EX-10.2: FORM OF GRANT DOCUMENT
Published on May 5, 2006
Exhibit 10.2
RESTRICTED SHARES (US)
This Grant Document sets forth the terms and conditions of your year-end grant of
Restricted Shares under the Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. (ML&Co.) Long-Term Incentive
Compensation Plan (the Plan).
1. |
The Plan. |
This grant is made under the Plan, the terms of which are incorporated into this
Grant Document. Capitalized terms used in this Grant Document that are not defined
shall have the meanings as used or defined in the Plan, which is included in the
Prospectus sent to you with this grant. Merrill Lynch, as used in the Grant Document,
shall mean ML&Co., its subsidiaries and its affiliates. References in this Grant
Document to any specific Plan provision shall not be construed as limiting that
provision or the applicability of any other Plan provision.
2. | Grant Conditions. |
By accepting this grant, you acknowledge that you understand that the grant is subject
to all of the terms and conditions contained in the Plan and in this Grant Document and
that you consent to all grant terms and conditions, including without limitation, the
covenants set forth in paragraph 4 of this Grant Document.
(a) |
General. A Restricted Share is a share of ML&Co. Common
Stock that is beneficially owned by you but held by ML&Co. on your behalf until
the end of the Vesting Period described below. Your Restricted Shares have
voting rights and pay quarterly dividends, when regular dividends are paid on
ML&Co. Common Stock. |
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(b) |
Vesting Period. Except as described in paragraph 3 of this
Grant Document, your rights to Restricted Shares shall terminate and the
Restricted Shares will be cancelled if you terminate employment or otherwise
violate any of the terms and conditions of your grant during the Vesting Period
specified in your grant. Restricted Shares may not be sold, transferred,
assigned, pledged or otherwise encumbered during the Vesting Period. Following
each Vesting Date specified in your grant (each, a Vesting Date), substantially
one quarter of your original number of Restricted Shares will be delivered to
you, subject to a reduction of the number of shares to be delivered of an amount
of shares necessary to satisfy Merrill Lynchs applicable tax withholding
requirements. |
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(c) |
Termination of Your Rights to Restricted Shares under Certain
Circumstances. Except as provided in paragraph 3 hereof, if (1) your
employment terminates for any reason other than death, Career Retirement (as
defined in paragraph 3) or Disability (as defined in paragraph 3) or as a result
of a job elimination (determined in accordance guidelines established by
Leadership and Talent Management and Finance) (2) you violate any of the
covenants outlined in paragraph 4 of this Grant Document (the Covenants) or (3)
following termination for Career Retirement, you fail to deliver the Annual
Certification and or certification at exit described in paragraph 3(b), your
right to the Restricted Shares that remain unvested prior to your date of
termination or the date of |
the violation of the Covenants set for in paragraph 4 shall terminate and the
Restricted Shares will be cancelled and will not be delivered to you.
(d) | Delivery Merrill Lynch Account Designation. |
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(i) | Once your Restricted Shares have vested in accordance with the
terms of this Grant Document, you will be entitled to have those shares
delivered, as soon as practicable, to a Merrill Lynch account. |
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(ii) | As a participant in the Plan, you must designate a Merrill Lynch
account into which shares of ML&Co. Common Stock will be deposited when they are
released to you. This account cannot be a Trust Account, Individual Retirement
Account or other tax-deferred account. You may use a joint account if you are
the primary owner of the account. Account designations can be made on the
Payroll Self Service Web Site at http://hr.worldnet.ml.com/edf2. (From
the HR Intranet homepage, click on Payroll Self Service.) If you do not designate
an account, Merrill Lynch will mail certificates representing shares released to
you. |
3. | Effect of Termination of Employment. |
In general, if, prior to the end of the Vesting Period for your Restricted Shares, your
employment terminates or you fail to comply with the covenants contained in paragraph 4
of this Grant Document, your rights to your unvested Restricted Shares will terminate
and they will be cancelled. In the case of termination of employment, if your
termination occurs in connection with the limited circumstances outlined below, your
grant will continue to vest notwithstanding termination, provided that you continue to
satisfy the conditions described below. If you fail to comply with these conditions,
your rights to your Restricted Shares will terminate and the Restricted Shares will be
cancelled:
(a) |
Death. If your death occurs prior to the Vesting Date for
your Restricted Shares, any unvested Restricted Shares will vest immediately and
shares (net of any withholding requirements) will be delivered to your designated
beneficiary or estate as soon as possible. |
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(b) |
Disability or Career Retirement. If your employment is
terminated as a result of Disability or if you qualify for Career Retirement (as
defined below), your Restricted Shares will continue to vest notwithstanding your
termination provided that, (1) you do not compete with, or recruit employees
from, Merrill Lynch and provide Merrill Lynch with a certification upon your
termination and at least annually thereafter (the Annual Certification) that
you are not engaged in or employed by a business which is in competition with
Merrill Lynch and have not solicited or recruited employees from Merrill Lynch
and (2) you do not violate the covenants contained in paragraph 4. If you compete
with the business of or recruit employees from Merrill Lynch or fail to return
the Annual Certification to Merrill Lynch, or violate the covenants contained in
paragraph 4 during the Vesting Period for your Restricted Shares, your rights to
your unvested Restricted Shares will terminate and the Restricted Shares will be
cancelled. |
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(c) |
Termination of Employment Due to Job Elimination. If your
employment is terminated in connection with a job elimination (as determined by
Merrill Lynch), your |
Restricted Shares will continue to vest notwithstanding your termination; provided
that, (i) you sign and return an Agreement and Release in the form prescribed by
Merrill Lynch and (ii) you comply thereafter with its terms and with the covenants
contained in this Grant Document.
(d) |
Termination of Employment for
Other Reasons: In the event
your employment is terminated for any other reason than those specified in
subparagraphs 3(a), 3(b) or 3(c) above, your rights to your unvested Restricted
Shares shall terminate and the Restricted Shares will be cancelled. |
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(e) |
Definitions:
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To be eligible for Career Retirement treatment, you must fulfill the following
requirements: |
To be eligible for Career Retirement treatment, you must fulfill the
following requirements:
| You shall have been employed by Merrill Lynch on March 31, 2006; and |
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| No determination shall have been made that there was Cause (as defined
below) to disqualify you from Career Retirement treatment. |
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| You will not be eligible for Career Retirement (and your
Restricted Shares, Restricted Units, Cash Units or Stock Options will be
cancelled, unless you qualify for another termination exception) if: (1)
following your termination, you engage in any business that is in competition
with the business of Merrill Lynch or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates,
(2) prior to or following your termination you solicit or recruit any Merrill
Lynch employees, (3) you fail to certify, at termination, that you are in
compliance with conditions 1 and 2 or fail to sign and return the Annual
Certification referred to in the next resolution, or (4) prior to or
following your termination, you violate any of the covenants contained in
your grant document; |
Disability shall mean a physical or mental condition that, in the opinion of the
Head of Rewards and Recognition Planning of Merrill Lynch (or his or her
functional successor), renders you incapable of engaging in any employment or
occupation for which you are suited by reason of education or training.
Cause shall mean a determination by a committee appointed by the Head of Rewards
and Recognition Planning of Merrill Lynch or his or her functional successor, that
in its sole, absolute, and un-reviewable discretion: (i) at the time of the
termination of your employment, you had committed: a) any violation of Merrill
Lynchs rules, regulations, policies, practices and/or procedures; b) any
violation of the laws, rules or regulations of any governmental entity or
regulatory or self-regulatory organization, applicable to Merrill Lynch; or c)
criminal, illegal, dishonest, immoral, or unethical conduct reasonably related to
your employment; and (ii) as a result of such conduct, it is appropriate to
disqualify you from Career Retirement treatment with respect to the Restricted
Shares covered by this Grant Document.
4. | Covenants. |
(a) |
Notice Period. You agree that for the remainder of your
employment, you shall provide ML&Co. with at least six months advance written
notice (the Notice Period) prior to the termination of your employment. During
this Notice Period, you shall remain employed by Merrill Lynch (and receive base
salary and certain benefits, but will not receive any payments or distributions
or accrue any rights to a bonus or any payments or distributions under the
Variable Incentive Compensation Program, pro-rata or otherwise) and shall not
commence employment with any other employer. You further agree that during the
Notice Period, you shall not directly or indirectly induce or solicit any client
of Merrill Lynch to terminate or modify its relationship with Merrill Lynch. |
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(b) |
Employment by a Competitor. You agree that, during the
period beginning on the date of the termination of your employment and ending on
the date of vesting of your Restricted Shares, you will not, without prior
written consent from ML&Co., engage in any employment, accept or maintain any
directorship or other position, own an interest in, or, as principal, agent,
employee, consultant or otherwise, provide any services to anyone, whether or not
for compensation, in any business that is engaged in competition with the
business of the ML&Co. or its affiliates (a Competitive Business). |
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(c) |
Non-Solicitation. You agree that you will not directly or
indirectly solicit for employment any person who is or was an employee of ML&Co.
or any of its affiliates at any time during the six-month period immediately
preceding the date of such solicitation. |
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(d) |
No Hire. You agree that during a period of six months
following your termination, you will not hire or otherwise engage, directly or
indirectly (including, without limitation, through an entity with which the you
are associated), as an employee or independent contractor, any person who is or
was an employee of the ML&Co. or any of its affiliates and who, as of the date of
your termination of employment, had the title First Vice President or Managing
Director or higher and reported directly to the Executive or to the Chief
Executive Officer or President of the Company (Executive, CEO or President
Direct Reports) or any person with the title First Vice President or Managing
Director or higher who, at the time of your termination, reported directly to the
Executive, CEO or President Direct Reports, provided, however, that this
paragraph 4(iv) shall not apply to you, if at the time of your termination you
are not a direct report to the CEO, or, the President, if any, of ML&Co. and
provided further that the hiring of any person whose employment was involuntarily
terminated by ML&Co. or any of its affiliates shall not be a violation of this
covenant. |
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(e) |
Non-Disparagement. You agree that you will not disparage,
portray in a negative light, or make any statement which would be harmful to, or
lead to unfavorable publicity for, ML&Co. or any of its affiliates, or any of its
or their current or former directors, officers or employees, including without
limitation, in any and all interviews, oral statements, written materials,
electronically displayed materials and materials or information displayed on
internet- or intranet-related sites; provided however, that this Grant Document
will not apply to the extent you are making truthful statements required by law |
or by order of a court or other legal body having jurisdiction or when responding
to any inquiry from any governmental agency or regulatory or self-regulatory
organization.
(f) |
Confidential Information. You agree that following any
termination of employment, you will not without prior written consent or as
otherwise required by law, disclose or publish (directly or indirectly) any
Confidential Information (as defined below) to any person or copy, transmit or
remove or attempt to use, copy, transmit or remove any Confidential Information
for any purpose. Confidential Information means any information concerning
ML&Co. or any of its affiliates business or affairs which is not generally known
to the public and includes, but is not limited to, any file, document, book,
account, list, process, patent, specification, drawing, design, computer program
or file, computer disk, method of operation, recommendation, report, plan,
survey, data, manual, strategy, financial data, client information or data, or
contract which comes to your knowledge in the course of your employment or which
is generated by you in the course of performing your obligations whether alone or
with others. |
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(g) |
Confidentiality. You also agree that in the event your
employment is terminated you will not disclose the circumstances of your
termination to any other party, except that you may make such disclosure: on a
confidential basis to your tax, financial or legal advisors, your immediate
family members, or any prospective employer or business partner, provided that,
in each case, such third party agrees to keep such circumstances confidential. |
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(h) |
Cooperation. You agree to (i) provide truthful and
reasonable cooperation, including but not limited to your appearance at
interviews and depositions, in all legal matters, including but not limited to
regulatory and litigation proceedings relating to your employment or area of
responsibility at Merrill Lynch or its affiliates, whether or not such matters
have already been commenced and through the conclusion of such matters or
proceedings, and (ii) to provide Merrill Lynchs counsel all documents in yours
possession or control relating to such regulatory or litigation matters. |
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(i) |
Injunctive Relief. Without limiting any remedies
available, you acknowledge and agree that a breach of the covenants contained in
subparagraphs (a) (d), (f) and (g) of this paragraph 4 will result in material
and irreparable injury to Merrill Lynch and its affiliates for which there is no
adequate remedy at law and that it will not be possible to measure damages for
such injuries precisely. Therefore, you agree that, in the event of such a breach
or threat thereof, Merrill Lynch shall be entitled to seek a temporary
restraining order and a preliminary and permanent injunction, without bond or
other security, restraining him or her from engaging in activities prohibited by
subparagraphs (a) (d), (f) and (g) of this paragraph 4 or such other relief as
may be required specifically to enforce any of the covenants in subparagraphs (a)
(d), (f) and (g) of this paragraph 4, provided however, that Merrill Lynch
shall be entitled to seek injunctive relief for violations of subparagraph (c) of
this paragraph 4 only during the period beginning on the date of your termination
of employment and ending on the first anniversary of that date. |
5. | Effect of a Change in Control of ML&Co. |
If a Change of Control of ML&Co. (as defined in the Plan) occurs and your employment
subsequently terminates without Cause (as defined in the Plan), or for Good Reason (as
defined in the Plan), you will be paid the Fair Market Value (as defined in the Plan)
of all of your Restricted Shares in cash.