EX-10.4
Published on August 15, 2023
Exhibit 10.4
FORM OF EPIC NEWCO, INC. 2023 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN
1. Purpose. The purpose of the Epic NewCo, Inc. 2023 Stock Incentive Plan is to provide a means through which the Company and its Affiliates may attract and retain key personnel and to provide a means whereby current and prospective directors, officers, employees, consultants and advisors of the Company and its Affiliates can acquire and maintain an equity interest in the Company, or be paid incentive compensation, which may (but need not) be measured by reference to the value of Common Stock, thereby strengthening their commitment to the welfare of the Company and its Affiliates and aligning their interests with those of the Company’s stockholders.
2. Definitions. The following definitions shall be applicable throughout the Plan:
(a) “Assumed Aramark Award” means an award granted to certain employees and Eligible Directors of the Company, Aramark and their respective subsidiaries under an equity compensation plan maintained by Aramark which is assumed by the Company in connection with the Spin-Off pursuant to the terms of the Employee Matters Agreement.
(b) “Affiliate” means with respect to any Person, any other Person that controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with such Person. The term “control,” as used in the Plan, means the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of such Person, directly or indirectly, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise. “Controlled” and “controlling” have meanings correlative to the foregoing.
(c) “Award” means, individually or collectively, any Incentive Stock Option, Nonqualified Stock Option, Stock Appreciation Right, Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Unit, Deferred Stock Unit, Dividend Equivalent award, Stock Bonus Award, Performance Compensation Award and Assumed Aramark Award granted or assume under the Plan.
(d) “Award Agreement” means any agreement or other instrument (whether in paper or electronic medium (including email or the posting on a web site maintained by the Company or a third party under contract with the Company)) setting forth the terms of an Award that has been duly authorized and approved by the Committee.
(e) “Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.
(f) “Cause” means, in the case of a particular Award with respect to a Participant, (i) if such Participant is at the time of termination a party to any employment, consulting or other similar agreement (any such agreement, an “Individual Agreement”) that defines such term, the meaning given in such Individual Agreement; (ii) otherwise if such Participant is at the time of termination a party to an Award Agreement which was entered into under the Plan and defines such term, the meaning given in the Award Agreement; and (iii) in all other cases, such
Participant’s (A) commission of a felony or a crime of moral turpitude; (B) commission of a willful and material act of dishonesty involving the Company; (C) material breach of the Company’s Business Conduct Policy that causes harm to the Company or its business reputation; or (D) willful misconduct that causes material harm to the Company or its business reputation.
(g) “Change of Control” means, unless otherwise provided in an Award Agreement, the occurrence, in a single transaction or in a series of related transactions, of any one or more of the following events:
(i) the sale or disposition, in one or a series of related transactions, of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company to any “person” or “group” (as such terms are used for purposes of Sections 13(d)(3) and 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act);
(ii) any person or group is or becomes the “beneficial owner” (as such term is used for purposes of Rule 13d-3 and Rule 13d-5 under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of more than fifty percent (50%) of the total voting power of the outstanding voting stock of the Company, including by way of merger, consolidation or otherwise;
(iii) during any period of twenty-four (24) months, individuals who, at the beginning of such period, constitute the Board (the “Incumbent Directors”) cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the Board, provided, that any person becoming a director subsequent to the date hereof, whose election or nomination for election was approved by a vote of at least two-thirds (2/3) of the Incumbent Directors then on the Board (either by a specific vote or by approval of the proxy statement of the Company in which such person is named as a nominee for director, without written objection to such nomination) shall be an Incumbent Director; provided, however, that no individual initially elected or nominated as a director of the Company as a result of an actual or threatened election contest, as such terms are used in Rule 14a-12 of Regulation 14A promulgated under the Exchange Act, with respect to directors or as a result of any other actual or threatened solicitation of proxies or consents by or on behalf of any person other than the Board shall be deemed to be an Incumbent Director; or
(iv) a complete liquidation or dissolution of the Company.
In addition, if a Change of Control constitutes a payment event with respect to any Award which provides for the deferral of compensation and is subject to Section 409A of the Code, the transaction or event described in subsection (i), (ii), or (iii) with respect to such Award must also constitute a “change in control event,” as defined in Treasury Regulation § 1.409A-3(i)(5) to the extent required by Section 409A of the Code.
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(h) “Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and any successor thereto. Any reference to any section of the Code shall also be a reference to any successor provision and any Treasury Regulation promulgated thereunder.
(i) “Committee” means the Compensation and Human Resources Committee of the Board, or a Sub-Committee as may be appointed pursuant to Section 4(a) or the Board.
(j) “Common Stock” means the common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company (and any stock or other securities into which such common stock may be converted or into which it may be exchanged).
(k) “Company” means [Epic NewCo, Inc.], a Delaware corporation, and any successor thereto.
(l) “Date of Grant” means the date on which the granting of an Award is authorized, or such other date as may be specified in such authorization.
(m) “Deferred Stock Unit” or “DSU” means the right to receive cash or one whole share of Common Stock for each whole Deferred Stock Unit awarded under Section 10(b) of the Plan.
(n) “Disability” means, unless the Award granted to the applicable Participant is subject to Section 409A of the Code, with respect to each Participant, the Participant is (i) unable to perform the material and substantial duties of the Participant’s Regular Occupation (as defined herein below) due to the Participant’s sickness or injury; and (ii) the Participant is under the regular care of a qualified doctor; and (iii) the Participant has incurred a twenty percent (20%) or more loss in the Participant’s monthly earnings due to that sickness or injury (or such other definition of disability that results in a termination of employment and commencement of receipt of benefits under the Company or its Affiliate’s long term disability plan, as in effect at the applicable time (the “LTD Plan”)). In the event that the Award granted to the applicable Participant is subject to Section 409A of the Code, the term Disability, shall instead have the meaning of “Disability” as defined under Section 409A of the Code or any successor provision of the Code at the applicable time. For purposes of this definition, the term “Regular Occupation” means the occupation the Participant is routinely performing when the Participant’s Disability begins, which shall be determined by the LTD Plan Claims Administrator as provided in the LTD Plan.
(o) “Discretion” shall mean the discretion authorized by the Plan to be applied by the Committee to eliminate, reduce or increase the size of a Performance Compensation Award.
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(p) “Dividend Equivalent” shall mean a right to receive the equivalent value (in cash or Common Stock) of dividends paid on Common Stock, awarded under Section 10(c) of the Plan.
(q) “Effective Date” means the date of the Spin-Off.
(r) “Eligible Director” means a person who is with respect to actions intended to obtain an exemption from Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act pursuant to Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act, a “Non-Employee Director” within the meaning of Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act,
(s) “Eligible Person” means any (i) individual employed by the Company or any of its Affiliates; (ii) director of the Company or an Affiliate; or (iii) consultant or advisor to the Company or any of its Affiliates who may be offered securities registrable on Form S-8 under the Securities Act or pursuant to Rule 701 of the Securities Act, or any other available exemption, as applicable.
(t) “Employee Matters Agreement” means the Employee Matters Agreement entered into between the Company and Aramark in connection with the Spin-Off.
(u) “Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and any successor thereto. Any reference in the Plan to any section of (or rule promulgated under) the Exchange Act shall be deemed to include any rules, regulations or other interpretative guidance under such section or rule, and any amendments or successor provisions to such section, rules, regulations or guidance.
(v) “Exercise Price” has the meaning given such term in Section 7(b) of the Plan.
(w) “Fair Market Value” means, as of any date, the value of Common Stock determined as follows: (i) if the Common Stock is listed on one or more established U.S. national or regional securities exchanges, its Fair Market Value shall be the closing sale price for such Common Stock (or if no closing sale price is reported, the closing price on the last preceding date on which such prices of the Common Stock are so reported) on such date as reported in composite transactions for the principal exchange on which the Common Stock is listed (as determined by the Committee); (ii) if the Common Stock is not listed on a U.S. national or regional securities exchange but is traded over the counter at the time determination of its Fair Market Value is required to be made, its Fair Market Value shall be equal to the average between the high and low sales prices of the Common Stock on the most recent date on which the Common Stock was traded, as reported by Pink OTC Markets Inc. or a similar organization (as selected by the Committee); or (iii) if the Common Stock is not so traded, the Fair Market Value thereof shall be determined by the Committee in good faith.
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(x) “Good Reason”, to the extent a Participant is party to an agreement relating to employment and post-employment competition, or other similar agreement, with the Company or any of its Affiliates (including any exhibits and schedules thereto) (an “ELC Agreement”) that contains a definition of “Good Reason”, has the meaning given to such term in a Participant’s ELC Agreement. For the avoidance of doubt, if a Participant is not party to an ELC Agreement or if a Participant’s ELC Agreement does not contain a definition of Good Reason, then such Participant shall not have grounds to effect a Termination of Relationship for Good Reason.
(y) “Immediate Family Members” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 16(b) of the Plan.
(z) “Incentive Stock Option” means an Option that is designated by the Committee as an incentive stock option as described in Section 422 of the Code and otherwise meets the requirements set forth in the Plan.
(aa) “Indemnifiable Person” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4(d) of the Plan.
(bb) “Net Exercise” means a Participant’s ability to exercise an Option by directing the Company to deduct from the shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of such Option, a number of shares of Common Stock having an aggregate Fair Market Value equal to the sum of the aggregate Exercise Price therefor plus the amount of the Participant’s Tax Withholding, and the Company shall thereupon issue to the Participant the net remaining number of shares of Common Stock after such deductions.
(cc) “Nonqualified Stock Option” means an Option that is not designated by the Committee as an Incentive Stock Option.
(dd) “Option” means an Award granted under Section 7 of the Plan.
(ee) “Option Period” has the meaning given such term in Section 7(c) of the Plan.
(ff) “Participant” means an Eligible Person who has been selected by the Committee to participate in the Plan and to receive an Award pursuant to Section 6 of the Plan or who receives an Assumed Spin-Off Award.
(gg) “Performance Compensation Award” shall mean any Award designated by the Committee as a Performance Compensation Award pursuant to Section 11 of the Plan.
(hh) “Performance Criteria” shall mean the criterion or criteria that the Committee shall select for purposes of establishing the Performance Goal(s) for a
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Performance Period with respect to any Performance Compensation Award under the Plan.
(ii) “Performance Formula” shall mean, for a Performance Period, the one or more objective formulae applied against the relevant Performance Goal to determine, with regard to the Performance Compensation Award of a particular Participant, whether all, some portion but less than all, or none of the Performance Compensation Award has been earned for the Performance Period.
(jj) “Performance Goals” shall mean, for a Performance Period, the one or more goals established by the Committee for the Performance Period based upon the Performance Criteria.
(kk) “Performance Period” shall mean the one or more periods of time, as the Committee may select, over which the attainment of one or more Performance Goals will be measured for the purpose of determining a Participant’s right to, and the payment of, a Performance Compensation Award.
(ll) “Permitted Transferee” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 16(b) of the Plan.
(mm) “Person” means a “person” as such term is used for purposes of 13(d) or 14(d) of the Exchange Act, or any successor section thereto.
(nn) “Plan” means this 2023 Stock Incentive Plan.
(oo) “Restricted Period” means the period of time determined by the Committee during which an Award is subject to restrictions or, as applicable, the period of time within which performance is measured for purposes of determining whether an Award has been earned.
(pp) “Restricted Stock” means Common Stock, subject to certain specified restrictions (including, without limitation, a requirement that the Participant remain continuously employed or provide continuous services for a specified period of time), granted under Section 9 of the Plan.
(qq) “Restricted Stock Unit” means an unfunded and unsecured promise to deliver shares of Common Stock, cash, other securities or other property, subject to certain restrictions (including, without limitation, a requirement that the Participant remain continuously employed or provide continuous services for a specified period of time), granted under Section 9 of the Plan.
(rr) “Retirement” means, with respect to a Participant, unless otherwise provided in an Award Agreement, the retirement of such Participant upon or after achieving age 60 and five (5) years of employment with the Company, any of its Affiliates, and/or any of their respective predecessors and giving 30 days’ written notice of such
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retirement to the Company; provided that such notice may be waived by the Chief Executive Officer or the Executive Vice President, Human Resources.
(ss) “SAR Period” has the meaning given such term in Section 8(b) of the Plan.
(tt) “Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and any successor thereto. Reference in the Plan to any section of the Securities Act shall be deemed to include any rules, regulations or other interpretative guidance under such section, and any amendments or successor provisions to such section, rules, regulations or guidance.
(uu) “SEC” means the Securities and Exchange Commission.
(vv) “Spin-Off” means the distribution of the outstanding shares of Common Stock to the stockholders of Aramark in 2023, pursuant to the Separation and Distribution Agreement between the Company and Aramark entered into in connection with such distribution.
(ww) “Stock Appreciation Right” or “SAR” means an Award granted under Section 8 of the Plan.
(xx) “Stock Bonus Award” means an Award granted under Section 10(a) of the Plan.
(yy) “Strike Price” means, except as otherwise provided by the Committee in the case of Substitute Awards, (i) in the case of a SAR granted in tandem with an Option, the Exercise Price of the related Option, or (ii) in the case of a SAR granted independent of an Option, the Fair Market Value on the Date of Grant.
(zz) “Sub-Committee” has the meaning given to such term in Section 4(a) of the Plan.
(aaa) “Substitute Award” has the meaning given to such term in Section 5(e) of the Plan.
(bbb) “Tax Withholding” means a Participant’s tax withholding for any federal, state, local and non-U.S. income and employment taxes that are withheld with respect to any Award granted hereunder pursuant to Section 16(c) of the Plan.
(ccc) “Termination of Relationship” means (i) if the Participant is an employee of the Company or any Affiliate, the termination of the Participant’s employment with the Company and its Affiliates for any reason; (ii) if the Participant is a consultant to the Company or any Affiliate, the termination of the Participant’s consulting relationship with the Company and its Affiliates for any reason; and (iii) if the Participant is a director of the Company or any Affiliate, the termination of the Participant’s service as a director of the Company or such Affiliate for any reason; including, in the case of clauses (i), (ii) or (iii), as a result of such Affiliate no longer being an Affiliate of the Company because of a sale, divestiture or other
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disposition of such Affiliate by the Company (whether such disposition is effected by the Company or another Affiliate thereof).
3. Effective Date; Duration. The Plan became effective on the Effective Date. Prior to the Effective Date, the Plan was approved by the Board and by Aramark, as the sole stockholder of the Company. The expiration date of the Plan, on and after which date no Awards may be granted hereunder, shall be the tenth anniversary of the Effective Date; provided, however, that such expiration shall not affect Awards then outstanding, and the terms and conditions of the Plan shall continue to apply to such Awards.
4. Administration.
(a) The Committee shall administer the Plan; provided, however, that the Compensation and Human Resources Committee may also delegate, at any time and from time to time, to any sub-committee of the Compensation and Human Resources Committee and the Board may also delegate, at any time and from time to time, to any other committee of the Board (in either case which shall consist of one or more members of the Compensation and Human Resources Committee or Board, respectively, and may consist solely of the Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation so long as he or she is a member of the Board) (a “Sub-Committee”), subject to such guidelines as the Board or the Compensation and Human Resources Committee may establish from time to time, the authority to act on behalf of the Compensation and Human Resources Committee or the Board with respect to any matter, right, obligation, or election that is the responsibility of or that is allocated to the Committee herein, except that to the extent required to obtain exemption from Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act under Rule 16b-3 promulgated thereunder, (i) the Compensation and Human Resources Committee or such Sub-Committee must consist of two or more members of Board and (ii) each member of the Compensation and Human Resources Committee or Sub-Committee shall, at the time he takes any action with respect to an Award under the Plan, be an Eligible Director. However, the fact that a Compensation and Human Resources Committee or Sub-Committee member shall fail to qualify as an Eligible Director shall not invalidate any Award granted by the Compensation and Human Resources Committee or Sub-Committee that is otherwise validly granted under the Plan. The majority of the members of the Committee shall constitute a quorum. The acts of a majority of the members present at any meeting at which a quorum is present or acts approved in writing by the Committee shall be deemed the acts of the Committee. The Committee may also delegate to an executive officer or other employee of the Company the authority to grant Awards to non-executive officers or persons who are not “officers” (as defined in Section 16 of the Exchange Act) of the Company, to the extent permitted by applicable law.
(b) Subject to the provisions of the Plan and applicable law, the Committee shall have the sole and plenary authority, in addition to other express powers and
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authorizations conferred on the Committee by the Plan, to: (i) designate Participants; (ii) determine the type or types of Awards to be granted to a Participant; (iii) determine the number of shares of Common Stock to be covered by, or with respect to which payments, rights, or other matters are to be calculated in connection with Awards; (iv) determine the terms and conditions of any Award and any amendments thereto; (v) determine whether, to what extent, and under what circumstances Awards may be settled or exercised in cash, shares of Common Stock, other securities, other Awards or other property, or canceled, forfeited, or suspended and the method or methods by which Awards may be settled, exercised, canceled, forfeited, or suspended; (vi) determine whether, to what extent, and under what circumstances the delivery of cash, Common Stock, other securities, other Awards or other property and other amounts payable with respect to an Award shall be deferred either automatically or at the election of the Participant or of the Committee; (vii) interpret, administer, reconcile any inconsistency in, correct any defect in and/or supply any omission in the Plan and any instrument or agreement relating to, or Award granted under, the Plan; (viii) establish, amend, suspend, or waive any rules and regulations and appoint such agents as the Committee shall deem appropriate for the proper administration of the Plan; (ix) accelerate the vesting or exercisability of, payment for or lapse of restrictions on, Awards; and (x) make any other determination and take any other action that the Committee deems necessary or desirable for the administration of the Plan.
(c) Unless otherwise expressly provided in the Plan, all designations, determinations, interpretations, and other decisions under or with respect to the Plan or any Award or any documents evidencing Awards granted pursuant to the Plan shall be within the sole discretion of the Committee, may be made at any time and shall be final, conclusive and binding upon all persons or entities, including, without limitation, the Company, any of its Affiliates, any Participant, any holder or beneficiary of any Award, and any stockholder of the Company.
(d) No member of the Board, the Committee, delegate of the Committee or any officer, employee or agent of the Company (each such person, an “Indemnifiable Person”) shall be liable for any action taken or omitted to be taken or any determination made in good faith with respect to the Plan or any Award hereunder. Each Indemnifiable Person shall be indemnified and held harmless by the Company against and from any loss, cost, liability, or expense (including attorneys’ fees) that may be imposed upon or incurred by such Indemnifiable Person in connection with or resulting from any action, suit or proceeding to which such Indemnifiable Person may be a party or in which such Indemnifiable Person may be involved by reason of any action taken or omitted to be taken under the Plan or any Award Agreement and against and from any and all amounts paid by such Indemnifiable Person with the Company’s approval, in settlement thereof, or paid by such Indemnifiable Person in satisfaction of any judgment in any such action, suit or proceeding against such Indemnifiable
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Person, provided, that the Company shall have the right, at its own expense, to assume and defend any such action, suit or proceeding and once the Company gives notice of its intent to assume the defense, the Company shall have sole control over such defense with counsel of the Company’s choice. The foregoing right of indemnification shall not be available to an Indemnifiable Person to the extent that a final judgment or other final adjudication (in either case not subject to further appeal) binding upon such Indemnifiable Person determines that the acts or omissions of such Indemnifiable Person giving rise to the indemnification claim resulted from such Indemnifiable Person’s fraud, gross negligence or willful criminal act or omission or that such right of indemnification is otherwise prohibited by law or by the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws. The foregoing right of indemnification shall not be exclusive of any other rights of indemnification to which such Indemnifiable Persons may be entitled under the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws or as a matter of law or otherwise, or any other power that the Company may have to indemnify such Indemnifiable Persons or hold them harmless.
(e) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in the Plan, the Board may, in its sole discretion, at any time and from time to time, grant Awards and administer the Plan with respect to such Awards. In any such case, the Board shall have all the authority granted to the Committee under the Plan.
5. Grant of Awards; Shares Subject to the Plan Limitations.
(a) The Committee may, from time to time, grant Options, Stock Appreciation Rights, Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, Deferred Stock Units, Dividend Equivalent awards, Stock Bonus Awards and/or Performance Compensation Awards to one or more Eligible Persons.
(b) Awards granted under the Plan shall be subject to the following limitations: (i) subject to Section 13 of the Plan, the Committee is authorized to deliver under the Plan [•] shares of Common Stock which includes shares of Common Stock subject to the Assumed Aramark Awards and (ii) subject to Section 13 of the Plan, no more than 2,000,000 shares of Common Stock may be issued upon the exercise of Incentive Stock Options. Additionally, the maximum number of shares of Common Stock subject to Awards granted during a single calendar year to any Non-Employee Director, taken together with any cash fees earned by such Non-Employee Director during such calendar year, shall not exceed $1,000,000 in total value (calculating the value of any such Awards based on the grant date fair value of such Awards for financial reporting purposes); provided that such limit shall not apply with respect to any Assumed Aramark Awards.
(c) Shares of Common Stock that are subject to or underlie Options, SARs, Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, Assumed Aramark Awards or other Awards granted under the Plan that are forfeited, cancelled, expire unexercised, or for any reason are canceled or terminated without having been exercised or delivered
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(including shares of Common Stock that are subject to or underlie the unexercised, unvested or undelivered portion of any such Awards, in the case of Awards that were partially exercised, vested or delivered at the time of their expiration, cancellation or termination) shall, notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, be available again for other Awards under the Plan. Shares of Common Stock that are settled in cash, redeemed as part of a Net Exercise settlement or as part of the payment of the required Exercise Price or Tax Withholding obligations, or that are purchased by the Company using proceeds received from Option exercises shall not be available again for other Awards under the Plan.
(d) Shares of Common Stock delivered by the Company in settlement of Awards may be authorized and unissued shares, shares held in the treasury of the Company, shares purchased on the open market or by private purchase, or a combination of the foregoing.
(e) Awards may, in the sole discretion of the Committee, be granted under the Plan in assumption of, or in substitution for, outstanding awards previously granted by an entity acquired by the Company or with which the Company combines (“Substitute Awards”). The number of shares of Common Stock underlying any Substitute Awards shall not be counted against the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock available for Awards under the Plan. The number of shares of Common Stock reserved pursuant to Section 5(b) may be increased by the corresponding number of Awards assumed and, in the case of a substitution, by the net increase in the number of shares of Common Stock subject to Awards before and after the substitution.
(f) Awards granted under the Plan shall be subject to a minimum one-year vesting period, subject to potential acceleration of vesting in the event of a Participant’s death, disability or Retirement (to the extent provided in the applicable award agreement), excluding for this purpose, (i) any Award granted to a Non-Employee Director on the date of the Company’s annual meeting of stockholders that vests (or, if applicable, becomes exercisable) on the date of the Company’s next annual meeting of stockholders, provided that such next annual meeting is held no earlier than 50 weeks after the prior annual meeting, (ii) any Award granted as a Substitution Award (as defined in Section 5(e)) or (iii) any Assumed Aramark Awards; provided, however, that shares of Common Stock up to 5% of the total share authorization set forth in Section 5(b) may be issued pursuant to Awards that do not meet such vesting (and, if applicable, exercisability) requirements.
6. Eligibility. Participation shall be limited to Eligible Persons who have entered into an Award Agreement or who have received written notification from the Committee, or from a person designated by the Committee, that they have been selected to participate in the Plan.
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7. Options.
(a) Generally. Each Option granted under the Plan shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement. Each Option so granted shall be subject to the conditions set forth in this Section 7, and to such other conditions not inconsistent with the Plan as may be reflected in the applicable Award Agreement. All Options granted under the Plan shall be Nonqualified Stock Options unless the applicable Award Agreement expressly states that the Option is intended to be an Incentive Stock Option. Incentive Stock Options shall be granted only to Eligible Persons who are employees of the Company and its Affiliates, and no Incentive Stock Option shall be granted to any Eligible Person who is ineligible to receive an Incentive Stock Option under the Code. No Option shall be treated as an Incentive Stock Option unless the Plan has been approved by the stockholders of the Company in a manner intended to comply with the stockholder approval requirements of Section 422(b)(1) of the Code, provided, that any Option intended to be an Incentive Stock Option shall not fail to be effective solely on account of a failure to obtain such approval, but rather such Option shall be treated as a Nonqualified Stock Option unless and until such approval is obtained. In the case of an Incentive Stock Option, the terms and conditions of such grant shall be subject to and comply with such rules as may be prescribed by Section 422 of the Code. If for any reason an Option intended to be an Incentive Stock Option (or any portion thereof) shall not qualify as an Incentive Stock Option, then, to the extent of such non-qualification, such Option or portion thereof shall be regarded as a Nonqualified Stock Option appropriately granted under the Plan.
(b) Exercise Price. Except as otherwise provided by the Committee in the case of Substitute Awards or Assumed Aramark Awards, the exercise price (“Exercise Price”) per share of Common Stock for each Option shall not be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of such share (determined as of the Date of Grant); provided, however, that in the case of an Incentive Stock Option granted to an employee who, at the time of the grant of such Option, owns stock representing more than 10% of the voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or any of its Affiliates, the Exercise Price per share shall not be less than 110% of the Fair Market Value per share on the Date of Grant; and provided, further, that a Nonqualified Stock Option may be granted with an Exercise Price lower than that set forth herein if such Option is granted pursuant to an assumption or substitution for another option in a manner satisfying the provisions of Section 424(a) and Section 409A of the Code.
(c) Vesting and Expiration. Options shall vest and become exercisable in such manner and on such date or dates determined by the Committee and shall expire after such period, not to exceed ten years, as may be determined by the Committee (the “Option Period”); provided, however, that the Option Period shall not exceed five years from the Date of Grant in the case of an Incentive Stock Option granted to a Participant who on the Date of Grant owns stock representing
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more than 10% of the voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or any of its Affiliates; provided, further, that notwithstanding any vesting dates set by the Committee, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, accelerate the exercisability of any Option.
(d) Method of Exercise and Form of Payment. No shares of Common Stock shall be delivered pursuant to any exercise of an Option until payment in full of the Exercise Price therefor is received by the Company and the Participant has paid to the Company an amount equal to any Tax Withholding obligations of the Participant. Options that have become exercisable may be exercised by delivery of written or electronic notice of exercise to the Company in accordance with the terms of the Option accompanied by payment of the Exercise Price. Unless otherwise expressly provided by the Committee in any Award Agreement, the aggregate Exercise Price (and any Tax Withholding due) shall, to the extent permitted by applicable law, be payable:
(i) in cash (by wire transfer of immediately available funds to a bank account of the Company, by delivery of a certified check payable to the Company);
(ii) by surrender of shares of Common Stock valued at the Fair Market Value at the time the Option is exercised (including, pursuant to procedures approved by the Committee, by means of attestation of ownership of a sufficient number of shares of Common Stock in lieu of actual delivery of such shares to the Company);
(iii) pursuant to a Net Exercise arrangement; provided, however, that in such event, the Committee may exercise its discretion to limit or prohibit the use of a Net Exercise solely with respect to Tax Withholding if the Committee determines in good faith that to allow for a Net Exercise with respect to Tax Withholding would result in a material negative impact on the Company’s and its subsidiaries, near-term liquidity needs;
(iv) in other property having a fair market value on the date of exercise equal to the Exercise Price;
(v) by means of a broker-assisted “cashless exercise” pursuant to which the Company is delivered a copy of irrevocable instructions to a stockbroker to sell the shares otherwise deliverable upon the exercise of the Option and to deliver promptly to the Company an amount equal to the Exercise Price; or
(vi) a combination of the methods set forth in this Section 7(d).
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if on the last day of the Option Period, the Fair Market Value exceeds the Exercise Price, the Participant has not exercised the
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Option, and the Option has not otherwise expired, such Option shall be deemed to have been Net Exercised by the Participant on such last day prior to the expiration of the Option Period and the Company shall make the appropriate payment therefor.
(e) Notice of Exercise. A Participant (or other person, as provided in Section 16(b)) may exercise an Option (for the shares of Common Stock represented thereby) granted under the Plan in whole or in part (but for the purchase of whole shares only), as provided in the Award Agreement evidencing his Option, by delivering a notice (the “Notice”) to the Company in accordance with the Option exercise notice practices and procedures in effect at the Company from time to time. In accordance therewith, the Notice may include the following:
(i) that the Participant elects to exercise the Option;
(ii) the number of shares of Common Stock with respect to which the Option is being exercised (the “Option Shares”);
(iii) the method of payment for the Option Shares (which method must be available to the Participant under the terms of his or her Award Agreement);
(iv) the date upon which the Participant desires to consummate the purchase of the Option Shares (which date must be prior to the termination of such Option); and
(v) any additional provisions with respect to Notice consistent with the Plan as the Committee may from time to time require.
The exercise date of an Option shall be the date on which the Company receives the Notice and any payment due from the Participant.
(f) Notification upon Disqualifying Disposition of an Incentive Stock Option. Each Participant awarded an Incentive Stock Option under the Plan shall notify the Company in writing immediately after the date he makes a disqualifying disposition of any Common Stock acquired pursuant to the exercise of such Incentive Stock Option. A disqualifying disposition is any disposition (including, without limitation, any sale) of such Common Stock before the later of (A) two years after the Date of Grant of the Incentive Stock Option or (B) one year after the date of exercise of the Incentive Stock Option.
(g) Compliance With Laws, etc. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event shall a Participant be permitted to exercise an Option in a manner that the Committee determines would violate the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or any other applicable law or the applicable rules and regulations of the SEC or the applicable rules and
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regulations of any securities exchange or inter-dealer quotation system on which the securities of the Company are listed or traded.
8. Stock Appreciation Rights.
(a) Generally. Each SAR granted under the Plan shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement. Each SAR so granted shall be subject to the conditions set forth in this Section 8, and to such other conditions not inconsistent with the Plan as may be reflected in the applicable Award Agreement. Any Option granted under the Plan may include tandem SARs. The Committee also may award SARs to Eligible Persons independent of any Option.
(b) Vesting and Expiration. A SAR granted in connection with an Option shall become exercisable and shall expire according to the same vesting schedule and expiration provisions as the corresponding Option. A SAR granted independent of an Option shall vest and become exercisable and shall expire in such manner and on such date or dates determined by the Committee and shall expire after such period, not to exceed ten years, as may be determined by the Committee (the “SAR Period”); provided, however, that notwithstanding any vesting dates set by the Committee, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, accelerate the exercisability of any SAR.
(c) Method of Exercise. SARs that have become exercisable may be exercised by delivery of written or electronic notice of exercise to the Company in accordance with the terms of the Award, specifying the number of SARs to be exercised and the date on which such SARs were awarded. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if on the last day of the Option Period (or in the case of a SAR independent of an option, the SAR Period), the Fair Market Value exceeds the Strike Price, the Participant has not exercised the SAR or the corresponding Option (if applicable), and neither the SAR nor the corresponding Option (if applicable) has expired, such SAR shall be deemed to have been exercised by the Participant on such last day and the Company shall make the appropriate payment therefor.
(d) Payment. Upon the exercise of a SAR, the Company shall pay to the Participant an amount equal to the number of shares subject to the SAR that are being exercised multiplied by the excess, if any, of the Fair Market Value of one share of Common Stock on the exercise date over the Strike Price, less an amount equal to any Tax Withholding obligations of the Participant. The Company shall pay such amount in cash, in shares of Common Stock valued at Fair Market Value, or any combination thereof, as determined by the Committee.
9. Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units.
(a) Generally. Each grant of Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement. Each such grant shall be subject to the
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conditions set forth in this Section 9, and to such other conditions not inconsistent with the Plan as may be reflected in the applicable Award Agreement.
(b) Book Entry and Stock Certificates; Escrow or Similar Arrangement. Upon the grant of Restricted Stock, the Committee shall cause a Participant’s ownership to be recognized through uncertificated book entry. If the Company elects to issue stock certificates, then stock certificates registered in the name of the Participant shall be issued and, if the Committee determines that the Restricted Stock shall be held by the Company or in escrow rather than delivered to the Participant pending the release of the applicable restrictions, the Committee may require the Participant to additionally execute and deliver to the Company (i) an escrow agreement satisfactory to the Committee, if applicable, and (ii) the appropriate stock power (endorsed in blank) with respect to the Restricted Stock covered by such agreement. If a Participant shall fail to execute an agreement evidencing an Award of Restricted Stock and, if applicable, an escrow agreement and blank stock power within the amount of time specified by the Committee, the Award shall be null and void. Subject to the restrictions set forth in this Section 9 and the applicable Award Agreement, the Participant generally shall have the rights and privileges of a stockholder as to such Restricted Stock, including without limitation the right to vote such Restricted Stock. To the extent shares of Restricted Stock are forfeited, any stock certificates issued to the Participant evidencing such shares shall be returned to the Company, and all rights of the Participant to such shares and as a stockholder with respect thereto shall terminate without further obligation on the part of the Company.
(c) Vesting. The Restricted Stock Period with respect to any shares of Restricted Stock shall lapse and the Restricted Stock Units shall vest in such manner and on such date or dates as determined by the Committee.
(d) Delivery of Restricted Stock and Settlement of Restricted Stock Units.
(i) Upon the expiration of the Restricted Period with respect to any shares of Restricted Stock, the restrictions set forth in the applicable Award Agreement shall be of no further force or effect with respect to such shares, except as set forth in the applicable Award Agreement. If an escrow arrangement is used, upon such expiration, the Company shall deliver to the Participant, or his beneficiary, without charge, the stock certificate evidencing the shares of Restricted Stock that have not then been forfeited and with respect to which the Restricted Period has expired (rounded down to the nearest full share). Dividends, if any, that may have been withheld by the Committee and attributable to any particular share of Restricted Stock shall be distributed to the Participant in cash or, at the sole discretion of the Committee, in shares of Common Stock having a Fair Market Value equal to the amount of such dividends, upon the release of restrictions on such share and, if such share is forfeited, the Participant
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shall have no right to such dividends (except as otherwise set forth by the Committee in the applicable Award Agreement).
(ii) Unless otherwise provided by the Committee in an Award Agreement, upon the expiration of the Restricted Period with respect to any outstanding Restricted Stock Units, the Company shall deliver to the Participant, or his beneficiary, without charge, one share of Common Stock for each such outstanding Restricted Stock Unit; provided, however, that the Committee may, in its sole discretion, provide in an Award Agreement the Company’s ability to elect to (A) pay cash or part cash and part Common Stock in lieu of delivering only shares of Common Stock in respect of such Restricted Stock Units or (B) defer the delivery of Common Stock (or cash or part Common Stock and part cash, as the case may be) beyond the expiration of the Restricted Period. If a cash payment is made in lieu of delivering shares of Common Stock, the amount of such payment shall be equal to the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock as of the date on which the Restricted Period lapsed with respect to such Restricted Stock Units, less an amount equal to any Tax Withholding obligations of the Participant.
(e) Legends on Restricted Stock. To the extent applicable, all book entries (or stock certificates, if any) representing Restricted Stock awarded under the Plan shall bear a book entry notation or legend substantially in the form of the following in addition to any other information the Company deems appropriate until the lapse of all restrictions with respect to such Common Stock:
TRANSFER OF THIS CERTIFICATE AND THE SHARES REPRESENTED HEREBY IS RESTRICTED PURSUANT TO THE TERMS OF THE ARAMARK 2023 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN AND A RESTRICTED STOCK AWARD AGREEMENT, BETWEEN ARAMARK AND PARTICIPANT. A COPY OF SUCH PLAN AND AWARD AGREEMENT IS ON FILE AT THE PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICES OF ARAMARK.
10. Stock Bonus Awards; Deferred Stock Units; Dividend Equivalents.
(a) Stock Bonus Awards. The Committee may issue unrestricted Common Stock, or other Awards denominated in Common Stock under the Plan to Eligible Persons, either alone or in tandem with other awards, in such amounts as the Committee shall from time to time in its sole discretion determine. Each Stock Bonus Award granted under the Plan shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement. Each Stock Bonus Award so granted shall be subject to such conditions not inconsistent with the Plan as may be reflected in the applicable Award Agreement.
(b) Deferred Stock Units. Each grant of Deferred Stock Units shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement. Each such grant shall be subject to the conditions set forth in this Section 10(b), and to such other conditions not inconsistent with the Plan
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as may be reflected in the applicable Award Agreement. Each Deferred Stock Unit shall entitle the holder thereof to receive one share of Common Stock on the date the Deferred Stock Unit becomes vested or upon a specified settlement date thereafter (which settlement date may (but is not required to) be the date of the Participant’s Termination of Relationship). Shares of Common Stock underlying a Deferred Stock Unit award which is subject to a vesting schedule or other conditions or criteria set by the Committee shall not be issued until on or following the date that those conditions and criteria have been satisfied. Unless otherwise provided by the Committee, a holder of Deferred Stock Units shall have no rights as a Company stockholder with respect to such Deferred Stock Units until such time as the Award has vested and any other applicable conditions and/or criteria have been satisfied and the shares of Common Stock underlying the Award have been issued to the Holder.
(c) Dividend Equivalents. Dividend Equivalents may be granted by the Committee based on dividends declared on the Common Stock, to be credited as of dividend payment dates during the period between the date an Award is granted to a Participant and the date such Award vests, is exercised, is distributed or expires, as determined by the Committee. Such Dividend Equivalents shall be converted to cash, additional Awards or additional shares of Common Stock by such formula and at such time and subject to such limitations as may be determined by the Committee. No Dividend Equivalent shall be payable with respect to any Award unless specified by the Committee in the Award Agreement. Notwithstanding the above, no Dividend Equivalents shall be payable with respect to outstanding (i) Options or SARs or (ii) unearned Awards subject to vesting conditions unless and until the corresponding Award has vested in accordance with its terms.
11. Performance Compensation Awards.
(a) Generally. The Committee shall have the authority, at the time of grant of any Award described in Sections 7 through 10 of the Plan, to grant a performance-based Award as a Performance Compensation Award. The Committee shall have the authority to make an award of a cash bonus to any Participant and designate such Award as a Performance Compensation Award.
(b) Discretion of Committee with Respect to Performance Compensation Awards. With regard to a particular Performance Period, the Committee shall have sole discretion to select the length of such Performance Period, the type(s) of Performance Compensation Awards to be issued, the Performance Criteria that will be used to establish the Performance Goal(s), the kind(s) and/or level(s) of the Performance Goals(s) that is (are) to apply and the Performance Formula.
(c) Performance Criteria. The Performance Criteria that will be used to establish the Performance Goal(s) shall be based on the attainment of target levels of, a targeted percentage increase in, or solely the achievement of, one or more of the
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following Company or business group measures (all capitalized terms not defined herein shall have the meanings contained in the Company’s audited financial statements for the relevant performance period as such terms and definitions may be expressly modified and established by the Committee with respect to the relevant performance period): (i) Earnings Before Interest and Taxes (“EBIT”), (ii) Return on Net Assets (“RONA”), (iii) Net Income, (iv) After Tax Return on Investment (“ATROI”), (v) Sales, (vi) Revenues, (vii) Earnings Per Share, (viii) Total Shareholder Return, (ix) Return on Equity (“ROE”), (x) Return on Investment (“ROI”), (xi) Total Business Return, (xii) Return on Gross Investment (“ROGI”), (xiii) Operating Cash Flow, (xiv) Free Cash Flow, (xv) Operating Income, (xvi) Pretax Income, (xvii) Return on Invested Capital (“ROIC”), (xviii) stock price appreciation, (xix) Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (“EBITDA”), (xx) Margin based upon any of EBIT, Operating Income, Pretax Income, EBITDA or any other profit measure or (xxi) any other measure selected by the Committee. The measures may be based on absolute Company performance or Company performance relative to a peer group or other external measure of selected performance. Performance Criteria that are financial metrics may be determined in accordance with United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”) or financial metrics that are based on, or able to be derived from GAAP, and may be adjusted when established (or at any time thereafter) to include or exclude any items otherwise includable or excludable under GAAP. The Committee also has the authority to provide for accelerated vesting of any Award based on the achievement of Performance Goals pursuant to the Performance Criteria specified in this paragraph. The Committee shall define in an objective fashion the manner of calculating the Performance Criteria it selects to use for such Performance Period and thereafter promptly communicate such Performance Criteria to the Participant.
(d) Modification of Performance Goal(s). In the event that applicable tax and/or securities laws permit Committee discretion to alter the governing Performance Criteria without obtaining stockholder approval of such alterations, the Committee shall have sole discretion to make such alterations without obtaining stockholder approval. The Committee is authorized at any time, in its sole discretion, to adjust or modify the calculation of a Performance Goal for such Performance Period, based on and in order to appropriately reflect the following events:
(i) a change in accounting standards or principles, (ii) a significant acquisition or divestiture, (iii) a significant capital transaction, or (iv) any other unusual, infrequently occurring, nonrecurring items, to the extent such adjustments are stated at the time that the performance goals are determined. The Committee may also adjust, upward or downward, as applicable, the Performance Goals to reflect any other item or event, so long as any such item or event is separately identified as an item or event
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requiring adjustment of such Performance Goals at the time the Performance Goals are determined.
(e) Payment of Performance Compensation Awards.
(i) Condition to Receipt of Payment. Unless otherwise provided in the applicable Award Agreement, a Participant must be employed by the Company on the last day of a Performance Period to be eligible for payment in respect of a Performance Compensation Award for such Performance Period.
(ii) Limitation. A Participant shall be eligible to receive payment in respect of a Performance Compensation Award only to the extent that: (A) the Performance Goals for such period are achieved; and (B) all or some of the portion of such Participant’s Performance Compensation Award has been earned for the Performance Period based on the application of the Performance Formula to such achieved Performance Goals.
(iii) Use of Discretion. In determining the actual amount of an individual Participant’s Performance Compensation Award for a Performance Period, the Committee may reduce or eliminate or increase the amount of the Performance Compensation Award earned under the Performance Formula in the Performance Period through the use of Discretion if, in its sole judgment, such reduction, elimination or increase is appropriate.
(f) Timing of Award Payments. Performance Compensation Awards granted for a Performance Period shall be paid to Participants as soon as administratively practicable following completion of the certifications required by this Section 11, but in no event later than two-and-one-half months following the end of the fiscal year during which the Performance Period is completed.
12. Assumed Aramark Awards. Notwithstanding anything in the Plan to the contrary, each Assumed Aramark Award shall be subject to the terms and conditions of the equity compensation plan and award agreement to which such Award was subject immediately prior to the Spin-Off, subject to the adjustment of such Award by the Compensation and Human Resources Committee of Aramark and the terms of the Employee Matters Agreement; provided that following the date of the Spin-Off, each such Award shall relate solely to shares of Common Stock and shall be administered by the Committee in accordance with the administrative procedures in effect under the Plan.
13. Changes in Capital Structure and Similar Events. Subject to Section 14, in the event of (a) any stock dividend, extraordinary cash dividend or other distribution (whether in the form of securities or other property), recapitalization, stock split, reverse stock split, reorganization, merger, consolidation, split-up, split-off, combination, repurchase or exchange of shares of Common Stock or other securities of the Company, issuance of warrants or other rights to acquire shares of Common Stock or other securities of the
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Company, or other similar corporate transaction or event that affects the shares of Common Stock, or (b) unusual or nonrecurring events affecting the Company, any of its Affiliates, or the financial statements of the Company or any of its Affiliates, or changes in applicable rules, rulings, regulations or other requirements of any governmental body or securities exchange or inter-dealer quotation system, accounting principles or law, such that in either case an adjustment is determined by the Committee in its sole discretion to be necessary or appropriate, then the Committee shall make any such adjustments in such manner as it may deem equitable, including without limitation any or all of the following:
(i) adjusting any or all of (A) the number of shares of Common Stock or other securities of the Company (or number and kind of other securities or other property) that may be delivered in respect of Awards or with respect to which Awards may be granted under the Plan (including, without limitation, adjusting any or all of the limitations under Section 5 of the Plan) and (B) the terms of any outstanding Award, including, without limitation, (1) the number of shares of Common Stock or other securities of the Company (or number and kind of other securities or other property) subject to outstanding Awards or to which outstanding Awards relate, (2) the Exercise Price or Strike Price with respect to any Award or (3) any applicable performance measures (including, without limitation, Performance Criteria and Performance Goals);
(ii) providing for a substitution or assumption of Awards, accelerating the exercisability of, lapse of restrictions on, or termination of, Awards or providing for a period of time for exercise prior to the occurrence of such event; and
(iii) cancelling any one or more outstanding Awards and causing to be paid to the holders thereof, in cash, shares of Common Stock, other securities or other property, or any combination thereof, the value of such Awards, if any, as determined by the Committee (which if applicable may be based upon the price per share of Common Stock received or to be received by other stockholders of the Company in such event), including without limitation, in the case of an outstanding Option or SAR, a cash payment in an amount equal to the excess, if any, of the Fair Market Value (as of a date specified by the Committee) of the shares of Common Stock subject to such Option or SAR over the aggregate Exercise Price or Strike Price of such Option or SAR, respectively (it being understood that, in such event, any Option or SAR having a per share Exercise Price or Strike Price equal to, or in excess of, the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock subject thereto may be canceled and terminated without any payment or consideration therefor).
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For the avoidance of doubt, in the case of any “equity restructuring” (within the meaning of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Statement of Financial Accounting Standards Codification Topic 718, Stock Compensation), the Committee shall make an equitable or proportionate adjustment to outstanding Awards to reflect such equity restructuring. Any adjustment in Incentive Stock Options under this Section l3 (other than any cancellation of Incentive Stock Options) shall be made only to the extent not constituting a “modification” within the meaning of Section 424(h)(3) of the Code, and any adjustments under this Section 13 shall be made in a manner that does not adversely affect the exemption provided pursuant to Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act, to the extent applicable. The Company shall give each Participant notice of an adjustment hereunder and, upon notice, such adjustment shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes.
14. Effect of Change of Control. Except to the extent otherwise provided in an Award Agreement, in the event of (i) the occurrence of a Change of Control, and (ii) thereafter, a Termination of Relationship of any given Participant by the Company or any of its Affiliates (or successors in interest) without Cause or by the Participant for Good Reason that occurs prior to the second anniversary of the date of such Change of Control, then notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan to the contrary (including the provisions authorizing mandatory adjustments upon an equity restructuring and equitable adjustments upon certain events, as set forth in Section 13), with respect to all or any portion of the Participant’s then outstanding Award or Awards:
(a) the then outstanding Options and SARs shall become immediately exercisable on the date of the Termination of Relationship;
(b) the Restricted Period shall expire on the date of the Termination of Relationship (which includes, without limitation the waiver of any applicable Performance Goals);
(c) Performance Periods in effect on of the date of the Termination of Relationship occurs shall end on such date, and with respect to each such Performance Period, all applicable Performance Goals shall be deemed to have been achieved at the applicable “target” levels of performance have been attained; and
(d) All Awards that have been previously deferred shall be settled in full as soon as practicable, but if any only if, with respect to any Award which provides for the deferral of compensation and is subject to Section 409A of the Code, (I) such Termination of Relationship occurs prior to the second anniversary of the Change of Control and (II) such settlement does not contradict any pre-existing deferral election under any other plan, program or arrangement of the Company or any of its Affiliates then in effect.
To the extent practicable, any actions taken by the Committee under the immediately preceding clauses (a) through (d) shall occur in a manner and at a time which allows
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affected Participants the ability to participate in the Change of Control transactions with respect to the Common Stock subject to their Awards.
15. Amendments and Termination.
(a) Amendment and Termination of the Plan. The Board may amend, alter, suspend, discontinue, or terminate the Plan or any portion thereof at any time; provided, that (i) no amendment to Section 15(b) (to the extent required by the proviso in such Section 15(b)) shall be made without stockholder approval and (ii) no such amendment, alteration, suspension, discontinuation or termination shall be made without stockholder approval if such approval is necessary to comply with any tax or regulatory requirement applicable to the Plan (including, without limitation, as necessary to comply with any rules or requirements of any securities exchange or interdealer quotation system on which the shares of Common Stock may be listed or quoted); provided, further, that any such amendment, alteration, suspension, discontinuance or termination that would materially and adversely affect the rights of any Participant or any holder or beneficiary of any Award theretofore granted shall not to that extent be effective without the consent of the affected Participant, holder or beneficiary.
(b) Amendment of Award Agreements. The Committee may, to the extent consistent with the terms of any applicable Award Agreement, waive any conditions or rights under, amend any terms of, or alter, suspend, discontinue, cancel or terminate, any Award theretofore granted or the associated Award Agreement, prospectively or retroactively; provided, that any such waiver, amendment, alteration, suspension, discontinuance, cancellation or termination that would materially and adversely affect the rights of any Participant with respect to any Award theretofore granted shall not to that extent be effective without the consent of the affected Participant; provided, further, that without stockholder approval, except as otherwise permitted under Section 13 of the Plan, (i) no amendment or modification may reduce the Exercise Price of any Option or the Strike Price of any SAR, and (ii) the Committee may not cancel any outstanding Option or SAR when the per share Exercise Price or Strike Price exceeds the Fair Market Value in exchange for cash or another Award, and the Committee may not take any other action that is considered a “repricing” for purposes of the stockholder approval rules of the applicable securities exchange or inter-dealer quotation system on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted.
(c) Extension of Termination Date. A Participant’s Award Agreement may provide that if the exercise of the Option or SAR, as applicable, following the Participant’s Termination of Relationship (other than upon the Participant’s death or Disability) would be prohibited at any time solely because the issuance of shares of Common Stock would violate the registration requirements under the Securities Act, or any other requirements of applicable law, then the Option shall terminate on the earlier of (i) the expiration of the term of the Option set forth in
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Section 7(c) and (ii) the expiration of a period of 30 days after the Participant’s Termination of Relationship during which the exercise of the Option would not be in violation of such registration requirements or other applicable requirements.
(d) Restriction on Grant of Awards. No Awards may be granted during any period of suspension or after termination of the Plan, and in no event may any Award be granted under the Plan after the tenth anniversary of the Effective Date.
16. General.
(a) Award Agreements. Each Award under the Plan shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement, which shall specify the terms and conditions of the Award and any rules applicable thereto, including without limitation, the effect on such Award of the death, Disability or Termination of Relationship of a Participant, or of such other events as may be determined by the Committee. The terms of any Award issued hereunder shall be binding upon the executors, administrators, beneficiaries, successors and assigns of the Participant.
(b) Nontransferability.
(i) Each Award shall be exercisable only by a Participant during the Participant’s lifetime, or, if permissible under applicable law, by the Participant’s legal guardian or representative. No Award may be assigned, alienated, pledged, attached, sold or otherwise transferred or encumbered by a Participant other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution and any such purported assignment, alienation, pledge, attachment, sale, transfer or encumbrance shall be void and unenforceable against the Company or any of its Affiliates; provided, that the designation of a beneficiary shall not constitute an assignment, alienation, pledge, attachment, sale, transfer or encumbrance.
(ii) Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, permit Awards (other than Incentive Stock Options) to be transferred by a Participant, without consideration, subject to such rules as the Committee may adopt consistent with any applicable Award Agreement to preserve the purposes of the Plan, to: (A) any person who is a “family member” of the Participant, as such term is used in the instructions to Form S-8 under the Securities Act (collectively, the “Immediate Family Members”); (B) a trust solely for the benefit of the Participant and his or her Immediate Family Members; or (C) a partnership or limited liability company whose only partners or stockholders are the Participant and his or her Immediate Family Members; or (D) any other transferee as may be approved either (I) by the Board or the Committee in its sole discretion, or (II) as provided in the applicable Award Agreement (each transferee described in clauses (A), (B) (C) and (D) above is hereinafter referred to as a “Permitted Transferee”); provided, that the Participant gives the Committee advance
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written notice describing the terms and conditions of the proposed transfer and the Committee notifies the Participant in writing that such a transfer would comply with the requirements of the Plan.
(iii) The terms of any Award transferred in accordance with the immediately preceding sentence shall apply to the Permitted Transferee and any reference in the Plan, or in any applicable Award Agreement, to a Participant shall be deemed to refer to the Permitted Transferee, except that (A) Permitted Transferees shall not be entitled to transfer any Award, other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution; (B) Permitted Transferees shall not be entitled to exercise any transferred Option unless there shall be in effect a registration statement on an appropriate form covering the shares of Common Stock to be acquired pursuant to the exercise of such Option if the Committee determines, consistent with any applicable Award Agreement, that such a registration statement is necessary or appropriate; (C) the Committee or the Company shall not be required to provide any notice to a Permitted Transferee, whether or not such notice is or would otherwise have been required to be given to the Participant under the Plan or otherwise; and (D) the satisfaction of any applicable vesting conditions and consequences of the Participant’s Termination of Relationship under the terms of the Plan and the applicable Award Agreement shall continue to be applied with respect to the Participant, including, without limitation, that an Option or SAR shall be exercisable by the Permitted Transferee only if such Option or SAR has vested due to the Participant’s satisfaction of the applicable vesting criteria and only to the extent, and for the periods, specified in the Plan and the applicable Award Agreement.
(c) Tax Withholding.
(i) A Participant shall be required to pay to the Company or any of its Affiliates, and the Company or any of its Affiliates shall have the right and is hereby authorized to withhold, from any cash, shares of Common Stock, other securities or other property deliverable under any Award or from any compensation or other amounts owing to a Participant, the amount (in cash, Common Stock, other securities or other property) of any required withholding taxes in respect of an Award, its exercise, or any payment or transfer under an Award or under the Plan and to take such other action as may be necessary in the opinion of the Committee or the Company to satisfy all obligations for the payment of such withholding and taxes.
(ii) Without limiting the generality of clause (i) above, the Committee shall, in its sole discretion, permit a Participant to satisfy, in whole or in part, the foregoing withholding liability by (i) the deduction from any amount payable to the Participant in cash or the delivery of shares of Common
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Stock owned by the Participant having a Fair Market Value equal to such withholding liability, or (ii) having the Company withhold from the number of shares of Common Stock otherwise issuable or deliverable pursuant to the exercise or settlement of the Award, including, for the avoidance of doubt, shares redeemed as part of a Net Exercise settlement, a number of shares with a Fair Market Value equal to such withholding liability (but no more than the minimum required statutory withholding liability or, if permitted by the Committee, such other rate as will not cause adverse accounting consequences and is permitted under applicable IRS withholding rules); provided, however, that in such event, the Committee may exercise its discretion to limit or prohibit the use of shares of Common Stock for such Tax Withholding if the Committee determines in good faith that to allow for the use of such shares with respect to Tax Withholding would result in a material negative impact on the Company’s and its Affiliates’ near-term liquidity needs.
(d) No Claim to Awards; No Rights to Continued Employment; Waiver. No employee of the Company or any of its Affiliates, or other person, shall have any claim or right to be granted an Award under the Plan or, having been selected for the grant of an Award, to be selected for a grant of any other Award. There is no obligation for uniformity of treatment of Participants or holders or beneficiaries of Awards. The terms and conditions of Awards and the Committee’s determinations and interpretations with respect thereto need not be the same with respect to each Participant and may be made selectively among Participants, whether or not such Participants are similarly situated. Neither the Plan nor any action taken hereunder shall be construed as giving any Participant any right to be retained in the employ or service of the Company or any of its Affiliates, nor shall it be construed as giving any Participant any rights to continued service on the Board. The Company or any of its Affiliates may at any time dismiss a Participant from employment or discontinue any consulting relationship, free from any liability or any claim under the Plan, unless otherwise expressly provided in the Plan or any Award Agreement. By accepting an Award under the Plan, a Participant shall thereby be deemed to have waived any claim to continued exercise or vesting of an Award or to damages or severance entitlement related to non-continuation of the Award beyond the period provided under the Plan or any Award Agreement, notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in any written employment contract or other agreement between the Company and its Affiliates and the Participant, whether any such agreement is executed before, on or after the Date of Grant.
(e) International Participants. With respect to Participants who reside or work outside of the United States of America, the Committee may in its sole discretion amend the terms of the Plan or outstanding Awards with respect to such Participants in order to conform such terms with the requirements of local law or
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to obtain more favorable tax or other treatment for a Participant, the Company or its Affiliates.
(f) Designation and Change of Beneficiary. Each Participant may file with the Committee a written designation of one or more persons as the beneficiary(ies) who shall be entitled to receive the amounts payable with respect to an Award, if any, due under the Plan upon his death. A Participant may, from time to time, revoke or change his beneficiary designation without the consent of any prior beneficiary by filing a new designation with the Committee. The last such designation received by the Committee shall be controlling; provided, however, that no designation, or change or revocation thereof, shall be effective unless received by the Committee prior to the Participant’s death, and in no event shall it be effective as of a date prior to such receipt. If no beneficiary designation is filed by a Participant, the beneficiary shall be deemed to be his or her spouse or, if the Participant is unmarried at the time of death, his or her estate.
(g) Termination of Relationship.
(i) Unless determined otherwise by the Committee, neither a temporary absence from employment or service due to illness, vacation or leave of absence nor a transfer from employment or service with the Company to employment or service with any of its Affiliates (or vice-versa) shall be considered a Termination of Relationship with the Company or such Affiliate.
(ii) Notwithstanding anything in the Plan to the contrary, with respect to any Award, a Termination of Relationship shall not be deemed to have occurred if a Participant remains an employee or a member of the Board of the Company or any Affiliate, but a Termination of Relationship shall be deemed to have occurred if a Participant terminates employment but remains a consultant of the Company or any Affiliate; provided that this paragraph shall not be effective if its existence or its application would result in imposition of taxes under Section 409A of the Code.
(h) No Rights as a Stockholder. Except as otherwise specifically provided in the Plan or any Award Agreement, no person shall be entitled to the privileges of ownership in respect of shares of Common Stock that are subject to Awards hereunder until such shares have been issued or delivered to that person.
(i) Government and Other Regulations.
(i) The obligation of the Company to settle Awards in Common Stock or other consideration shall be subject to all applicable laws, rules, and regulations, and to such approvals by governmental agencies as may be required.
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Notwithstanding any terms or conditions of any Award to the contrary, the Company shall be under no obligation to offer to sell or to sell, and shall be prohibited from offering to sell or selling, any shares of Common Stock pursuant to an Award unless such shares have been properly registered for sale pursuant to the Securities Act with the SEC or unless the Company has received an opinion of counsel, satisfactory to the Company, that such shares may be offered or sold without such registration pursuant to an available exemption therefrom and the terms and conditions of such exemption have been fully complied with. The Company shall be under no obligation to register for sale under the Securities Act any of the shares of Common Stock to be offered or sold under the Plan. The Committee shall have the authority to provide that all certificates for shares of Common Stock or other securities of the Company or any of its Affiliates delivered under the Plan shall be subject to such stop transfer orders and other restrictions as the Committee may deem advisable under the Plan, the applicable Award Agreement, the federal securities laws, or the rules, regulations and other requirements of the SEC, any securities exchange or inter-dealer quotation system upon which such shares or other securities are then listed or quoted and any other applicable federal, state, local or non-U.S. laws, and, without limiting the generality of Section 9 of the Plan, the Committee may cause a legend or legends to be put on any such certificates to make appropriate reference to such restrictions. Notwithstanding any provision in the Plan to the contrary, the Committee reserves the right to add any additional terms or provisions to any Award granted under the Plan that it in its sole discretion deems necessary or advisable in order that such Award complies with the legal requirements of any governmental entity to whose jurisdiction the Award is subject.
(ii) The Committee may cancel an Award or any portion thereof if it determines, in its sole discretion, that legal or contractual restrictions and/or blockage and/or other market considerations would make the Company’s acquisition of shares of Common Stock from the public markets, the Company’s issuance of Common Stock to the Participant, the Participant’s acquisition of Common Stock from the Company and/or the Participant’s sale of Common Stock to the public markets, illegal, impracticable or inadvisable. If the Committee determines to cancel all or any portion of an Award in accordance with the foregoing, the Company shall pay to the Participant an amount equal to the excess of (A) the aggregate Fair Market Value of the shares of Common Stock subject to such Award or portion thereof canceled (determined as of the applicable exercise date, or the date that the shares would have been vested or delivered, as applicable), over (B) the aggregate Exercise Price or Strike Price (in the case of an Option or SAR, respectively) or any amount payable as a condition of delivery of shares of Common Stock (in the case of any other Award). Such amount shall be delivered to the Participant as
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soon as practicable following the cancellation of such Award or portion thereof.
(j) Payments to Persons Other Than Participants. If the Committee shall find that any person to whom any amount is payable under the Plan is unable to care for his affairs because of illness or accident, or is a minor, or has died, then any payment due to such person or his estate (unless a prior claim therefor has been made by a duly appointed legal representative) may, if the Committee so directs the Company, be paid to his spouse, child, relative, an institution maintaining or having custody of such person, or any other person deemed by the Committee to be a proper recipient on behalf of such person otherwise entitled to payment. Any such payment shall be a complete discharge of the liability of the Committee and the Company therefor.
(k) Nonexclusivity of the Plan. Neither the adoption of the Plan by the Board nor the submission of the Plan to the stockholders of the Company for approval shall be construed as creating any limitations on the power of the Board to adopt such other incentive arrangements as it may deem desirable, including, without limitation, the granting of stock options or other awards otherwise than under the Plan, and such arrangements may be either applicable generally or only in specific cases.
(l) No Trust or Fund Created. Neither the Plan nor any Award shall create or be construed to create a trust or separate fund of any kind or a fiduciary relationship between the Company or any of its Affiliates, on the one hand, and a Participant or other person or entity, on the other hand. No provision of the Plan or any Award shall require the Company, for the purpose of satisfying any obligations under the Plan, to purchase assets or place any assets in a trust or other entity to which contributions are made or otherwise to segregate any assets, nor shall the Company maintain separate bank accounts, books, records or other evidence of the existence of a segregated or separately maintained or administered fund for such purposes. Participants shall have no rights under the Plan other than as unsecured general creditors of the Company, except that insofar as they may have become entitled to payment of additional compensation by performance of services, they shall have the same rights as other employees under general law.
(m) Reliance on Reports. Each member of the Committee and each member of the Board shall be fully justified in acting or failing to act, as the case may be, and shall not be liable for having so acted or failed to act in good faith, in reliance upon any report made by the independent public accountant of the Company and its Affiliates and/or any other information furnished in connection with the Plan by any agent of the Company or the Committee or the Board, other than himself.
(n) Relationship to Other Benefits. No payment under the Plan shall be taken into account in determining any benefits under any pension, retirement, profit sharing,
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group insurance or other benefit plan of the Company except as otherwise specifically provided in such other plan.
(o) Governing Law. All questions concerning the construction, interpretation and validity of the Plan and the instruments evidencing the Awards granted hereunder shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the domestic laws of the Delaware, without giving effect to any choice or conflict of law provision or rule (whether of the Delaware or any other jurisdiction) that would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of Delaware. In furtherance of the foregoing, the internal law of the State of Delaware will control the interpretation and construction of the Plan, even if under such jurisdiction’s choice of law or conflict of law analysis, the substantive law of some other jurisdiction would ordinarily apply.
(p) Severability. If any provision of the Plan or any Award or Award Agreement is or becomes or is deemed to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable in any jurisdiction or as to any person or entity or Award, or would disqualify the Plan or any Award under any law deemed applicable by the Committee, such provision shall be construed or deemed amended to conform to the applicable laws, or if it cannot be construed or deemed amended without, in the determination of the Committee, materially altering the intent of the Plan or the Award, such provision shall be construed or deemed stricken as to such jurisdiction, person or entity or Award and the remainder of the Plan and any such Award shall remain in full force and effect.
(q) Obligations Binding on Successors. The obligations of the Company under the Plan shall be binding upon any successor corporation or organization resulting from the merger, consolidation or other reorganization of the Company, or upon any successor corporation or organization succeeding to substantially all of the assets and business of the Company.
(r) Expenses; Gender; Titles and Headings. The expenses of administering the Plan shall be borne by the Company and its Affiliates. Masculine pronouns and other words of masculine gender shall refer to both men and women. The titles and headings of the sections in the Plan are for convenience of reference only, and in the event of any conflict, the text of the Plan, rather than such titles or headings shall control.
(s) Other Agreements. Notwithstanding the above, the Committee may require, as a condition to the grant of and/or the receipt of shares of Common Stock under an Award, that the Participant execute lock-up, stockholder or other agreements, as it may determine in its sole and absolute discretion.
(t) Payments. Participants shall be required to pay, to the extent required by applicable law, any amounts required to receive shares of Common Stock under any Award made under the Plan.
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(u) Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation. To the extent applicable and notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, the Plan and Awards hereunder shall be administered, operated and interpreted in accordance with Section 409A of the Code. Further, if any Award is subject to Section 409A of the Code, (a) references under the Plan or the applicable Award Agreement to the Participant’s Termination of Relationship shall be deemed to refer to the date upon which the Participant has experienced a “separation from service” within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code and (b) any installment of shares or cash due under any such Award shall constitute a “separate payment” within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code. In addition, if at the time of the Participant’s separation from service with the Company, the Participant is a “specified employee” as defined in Section 409A of the Code, and the deferral of the commencement of any payments or benefits otherwise payable under any Award as a result of such separation from service is necessary in order to prevent the imposition of any accelerated or additional tax under Section 409A of the Code, then the Company will defer the commencement of the payment of any such payments or benefits hereunder (without any reduction in such payments or benefits ultimately paid or provided to the Participant) to the minimum extent necessary to satisfy Section 409A of the Code until the date that is six months and one day following the Participant’s separation from service with the Company (or the earliest date as is permitted under Section 409A of the Code), if such payment or benefit is payable upon a Termination of Relationship. In addition, and notwithstanding any provision of the Plan to the contrary, in the event that the Committee determines that any amounts payable hereunder will be taxable to a Participant under Section 409A of the Code prior to the payment and/or delivery to such Participant of such amount, the Company may (i) adopt such amendments to the Plan and related Award Agreement, and appropriate policies and procedures, including amendments and policies with retroactive effect, that the Committee determines necessary or appropriate to preserve the intended tax treatment of the benefits provided by the Plan and Awards hereunder and/or (ii) take such other actions as the Committee determines necessary or appropriate to comply with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code. No action shall be taken under the Plan which shall cause an Award to fail to comply with Section 409A of the Code, to the extent applicable to such Award. However, in no event shall any member of the Board, the Company or any of its Affiliates (including their respective employees, officers, directors or agents) have any liability to any Participant (or any other person) with respect to this Section 16(u).
(v) Claw-back Provisions. All Awards (including any proceeds, gains or other economic benefit actually or constructively received by the Participant upon any receipt or exercise of any Award or upon the receipt or resale of any shares of Common Stock underlying the Award) shall be subject to the provisions of any claw-back policy implemented by the Company, including, without limitation, any claw-back policy adopted to comply with the requirements of applicable law, including without limitation the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer
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Protection Act and any rules or regulations promulgated thereunder, to the extent set forth in such claw-back policy and/or in the applicable Award Agreement.
(w) No Liability with Respect to Any Corporate Action. Nothing contained in the Plan or in any Award Agreement will be construed to prevent the Company or any Affiliate of the Company from taking any corporate action which is deemed by the Company or by its Affiliates to be appropriate or in its best interest and no Participant or beneficiary of a Participant will have any claim against the Company or any affiliate as a result of any such corporate action.
(x) Affiliate Employees. In the case of a grant of an Award to an employee or consultant of any Affiliate of the Company, the Company may, if the Committee so directs, issue or transfer the shares of Common Stock, if any, covered by the Award to the Affiliate, for such lawful consideration as the Committee may specify, upon the condition or understanding that the Affiliate will transfer the shares of Common Stock to the employee or consultant in accordance with the terms of the Award specified by the Committee pursuant to the provisions of the Plan. All shares of Common Stock underlying Awards that are forfeited or canceled shall revert to the Company.
(y) Foreign Employees and Foreign Law Considerations. The Committee may grant Awards to individuals who are eligible to participate in the plan who are foreign nationals, who are located outside the United States or who are not compensated from a payroll maintained in the United States, or who are otherwise subject to (or could cause the Company to be subject to) legal or regulatory provisions of countries or jurisdictions outside the United States, on such terms and conditions different from those specified in the Plan as may, in the judgment of the Committee, be necessary or desirable to foster and promote achievement of the purposes of the Plan, and, in furtherance of such purposes, the Committee may make such modifications, amendments, procedures, or subplans as may be necessary or advisable to comply with such legal or regulatory provisions.
(z) No Fractional Shares. No fractional shares of Common Stock shall be issued or delivered pursuant to the Plan or any Award, and the Committee shall determine whether cash, other securities or other property shall be paid or transferred in lieu of any fractional shares, or whether such fractional shares or any rights thereto shall be canceled, terminated or otherwise eliminated.
As adopted and approved by the Board of Directors of Epic NewCo, Inc. on [ ], 2023 and Aramark on [ ], 2023 to be effective as of the Spin-Off.
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