WBA Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc

The name of the corporation is Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. The date of filing of its original Certificate of Incorporation with the Secretary of State was September 2, 2014.

This Restated Certificate of Incorporation was duly adopted in accordance with Section 245 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, and restates and integrates and does not further amend the provisions of the corporation’s Certificate of Incorporation as theretofore amended and supplemented and there is no discrepancy between the provisions of the corporation’s Certificate of Incorporation as theretofore amended and supplemented and the provisions of this Restated Certificate of Incorporation.

The text of the Certificate of Incorporation of the corporation is hereby integrated and restated in its entirety as set forth below.

This Restated Certificate of Incorporation shall be effective at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on February 1, 2025.

Background

Purpose

Definitions

“Affiliate” means any person with whom the Company would be considered a single employer under Sections 414(b) and 414(c) of the Code, except that in applying Sections 1563(a)(1), (2) and (3) of the Code for purposes of determining a controlled group of corporations under Section 414(b) of the Code, the language “at least 50 percent” shall be used instead of “at least 80 percent” in each place it appears in Sections 1563(a)(1), (2) and (3) of the Code, and in applying Treas. Reg. §1.414(c)-2 for purposes of determining a controlled group of trades or businesses under Section 414(c) of the Code, the language “at least 50 percent” shall be used instead of “at least 80 percent” in each place it appears in Treas. Reg. §1.414(c)-2. Notwithstanding the foregoing, where justified by legitimate business criteria as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion, “at least 20 percent” shall be substituted for “at least 50 percent” in the preceding sentence in determining whether a Participant has had a Termination of Service.

“Award” means any Option, SAR, Restricted Stock Share, Restricted Stock Unit, Performance Share, Performance Unit, Other Award or Stock granted as a bonus or in lieu of another award, together with any related right or interest, granted to an Eligible Person under the Plan.

“Award Agreement” means the agreement setting forth the terms and conditions to which an Award is subject, to the extent not provided in the Plan, together with any additional documents (such as Beneficiary designations) relating to a specific Award.

“Beneficiary” means the individual or entity designated by the Participant to receive the benefits specified under the Participant’s Award upon such Participant’s death. See Section 10.03. No Beneficiary shall have any rights under the Plan prior to the death of the Participant.

“Beneficial Owner” has the meaning specified in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act.

“Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.

“Cause” shall be as defined in each Award Agreement, or if not so defined, means any one or more of the following, as determined by the Committee or its delegate in its sole discretion:

a Participant’s commission of a felony or any crime of moral turpitude;

a Participant’s dishonesty or material violation of standards of integrity in the course of fulfilling his or her employment duties to the Company or any Affiliate;

a material violation of a material written policy of the Company or any Affiliate applicable to the Participant, violation of which is grounds for immediate termination;

failure on the part of the Participant to perform his or her employment duties to the Company or any Affiliate in any material respect, after reasonable notice of such failure and an opportunity to correct it; or

failure to comply in any material respect with any applicable legal or regulatory requirements, including but not limited to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, and the Truth in Negotiations Act, or any rules or regulations thereunder.

“Change in Control” means any one or more of the following:

any one person, or more than one person acting as a group other than (A) an employee benefit plan (or related trust) of the Company or a subsidiary or (B) the Company or a subsidiary (collectively, the “Excluded Persons”) acquires ownership of stock of the Company that, together with stock held by such person or group, constitutes more than fifty percent (50%) of the total fair market value or total voting power of the stock of the Company; or

any one person, or more than one person acting as a group (other than any Excluded Person), acquires (or has acquired during the twelve (12)-month period ending on the date of the most recent acquisition by such person or persons) ownership of stock of the Company that constitutes thirty percent (30%) or more of the total fair market value or total voting power of the stock of the Company; or

any one person, or more than one person acting as a group (other than any Excluded Person), acquires (or has acquired during the twelve (12)-month period ending on date of the most recent acquisition by such person or persons) assets from the Company that have a total gross fair market value equal to or more than forty percent (40%) of the total gross fair market value of all the assets of the Company immediately before such acquisition or acquisitions; or

a majority of members of the Board is replaced during any twelve (12)-month period by Directors whose appointment or election is not endorsed by a majority of the members of the Board before the date of the appointment or election; provided, however, that no individual initially elected or nominated as a Director as a result of an actual or threatened election contest with respect to directors or as a result of any other actual or threatened solicitation of proxies by or on behalf of any person other than the Board shall be deemed to be a Director endorsed by a majority of the members of the Board.

“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. Reference to any provision of the Code or regulation thereunder shall include any successor provision and any regulations and other applicable guidance or pronouncement of the Internal Revenue Service or the Department of the Treasury and applicable case law relating to such Section of the Code.

“Committee” means the Compensation and Leadership Performance Committee of the Board, the composition and governance of which is established in the Committee’s charter as approved from time to time by the Board. Each member of the Committee is intended to qualify as “independent” as determined in accordance with the regulations of the stock exchange on which the Stock is principally registered, and the Company’s categorical standards, and to qualify as a “non-employee director” under SEC Rule 16b-3. However, no action of the Committee shall be void or deemed to be without authority due to the failure of any member, at the time the action was taken, to meet the foregoing qualification standards. The full Board may perform any function of the Committee hereunder except to the extent limited under the applicable stock exchange policies and requirements for listed companies or the Company’s bylaws, in which case the term “Committee” shall refer to the Board. To the extent the Committee has delegated authority to another person or persons the term “Committee” shall refer to such other person or persons.

“Company” means Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. and any successor thereto.

“Deferred Award” means any Award to the extent that by its terms the Award will not or might not be paid or otherwise settled in full no later than the 15th day of the third month after the later of (a) the last day of the first calendar year in which the Award is no longer subject to a Substantial Risk of Forfeiture or (b) the last day of the Company’s first fiscal year in which the Award is no longer subject to a Substantial Risk of Forfeiture.

“Director” means a member of the Board.

“Disability” means that the Participant has become disabled as provided in the long-term disability plan of the Company or an Affiliate applicable to the Participant (or which would be applicable if the Participant was eligible for and elected coverage under such plan).

“Dividend Equivalent” means a right granted to an Eligible Person to receive cash, Stock, or other property equal in value to all or a specified portion of the dividends paid with respect to a specified number of shares of Stock in connection with dividend declarations, reclassifications, spin-offs, and the like.

“Effective Date” is defined in the Preamble.

“Eligible Person” means an employee of the Company or any Affiliate, or a Non-Employee Director of the Company.

“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended from time to time, and the rules and regulations thereunder.

“Fair Market Value” means as of any applicable date:

If the Stock is listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market or other United States national securities exchange registered under the Exchange Act, the value under such of the following as the Committee shall determine based on actual reported transactions in such Stock on the NASDAQ Stock Market or such other exchange:

The last sale before or the first sale after the date the Award is granted;

the closing sales price on such date or (whether or not sales are reported on such date) the last preceding date on which a sale was reported;

the arithmetic mean of the high and low prices on such date or (whether or not sales are reported on such date) the last preceding date on which sales were reported; or

the average selling price of the Stock over a specified period beginning within 30 days before and ending within 30 days after the applicable date, based on the arithmetic mean of such selling prices during the specified period, or an average of such prices weighted based on the volume of trading of the Stock on each trading date during the specified period; provided, however, that such method may be used only if the relevant Eligible Person, the number and class of shares of Stock subject to such method, and the method for determining such price including the period over which the average are determined, are irrevocably determined and set forth in an Award Agreement before the beginning of the specified period.

If Stock is publicly traded but is not listed on any such exchange, any of the methods set forth in subsection (a) applied to the bid quotations with respect to a share of Stock on the OTC Bulletin Board or other over-the-counter quotation system then in use as the principle system then available for reporting or ascertaining quotations for the Stock; and

If Stock is not publicly traded, the fair market value on the applicable date of a share of Stock as determined by the Committee in good faith.

“Former Plan” means the Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. 2013 Omnibus Incentive Plan, as amended.

“409A Compensation” means a Deferred Award or other compensation that is “nonqualified deferred compensation” subject to Section 409A of the Code, regardless of when granted or awarded.

“Incentive Stock Option” or “ISO” means any Option intended to qualify as an incentive stock option within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code, and qualifying thereunder.

“Non-Employee Director” means a Director who is not an employee of the Company or an Affiliate.

“Nonstatutory Option” means an Option that is not an Incentive Stock Option.

“Option” means a right granted to an Eligible Person to purchase a number of shares of Stock (which may be Restricted Stock) at a specified price during a specified time period, and subject to such other terms and conditions as the Committee may determine. The term “Option” includes both an Incentive Stock Option and a Nonstatutory Option.

“Other Awards” means cash or stock-based awards granted to an Eligible Person under Section 7.08 or 7.09.

“Participant” means an Eligible Person (or former Eligible Person) who has been granted an Award under the Plan which remains outstanding or which remains subject to any provision of this Plan, including without limitation Sections 10.01 and 10.08.

“Performance Award” means an Award that (in addition to any other conditions) is conditional based upon the degree of satisfaction of performance criteria specified by the Committee. Performance Awards include, but are not limited to, Performance Shares and Performance Units.

“Performance Share” means a conditional right granted to an Eligible Person to receive a variable number of shares of Stock based upon the degree of satisfaction of performance criteria specified by the Committee.

“Performance Unit” means a conditional right granted to an Eligible Person to receive a payment equal to the value of the performance unit based upon the degree of satisfaction of criteria specified by the Committee.

“Restricted Stock” means a Restricted Stock Share or a Restricted Stock Unit.

“Restricted Stock Share” means a share of Stock granted to an Eligible Person under Section 7.03 which is subject to certain restrictions and to a substantial risk of forfeiture.

“Restricted Stock Unit” or “RSU” means a bookkeeping entry representing a hypothetical share of Stock granted to an Eligible Person under Section 7.04 which is subject to certain restrictions and to a substantial risk of forfeiture. A Restricted Stock Unit shall have a nominal value on any date equal to the Fair Market Value of one share of Stock on that date. A Restricted Stock Unit may be settled for cash, property, or shares of Stock, as specified in the Award Agreement, and may be a Performance Award. Restricted Stock Units represent an unfunded an unsecured obligation of the Company.

“Retire” or “Retirement” means a Termination of Service for any reason other than a Termination of Service for Cause, Disability, or death after attaining age 55 and having at least 10 years of service (whether as an employee or Director) with the Company or any Affiliate.

“Rule 16b-3” means Rule 16b-3, as from time to time in effect and applicable to Participants, promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission under Section 16 of the Exchange Act.

“Separation from Service” means

In the case of an individual who is an employee of the Company or an Affiliate, the employee’s termination of employment with the Company and its Affiliates. Whether a termination of employment has occurred shall be determined based on whether the facts and circumstances indicate the individual and the employer reasonably anticipate that no further services will be performed by the individual for the Company and its Affiliates; provided, however, that an individual shall be deemed to have a Separation from Service if the level of services he or she would perform for the Company and its Affiliates after a certain date permanently decreases to no more than twenty percent (20%) of the average level of bona fide services performed for the Company and its Affiliates (whether as an employee or independent contractor) over the immediately preceding 36-month period (or the full period of services to the Company and its Affiliates if the individual has been providing services for less than 36 months). For this purpose, an individual is not treated as having a Separation from Service while he or she is on a military leave, sick leave, or other bona fide leave of absence, if the period of such leave does not exceed six months (90 days in the case of an Incentive Stock Option), or if longer, so long as the individual has a right to reemployment with the Company or an Affiliate under an applicable statute or by contract; and

In the case of a Director, the individual ceases to be a Director of the Company and all Affiliates, unless immediately upon such cessation the individual has a relationship with the Company or an Affiliate such that such cessation would not be a separation from service under Section 409A of the Code, in which case a Separation from Service will occur upon the cessation of such relationship as provided in Section 409A of the Code; and

In the case of a consultant or advisor, the individual ceases to have a contractual obligation to perform consulting services for the Company and all Affiliates, unless immediately upon such cessation the individual has a relationship with the Company or an Affiliate such that such cessation would not be a separation from service under Section 409A of the Code, in which case a Separation from Service will occur upon the cessation of such relationship as provided in Section 409A of the Code.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, no such event shall be a Separation from Service if immediately upon such event the individual continues to be an Eligible Person by reason of another relationship with the Company or any Affiliate from which no Separation from Service has occurred.

“Specified Employee” means an individual who, as of the date of his or her Termination of Service, is a key employee of the Company or any Affiliate whose stock is publicly traded, as determined under the policy of the Company as in effect from time to time, for determining “specified employees” consistent with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code.

“Stock” means a share of the Company’s common stock, $0.01 par value, and any other equity securities of the Company that may be substituted or resubstituted for such Stock.

“Stock Appreciation Right” or “SAR” means a right granted to an Eligible Person to receive, upon exercise thereof, the excess of (A) the Fair Market Value of one share of Stock on the date of exercise over (B) the grant price of the SAR as determined by the Committee, which grant price shall be not less than the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock on the date of grant of such SAR, except in the case of Substitute Awards.

“Substantial Risk of Forfeiture” means such term as described in Treas. Reg.§§ 1.409A-1(d) and 1.409A-1(b)(4).

“Termination of Service” “termination of employment”, and words of similar import, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, mean termination of employment (or for a Participant who is not an employee, termination of service), as determined by the Committee; provided that in the case of an Award that is 409A Compensation, such term shall mean Separation from Service.

Administration

to determine which Eligible Persons shall be granted Awards;

to determine the type and size of Awards, the dates on which Awards may be granted, exercised or settled and on which the risk of forfeiture or any deferral period relating to Awards shall lapse or terminate, and to accelerate any such dates;

to determine the expiration date of any Award;

to determine whether an Award will be granted on a standalone or tandem basis;

to determine whether, to what extent, and under what circumstances an Award may be settled, or the exercise price of an Award may be paid, in cash, Stock, other Awards, or other property;

to determine other terms and conditions of, and all other matters relating to, Awards;

to prescribe Award Agreements evidencing or setting terms of Awards (such Award Agreements need not be identical for each Participant);

to adopt amendments to Award Agreements; provided that, except as set forth herein or in the Award Agreement, the Committee shall not amend an Award Agreement in a manner that materially and adversely affects the Participant without the consent of the Participant (for this purpose, actions that alter the timing of federal income taxation of a Participant will not be deemed material unless such action results in an income tax penalty on the Participant);

to establish rules and regulations for the administration of the Plan and amendments thereto and to create sub-plans;

to determine whether, to what extent, and under what circumstances any Award shall be terminated or forfeited or the Participant shall be required to disgorge to the Company gains or earnings attributable to an Award;

to construe and interpret the Plan and Award Agreements and correct defects, supply omissions or reconcile inconsistencies therein;

to make all other decisions and determinations (including factual determinations) in its discretion as the Committee may deem necessary or advisable for the administration of the Plan.

The Committee may act through subcommittees, including for purposes of perfecting exemptions under Rule 16b-3 (in which case the members of the Committee who qualify as Non-Employee Directors shall act as the Committee). The express grant of any specific power to the Committee, and the taking of any action by the Committee or a subcommittee, shall not be construed as limiting any power or authority of the Committee.

Subject to the Company’s bylaws and applicable law, the Committee may delegate to any other committee of the Board or to one or more members of the Board the authority, subject to such terms as the Committee may determine, to exercise such powers and authority and perform such functions as the Committee in its discretion may determine. Such delegation may be revoked at any time.

The Committee may delegate to officers of the Company or any Affiliate, or committees thereof, the authority, subject to such terms as the Committee shall determine, to perform such functions and exercise such powers and authority, as the Committee in its discretion may determine, to the fullest extent permitted under the Delaware General Corporation Law and the Company’s bylaws. Such delegation may be revoked at any time.

Except to the extent prohibited by applicable law, the Committee may delegate to one or more individuals the day-to-day administration of the Plan and any of the functions assigned to the Committee under the Plan. Such delegation may be revoked at any time.

Shares Subject to Plan

Shares of Stock available as of the Effective Date under the Former Plan;

Shares of Stock which have become available from the Former Plan after the Effective Date in accordance with Section 5.02;

65 million additional shares of Stock, which became available as of the Effective Date, as approved by stockholders of the Company at the Company’s 2021 annual meeting of stockholders; and

61.5 million additional shares of Stock, as approved by stockholders of the Company at the Company’s 2025 annual meeting of stockholders and which became available as of the A&R Effective Date;

The Committee may adopt reasonable counting procedures to ensure appropriate counting, avoid double counting (as, for example, in the case of tandem or substitute awards) and make adjustments if the number of shares of Stock actually delivered differs from the number of shares previously counted in connection with an Award.

Shares of Stock subject to an Award will again be available for Awards if the Award (or an award under the Former Plan) is canceled, expired, forfeited, settled in cash or otherwise terminated or settled without delivery of the full number of shares of Stock subject to such Award. The following shares of Stock will not be added to the total number of shares available or to be made available again for delivery under the Plan: (i) shares not issued or not delivered as a result of the net settlement of an outstanding Option or Stock Appreciation Right; (ii) shares delivered to or withheld by the Company to pay the exercise price of or withholding taxes with respect to an Award; and (iii) shares of Stock repurchased by the Company on the open market with the proceeds from the payment of the exercise price of an Option.

In the case of any Award granted in substitution for an award of a company or business acquired by the Company or an Affiliate (a “Substitute Award”), shares delivered or to be delivered in connection with such Substitute Award shall not be counted against the number of shares reserved under the Plan, but shall be available under the Plan by virtue of the Company’s assumption of the plan or arrangement of the acquired company or business.

This Section shall apply to the number of shares reserved and available for ISOs only to the extent consistent with applicable regulations relating to ISOs under the Code.

Because shares will count against the number reserved in Section 5.01 upon delivery (or later vesting) and subject to the share counting rules under this Section 5.02, the Committee may determine that Awards may be outstanding that relate to more shares than the aggregate remaining available under the Plan, so long as Awards will not result in delivery and vesting of shares in excess of the number then available under the Plan.

Eligibility and General Conditions for Awards

Cause. Upon a Participant’s Termination of Service for Cause, all Awards (whether or not then vested or forfeitable under the terms of the Award) shall be forfeited and terminate. In the event that within one year after Termination of Service a Participant commits an act or omission that would be Cause, or it is discovered that the Participant has committed such act or omission before Termination of Service, then the Committee may in its discretion determine that the Termination of Service shall be deemed to have occurred for Cause.

Automatic Extended Exercisability in Certain Cases. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section or the applicable Award Agreement, if the date a vested Award would otherwise terminate is a date that the Participant is prohibited from exercising the Award under the Company’s insider trading policy or such other conditions under applicable securities laws as the Committee shall specify, the term of the Award, to the extent vested, shall be extended to the second business day after the Participant is no longer so prohibited from exercising the Award, but in no event shall the Award be extended beyond the original stated term of the Award.

Automatic Exercise in Certain Cases. In addition, if determined by the Committee in its discretion, on such terms and conditions and under such circumstances as the Committee shall establish, which may be applied differently among Participants or Awards, Options and SARs will be deemed exercised by the Participant (or in the event of the death of or authorized transfer by the Participant by the beneficiary or transferee) on the expiration date of the Option or SAR using a net share settlement (or net settlement) method of exercise to the extent that as of such expiration date the Option or SAR is vested and exercisable and the per share exercise price of the Option or SAR is below the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock on such expiration date.

Waiver by Committee. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section, the Committee may in its sole discretion as to all or part of any Award as to any Participant, at the time the Award is granted or thereafter, which treatment need not be uniform among Participants, determine that Awards shall become exercisable or vested upon a Termination of Service, determine that Awards shall continue to become exercisable or vested in full or in installments after Termination of Service, extend the period for exercise of Options or SARs following Termination of Service (but not beyond the original stated term of the Option or SAR), or provide that any performance-based Award shall in whole or in part not be forfeited upon such Termination of Service.

During the Participant’s lifetime, each Award and each right under any Award shall be exercisable only by the Participant or, if permissible under applicable law, by the Participant’s guardian or legal representative, or by a transferee receiving such Award

No Award (prior to the time, if applicable, unrestricted shares of Stock are delivered in respect of such Award or Restricted Stock Shares becomes unrestricted), and no right under any Award, may be assigned, alienated, pledged, attached, sold or otherwise transferred or encumbered by a Participant otherwise than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution (or in the case of Restricted Stock Shares, by transfer to the Company); and any such purported assignment, alienation, pledge, attachment, sale, transfer or encumbrance shall be void and unenforceable against the Company or any Affiliate.

Notwithstanding subsections (a) and (b) above, a Participant may transfer a Nonstatutory Option or SAR for no consideration to a Permitted Transferee in accordance with rules and subject to such conditions as may be specified by the Committee in the Award Agreement or in the Committee’s rules or procedures of general application. For this purpose, a “Permitted Transferee” in respect of any Participant means any member of the Immediate Family of such Participant, any trust of which all of the primary beneficiaries are such Participant or members of his or her Immediate Family, or any partnership (including limited liability companies and similar entities) of which all of the partners or members are such Participant or members of his or her Immediate Family; and the “Immediate Family” of a Participant includes any child, stepchild, grandchild, parent, stepparent, grandparent, spouse, former spouse, sibling, niece, nephew, mother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law, including adoptive relationships, any person sharing the employee’s household (other than a tenant or employee), a trust in which these persons have more than fifty percent of the beneficial interest, a foundation in which these persons (or the employee) control the management of assets, and any other entity in which these persons (or the employee) own more than fifty percent of the voting interests. Such Award may be exercised by such transferee in accordance with the terms of such Award. Following the transfer of a Nonstatutory Stock Option or SAR to a Permitted Transferee, the Permitted Transferee shall have all of the rights and obligations of the Participant to whom the Award was granted and such Participant shall not retain any rights with respect to the transferred Award, except that (i) the payment of any tax attributable to the exercise of the Nonstatutory Option or SAR shall remain the obligation of the Participant, and (ii) the period during which the Nonstatutory Option or SAR shall become exercisable or remain exercisable shall depend on the service of the original Participant and the circumstances of his or her Termination of Service. A Permitted Transferee may not again transfer an Award to another Permitted Transferee.

If for any reason an Award is exercised or shares of Stock are to be delivered or payment is to be made under any Award to a person other than the original Participant, the person exercising or receiving delivery or payment under such Award shall, as a condition to such exercise, delivery or receipt, supply to the Committee such evidence as the Committee may reasonably require to establish the identity of such person and such person’s right to exercise or receive delivery or payment under such Award. A Permitted Transferee or other transferee, Beneficiary, guardian, legal representative or other person claiming any rights under the Plan from or through any Participant shall be subject to the provisions of the Plan and any applicable Award Agreement, except to the extent the Plan and Award Agreement otherwise provide with respect to such persons, and to any additional restrictions or limitations deemed necessary or appropriate by the Committee.

Stand-Alone, Tandem and Substitute Awards.

Awards granted under the Plan may, in the discretion of the Committee, be granted either alone or in addition to, in tandem with, or in substitution for, any other Award granted under the Plan. If an Award is granted in substitution for another Award or any non-Plan award or benefit, the Committee shall require the surrender of such other Award or non-Plan award or benefit in consideration for the grant of the new Award. Awards granted in addition to or in tandem with other Awards or non-Plan awards or benefits may be granted either at the same time as or at a different time from the grant of such other Awards or non-Plan awards or benefits.

The Committee may, in its discretion and on such terms and conditions as the Committee considers in the circumstances, grant Substitute Awards under the Plan in substitution for stock and stock-based awards (“Acquired Entity Awards”) held immediately prior to a merger, consolidation or acquisition by employees or directors of another corporation or entity who become Eligible Persons as the result of a merger or consolidation of the employing corporation or other entity (the “Acquired Entity”) with the Company or an Affiliate or the acquisition by the Company or an Affiliate of property or stock of the Acquired Entity, in order to preserve for such newly Eligible Persons the economic value of all or a portion of such Acquired Entity Award, at such price as the Committee determines necessary to achieve preservation of economic value, subject to Section 409A of the Code.

Deferral Elections. An election to defer an Award shall be made on or before December 31 of the calendar year preceding the calendar year in which the Award is granted, on a form (which may be electronic) authorized by the Committee, and except as provided in Section 7.07 shall not carry over from year to year unless the Committee timely provides otherwise. Such election shall become irrevocable for the period to which it applies as of the last date for making such election. The deferral election shall include (i) the designation and portion of the Award to be deferred, (ii) the date on which settlement of the deferred Award shall be made or commence (which may be a fixed date such as the Participant’s attainment of a particular age, the Participant’s Termination of Service for any reason, or such other dates or circumstances as may be required or permitted by the Committee); and (iii) whether settlement shall be made on a single date or in installments over a period and subject to such terms and conditions as may be set by the Committee at the time of the deferral election. If there is no election as to form of settlement, then settlement shall be made no later than 90 days following the date designated in (ii), in a lump sum in cash, shares of Stock, or such other medium as the Committee may designate, as specified in the Award Agreement.

New Participants. Notwithstanding subsection (a) above, the Committee may permit a deferral election to be made by a Participant who was never previously eligible to defer an Award and was never previously eligible to defer compensation under any other plan required by Section 409A of the Code to be aggregated with deferrals of Awards under this Plan. Such an individual’s deferral election shall be made within 30 days of becoming newly eligible to defer an Award and shall be effective only with respect to a fractional portion of the Award determined by multiplying (separately with respect to each applicable vesting date), the grant date value of the number of applicable portion of shares of Stock (or other portion of an Award not denominated in shares of Stock) vesting on such vesting date by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of calendar days between the date

Performance-Based Compensation. Notwithstanding subsection (a) above, the Committee may permit a deferral election to be made by a Participant with respect to a Performance Award on or before a date that is at least six months before the end of the applicable performance period of at least 12 months, provided the Participant has continuously performed services from the later of the beginning of the performance period or the date the performance criteria are established (provided they are established within 90 days of the beginning of the performance period) through the date such election is made, and provided that the compensation to be paid under the Performance Award is not at the time of the election readily ascertainable within the meaning of Treas. Reg. § 1.409A-2(a)(8).

Awards Vesting in More than Twelve Months. Notwithstanding subsection (a) above, the Committee may permit a deferral election to be made by a Participant with respect to an Award that is subject to a condition requiring the Participant to continue to remain employed for a period of at least 12 months from the date of the grant. Such a deferral election, if permitted, must be made on or before the 30th day after the grant date, provided that the election is made at least 12 months in advance of the earliest vesting date (other than vesting on account of death or a Change in Control).

Dividend Equivalents on Deferred Awards. To the extent specified in the Award Agreement, Dividend Equivalents may be credited to deferred Awards (other than Options and SARs) during the deferral period, subject to such terms and conditions as the Committee shall specify.

Specific Provisions for Awards

Exercise Price. The exercise price per share of Stock purchasable under an Option (including both ISOs and Nonstatutory Options) shall be determined by the Committee, provided that, except with respect to Substitute Awards, such exercise price shall be not less than the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock on the date of grant of such Option.

Option Term; Time and Method of Exercise. The Committee shall determine the term of each Option, which in no event shall exceed a period of ten years from the date of grant. The Committee shall determine the time or times at which or the circumstances under which an Option may be exercised in whole or in part (including based on achievement of performance goals and/or future service requirements), the methods by which such exercise price may be paid or deemed to be paid and the form of such payment, including, without limitation, cash, Stock (including Stock deliverable upon exercise), Restricted Stock or other property that does not have a deferral feature, other Awards or awards granted under other plans of the Company or any Affiliate, or other property (including through “net exercise” or “cashless exercise” arrangements, to the extent permitted by applicable law), and the methods by or forms in which Stock will be delivered or deemed to be delivered in satisfaction of Options.

Incentive Stock Options.

Only employees (as determined in accordance with Section 3401(c) of the Code) of the Company or any of its subsidiaries may be granted Incentive Stock Options. For this purpose, “subsidiary” means any company (other than the Company) in an unbroken chain beginning with the Company; provided each company in the unbroken chain (other than the Company) owns, at the time of determination, stock possessing 50% or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock in one of the other companies in such chain.

If and to the extent that the aggregate Fair Market Value of the Stock (determined as of the date of grant) with respect to which a Participant’s Incentive Stock Options are exercisable for the first time during any calendar year exceeds $100,000, such Options shall be treated as Nonstatutory Options. For purposes of applying this limitation, Incentive Stock Options shall be taken into account in the order in which they were granted.

No Incentive Stock Option shall be granted more than ten years after the earlier of the adoption of the Plan or stockholder approval of the Plan; provided that after the initial adoption of the Plan, such ten-year period shall be measured from the earlier of Board adoption of a subsequent amendment of the Plan requiring stockholder approval or stockholder approval of the Plan as so subsequently amended.

Award Agreements evidencing Incentive Stock Options shall contain such other terms and conditions as may be necessary to comply with the applicable provisions of Section 422 of the Code.

Dividend Equivalents. No dividends or Dividend Equivalents shall be payable, credited or accrued with respect to an Option.

Grant and Restrictions. Restricted Stock Shares shall be subject to such restrictions on transferability, risk of forfeiture and other restrictions, if any, as the Committee may impose, which restrictions may lapse separately or in combination at such times, under such circumstances (including based on achievement of performance goals and/or future service requirements), in such installments or otherwise and under such other circumstances as the Committee may determine at the date of grant or thereafter. A Participant shall pay such consideration for the Restricted Stock Shares as the Committee may require, which shall not be less than the par value of the Restricted Stock Shares on the date of grant unless the Restricted Stock Shares are to be settled in treasury shares. Section 10.04(b) (restricting elections under Section 83(b)of the Code) shall apply to Restricted Stock Shares except to the extent provided in the Award Agreement. Except to the extent restricted under the terms of the Plan or any Award Agreement relating to the Restricted Stock Shares, a Participant granted Restricted Stock Shares shall have all of the rights of a stockholder, including the right to vote the Restricted Stock Shares and the right to receive dividends thereon (subject to subsection (c) below).

Evidence of Stock Ownership. Restricted Stock Shares granted under the Plan may be evidenced in such manner as the Committee shall determine, including appropriate entry on the books of the Company or of a duly authorized transfer agent of the Company. If certificates representing Restricted Stock Shares are registered in the name of the Participant, the Committee may require that such certificates bear an appropriate legend referring to the terms, conditions and restrictions applicable to such Restricted Stock Shares, that the Company retain physical possession of the certificates, and that the Participant deliver a stock power to the Company, endorsed in blank, relating to the Restricted Stock Shares.

Dividends and Splits. Any cash dividends paid on a Restricted Stock Share shall be automatically reinvested in additional Restricted Stock Shares or held in kind, which shall be subject to the same terms as applied to the original Restricted Stock to which it relates. Cash, shares of Stock or other property distributed in connection with a stock split or stock dividend, and other property distributed as a non-cash dividend, shall be subject to restrictions and a risk of forfeiture to the same extent as the Restricted Stock Shares with respect to which such Stock or other property has been distributed.

Award and Restrictions. RSUs shall be subject to restrictions constituting a Substantial Risk of Forfeiture, which conditions may be time-based or performance-based. Unless deferred pursuant to Section 6.08, settlement of RSUs by delivery of cash, shares of Stock, or other property, as specified in the Award Agreement, shall occur upon the lapse of the

Dividend Equivalents. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, Dividend Equivalents on RSUs shall be automatically deemed reinvested in RSUs and shall be paid when the RSUs to which they relate are settled. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Dividend Equivalents shall be forfeited if the RSUs to which they relate are forfeited or otherwise not earned. Cash, shares of Stock or other property distributed in connection with a stock split or stock dividend, and other property distributed as a dividend, shall be subject to restrictions and Substantial Risk of Forfeiture to the same extent as the RSUs with respect to which such Stock or other property has been distributed.

Performance Shares shall be denominated in shares of Stock. Performance Units shall be denominated in dollars and have an initial value that is established by the Committee at the time of grant. The Committee shall set performance goals in its discretion which, depending on the extent to which they are met, will determine the number and/or value of Performance Units or Performance Shares that will be paid out to the Participant, and shall set a performance period in accordance with Section 8.01.

After the applicable performance period has ended, the holder of Performance Units or Performance Shares shall be entitled to receive payout on the number and value of Performance Units or Performance Shares earned by the Participant over the performance period, to be determined as a function of the extent to which the corresponding performance goals have been achieved.

Unless the Performance Shares or Performance Units are deferred as provided in Section 6.08, payment of earned Performance Units and Performance Shares shall be made in a single lump sum, as soon as practicable after the Committee has determined the number of Performance Units or Performance Shares earned for the performance period, but no later than the 15th day of the third month after the later of (a) the last day of the first calendar year in which the Participant’s rights to such Units/Shares have become vested

Unless otherwise provided in the Award Agreement, Participants shall be entitled to receive Dividend Equivalents paid with respect to Stock which has been earned and become vested as of the close of the performance period in connection with grants of Performance Units or Performance Shares but not yet distributed to Participants, provided that any such Dividend Equivalents shall in all cases be subject to the same terms and conditions as apply to Dividends Equivalents earned with respect to RSUs as set forth in Section 7.04(b).

Unless the Board or the Committee sets a different equity award policy for Non-Employee Directors, but subject to the limitation in Section 5.03, on the date specified by the Committee of each year, each Non-Employee Director shall receive a fully vested annual grant of shares of Stock (an “Annual Equity Grant”), with the number determined by dividing a dollar amount by the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock on the date of the Annual Equity Grant. Except as otherwise determined by the Board or the Committee, if the Non-Employee Director has then not served for the full period since the date of the prior Annual Equity Grant, his or her Annual Equity Grant shall be a pro-rata grant based on the full months of service as a Non-Employee Director since the date of the prior Annual Equity Grant. The dollar amount shall be such amount as may be approved by the Committee from time to time as part of its periodic evaluation of Non-Employee Director compensation. Unless deferred under subsection (b) below, the Annual Equity Grant shall be immediately distributed in Stock.

A Non-Employee Director may elect to defer all or any part (in 10% increments) of his or her Annual Equity Grant into either deferred stock units (“DSUs”) or, to the extent permitted by the Committee, into the account (the “Deferred Cash Compensation Account”) established under subsection (c) below.

An election to defer the Annual Equity Grant shall be made on or before December 31 of the calendar year preceding the calendar year in which the 12-month period over which the Annual Equity Grant is earned begins (except for a new Non-Employee Director, in which event Section 6.08(b) shall apply), on a form (which may be electronic) prescribed by the Company. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if an Annual Equity Grant is subject to a condition requiring the Non-Employee Director to remain in continuous service for a period of at least 12 months, the Non-Employee Director may elect to defer such Annual Equity Grant on or before the 30th day after the first day of such period, provided that the election is made at least 12 months in advance of the earliest vesting date (other than vesting on account of death or a Change in Control). An election to defer an Annual Equity Grant shall become irrevocable for the period to which it applies as of the last date for making such election. Notwithstanding Section 6.08(a), a deferral election under this subsection (b) shall carry over from year to year, unless changed or revoked at the same time and in the same manner as the a deferral election could be made under this subsection (b). The deferral election

The value of any DSU at any time shall be the Fair Market Value of one share of Stock. Prior to the conversion of DSUs to a cash-denominated deferral account pursuant to clause (iii) below or the settlement of DSUs in Stock, Dividend Equivalents shall be earned on DSUs and converted into additional DSUs based on the Fair Market Value of the Stock on the date the dividends are converted.

Except to the extent a Non-Employee Director elects an alternative time and form of payment pursuant to clause (iv) below, DSUs will be converted to a cash-denominated deferral account as of the date of the Non-Employee Director’s Termination of Service, in an amount equal to the Fair Market Value of the DSUs as of such date, and such account shall be paid out in cash in two installments. The first installment shall be paid within 30 days after the date of the Non-Employee Director’s Termination of Service in an amount equal to one-half of the value of such deferral account. The second installment shall be paid on the first annual anniversary of the first installment payment in an amount equal to the remaining value of such deferral account; provided that during the period beginning on the date of the Non-Employee Director’s Termination of Service and prior to payment of the second installment, such account will be credited with interest on a monthly basis at a monthly compounding rate (the “Prime Borrowing Rate”) equal to the prime lending rate of interest in effect as of the first business day of that month as quoted by the Company’s then-current lending bank financing source for commercial borrowings.

In lieu of the time and form of payment prescribed by clause (iii) above, a Non-Employee Director may elect either or both of the following: (A) that all of his or her DSUs be paid or commence within 30 days after the date of the Non-Employee Director’s Termination of Service and be paid in the form of a lump-sum distribution or in annual installments payable over a period of five, ten or 15 years and/or (B) that all of his or her DSUs be credited and paid in the form of an equal number of shares of Stock; provided that if a Non-Employee Director has previously made an election to defer any Annual Equity Grants in the form of DSUs, (x) any subsequent election with respect to the time or form of payment pursuant to clause (A) above shall not take effect until the 12-month anniversary of the date of such election, and shall take effect only if the previously-scheduled payment date does not occur within such 12-month period, and (y) the Non-Employee Director must elect that, notwithstanding clause (A) above, the DSUs be paid or commence on a date that is at least five years after the date on which the DSUs otherwise would have been paid or commenced and in no event shall installments continue later than 15 years after the date of such Non-Employee Director’s Termination of Service. For purposes of Section 409A of the Code, a right to receive installment payments pursuant to this Section 7.07(b) shall be treated as a right to receive a single payment. Unless the Non-Employee Director elects to receive a distribution in the form of shares of Stock, then following the date of the Non-Employee Director’s Termination of Service and prior to the date on which the DSUs are paid in full, the unpaid DSUs will be credited with interest on a monthly basis at the Prime Borrowing Rate. If a Non-Employee Director elects to receive his or her DSUs in the form of installments, and the value of such DSUs is less than $10,000 as of the date of such Non-Employee Director’s

A Non-Employee Director may elect to defer all or any part (in 10% increments) of his or her annual retainer, committee fees, meeting fees, or any similar fees for service as a Non-Employee Director (“Directors Fees”), plus, to the extent permitted by the Committee, all or any portion (in 10% increments) of his or her Annual Equity Grant, into a Deferred Cash Compensation Account.

An election to defer Directors Fees into the Deferred Cash Compensation Account shall be made on or before December 31 of the calendar year preceding the calendar year in which the Directors Fees are earned (except for a new Non-Employee Director, in which event Section 6.08(b) shall apply), on a form (which may be electronic) prescribed by the Company. Such election shall become irrevocable for the period to which it applies as of the last date for making such election. Notwithstanding Section 6.08(a), a deferral election under this subsection (c) shall carry over from year to year, unless changed or revoked at the same time and in the same manner as a deferral election could be made under this subsection (c). The deferral election shall include (i) the designation and portion of the Directors Fees to be deferred and (ii) to the extent the Non-Employee Director elects an alternative time of payment pursuant to clause (iv) below, the time of payment of the Non-Employee Director’s Deferred Cash Compensation Account.

The Deferred Cash Compensation Account shall accrue interest on a monthly basis at a monthly compounding rate equal to 120% of the applicable federal midterm rate (as determined under Section 1274(d) of the Code) until the Non-Employee Director’s Termination of Service.

Except to the extent a Non-Employee Director elects an alternative time of payment pursuant to clause (iv) below or, if permitted by the Committee, Section 7.07(b) above, the Deferred Cash Compensation Account will be paid out in cash in two installments. The first installment shall be paid within 30 days after the date of the Non-Employee Director’s Termination of Service in an amount equal to one-half of the balance of his or her Deferred Cash Compensation Account. The second installment shall be paid on the first annual anniversary of the first installment payment in an amount equal to the remaining balance of the Non-Employee Director’s Deferred Cash Compensation Account. Following the date of the Non-Employee Director’s Termination of Service and prior to the payment of the second installment, the Deferred Cash Compensation Account will be credited with interest on a monthly basis at Prime Borrowing Rate.

In lieu of the time of payment prescribed by clause (iii) above, a Non-Employee Director may elect that all of his or her Deferred Cash Compensation Account be paid or commence within 30 days after the date of the Non-Employee Director’s Termination of Service and be paid in the form of a lump sum distribution or in annual installments payable over a period of five, ten or 15 years; provided that if a Non-Employee Director has previously made an election to defer any Directors Fees or Annual Equity Grants to his or her Deferred Cash Compensation Account, (x) any subsequent election with respect to the time of payment pursuant to this clause (iv) shall not take effect until the 12-month anniversary of the date of such election, and shall take effect only if the previously scheduled payment date does not occur within such 12-month period, and (y) the Non-Employee Director must

Annual Equity Grants, DSUs, and the Deferred Cash Compensation Account, shall be fully vested at all times.

The Committee may from time to time establish other compensation and deferral arrangements for Non-employee Directors in addition to or in lieu of the program outlined above in this Section 7.07.

Performance Awards

Sales, on a corporate, divisional or unit basis, including (i) net sales; (ii) unit sales volume; (iii) aggregate product price; (iv) same store sales or (v) comparable store sales;

Share price, including (i) market price per share; and (ii) share price appreciation;

Earnings, on a corporate, divisional or unit basis, including (i) earnings per share, reflecting dilution of shares; (ii) gross or pre-tax profits; (iii) post-tax profits; (iv) operating profit; (v) earnings net of or including dividends; (vi) earnings net of or including the after-tax cost of capital; (vii) earnings before (or after) interest and taxes (“EBIT”); (viii) earnings per share from continuing operations, diluted or basic; (ix) earnings before (or after) interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”); (x) pre-tax operating earnings after interest and before incentives, service fees and extraordinary or special items; (xi) operating earnings; (xii) growth in earnings or growth in earnings per share; and (xiii) total earnings;

Return on equity, on a corporate, divisional or unit basis; including (i) return on equity; (ii) return on invested capital; (iii) return or net return on assets; (iv) return on net assets; (v) return on gross sales; (vi) return on investment; (vii) return on capital; (viii) return on committed capital; (ix) financial return ratios; (x) value of assets; and (xi) change in assets;

Cash flow(s), on a corporate, divisional or unit basis, including (i) operating cash flow; (ii) net cash flow; (iii) free cash flow; (iv) cash flow on investment;

Revenue, on a corporate, divisional or unit basis, including (i) gross or net revenue; and (ii) changes in annual revenues;

Margins, on a corporate, divisional or unit basis, including (i) adjusted pre-tax margin; and (ii) operating margins;

Income, on a corporate, divisional or unit basis, including (i) net income; and (ii) consolidated net income;

Economic value added;

Costs, on a corporate, divisional or unit basis, including (i) operating or administrative expenses; (ii) operating expenses as a percentage of revenue; (iii) expense or cost levels; (iv) reduction of losses, loss ratios or expense ratios; (v) reduction in fixed costs; (vi) expense reduction levels; (vii) operating cost management; and (viii) cost of capital;

Financial ratings, on a corporate, divisional or unit basis, including (i) credit rating; (ii) capital expenditures; (iii) debt; (iv) debt reduction; (v) working capital; (vi) average invested capital; and (vii) attainment of balance sheet or income statement objectives;

Market or category share, on a corporate, divisional or unit basis, including (i) market share; (ii) volume; (iii) unit sales volume; and (iv) market share or market penetration with respect to specific designated products or product groups and/or specific geographic areas;

Shareholder return, including (i) total shareholder return, shareholder return based on growth measures or the attainment of a specified share price for a specified period of time; and (ii) dividends; and

Nonfinancial performance criteria on a corporate, divisional or unit basis, including (i) attainment of strategic and business goals; (ii) regulatory compliance; (iii) productivity and productivity improvements; (iv) inventory turnover, average inventory turnover or inventory controls; (v) net asset turnover; (vi) customer satisfaction; (vii) employee satisfaction; (viii) employee diversity goals; (ix) employee turnover; (x) environmental goals; (xi) social goals; (xii) goals in corporate ethics and integrity; (xiii) safety goals; (xiv) business integration goals; (xv) business expansion goals or goals relating to acquisitions or divestitures; and (xvi) succession plan development and implementation.

Change in Control

the assumption or substitution of, or adjustment to, such outstanding Award or agreement;

acceleration of the vesting of such Award and termination of any restrictions or performance conditions on such Award, either immediately upon the Change in Control or upon the Termination of Service of the Participant within a fixed time following the Change in Control, as determined by the Committee; or

the cancellation of such Award or agreement for a payment to the Participant in cash or other property in an amount determined by the Committee.

General Provisions

Compliance with Legal and Other Requirements.

The Company may, to the extent deemed necessary or advisable by the Committee, postpone the issuance or delivery of Stock or payment of other benefits under any Award until completion of such registration or qualification of such Stock or other required action under any federal or state law, rule or regulation (including, without limitation, obtaining any approval, order or ruling from the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Internal Revenue Service or any other governmental agency that the Committee or the Company shall determine to be necessary or advisable), listing or other required action with respect to any stock exchange or automated quotation system upon which the Stock or other securities of the Company are listed or quoted, or compliance with any other obligation of the Company, as the Company may consider appropriate, and may require any Participant, as a condition of receiving payment under an Award or delivery of Stock under an Award, to make such representations and covenants, furnish such information and comply with or be subject to such other conditions as the Company deems necessary or advisable in connection with the issuance or delivery of Stock or payment of other benefits in compliance with applicable laws, rules, and regulations, listing requirements, or other obligations.

Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, no Stock or other form of payment shall be delivered with respect to any Award unless the Company shall be satisfied based on the advice of its counsel that such issuance will be in compliance with applicable federal, state and other securities laws. All certificates, or book-entry accounts, for shares of Stock delivered under the Plan shall be subject to such stop-transfer orders and other restrictions as the Company may deem advisable under the rules, regulations and other requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission, any stock exchange upon which Stock is then listed and any applicable federal, state or other securities laws, and the Company may cause a legend or legends to be placed on any such certificates, or notations on such book-entry accounts, to make appropriate reference to such restrictions. The foregoing provisions of this Section 10.02(b) shall not be effective with respect to Awards held by United States residents (a) if and to the extent that the shares of Stock delivered under the Plan are covered by an effective and current registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Stock is a “covered security” within the meaning of Section 18 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or (b) if and so long as the Company determines that application of such provisions are no longer required or desirable. Without limiting the foregoing, the Committee may impose such restrictions, conditions or limitations as it determines appropriate as to the timing and manner of any resales by a Participant or other subsequent transfers by a Participant of any shares of Stock delivered under the Plan, including, without limitation, restrictions under the Company’s insider trading policy and restrictions as to the use of a specified brokerage firm for such resales or other transfers.

Tax Provisions.

Withholding. The Company and any Affiliate is authorized to withhold, at the time of grant or settlement or other time as appropriate, from any Award or account, any payment relating to an Award or account, including from a distribution of Stock, or any payroll or other payment to a Participant, amounts of withholding and other taxes required to be withheld by the Company or Affiliate. This authority shall include authority to withhold or receive Stock or other property and to make cash payments in respect thereof in satisfaction of the Company’s (or an Affiliate’s) withholding obligations in the discretion of the Committee. Unless the Committee otherwise specifies, Participants shall satisfy withholding tax amounts by having the Company (or an Affiliate) withhold from the Stock to be delivered upon exercise of an Option or vesting or settlement of an Award that whole number of shares of Stock having a Fair Market Value equal to the amount to be withheld, and any additional withholding amount shall be satisfied in cash.

Required Consent to and Notification of Section 83(b) Election of the Code. No election under Section 83(b) of the Code (to include in gross income in the year of transfer the amounts specified in Section 83(b) of the Code) or under a similar provision of the laws of a jurisdiction outside the United States may be made unless expressly permitted by the terms of the Award Agreement or by action of the Committee in writing prior to the making of such election. In any case in which a Participant is permitted to make such an election in connection with an Award, the Participant shall notify the Committee of such election within ten days of filing notice of the election with the Internal Revenue Service or other governmental authority, in addition to any filing and notification required pursuant to regulations issued under Section 83(b) of the Code or other applicable provision.

Requirement of Notification Upon Disqualifying Disposition Under Section 421(b) of the Code. If any Participant shall make any disposition of shares of Stock delivered pursuant to the exercise of an ISO under the circumstances described in Section 421(b) of the Code (relating to certain disqualifying dispositions), such Participant shall notify the Committee of such disposition within ten days thereof.

Payment of Tax Amount. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, in the event the Internal Revenue Service should finally determine that an Award that has not been settled is nevertheless required to be included in the Participant’s or a Beneficiary’s gross income for federal income tax purposes, then an amount necessary to pay the applicable federal, state or local income taxes on such includible value shall be distributed with respect to the

Participant Responsibility. Each Participant is solely responsible for all taxes of any nature imposed on the Participant in connection with any Award, including without limitation any taxes under Section 409A or Section 4999 of the Code. Nothing in this Plan or any Award Agreement shall be construed to guarantee the tax consequences to the Participant of any Award.

Limitation on Benefits.

To the extent that any payment or distribution to or for the benefit of a Participant pursuant to the terms of this Plan or any other plan, arrangement or agreement with the Company, any of its affiliated companies, any person whose actions result in a change of ownership or effective control covered by Section 280G(b)(2) of the Code or any person affiliated with the Company or such person, whether paid or payable or distributed or distributable pursuant to the terms of this Plan or otherwise (the “Payments”) would be subject to the excise tax (the “Excise Tax”) imposed by Section 4999 of the Code, then the Company shall reduce the Payments to the amount that is (after taking into account federal, state, local and social security taxes at the maximum marginal rates, including any excise taxes imposed by Section 4999 of the Code) one dollar less than the amount of the Payments that would subject the Participant to the Excise Tax (the “Safe Harbor Cap”) if, and only if, such reduction would result in the Participant receiving a higher net after-tax amount. Unless a Participant shall have given prior written notice specifying a different order to the Company to effectuate the Safe Harbor Cap, the Payments to be reduced hereunder will be determined in a manner which has the least economic cost to the Participant and, to the extent the economic cost is equivalent, will be reduced in the reverse order of when the Payment would have been made to the Participant until the reduction specified herein is achieved. A Participant’s right to specify the order of reduction of the Payments shall apply only to the extent that it does not directly or indirectly alter the time or method of payment of any amount that is deferred compensation subject to (and not exempt from) Section 409A.

All determinations required to be made under this Section 10.05, including whether and when the Safe Harbor Cap is required and the amount of the reduction of the Payments pursuant to the Safe Harbor Cap and the assumptions to be utilized in arriving at such determination, shall be made by a public accounting firm or other nationally recognized consulting firm with expertise in Section 280G of the Code that is retained by the Company as of the date immediately prior to the Change in Control (the “Calculating Firm”) which shall provide detailed supporting calculations both to the Company and the Participant within fifteen (15) business days of the receipt of notice from the Company or the Participant that there has been a Payment, or such earlier time as is requested by the Company (collectively, the “Determination”). All fees and expenses of the Calculating Firm shall be borne solely by the Company and the Company shall enter into any agreement requested by the Calculating Firm in connection with the performance of the services hereunder. The Determination by the Calculating Firm shall be binding upon the Company and the Participant. The Company shall bear and pay directly all costs and expenses incurred in connection with any contests or disputes with the Internal Revenue Service relating to the Excise Tax, and the Participant shall cooperate, to the extent his or her reasonable out-of-pocket expenses are reimbursed by the Company, with any reasonable requests by the Company in connection with any such contests or disputes.

Considerations Under Section 409A of the Code.

Construction in Compliance with Section 409A of the Code. The Company intends that none of the grant, exercise, settlement or amendment or termination of any Award under the Plan will cause the Participant to be liable for payment of interest or a tax penalty under Section 409A of the Code. The provisions of the Plan and any Award Agreement shall be construed consistent with that intent.

Six-Month Delay. Any distribution or settlement of 409A Compensation triggered by the Termination of Service of a Specified Employee that would otherwise be made prior to the Deferred Distribution Date (as defined below) shall not occur earlier than the Deferred Distribution Date. The “Deferred Distribution Date” is the day that is six (6) months and one (1) day after a Participant’s Termination of Service (or the Specified Employee’s date of death, if earlier).