any attempt to anticipate, alienate, sell, assign, hypothecate, pledge, exchange, transfer, encumber or charge the same shall be void. No right or benefit hereunder shall in any manner be liable for or subject to the debts, contracts, liabilities or torts of the Person entitled to such benefits.
Awards shall not be sold, assigned, transferred, pledged or otherwise encumbered by the person to whom they are granted, either voluntarily or by operation of law, except by will or the laws of descent and distribution or pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order, and, during the life of the Holder, shall be exercisable only by the Holder; provided, however, that the Board or the Committee may permit or provide in an Award for the gratuitous transfer of the Award by the Holder to or for the benefit of any immediate family member, family trust or other entity established for the benefit of the Holder and/or an immediate family member thereof if the Company would be eligible to use a Form S-8 under the Securities Act for the registration of the sale of the Common Stock subject to such Award to such proposed transferee; provided further, that the Company shall not be required to recognize any such permitted transfer until such time as such permitted transferee shall, as a condition to such transfer, deliver to the Company a written instrument in form and substance satisfactory to the Company confirming that such transferee shall be bound by all of the terms and conditions of the Award. References to a Holder, to the extent relevant in the context, shall include
references to authorized transferees. For the avoidance of doubt, nothing contained in this Section 11.4 shall be deemed to restrict a transfer to the Company.
11.5
Documentation
. Each Award shall be evidenced in such form (written, electronic or otherwise) as the Committee shall determine. Each Award may contain terms and conditions in addition to those set forth in the Plan. Any such documentation may contain (but shall not be required to contain) such provisions as the Committee deems appropriate to insure that the penalty provisions of Section 4999 of the Code will not apply to any stock or cash received by the Holder from the Company. Any such Agreement may be supplemented or amended from time to time as approved by the Committee as contemplated by Section 11.7(b).
11.6
Designation of Beneficiaries.
Each person who shall be granted an Award under the Plan may designate a beneficiary or beneficiaries and may change such designation from time to time by filing a written designation of beneficiary or beneficiaries with the Committee on a form to be prescribed by it, provided that no such designation shall be effective unless so filed prior to the death of such person.
11.7
Termination and Amendment.
(a)
General.
Unless the Plan shall theretofore have been terminated as hereinafter provided, no Awards may be made under the Plan on or after the tenth anniversary of the Effective Date. The Plan may be terminated at any time prior to the tenth anniversary of the Effective Date and may, from time to time, be suspended or discontinued or modified or amended if such action is deemed advisable by the Committee.
(b)
Modification.
No termination, modification or amendment of the Plan may, without the consent of the person to whom any Award shall theretofore have been granted, materially adversely affect the rights of such person with respect to such Award, except as otherwise permitted by Section 11.18. No modification, extension, renewal or other change in any Award granted under the Plan shall be made after the grant of such Award, unless the same is consistent with the provisions of the Plan. With the consent of the Holder, or as otherwise permitted under Section 11.18, and subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan (including Section 11.7(a)), the Committee may amend outstanding Agreements with any Holder, including any amendment which would (i) accelerate the time or times at which the Award may be exercised and/or (ii) extend the scheduled expiration date of the Award. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Committee may, but solely with the Holder’s consent unless otherwise provided in the Agreement, agree to cancel any Award under the Plan and grant a new Award in substitution therefor, provided that the Award so substituted shall satisfy all of the requirements of the Plan as of the date such new Award is made. Nothing contained in the foregoing provisions of this Section 11.7(b) shall be construed to prevent the Committee from providing in any Agreement that the rights of the Holder with respect to the Award evidenced thereby shall be subject to such rules and regulations as the Committee may, subject to the express provisions of the Plan, adopt from time to time or impair the enforceability of any such provision.
11.8
Government and Other Regulations.
The obligation of the Company with respect to Awards shall be subject to all applicable laws, rules and regulations and such approvals by any governmental agencies as may be required, including the effectiveness of any registration statement required under the Securities Act of 1933, and the rules and regulations of any securities exchange or association on which the Common Stock may be listed or quoted. For so long as any series of Common Stock are registered under the Exchange Act, the Company shall use its reasonable efforts to comply with any legal requirements (i) to maintain a registration statement in effect under the Securities Act of 1933 with respect to all shares of the applicable series of Common Stock that may be issued to Holders under the Plan and (ii) to file in a timely manner all reports required to be filed by it under the Exchange Act.
11.9
Withholding.
The Company’s obligation to deliver shares of Common Stock or pay cash in respect of any Award under the Plan shall be subject to applicable federal, state and local tax withholding requirements. Federal, state and local withholding tax due at the time of an Award, upon the exercise of any Option or SAR or upon the vesting of, or expiration of restrictions with respect to, Restricted Shares or Restricted Stock Units or Other Stock-Based Awards or the satisfaction of the Performance Objectives applicable to a Performance Award, as appropriate, may, in the discretion of the Committee, be paid in shares of the applicable series of Common Stock
already owned by the Holder or through the withholding of shares otherwise issuable to such Holder, upon such terms and conditions (including the conditions referenced in Section 6.5) as the Committee shall determine. If the Holder shall fail to pay, or make arrangements satisfactory to the Committee for the payment to the Company of, all such federal, state and local taxes required to be withheld by the Company, then the Company shall, to the extent permitted by law, have the right to deduct from any payment of any kind otherwise due to such Holder an amount equal to any federal, state or local taxes of any kind required to be withheld by the Company with respect to such Award.
If provided for in an Award or approved by the Board or the Committee in its sole discretion, a Holder may satisfy such tax obligations in whole or in part by delivery (either by actual delivery or attestation) of shares of Common Stock, including shares retained from the Award creating the tax obligation, valued at their Fair Market Value; provided, however, except as otherwise provided by the Board, that the total tax withholding where stock is being used to satisfy such tax obligations cannot exceed the Company’s minimum statutory withholding obligations (based on minimum statutory withholding rates for federal and state tax purposes, including payroll taxes, that are applicable to such supplemental taxable income). Shares used to satisfy tax withholding requirements cannot be subject to any repurchase, forfeiture, unfulfilled vesting or other similar requirements.
11.10
Nonexclusivity of the Plan.
The adoption of the Plan by the Board shall not be construed as creating any limitations on the power of the Board to adopt such other incentive arrangements as it may deem desirable, including the granting of stock options and the awarding of stock and cash otherwise than under the Plan, and such arrangements may be either generally applicable or applicable only in specific cases.
11.11
Treatment with Respect to Other Benefit Programs.
By acceptance of an Award, unless otherwise provided in the applicable Agreement or required by law, each Holder shall be deemed to have agreed that such Award is special incentive compensation that will not be taken into account, in any manner, as salary, compensation or bonus in determining the amount of any payment under any pension, retirement or other employee benefit plan, program or policy of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company. In addition, each beneficiary of a deceased Holder shall be deemed to have agreed that such Award will not affect the amount of any life insurance coverage, if any, provided by the Company on the life of the Holder which is payable to such beneficiary under any life insurance plan covering employees of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company.
11.12
Unfunded Plan.
Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary of the Company shall be required to segregate any cash or any shares of Common Stock which may at any time be represented by Awards, and the Plan shall constitute an “unfunded” plan of the Company. Except as provided in Article VIII with respect to Awards of Restricted Shares and except as expressly set forth in an Agreement, no employee shall have voting or other rights with respect to the shares of Common Stock covered by an Award prior to the delivery of such shares. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary of the Company shall, by any provisions of the Plan, be deemed to be a trustee of any shares of Common Stock or any other property, and the liabilities of the Company and any Subsidiary of the Company to any employee pursuant to the Plan shall be those of a debtor pursuant to such contract obligations as are created by or pursuant to the Plan, and the rights of any employee, former employee or beneficiary under the Plan shall be limited to those of a general creditor of the Company or the applicable Subsidiary of the Company, as the case may be. In its sole discretion, the Board may authorize the creation of trusts or other arrangements to meet the obligations of the Company under the Plan,
provided, however
, that the existence of such trusts or other arrangements is consistent with the unfunded status of the Plan.
11.13
Governing Law.
The Plan shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware.
11.14
Accounts.
The delivery of any shares of Common Stock and the payment of any amount in respect of an Award shall be for the account of the Company or the applicable Subsidiary of the Company, as the case may be, and any such delivery or payment shall not be made until the recipient shall have paid or made satisfactory arrangements for the payment of any applicable withholding taxes as provided in Section 11.9.
11.15
Legends.
Each certificate evidencing shares of Common Stock subject to an Award shall bear such legends as the Committee deems necessary or appropriate to reflect or refer to any terms, conditions or restrictions of the Award applicable to such shares, including any to the effect that the shares represented thereby may not be disposed of unless the Company has received an opinion of counsel, acceptable to the Company, that such disposition will not violate any federal or state securities laws.
11.16
Company’s Rights.
The grant of Awards pursuant to the Plan shall not affect in any way the right or power of the Company to make reclassifications, reorganizations or other changes of or to its capital or business structure or to merge, consolidate, liquidate, sell or otherwise dispose of all or any part of its business or assets.
11.17
Interpretation.
The words “
include
,” “
includes
,” “
included
” and “
including
” to the extent used in the Plan shall be deemed in each case to be followed by the words “without limitation.”
11.18
Compliance with Section 409A of the Code.
Except as provided in individual Award agreements initially or by amendment, if and to the extent (i) any portion of any payment, compensation or other benefit provided to a Holder pursuant to the Plan in connection with his or her employment termination constitutes “nonqualified deferred compensation” within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code and (ii) the Holder is a specified employee as defined in Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) of the Code, in each case as determined by the Company in accordance with its procedures, by which determinations the Holder (through accepting the Award) agrees that he or she is bound, such portion of the payment, compensation or other benefit shall not be paid before the day that is six months plus one day after the date of “separation from service” (as determined under Section 409A of the Code) (the “
New Payment Date
”), except as Section 409A of the Code may then permit. The aggregate of any payments that otherwise would have been paid to the Holder during the period between the date of separation from service and the New Payment Date shall be paid to the Holder in a lump sum on such New Payment Date, and any remaining payments will be paid on their original schedule.
The Company makes no representations or warranty and shall have no liability to the Holder or any other person if any provisions of or payments, compensation or other benefits under the Plan are determined to constitute nonqualified deferred compensation subject to Section 409A of the Code but do not to satisfy the conditions of that section.
11.19
Authorization of Sub-Plans (including for Grants to non-U.S. Employees)
. The Board may from time to time establish one or more sub-plans under the Plan for purposes of satisfying applicable securities, tax or other laws of various jurisdictions. The Board shall establish such sub-plans by adopting supplements to the Plan containing (i) such limitations on the Board’s discretion under the Plan as the Board deems necessary or desirable or (ii) such additional terms and conditions not otherwise inconsistent with the Plan as the Board shall deem necessary or desirable. All supplements adopted by the Board shall be deemed to be part of the Plan, but each supplement shall apply only to Holders within the affected jurisdiction and the Company shall not be required to provide copies of any supplement to Holders in any jurisdiction which is not the subject of such supplement.
11.20
Limitations on Liability.
Notwithstanding any other provisions of the Plan, no individual acting as a director, officer, employee or agent of the Company will be liable to any Holder, former Holder, spouse, beneficiary, or any other person for any claim, loss, liability, or expense incurred in connection with the Plan, nor will such individual be personally liable with respect to the Plan because of any contract or other instrument he or she executes in his or her capacity as a director, officer, employee or agent of the Company. The Company will indemnify and hold harmless each director, officer, employee or agent of the Company to whom any duty or power relating to the administration or interpretation of the Plan has been or will be delegated, against any cost or expense (including attorneys’ fees) or liability (including any sum paid in settlement of a claim with the Board’s approval) arising out of any act or omission to act concerning the Plan unless arising out of such person’s own fraud or bad faith.
Exhibit 10.2
DISCOVERY PERFORMANCE EQUITY PROGRAM
NONQUALIFIED STOCK OPTION GRANT AGREEMENT FOR EMPLOYEES
Discovery Communications, Inc. (the “
Company
”) has granted you an option (the “
Option
”) under the Discovery Communications, Inc. 2013 Incentive Plan (the “
Plan
”). The Option lets you purchase a specified number (the “
Option Shares
”) of shares of the Company's Series A common stock, at a specified price per share (the “
Grant Price
”).
The individualized communication you received (the “
Cover Letter
”) provides the details for your Option. It specifies the number of Option Shares, the Grant Price, the Date of Grant, the schedule for exercisability (“
Exercisability Dates
”), and the latest date the Option will expire (the “
Term Expiration Date
”).
The Option is subject in all respects to the applicable provisions of the Plan. This Grant Agreement does not cover all of the rules that apply to the Option under the Plan; please refer to the Plan document. Capitalized terms are defined either further below in this grant agreement (the “
Grant Agreement
”) or in the Plan. If you are located in a country other than the United States, you are also receiving (or previously have received) an International Addendum to this Grant Agreement (the “
International Addendum
”). The International Addendum is incorporated into the Grant Agreement by reference and supplements the terms of this Grant Agreement and future grants to you under the Plan.
The Plan document is available on the Fidelity web site. The Prospectus for the Plan, the Company's S-8, Annual Report on Form 10-K, and other filings the Company makes with the Securities and Exchange Commission are available for your review on the Company's web site. You may also obtain paper copies of these documents upon request to the Company's Human Resources department.
Neither the Company nor anyone else is making any representations or promises regarding the duration of your service, exercisability of the Option, the value of the Company's stock or of this Option, or the Company's prospects. The Company is not providing any advice regarding tax consequences to you or regarding your decisions regarding the Option. You agree to rely only upon your own personal advisors.
NO ONE MAY SELL, TRANSFER, OR DISTRIBUTE THE OPTION OR THE SECURITIES THAT MAY BE PURCHASED UPON EXERCISING THE OPTION WITHOUT AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT RELATING THERETO OR AN OPINION OF COUNSEL SATISFACTORY TO DISCOVERY COMMUNICAITONS, INC. OR OTHER INFORMATION AND REPRESENTATIONS SATISFACTORY TO IT THAT SUCH REGISTRATION IS NOT REQUIRED.
In addition to the Plan's terms and restrictions, the following terms and restrictions apply:
1.
Option Exercisability
.
While your Option remains in effect under the
Option Expiration
section, below, you may exercise any exercisable portions of the Option (and buy the Option Shares) under the timing rules of this section.
The Option will become exercisable on the schedule provided in the Cover Letter to this Grant Agreement, assuming you remain employed (or serve as a member of the Company's Board of Directors) through each Exercisability Date. Any fractional shares will be carried forward to the following Exercisability Date, unless the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors (the “
Committee
”) selects a different treatment. For purposes of this Grant Agreement, employment with the Company will include employment with any Subsidiary whose employees are then eligible to receive Awards under the Plan (provided that a later transfer of employment to an ineligible Subsidiary will not terminate employment unless the Committee determines otherwise).
Exercisability will accelerate fully on your Retirement, or, while employed, your Disability or death. If the Company terminates your employment without Cause during a calendar year before the Option is fully exercisable, the Option shall remain or become exercisable over time as though you remained working through any Exercisability Dates occurring during the 90 days after the date of termination (the “
90-Day Period
”). (“
Cause
” has the meaning provided in Section 11.2(b) of the Plan. “
Disability
” has the meaning provided in Section 2.1 of the Plan. “
Retirement
” means your employment ends for any reason other than Cause at a point at which you are at least age 60 and have been employed by the Company, any of its subsidiaries, or Discovery Communications, LLC for at least ten years, where your period of service is determined using the Company's Prior Employment Service Policy or a successor policy chosen by the Committee. Acceleration upon Retirement does not apply in countries subject to the EU Directive on Discrimination.)
Your employment or service with the Company will be treated as terminating through a resignation that does not qualify for treatment applicable to terminations without Cause if either (i) the entity that employs you ceases to qualify as a Subsidiary because of its sale, distribution, or other disposition to an unrelated entity or (ii) because the entity that employs you sold a substantial portion of its assets and your employment ended for any reason at or in connection with the closing of that sale, distribution, or other disposition.
2.
Change in Control
.
Notwithstanding the Plan's provisions, if an Approved Transaction, Control Purchase, or Board Change (each a “
Change in Control
”) occurs before the Option is fully exercisable and while you remain employed by the Company (without reference to the 90-Day Period, above), the Option will only have accelerated exercisability as a result
of the Change in Control if within 12 months after the Change in Control, the Company terminates your employment without Cause, or, if you are a party to an employment agreement with the Company or a Subsidiary that permits you to resign for Good Reason, you resign for Good Reason.
“
Good Reason
” has the meaning provided in your employment agreement with the Company (or a Subsidiary), if any.
The Committee reserves its ability under Section 11.1(b) of the Plan to vary this treatment if the Committee determines there is an equitable substitution or replacement award in connection with a Change in Control.
3.
Option Expiration
.
You cannot exercise the Option after it has expired. The Option will expire no later than the close of business on the Term Expiration Date. Unexercisable portions of the Option expire immediately when you cease to be employed (unless you are concurrently remaining or becoming a member of the Board, or unless the Company terminates your employment without Cause, as specified above). If the Company terminates your employment for Cause, the Option will immediately expire without regard to whether it is then exercisable.
Exercisable portions of the Option remain exercisable until the first to occur of the following (the “
Final Exercise Date
”), each as defined further in the Plan or the Grant Agreement, and then immediately expire:
|
|
•
|
Immediately upon termination of employment by the Company for Cause
|
|
|
•
|
The 30
th
day after your employment (or directorship) ends if you resign other than on Retirement (including resignation for Good Reason, if applicable) (the “
30-Day Period
”)
|
|
|
•
|
The 90
th
day after your employment (or directorship) ends if the Company terminates your employment without Cause (even if then eligible for Retirement, except as the Committee otherwise provides)
|
|
|
•
|
For death, Disability, or Retirement, the first anniversary of the date employment ends (unless the Company has terminated your employment without Cause while you are eligible for Retirement, in which case the 90-Day Period, above, applies). If you die during the 30-Day Period or the 90-Day Period, the first anniversary of the date employment ends will be substituted for the end of the 30-Day Period or the 90-Day Period, as applicable.
|
|
|
•
|
The Term Expiration Date
|
If you die during the 30 or 90 day period after your employment ends (on a termination without Cause or a resignation), the period for exercise will be extended until the first anniversary of the date your employment ended, subject to the Term Expiration Date, and the extended date will be the Final Exercise Date.
The Committee can override the expiration provisions of this Grant Agreement.
4.
Automatic Exercise
.
At close of business on the Final Exercise Date (or the preceding trading day if the Final Exercise Date is not a trading day), if the Exercise Spread Test (defined below) is met, the Option will be automatically exercised using the “net exercise” method described below, without regard to the notice requirement and with additional shares retained for purposes of satisfying the minimum applicable tax withholdings (the “
Automatic Exercise
”
)
. The Option satisfies the “
Exercise Spread Test
” if the per share spread between the closing price of the Company's Series A common stock and the Grant Price (the “
Exercise Spread
”) on the Final Exercise Date is at least one dollar. If the Exercise Spread Test is not satisfied, the unexercised portions of the Option will expire as of close of business on the Final Exercise Date.
For avoidance of doubt, you may exercise any exercisable portion of the Option prior to the time of an Automatic Exercise and no portion of the Option may or will be exercised at or after your termination for Cause.
The Automatic Exercise procedure is provided as a convenience and as a protection against inadvertent expiration of an Option.
Because any exercise of an Option is normally your responsibility, you hereby waive any claims against the Company or any of its employees or agents if an Automatic Exercise does not occur for any reason and the Option expires.
5.
Method of Exercise and Payment for Shares
.
Subject to this Grant Agreement and the Plan, and other than for portions of the Option that are automatically exercised as described in the section, you may exercise the Option only by providing a written notice (or notice through another previously approved method, which could include a web-based or voice- or e-mail system) to the Secretary of the Company or to whomever the Committee designates, received on or before the date the Option expires. Each such notice must satisfy whatever then-current procedures apply to that Option and must contain such representations (statements from you about your situation) as the Company requires. You must, at the same time, pay the Grant Price using one or more of the following methods:
(a) Cash/Check.
Cash or check in the amount of the Grant Price payable to the order of the Company;
|
|
(b) Cashless Exercise.
|
An approved cashless exercise method, including directing the Company
|
to send the stock certificates (or other acceptable evidence of ownership) to be issued under the Option to a licensed broker acceptable to the Company as your agent in exchange for the broker's tendering to the Company cash (or acceptable cash equivalents) equal to the Grant Price and, if you so elect, any required tax withholdings; or
(c) Net Exercise.
By delivery of a notice of “net exercise” to or as directed by the Company, as a result of which you will receive (i) the number of shares underlying the portion of the Option being exercised
less (ii) such number of shares as is equal to (X) the aggregate Grant Price for the portion of the Option being exercised divided by (Y) the Fair Market Value on the date of exercise.
The Committee can approve additional payment methods, including use of a fully or partially recourse promissory note, subject to any prohibitions of applicable law.
6.
Clawback
.
If the Company's Board of Directors or the Committee determines, in its sole discretion, that you engaged in fraud or misconduct as a result of which or in connection with which the Company is required to or decides to restate its financial statements, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, impose any or all of the following:
(a)
Immediate expiration of the Option, whether vested or not, if granted within the first 12 months after issuance or filing of any financial statement that is being restated (the “
Recovery Measurement Period
”)
(b)
As to any exercised portion of the Option (to the extent, during the Recovery Measurement Period, the Option is granted, vests, is exercised, or the purchased shares are sold), prompt payment to the Company of any Option Gain. For purposes of this Agreement, the “
Option Gain
” per share you received on exercise of options is
for stock you have sold or transferred without sale, the greater of (i) the
Exercise Spread
and (ii) the spread between the price at which you sold (or the fair market value on the date of other disposition of) the stock and the Grant Price paid, and
for stock you have retained, the greater of (i) Exercise Spread and
(ii) the spread between the closing price on the date of the Committee's request for repayment and the Grant Price paid.
This remedy is in addition to any other remedies that the Company may have available in law or equity.
Payment is due in cash or cash equivalents within 10 days after the Committee provides notice to you that it is enforcing this clawback. Payment will be calculated on a gross basis, without reduction for taxes or commissions. The Company may, but is not required to, accept retransfer of shares in lieu of cash payments.
7.
Withholding
.
Issuing the Option Shares is contingent on satisfaction of all obligations with respect to required tax or other required withholdings (for example, in the U.S., Federal, state, and local taxes generally are due upon exercise of the Option). Except as provided in the
Automatic Exercise
section, the Company may take any action permitted under Section 11.9 of the Plan to satisfy such obligation, including, if the Committee so determines, satisfying the tax obligations by (i) reducing the number of Option Shares to be issued to you in connection with any exercise of the Option by that number of Option Shares (valued at their Fair Market Value on the date of exercise) that would equal all taxes required to be withheld (at their minimum withholding levels), (ii) accepting payment of the withholdings from a broker in connection with a Cashless Exercise of the Option or directly from you, or (iii) taking any other action under Section 11.9. You may satisfy such tax obligations in whole or in part by delivery (either by actual delivery or attestation) of shares of Common Stock, including shares retained from the award creating the tax obligation, valued at their Fair Market Value; provided, however, except as otherwise provided by the Board, that the total tax withholding where stock is being used to satisfy such tax obligations cannot exceed the Company's minimum statutory withholding obligations (based on minimum statutory withholding rates for federal and state tax purposes, including payroll taxes, that are applicable to such supplemental taxable income). Shares used to satisfy tax withholding requirements cannot be subject to any repurchase, forfeiture, unfulfilled vesting or other similar requirements.
8.
Compliance with Law
.
You may not exercise the Option if the Company's issuing stock upon such exercise would violate any applicable Federal or state securities laws or other laws or regulations. You may not sell or
otherwise dispose of the Option Shares in violation of applicable law. As part of this prohibition, you may not use the Cashless Exercise methods if the Company's insider trading policy then prohibits you from selling to the market.
9.
Additional Conditions to Exercise
.
The Company may postpone issuing and delivering any Option Shares for so long as the Company determines to be advisable to satisfy the following:
(a)
its completing or amending any securities registration or qualification of the Option Shares
or
its or your satisfying any exemption from registration under any Federal or state law, rule, or regulation;
(b)
its receiving proof it considers satisfactory that a person seeking to exercise the Option after your death is entitled to do so;
(c)
your complying with any requests for representations under the Plan; and
(d)
your complying with any Federal, state, or local tax withholding obligations.
10.
Additional Representations from You
.
If you exercise the Option at a time when the Company does not have a current registration statement (generally on Form S-8) under the Securities Act of 1933(the “
Act
”) that covers issuances of shares to you, you must comply with the following before the Company will issue the Option Shares to you. You must -
(a)
represent to the Company, in a manner satisfactory to the Company's counsel, that you are acquiring the Option Shares for your own account and not with a view to reselling or distributing the Option Shares; and
(b)
agree that you will not sell, transfer, or otherwise dispose of the Option Shares unless:
(i) a registration statement under the Act is effective at the time of disposition with respect to the Option Shares you propose to sell, transfer, or otherwise dispose of; or
(ii) the Company has received an opinion of counsel or other information and representations it considers satisfactory to the effect that, because of Rule 144 under the Act or otherwise, no registration under the Act is required.
11.
No Effect on Employment or Other Relationship
.
Nothing in this Grant Agreement restricts the Company's rights or those of any of its affiliates to terminate your employment or other relationship at any time and for any or no reason. The termination of employment or other relationship, whether by the Company or any of its affiliates or otherwise, and regardless of the reason for such termination, has the consequences provided for under the Plan and any applicable employment or severance agreement or plan.
12.
Not a Stockholder
.
You understand and agree that the Company will not consider you a stockholder for any purpose with respect to any of the Option Shares until you have exercised the Option, paid for the shares, and received evidence of ownership.
13.
No Effect on Running Business
.
You understand and agree that the existence of the Option will not affect in any way the right or power of the Company or its stockholders to make or authorize any adjustments, recapitalizations, reorganizations, or other changes in the Company's capital structure or its business, or any merger or consolidation of the Company, or any issuance of bonds, debentures, preferred or other stock, with preference ahead of or convertible into, or otherwise affecting the Company's common stock or the rights thereof, or the dissolution or liquidation of the Company, or any sale or transfer of all or any part of its assets or business, or any other corporate act or proceeding, whether or not of a similar character to those described above.
14.
Governing Law
.
The laws of the State of Delaware will govern all matters relating to the Option, without regard to the principles of conflict of laws.
15.
Notices
. Any notice you give to the Company must follow the procedures then in effect. If no other procedures apply, you must send your notice in writing by hand or by mail to the office of the Company's Secretary (or to the Chair of the Committee if you are then serving as the sole Secretary). If mailed, you should address it to the Company's Secretary (or the Chair of the Committee) at the Company's then corporate headquarters, unless the Company directs optionees to send notices to another corporate department or to a third party administrator or specifies another method of transmitting notice. The Company and the Committee will address any notices to you using its standard electronic communications methods or at your office or home address as reflected on the Company's personnel or other business records. You and the Company may change the address for notice by like notice to the other, and the Company can also change the address for notice by general announcements to optionees.
16.
Amendment
.
Subject to any required action by the Board or the stockholders of the Company, the Company may cancel the Option and provide a new Award in its place, provided that the Award so replaced will satisfy all of the requirements of the Plan as of the date such new Award is made and no such action will adversely affect the Option to the extent then exercisable.
17.
Plan Governs
.
Wherever a conflict may arise between the terms of this Grant Agreement and the terms of the Plan, the terms of the Plan will control. The Committee may adjust the number of Option Shares and the Grant Price and other terms of the Option from time to time as the Plan provides.
Exhibit 10.3
DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT GRANT AGREEMENT FOR EMPLOYEES
Discovery Communications, Inc. (the “
Company
”) has granted you a restricted stock unit (the “
RSU
”) under the Discovery Communications, Inc. 2013 Incentive Plan (the “
Plan
”). The RSU lets you receive a specified number (the “
RSU Shares
”) of shares (“
Shares
”) of the Company's Series A common stock upon satisfaction of the conditions to receipt.
The individualized communication you received (the “
Cover Letter
”) provides the details for your RSU. It specifies the number of RSU Shares, the Date of Grant, the schedule for vesting (the “Vesting Schedule”) , and the Vesting Date(s).
The RSU is subject in all respects to the applicable provisions of the Plan. This grant agreement does not cover all of the rules that apply to the RSU under the Plan; please refer to the Plan document. Capitalized terms are defined either further below in this grant agreement (the “
Grant Agreement
”) or in the Plan. If you are located in a country other than the United States, you are also receiving (or previously have received) an International Addendum to this Grant Agreement (the “
International Addendum
”). The International Addendum is incorporated into the Grant Agreement by reference and supplements the terms of this Grant Agreement and future grants to you under the Plan.
The Plan document is available on the Fidelity web site. The Prospectus for the Plan, the Company's S-8, Annual Report on Form 10-K, and other filings the Company makes with the Securities and Exchange Commission are available for your review on the Company's web site. You may also obtain paper copies of these documents upon request to the Company's HR department.
Neither the Company nor anyone else is making any representations or promises regarding the duration of your service, vesting of the RSU, the value of the Company's stock or of this RSU, or the Company's prospects. The Company is not providing any advice regarding tax consequences to you or regarding your decisions regarding the RSU. You agree to rely only upon your own personal advisors.
NO ONE MAY SELL, TRANSFER, OR DISTRIBUTE THE RSU OR THE SECURITIES THAT MAY BE RECEIVED UNDER IT WITHOUT AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT RELATING THERETO OR AN OPINION OF COUNSEL SATISFACTORY TO DISCOVERY COMMUNICAITONS, INC. OR OTHER INFORMATION AND REPRESENTATIONS SATISFACTORY TO IT THAT SUCH REGISTRATION IS NOT REQUIRED.
In addition to the Plan's terms and restrictions, the following terms and restrictions apply:
1.
Vesting Schedule
.
Your RSU becomes nonforfeitable (“
Vested
”) as provided in the Cover Letter and the Grant Agreement assuming you remain employed (or serve as a member of the Company's Board of Directors (“
Board
”)) until the Vesting Date(s). For purposes of this Grant Agreement, employment with the Company will include employment with any Subsidiary whose employees are then eligible to receive Awards under the Plan (provided that a later transfer of employment to an ineligible Subsidiary will not terminate employment unless the Board determines otherwise).
Vesting will accelerate fully on your death or “
Disability.
” If your employment is terminated without “
Cause
” before the RSU is fully Vested, the RSU will remain or become Vested on the original vesting schedule as though you remained working through any Vesting Date(s) occurring during the 90 days after the date of termination, subject to any applicable performance conditions. (“
Cause
” has the meaning provided in Section 11.2(b) of the Plan. “
Disability
” has the meaning provided in Section 2.1 of the Plan.)
2.
Change in Control
.
Notwithstanding the Plan's provisions, if an Approved Transaction,
Control Purchase, or Board Change (each a “
Change in Control
”) occurs before the RSU is fully Vested, the RSU will only have accelerated Vesting as a result
of the Change in Control if within 12 months after the Change in Control, the Company terminates your employment other than for Cause. Accelerated Vesting will only accelerate the Distribution Date if and to the extent permitted under Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code (“
Section 409A
”).
The Board reserves its ability under Section 11.1(b) of the Plan to vary this treatment if the Board determines there is an equitable substitution or replacement award in connection with a Change in Control.
3.
Distribution Date
.
Subject to any overriding provisions in the Plan, you will receive a distribution of the Shares equivalent to your Vested RSU Shares as soon as practicable following the date on which you become Vested (with the actual date being the "
Distribution Date
”) and, in any event, no later than March 15 of the year following the calendar year in which the Vesting Date(s) occurred, unless the Board determines that you may make a timely deferral election to defer distribution to a later date and you have made such an election (in which case the deferred date will be the “
Distribution Date
”).
4.
Clawback
.
If the Company's Board of Directors or its Compensation Committee (the “
Committee
”) determines, in its sole discretion, that you engaged in fraud or misconduct as a result of which or in connection with which the Company is required to or decides to restate its financial statements, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, impose any or all of the following:
(a)
Immediate expiration of the RSU, whether vested or not, if granted within the first 12 months after issuance or filing of any financial statement that is being restated (the “
Recovery Measurement Period
”); and
(b)
Payment or transfer to the Company of the Gain from the RSU, where the “
Gain
” consists of the greatest of (i) the value of the RSU Shares on the applicable Distribution Date on which you received them within the Recovery Measurement Period, (ii) the value of RSU Shares received during the Recovery Measurement Period, as determined on the date of the request by the Committee to pay or transfer, (iii) the gross (before tax) proceeds you received from any sale of the RSU Shares during the Recovery Measurement Period, and (iv) if transferred without sale during the Recovery Measurement Period, the value of the RSU Shares when so transferred.
This remedy is in addition to any other remedies that the Company may have available in law or equity.
Payment is due in cash or cash equivalents within 10 days after the Committee provides notice to you that it is enforcing this clawback. Payment will be calculated on a gross basis, without reduction for taxes or commissions. The Company may, but is not required to, accept retransfer of shares in lieu of cash payments.
5.
Restrictions and Forfeiture
.
You may not sell, assign, pledge, encumber, or otherwise transfer any interest (“
Transfer
”) in the RSU Shares until the RSU Shares are distributed to you. Any attempted Transfer that precedes the Distribution Date is invalid.
Unless the Board determines otherwise or the Grant Agreement provides otherwise, if your employment or service with the Company terminates for any reason before your RSU is Vested, then you will forfeit the RSU (and the Shares to which they relate) to the extent that the RSU does not otherwise vest as a result of the termination, pursuant to the rules in the
Vesting Schedule
section. You forfeit any unvested RSU immediately if the Company terminates your employment for Cause or if
you resign your employment. The forfeited RSU will then immediately revert to the Company. You will receive no payment for the RSU if you forfeit it.
Your employment or service with the Company will be treated as terminating through a resignation that does not qualify for treatment applicable to terminations without Cause if either (i) the entity that employs you ceases to qualify as a Subsidiary because of its sale, distribution, or other disposition to an unrelated entity or (ii) because the entity that employs you sold a substantial portion of its assets and your employment ended for any reason at or in connection with the closing of that sale, distribution, or other disposition.
6.
Limited Status
.
You understand and agree that the Company will not consider you a shareholder for any purpose with respect to the RSU Shares, unless and until the RSU Shares have been issued to you on the Distribution Date. You will not receive dividends with respect to the RSU.
7.
Voting
. You may not vote the RSU. You may not vote the RSU Shares unless and until the Shares are distributed to you.
8.
Taxes and Withholding
.
The RSU provides tax deferral, meaning that the RSU Shares are not taxable to until you actually receive the RSU Shares on or around the Distribution Date. You will then owe taxes at ordinary income tax rates as of the Distribution Date at the Shares' value. As an employee of the Company, you may owe FICA and HI (Social Security and Medicare) taxes before the Distribution Date.
Issuing the Shares under the RSU is contingent on satisfaction of all obligations with respect to required tax or other required withholdings (for example, in the U.S., Federal, state, and local taxes). The Company may take any action permitted under Section 11.9 of the Plan to satisfy such obligation, including, if the Board so determines, satisfying the tax obligations by (i) reducing the number of RSU Shares to be issued to you by that number of RSU Shares (valued at their Fair Market Value on the Distribution Date) that would equal all taxes required to be withheld (at their minimum withholding levels), (ii) accepting payment of the withholdings from a broker in connection with a sale of the RSU Shares or directly from you, or (iii) taking any other action under Section 11.9 of the Plan.
9.
Compliance with Law
.
The Company will not issue the RSU Shares if doing so would violate any applicable Federal or state securities laws or other laws or regulations. You may not sell or otherwise dispose of the RSU Shares in violation of applicable law.
10.
Additional Conditions to Receipt
.
The Company may postpone issuing and delivering any RSU Shares for so long as the Company determines to be advisable to satisfy the following:
(a) its completing or amending any securities registration or qualification of the RSU Shares
or
its or your satisfying any exemption from registration under any Federal or state law, rule, or regulation;
(b) its receiving proof it considers satisfactory that a person seeking to receive the RSU Shares after your death is entitled to do so;
(c) your complying with any requests for representations under the Plan; and
(d) your complying with any Federal, state, or local tax withholding obligations.
11.
Additional Representations from You
.
If the vesting provisions of the RSU are satisfied and you are entitled to receive RSU Shares at a time when the Company does not have a current registration statement (generally on Form S-8) under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “
Act
”) that covers issuances of shares to you, you must comply with the following before the Company will issue the RSU Shares to you. You must
(a)
represent to the Company, in a manner satisfactory to the Company's counsel, that you are acquiring the RSU Shares for your own account and not with a view to reselling or distributing the RSU Shares; and
(b)
agree that you will not sell, transfer, or otherwise dispose of the RSU Shares unless:
(i)
a registration statement under the Act is effective at the time of disposition with respect to the RSU Shares you propose to sell, transfer, or otherwise dispose of; or
(ii)
the Company has received an opinion of counsel or other information and representations it considers satisfactory to the effect that, because of Rule 144 under the Act or otherwise, no registration under the Act is required.
12.
No Effect on
Employment or Other Relationship
.
Nothing in this Grant Agreement restricts the Company's rights or those of any of its affiliates to terminate your employment or other relationship at any time and for any or no reason. The termination of employment or other relationship, whether by the Company or any of its affiliates or otherwise, and regardless of the reason for such termination, has the consequences provided for under the Plan and any applicable employment or severance agreement or plan.
13.
No Effect on Running Business
.
You understand and agree that the existence of the RSU will not affect in any way the right or power of the Company or its stockholders to make or authorize any adjustments, recapitalizations, reorganizations, or other changes in the Company's capital structure or its business, or any merger or consolidation of the Company, or any issuance of bonds, debentures, preferred or other stock, with preference ahead of or convertible into, or otherwise affecting the Company's common stock or the rights thereof, or the dissolution or liquidation of the Company, or any sale or transfer of all or any part of its assets or business, or any other corporate act or proceeding, whether or not of a similar character to those described above.
14.
Section 409A
.
The RSU is intended to comply with the requirements of Section 409A and must be construed consistently with that section. Notwithstanding anything in the Plan or this Grant Agreement to the contrary, if the RSU Vests in connection with your “separation from service” within the meaning of Section 409A, as determined by the Company), and if (x) you are then a “specified employee” within the meaning of Section 409A at the time of such separation from service (as determined by the Company, by which determination you agree you are bound) and (y) the distribution of RSU Shares under such accelerated RSU will result in the imposition of additional tax under Section 409A if distributed to you within the six month period following your separation from service, then the distribution under such accelerated RSU will not be made until the earlier of (i) the date six months and one day following the date of your separation from service or (ii) the 10
th
day after your date of death. Neither the Company nor you shall have the right to accelerate or defer the delivery of any such RSU Shares or benefits except to the extent specifically permitted or required by Section 409A. In no event may the Company or you defer the delivery of the RSU Shares beyond the date specified in the
Distribution Date
section, unless such deferral complies in all respects with Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-2(b) related to subsequent changes in the time or form of payment of nonqualified deferred compensation arrangements, or any successor regulation. In any event, the Company makes no representations or warranty and shall have no liability to you or any other person, if any provisions of or distributions under this Grant Agreement are determined to constitute deferred compensation subject to Section 409A but not to satisfy the conditions of that section.
15.
Unsecured Creditor
.
The RSU creates a contractual obligation on the part of the Company to make a distribution of the RSU Shares at the time provided for in this Grant Agreement. Neither you nor any other party claiming an interest in deferred compensation hereunder shall have any interest whatsoever in any specific assets of the Company. Your right to receive distributions hereunder is that of an unsecured general creditor of Company.
16.
Governing Law
. The laws of the State of Delaware will govern all matters relating to the RSU, without regard to the principles of conflict of laws.
17.
Notices
.
Any notice you give to the Company must follow the procedures then in effect. If no other procedures apply, you must send your notice in writing by hand or by mail to the office of the Company's Secretary (or to the Chair of the Board if you are then serving as the sole Secretary). If mailed, you should address it to the Company's Secretary (or the Chair of the Board) at the Company's then corporate headquarters, unless the Company directs RSU holders to send notices to another corporate department or to a third party administrator or specifies another method of transmitting notice. The Company and the Board will address any notices to you using its standard electronic communications methods or at your office or home address as reflected on the Company's personnel or other business records. You and the Company may change the address for notice by notice to the other, and the Company can also change the address for notice by general announcements to RSU holders.
18.
Amendment
.
Subject to any required action by the Board or the stockholders of the Company, the Company may cancel the RSU and provide a new Award under the Plan in its place, provided that the Award so replaced will satisfy all of the requirements of the Plan as of the date such new Award is made and no such action will adversely affect the RSU to the extent then Vested.
19.
Plan Governs
.
Wherever a conflict may arise between the terms of this Grant Agreement and the terms of the Plan, the terms of the Plan will control. The Board may adjust the number of RSU Shares and other terms of the RSU from time to time as the Plan provides.
Exhibit 10.4
DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
PERFORMANCE RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT GRANT AGREEMENT
FOR EMPLOYEES
Discovery Communications, Inc. (the “
Company
”) has granted you a performance restricted stock unit (the “
PRSU
”) under the Discovery Communications, Inc. 2013 Incentive Plan (the “
Plan
”). The PRSU lets you receive a specified number (the “
PRSU Shares
”) of shares (“
Shares
”) of the Company's Series A common stock upon satisfaction of the conditions to receipt.
The individualized communication you received (the “
Cover Letter
”) provides the details of your PRSU award. It specifies the number of PRSU Shares, the Date of Grant, the schedule for vesting, and the Vesting Date(s).
The PRSU is subject in all respects to the applicable provisions of the Plan. This grant agreement does not cover all of the rules that apply to the PRSU under the Plan; please refer to the Plan document. Capitalized terms are defined either further below in this grant agreement (the “
Grant Agreement
”) or in the Plan.
The Plan document is available on the Fidelity web site. The Prospectus for the Plan, the Company's S-8, Annual Report on Form 10-K, and other filings the Company makes with the Securities and Exchange Commission are available for your review on the Company's web site. You may also obtain paper copies of these documents upon request to the Company's Human Resources department.
Neither the Company nor anyone else is making any representations or promises regarding the duration of your service, vesting of the PRSU, the value of the Company's stock or of this PRSU, or the Company's prospects. The Company is not providing any advice regarding tax consequences to you or regarding your decisions regarding the PRSU. You agree to rely only upon your own personal advisors.
NO ONE MAY SELL, TRANSFER, OR DISTRIBUTE THE PRSU OR THE SECURITIES THAT MAY BE RECEIVED UNDER IT WITHOUT AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT RELATING THERETO OR AN OPINION OF COUNSEL SATISFACTORY TO DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS, INC. OR OTHER INFORMATION AND REPRESENTATIONS SATISFACTORY TO IT THAT SUCH REGISTRATION IS NOT REQUIRED.
In addition to the Plan's terms and restrictions, the following terms and restrictions apply:
1.
Vesting Schedule.
Your PRSU becomes nonforfeitable (“
Vested
”) as provided in the Cover Letter and the Grant Agreement assuming you remain employed (or serve as a member of the Company's Board of Directors (“
Board
”)) until the Vesting Date(s) and the performance metric(s) are satisfied. For purposes of this Grant Agreement, employment with the Company will include employment with any Subsidiary whose employees are then eligible to receive Awards under the Plan (provided that a later transfer of employment to an ineligible Subsidiary will not terminate employment unless the Board determines otherwise).
If your employment is terminated without “
Cause
” or by your death or “
Disability
”
(a)
before the PRSU's performance conditions are satisfied, the PRSU will remain or become Vested on the original vesting schedule as though you remained working through any Vesting Date(s) occurring during the 180 days after the date of termination, subject to any applicable performance conditions; or
(b)
on or after satisfaction of the performance conditions and before the last Vesting Date, the PRSU will become Vested as to any remaining portion of the PRSU, provided that you have complied with the restrictions under
Restrictive Covenants
in this Grant Agreement, and the Distribution Date will remain the date that would have applied if your service had continued through the last Vesting Date.
“
Cause
” has the meaning provided in Section 11.2(b) of the Plan. “
Disability
” has the meaning provided in Section 2.1 of the Plan.
2.
Change in Control
. Notwithstanding the Plan's provisions, if an Approved Transaction, Control Purchase, or Board Change (each a “
Change in Control
”) occurs before the PRSU is fully vested, the PRSU will only have accelerated Vesting as a result
of the Change in Control if within 12 months after the Change in Control, the Company terminates your employment other than for Cause or, if your employment agreement or another plan or agreement covering you permits “Good Reason” resignation, you resign for Good Reason. Accelerated Vesting will only accelerate the Distribution Date if and to the extent permitted under Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code (“
Section 409A
”). “
Good Reason
” has the meaning provided in your employment agreement with the Company (or a Subsidiary), if any.
The Board reserves its ability under Section 11.1(b) of the Plan to vary this treatment if the Board determines there is an equitable substitution or replacement award in connection with a Change in Control.
3.
Distribution Date
.
Subject to any overriding provisions in the Plan, you will receive a distribution of the Shares equivalent to your Vested PRSU Shares as soon as practicable following the date on which you become Vested (with the actual date being the "
Distribution Date
”) and, in any event, no later than March 15 of the year following the calendar year in which the Vesting Date(s) occurred, unless the Board determines that you may make a timely deferral election to defer distribution to a later date and you have made such an election (in which case the deferred date will be the “
Distribution Date
”).
4.
Clawback
.
If the Company's Board of Directors or its Compensation Committee (the “
Committee
”) determines, in its sole discretion, that you engaged in fraud or misconduct as a result of which or in connection with which the Company is required to or decides to restate its financial statements, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, impose any or all of the following:
(a)
Immediate expiration of the PRSU, whether vested or not, if granted within the first 12 months after issuance or filing of any financial statement that is being restated (the “
Recovery Measurement Period
”); and
(b)
Payment or transfer to the Company of the Gain from the PRSU, where the “
Gain
” consists of the greatest of (i) the value of the PRSU Shares on the applicable Distribution Date on which you received them within the Recovery Measurement Period, (ii) the value of PRSU Shares received during the
Recovery Measurement Period, as determined on the date of the request by the Committee to pay or transfer, (iii) the gross (before tax) proceeds you received from any sale of the PRSU Shares during the Recovery Measurement Period, and (iv) if transferred without sale during the Recovery Measurement Period, the value of the PRSU Shares when so transferred.
This remedy is in addition to any other remedies that the Company may have available in law or equity.
Payment is due in cash or cash equivalents within 10 days after the Committee provides notice to you that it is enforcing this clawback. Payment will be calculated on a gross basis, without reduction for taxes or commissions. The Company may, but is not required to, accept retransfer of shares in lieu of cash payments.
5.
Restrictions and Forfeiture
.
You may not sell, assign, pledge, encumber, or otherwise transfer any interest (“
Transfer
”) in the PRSU Shares until the PRSU Shares are distributed to you. Any attempted Transfer that precedes the Distribution Date is invalid.
Unless the Board determines otherwise or the Grant Agreement provides otherwise, if your employment or service with the Company terminates for any reason before your PRSU is Vested, then you will forfeit the PRSU (and the Shares to which they relate) to the extent that the PRSU does not otherwise vest on or after your termination, pursuant to the rules in the
Vesting Schedule
section. You forfeit any unvested PRSU immediately if the Company terminates your employment for Cause or if you resign your employment. The forfeited PRSU will then immediately revert to the Company. You will receive no payment for the PRSU if you forfeit it.
Your employment or service with the Company will be treated as terminating through a resignation that does not qualify for treatment applicable to terminations without Cause if either (i) the entity that employs you ceases to qualify as a Subsidiary because of its sale, distribution, or other disposition to an unrelated entity or (ii) because the entity that employs you sold a substantial portion of its assets and your employment ended for any reason at or in connection with the closing of that sale, distribution, or other disposition.
6.
Restrictive Covenants
.
You agree that, if the Company terminates your employment without Cause on or after the third anniversary of the Date of Grant and before the final Vesting Date, you will not, for the remainder of the period before the final Vesting Date, perform any work on, related to, or respecting non-fiction television programming or engage in any activities on behalf of any company or any entity related to nonfiction television programming services for distribution to cable, satellite and/or other multi-channel distribution platforms (any such company or entity, a “
Competitor
”) in the “
Restricted Area
” (which means the United States and any other country (a) in which you provided services to the Company, or (b) for which you had substantive responsibility for Company operations or business matters, in the five years prior to separation from employment), and will not directly or indirectly solicit any employees of the Company or any subsidiary or affiliated company to leave their employment nor directly or indirectly aid in the solicitation of such employees.
You agree that compliance with this restriction is a material part of this Agreement, breach of which will cause Company irreparable harm and damages, the loss of which cannot be adequately compensated at law. If these restrictions should ever be deemed to exceed the limitations permitted by applicable laws, you and the Company agree that such provisions shall be reformed to the maximum limitations permitted by the applicable laws.
The Company agrees that its sole remedy under these Restrictive Covenants will be your forfeiture of the final half of the PRSUs.
You agree that these restrictions are in addition to and do not supersede, replace, or amend any other restrictions of a similar nature that apply to you, either by contract or common law, nor any of their related remedies (other than as apply to the PRSU).
7.
Limited Status
.
You understand and agree that the Company will not consider you a shareholder for any purpose with respect to the PRSU Shares, unless and until the PRSU Shares have been issued to you on the Distribution Date. You will not receive dividends with respect to the PRSU.
8.
Voting
.
You may not vote the PRSU. You may not vote the PRSU Shares unless and until the Shares are distributed to you.
9.
Taxes and Withholding
.
The PRSU provides tax deferral, meaning that the PRSU Shares are not taxable until you actually receive the PRSU Shares on or around the Distribution Date. You will then owe taxes at ordinary income tax rates as of the Distribution Date at the Shares' value. As an employee of the Company, you may owe FICA and HI (Social Security and Medicare) taxes before the Distribution Date.
Issuing the Shares under the PRSU is contingent on satisfaction of all obligations with respect to required tax or other required withholdings (for example, in the U.S., Federal, state, and local taxes). The Company may take any action permitted under Section 11.9 of the Plan to satisfy such obligation, including, if the Board so determines, satisfying the tax obligations by (i) reducing the number of PRSU Shares to be issued to you by that number of PRSU Shares (valued at their Fair Market Value on the Distribution Date) that would equal all taxes required to be withheld (at their minimum withholding levels), (ii) accepting payment of the withholdings from a broker in connection with a sale of the PRSU Shares or directly from you, or (iii) taking any other action under Section 11.9 of the Plan.
10.
Compliance with Law
.
The Company will not issue the PRSU Shares if doing so would violate any applicable Federal or state securities laws or other laws or regulations. You may not sell or otherwise dispose of the PRSU Shares in violation of applicable law.
11.
Additional Conditions to Receipt
.
The Company may postpone issuing and delivering any PRSU Shares for so long as the Company determines to be advisable to satisfy the following:
(a)
its completing or amending any securities registration or qualification of the PRSU Shares
or
its or your satisfying any exemption from registration under any Federal or state law, rule, or regulation;
(b)
its receiving proof it considers satisfactory that a person seeking to receive the PRSU Shares after your death is entitled to do so;
(c)
your complying with any requests for representations under the Plan; and
(d)
your complying with any Federal, state, or local tax withholding obligations.
12.
Additional Representations from You
.
If the vesting provisions of the PRSU are satisfied and you are entitled to receive PRSU Shares at a time when the Company does not have a current registration statement (generally on Form S-8) under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “
Act
”) that covers issuances of shares to you, you must comply with the following before the Company will issue the PRSU Shares to you. You must:
(a)
represent to the Company, in a manner satisfactory to the Company's counsel, that you are acquiring the PRSU Shares for your own account and not with a view to reselling or distributing the PRSU Shares; and
(b)
agree that you will not sell, transfer, or otherwise dispose of the PRSU Shares unless:
(i)
a registration statement under the Act is effective at the time of disposition with respect to the PRSU Shares you propose to sell, transfer, or otherwise dispose of; or
(ii)
the Company has received an opinion of counsel or other information and representations it considers satisfactory to the effect that, because of Rule 144 under the Act or otherwise, no registration under the Act is required.
13.
No Effect on Employment or Other Relationship
.
Nothing in this Grant Agreement restricts the Company's rights or those of any of its affiliates to terminate your employment or other relationship at any time and for any or no reason. The termination of employment or other relationship, whether by the Company or any of its
affiliates or otherwise, and regardless of the reason for such termination, has the consequences provided for under the Plan and any applicable employment or severance agreement or plan.
14.
No Effect on Running Business
.
You understand and agree that the existence of the PRSU will not affect in any way the right or power of the Company or its stockholders to make or authorize any adjustments, recapitalizations, reorganizations, or other changes in the Company's capital structure or its business, or any merger or consolidation of the Company, or any issuance of bonds, debentures, preferred or other stock, with preference ahead of or convertible into, or otherwise affecting the Company's common stock or the rights thereof, or the dissolution or liquidation of the Company, or any sale or transfer of all or any part of its assets or business, or any other corporate act or proceeding, whether or not of a similar character to those described above.
15.
Section 409A
.
The PRSU is intended to comply with the requirements of Section 409A and must be construed consistently with that section. Notwithstanding anything in the Plan or this Grant Agreement to the contrary, if the PRSU Vests in connection with your “separation from service” within the meaning of Section 409A, as determined by the Company), and if (x) you are then a “specified employee” within the meaning of Section 409A at the time of such separation from service (as determined by the Company, by which determination you agree you are bound) and (y) the distribution of PRSU Shares under such accelerated PRSU will result in the imposition of additional tax under Section 409A if distributed to you within the six month period following your separation from service, then the distribution under such accelerated PRSU will not be made until the earlier of (i) the date six months and one day following the date of your separation from service or (ii) the 10
th
day after your date of death. Neither the Company nor you shall have the right to accelerate or defer the delivery of any such PRSU Shares or benefits except to the extent specifically permitted or required by Section 409A. In no event may the Company or you defer the delivery of the PRSU Shares beyond the date specified in the
Distribution Date
section, unless such deferral complies in all respects with Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-2(b) related to subsequent changes in the time or form of payment of nonqualified deferred compensation arrangements, or any successor regulation. In any event, the Company makes no representations or warranty and shall have no liability to you or any other person, if any provisions of or distributions under this Grant Agreement are determined to constitute deferred compensation subject to Section 409A but not to satisfy the conditions of that section.
16.
Unsecured Creditor
.
The PRSU creates a contractual obligation on the part of the Company to make a distribution of the PRSU Shares at the time provided for in this Grant Agreement. Neither you nor any other party claiming an interest in deferred compensation hereunder shall have any interest whatsoever in any specific assets of the Company. Your right to receive distributions hereunder is that of an unsecured general creditor of Company.
17.
Governing Law
.
The laws of the State of Delaware will govern all matters relating to the PRSU, without regard to the principles of conflict of laws.
18.
Notices
. Any notice you give to the Company must follow the procedures then in effect. If no other procedures apply, you must send your notice in writing by hand or by mail to the office of the Company's Secretary (or to the Chair of the Board if you are then serving as the sole Secretary). If mailed, you should address it to the Company's Secretary (or the Chair of the Board) at the Company's then corporate headquarters, unless the Company directs PRSU holders to send notices to another corporate department or to a third party administrator or specifies another method of transmitting notice. The Company and the Board will address any notices to you using its standard electronic communications methods or at your office or home address as reflected on the Company's personnel or other business records. You and the Company may change the address for notice by notice to the other, and the Company can also change the address for notice by general announcements to PRSU holders.
19.
Amendment
.
Subject to any required action by the Board or the stockholders of the Company, the Company may cancel the PRSU and provide a new Award under the Plan in its place, provided that the Award so replaced
will satisfy all of the requirements of the Plan as of the date such new Award is made and no such action will adversely affect the PRSU to the extent then Vested.
20.
Plan Governs
.
Wherever a conflict may arise between the terms of this Grant Agreement and the terms of the Plan, the terms of the Plan will control. The Board may adjust the number of PRSU Shares and other terms of the PRSU from time to time as the Plan provides.
Exhibit 10.5
DISCOVERY PERFORMANCE EQUITY PROGRAM
CASH-SETTLED STOCK APPRECIATION RIGHT AGREEMENT
FOR EMPLOYEES
Discovery Communications, Inc. (the “
Company
”) has granted you a stock appreciation right (the “
SAR
”) under the Discovery Communications, Inc. 2013 Incentive Plan (As Amended and Restated) (the “
Plan
”). The SAR lets you receive a cash amount equivalent to the appreciation in value, if any, at the time of exercise of a specified number of shares of the Company's Series A common stock (the “
SAR Shares
”) over a specified measurement price per share (the “
Base Price
”).
The individualized communication you received (the “
Cover Letter
”) provides the details of your SAR award. It specifies the number of SAR Shares, the Base Price, the Date of Grant, the schedule for exercisability (“
Exercisability Dates
”), and the latest date the SAR will expire (the “
Term Expiration Date
”).
The SAR is subject in all respects to the applicable provisions of the Plan. This Grant Agreement does not cover all of the rules that apply to the SAR under the Plan; please refer to the Plan document. Capitalized terms are defined either further below in this grant agreement (the “
Grant Agreement
”) or in the Plan. If you are located in a country other than the United States, you are also receiving (or previously have received) an International Addendum to this Grant Agreement (the “
International Addendum
”). The International Addendum is incorporated into the Grant Agreement by reference and supplements the terms of this Grant Agreement and future grants to you under the Plan.
The Plan document is available on the Fidelity web site. The Prospectus for the Plan and the Company’s S-8, Annual Report on Form 10-K, and other filings the Company makes with the Securities and Exchange Commission are available for your review on the Company’s web site. You may also obtain paper copies of these documents upon request to the Company’s Human Resources department.
Neither the Company nor anyone else is making any representations or promises regarding the duration of your service, exercisability of the SAR, the value of the Company's stock or of this SAR, or the Company's prospects. The Company is not providing any advice regarding tax consequences to you or regarding your decisions regarding the SAR. You agree to rely only upon your own personal advisors.
NO ONE MAY SELL, TRANSFER, OR DISTRIBUTE THE SAR WITHOUT AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT RELATING THERETO OR AN OPINION OF COUNSEL SATISFACTORY TO DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS, INC. OR OTHER INFORMATION AND REPRESENTATIONS SATISFACTORY TO IT THAT SUCH REGISTRATION IS NOT REQUIRED.
In addition to the Plan’s terms and restrictions, the following terms and restrictions apply:
1.
SAR Exercisability
.
While your SAR remains in effect under the
SAR Expiration
section, below, you may exercise any exercisable portions of the SAR (and receive the applicable appreciation in value) under the timing rules of this section.
The SAR will become exercisable on the schedule provided in the Cover Letter to this Grant Agreement, assuming you remain employed (or serve as a member of the Company’s Board of Directors) through each Exercisability Date. Any fractional shares will be carried forward to the following Exercisability Date, unless the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors (the “
Committee
”) selects a different treatment. For purposes of this Grant Agreement, employment with the Company will include employment with any Subsidiary whose employees are then eligible to receive Awards under the Plan (provided that a later transfer of employment to an ineligible Subsidiary will not terminate employment unless the Committee determines otherwise).
Exercisability will accelerate fully on your Retirement, or, while employed, your Disability or death. If the Company terminates your employment without Cause during a calendar year before the SAR is fully exercisable, the SAR will remain or become exercisable over time as though you remained working through any Exercisability Dates occurring during the 90 days after the date of termination (the “
90-Day Period
”). (“
Cause
” has the meaning provided in Section 11.2(b) of the Plan. “
Disability
” has the meaning provided in Section 2.1 of the Plan. “
Retirement
” means your employment ends for any reason other than Cause at a point at which you are at least age 60 and have been employed by the Company, any of its subsidiaries, or Discovery Communications, LLC for at least ten years, where your period of service is determined using the Company’s Prior Employment Service Policy or a successor policy chosen by the Committee. Acceleration upon Retirement does not apply in countries subject to the EU Directive on Discrimination.)
Your employment or service with the Company will be treated as terminating through a resignation that does not qualify for treatment applicable to terminations without Cause if either (i) the entity that employs you ceases to qualify as a Subsidiary because of its sale, distribution, or other disposition to an unrelated entity or (ii) because the entity that employs you sold a substantial portion of its assets and your employment ended for any reason at or in connection with the closing of that sale, distribution, or other disposition.
2.
Change in Control
.
Notwithstanding the Plan’s provisions, if an Approved Transaction, Control Purchase, or Board Change (each a “
Change in Control
”) occurs before the SAR is fully exercisable and while you remain employed by the Company (without reference to the 90-Day Period, above), the SAR will only have accelerated exercisability as a result
of the Change in Control if within 12 months after the Change in Control, the Company terminates your employment without Cause, or, if you are a party to an employment agreement with the Company or a Subsidiary that permits you to resign for Good Reason, you resign for Good Reason.
“
Good Reason
” has the meaning provided in your employment agreement with the Company (or a Subsidiary), if any.
The Committee reserves its ability under Section 11.1(b) of the Plan to vary this treatment if the Committee determines there is an equitable substitution or replacement award in connection with a Change in Control.
3.
SAR Expiration
.
You cannot exercise the SAR after it has expired. The SAR will expire no later than the close of business on the Term Expiration Date. Unexercisable portions of the SAR expire immediately when you cease to be employed (unless you are concurrently remaining or becoming a member of the Board). If the Company terminates your employment for Cause, the SAR will immediately expire without regard to whether it is then exercisable.
Exercisable portions of the SAR remain exercisable until the first to occur of the following (the “
Final Exercise Date
”), each as defined further in the Plan or the Grant Agreement, and then immediately expire:
|
|
•
|
Immediately upon termination of employment for Cause
|
|
|
•
|
The 30
th
day after your employment (or directorship) ends if you resign other than on Retirement (including resignation for Good Reason, if applicable) (the “
30-Day Period
”)
|
|
|
•
|
The 90
th
day after your employment (or directorship) ends if the Company terminates your employment without Cause (even if then eligible for Retirement, except as the Committee otherwise provides)
|
|
|
•
|
For death, Disability, or Retirement, the first anniversary of the date employment ends (unless the Company has terminated your employment without Cause while you are eligible for Retirement, in which case the 90-Day Period, above, applies). If you die during the 30-Day Period or the 90-Day Period, the first anniversary of the date employment ends will be substituted for the end of the 30-Day Period or the 90-Day Period, as applicable.
|
|
|
•
|
The Term Expiration Date
|
If you die during the 30 or 90 day period after your employment ends (on a termination without Cause or a resignation), the period for exercise will be extended until the first anniversary of the date your employment ended, subject to the Term Expiration Date, and the extended date will be the Final Exercise Date.
The Committee can override the expiration provisions of this Grant Agreement.
4.
Automatic Exercise
.
At close of business on the Final Exercise Date (or the preceding trading day if the Final Exercise Date is not a trading day), if the Exercise Spread Test (defined below) is met, the SAR will be automatically exercised (the “
Automatic Exercise
”
)
. The SAR satisfies the “
Exercise Spread Test
” if the per share spread between the closing price of the Company’s Series A common stock and the Base Price (the “
Exercise Spread
”) on the Final Exercise Date is at least one dollar. If the Exercise Spread Test is not satisfied, the unexercised portions of the SAR will expire as of close of business on the Final Exercise Date.
For avoidance of doubt, you may exercise any exercisable portion of the SAR prior to the time of an Automatic Exercise and no portion of the SAR may or will be exercised at or after your termination for Cause.
The Automatic Exercise procedure is provided as a convenience and as a protection against inadvertent expiration of an SAR.
Because any exercise of a SAR is normally your responsibility, you hereby waive any claims against the Company or any of its employees or agents if an Automatic Exercise does not occur for any reason and the SAR expires.
|
|
5.
|
Method of Exercise
.
Subject to this Grant Agreement and the Plan, you may exercise the SAR only by providing a written notice (or notice through another previously approved method, which could include a web-based or voice- or e-mail system) to the Secretary of the Company or to whomever the Committee designates, received on or before the date the SAR expires. Each such notice must satisfy whatever then-current procedures apply to that SAR and must contain such representations (statements from you about your situation) as the Company requires.
|
6.
Withholding
.
The Company will reduce the cash to be issued to you in connection with any exercise of the SAR by an amount that would equal all taxes (for example, in the U.S., Federal, state, and local taxes) required to be withheld (at their minimum withholding levels).
7.
Compliance with Law
.
You may not exercise the SAR if such exercise would violate any applicable
Federal or state securities laws or other laws or regulations.
8.
Clawback
.
If the Company’s Board of Directors or the Committee determines, in its sole discretion, that you engaged in fraud or misconduct as a result of which or in connection with which the Company is required to or decides to restate its financial statements, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, impose any or all of the following:
(a) Immediate expiration of the SAR, whether vested or not, if granted within the first 12 months after issuance or filing of any financial statement that is being restated (the “
Recovery Measurement Period
”); and
(b) As to any exercised portion of the SAR (to the extent, during the Recovery Measurement Period, the SAR is granted, vests, is exercised, or the purchased shares are sold), prompt payment to the Company of any SAR Gain. For purposes of this Agreement, the “
SAR Gain
” per share you received on exercise of SARs is the spread between closing price on the date of exercise and the Base Price (i.e., the cash you received and the withholdings paid on your behalf).
This remedy is in addition to any other remedies that the Company may have available in law or equity.
Payment is due in cash or cash equivalents within 10 days after the Committee provides notice to you that it is enforcing this clawback. Payment will be calculated on a gross basis, without reduction for taxes.
9.
Additional Conditions to Exercise
.
The Company may postpone any exercise for so long as the Company determines to be advisable to satisfy the following:
(a) its completing or amending any securities registration
or
its or your satisfying any exemption from registration under any Federal or state law, rule, or regulation;
(b) its receiving proof it considers satisfactory that a person seeking to exercise the SAR after your death is entitled to do so;
(c) your complying with any requests for representations under the Plan; and
(d)your complying with any Federal, state, or local tax withholding obligations.
10.
No Effect on Employment or Other Relationship
.
Nothing in this Grant Agreement restricts the Company’s rights or those of any of its affiliates to terminate your employment or other relationship at any time and for any or no reason. The termination of employment or other relationship, whether by the Company or any of its affiliates or otherwise, and regardless of the reason for such termination, has the consequences provided for under the Plan and any applicable employment or severance agreement or plan.
11.
No Effect on Running Business
.
You understand and agree that the existence of the SAR will not affect in any way the right or power of the Company or its stockholders to make or authorize any adjustments, recapitalizations, reorganizations, or other changes in the Company’s capital structure or its business, or any merger or consolidation of the Company, or any issuance of bonds, debentures, preferred or other stock, with preference ahead of or convertible into, or otherwise affecting the Company’s common stock or the rights thereof, or the dissolution or liquidation of the Company, or any sale or transfer of all or any part of its assets or business, or any other corporate act or proceeding, whether or not of a similar character to those described above.
12.
Governing Law
.
The laws of the State of Delaware will govern all matters relating to the SAR, without regard to the principles of conflict of laws.
13.
Notices
.
Any notice you give to the Company must follow the procedures then in effect. If no other procedures apply, you must send your notice in writing by hand or by mail to the office of the Company’s Secretary (or to the Chair of the Committee if you are then serving as the sole Secretary). If mailed, you should address it to the Company’s Secretary (or the Chair of the Committee) at the Company’s then corporate headquarters, unless the Company directs recipients to send notices to another corporate department or to a third party administrator or specifies another method of transmitting notice. The Company and the Committee will address any notices to you using its standard electronic communications methods or at your office or home address as reflected on the Company’s personnel or other business records. You and the Company may change the address for notice by
like notice to the other, and the Company can also change the address for notice by general announcements to recipients.
14.
Amendment
.
Subject to any required action by the Board or the stockholders of the Company, the Company may cancel the SAR and provide a new Award in its place, provided that the Award so replaced will satisfy all of the requirements of the Plan as of the date such new Award is made and no such action will adversely affect the SAR to the extent then exercisable.
15.
Plan Governs
.
Wherever a conflict may arise between the terms of this Grant Agreement and the terms of the Plan, the terms of the Plan will control. The Committee may adjust the number of SAR Shares and the Base Price and other terms of the SAR from time to time as the Plan provides.