Best Pay Provision. In the event that any payment or benefit received or to be received by Executive pursuant to the terms of any plan, arrangement or agreement (including any payment or benefit received in connection with a change in ownership or control or the termination of Executive’s employment) (all such payments and benefits being hereinafter referred to as the “Total Payments”) would be subject (in whole or part) to the excise tax (the “Excise Tax”) imposed under Section 4999 of the Code, then the Total Payments shall be reduced to the extent necessary so that no portion of the Total Payments is subject to the Excise Tax but only if # the net amount of such Total Payments, as so reduced (after subtracting the amount of federal, state and local income taxes on such reduced Total Payments and after taking into account the phase out of itemized deductions and personal exemptions attributable to such reduced Total Payments) is greater than or equal to # the net amount of such Total Payments without such reduction (after subtracting the net amount of federal, state and local income taxes on such Total Payments and the amount of Excise Tax to which Executive would be subject in respect of such unreduced Total Payments and after taking into account the phase out of itemized deductions and personal exemptions attributable to such unreduced Total Payments). Except to the extent that an alternative reduction order would result in a greater economic benefit to the Executive on an after-tax basis, the parties intend that the Total Payments shall be reduced in the following order: # reduction of any cash severance payments otherwise payable to Executive that are exempt from Section 409A of the Code, # reduction of any other cash payments or benefits otherwise payable to Executive that are exempt from Section 409A of the Code, but excluding any payment attributable to the acceleration of vesting or payment with respect to any Stock Award that is exempt from Section 409A of the Code, # reduction of any other payments or benefits otherwise payable to Executive on a pro-rata basis or such other manner that complies with Section 409A of the Code, but excluding any payment attributable to the acceleration of vesting and payment with respect to any Stock Award that is exempt from Section 409A of the Code, and # reduction of any payments attributable to the acceleration of vesting or payment with respect to any Stock Award that is exempt from Section 409A of the Code; provided, in case of [clauses (x), (y) and (z)])], that reduction of any payments or benefits attributable to the acceleration of vesting of Company Stock Awards shall be first applied to Stock Awards with later vesting dates; provided, further, that, notwithstanding the foregoing, any such reduction shall be undertaken in a manner that complies with and does not result in the imposition of additional taxes on the Executive under Section 409A of the Code. The foregoing reductions shall be made in a manner that results in the maximum economic benefit to Executive on an after-tax basis and, to the extent economically equivalent payments or benefits are subject to reduction, in a pro rata manner.

Reduction in Payments. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Agreement, whether or not there occurs a Termination of Employment, in the event it shall be determined that any payment or benefit received or to be received by the Executive in connection with a Change of Control of the Company or the termination of the Executive’s employment, whether pursuant to the terms of this Agreement or any other plan, arrangement or agreement with the Company, any entity whose actions result in a Change of Control of the Company or any entity affiliated with the Company or such entity (any such payment or benefit being hereinafter called a “Payment,” and all such payments and benefits being hereinafter called “Total Payments”), would be subject (in whole or part) to the excise tax under Section 4999 of the Code of 1986, or any interest or penalties incurred with respect to such excise tax (such excise tax, together with such interest and penalties, are hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Excise Tax”), then the payments hereunder (or, if no payments are being made hereunder, payments and benefits pursuant to other plan and arrangements) shall be reduced to the extent necessary so that no portion of the Total Payments is subject to the Excise Tax but only if # the net amount of such Total Payments, as so reduced (and after subtracting the net amount of federal, state and local income taxes on such reduced Total Payments and after taking into account the phase out of itemized deductions and personal exemptions attributable to such reduced Total Payments) is greater than or equal to # the net amount of such Total Payments without such reduction (but after subtracting the net amount of federal, state and local income taxes on such Total Payments and the amount of Excise Tax to which the Executive would be subject in respect of such unreduced Total Payments and after taking into account the phase out of itemized deductions and personal exemptions attributable to such unreduced Total Payments).

In the event that any payment received or to be received by the Executive in connection with a Change in Control of the Company or the termination of the Executive’s employment (whether payable pursuant to the terms of this Agreement or any other plan, arrangement or agreement with the Company, any person whose actions result in a change in control of the Company or any person affiliated with the Company or such person (together with the Severance Payment, the “Total Payments”, and each a “Payment”)) would be treated as “parachute payments” under Section 280G of the Code and would, but for this section, be subject to the excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), or any corresponding provisions of state or local tax laws, or any interest or penalties are incurred by the Executive with respect to such excise tax (such excise tax, together with any such interest and penalties, is hereinafter collectively referred to as (the “Excise Tax”)), then prior to making any Total Payments, a calculation shall be made comparing # the Net Benefit (as defined below) to the Executive of the Total Payments after payment of the Excise Tax, to # the Net Benefit to the Executive if the Total Payments are limited to the extent necessary to avoid being subject to the Excise Tax. Only if the amount calculated under # above is less than the amount under # above will the Total Payments be reduced to the minimum extent necessary to ensure that no portion of the Total Payments is subject to the Excise Tax (that amount, the “Reduced Amount”). “Net Benefit” shall mean the present value of the Total Payments net of all federal, state, local, foreign income, employment and excise taxes. The reduction of the amounts payable under this Agreement, if applicable, shall be made by reducing taxable payments before non-taxable payments, and payments nearest in time before payments later in time, unless an alternative method of reduction is elected by the Executive to the extent consistent with Section 409A of the Code. For purposes of reducing the Total Payments to the Reduced Amount, only amounts payable under this Agreement (and no other Payments) shall be reduced.

5.1Tax Adjustment Payment. In the event that the Executive becomes entitled to Severance Benefits or any other payment or benefit under this Agreement, or under any other agreement with or plan of the Company (in the aggregate, the "Total Payments"), whether or not the Executive has terminated employment with the Company, if all or any part of the Total Payments will be subject to the tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code (or any similar tax that may hereafter be imposed) (the "Excise Tax"), the Total Payments shall be reduced (but not below zero) such that the value of the Total Payments shall be one dollar ($1) less than the maximum amount of payments which the Executive may receive without becoming subject to the tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code; provided, however, that the foregoing limitation shall not apply in the event that it is determined that the Total Payments on an after-tax basis (i.e., after payment of federal, state, and local income taxes, penalties, interest, and Excise Tax) if such limitation is not applied would exceed the after-tax benefits to the Executive if such limitation is applied. The Executive shall bear the expense of any and all Excise Taxes due on any payments that are deemed to be “excess parachute payments” under Section 280G of the Code.

Best Pay. Any provision of this Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding, if any payment or benefit Executive would receive from the Company pursuant to this Agreement or otherwise (“Payment”) would # constitute a “parachute payment” within the meaning of Section 280G of the Code and # but for this sentence, be subject to the excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code (the “Excise Tax”), then such Payment will be equal to the Reduced Amount (as defined below). The “Reduced Amount” will be either # the largest portion of the Payment that would result in no portion of the Payment (after reduction) being subject to the Excise Tax or # the entire Payment, whichever amount after taking into account all applicable federal, state, and local employment taxes, income taxes, and the Excise Tax (all computed at the highest applicable marginal rate, net of the maximum reduction in federal income taxes which could be obtained from a deduction of such state and local taxes), results in Executive’ s receipt, on an after- tax basis, of the greater economic benefit notwithstanding that all or some portion of the Payment may be subject to the Excise Tax. If a reduction in a Payment is required pursuant to the preceding sentence and the Reduced Amount is determined pursuant to clause (A) of the preceding sentence, the reduction shall occur in the manner (the “Reduction Method”) that results in the greatest economic benefit for Executive. If more than one method of reduction will result in the same economic benefit, the items so reduced will be reduced pro rata (the “Pro Rata Reduction Method”). Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Reduction Method or the Pro Rata Reduction Method would result in any portion of the Payment being subject to taxes pursuant to Section 409A (as defined below) that would not otherwise be subject to taxes pursuant to Section 409A, then the Reduction Method and/or the Pro Rata Reduction Method, as the case may be, shall be modified so as to avoid the imposition of taxes pursuant to Section 409A as follows: # as a first priority, the modification shall preserve to the greatest extent possible, the greatest economic benefit for Executive as determined on an after-tax basis; # as a second priority, Payments that are contingent on future events (e.g., being terminated without cause), shall be reduced (or eliminated) before Payments that are not contingent on future events; and # as a third priority, Payments that are “deferred compensation” within the meaning of [Section 409A] shall be reduced (or eliminated) before Payments that are not deferred compensation within the meaning of [Section 409A].

Best After Tax. If any payment or benefit Executive would receive pursuant to a Change in Control from the Company or otherwise (“Payment”) would # constitute a “parachute payment” within the meaning of Section 280G of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and # but for this sentence, be subject to the excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code (the “Excise Tax”), then such Payment shall be reduced to the Reduced Amount. The “Reduced Amount” shall be either # the largest portion of the Payment that would result in no portion of the Payment being subject to the Excise Tax or # the largest portion, up to and including the total, of the Payment, whichever amount, after taking into account all applicable federal, state and local employment taxes, income taxes, and the Excise Tax (all computed at the highest applicable marginal rate), results in Executive’s receipt, on an after-tax basis, of the greater amount of the Payment notwithstanding that all or some portion of the Payment may be subject to the Excise Tax. If a reduction in payments and/or benefits constituting “parachute payments” is necessary so that the Payment equals the Reduced Amount, reduction shall occur in the following order: reduction of current cash payments; reduction of deferred cash payments subject to Code Section 409A; cancellation of accelerated vesting of stock options; cancellation of accelerated vesting of stock awards other than stock options; reduction of employee benefits. In the event that acceleration of vesting of stock award compensation is to be reduced, such acceleration of vesting shall be cancelled in the reverse order of the date of grant of Executive’s stock awards.

Notwithstanding anything contained in this Plan to the contrary, if upon or following a Change in Control, the tax imposed by Code section 4999 or any similar or successor tax (the “Excise Tax”) applies, solely because of the Change in Control, to any payments, benefits and/or amounts received by an Eligible Executive under the Plan or otherwise, including, without limitation, any amounts received or deemed received, within the meaning of any provision of the Code, by the Eligible Executive as a result of (and not by way of limitation) any automatic vesting, lapse of restrictions and/or accelerated target or performance achievement provisions, or otherwise, applicable to outstanding grants or awards to the Eligible Executive under any of the Company’s incentive plans (collectively, the “Total Payments”), then the Total Payments shall be reduced (but not below zero) so that the maximum amount of the Total Payments (after reduction) shall be one dollar ($1.00) less than the amount which would cause the Total Payments to be subject to the Excise Tax; provided that such reduction to the Total Payments shall be made only if the total after-tax benefit to the Eligible Executive is greater after giving effect to such reduction than if no such reduction had been made. If such a reduction is required, the Company shall reduce or eliminate the Total Payments by first reducing or eliminating any cash severance benefits, then by reducing or eliminating any accelerated vesting of stock options, then by reducing or eliminating any accelerated vesting of other equity awards, then by reducing or eliminating any other remaining Total Payments, in each case in reverse order beginning with the payments which are to be paid the farthest in time from the Change in Control. The preceding provisions of this [Section 5.3] shall take precedence over the provisions of any other plan, arrangement or agreement governing the Eligible Executive’s rights and entitlements to any benefits or compensation.