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| COL > SEC Filings for COL > Form 8-K on 27-Apr-2009 | All Recent SEC Filings |
27-Apr-2009
Change in Directors or Principal Officers, Financial Statements and Exhibits
Change of Control Agreements
On April 21, 2009 the Board of Directors of Rockwell Collins, Inc. (the "Company") approved updated Change of Control Agreements with the named executive officers and other executive officers of the Company. Each of these agreements is expected to be signed in June 2009 as the existing agreements expire at the end of June. The current agreements were approved after reviewing with the independent consultant competitive benchmark data and other considerations. The Company has adopted these agreements to provide executive officers with a strong incentive to remain with the Company if there is a change of control, or the threat of such a transaction, and to maintain a competitive total compensation program. The agreements also provide for payments to each executive as outlined below if his or her employment is terminated by the acquirer following the change of control. The payments are subject to a "double trigger" requiring that a change of control occur and a termination, or constructive termination, of employment also occur.
The agreements become effective upon a "change of control" of the Company during
the term (which automatically renews annually after the initial three year
period unless terminated by the Company at least 60 days in advance of each
renewal date). A "change of control" has been defined as:
· the acquisition by any individual, entity or group of 20% or more of the
combined voting power of our outstanding securities; or
· a change in the composition of a majority of our board of directors that is not supported by our current board of directors; or
· a major corporate transaction, such as a reorganization, merger or consolidation or sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of our assets, that results in a change in the majority of our board of directors or of more than 50% of our shareowners; or
· approval by our shareowners of the complete liquidation or dissolution of our company.
Each agreement provides for the continuing employment of the executive for two years after the change of control on terms and conditions no less favorable than those in effect before the change of control. Severance benefits are available after a change of control, if a named executive officer's employment is terminated by us without "cause" (termination for reasons other than willful nonperformance of duties after written demand or willful engagement of illegal conduct or gross misconduct) or if the executive terminates his or her own employment for "good reason" (including decrease in position, authority, duties or responsibilities, failure to maintain compensation, change in office location by more than 35 miles or certain breaches of the agreement) within that two-year period. Each named executive officer is entitled to severance benefits equal to three times his or her annual compensation, including bonus, and the value of other retirement, health and welfare benefits for three years. The executives are entitled to make an election to either (a) incur on his or her own any excise tax imposed by the Internal Revenue Code on these change of control payments if they exceed the safe harbor amount, or (b) have the payments reduced to avoid the excise tax. The executive is required to waive any claims based upon his termination of employment in exchange for these benefits. The company does not "gross up" if payments exceed 280G limit.
The foregoing is qualified in its entirety by reference to the form of change of control agreement filed as an exhibit hereto. The executives that will be parties to these agreements are listed in the separate exhibit filed with this Form 8-K.
(c) Exhibits.
10-n-1 Form of Change of Control Agreement between the Company and certain executives of the Company (Three Year Agreement).
10-n-2 Schedule identifying executives of the Company who will be party to the new Change of Control Agreement.
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