The parties acknowledge and agree that, to the extent applicable, this Agreement shall be interpreted in accordance with Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) and Department of Treasury regulations and other interpretive guidance issued thereunder, including without limitation any such regulations or other guidance that may be issued after the date hereof. Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, in the event that the Employer determines that any amounts payable hereunder will be immediately taxable to the Employee under Section 409A of the Code and related Department of Treasury guidance, the Employer may # adopt such amendments to this Agreement and appropriate policies and procedures, including amendments and policies with retroactive effect, that the Employer determines necessary or appropriate to preserve the intended tax treatment of the benefits provided by this Agreement and/or # take such other actions as the Employer determines necessary or appropriate to comply with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code and related Department of Treasury guidance, including such Department of Treasury guidance and other interpretive materials as may be issued after the date hereof.

General. The parties hereto acknowledge and agree that, to the extent applicable, this Agreement shall be interpreted in accordance with, and incorporate the terms and conditions required by Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code (the “Code”) and the Department of Treasury regulations and other interpretive guidance issued thereunder, including without limitation any such regulations or other guidance that may be issued after the Effective Date. Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, in the event that the Company determines that any amounts payable hereunder will be immediately taxable to the Employee under Section 409A, the Company reserves the right (without any obligation to do so or to indemnify the Employee for failure to do so) to # adopt such amendments to this Agreement and appropriate policies and procedures, including amendments and policies with retroactive effect, that the Company determines to be necessary or appropriate to preserve the intended tax treatment of the benefits provided by this Agreement, to preserve the economic benefits of this Agreement and to avoid less favorable accounting or tax consequences for the Company or # take such other actions as the Company determines to be necessary or appropriate to exempt the amounts payable hereunder from [Section 409A] or to comply with the requirements of Section 409A and thereby avoid the application of penalty taxes thereunder. No provision of this Agreement shall be interpreted or construed to transfer any liability for failure to comply with the requirements of Section 409A from the Employee or any other individual to the Company or any of its affiliates, employees or agents.

The parties intend that any payments or benefits to be made under this Agreement comply with or otherwise be exempt from Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and the regulations and guidance promulgated thereunder (collectively, “Code Section 409A”) and, accordingly, this Agreement will be administered and interpreted in a manner consistent with this intent. In the event that any provision would cause this Agreement to fail to satisfy Code Section 409A, the parties agree to negotiate in good faith to amend the Agreement so as to prevent the imposition of any additional tax or interest pursuant to Code Section 409A to the extent possible.

The parties hereby acknowledge and agree that all benefits or payments provided by the Company to Employee pursuant to this Agreement are intended either to be exempt from Section 409A of the Code, or to be in compliance with Section 409A, and the Agreement shall be interpreted to the greatest extent possible to be so exempt or in compliance and to incorporate the terms and conditions required by [Section 409A]. If there is an ambiguity in the language of the Agreement, or if [Section 409A] guidance indicates that a change to the Agreement is required or desirable to achieve exemption or compliance with Section 409A, notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, the Company reserves the right (without any obligation to do so or to indemnify Employee for failure to do so) to # adopt such amendments to this Agreement and or adopt such other policies and procedures, including amendments, policies and procedures with retroactive effect, that the Company determines to be necessary or appropriate to preserve the intended tax treatment of the benefits provided by this Agreement, to preserve the economic benefits of this Agreement and to avoid less favorable accounting or tax consequences for the Company and/or # take such other actions as the Company determines to be necessary or appropriate to exempt the amounts payable hereunder from [Section 409A] or to comply with the requirements of Section 409A and thereby avoid the application of penalty taxes thereunder. No provision of this Agreement shall be interpreted or construed to transfer any liability for failure to comply with the requirements of Section 409A from the Employee or any other individual to the Company or any of its affiliates, employees or agents.

The parties intend that this Agreement will be administered in accordance with Section 409A of the Code. To the extent that any provision of this Agreement is ambiguous as to its compliance with Section 409A of the Code, the provision shall be read in such a manner so that all payments hereunder comply with Section 409A of the Code. Each payment pursuant to this Agreement is intended to constitute a separate payment for purposes of Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-2(b)(2). The parties agree that this Agreement may be amended, as reasonably requested by either party, and as may be necessary to fully comply with Section 409A of the Code and all related rules and regulations in order to preserve the payments and benefits provided hereunder without additional cost to either party.

Compliance with Section 409A of the Code. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Agreement herein to the contrary and to the extent applicable, the Agreement shall be interpreted, construed and administered so as to comply with the provisions of Section 409A of the Code and any related Internal Revenue Service guidance promulgated thereunder. Employee and Employer acknowledge that it may be necessary to amend the Agreement, within the time period permitted by the applicable Treasury Regulations, to make changes so as to cause payments and benefits under this Agreement not to be considered “deferred compensation” for purposes of Section 409A of the Code, to cause the provisions of the Agreement to comply with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code, or a combination thereof, so as to avoid the imposition of taxes and penalties on Employee pursuant to Section 409A of the Code. Employee hereby agrees that the Company may, without any further consent from Employee, make any and all such changes to the Agreement as may be necessary or appropriate to avoid the imposition of penalties on Employee pursuant to Section 409A of the Code, while not substantially reducing the aggregate value to Employee of the payments and benefits to, or otherwise adversely affecting the rights of, Employee under the Agreement.

The Parties agree that this Agreement and the benefits and rights to which Employee could become entitled under this Agreement are intended to be exempt from or, to the extent applicable, comply with Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and the Treasury Regulations and other guidance issued thereunder (collectively, “Code Section 409A”), and all provisions of this Agreement shall be interpreted, construed and administered in a manner consistent with this intent and the requirements for avoiding taxes or penalties under Code Section 409A. For purposes of this Agreement, phrases similar to “terminate employment” mean the date Employee ceases to be an employee of the Company and all members of the Company’s “controlled group of corporations” as described in Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(h)(3). Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, Employee must incur a “separation from service” with the Company as that term is defined in Code Section 409A(a)(2)(A)(i) of the and in Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(h), to terminate employment under this Agreement and receive Severance Pay. Further, for purposes of Code Section 409A, any installment payments or benefits provided under this Agreement shall be treated as separate payments. If Employee or the Company believes, at any time, that any benefit or right to which Employee could become entitled under this Agreement is not exempt from Code Section 409A and does not comply with Code Section 409A, Employee or the Company shall promptly advise the other Party and shall negotiate reasonably and in good faith to amend the terms of such arrangement such that it complies (with the most limited possible economic effect on Employee or the Company). In addition, the Company shall not take any action that would expose any payment or benefit to Employee under this Agreement or under any plan, arrangement or other agreement to the additional tax imposed under Code Section 409A, unless # the Company is obligated to take the action under an agreement, plan or arrangement to which Employee is a party; # the Company advises Employee in writing that the action may result in the imposition of the additional tax; and # Employee subsequently requests the action in a writing that acknowledges that Employee shall be responsible for any effect of the action under Code Section 409A. In no event whatsoever will the Company be liable for any additional tax, interest, or penalties that may be imposed on Employee under Code Section 409A or any damages for failing to comply with Code Section 409A.

[Section 409A]. This Agreement shall be interpreted and administered in a manner so that any amount or benefit payable hereunder shall be paid or provided in a manner that is either exempt from or compliant with the requirements of Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (“the Code”) and applicable Internal Revenue Service guidance and Treasury Regulations issued thereunder. Nevertheless, the tax treatment of the benefits provided under the Agreement is not warranted or guaranteed. Neither the Company nor its directors, officers, employees or advisers shall be held liable for any taxes, interest, penalties or other monetary amounts owed by Employee as a result of the application of Section 409A of the Code.

This Agreement is intended to comply with Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code (the “Code”) (as amplified by any regulations promulgated thereunder (the “Treasury Regulations”) or other Internal Revenue Service or U.S. Treasury Department guidance), and shall be construed and interpreted in accordance with such intent. If either the Company or Employee reasonably determine that the Agreement does not meet the requirements of Code Section 409A and that the Agreement may be amended or modified to meet the requirements of Code Section 409A, the Agreement shall be amended or modified in order to meet the requirements of Code Section 409A; provided, that any such amendment or modification shall be subject to the mutual agreement of Employee and the Company. Moreover, if, upon Employee’s separation from service, Employee is then a “specified employee” (as defined in Section 409A of the Code), then only to the extent necessary to comply with Code Section 409A and avoid imposition of taxes under Code Section 409A, the Company will defer payment of certain of the amounts owed to Employee under this Agreement until the earlier of Employee’s death or the first business day of the seventh month following Employee’s separation from service.

The parties intend that this Agreement will be administered in accordance with Section 409A of the Code. To the extent that any provision of this Agreement is ambiguous as to its compliance with Section 409A of the Code, the provision shall be read in such a manner so that all payments hereunder comply with Section 409A of the Code. The parties agree that this Agreement may be amended, as reasonably requested by either party, and as may be necessary to fully comply with Section 409A of the Code and all related rules and regulations in order to preserve the payments and benefits provided hereunder without additional cost to either party.