Application of Section 409A of the Code (a) This Agreement shall be interpreted to avoid any penalty sanctions under section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended and the regulations promulgated thereunder (the “Code”). If any payment or benefit cannot be provided or made at the time specified herein without incurring sanctions under section 409A of the Code, then such benefit or payment shall be provided in full (to extent not paid in part at earlier date) at the earliest time thereafter when such sanctions shall not be imposed. For purposes of section 409A of the Code, all payments to be made upon a termination of employment under this Agreement may only be made upon the Executive’s “separation from service” (within the meaning of such term under section 409A of the Code), each payment made under this Agreement shall be treated as a separate payment, and the right to a series of installment payments under this Agreement shall be treated as a right to a series of separate payments. In no event shall the Executive, directly or indirectly, designate the fiscal year of payment, except as permitted under section 409A of the Code. Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, with respect to amounts under this Agreement are nonqualified deferred compensation subject to Section 409A, in no event shall the timing of the Executive’s execution of the Release, directly or indirectly, result in the Executive designating the calendar year of payment, and if a payment that is subject to execution of the Release could be made in more than one taxable year, payment shall be made in the later taxable year.
(b) Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if, at the time of the Executive’s termination of employment with the Company, the Company has securities which are publicly traded on an established securities market and the Executive is a “specified employee” (as such term is defined in section 409A of the Code) and it is necessary to postpone the commencement of any payments or benefits otherwise payable under this Agreement as a result of such termination of employment to prevent any accelerated or additional tax under section 409A of the Code, then the Company shall postpone 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 Executive) that are not otherwise paid first within the ‘short-term deferral exception’ under Treas. Reg. §1.409A-1(b)(4), and then under the ‘separation pay exception’ under Treas. Reg. §1.409A-1(b)(9)(iii), until the first payroll date that occurs after the date that is 6 months following the Executive’s “separation of service” (as such term is defined under code section 409A of the Code) with the Company. If any payments are postponed due to such requirements, such postponed amounts shall be paid in a lump sum to the Executive on the first payroll date that occurs after the date that is 6 months following Executive’s separation of service with the Company. If the Executive dies during the postponement period prior to the payment of postponed amount, the amounts withheld on account of section 409A of the Code shall be paid to the personal representative of the Executive’s estate within 60 days after the date of the Executive’s death.
(c) All reimbursements and in-kind benefits provided under this Agreement shall be made or provided in accordance with the requirements of section 409A of the Code, including, where applicable, the requirement that (i) any reimbursement shall be for expenses incurred during the Executive’s lifetime (or during a shorter period of time specified in this Agreement), (ii) the amount of expenses eligible for reimbursement, or in kind benefits provided, during a calendar year may not affect the expenses eligible for reimbursement, or in kind benefits to be provided, in any other calendar year, (iii) the reimbursement of an eligible expense shall be made on or before the last day of the calendar year following the year in which the expense is incurred and (iv) the right to reimbursement or in kind benefits is not subject to liquidation or exchange for another benefit.