Code Section 409A Compliance Each payment under this Agreement shall be considered a separate payment for purposes of Section 409A. A termination of employment shall not be deemed to have occurred for purposes of any provision of this Agreement providing for the payment of any amount or benefit upon or following a termination of employment unless such termination is also a “separation from service” within the meaning of Internal Revenue Code Section 409A (“Section 409A”) and, for purposes of this Agreement, references to a “termination,” “termination of employment” or like terms shall mean “separation from service.” Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, if the Executive is a “specified employee” (within the meaning of Section 409A) on the date of the Executive’s separation from service, then any payments or benefits that otherwise would be payable under this Agreement within the first six months following the Executive’s separation from service (the “409A Suspension Period”), shall instead be paid in a lump sum within fourteen (14) days after the end of the sixth month period following the Executive’s separation from service, or Executive’s death, if sooner, but only to the extent that such payments or benefits provide for the “deferral of compensation” within the meaning of Section 409A, after application of the exemptions provided in Sections 1.409A-1(b)(4) and 1.409A-1(b)(9)(ii)-(v) thereof. After the 409A Suspension Period, the Executive will receive any remaining payments and benefits due pursuant to this Agreement in accordance with its terms (as if there had not been any suspension beforehand). To the extent that severance payments or benefits under this Agreement are conditioned on the execution of a release by Executive, Executive shall forfeit all rights to such payments and benefits unless such release is signed and delivered to the Company within the time required by this Agreement. Whenever a payment under this Agreement specified a payment period with respect to a number of days, the actual date of payment within the specified period shall be within the sole discretion of the Company. The Company will cooperate with the Executive in making any amendments to this Agreement that the Executive reasonably requests to avoid the imposition of taxes or penalties under Section 409A of the Code provided that such changes do not provide the Executive with additional benefits (other than de minimus benefits) under this Agreement.
Section 409A Compliance To the extent applicable, it is intended that this Agreement comply with the provisions of Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code and the guidance promulgated thereunder (“Section 409A”). This Agreement shall be administered in a manner consistent with this intent, and any provision that would cause the Agreement to fail to satisfy Section 409A shall have no force and effect until amended by the parties to comply with Section 409A (which amendment may be retroactive to the extent permitted by Section 409A). Unless otherwise expressly provided, any payment of compensation by Company to Employee, whether pursuant to this Agreement or otherwise, shall be made no later than the 15th day of the third month (i.e., 2½ months) after the later of the end of the calendar year or the Company’s fiscal year in which Employee’s right to such payment vests (i.e., is not subject to a “substantial risk of forfeiture” for purposes of Code Section 409A). For purposes of this Agreement, “Separation from Service” shall have the meaning given to such term under Section 409A. Each payment and each installment of any severance payments provided for under this Agreement shall be treated as a separate payment for purposes of application of Section 409A. To the extent that any severance payments come within the definition of “short term deferrals” or “involuntary severance” under Section 409A, such amounts shall be excluded from “deferred compensation” as allowed under Section 409A, and shall not be subject to the following Section 409A compliance requirements. All payments of “nonqualified deferred compensation” (within the meaning of Section 409A) are intended to comply with the requirements of Section 409A, and shall be interpreted in accordance therewith. Neither party individually or in combination may accelerate, offset or assign any such deferred payment, except in compliance with Section 409A. No amount shall be paid prior to the earliest date on which it is permitted to be paid under Section 409A and Employee shall have no discretion with respect to the timing of payments except as permitted under Section 409A. Any payments to which Section 409A applies which are subject to execution of a waiver and release which may be executed and/or revoked in a calendar year following the calendar year in which the payment event (such as Separation from Service) occurs shall commence payment only in the calendar year in which the release revocation period ends as necessary to comply with Section 409A. In the event that Employee is determined to be a “key employee” (as defined and determined under Section 409A) of the Company at a time when its stock is deemed to be publicly traded on an established securities market, payments determined to be “nonqualified deferred compensation” payable upon separation from service shall be made no earlier than (i) the first day of the seventh (7th) complete calendar month following such termination of employment, or (ii) Employee’s death, consistent with the provisions of Section 409A. Any payment delayed by reason of the prior sentence shall be paid out in a single lump sum at the end of such required delay period in order to catch up to the original payment schedule. All expense reimbursement or in-kind benefits subject to Section 409A provided under this Agreement or, unless otherwise specified in writing, under any Company program or policy, shall be subject to the following rules: (i) the amount of expenses eligible for reimbursement or in-kind benefits provided during one calendar year may not affect the benefits provided during any other year; (ii) reimbursements shall be paid no later than the end of the calendar year following the year in which the Employee incurs such expenses, and the Employee shall take all actions necessary to claim all such reimbursements on a timely basis to permit the Company to make all such reimbursement payments prior to the end of said period, and (iii) the right to reimbursement or in-kind benefits shall not be subject to liquidation or exchange for another benefit. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, no amendment may be made to this Agreement if it would cause the Agreement or any payment hereunder not to be in compliance with Section 409A.
Compliance with Internal Revenue Code Section 409A The Employer and the Executive intend that their exercise of authority or discretion under this Agreement shall comply with section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. If when the Executive’s employment terminates the Executive is a specified employee, as defined in section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, and if any payments under this Agreement, including Articles 4 or 5, will result in additional tax or interest to the Executive because of section 409A, then despite any provision of this Agreement to the contrary the Executive shall not be entitled to the payments until the earliest of (x) the date that is at least six months after termination of the Executive’s employment for reasons other than the Executive’s death, (y) the date of the Executive’s death, or (z) any earlier date that does not result in additional tax or interest to the Executive under section 409A. As promptly as possible after the end of the period during which payments are delayed under this provision, the entire amount of the delayed payments shall be paid to the Executive in a single lump sum. If any provision of this Agreement does not satisfy the requirements of section 409A, the provision shall be applied in a manner consistent with those requirements despite any contrary provision of this Agreement. If any provision of this Agreement would subject the Executive to additional tax or interest under section 409A, the Employer shall reform the provision. However, the Employer shall maintain to the maximum extent practicable the original intent of the applicable provision without subjecting the Executive to additional tax or interest, and the Employer shall not be required to incur any additional compensation expense as a result of the reformed provision. References in this Agreement to section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 include rules, regulations, and guidance of general application issued by the Department of the Treasury under Internal Revenue Code section 409A.
Section 409A of the Code This Agreement is intended to comply with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code (including the exceptions thereto), to the extent applicable, and the Company shall administer and interpret this Agreement in accordance with such requirements. If any provision contained in this Agreement conflicts with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code (or the exemptions intended to apply under this Agreement), this Agreement shall be deemed to be reformed to comply with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code (or the applicable exemptions thereto). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, for purposes of determining Executive’s entitlement to the payment or receipt of amounts or benefits that constitute nonqualified deferred compensation within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code, Executive’s employment shall not be deemed to have terminated unless and until Executive incurs a “separation from service” as defined in Section 409A of the Code. Reimbursement of any expenses provided for in this Agreement shall be made promptly upon presentation of documentation in accordance with Sterling’s policies with respect thereto as in effect from time to time (but in no event later than the end of the calendar year following the year such expenses were incurred); provided, however, that in no event shall the amount of expenses eligible for reimbursement hereunder during a calendar year affect the expenses eligible for reimbursement in any other taxable year. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, if a payment or benefit under this Agreement that constitutes nonqualified deferred compensation within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code is payable or provided due to a “separation from service” for purposes of the rules under Treas. Reg. § 1.409A-3(i)(2) (payments to specified employees upon a separation from service) and Executive is determined to be a “specified employee” (as determined under Treas. Reg. § 1.409A-1(i) and related Company procedures), such payment shall, to the extent necessary to comply with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code, be made on the date that is six (6) months after the date of Executive’s separation from service (or, if earlier, the date of Executive’s death). Any installment payments that are delayed pursuant to this Section 10 shall be accumulated and paid in a lump sum on the first day of the seventh month following the date of Executive’s separation from service (or, if earlier, upon Executive’s death), and the remaining installment payments shall begin on such date in accordance with the schedule provided in this Agreement. The Severance Benefits and CIC Severance Benefits are intended not to constitute deferred compensation subject to Section 409A of the Code to the extent such Severance Benefits or CIC Severance Benefits are covered by (a) the “short-term deferral exception” set forth in Treas. Reg. § 1.409A-1(b)(4), (b) the “two times severance exception” set forth in Treas. Reg. § 1.409A-1(b)(9)(iii), or (c) the “limited payments exception” set forth in Treas. Reg. § 1.409A-1(b)(9)(v)(D). The short-term deferral exception, the two times severance exception and the limited payments exception shall be applied to the Severance Benefits or CIC Severance Benefits, as applicable, in order of payment in such manner as results in the maximum exclusion of such Severance Benefits or CIC Severance Benefits, as applicable, from treatment as deferred compensation under Section 409A of the Code. Each installment of the Severance Benefits or CIC Severance Benefits, as applicable, and any other payments or benefits that constitute nonqualified deferred compensation within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code shall be deemed to be a separate payment for purposes of Section 409A of the Code. In no event may Executive, directly or indirectly, designate the calendar year of any payment under this Agreement.
Internal Revenue Code Section 409A The Company intends for this Agreement to comply with the Indemnification exception under Section 1.409A-1(b)(10) of the regulations promulgated under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), which provides that indemnification of, or the purchase of an insurance policy providing for payments of, all or part of the expenses incurred or damages paid or payable by Indemnitee with respect to a bona fide claim against Indemnitee or the Company do not provide for a deferral of compensation, subject to Section 409A of the Code, where such claim is based on actions or failures to act by Indemnitee in his or her capacity as a service provider of the Company. The parties intend that this Agreement be interpreted and construed with such intent.