Form 8-K
LEGGETT & PLATT INC false 0000058492 --12-31 0000058492 2021-02-23 2021-02-23

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM 8-K

 

 

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 OR 15(d)

of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported) February 23, 2021

 

 

LEGGETT & PLATT, INCORPORATED

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Missouri   001-07845   44-0324630

(State or other jurisdiction

of incorporation)

 

(Commission

File Number)

 

(IRS Employer

Identification No.)

 

No. 1 Leggett Road,

Carthage, MO

  64836
(Address of principal executive offices)   (Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code 417-358-8131

N/A

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)

 

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

 

Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 

Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Title of each class

 

Trading

Symbol(s)

 

Name of each exchange

on which registered

Common Stock, $.01 par value   LEG   New York Stock Exchange

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company  

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.  ☐

 

 

 


Item 5.02

Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

Compensation Committee Approves 2021 Base Salaries for Named Executive Officers

On February 23, 2021, upon the recommendation of the senior management team, the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors (the “Committee”) approved the annual rate for the 2021 base salaries for our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, and other named executive officers, as provided below. Certain of Mr. Henderson’s compensation is included throughout this report because he is expected to be a named executive officer in the Company’s definitive proxy statement to be filed for the 2021 annual meeting of shareholders.

 

Named Executive Officers1

   2020
Annual
Base
Salary

Rate2
     2021
Annual Base
Salary

Rate
 

Karl G. Glassman, Chairman & CEO

   $ 1,225,000      $ 1,225,000  

J. Mitchell Dolloff, President & COO, President – Bedding Products

   $ 700,000      $ 800,000  

Jeffrey L. Tate, EVP & CFO

   $ 570,000      $ 600,000  

Steven K. Henderson, EVP, President – Specialized Products and Furniture, Flooring & Textile Products

   $ 530,000      $ 541,000  

Scott S. Douglas, SVP – General Counsel & Secretary

   $ 450,000      $ 480,000  

 

1

Perry E. Davis, former EVP, President – Residential Products & Industrial Products (SVP – Operations, 1/1/2020 through 2/7/2020) retired February 7, 2020. Prior to his retirement, Mr. Davis received a base salary at the annual base rate of $530,000. Matthew C. Flanigan, former EVP & CFO, retired December 31, 2019.

2 

The 2020 annual base salary rates were originally approved by the Committee on November 4, 2019. Because of various cost-cutting measures adopted by the Company in response to the economic downturn and uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the rates were reduced, effective April 12, 2020, by 50%. On June 29, 2020, effective July 5, 2020, the annual base salary rates were reinstated to their original levels.

Compensation Committee Sets 2021 Target Percentages under the Key Officers Incentive Plan

Except as noted below, the named executive officers will be eligible to receive an annual cash incentive under the 2020 Key Officers Incentive Plan (the “KOIP”), which was filed February 19, 2020 as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Form 8-K. Each executive’s cash award is to be calculated by multiplying his annual base salary at the end of the KOIP plan year by a percentage set by the Committee (the “Target Percentage”), then applying the award formula adopted by the Committee for that year. The Award Formula in 2020 and 2021 established two performance criteria: (i) Return on Capital Employed (“ROCE”) (60% Relative Weight), and (ii) Cash Flow, or Free Cash Flow (“FCF”) for Mr. Henderson (40% Relative Weight). The Target Percentages for 2020 and 2021 for the principal executive officer, principal financial officer, and other named executive officers are shown in the following table.

 

2


Named Executive Officers1

   2020 KOIP
Target
Percentage
    2021 KOIP
Target
Percentage
 

Karl G. Glassman, Chairman & CEO

     120     125

J. Mitchell Dolloff, President & COO, President – Bedding Products

     100     100

Jeffrey L. Tate, EVP & CFO

     80     80

Steven K. Henderson, EVP, President – Specialized Products and Furniture, Flooring & Textile Products

     80     80

Scott S. Douglas, SVP – General Counsel & Secretary

     60     70

 

1 

Perry E. Davis, former EVP, President – Residential Products & Industrial Products (SVP – Operations, 1/1/2020 through 2/7/2020) retired February 7, 2020. Matthew C. Flanigan, former EVP & CFO, retired December 31, 2019. Neither Mr. Davis nor Mr. Flanigan participated in the KOIP in 2020 or 2021.

Attached and incorporated herein by reference as Exhibit 10.1 is the Company’s updated Summary Sheet of Executive Cash Compensation.

Adoption of 2021 Award Formula under the Company’s Key Officers Incentive Plan

Our executive officers earn an annual cash incentive paid under the KOIP, based on achieving certain performance objectives for the year. On February 23, 2021 the Committee adopted the 2021 Award Formula (the “2021 KOIP Award Formula”) under the KOIP. The 2021 KOIP Award Formula is applicable to the Company’s executive officers, including the named executive officers listed below. Under the 2021 KOIP Award Formula, an executive officer is eligible to receive a cash award calculated by multiplying his or her annual base salary at the end of the year by the Target Percentage, then applying weighted achievement percentages for the Performance Objectives. Corporate Participants and Profit Center Participants have separate award calculations based on factors defined in the 2021 KOIP Award Formula as follows:

 

Participant Type1

  

Performance Objectives

   Relative
Weight
 

Corporate Participants

  

Return on Capital Employed (ROCE)

     60

(Glassman, Dolloff, Tate & Douglas)

  

Cash Flow

     40

Profit Center Participant

  

ROCE

     60

(Henderson)

  

Free Cash Flow (FCF)

     40

 

1

Perry E. Davis and Matthew C. Flanigan have retired from the Company. As such, neither will participate under the 2021 KOIP Award Formula.

Corporate Participants. Karl G. Glassman (Chairman & CEO), J. Mitchell Dolloff (President & COO, President – Bedding Products), Jeffrey L. Tate (EVP & CFO) and Scott S. Douglas (SVP – General Counsel & Secretary) are Corporate Participants. Awards for Corporate Participants are determined by the Company’s aggregate 2021 financial results. No awards will be paid for ROCE achievement below 30.5% or Cash Flow below $375 million. The maximum payout percentage for ROCE and Cash Flow achievement is capped at 150%.

 

3


Below are the 2021 Corporate Targets and Payout Schedule. Payouts will be interpolated for achievement levels falling between those in the schedule. Financial results from acquisitions are excluded from the calculations in the year of acquisition. Financial results from divestitures will be included in the calculations; however, the ROCE and Cash Flow targets relating to the divested businesses will be prorated to reflect only that portion of the year prior to the divestiture. Financial results from businesses classified as discontinued operations will be included in the calculations. Financial results will exclude (i) certain currency and hedging-related gains and losses; (ii) gains and losses from asset disposals; and (iii) items that are outside the scope of the Company’s core, on-going businesses.

ROCE and Cash Flow are adjusted for all items of gain, loss or expense for the fiscal year, as determined in accordance with standards established under Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, (i) from non-cash impairments; (ii) related to loss contingencies identified in footnotes to the financial statements in the Company’s 2020 10-K; (iii) related to the disposal of a segment of a business; or (iv) related to a change in accounting principle.

2021

Corporate Targets and Payout Schedule

 

ROCE          Cash Flow  

Achievement

   Payout          Achievement      Payout  
<30.5%      0      <$      375M        0
30.5%      50   Threshold      $      375M        50
37.5%      100   Target      $      450M        100
44.5%      150   Maximum      $      525M        150

Profit Center Participants. Steven K. Henderson (EVP, President – Specialized Products & Furniture, Flooring & Textile Products) is a Profit Center Participant. Achievement for ROCE and FCF targets for Profit Center Participants is determined by aggregate 2021 financial results for the profit centers for which the participant is responsible. For Profit Center Participants, no awards are paid for achievement below 75% of the ROCE and FCF targets. The ROCE and FCF payouts are each capped at 150%.

Below are the 2021 Profit Center Targets and Profit Center Payout Schedule for Mr. Henderson. Payouts will be interpolated for achievement levels falling between those in the schedule. Financial results for each profit center may include a critical compliance adjustment, ranging from a potential 5% increase for exceptional safety performance to a 20% deduction for critical compliance failures. Financial results from acquisitions are excluded from the calculations in the year of acquisition. Financial results from divestitures will be included in the calculations; however, the ROCE and FCF targets relating to the divested businesses will be prorated to reflect only the portion of the year prior to the divestiture. Financial results from businesses classified as discontinued operations will be included in the calculations.

Financial results will exclude (i) results from non-operating branches, (ii) certain currency and hedging-related gains and losses, (iii) gains and losses from asset disposals, (iv) items that are outside the scope of the Company’s core, on-going business activities or relating to any other special events or change in business conditions, and (v) the impact of corporate allocations.

ROCE and FCF are adjusted for all items of gain, loss or expense for the fiscal year, as determined in accordance with standards established under Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, (i) from non-cash impairments; (ii) related to loss contingencies identified in footnotes to the financial statements in the Company’s 2020 10-K; (iii) related to the disposal of a segment of a business; or (iv) related to a change in accounting principle.

 

4


2021 Profit Center Targets

     2021 Profit Center Payout Schedule  

Segments

   ROCE
Target
    FCF Target      ROCE/FCF
Achievement
       Payout  

Specialized & FF&T

     42.6   $ 286.6M      <75%        0
        75%   Threshold      50
        100%   Target      100
        125%   Maximum      150

The definitions of ROCE, Cash Flow and Free Cash Flow and a sample calculation are included in the 2021 KOIP Award Formula, which is attached and incorporated by reference as Exhibit 10.2.

Setting of Long-Term Incentive Award Multiples for Named Executive Officers

Except as noted below, equity-based long-term incentive (“LTI”) awards were granted to our named executive officers and other executives of the Company on February 23, 2021. Each named executive officer has an LTI award multiple (set by senior management and approved by the Committee), which was allocated between performance stock units (“PSUs”) making up 67% of the overall 2021 LTI award and restricted stock units (“RSUs”) making up 33% of the overall 2021 LTI award. The number of PSUs and RSUs granted to each executive was determined by multiplying the executive’s 2021 annual base salary by his or her respective LTI award multiple and dividing this amount by the average closing price of the Company’s common stock for the 10 trading days following the 2020 fourth quarter earnings release, which was $42.585 per share. Except as noted, below are the 2020 LTI award multiples set by the Committee on November 4, 2019, and the 2021 LTI award multiples set by the Committee on February 23, 2021, for our named executive officers:

 

Named Executive Officers1

   2020 LTI
Multiple
  2021 LTI
Multiple

Karl G. Glassman, Chairman & CEO

   458%   480%

J. Mitchell Dolloff, President & COO, President – Bedding Products

   300%   343%

Jeffrey L. Tate, EVP & CFO

   250%   250%

Steven K. Henderson, EVP, President – Specialized Products and Furniture, Flooring & Textile Products2

   200%   200%

Scott S. Douglas, SVP – General Counsel & Secretary

   175%   175%

 

1 

As previously reported, Perry E. Davis, Former EVP, President – Residential Products & Industrial Products (SVP – Operations, effective 1/1/2020 through 2/7/2020) retired February 7, 2020. Also, as previously reported, Matthew C. Flanigan, former EVP & CFO retired December 31, 2019. As such, neither Mr. Davis nor Mr. Flanigan received LTI awards in 2020 or 2021.

 

5


2 

In addition to the RSUs awarded pursuant to the LTI award multiples disclosed above, Mr. Henderson receives 4,000 RSUs annually in connection with his Agreement with the Company, dated November 4, 2019, which is attached hereto and incorporated herein as Exhibit 10.4.

The PSUs were granted pursuant to the Company’s 2021 Form of Performance Stock Unit Award Agreement, attached hereto and incorporated herein as Exhibit 10.5. The RSUs were granted pursuant to the Company’s 2021 Form of Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement, attached hereto and incorporated herein as Exhibit 10.6

Amendments to the Company’s Form of Performance Stock Unit Award Agreement and Form of Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement

On February 23, 2021, the Compensation Committee amended the Company’s Form of Performance Stock Unit Award Agreement (the “2021 Form of PSU Award”) and the Company’s Form of Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement (the “2021 Form of RSU Award”).

Both the 2021 Form of PSU Award and 2021 Form of RSU Award contain the definition of “retirement.” If the executive’s termination is due to retirement, his or her PSU award will vest at the end of the three-year PSU performance period and will be prorated for the number of days during the performance period prior to termination. If the executive’s termination is due to retirement, his or her RSU award will continue to vest on each vesting date (the first, second and third anniversaries of the grant date of the RSU award). If the executive’s employment is terminated for a reason other than retirement (or death or disability), the PSU awards terminate immediately, and the executive’s right to receive the unvested shares under the RSU award will terminate immediately.

Prior to the amendment, the previous PSU Form of Award and previous RSU Form of Award also contained non-competition and non-solicitation covenants that restrict the executive from competitive activities during employment and for two years after payout (for the PSU award) or each vesting date (for the RSU award) where, if violated, the executive must repay to the Company the gain from the applicable award (in addition to any other equitable remedies the Company may have).

The Committee:

 

  (a)

amended the definition of retirement in the 2021 Form of PSU Award and the 2021 Form of RSU Award. Prior to the amendment, the definition stated that “Retirement” means you voluntarily quit (i) on or after age 65, or (ii) on or after the date at which the combination of your age and your years of service with the Company or any company or division acquired by the Company is greater than or equal to 70 years. The amendment deleted the words “ you voluntarily quit” and replaced them with “a termination, other than for cause”;

 

  (b)

in the 2021 Form of PSU Award, reduced each of the non-competition and non-solicitation covenants from 2 years after payout to generally one year after payout; and

 

  (c)

in the 2021 Form of RSU Award, eliminated the non-competition covenant, and reduced the non-solicitation covenant from 2 years to generally one year after each vesting date.

Grant of Performance Stock Units under the Company’s 2021 Form of PSU Award

On February 23, 2021, the Committee granted a base award of PSUs to each of our named executive officers. A percentage of the base award will vest at the end of the three-year performance period (the “Performance Period”) and will be paid out by March 15 of the following year, subject to the achievement of two performance objectives discussed below.

 

6


The PSUs were granted to our named executive officers in the amounts shown below.

 

     Threshold
Payout of
PSUs
     Base
Award
Target
Payout
of PSUs
     Maximum
Payout of
PSUs
 

Named Executive Officer1

   (50%
Payout)2
     (100%
Payout)
     (200%
Payout)
 

Karl G. Glassman, Chairman & CEO

     46,026        92,051        184,102  

J. Mitchell Dolloff, President & COO, President – Bedding Products

     18,794        37,588        75,176  

Jeffrey L. Tate, EVP & CFO

     11,154        22,308        44,616  

Steven K. Henderson, EVP, President – Specialized Products and Furniture, Flooring & Textile Products

     8,297        16,594        33,188  

Scott S. DouglasSVP – General Counsel & Secretary

     6,164        12,328        24,656  

 

1 

Because of their respective retirements, neither Perry E. Davis nor Matthew C. Flanigan were granted PSUs.

2 

If Relative TSR and EBIT CAGR are achieved at their respective thresholds, the weighted average payout would be 50%.

The 2021 Form of PSU Award provides that PSUs vest at the end of the Performance Period, based upon two performance objectives:

Relative TSR: Fifty percent (50%) of each PSU award will vest based upon the Company’s Total Shareholder Return (“TSR”) compared to a peer group consisting of all the companies in the Industrial, Consumer Discretionary and Materials sectors of the S&P 500 and S&P 400. TSR is calculated as:

(Ending Stock Price – Beginning Stock Price + Reinvested Dividends) / Beginning Stock Price

The “Beginning Stock Price” is the average closing share price of the Company’s stock for the last 20 trading days prior to the Performance Period. The “Ending Stock Price” is the average closing share price of the Company’s stock for the last 20 trading days within the Performance Period.

EBIT CAGR: Fifty percent (50%) of each PSU award will vest based upon the Company’s (for Glassman, Dolloff, Tate, and Douglas) or the Specialized Products and Furniture, Flooring & Textile Products Segments (for Henderson) compound annual growth rate (“CAGR”) of Earnings Before Interest and Taxes (“EBIT”) during the third fiscal year of the Performance Period compared to the Company’s (or applicable segments’) EBIT in the fiscal year immediately preceding the Performance Period. The calculation of EBIT CAGR will include results from businesses acquired during the Performance Period and will exclude results for any businesses divested during the Performance Period. EBIT CAGR will exclude (i) results from non-operating branches, (ii) certain currency and hedging-related gains and losses, (iii) gains and losses from asset disposals, (iv) items that are outside the scope of the Company’s core, on-going business activities, and (v) with respect to segments, all amounts relating to corporate allocations. EBIT CAGR will be adjusted to eliminate gain, loss or expense, as determined in accordance with standards established under Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, (i) from non-cash impairments; (ii) related to loss contingencies identified in footnotes to the financial statements in the Company’s Form 10-K relating to the fiscal year immediately preceding the Performance Period; (iii) related to the disposal of a segment of a business; or (iv) related to a change in accounting principle.

 

7


The PSU vesting schedules for Relative TSR and EBIT CAGR are as follows, with payouts interpolated for results falling between the levels shown:

 

Relative TSR

Percentile

    Relative TSR
Vesting%
    EBIT CAGR
%
    EBIT CAGR
Vesting%
     
  <25 %     0    
  25     25    
  30     35    
  35     45    
  40     55    
  45     65     <2 %     0
  50     75     2     75
  55     100     4     100
  60     125     6     125
  65     150     8     150
  70     175     10     175
  75     200     12     200
  >75 %     200     >12 %     200

Notwithstanding the foregoing Relative TSR vesting schedule, in the event that the Company’s TSR for the Performance Period is negative (Ending Stock Price plus Reinvested Dividends is less than Beginning Stock Price), the Relative TSR vesting percentage will be capped at 100%.

The PSUs normally vest on the last day of the Performance Period. Generally, if the executive has a separation from service, other than for retirement, death, or disability, before the PSUs vest, they are immediately forfeited. In the event of retirement, the award will vest at the end of the Performance Period and will be prorated for the number of days employed during the Performance Period prior to termination. However, in the case of termination due to death or disability, the award will vest immediately at 100% of the base award. Retirement is defined as a termination other than for cause occurring on or after age 65, or the combination of the executive’s age and years of service being greater than or equal to 70 years.

Fifty percent (50%) of the vested PSU award will be paid out in cash, and the Company intends to pay out the remaining fifty percent (50%) in shares of Company common stock, although the Company reserves the right, subject to Committee approval, to pay up to one hundred percent (100%) in cash. The awards will be paid following the end of the Performance Period. Cash will be paid equal to the number of vested PSUs multiplied by the closing market price of Company common stock on the last business day of the Performance Period. Shares will be issued on a one-to-one basis for vested PSUs. Both the amount of cash paid and number of shares issued will be reduced for applicable tax withholding. PSUs may not be transferred, assigned, pledged or otherwise encumbered, and have no voting or dividend rights.

Under certain circumstances, if a change in control of the Company occurs and the executive’s employment is terminated, the PSU award will vest and the executive will receive a 200% payout. Also, if within 24 months of payment, the Company is required to restate previously reported financial results, the executive must repay any amounts paid in excess of the amount that would have been paid based on the restated financials. Finally, the PSU awards contain non-competition and non-solicitation covenants during employment and generally for one year after payout.

The PSU awards are granted under the Company’s Flexible Stock Plan, as amended and restated effective May 15, 2020, filed March 31, 2020 as an Appendix to the Company’s Proxy Statement for the Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the “Flexible Stock Plan”), which is incorporated by reference herein as Exhibit 10.7. All future awards of PSUs to our named executive officers are expected to be made pursuant to the attached 2021 Form of PSU Award. If the terms and conditions of future grants are materially changed, the Company will make a subsequent filing of the updated form at that time.

 

8


Grant of Restricted Stock Units under the Company’s 2021 Form of RSU Award

On February 23, 2021, the Committee granted RSUs under the 2021 Form of RSU Award to our named executive officers in the amounts shown below.

 

Named Executive Officer1

   RSU
Award
 

Karl G. Glassman, Chairman & CEO

     46,026  

J. Mitchell Dolloff, President & COO, President – Bedding Products

     18,794  

Jeffrey L. Tate, EVP & CFO

     11,154  

Steven K. Henderson, EVP, President – Specialized Products and Furniture, Flooring & Textile Products

     8,297  

Scott S. Douglas, SVP – General Counsel & Secretary

     6,164  

 

1 

Because of their respective retirements, neither Perry E. Davis nor Matthew C. Flanigan were granted RSUs.

The RSUs vest, provided that the executive remains employed with the Company, in one-third (1/3) increments on the first, second, and third anniversaries of the grant date. Upon vesting, each RSU is converted into one share of Company common stock and distributed, subject to reduction for tax withholding.

Generally, if the executive has a separation from service, before the RSUs vest, they are immediately forfeited. However, if the executive’s employment ends due to death or disability, or in certain circumstances due to a Change of Control of the Company, the awards will become 100% vested immediately. In addition, if termination is due to retirement on or after age 65, or the date at which the combination of the executive’s age and years of service is greater than or equal to 70 years, the executive will continue to receive shares that will vest after the retirement date.

The RSUs may not be transferred, assigned, pledged or otherwise encumbered, and have no voting or dividend rights. Also, the RSUs contain a non-solicitation covenant for one year after each vesting date. All future awards of RSUs to our named executive officers are expected to be made pursuant to the attached 2021 Form of RSU Award. If the terms and conditions of future grants are materially changed, we will make a subsequent filing of the updated form at that time.

Compensation Committee Approves 2018-2020 Business Unit Profit Sharing Cash Award for Mr. Henderson

In 2018, Mr. Henderson accepted the 2018-2020 Business Unit Profit Sharing Award Agreement granted by the Company (the “2018 BUPS Agreement”), which is attached hereto and incorporated herein as Exhibit 10.8. The 2018 BUPS Agreement provides that Mr. Henderson will receive a cash payment equal to 1.50% of the incremental EBIT, subject to certain adjustments and limitations, produced by the business units under his direction during the three-year performance period ending December 31, 2020. On February 23, 2021 the Committee approved a payment of $51,282 to Mr. Henderson pursuant to the 2018 BUPS Agreement. The 2018 BUPS Agreement contains a two-year non-competition and non-solicitation covenant from the payout.

Mr. Henderson is also eligible to receive a cash payment based substantially on the same terms under the 2019-2021 Business Unit Profit Sharing Award Agreement, which is attached hereto as Exhibit 10.9.

 

9


The foregoing is only a brief description and summary of the terms and conditions of the KOIP, the 2021 KOIP Award Formula, the 2021 Form of PSU Award, the 2021 Form of RSU Award, the 2018 BUPS Agreement, and the 2019-2021 Business Unit Profit Sharing Award Agreement and each is qualified in its entirety by reference to these documents which are attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference.

 

Item 5.03

Amendments to Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws; Change in Fiscal Year.

On February 24, 2021, the Board of Directors of the Company, on recommendation of the Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee, approved an amendment to, and restatement of, the Company’s Bylaws, to be effective the same day. Prior to the amendment, the Bylaws provided that annual and special shareholder meetings may be held on such dates, at such times, and at such places, either within or without the State of Missouri as determined by the Board of Directors. In addition to the existing language, the Bylaws have been amended to provide that annual and special meetings of shareholders may also be held by means of remote communication, or by both in person meeting and by remote communication. The Bylaws were also amended to provide that notices to shareholders regarding annual or special meetings shall provide for the means of remote communication, if any.

The preceding summary is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Bylaws, as amended through February 24, 2021. The Bylaws, as amended, and a copy of the Bylaws marked to show changes from the prior provisions, are included as Exhibit 3.2.1 and Exhibit 3.2.2, respectively, to this Form 8-K and are incorporated herein by reference.

 

Item 9.01

Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits.

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit
No.

 

Description

    
3.2.1*   Bylaws of the Company, as amended through February 24, 2021
3.2.2*   Bylaws of the Company, as amended through February 24, 2021, marked to show changes from the prior Bylaw provisions as amended through November 7, 2017
10.1*,**   Summary Sheet of Executive Cash Compensation

 

10


10.2*,**   2021 Key Officers Incentive Plan Award Formula
10.3**   The 2020 Key Officers Incentive Plan filed February 19, 2020 as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Form 8-K, is incorporated by reference. (SEC File No. 001-07845)
10.4*,**   Agreement between the Company and Steven K. Henderson regarding annual grant of RSUs, dated November 4, 2019
10.5*,**   The Company’s 2021 Form of Performance Stock Unit Award Agreement
10.6*,**   The Company’s 2021 Form of Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement
10.7**   The Company’s Flexible Stock Plan, amended and restated, effective May 15, 2020, filed March 31, 2020 as an Appendix to the Company’s Proxy Statement, is incorporated by reference. (SEC File No. 001-07845)
10.8*,**   2018-2020 Business Unit Profit Sharing Award Agreement between the Company and Steven K. Henderson, dated December 1, 2017
10.9*,**   2019-2021 Business Unit Profit Sharing Award Agreement between the Company and Steven K. Henderson, dated March 26, 2019
101.INS   Inline XBRL Instance Document (the instance document does not appear in the Interactive Data File because its XBRL tags are embedded within the inline XBRL document)
101.SCH*   Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema
101.LAB*   Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase
101.PRE*   Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase
104   Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the inline XBRL document contained in Exhibit 101)

 

  *

Denotes filed herewith.

**

Denotes management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement.

 

11


SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

    LEGGETT & PLATT, INCORPORATED
Date: February 24, 2021     By:  

/s/ SCOTT S. DOUGLAS

      Scott S. Douglas
     

Senior Vice President –

General Counsel & Secretary

 

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EXHIBIT 3.2.1 - BYLAWS OF THE COMPANY AS AMENDED THROUGH FEBRUARY 24, 2021

Exhibit 3.2.1

LEGGETT & PLATT, INCORPORATED

BYLAWS

as amended through February 24, 2021

ARTICLE 1. MEETINGS OF SHAREHOLDERS

Section 1.1 Annual Meeting—Date, Place and Time. The annual meeting of the shareholders for the election of Directors and for the transaction of such other business as may properly come before the meeting shall be held on such date, at such time and at such place, within or without the State of Missouri, or by means of remote communication, or by both in person meeting and by remote communication, as shall be determined by the Board of Directors.

Section 1.2 Business at Annual Meetings.

(a) The business at each annual meeting of the shareholders shall include the election of Directors and only such other business as has been properly brought before the meeting by being (i) specified in the notice of meeting (or any supplement thereto) given by or at the direction of the Board of Directors, (ii) brought before the meeting by or at the direction of a majority of the Board of Directors, or (iii) brought before the meeting by a shareholder in accordance with Section 1.2(b).

(b) For any business to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a shareholder:

(1) The shareholder must be a shareholder of record both at the time of giving of notice required in this Section 1.2(b) and at the time of the meeting.

(2) The Secretary must receive, at the principal executive offices of the Corporation, a written notice from the shareholder not less than 90 days nor more than 120 days prior to the first anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting; provided, however, that if (i) no annual meeting was held in the previous year or (ii) the date of the annual meeting is advanced or delayed by more than 30 days from such anniversary date, notice by the shareholder must be received not later than the later of the 90th day prior to such annual meeting or the tenth day following the public announcement of such meeting. Neither an adjournment nor a postponement of an annual meeting (or an announcement thereof) shall begin a new time period for delivering a shareholder’s notice.

(3) The shareholder’s notice shall set forth:

(i) a brief description of the business proposed to be brought before the meeting, the text of the proposal or business (including any proposed resolutions), the reasons for proposing to conduct such business at the meeting and any material interest of such shareholder (and of the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the proposal is made) in such business;


(ii) a description of all agreements, arrangements and understandings between such shareholder and beneficial owner, if any, and any other person or persons (including their names) in connection with the proposal of such business by such shareholder; and

(iii) as to the shareholder giving the notice and the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the proposal is made, (a) the name and address of such shareholder and beneficial owner, as they appear on the Corporation’s books, (b) (1) the class and number of shares of stock of the Corporation which are, directly or indirectly, owned beneficially and of record by such shareholder and beneficial owner, (2) any option, warrant, convertible security, stock appreciation right, or similar right with an exercise or conversion privilege or a settlement payment or mechanism at a price related to any class or series of shares of the Corporation or with a value derived in whole or in part from the value of any class or series of shares of the Corporation, whether or not such instrument or right shall be subject to settlement in the underlying class or series of capital stock of the Corporation or otherwise (a “Derivative Instrument”) directly or indirectly owned beneficially by such shareholder and any other direct or indirect opportunity to profit or share in any profit derived from any increase or decrease in the value of shares of the Corporation, (3) any proxy, contract, arrangement, understanding, or relationship pursuant to which such shareholder has a right to vote any shares of any security of the Corporation, (4) any short interest in any security of the Corporation (for purposes of these Bylaws a person shall be deemed to have a short interest in a security if such person directly or indirectly, through any contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship or otherwise, has the opportunity to profit or share in any profit derived from any decrease in the value of the subject security), (5) any rights to dividends on the shares of the Corporation owned beneficially by such shareholder that are separated or separable from the underlying shares of the Corporation, (6) any proportionate interest in shares of the Corporation or Derivative Instruments held, directly or indirectly, by a general or limited partnership in which such shareholder is a general partner or, directly or indirectly, beneficially owns an interest in a general partner, and (7) any performance-related fees (other than an asset-based fee) that such shareholder is entitled to based on any increase or decrease in the value of shares of the Corporation or Derivative Instruments (the foregoing items (1) through (7), individually or collectively, the “Disclosable Interests”), if any, as of the date of such notice, including without limitation any Disclosable Interests held by members of such shareholder’s immediate family sharing the same household (which information shall be supplemented by such shareholder and beneficial owner, if any, not later than 10 days after the record date for the meeting to disclose such ownership as of the record date), (c) a representation that the shareholder intends to appear in person or by proxy at the meeting to propose such business, (d) any other information that would be required to be provided by the shareholder or beneficial owner in a proxy statement or other filing required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies for the proposal pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended

 

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(the “Exchange Act”), in such person’s capacity as a proponent of a shareholder proposal, and (e) a representation as to whether the shareholder or the beneficial owner, if any, intends or is part of a group which intends (i) to deliver a proxy statement and/or form of proxy to holders of at least the percentage of the Corporation’s outstanding capital stock required to approve or adopt the proposal or (ii) to otherwise solicit proxies from shareholders in support of such proposal.

In addition, to be considered timely, a shareholder’s notice to the Secretary shall further be updated and supplemented, if necessary, so that the information provided or required to be provided in such notice shall be true and correct as of the record date for the meeting and as of the date that is 10 business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof, and the Secretary must receive, at the principal executive offices of the Corporation, such update and supplement not later than five business days after the record date for the meeting in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of the record date, and not later than eight business days prior to the date for the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of 10 business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof. The obligation to update and supplement as set forth in this paragraph or any other Section of these Bylaws (including without limitation Section 2.2) shall not limit the Corporation’s rights or remedies with respect to any deficiencies in any notice provided by a shareholder (or be deemed to cure any such defects), extend any applicable deadlines hereunder or under any other provision of the Bylaws, or enable or be deemed to permit a shareholder who has previously submitted notice hereunder or under any other provision of the Bylaws to amend or update any proposal or to submit any new proposal, including by changing or adding nominees, matters, business and or resolutions proposed to be brought before a meeting of the shareholders.

(4) The proposed business must not be an improper subject for shareholder action under applicable law, and the shareholder must comply with state law, the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder with respect to the matters set forth in this Section 1.2.

(5) The shareholder (or a qualified representative of the shareholder) must appear at the meeting of shareholders to propose such business and another shareholder must second the proposal.

(c) The meeting’s presiding officer shall determine whether any proposal to bring business before the meeting was made in accordance with this Section 1.2 and, if any proposed business is not in compliance with this Section 1.2, to declare that such defective proposal be disregarded. The presiding officer shall have sole authority to decide questions of compliance with the foregoing procedures, and his or her ruling shall be final.

 

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(d) Nothing in this Section 1.2 shall be deemed to affect any rights of shareholders to request inclusion of proposals in, or the Corporation’s right to omit proposals from, the Corporation’s proxy statement pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act or any successor provision. The provisions of this Section 1.2 shall also govern what constitutes timely notice for purposes of Rule 14a-4(c) under the Exchange Act.

Section 1.3 Special Meetings.

(a) Special meetings of the shareholders may be called only by the Board Chair, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, or a majority of the Board of Directors. In addition, shareholders holding not less than two-thirds of all issued and outstanding shares which are entitled to vote for the election of Directors may call a special meeting of shareholders by providing a notice to the Secretary signed by the requisite number of shareholders and setting forth the information required by Section 1.2(b)(3).

(b) Each special meeting shall be held on such date, at such time and at such place, within or without the State of Missouri, or by means of remote communication, or by both in person meeting and by remote communication, as shall be determined by the Board of Directors; provided, however, the Secretary shall call a special meeting called by the shareholders not later than ninety (90) days after receipt of the shareholder notice.

(c) Business transacted at any special meeting shall be confined to the purposes stated in the notice thereof.

Section 1.4 Quorum.

(a) The holders of a majority of the shares entitled to vote at any meeting of the shareholders, present in person or by proxy, shall constitute a quorum, and, except as otherwise required by law, the Restated Articles of Incorporation or these Bylaws, the act of the majority of such quorum shall be deemed the act of the shareholders. The shareholders present at a meeting at which a quorum is present may continue to transact business until adjournment, notwithstanding the withdrawal of such number of shareholders as to reduce the remaining shareholders to less than a quorum.

(b) Whether or not a quorum is present, the presiding officer shall have the power, except as otherwise provided by law, successively to adjourn the meeting to another place, date or time not longer than 90 days after each such adjournment, and no notice of any such adjournment need be given to shareholders if the place, date and time of the adjourned meeting are announced at the meeting at which the adjournment is taken. At such adjourned meeting at which a quorum shall be present or represented, any business may be transacted which might have been transacted at the meeting as originally notified.

Section 1.5 Qualification of Voters. The Board of Directors may fix a record day prior to the day of holding any meeting of the shareholders as the time as of which the shareholders are deemed shareholders of record. Only those persons who are shareholders of record shall be entitled to notice of, to attend and to vote, in person or by proxy, at such meeting; provided, however, no proxy shall be voted after 11 months from the date of its execution unless otherwise provided in the proxy.

 

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Section 1.6 No Cumulative Voting. Shareholders do not have the right to cumulate their votes in any manner in connection with the election of Directors.

Section 1.7 Procedure. The Board Chair, or in his or her absence the Lead Director, or in his or her absence the Chief Executive Officer, or in his or her absence the President, or in his or her absence the Secretary, shall preside at an annual or special meeting of the shareholders. In the absence of all of the above named officers, the Board of Directors shall select the person to preside at any meeting of the shareholders. It shall be the duty of such presiding officer to preserve order and ensure that the meeting is conducted in a businesslike and proper manner. The presiding officer shall have sole, complete and absolute authority to fully carry out his or her duties, including, without limitation, the power to postpone or adjourn the meeting from time to time if in his or her discretion such action is necessary or advisable to ensure order, to seek and receive advice of counsel, or to ensure fair and complete voting. The ruling of the presiding officer on any matter shall be final and conclusive. The presiding officer shall establish the order of business and such rules and procedures for the conduct of the meeting as in his or her sole, complete and absolute discretion he or she determines appropriate under the circumstances, including, without limitation, establishing (i) rules and procedures for maintaining order at the meeting and the safety of those present, (ii) limitations on participation in such meeting to shareholders of record, their duly authorized and constituted proxies and such other persons as the presiding officer shall permit, (iii) restrictions on entry to the meeting after the time fixed for the commencement thereof, (iv) limitations on the time allotted to questions or comments by participants, (v) regulation of the voting or balloting, as applicable, and (vi) determination of matters which are to be voted on by ballot, if any. Unless and to the extent determined by the Board of Directors or the presiding officer, meetings of shareholders shall not be required to be held in accordance with rules of parliamentary procedure.

Section 1.8 Certification of Votes. If the object of a shareholders’ meeting be to elect Directors or to take a vote of the shareholders on any proposition, then the presiding officer shall appoint not less than two persons, who are not Directors, inspectors to receive and canvass the votes given at such meeting and certify the result to him or her. The inspectors may appoint or retain other persons or entities to assist the inspectors in the performance of their duties. Any report or certificate made by the inspectors shall be prima facie evidence on the facts stated therein.

Section 1.9 Transmittal of Notices.

(a) Notices to shareholders regarding the annual meeting or special meetings shall be in writing, shall provide the place, date and hour set, and means of remote communication, if any, for the meeting, shall be given no less than ten nor more than 70 days before the date of the meeting, by or at the direction of the Secretary, to each shareholder of record entitled to vote at such meeting.

 

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(b) Notices to shareholders may be delivered in any reasonable manner including, but not limited to, U.S. mail, private courier, hand delivery or electronic transmission. An electronic transmission means any process of communication not directly involving the physical transfer of paper that is suitable for the retention, retrieval and reproduction of information by the recipient, including, but not limited to, facsimile transmission, telex, telegram and communication utilizing the internet. Notice by U.S. mail or private courier shall be deemed given when deposited with the postal service or courier. Notice by electronic transmission shall be deemed given when transmitted.

Section 1.10 Action By Consent. Any action which may be taken at a meeting of the shareholders may be taken without a meeting if consents in writing, setting forth the action so taken, shall be signed by all of the shareholders entitled to vote with respect to the subject matter thereof.

ARTICLE 2. DIRECTORS

Section 2.1 Number, Election, Removal and Vacancies. The whole Board of Directors shall consist of not less than three nor more than 15 members, the exact number to be set from time to time by the Board of Directors. No decrease in the number of Directors shall shorten the term of any incumbent Director. The Directors shall be elected at the annual meeting of the shareholders, except as provided below, and each Director elected shall hold office until his or her successor is elected and qualified. Directors may be removed during their term only for cause and then only by the holders of a majority of the shares entitled to vote at an election of Directors, represented in person or by proxy at any duly constituted meeting of the shareholders called for the purpose of removing any such Directors. Vacancies on the Board of Directors and newly created directorships resulting from any increase in the number of Directors may be filled by a majority of the Directors then in office, although less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining Director, until the next election of Directors by the shareholders.

Section 2.2 Advance Notice of Nominations.

(a) Nominations of individuals for election to the Board of Directors may be made at an annual meeting of shareholders (i) pursuant to the Corporation’s notice of meeting, (ii) by or at the direction of a majority of the Board of Directors, or (iii) by any shareholder in accordance with Section 2.2(b).

(b) For any nomination to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a shareholder:

(1) The shareholder must be a shareholder of record both at the time of giving of notice required in this Section 2.2(b) and at the time of the meeting.

(2) The Secretary must receive, at the principal executive offices of the Corporation, a written notice from the shareholder not less than 90 days nor more than 120 days prior to the first anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting; provided, however, that if (i) no annual meeting was held in the previous year or (ii) the date of the annual meeting is advanced or delayed by more than 30 days from such anniversary date, notice by the shareholder must be received not later than the later of the 90th day prior to such annual meeting or the tenth day following the public announcement of such meeting. Neither an adjournment nor a postponement of an annual meeting (or an announcement thereof) shall begin a new time period for delivering a shareholder’s notice.

 

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(3) The shareholder’s notice shall set forth:

(i) as to each proposed nominee (a) the name, age, business and residential addresses, and principal occupation or employment of each proposed nominee, (b) the nominee’s Disclosable Interests, if any, as of the date of such notice, including without limitation any Disclosable Interests held by members of such nominee’s immediate family sharing the same household (which information shall be supplemented by such nominee, if any, not later than 10 days after the record date for the meeting to disclose such ownership as of the record date), (c) a description of all direct and indirect compensation and other material monetary agreements, arrangements and understandings during the past three years, and any other material relationships between or among such shareholder and beneficial owner, if any, and their respective affiliates or others acting in concert therewith (on the one hand) and each proposed nominee and his or her affiliates or others acting in concert therewith (on the other hand), including without limitation all information that would be required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404 promulgated under Regulation S-K if the shareholder making the nomination and any beneficial owner on whose behalf the nomination is made, if any, or any affiliate or person acting in concert therewith, were the “registrant” for purposes of such rule and the nominee were a director or executive officer of such registrant, (d) a completed and signed questionnaire, representation and agreement required by Section 2.2(e), (e) all other information relating to such person that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filings required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies for election of Directors in a contested election, or is otherwise required pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Exchange Act, and (f) the written consent of each proposed nominee to being named as a nominee in the proxy statement and to serve as a Director of the Corporation if so elected; and

(ii) as to the shareholder giving the notice and the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the nomination is made, (a) the name and address of such shareholder and beneficial owner, as they appear on the Corporation’s books, (b) the shareholder’s and beneficial owner’s Disclosable Interests, if any, as of the date of such notice, including without limitation any Disclosable Interests held by members of such shareholder’s immediate family sharing the same household (which information shall be supplemented by such shareholder and beneficial owner, if any, not later than 10 days after the record date for the meeting to disclose such ownership as of the record date), (c) a representation that the shareholder intends to appear in person or by proxy at the meeting to nominate the person or persons specified in the notice, (d) any other information that would be required to be provided by the shareholder or beneficial owner in a proxy statement or other filing required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies for the proposal

 

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pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Exchange Act in such person’s capacity as a proponent of a shareholder proposal, and (e) a representation as to whether the shareholder or the beneficial owner, if any, intends or is part of a group which intends (i) to deliver a proxy statement and/or form of proxy to holders of at least the percentage of the Corporation’s outstanding capital stock required to elect the nominee, or (ii) otherwise solicit proxies from shareholders in support of such nominee.

In addition, to be considered timely, a shareholder’s notice to the Secretary shall further be updated and supplemented, if necessary, so that the information provided or required to be provided in such notice shall be true and correct as of the record date for the meeting and as of the date that is 10 business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof, and the Secretary must receive, at the principal executive offices of the Corporation, such update and supplement not later than five business days after the record date for the meeting in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of the record date, and not later than eight business days prior to the date for the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of 10 business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof.

(4) Any proposed nominee shall furnish any information, in addition to that required above, to the Corporation as it may reasonably require to determine the eligibility of the proposed nominee to serve as an independent Director or that could be material to a reasonable shareholder’s understanding of the independence, or lack thereof, of such nominee.

(c) Nominations of individuals for election to the Board of Directors may be made at a special meeting of shareholders at which Directors are to be elected (i) pursuant to the Corporation’s notice of meeting, (ii) by or at the direction of a majority of the Board of Directors, or (iii) provided that the Board of Directors has determined that Directors shall be elected at such special meeting, by any shareholder in accordance with Section 2.2(d).

(d) For any nomination to be properly brought before a special meeting by a shareholder:

(1) The shareholder must be a shareholder of record both at the time of giving of notice provided for in this Section 2.2(d) and at the time of the meeting.

(2) The Secretary must receive, at the principal executive offices of the Corporation, a written notice from the shareholder not later than the later of the 90th day prior to such special meeting or the tenth day following the public announcement of such special meeting. Such notice must contain the same information as required under Section 2.2(b)(3). Neither an adjournment nor a postponement of a special meeting (or an announcement thereof) shall begin a new time period for delivering a shareholder’s notice.

 

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(3) No other proposals of business by a shareholder, other than the nomination of persons for election to the Board of Directors requested by a shareholder, may be considered at the special meeting.

(4) Any proposed nominee shall furnish any information, in addition to that required above, to the Corporation as it may reasonably require to determine the eligibility of the proposed nominee to serve as an independent Director or that could be material to a reasonable shareholder’s understanding of the independence, or lack thereof, of such nominee.

(e) Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in these Bylaws, the Corporation shall include in its proxy statement for annual meetings of shareholders after the 2017 annual meeting the name, together with the Required Information (as defined below), of qualifying persons nominated for election (the “Shareholder Nominee”) to the Board of Directors by a shareholder or group of shareholders that satisfy the requirements of this Section 2.2(e), including without limitation qualifying as an Eligible Shareholder (as defined below) and that expressly elects at the time of providing the written notice required by this Section 2.2(e) (a “Proxy Access Notice”) to have its nominee included in the Corporation’s proxy materials pursuant to this Section 2.2(e).

(1) For the purposes of this Section 2.2(e):

(i) “Voting Stock” shall mean outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote generally for the election of Directors;

(ii) “Constituent Holder” shall mean any shareholder, investment fund included within a Qualifying Fund (as defined below) or beneficial holder whose stock ownership is counted for the purposes of qualifying as holding the Proxy Access Request Required Shares (as defined below) or qualifying as an Eligible Shareholder (as defined below);

(iii) “affiliate” and “associate” shall have the meanings ascribed thereto in Rule 405 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”); provided, however, that the term “partner” as used in the definition of “associate” shall not include any limited partner that is not involved in the management of the relevant partnership; and

(iv) a shareholder (including any Constituent Holder) shall be deemed to own only those outstanding shares of Voting Stock as to which the shareholder itself (or such Constituent Holder itself) possesses both (a) the full voting and investment rights pertaining to the shares and (b) the full economic interest in (including the opportunity for profit and risk of loss on) such shares. The number of shares calculated in accordance with the foregoing clauses (a) and (b) shall be deemed not to include (and to the extent any of the following arrangements have been entered into by affiliates of the shareholder (or of any Constituent Holder), shall be reduced by) any shares (x) sold by such shareholder or Constituent Holder (or any of either’s affiliates) in any transaction that has not been

 

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settled or closed, including any short sale, (y) borrowed by such shareholder or Constituent Holder (or any of either’s affiliates) for any purposes or purchased by such shareholder or Constituent Holder (or any of either’s affiliates) pursuant to an agreement to resell, or (z) subject to any option, warrant, forward contract, swap, contract of sale, other derivative or similar agreement entered into by such shareholder or Constituent Holder (or any of either’s affiliates), whether any such instrument or agreement is to be settled with shares, cash or other consideration, in any such case which instrument or agreement has, or is intended to have, or if exercised by either party thereto would have, the purpose or effect of (i) reducing in any manner, to any extent or at any time in the future, such shareholder’s or Constituent Holder’s (or either’s affiliate’s) full right to vote or direct the voting of any such shares, and/or (ii) hedging, offsetting or altering to any degree gain or loss arising from the full economic ownership of such shares by such shareholder or Constituent Holder (or either’s affiliate). A shareholder (including any Constituent Holder) shall be deemed to own shares held in the name of a nominee or other intermediary so long as the shareholder itself (or such Constituent Holder itself) retains the right to instruct how the shares are voted with respect to the election of Directors and the right to direct the disposition thereof and possesses the full economic interest in the shares. For purposes of this Section 2.2(e), a shareholder’s (including any Constituent Holder’s) ownership of shares shall be deemed to continue during any period in which the shareholder has loaned such shares so long as such shareholder retains the power to recall such shares on no greater than five business days’ notice or has delegated any voting power over such shares by means of a proxy, power of attorney or other instrument or arrangement so long as such delegation is revocable at any time by the shareholder.

(2) For purposes of this Section 2.2(e), the “Required Information” that the Corporation will include in its proxy statement is (i) the information concerning the Shareholder Nominee and the Eligible Shareholder that the Corporation determines is required to be disclosed in the Corporation’s proxy statement by the regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act; and (ii) if the Eligible Shareholder so elects, a Statement (as defined below). The Corporation shall also include the name of the Shareholder Nominee in its proxy card. Any other provision of these Bylaws notwithstanding, the Corporation may in its sole discretion solicit against, and include in the proxy statement its own statement(s) or other information relating to, any Eligible Shareholder and/or Shareholder Nominee, including any information provided to the Corporation with respect to the foregoing.

(3) To be timely, a shareholder’s Proxy Access Notice must be received by the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation within the time periods applicable to shareholder notices of nominations pursuant to Section 2.2(b). Neither an adjournment nor a postponement of an annual meeting (or an announcement thereof) shall begin a new time period for delivering a Proxy Access Notice.

 

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(4) The maximum number of Shareholder Nominees (including Shareholder Nominees that were submitted by an Eligible Shareholder for inclusion in the Corporation’s proxy materials pursuant to this Section 2.2(e) but are either subsequently withdrawn or that the Board of Directors decides to nominate as Board of Directors’ nominees or otherwise appoint to the Board) appearing in the Corporation’s proxy materials pursuant to this Section 2.2(e) with respect to an annual meeting of shareholders shall not exceed the greater of (x) two Directors or (y) the largest whole number that does not exceed 20% of the number of Directors in office as of the last day on which a Proxy Access Notice may be delivered in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section 2.2(e) (such greater number, the “Permitted Number”); provided, however, that the Permitted Number shall be reduced by:

(i) the number of Directors in office or director candidates for whom access to the Corporation’s proxy materials was previously provided (or requested) pursuant to this Section 2.2(e), other than (a) any such director referred to in this clause (i) whose term of office will expire at such annual meeting and who is not seeking (or agreeing) to be nominated at such meeting for another term of office and (b) any such director who at the time of such annual meeting will have served as a director continuously as a nominee of the Board of Directors for at least two successive annual terms;

(ii) the number of such director candidates for which the Corporation shall have received one or more shareholder notices nominating director candidates pursuant to Section 2.2(b); and

(iii) the number of Directors in office or director candidates that in either case were elected or appointed to the Board of Directors or will be included in the Corporation’s proxy materials with respect to such annual meeting as an unopposed (by the Corporation) nominee, pursuant to an agreement, arrangement or other understanding with a shareholder or group of shareholders (other than any such agreement, arrangement or understanding entered into in connection with an acquisition of Voting Stock, by such shareholder or group of shareholders, from the Corporation), other than any such director referred to in this clause (iii) whose term of office will expire at such annual meeting and who is not seeking (or agreeing) to be nominated at such meeting for another term of office; provided that this clause (iii) shall only apply to the annual meeting which follows such agreement, arrangement or understanding;

provided, further, in the event the Board of Directors resolves to reduce the size of the Board of Directors effective on or prior to the date of the annual meeting, the Permitted Number shall be calculated based on the number of Directors in office as so reduced. An Eligible Shareholder submitting more than one Shareholder Nominee for inclusion in the Corporation’s proxy statement pursuant to this Section 2.2(e) shall rank such Shareholder Nominees based on the order that the Eligible Shareholder desires such Shareholder Nominees to be selected for inclusion in the Corporation’s proxy statement and include such specified rank in its Proxy Access Notice. If the number of Shareholder Nominees pursuant to this Section 2.2(e) for an annual meeting of shareholders exceeds the Permitted Number, then the

 

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highest ranking qualifying Shareholder Nominee from each Eligible Shareholder will be selected by the Corporation for inclusion in the proxy statement until the Permitted Number is reached, going in order of the amount (largest to smallest) of the ownership position as disclosed in each Eligible Shareholder’s Proxy Access Notice. If the Permitted Number is not reached after the highest ranking Shareholder Nominee from each Eligible Shareholder has been selected, this selection process will continue as many times as necessary, following the same order each time, until the Permitted Number is reached.

(5) An “Eligible Shareholder” is one or more shareholders of record who own and have owned, or are acting on behalf of one or more beneficial owners who own and have owned (in each case as defined above), in each case continuously for at least three years as of both the date that the Proxy Access Notice is received by the Corporation pursuant to this Section 2.2(e), and as of the record date for the determination of shareholders entitled to notice and to vote at the annual meeting, at least three percent of the aggregate voting power of the Voting Stock (the “Proxy Access Request Required Shares”), and who continue to own the Proxy Access Request Required Shares at all times between the date such Proxy Access Notice is received by the Corporation and the date of the applicable annual meeting, provided that the aggregate number of shareholders, and, if and to the extent that a shareholder is acting on behalf of one or more beneficial owners, of such beneficial owners, whose stock ownership is counted for the purpose of satisfying the foregoing ownership requirement shall not exceed 20. Two or more investment funds that are part of same family of funds by virtue of being under common management and investment control, under common management and sponsored primarily by the same employer or a “group of investment companies” (as such term is defined in Section 12(d)(1)(G)(ii) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended) (a “Qualifying Fund”) shall be treated as one shareholder for the purpose of determining the aggregate number of shareholders in this subsection (5), provided that each fund included within a Qualifying Fund otherwise meets the requirements set forth in this Section 2.2(e). No shares may be attributed to more than one group constituting an Eligible Shareholder under this Section 2.2(e), and no shareholder may be a member of more than one group constituting an Eligible Shareholder. A record holder acting on behalf of one or more beneficial owners will not be counted separately as a shareholder with respect to the shares owned by beneficial owners on whose behalf such record holder has been directed in writing to act, but each such beneficial owner will be counted separately, subject to the other provisions of this subsection (5), for purposes of determining the number of shareholders whose holdings may be considered as part of an Eligible Shareholder’s holdings. Proxy Access Request Required Shares will qualify as such if and only if the beneficial owner of such shares as of the date of the Proxy Access Notice has itself individually beneficially owned such shares continuously for the three-year period ending on that date and through the other applicable dates referred to above (in addition to the other applicable requirements being met).

 

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(6) No later than the final date when a Proxy Access Notice pursuant to this Section 2.2(e) may be timely delivered to the Secretary, an Eligible Shareholder (including each Constituent Holder) must provide the information required by Section 2.2(b)(3) of this Article II to the Secretary of the Corporation and also provide the following information in writing to the Secretary:

(i) with respect to each Constituent Holder, the name and address of, and number of shares of Voting Stock owned by, such person;

(ii) one or more written statements from the record holder of the shares (and from each intermediary through which the shares are or have been held during the requisite three-year holding period) verifying that, as of a date within seven calendar days prior to the date the Proxy Access Notice is delivered to the Corporation, such person owns, and has owned continuously for the preceding three years, the Proxy Access Request Required Shares, and such person’s agreement to provide:

(a) within 10 days after the record date for the annual meeting, written statements from the record holder and intermediaries verifying such person’s continuous ownership of the Proxy Access Request Required Shares through the record date, together with any additional information reasonably requested to verify such person’s ownership of the Proxy Access Request Required Shares; and

(b) immediate notice if the Eligible Shareholder ceases to own any of the Proxy Access Request Required Shares prior to the date of the applicable annual meeting of shareholders;

(iii) a representation that such person:

(a) acquired the Proxy Access Request Required Shares in the ordinary course of business and not with the intent to change or influence control of the Corporation, and does not presently have any such intent;

(b) has not nominated and will not nominate for election to the Board of Directors at the annual meeting any person other than the Shareholder Nominee(s) being nominated pursuant to this Section 2.2(e);

(c) has not engaged and will not engage in, and has not and will not be a “participant” in another person’s, “solicitation” within the meaning of Rule 14a-1(l) under the Exchange Act with respect to the Corporation in support of the election of any individual as a director at the annual meeting other than its Shareholder Nominee(s) or a nominee of the Board of Directors;

 

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(d) will not distribute to any shareholder of the Corporation any form of proxy for the annual meeting other than the form distributed by the Corporation; and

(e) will provide facts, statements and other information in all communications with the Corporation and its shareholders that are and will be true and correct in all material respects and do not and will not omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, and will otherwise comply with all applicable laws, rules and regulations in connection with any actions taken pursuant to this Section 2.2(e);

(iv) in the case of a nomination by a group of shareholders that together is such an Eligible Shareholder, the designation by all group members of one group member that is authorized to act on behalf of all members of the nominating shareholder group with respect to the nomination and matters related thereto, including withdrawal of the nomination; and

(v) an undertaking that such person agrees to:

(a) assume all liability stemming from, and indemnify and hold harmless the Corporation and its affiliates and each of its and their directors, officers, and employees individually against any liability, loss or damages in connection with any threatened or pending action, suit or proceeding, whether legal, administrative or investigative, against the Corporation or its affiliates or any of its or their directors, officers or employees arising out of any legal or regulatory violation arising out of the Eligible Shareholder’s communications with the shareholders of the Corporation or out of the information that the Eligible Shareholder provided to the Corporation in connection with the nomination of the Shareholder Nominee(s) or its efforts to elect such person(s) to the Board;

(b) promptly provide to the Corporation such other information as the Corporation may reasonably request; and

(c) file with the Securities and Exchange Commission any solicitation by the Eligible Shareholder of shareholders of the Corporation relating to the annual meeting at which the Shareholder Nominee will be nominated.

In addition, no later than the final date when a Proxy Access Notice pursuant to this Section 2.2(e) may be timely delivered to the Secretary, a Qualifying Fund whose stock ownership is counted for purposes of qualifying as an Eligible Shareholder must provide to the Secretary of the Corporation documentation reasonably satisfactory to the Board of Directors that demonstrates that the funds included within the Qualifying Fund satisfy the definition thereof. In order to be considered timely, any information required by this Section 2.2(e) to be provided to the Corporation must be further updated and supplemented (through receipt by the Secretary) if necessary so that the

 

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information shall be true and correct as of the record date for the meeting and as of the date that is 10 business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof, and the Secretary must receive, at the principal executive offices of the Corporation, such update and supplement not later than five business days after the record date for the meeting in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of the record date, and not later than eight business days prior to the date for the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of 10 business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof.

(7) The Eligible Shareholder may provide to the Secretary, at the time the information required by this Section 2.2(e) is originally provided, a single written statement for inclusion in the Corporation’s proxy statement for the annual meeting, not to exceed 500 words, in support of the candidacy of each such Eligible Shareholder’s Shareholder Nominee(s) (the “Statement”). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Section 2.2(e), the Corporation may omit from its proxy materials any information or Statement that it, in good faith, believes is materially false or misleading, omits to state any material fact, directly or indirectly without factual foundation impugns the character, integrity or personal reputation of or makes charges concerning improper, illegal or immoral conduct or associations with respect to any person or would violate any applicable law or regulation.

(8) No later than the final date when a Proxy Access Notice pursuant to this Section 2.2(e) may be timely delivered to the Secretary, each Shareholder Nominee must provide to the Secretary the information required by Section 2.2(b), a completed and executed questionnaire, representation and agreement as required by Section 2.2(e) and also:

(i) provide an executed agreement, in a form deemed satisfactory by the Board of Directors or its designee (which form shall be provided by the Corporation reasonably promptly upon written request of a shareholder), that such Shareholder Nominee consents to being named in the Corporation’s proxy statement and form of proxy card (and will not agree to be named in any other person’s proxy statement or form of proxy card with respect to the Corporation) as a nominee and to serving as a director of the Corporation if elected and that such Shareholder Nominee will promptly provide to the Corporation such other information as the Corporation may reasonably request; and

(ii) provide such additional information as necessary to permit the Board of Directors to determine if any of the matters referred to in subsection (10) below apply and to determine if such Shareholder Nominee has any direct or indirect relationship with the Corporation other than those relationships that have been deemed categorically immaterial pursuant to the Corporation’s Corporate Governance Guidelines or is or has been subject to any event specified in Item 401(f) of Regulation S-K (or successor rule) of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

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In the event that any information or communications provided by the Eligible Shareholder (or any Constituent Holder) or the Shareholder Nominee to the Corporation or its shareholders ceases to be true and correct in all material respects or omits a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, each Eligible Shareholder or Shareholder Nominee, as the case may be, shall promptly notify the Secretary of any defect in such previously provided information and of the information that is required to correct any such defect; it being understood for the avoidance of doubt that providing any such notification shall not be deemed to cure any such defect or limit the remedies (including without limitation under these Bylaws) available to the Corporation relating to any such defect.

Any proposed Shareholder Nominee shall also furnish any information, in addition to that required above, to the Corporation as it may reasonably require to determine the eligibility of the proposed nominee to serve as an independent Director or that could be material to a reasonable shareholder’s understanding of the independence, or lack thereof, of such nominee.

(9) Any Shareholder Nominee who is included in the Corporation’s proxy statement for a particular annual meeting of shareholders, but subsequently is determined not to satisfy the eligibility requirements of this Section 2.2(e) or any other provision of these Bylaws, the Restated Articles of Incorporation or other applicable regulation any time before the annual meeting of shareholders, will not be eligible for election at the relevant annual meeting of shareholders.

(10) The Corporation shall not be required to include, pursuant to this Section 2.2(e), a Shareholder Nominee in its proxy materials for any annual meeting of shareholders, or, if the proxy statement already has been filed, to allow the nomination of (or vote with respect to) a Shareholder Nominee (and may declare such nomination ineligible), notwithstanding that proxies in respect of such vote may have been received by the Corporation:

(i) who is not independent under the listing standards of the principal U.S. exchange upon which the common stock of the Corporation is listed, any applicable rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission and any publicly disclosed standards used by the Board of Directors in determining and disclosing independence of the Corporation’s Directors (including without limitation the Corporation’s Director Qualification Standards) or who is not a “non-employee director” for the purposes of Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act (or any successor rule) or who is not an “outside director” for the purposes of Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (or any successor provision), in each case as determined by the Board of Directors;

 

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(ii) whose service as a member of the Board of Directors would violate or cause the Corporation to be in violation of these Bylaws, the Restated Articles of Incorporation, the rules and listing standards of the principal U.S. exchange upon which the common stock of the Corporation is traded, or any applicable law, rule or regulation;

(iii) who is or has been, within the past three (3) years, an officer or director of a competitor, as defined in Section 8 of the Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914, as amended, or who is a subject of a pending criminal proceeding (other than in connection with traffic violations and other similar minor offenses), has been convicted in a criminal proceeding within the past 10 years or is subject to an order of the type specified in Rule 506(d) of Regulation D promulgated under the Securities Act;

(iv) if the Eligible Shareholder (or any Constituent Holder) or applicable Shareholder Nominee otherwise breaches or fails to comply in any material respect with its obligations pursuant to this Section 2.2(e) or any agreement, representation or undertaking required by this Section 2.2(e); or

(v) if the Eligible Shareholder ceases to be an Eligible Shareholder for any reason, including but not limited to not owning the Proxy Access Request Required Shares through the date of the applicable annual meeting.

Any proposed Shareholder Nominee shall furnish any information, in addition to that required above, to the Corporation as it may reasonably require to determine the eligibility of the proposed nominee to serve as an independent Director or that could be material to a reasonable shareholder’s understanding of the independence, or lack thereof, of such nominee.

(f) Only such persons who are nominated in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section 2.2 shall be eligible to serve as Directors. The presiding officer shall determine whether a nomination was made in accordance with this Section 2.2 and, if any proposed nomination is not in compliance with this Section 2.2, to declare that such defective nomination be disregarded. The presiding officer shall have sole authority to decide questions of compliance with the foregoing procedures, and his or her ruling shall be final.

(g) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 2.2, (i) unless the shareholder (or a qualified representative of the shareholder) appears at the applicable meeting of shareholders to present the nomination and another shareholder seconds the shareholder’s motion, such nomination shall be disregarded, and (ii) a shareholder shall also comply with state law and the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder with respect to the matters set forth in this Section 2.2.

Section 2.3 Qualification. No person shall be eligible to be elected and to hold office as a Director if such person is determined by a majority of the whole Board of Directors to have acted contrary to the best interests of the Corporation, including, but not limited to, (i) violation of either State or Federal law, (ii) maintenance of interests not properly authorized and in conflict with the interests of the Corporation, or (iii) breach of any agreement between such Director and the Corporation relating to such Director’s services as a Director, employee or agent of the Corporation.

 

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Section 2.4 Regular and Special Directors Meetings.

(a) Regular meetings of the Board of Directors may be held at such time and at such place, within or without the State of Missouri, as shall from time to time be determined by the Board of Directors. No notice of regular meetings of the Board of Directors need be given.

(b) Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be called by the Board Chair, the Lead Director, Chief Executive Officer or the President, and shall be called by the Secretary on the written request of three or more Directors. Notice of any special meeting shall be given to each Director at such Director’s last known address by telephone, electronic transmission or other means not later than the day preceding the date of the meeting. Attendance of a Director at any meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of the meeting, except where a Director attends a meeting for the sole and express purpose of objecting to the transaction of any business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened.

(c) A majority of members of the Board of Directors in office shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of the Board of Directors, but a lesser number may adjourn a meeting to another time or day if a quorum is not present. The act of the majority of the Directors present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the Board of Directors, unless the act of a greater number is required by the Restated Articles of Incorporation, by these Bylaws or by law.

(d) Members of the Board of Directors or of any committee designated by the Board of Directors may participate in a meeting of the Board of Directors or committee by means of conference telephone or similar communications equipment whereby all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other, and participation in a meeting in this manner shall constitute presence in person at the meeting.

Section 2.5 Action By Consent. Any action which is required to be or may be taken at a meeting of the Directors may be taken without a meeting if consents in writing, setting forth the action so taken, are signed by all the Directors. Any action which is required to be or may be taken at a meeting of a committee of Directors may be taken without a meeting if consents in writing, setting forth the action so taken, are signed by all the members of the committee.

Section 2.6 Committees.

(a) The Board of Directors shall have three standing committees—the Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee—and may designate other committees in its discretion. Each committee shall consist of not less than two Directors and shall have such powers and duties as shall be delegated to it by the Board of Directors.

 

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(b) Each member of such committee shall hold office at the pleasure of the Directors and may be removed by the Board of Directors at any time with or without cause. Vacancies occurring in any committee may be filled by the Board of Directors. During any vacancy on a committee, the remaining members shall have full power to act as the committee.

(c) Each committee may prescribe its own rules for calling and holding meetings and its method of procedure, subject, however, to any rules prescribed by the Board of Directors, and, if no such rules shall have been prescribed, the rules applicable to calling and holding of a meeting of the Board of Directors shall apply to the committee meetings.

(d) A quorum for any meeting of a committee shall consist of not less than a majority of the members in office at the time. A Director who may be disqualified, by reason of personal interest, from voting on any particular matter before a meeting of a committee may nevertheless be counted for the purpose of constituting a quorum of the committee. At each meeting of the committee at which a quorum is present, all questions and business shall be determined by the affirmative vote of not less than a majority of the members present.

(e) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 2.6, no committee shall be empowered to elect Directors to fill vacancies among the Directors or on any committee of the Directors.

(f) Persons dealing with the Corporation shall be entitled to rely upon any action of a committee with the same force and effect as though such action had been taken by the Directors. Subject to the rights of third persons, any action of a committee shall be subject to revision or alteration by the Directors.

Section 2.7 Compensation of Directors. Directors and members of any committee of the Board of Directors shall be entitled to such reasonable compensation and fees for their services as such as shall be fixed from time to time by resolution of the Board of Directors and shall also be entitled to reimbursement for any reasonable expenses incurred in attending meetings of the Board of Directors and any committee thereof; provided, that nothing herein contained shall be construed to preclude any Director from serving the Corporation in any other capacity and receiving compensation therefor.

Section 2.8 Honorary Directors. In addition to the Directors, there may be as many Honorary or Advisory Directors and Directors Emeritus as the Board of Directors may appoint. Honorary or Advisory Directors and Directors Emeritus (i) shall have no liability after they become such for the actions of the Board of Directors, (ii) shall be notified of all meetings of the Board of Directors in the same manner as the Directors, but shall not be required to attend any meeting of the Board of Directors, and (iii) shall not have the right to vote on matters before such meetings.

 

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ARTICLE 3. OFFICERS

Section 3.1 Officers. The officers of the Corporation may include the Board Chair, the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Operating Officer, the Chief Financial Officer, the President, one or more Vice Presidents, the Secretary, the Treasurer, and such other officers, assistant or deputy officers as may be appointed from time to time. Any two or more offices may be held by the same person. The officers of the Corporation shall have such authority and shall perform such duties as are customarily incident to their respective offices or as shall be specified from time to time by the Board of Directors or the Board Chair, regardless of whether such authority and duties are customarily incident to such office.

Section 3.2 Appointment. The officers of the Corporation shall be appointed by the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may delegate its authority to appoint one or more officers to the Chief Executive Officer; provided, however, that the authority to appoint the Board Chair, the Chief Executive Officer, the President and the Secretary shall not be delegated. Each officer shall hold office until his or her death, resignation, retirement or removal or until such officer’s successor is appointed.

Section 3.3 Removal. Any officer may be removed by the Board of Directors at any time, with or without cause, but such removal shall be without prejudice to the contract rights, if any, of the person so removed. In addition, any officer which the Chief Executive Officer has the authority to appoint may be removed by the Chief Executive Officer at any time, with or without cause. Election or appointment of an officer shall not of itself create contract rights.

ARTICLE 4. CERTIFICATES FOR SHARES

Section 4.1 Issuance of Certificates. The shares of the Corporation shall be represented by certificates, provided, however, that the Board of Directors may provide by resolution that some or all of any classes or series of the Corporation’s stock shall be uncertificated shares. Any such resolution shall not apply to shares represented by a certificate until such certificate is surrendered to the Corporation. Notwithstanding the adoption of such a resolution by the Board of Directors, every holder of stock represented by certificates and, upon request, every holder of uncertificated shares, shall be entitled to have a certificate, in any form approved by the Board of Directors, certifying the number and class of shares owned by the shareholder in the Corporation, signed by (i) the Board Chair, the Chief Executive Officer, the President or a Vice President, and (ii) the Secretary or Treasurer or an Assistant Secretary or an Assistant Treasurer of the Corporation, and sealed with the seal of the Corporation which may be a facsimile engraved or printed. Each certificate representing shares shall state upon the face thereof that the Corporation is organized under the laws of the State of Missouri, the name of the person to whom issued, the number and class and the designation of the series, if any, which such certificate represents, and the par value of each share represented by such certificate or a statement that the shares are without par value.

If the certificate is countersigned by a transfer agent other than the Corporation or its employee, or by a registrar other than the Corporation or its employee, any other signature on the certificate maybe a facsimile signature, or may be engraved or printed. In case any officer, transfer agent or registrar who has signed or whose facsimile signature has been placed on the certificate shall have ceased to be an officer, transfer agent or registrar before the certificate is issued, the certificate may nevertheless be issued by the Corporation with the same effect as if such person were an officer, transfer agent or registrar at the date of issue.

 

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Section 4.2 Lost, Stolen, Destroyed or Mutilated Certificate. The holder of any shares of stock of the Corporation shall immediately notify the Corporation and its transfer agents and registrars, if any, of any loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of the certificates representing the same. The Corporation, acting through any of its duly authorized officers or other duly authorized employees, may direct a new certificate or certificates or uncertificated shares to be issued in place of any certificate or certificates previously issued by the Corporation alleged to have been lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated, upon the filing of an affidavit of that fact by the person claiming the certificate to be lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated. When authorizing such issue of a new certificate or certificates or uncertificated shares, the Corporation may, in its discretion and as a condition precedent to the issuance thereof, require the owner of such lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated certificate or certificates, or the owner’s legal representative, to advertise the same in such manner as the Corporation shall require and/or to give the Corporation a bond in such sum and in such form as the Corporation may direct, and with a surety or sureties which the Corporation finds satisfactory, as indemnity against any claim or liability that may be made against or incurred by the Corporation and its transfer agents and registrars, if any, with respect to the certificate alleged to have been lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated.

Section 4.3 Transfer of Stock; Certificate Cancellation. The shares of stock of the Corporation shall be transferable only upon its books by the holders thereof in person or by their duly authorized attorneys or legal representatives. Upon transfer of certificated shares, the old certificates shall be surrendered to the Corporation by the delivery thereof to the person in charge of the stock and transfer books and ledgers or to such other persons as the Board of Directors may designate, by whom they shall be cancelled and new certificates shall thereupon be issued. In the case of uncertificated shares, transfer shall be made only upon receipt of transfer documentation reasonably acceptable to the Corporation.

Section 4.4 Registered Owner. The Corporation shall be entitled to recognize the exclusive rights of a person registered on its books as the owner of shares to receive dividends, and to vote as such owner, and shall not be bound to recognize any equitable or other claim to or interest in such share or shares on the part of any other person, whether or not it shall have express or other notice thereof, except as otherwise provided by the laws of the State of Missouri.

Section 4.5 Transfer Agents and Registrars. The Board of Directors may appoint one or more transfer agents or transfer clerks and one or more registrars which may be banks, trust companies or other financial institutions located within or without the State of Missouri; may define the authority of such transfer agents and registrars of transfers; may require all stock certificates to bear the signature of a transfer agent or registrar of transfers, or both; may impose such rules, regulations or procedures regarding uncertificated shares as it deems appropriate; and may change or remove any such transfer agent or registrar of transfers.

Section 4.6 Closing of Transfer Books and Fixing of Record Date. The Board of Directors shall have the power to close the transfer books of the Corporation for a period not exceeding 70 days prior to the date of any meeting of shareholders, or the date for payment of any dividend, or the date for all allotment of rights, or the date when any change or conversion or exchange of shares shall go into effect. In lieu of so closing the transfer books, the Board of Directors may fix in advance a record date for the determination of the shareholders entitled to notice of and to vote at any meeting and any adjournment or postponement thereof, or entitled to receive payment of any dividend or any allotment of rights, or entitled to exercise the rights in

 

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respect of any change, conversion or exchange of shares, up to 70 days prior to the date of any meeting of shareholders, or the date for the payment of any dividend, or the date for the allotment of rights, or the date when any change or conversion or exchange of shares shall go into effect. In such case only the shareholders who are shareholders of record on the date of closing the share transfer books, or on the record date so fixed, shall be entitled to receive notice of and to vote at such meeting and any adjournment or postponement thereof, or to receive payment of such dividend, or to receive such allotment of rights, or to exercise such rights, as the case may be, notwithstanding any transfer of any shares on the books of the Corporation after the date of closing of the transfer books or the record date. If the Board of Directors does not close the transfer books or set a record date for the determination of the shareholders entitled to notice of and to vote at any meeting of shareholders, only the shareholders who are shareholders of record at the close of business on the 20th day preceding the date of the meeting shall be entitled to notice of and to vote at the meeting and upon any adjournment or postponement of the meetings, except that if prior to the meeting written waivers of notice of the meeting are signed and delivered to the Corporation by all of the shareholders of record at the time the meeting is convened, only the shareholders who are shareholders of record at the time the meeting is convened shall be entitled to vote at the meeting and any adjournment or postponement of the meeting.

ARTICLE 5. INDEMNIFICATION

Section 5.1 Right of Directors and Officers to Indemnification. Each person who was or is a Director or officer of the Corporation shall be indemnified by the Corporation as a matter of right to the fullest extent permitted or authorized by applicable law and as otherwise provided in Article VIII of the Corporation’s Restated Articles of Incorporation.

The indemnification described in the preceding paragraph of this Article 5 shall pertain to all expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by such person who was or is a party to or who was or is involved in any proceeding by reason of acts or omissions:

(a) in such person’s capacity as or arising out of such person’s status as (i) a Director or officer of the Corporation; or (ii) a Director, officer, employee or agent of another Corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise when so serving at the request of the Corporation; or

(b) in any other capacity while holding the office of either Director or officer of the Corporation.

Section 5.2 Indemnification of Employees, Agents, Etc. Each person who was or is an employee or agent of the Corporation, or who was or is serving at the request of the Corporation as a Director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise (including the heirs, executors, administrators or estate of each such person) may, at the discretion of the Board of Directors, be indemnified by the Corporation to the same extent as provided herein with respect to any person who was or is a Director or officer of the Corporation.

 

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Section 5.3 Right of Directors and Officers to Advance of Expenses. Expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by any person who was or is a Director or officer of the Corporation in defending any proceeding (including those by or in the right of the Corporation) shall be promptly advanced by the Corporation when so requested by such person at any time and from time to time, but only if the requesting person delivers to the Corporation an undertaking to repay to the Corporation all amounts so advanced if it should ultimately be determined that the requesting person is not entitled to be indemnified by the Corporation under the “indemnification sources” as defined below, agreement, vote of shareholders or disinterested Directors or otherwise.

Section 5.4 Right of Claimant to Bring Suit. If a claim for indemnification under Section 5.1 or 5.3, respectively, is not paid in full by the Corporation within 90 or 15 days, respectively, after a written claim has been received by the Corporation, the claimant may bring suit against the Corporation to recover the unpaid amount of the claim. If the claimant is successful in whole or in part in such suit, the claimant shall also be paid the expense of prosecuting such claim.

It shall be a defense to any suit seeking indemnification under Section 5.1 of these Bylaws that the claimant has not met the standards of conduct which make it permissible (under indemnification sources, agreement, vote of shareholders or disinterested Directors or otherwise) for the Corporation to indemnify the claimant. The failure of the Corporation (through its Directors, independent legal counsel or shareholders) to make a determination before the commencement of such suit that indemnification of the claimant is proper under the circumstances (because the claimant has met the applicable standard of conduct) shall not be a defense to the claimant’s action or create a presumption that the claimant has not met the applicable standard of conduct. Similarly, an actual determination by the Corporation that the claimant has not met such applicable standard of conduct, shall not be a defense to the claimant’s action nor create a presumption that the claimant has not met the applicable standard of conduct.

Section 5.5 Definitions. In this Article the following terms have the following meanings:

(a) The term “applicable law” means (i) Section 351.355 of The Missouri General and Business Corporation Law (other than Subsection 6 thereof and any other Subsection comparable in purpose to Subsection 6) as in effect on May 7, 1986 and as thereafter amended (but in the case of any such amendment, only to the extent such amendment permits the Corporation to provide broader indemnification rights than The Missouri General and Business Corporation Law permitted the Corporation to provide immediately prior to such amendment) and (ii) any other statutory indemnification provisions adopted after May 7, 1986.

(b) The term “Directors” or “officers” of the Corporation shall include the heirs, executors, administrators and estate of each such person who was a Director or officer, which heirs, executors, administrators and estate shall succeed to all of the indemnification and other rights of such Director or officer.

(c) The term “proceedings” shall mean any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or other proceeding (including those by or in the right of the Corporation) whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative.

 

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(d) The term “fines” shall include any excise taxes assessed on a person with respect to any employee benefit plan.

(e) The term “indemnification sources” shall refer jointly and severally to applicable law as defined above, this Article 5 and Article VIII of the Corporation’s Restated Articles of Incorporation.

(f) The term “other enterprise” shall include employee benefit plans.

(g) The term “serving at the request of the Corporation” shall include any service as a Director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation which imposes duties on, or involves services by, such Director, officer, employee or agent with respect to any employee benefit plan, its participants or beneficiaries.

Section 5.6 Rights Not Exclusive. The indemnification and other rights provided by this Article and the other indemnification sources shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which a Director or officer may be entitled under any agreement, vote of shareholders or disinterested Directors or otherwise, both as to action in such person’s official capacity and as to action in any other capacity while holding the office of Director or officer, and the Corporation may, at its discretion, provide such indemnification and other rights by any agreements, vote of shareholders or disinterested Directors or otherwise.

Section 5.7 Insurance. The Corporation may purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who was or is a Director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation, or was or is serving at the request of the Corporation as a Director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against any liability asserted against or incurred by such person in any such capacity, or arising out of his or her status as such, whether or not the Corporation would have the power to indemnify such person against such liability under these Bylaws, other indemnification sources, agreement, vote of shareholders or disinterested Directors or otherwise.

Section 5.8 Enforceability; Amendment. Each person who was or is a Director or officer of the Corporation is a third party beneficiary of this Article 5 and shall be entitled to enforce against the Corporation all indemnification and other rights provided or contemplated by this Article 5.

This Article 5 may be hereafter amended or repealed; provided, however, no such amendment or repeal shall reduce, terminate or otherwise adversely affect the right of any person who was or is a Director or officer (i) to obtain indemnification or an advance of expenses with respect to a proceeding that pertains to or arises out of actions or omissions that occurred prior to the “Deadline Indemnification Date” as defined in the next paragraph of this Section, or (ii) to bring suit with respect to the foregoing under Section 5.4 hereof.

 

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The term “Deadline Indemnification Date” means the later of (a) the effective date of any amendment or repeal of this Article 5 which reduces, terminates or otherwise adversely affects the rights hereunder of any person who was or is a Director or officer; (b) the expiration date of such person’s then current term of office with, or service for, the Corporation (provided such person has a stated term of office or service and completes such term); or (c) the effective date such person resigns his or her office or terminates his or her service (provided such person has a stated term of office or service but resigns prior to the expiration of such term).

ARTICLE 6. GENERAL PROVISIONS

Section 6.1 Dividends. The Board of Directors may declare and the Corporation may pay dividends on its outstanding shares in cash, property, or its own shares pursuant to law and subject to the provisions of its Restated Articles of Incorporation.

Section 6.2 Reserves. The Board of Directors may by resolution create a reserve or reserves out of earned surplus for any purpose or purposes, and may abolish any such reserve in the same manner.

Section 6.3 Fiscal Year. The fiscal year of the Corporation shall be fixed by resolution of the Board of Directors. In the absence of such resolution, the fiscal year of the Corporation shall be the calendar year.

Section 6.4 Corporate Seal. The corporate seal shall have inscribed thereon the name of the Corporation and may be used by causing it or a facsimile thereof to be impressed or affixed or in any manner reproduced.

Section 6.5 Examination of Books. Any shareholder of record desiring to examine the books and records of the Corporation may do so during regular business hours at the office of the Corporation where such books and records are normally kept. No such shareholder, however, may remove any such books and records from such premises, and no such shareholder shall make alterations to such books or records, and in each instance of examination by such shareholder of such books or records, an officer or employee designated by an officer of the Corporation shall be present at all times during such examination, and the regular wage or salary of such officer or employee for the period of time spent in such examination shall be paid to the Corporation by such shareholder or shareholders making such examination. Notwithstanding any provision hereinabove to the contrary, no shareholder shall have the right to examine the books or the records of the Corporation if any officer of the Corporation determines, in his or her discretion, that such examination may be to the detriment or competitive disadvantage of the Corporation or if the purpose of such examination is improper.

Section 6.6 Amendments. These Bylaws may be altered, amended, or repealed, to the extent not prohibited by law or the Restated Articles of Incorporation, by the Board of Directors.

Section 6.7 Provisions Additional to Provisions of Law. All restrictions, limitations, requirements and other provisions of these Bylaws shall be construed, insofar as possible, as supplemental and additional to all provisions of law applicable to the subject matter thereof and shall be fully complied with in addition to the said provisions of law unless such compliance shall be illegal.

 

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Section 6.8 Provisions Contrary to Provisions of Law. Any portion of these Bylaws which, upon being construed in the manner provided in Section 6.7 hereof, shall be contrary to or inconsistent with any applicable provisions of law, shall not apply so long as said provisions of law remain in effect, but such result shall not affect the validity or applicability of any other portion of these Bylaws, it being hereby declared that these Bylaws and each portion thereof would have been adopted, irrespective of the fact that any portion is illegal.

 

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PROTECTED BYLAWS

The following bylaws have been designated by the Corporation’s Board of Directors as Protected Bylaws in accordance with Article IX, Section 2 of the Corporation’s Restated Articles of Incorporation:

 

ARTICLE 1     
Section 1.1      Annual Meeting – Date, Place and Time
Section 1.2      Business at Annual Meetings
Section 1.3      Special Meetings
Section 1.4      Quorum
Section 1.6      No Cumulative Voting
Section 1.7      Procedure
ARTICLE 2     
Section 2.1      Number, Election, Removal and Vacancies
Section 2.2      Advance Notice of Nominations
Section 2.3      Qualification
Section 2.4      Regular and Special Directors’ Meetings
Section 2.6      Committees
ARTICLE 5     
All Sections     
ARTICLE 6     
Section 6.6      Amendments

Approved: February 24, 2021

 

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EXHIBIT 3.2.2 - BYLAWS OF THE COMPANY MARKED TO SHOW AMENDMENTS

Exhibit 3.2.2

LEGGETT & PLATT, INCORPORATED

BYLAWS

as amended through November 7, 2017 February 24, 2021

ARTICLE 1. MEETINGS OF SHAREHOLDERS

Section 1.1 Annual Meeting—Date, Place and Time. The annual meeting of the shareholders for the election of Directors and for the transaction of such other business as may properly come before the meeting shall be held on such date, at such time and at such place, within or without the State of Missouri, or by means of remote communication, or by both in person meeting and by remote communication, as shall be determined by the Board of Directors.

Section 1.2 Business at Annual Meetings.

(a) The business at each annual meeting of the shareholders shall include the election of Directors and only such other business as has been properly brought before the meeting by being (i) specified in the notice of meeting (or any supplement thereto) given by or at the direction of the Board of Directors, (ii) brought before the meeting by or at the direction of a majority of the Board of Directors, or (iii) brought before the meeting by a shareholder in accordance with Section 1.2(b).

(b) For any business to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a shareholder:

(1) The shareholder must be a shareholder of record both at the time of giving of notice required in this Section 1.2(b) and at the time of the meeting.

(2) The Secretary must receive, at the principal executive offices of the Corporation, a written notice from the shareholder not less than 90 days nor more than 120 days prior to the first anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting; provided, however, that if (i) no annual meeting was held in the previous year or (ii) the date of the annual meeting is advanced or delayed by more than 30 days from such anniversary date, notice by the shareholder must be received not later than the later of the 90th day prior to such annual meeting or the tenth day following the public announcement of such meeting. Neither an adjournment nor a postponement of an annual meeting (or an announcement thereof) shall begin a new time period for delivering a shareholder’s notice.

(3) The shareholder’s notice shall set forth:

(i) a brief description of the business proposed to be brought before the meeting, the text of the proposal or business (including any proposed resolutions), the reasons for proposing to conduct such business at the meeting and any material interest of such shareholder (and of the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the proposal is made) in such business;


(ii) a description of all agreements, arrangements and understandings between such shareholder and beneficial owner, if any, and any other person or persons (including their names) in connection with the proposal of such business by such shareholder; and

(iii) as to the shareholder giving the notice and the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the proposal is made, (a) the name and address of such shareholder and beneficial owner, as they appear on the Corporation’s books, (b) (1) the class and number of shares of stock of the Corporation which are, directly or indirectly, owned beneficially and of record by such shareholder and beneficial owner, (2) any option, warrant, convertible security, stock appreciation right, or similar right with an exercise or conversion privilege or a settlement payment or mechanism at a price related to any class or series of shares of the Corporation or with a value derived in whole or in part from the value of any class or series of shares of the Corporation, whether or not such instrument or right shall be subject to settlement in the underlying class or series of capital stock of the Corporation or otherwise (a “Derivative Instrument”) directly or indirectly owned beneficially by such shareholder and any other direct or indirect opportunity to profit or share in any profit derived from any increase or decrease in the value of shares of the Corporation, (3) any proxy, contract, arrangement, understanding, or relationship pursuant to which such shareholder has a right to vote any shares of any security of the Corporation, (4) any short interest in any security of the Corporation (for purposes of these Bylaws a person shall be deemed to have a short interest in a security if such person directly or indirectly, through any contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship or otherwise, has the opportunity to profit or share in any profit derived from any decrease in the value of the subject security), (5) any rights to dividends on the shares of the Corporation owned beneficially by such shareholder that are separated or separable from the underlying shares of the Corporation, (6) any proportionate interest in shares of the Corporation or Derivative Instruments held, directly or indirectly, by a general or limited partnership in which such shareholder is a general partner or, directly or indirectly, beneficially owns an interest in a general partner, and (7) any performance-related fees (other than an asset-based fee) that such shareholder is entitled to based on any increase or decrease in the value of shares of the Corporation or Derivative Instruments (the foregoing items (1) through (7), individually or collectively, the “Disclosable Interests”), if any, as of the date of such notice, including without limitation any Disclosable Interests held by members of such shareholder’s immediate family sharing the same household (which information shall be supplemented by such shareholder and beneficial owner, if any, not later than 10 days after the record date for the meeting to disclose such ownership as of the record date), (c) a representation that the shareholder intends to appear in person or by proxy at the meeting to propose such business, (d) any other information that would be required to be provided by the shareholder or beneficial owner in a proxy statement or other filing required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies for the proposal pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended

 

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(the “Exchange Act”), in such person’s capacity as a proponent of a shareholder proposal, and (e) a representation as to whether the shareholder or the beneficial owner, if any, intends or is part of a group which intends (i) to deliver a proxy statement and/or form of proxy to holders of at least the percentage of the Corporation’s outstanding capital stock required to approve or adopt the proposal or (ii) to otherwise solicit proxies from shareholders in support of such proposal.

In addition, to be considered timely, a shareholder’s notice to the Secretary shall further be updated and supplemented, if necessary, so that the information provided or required to be provided in such notice shall be true and correct as of the record date for the meeting and as of the date that is 10 business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof, and the Secretary must receive, at the principal executive offices of the Corporation, such update and supplement not later than five business days after the record date for the meeting in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of the record date, and not later than eight business days prior to the date for the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of 10 business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof. The obligation to update and supplement as set forth in this paragraph or any other Section of these Bylaws (including without limitation Section 2.2) shall not limit the Corporation’s rights or remedies with respect to any deficiencies in any notice provided by a shareholder (or be deemed to cure any such defects), extend any applicable deadlines hereunder or under any other provision of the Bylaws, or enable or be deemed to permit a shareholder who has previously submitted notice hereunder or under any other provision of the Bylaws to amend or update any proposal or to submit any new proposal, including by changing or adding nominees, matters, business and or resolutions proposed to be brought before a meeting of the shareholders.

(4) The proposed business must not be an improper subject for shareholder action under applicable law, and the shareholder must comply with state law, the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder with respect to the matters set forth in this Section 1.2.

(5) The shareholder (or a qualified representative of the shareholder) must appear at the meeting of shareholders to propose such business and another shareholder must second the proposal.

(c) The meeting’s presiding officer shall determine whether any proposal to bring business before the meeting was made in accordance with this Section 1.2 and, if any proposed business is not in compliance with this Section 1.2, to declare that such defective proposal be disregarded. The presiding officer shall have sole authority to decide questions of compliance with the foregoing procedures, and his or her ruling shall be final.

 

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(d) Nothing in this Section 1.2 shall be deemed to affect any rights of shareholders to request inclusion of proposals in, or the Corporation’s right to omit proposals from, the Corporation’s proxy statement pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act or any successor provision. The provisions of this Section 1.2 shall also govern what constitutes timely notice for purposes of Rule 14a-4(c) under the Exchange Act.

Section 1.3 Special Meetings.

(a) Special meetings of the shareholders may be called only by the Board Chair, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, or a majority of the Board of Directors. In addition, shareholders holding not less than two-thirds of all issued and outstanding shares which are entitled to vote for the election of Directors may call a special meeting of shareholders by providing a notice to the Secretary signed by the requisite number of shareholders and setting forth the information required by Section 1.2(b)(3).

(b) Each special meeting shall be held on such date, at such time and at such place, within or without the State of Missouri, or by means of remote communication, or by both in person meeting and by remote communication, as shall be determined by the Board of Directors; provided, however, the Secretary shall call a special meeting called by the shareholders not later than ninety (90) days after receipt of the shareholder notice.

(c) Business transacted at any special meeting shall be confined to the purposes stated in the notice thereof.

Section 1.4 Quorum.

(a) The holders of a majority of the shares entitled to vote at any meeting of the shareholders, present in person or by proxy, shall constitute a quorum, and, except as otherwise required by law, the Restated Articles of Incorporation or these Bylaws, the act of the majority of such quorum shall be deemed the act of the shareholders. The shareholders present at a meeting at which a quorum is present may continue to transact business until adjournment, notwithstanding the withdrawal of such number of shareholders as to reduce the remaining shareholders to less than a quorum.

(b) Whether or not a quorum is present, the presiding officer shall have the power, except as otherwise provided by law, successively to adjourn the meeting to another place, date or time not longer than 90 days after each such adjournment, and no notice of any such adjournment need be given to shareholders if the place, date and time of the adjourned meeting are announced at the meeting at which the adjournment is taken. At such adjourned meeting at which a quorum shall be present or represented, any business may be transacted which might have been transacted at the meeting as originally notified.

Section 1.5 Qualification of Voters. The Board of Directors may fix a record day prior to the day of holding any meeting of the shareholders as the time as of which the shareholders are deemed shareholders of record. Only those persons who are shareholders of record shall be entitled to notice of, to attend and to vote, in person or by proxy, at such meeting; provided, however, no proxy shall be voted after 11 months from the date of its execution unless otherwise provided in the proxy.

 

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Section 1.6 No Cumulative Voting. Shareholders do not have the right to cumulate their votes in any manner in connection with the election of Directors.

Section 1.7 Procedure. The Board Chair, or in his or her absence the Lead Director, or in his or her absence the Chief Executive Officer, or in his or her absence the President, or in his or her absence the Secretary, shall preside at an annual or special meeting of the shareholders. In the absence of all of the above named officers, the Board of Directors shall select the person to preside at any meeting of the shareholders. It shall be the duty of such presiding officer to preserve order and ensure that the meeting is conducted in a businesslike and proper manner. The presiding officer shall have sole, complete and absolute authority to fully carry out his or her duties, including, without limitation, the power to postpone or adjourn the meeting from time to time if in his or her discretion such action is necessary or advisable to ensure order, to seek and receive advice of counsel, or to ensure fair and complete voting. The ruling of the presiding officer on any matter shall be final and conclusive. The presiding officer shall establish the order of business and such rules and procedures for the conduct of the meeting as in his or her sole, complete and absolute discretion he or she determines appropriate under the circumstances, including, without limitation, establishing (i) rules and procedures for maintaining order at the meeting and the safety of those present, (ii) limitations on participation in such meeting to shareholders of record, their duly authorized and constituted proxies and such other persons as the presiding officer shall permit, (iii) restrictions on entry to the meeting after the time fixed for the commencement thereof, (iv) limitations on the time allotted to questions or comments by participants, (v) regulation of the voting or balloting, as applicable, and (vi) determination of matters which are to be voted on by ballot, if any. Unless and to the extent determined by the Board of Directors or the presiding officer, meetings of shareholders shall not be required to be held in accordance with rules of parliamentary procedure.

Section 1.8 Certification of Votes. If the object of a shareholders’ meeting be to elect Directors or to take a vote of the shareholders on any proposition, then the presiding officer shall appoint not less than two persons, who are not Directors, inspectors to receive and canvass the votes given at such meeting and certify the result to him or her. The inspectors may appoint or retain other persons or entities to assist the inspectors in the performance of their duties. Any report or certificate made by the inspectors shall be prima facie evidence on the facts stated therein.

Section 1.9 Transmittal of Notices.

(a) Notices to shareholders regarding the annual meeting or special meetings shall be in writing, shall provide the place, date and hour set, and means of remote communication, if any, for the meeting, shall be given no less than ten nor more than 70 days before the date of the meeting, by or at the direction of the Secretary, to each shareholder of record entitled to vote at such meeting.

 

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(b) Notices to shareholders may be delivered in any reasonable manner including, but not limited to, U.S. mail, private courier, hand delivery or electronic transmission. An electronic transmission means any process of communication not directly involving the physical transfer of paper that is suitable for the retention, retrieval and reproduction of information by the recipient, including, but not limited to, facsimile transmission, telex, telegram and communication utilizing the internet. Notice by U.S. mail or private courier shall be deemed given when deposited with the postal service or courier. Notice by electronic transmission shall be deemed given when transmitted.

Section 1.10 Action By Consent. Any action which may be taken at a meeting of the shareholders may be taken without a meeting if consents in writing, setting forth the action so taken, shall be signed by all of the shareholders entitled to vote with respect to the subject matter thereof.

ARTICLE 2. DIRECTORS

Section 2.1 Number, Election, Removal and Vacancies. The whole Board of Directors shall consist of not less than three nor more than 15 members, the exact number to be set from time to time by the Board of Directors. No decrease in the number of Directors shall shorten the term of any incumbent Director. The Directors shall be elected at the annual meeting of the shareholders, except as provided below, and each Director elected shall hold office until his or her successor is elected and qualified. Directors may be removed during their term only for cause and then only by the holders of a majority of the shares entitled to vote at an election of Directors, represented in person or by proxy at any duly constituted meeting of the shareholders called for the purpose of removing any such Directors. Vacancies on the Board of Directors and newly created directorships resulting from any increase in the number of Directors may be filled by a majority of the Directors then in office, although less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining Director, until the next election of Directors by the shareholders.

Section 2.2 Advance Notice of Nominations.

(a) Nominations of individuals for election to the Board of Directors may be made at an annual meeting of shareholders (i) pursuant to the Corporation’s notice of meeting, (ii) by or at the direction of a majority of the Board of Directors, or (iii) by any shareholder in accordance with Section 2.2(b).

(b) For any nomination to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a shareholder:

(1) The shareholder must be a shareholder of record both at the time of giving of notice required in this Section 2.2(b) and at the time of the meeting.

(2) The Secretary must receive, at the principal executive offices of the Corporation, a written notice from the shareholder not less than 90 days nor more than 120 days prior to the first anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting; provided, however, that if (i) no annual meeting was held in the previous year or (ii) the date of the annual meeting is advanced or delayed by more than 30 days from such anniversary date, notice by the shareholder must be received not later than the later of the 90th day prior to such annual meeting or the tenth day following the public announcement of such meeting. Neither an adjournment nor a postponement of an annual meeting (or an announcement thereof) shall begin a new time period for delivering a shareholder’s notice.

 

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(3) The shareholder’s notice shall set forth:

(i) as to each proposed nominee (a) the name, age, business and residential addresses, and principal occupation or employment of each proposed nominee, (b) the nominee’s Disclosable Interests, if any, as of the date of such notice, including without limitation any Disclosable Interests held by members of such nominee’s immediate family sharing the same household (which information shall be supplemented by such nominee, if any, not later than 10 days after the record date for the meeting to disclose such ownership as of the record date), (c) a description of all direct and indirect compensation and other material monetary agreements, arrangements and understandings during the past three years, and any other material relationships between or among such shareholder and beneficial owner, if any, and their respective affiliates or others acting in concert therewith (on the one hand) and each proposed nominee and his or her affiliates or others acting in concert therewith (on the other hand), including without limitation all information that would be required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404 promulgated under Regulation S-K if the shareholder making the nomination and any beneficial owner on whose behalf the nomination is made, if any, or any affiliate or person acting in concert therewith, were the “registrant” for purposes of such rule and the nominee were a director or executive officer of such registrant, (d) a completed and signed questionnaire, representation and agreement required by Section 2.2(e), (e) all other information relating to such person that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filings required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies for election of Directors in a contested election, or is otherwise required pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Exchange Act, and (f) the written consent of each proposed nominee to being named as a nominee in the proxy statement and to serve as a Director of the Corporation if so elected; and

(ii) as to the shareholder giving the notice and the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the nomination is made, (a) the name and address of such shareholder and beneficial owner, as they appear on the Corporation’s books, (b) the shareholder’s and beneficial owner’s Disclosable Interests, if any, as of the date of such notice, including without limitation any Disclosable Interests held by members of such shareholder’s immediate family sharing the same household (which information shall be supplemented by such shareholder and beneficial owner, if any, not later than 10 days after the record date for the meeting to disclose such ownership as of the record date), (c) a representation that the shareholder intends to appear in person or by proxy at the meeting to nominate the person or persons specified in the notice, (d) any other information that would be required to be provided by the shareholder or beneficial owner in a proxy statement or other filing required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies for the proposal

 

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pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Exchange Act in such person’s capacity as a proponent of a shareholder proposal, and (e) a representation as to whether the shareholder or the beneficial owner, if any, intends or is part of a group which intends (i) to deliver a proxy statement and/or form of proxy to holders of at least the percentage of the Corporation’s outstanding capital stock required to elect the nominee, or (ii) otherwise solicit proxies from shareholders in support of such nominee.

In addition, to be considered timely, a shareholder’s notice to the Secretary shall further be updated and supplemented, if necessary, so that the information provided or required to be provided in such notice shall be true and correct as of the record date for the meeting and as of the date that is 10 business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof, and the Secretary must receive, at the principal executive offices of the Corporation, such update and supplement not later than five business days after the record date for the meeting in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of the record date, and not later than eight business days prior to the date for the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of 10 business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof.

(4) Any proposed nominee shall furnish any information, in addition to that required above, to the Corporation as it may reasonably require to determine the eligibility of the proposed nominee to serve as an independent Director or that could be material to a reasonable shareholder’s understanding of the independence, or lack thereof, of such nominee.

(c) Nominations of individuals for election to the Board of Directors may be made at a special meeting of shareholders at which Directors are to be elected (i) pursuant to the Corporation’s notice of meeting, (ii) by or at the direction of a majority of the Board of Directors, or (iii) provided that the Board of Directors has determined that Directors shall be elected at such special meeting, by any shareholder in accordance with Section 2.2(d).

(d) For any nomination to be properly brought before a special meeting by a shareholder:

(1) The shareholder must be a shareholder of record both at the time of giving of notice provided for in this Section 2.2(d) and at the time of the meeting.

(2) The Secretary must receive, at the principal executive offices of the Corporation, a written notice from the shareholder not later than the later of the 90th day prior to such special meeting or the tenth day following the public announcement of such special meeting. Such notice must contain the same information as required under Section 2.2(b)(3). Neither an adjournment nor a postponement of a special meeting (or an announcement thereof) shall begin a new time period for delivering a shareholder’s notice.

 

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(3) No other proposals of business by a shareholder, other than the nomination of persons for election to the Board of Directors requested by a shareholder, may be considered at the special meeting.

(4) Any proposed nominee shall furnish any information, in addition to that required above, to the Corporation as it may reasonably require to determine the eligibility of the proposed nominee to serve as an independent Director or that could be material to a reasonable shareholder’s understanding of the independence, or lack thereof, of such nominee.

(e) Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in these Bylaws, the Corporation shall include in its proxy statement for annual meetings of shareholders after the 2017 annual meeting the name, together with the Required Information (as defined below), of qualifying persons nominated for election (the “Shareholder Nominee”) to the Board of Directors by a shareholder or group of shareholders that satisfy the requirements of this Section 2.2(e), including without limitation qualifying as an Eligible Shareholder (as defined below) and that expressly elects at the time of providing the written notice required by this Section 2.2(e) (a “Proxy Access Notice”) to have its nominee included in the Corporation’s proxy materials pursuant to this Section 2.2(e).

(1) For the purposes of this Section 2.2(e):

(i) “Voting Stock” shall mean outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote generally for the election of Directors;

(ii) “Constituent Holder” shall mean any shareholder, investment fund included within a Qualifying Fund (as defined below) or beneficial holder whose stock ownership is counted for the purposes of qualifying as holding the Proxy Access Request Required Shares (as defined below) or qualifying as an Eligible Shareholder (as defined below);

(iii) “affiliate” and “associate” shall have the meanings ascribed thereto in Rule 405 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”); provided, however, that the term “partner” as used in the definition of “associate” shall not include any limited partner that is not involved in the management of the relevant partnership; and

(iv) a shareholder (including any Constituent Holder) shall be deemed to own only those outstanding shares of Voting Stock as to which the shareholder itself (or such Constituent Holder itself) possesses both (a) the full voting and investment rights pertaining to the shares and (b) the full economic interest in (including the opportunity for profit and risk of loss on) such shares. The number of shares calculated in accordance with the foregoing clauses (a) and (b) shall be deemed not to include (and to the extent any of the following arrangements have been entered into by affiliates of the shareholder (or of any Constituent Holder), shall be reduced by) any shares (x) sold by such shareholder or Constituent Holder (or any of either’s affiliates) in any transaction that has not been

 

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settled or closed, including any short sale, (y) borrowed by such shareholder or Constituent Holder (or any of either’s affiliates) for any purposes or purchased by such shareholder or Constituent Holder (or any of either’s affiliates) pursuant to an agreement to resell, or (z) subject to any option, warrant, forward contract, swap, contract of sale, other derivative or similar agreement entered into by such shareholder or Constituent Holder (or any of either’s affiliates), whether any such instrument or agreement is to be settled with shares, cash or other consideration, in any such case which instrument or agreement has, or is intended to have, or if exercised by either party thereto would have, the purpose or effect of (i) reducing in any manner, to any extent or at any time in the future, such shareholder’s or Constituent Holder’s (or either’s affiliate’s) full right to vote or direct the voting of any such shares, and/or (ii) hedging, offsetting or altering to any degree gain or loss arising from the full economic ownership of such shares by such shareholder or Constituent Holder (or either’s affiliate). A shareholder (including any Constituent Holder) shall be deemed to own shares held in the name of a nominee or other intermediary so long as the shareholder itself (or such Constituent Holder itself) retains the right to instruct how the shares are voted with respect to the election of Directors and the right to direct the disposition thereof and possesses the full economic interest in the shares. For purposes of this Section 2.2(e), a shareholder’s (including any Constituent Holder’s) ownership of shares shall be deemed to continue during any period in which the shareholder has loaned such shares so long as such shareholder retains the power to recall such shares on no greater than five business days’ notice or has delegated any voting power over such shares by means of a proxy, power of attorney or other instrument or arrangement so long as such delegation is revocable at any time by the shareholder.

(2) For purposes of this Section 2.2(e), the “Required Information” that the Corporation will include in its proxy statement is (i) the information concerning the Shareholder Nominee and the Eligible Shareholder that the Corporation determines is required to be disclosed in the Corporation’s proxy statement by the regulations promulgated under the Exchange Act; and (ii) if the Eligible Shareholder so elects, a Statement (as defined below). The Corporation shall also include the name of the Shareholder Nominee in its proxy card. Any other provision of these Bylaws notwithstanding, the Corporation may in its sole discretion solicit against, and include in the proxy statement its own statement(s) or other information relating to, any Eligible Shareholder and/or Shareholder Nominee, including any information provided to the Corporation with respect to the foregoing.

(3) To be timely, a shareholder’s Proxy Access Notice must be received by the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation within the time periods applicable to shareholder notices of nominations pursuant to Section 2.2(b). Neither an adjournment nor a postponement of an annual meeting (or an announcement thereof) shall begin a new time period for delivering a Proxy Access Notice.

 

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(4) The maximum number of Shareholder Nominees (including Shareholder Nominees that were submitted by an Eligible Shareholder for inclusion in the Corporation’s proxy materials pursuant to this Section 2.2(e) but are either subsequently withdrawn or that the Board of Directors decides to nominate as Board of Directors’ nominees or otherwise appoint to the Board) appearing in the Corporation’s proxy materials pursuant to this Section 2.2(e) with respect to an annual meeting of shareholders shall not exceed the greater of (x) two Directors or (y) the largest whole number that does not exceed 20% of the number of Directors in office as of the last day on which a Proxy Access Notice may be delivered in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section 2.2(e) (such greater number, the “Permitted Number”); provided, however, that the Permitted Number shall be reduced by:

(i) the number of Directors in office or director candidates for whom access to the Corporation’s proxy materials was previously provided (or requested) pursuant to this Section 2.2(e), other than (a) any such director referred to in this clause (i) whose term of office will expire at such annual meeting and who is not seeking (or agreeing) to be nominated at such meeting for another term of office and (b) any such director who at the time of such annual meeting will have served as a director continuously as a nominee of the Board of Directors for at least two successive annual terms;

(ii) the number of such director candidates for which the Corporation shall have received one or more shareholder notices nominating director candidates pursuant to Section 2.2(b); and

(iii) the number of Directors in office or director candidates that in either case were elected or appointed to the Board of Directors or will be included in the Corporation’s proxy materials with respect to such annual meeting as an unopposed (by the Corporation) nominee, pursuant to an agreement, arrangement or other understanding with a shareholder or group of shareholders (other than any such agreement, arrangement or understanding entered into in connection with an acquisition of Voting Stock, by such shareholder or group of shareholders, from the Corporation), other than any such director referred to in this clause (iii) whose term of office will expire at such annual meeting and who is not seeking (or agreeing) to be nominated at such meeting for another term of office; provided that this clause (iii) shall only apply to the annual meeting which follows such agreement, arrangement or understanding;

provided, further, in the event the Board of Directors resolves to reduce the size of the Board of Directors effective on or prior to the date of the annual meeting, the Permitted Number shall be calculated based on the number of Directors in office as so reduced. An Eligible Shareholder submitting more than one Shareholder Nominee for inclusion in the Corporation’s proxy statement pursuant to this Section 2.2(e) shall rank such Shareholder Nominees based on the order that the Eligible Shareholder desires such Shareholder Nominees to be selected for inclusion in the Corporation’s proxy statement and include such specified rank in its Proxy Access Notice. If the number of Shareholder Nominees pursuant to this Section 2.2(e) for an annual meeting of shareholders exceeds the Permitted Number, then the

 

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highest ranking qualifying Shareholder Nominee from each Eligible Shareholder will be selected by the Corporation for inclusion in the proxy statement until the Permitted Number is reached, going in order of the amount (largest to smallest) of the ownership position as disclosed in each Eligible Shareholder’s Proxy Access Notice. If the Permitted Number is not reached after the highest ranking Shareholder Nominee from each Eligible Shareholder has been selected, this selection process will continue as many times as necessary, following the same order each time, until the Permitted Number is reached.

(5) An “Eligible Shareholder” is one or more shareholders of record who own and have owned, or are acting on behalf of one or more beneficial owners who own and have owned (in each case as defined above), in each case continuously for at least three years as of both the date that the Proxy Access Notice is received by the Corporation pursuant to this Section 2.2(e), and as of the record date for the determination of shareholders entitled to notice and to vote at the annual meeting, at least three percent of the aggregate voting power of the Voting Stock (the “Proxy Access Request Required Shares”), and who continue to own the Proxy Access Request Required Shares at all times between the date such Proxy Access Notice is received by the Corporation and the date of the applicable annual meeting, provided that the aggregate number of shareholders, and, if and to the extent that a shareholder is acting on behalf of one or more beneficial owners, of such beneficial owners, whose stock ownership is counted for the purpose of satisfying the foregoing ownership requirement shall not exceed 20. Two or more investment funds that are part of same family of funds by virtue of being under common management and investment control, under common management and sponsored primarily by the same employer or a “group of investment companies” (as such term is defined in Section 12(d)(1)(G)(ii) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended) (a “Qualifying Fund”) shall be treated as one shareholder for the purpose of determining the aggregate number of shareholders in this subsection (5), provided that each fund included within a Qualifying Fund otherwise meets the requirements set forth in this Section 2.2(e). No shares may be attributed to more than one group constituting an Eligible Shareholder under this Section 2.2(e), and no shareholder may be a member of more than one group constituting an Eligible Shareholder. A record holder acting on behalf of one or more beneficial owners will not be counted separately as a shareholder with respect to the shares owned by beneficial owners on whose behalf such record holder has been directed in writing to act, but each such beneficial owner will be counted separately, subject to the other provisions of this subsection (5), for purposes of determining the number of shareholders whose holdings may be considered as part of an Eligible Shareholder’s holdings. Proxy Access Request Required Shares will qualify as such if and only if the beneficial owner of such shares as of the date of the Proxy Access Notice has itself individually beneficially owned such shares continuously for the three-year period ending on that date and through the other applicable dates referred to above (in addition to the other applicable requirements being met).

 

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(6) No later than the final date when a Proxy Access Notice pursuant to this Section 2.2(e) may be timely delivered to the Secretary, an Eligible Shareholder (including each Constituent Holder) must provide the information required by Section 2.2(b)(3) of this Article II to the Secretary of the Corporation and also provide the following information in writing to the Secretary:

(i) with respect to each Constituent Holder, the name and address of, and number of shares of Voting Stock owned by, such person;

(ii) one or more written statements from the record holder of the shares (and from each intermediary through which the shares are or have been held during the requisite three-year holding period) verifying that, as of a date within seven calendar days prior to the date the Proxy Access Notice is delivered to the Corporation, such person owns, and has owned continuously for the preceding three years, the Proxy Access Request Required Shares, and such person’s agreement to provide:

(a) within 10 days after the record date for the annual meeting, written statements from the record holder and intermediaries verifying such person’s continuous ownership of the Proxy Access Request Required Shares through the record date, together with any additional information reasonably requested to verify such person’s ownership of the Proxy Access Request Required Shares; and

(b) immediate notice if the Eligible Shareholder ceases to own any of the Proxy Access Request Required Shares prior to the date of the applicable annual meeting of shareholders;

(iii) a representation that such person:

(a) acquired the Proxy Access Request Required Shares in the ordinary course of business and not with the intent to change or influence control of the Corporation, and does not presently have any such intent;

(b) has not nominated and will not nominate for election to the Board of Directors at the annual meeting any person other than the Shareholder Nominee(s) being nominated pursuant to this Section 2.2(e);

(c) has not engaged and will not engage in, and has not and will not be a “participant” in another person’s, “solicitation” within the meaning of Rule 14a-1(l) under the Exchange Act with respect to the Corporation in support of the election of any individual as a director at the annual meeting other than its Shareholder Nominee(s) or a nominee of the Board of Directors;

 

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(d) will not distribute to any shareholder of the Corporation any form of proxy for the annual meeting other than the form distributed by the Corporation; and

(e) will provide facts, statements and other information in all communications with the Corporation and its shareholders that are and will be true and correct in all material respects and do not and will not omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, and will otherwise comply with all applicable laws, rules and regulations in connection with any actions taken pursuant to this Section 2.2(e);

(iv) in the case of a nomination by a group of shareholders that together is such an Eligible Shareholder, the designation by all group members of one group member that is authorized to act on behalf of all members of the nominating shareholder group with respect to the nomination and matters related thereto, including withdrawal of the nomination; and

(v) an undertaking that such person agrees to:

(a) assume all liability stemming from, and indemnify and hold harmless the Corporation and its affiliates and each of its and their directors, officers, and employees individually against any liability, loss or damages in connection with any threatened or pending action, suit or proceeding, whether legal, administrative or investigative, against the Corporation or its affiliates or any of its or their directors, officers or employees arising out of any legal or regulatory violation arising out of the Eligible Shareholder’s communications with the shareholders of the Corporation or out of the information that the Eligible Shareholder provided to the Corporation in connection with the nomination of the Shareholder Nominee(s) or its efforts to elect such person(s) to the Board;

(b) promptly provide to the Corporation such other information as the Corporation may reasonably request; and

(c) file with the Securities and Exchange Commission any solicitation by the Eligible Shareholder of shareholders of the Corporation relating to the annual meeting at which the Shareholder Nominee will be nominated.

In addition, no later than the final date when a Proxy Access Notice pursuant to this Section 2.2(e) may be timely delivered to the Secretary, a Qualifying Fund whose stock ownership is counted for purposes of qualifying as an Eligible Shareholder must provide to the Secretary of the Corporation documentation reasonably satisfactory to the Board of Directors that demonstrates that the funds included within the Qualifying Fund satisfy the definition thereof. In order to be considered timely, any information required by this Section 2.2(e) to be provided to the Corporation must be further updated and supplemented (through receipt by the Secretary) if necessary so that the

 

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information shall be true and correct as of the record date for the meeting and as of the date that is 10 business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof, and the Secretary must receive, at the principal executive offices of the Corporation, such update and supplement not later than five business days after the record date for the meeting in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of the record date, and not later than eight business days prior to the date for the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of 10 business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof.

(7) The Eligible Shareholder may provide to the Secretary, at the time the information required by this Section 2.2(e) is originally provided, a single written statement for inclusion in the Corporation’s proxy statement for the annual meeting, not to exceed 500 words, in support of the candidacy of each such Eligible Shareholder’s Shareholder Nominee(s) (the “Statement”). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Section 2.2(e), the Corporation may omit from its proxy materials any information or Statement that it, in good faith, believes is materially false or misleading, omits to state any material fact, directly or indirectly without factual foundation impugns the character, integrity or personal reputation of or makes charges concerning improper, illegal or immoral conduct or associations with respect to any person or would violate any applicable law or regulation.

(8) No later than the final date when a Proxy Access Notice pursuant to this Section 2.2(e) may be timely delivered to the Secretary, each Shareholder Nominee must provide to the Secretary the information required by Section 2.2(b), a completed and executed questionnaire, representation and agreement as required by Section 2.2(e) and also:

(i) provide an executed agreement, in a form deemed satisfactory by the Board of Directors or its designee (which form shall be provided by the Corporation reasonably promptly upon written request of a shareholder), that such Shareholder Nominee consents to being named in the Corporation’s proxy statement and form of proxy card (and will not agree to be named in any other person’s proxy statement or form of proxy card with respect to the Corporation) as a nominee and to serving as a director of the Corporation if elected and that such Shareholder Nominee will promptly provide to the Corporation such other information as the Corporation may reasonably request; and

(ii) provide such additional information as necessary to permit the Board of Directors to determine if any of the matters referred to in subsection (10) below apply and to determine if such Shareholder Nominee has any direct or indirect relationship with the Corporation other than those relationships that have been deemed categorically immaterial pursuant to the Corporation’s Corporate Governance Guidelines or is or has been subject to any event specified in Item 401(f) of Regulation S-K (or successor rule) of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

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In the event that any information or communications provided by the Eligible Shareholder (or any Constituent Holder) or the Shareholder Nominee to the Corporation or its shareholders ceases to be true and correct in all material respects or omits a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, each Eligible Shareholder or Shareholder Nominee, as the case may be, shall promptly notify the Secretary of any defect in such previously provided information and of the information that is required to correct any such defect; it being understood for the avoidance of doubt that providing any such notification shall not be deemed to cure any such defect or limit the remedies (including without limitation under these Bylaws) available to the Corporation relating to any such defect.

Any proposed Shareholder Nominee shall also furnish any information, in addition to that required above, to the Corporation as it may reasonably require to determine the eligibility of the proposed nominee to serve as an independent Director or that could be material to a reasonable shareholder’s understanding of the independence, or lack thereof, of such nominee.

(9) Any Shareholder Nominee who is included in the Corporation’s proxy statement for a particular annual meeting of shareholders, but subsequently is determined not to satisfy the eligibility requirements of this Section 2.2(e) or any other provision of these Bylaws, the Restated Articles of Incorporation or other applicable regulation any time before the annual meeting of shareholders, will not be eligible for election at the relevant annual meeting of shareholders.

(10) The Corporation shall not be required to include, pursuant to this Section 2.2(e), a Shareholder Nominee in its proxy materials for any annual meeting of shareholders, or, if the proxy statement already has been filed, to allow the nomination of (or vote with respect to) a Shareholder Nominee (and may declare such nomination ineligible), notwithstanding that proxies in respect of such vote may have been received by the Corporation:

(i) who is not independent under the listing standards of the principal U.S. exchange upon which the common stock of the Corporation is listed, any applicable rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission and any publicly disclosed standards used by the Board of Directors in determining and disclosing independence of the Corporation’s Directors (including without limitation the Corporation’s Director Qualification Standards) or who is not a “non-employee director” for the purposes of Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act (or any successor rule) or who is not an “outside director” for the purposes of Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (or any successor provision), in each case as determined by the Board of Directors;

 

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(ii) whose service as a member of the Board of Directors would violate or cause the Corporation to be in violation of these Bylaws, the Restated Articles of Incorporation, the rules and listing standards of the principal U.S. exchange upon which the common stock of the Corporation is traded, or any applicable law, rule or regulation;

(iii) who is or has been, within the past three (3) years, an officer or director of a competitor, as defined in Section 8 of the Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914, as amended, or who is a subject of a pending criminal proceeding (other than in connection with traffic violations and other similar minor offenses), has been convicted in a criminal proceeding within the past 10 years or is subject to an order of the type specified in Rule 506(d) of Regulation D promulgated under the Securities Act;

(iv) if the Eligible Shareholder (or any Constituent Holder) or applicable Shareholder Nominee otherwise breaches or fails to comply in any material respect with its obligations pursuant to this Section 2.2(e) or any agreement, representation or undertaking required by this Section 2.2(e); or

(v) if the Eligible Shareholder ceases to be an Eligible Shareholder for any reason, including but not limited to not owning the Proxy Access Request Required Shares through the date of the applicable annual meeting.

Any proposed Shareholder Nominee shall furnish any information, in addition to that required above, to the Corporation as it may reasonably require to determine the eligibility of the proposed nominee to serve as an independent Director or that could be material to a reasonable shareholder’s understanding of the independence, or lack thereof, of such nominee.

(f) Only such persons who are nominated in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section 2.2 shall be eligible to serve as Directors. The presiding officer shall determine whether a nomination was made in accordance with this Section 2.2 and, if any proposed nomination is not in compliance with this Section 2.2, to declare that such defective nomination be disregarded. The presiding officer shall have sole authority to decide questions of compliance with the foregoing procedures, and his or her ruling shall be final.

(g) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 2.2, (i) unless the shareholder (or a qualified representative of the shareholder) appears at the applicable meeting of shareholders to present the nomination and another shareholder seconds the shareholder’s motion, such nomination shall be disregarded, and (ii) a shareholder shall also comply with state law and the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder with respect to the matters set forth in this Section 2.2.

Section 2.3 Qualification. No person shall be eligible to be elected and to hold office as a Director if such person is determined by a majority of the whole Board of Directors to have acted contrary to the best interests of the Corporation, including, but not limited to, (i) violation of either State or Federal law, (ii) maintenance of interests not properly authorized and in conflict with the interests of the Corporation, or (iii) breach of any agreement between such Director and the Corporation relating to such Director’s services as a Director, employee or agent of the Corporation.

 

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Section 2.4 Regular and Special Directors Meetings.

(a) Regular meetings of the Board of Directors may be held at such time and at such place, within or without the State of Missouri, as shall from time to time be determined by the Board of Directors. No notice of regular meetings of the Board of Directors need be given.

(b) Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be called by the Board Chair, the Lead Director, Chief Executive Officer or the President, and shall be called by the Secretary on the written request of three or more Directors. Notice of any special meeting shall be given to each Director at such Director’s last known address by telephone, electronic transmission or other means not later than the day preceding the date of the meeting. Attendance of a Director at any meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of the meeting, except where a Director attends a meeting for the sole and express purpose of objecting to the transaction of any business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened.

(c) A majority of members of the Board of Directors in office shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of the Board of Directors, but a lesser number may adjourn a meeting to another time or day if a quorum is not present. The act of the majority of the Directors present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the Board of Directors, unless the act of a greater number is required by the Restated Articles of Incorporation, by these Bylaws or by law.

(d) Members of the Board of Directors or of any committee designated by the Board of Directors may participate in a meeting of the Board of Directors or committee by means of conference telephone or similar communications equipment whereby all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other, and participation in a meeting in this manner shall constitute presence in person at the meeting.

Section 2.5 Action By Consent. Any action which is required to be or may be taken at a meeting of the Directors may be taken without a meeting if consents in writing, setting forth the action so taken, are signed by all the Directors. Any action which is required to be or may be taken at a meeting of a committee of Directors may be taken without a meeting if consents in writing, setting forth the action so taken, are signed by all the members of the committee.

Section 2.6 Committees.

(a) The Board of Directors shall have three standing committees—the Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee—and may designate other committees in its discretion. Each committee shall consist of not less than two Directors and shall have such powers and duties as shall be delegated to it by the Board of Directors.

 

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(b) Each member of such committee shall hold office at the pleasure of the Directors and may be removed by the Board of Directors at any time with or without cause. Vacancies occurring in any committee may be filled by the Board of Directors. During any vacancy on a committee, the remaining members shall have full power to act as the committee.

(c) Each committee may prescribe its own rules for calling and holding meetings and its method of procedure, subject, however, to any rules prescribed by the Board of Directors, and, if no such rules shall have been prescribed, the rules applicable to calling and holding of a meeting of the Board of Directors shall apply to the committee meetings.

(d) A quorum for any meeting of a committee shall consist of not less than a majority of the members in office at the time. A Director who may be disqualified, by reason of personal interest, from voting on any particular matter before a meeting of a committee may nevertheless be counted for the purpose of constituting a quorum of the committee. At each meeting of the committee at which a quorum is present, all questions and business shall be determined by the affirmative vote of not less than a majority of the members present.

(e) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 2.6, no committee shall be empowered to elect Directors to fill vacancies among the Directors or on any committee of the Directors.

(f) Persons dealing with the Corporation shall be entitled to rely upon any action of a committee with the same force and effect as though such action had been taken by the Directors. Subject to the rights of third persons, any action of a committee shall be subject to revision or alteration by the Directors.

Section 2.7 Compensation of Directors. Directors and members of any committee of the Board of Directors shall be entitled to such reasonable compensation and fees for their services as such as shall be fixed from time to time by resolution of the Board of Directors and shall also be entitled to reimbursement for any reasonable expenses incurred in attending meetings of the Board of Directors and any committee thereof; provided, that nothing herein contained shall be construed to preclude any Director from serving the Corporation in any other capacity and receiving compensation therefor.

Section 2.8 Honorary Directors. In addition to the Directors, there may be as many Honorary or Advisory Directors and Directors Emeritus as the Board of Directors may appoint. Honorary or Advisory Directors and Directors Emeritus (i) shall have no liability after they become such for the actions of the Board of Directors, (ii) shall be notified of all meetings of the Board of Directors in the same manner as the Directors, but shall not be required to attend any meeting of the Board of Directors, and (iii) shall not have the right to vote on matters before such meetings.

 

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ARTICLE 3. OFFICERS

Section 3.1 Officers. The officers of the Corporation may include the Board Chair, the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Operating Officer, the Chief Financial Officer, the President, one or more Vice Presidents, the Secretary, the Treasurer, and such other officers, assistant or deputy officers as may be appointed from time to time. Any two or more offices may be held by the same person. The officers of the Corporation shall have such authority and shall perform such duties as are customarily incident to their respective offices or as shall be specified from time to time by the Board of Directors or the Board Chair, regardless of whether such authority and duties are customarily incident to such office.

Section 3.2 Appointment. The officers of the Corporation shall be appointed by the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may delegate its authority to appoint one or more officers to the Chief Executive Officer; provided, however, that the authority to appoint the Board Chair, the Chief Executive Officer, the President and the Secretary shall not be delegated. Each officer shall hold office until his or her death, resignation, retirement or removal or until such officer’s successor is appointed.

Section 3.3 Removal. Any officer may be removed by the Board of Directors at any time, with or without cause, but such removal shall be without prejudice to the contract rights, if any, of the person so removed. In addition, any officer which the Chief Executive Officer has the authority to appoint may be removed by the Chief Executive Officer at any time, with or without cause. Election or appointment of an officer shall not of itself create contract rights.

ARTICLE 4. CERTIFICATES FOR SHARES

Section 4.1 Issuance of Certificates. The shares of the Corporation shall be represented by certificates, provided, however, that the Board of Directors may provide by resolution that some or all of any classes or series of the Corporation’s stock shall be uncertificated shares. Any such resolution shall not apply to shares represented by a certificate until such certificate is surrendered to the Corporation. Notwithstanding the adoption of such a resolution by the Board of Directors, every holder of stock represented by certificates and, upon request, every holder of uncertificated shares, shall be entitled to have a certificate, in any form approved by the Board of Directors, certifying the number and class of shares owned by the shareholder in the Corporation, signed by (i) the Board Chair, the Chief Executive Officer, the President or a Vice President, and (ii) the Secretary or Treasurer or an Assistant Secretary or an Assistant Treasurer of the Corporation, and sealed with the seal of the Corporation which may be a facsimile engraved or printed. Each certificate representing shares shall state upon the face thereof that the Corporation is organized under the laws of the State of Missouri, the name of the person to whom issued, the number and class and the designation of the series, if any, which such certificate represents, and the par value of each share represented by such certificate or a statement that the shares are without par value.

If the certificate is countersigned by a transfer agent other than the Corporation or its employee, or by a registrar other than the Corporation or its employee, any other signature on the certificate maybe a facsimile signature, or may be engraved or printed. In case any officer, transfer agent or registrar who has signed or whose facsimile signature has been placed on the certificate shall have ceased to be an officer, transfer agent or registrar before the certificate is issued, the certificate may nevertheless be issued by the Corporation with the same effect as if such person were an officer, transfer agent or registrar at the date of issue.

 

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Section 4.2 Lost, Stolen, Destroyed or Mutilated Certificate. The holder of any shares of stock of the Corporation shall immediately notify the Corporation and its transfer agents and registrars, if any, of any loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of the certificates representing the same. The Corporation, acting through any of its duly authorized officers or other duly authorized employees, may direct a new certificate or certificates or uncertificated shares to be issued in place of any certificate or certificates previously issued by the Corporation alleged to have been lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated, upon the filing of an affidavit of that fact by the person claiming the certificate to be lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated. When authorizing such issue of a new certificate or certificates or uncertificated shares, the Corporation may, in its discretion and as a condition precedent to the issuance thereof, require the owner of such lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated certificate or certificates, or the owner’s legal representative, to advertise the same in such manner as the Corporation shall require and/or to give the Corporation a bond in such sum and in such form as the Corporation may direct, and with a surety or sureties which the Corporation finds satisfactory, as indemnity against any claim or liability that may be made against or incurred by the Corporation and its transfer agents and registrars, if any, with respect to the certificate alleged to have been lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated.

Section 4.3 Transfer of Stock; Certificate Cancellation. The shares of stock of the Corporation shall be transferable only upon its books by the holders thereof in person or by their duly authorized attorneys or legal representatives. Upon transfer of certificated shares, the old certificates shall be surrendered to the Corporation by the delivery thereof to the person in charge of the stock and transfer books and ledgers or to such other persons as the Board of Directors may designate, by whom they shall be cancelled and new certificates shall thereupon be issued. In the case of uncertificated shares, transfer shall be made only upon receipt of transfer documentation reasonably acceptable to the Corporation.

Section 4.4 Registered Owner. The Corporation shall be entitled to recognize the exclusive rights of a person registered on its books as the owner of shares to receive dividends, and to vote as such owner, and shall not be bound to recognize any equitable or other claim to or interest in such share or shares on the part of any other person, whether or not it shall have express or other notice thereof, except as otherwise provided by the laws of the State of Missouri.

Section 4.5 Transfer Agents and Registrars. The Board of Directors may appoint one or more transfer agents or transfer clerks and one or more registrars which may be banks, trust companies or other financial institutions located within or without the State of Missouri; may define the authority of such transfer agents and registrars of transfers; may require all stock certificates to bear the signature of a transfer agent or registrar of transfers, or both; may impose such rules, regulations or procedures regarding uncertificated shares as it deems appropriate; and may change or remove any such transfer agent or registrar of transfers.

Section 4.6 Closing of Transfer Books and Fixing of Record Date. The Board of Directors shall have the power to close the transfer books of the Corporation for a period not exceeding 70 days prior to the date of any meeting of shareholders, or the date for payment of any dividend, or the date for all allotment of rights, or the date when any change or conversion or exchange of shares shall go into effect. In lieu of so closing the transfer books, the Board of Directors may fix in advance a record date for the determination of the shareholders entitled to notice of and to vote at any meeting and any adjournment or postponement thereof, or entitled to receive payment of any dividend or any allotment of rights, or entitled to exercise the rights in

 

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respect of any change, conversion or exchange of shares, up to 70 days prior to the date of any meeting of shareholders, or the date for the payment of any dividend, or the date for the allotment of rights, or the date when any change or conversion or exchange of shares shall go into effect. In such case only the shareholders who are shareholders of record on the date of closing the share transfer books, or on the record date so fixed, shall be entitled to receive notice of and to vote at such meeting and any adjournment or postponement thereof, or to receive payment of such dividend, or to receive such allotment of rights, or to exercise such rights, as the case may be, notwithstanding any transfer of any shares on the books of the Corporation after the date of closing of the transfer books or the record date. If the Board of Directors does not close the transfer books or set a record date for the determination of the shareholders entitled to notice of and to vote at any meeting of shareholders, only the shareholders who are shareholders of record at the close of business on the 20th day preceding the date of the meeting shall be entitled to notice of and to vote at the meeting and upon any adjournment or postponement of the meetings, except that if prior to the meeting written waivers of notice of the meeting are signed and delivered to the Corporation by all of the shareholders of record at the time the meeting is convened, only the shareholders who are shareholders of record at the time the meeting is convened shall be entitled to vote at the meeting and any adjournment or postponement of the meeting.

ARTICLE 5. INDEMNIFICATION

Section 5.1 Right of Directors and Officers to Indemnification. Each person who was or is a Director or officer of the Corporation shall be indemnified by the Corporation as a matter of right to the fullest extent permitted or authorized by applicable law and as otherwise provided in Article VIII of the Corporation’s Restated Articles of Incorporation.

The indemnification described in the preceding paragraph of this Article 5 shall pertain to all expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by such person who was or is a party to or who was or is involved in any proceeding by reason of acts or omissions:

(a) in such person’s capacity as or arising out of such person’s status as (i) a Director or officer of the Corporation; or (ii) a Director, officer, employee or agent of another Corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise when so serving at the request of the Corporation; or

(b) in any other capacity while holding the office of either Director or officer of the Corporation.

Section 5.2 Indemnification of Employees, Agents, Etc. Each person who was or is an employee or agent of the Corporation, or who was or is serving at the request of the Corporation as a Director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise (including the heirs, executors, administrators or estate of each such person) may, at the discretion of the Board of Directors, be indemnified by the Corporation to the same extent as provided herein with respect to any person who was or is a Director or officer of the Corporation.

 

22


Section 5.3 Right of Directors and Officers to Advance of Expenses. Expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by any person who was or is a Director or officer of the Corporation in defending any proceeding (including those by or in the right of the Corporation) shall be promptly advanced by the Corporation when so requested by such person at any time and from time to time, but only if the requesting person delivers to the Corporation an undertaking to repay to the Corporation all amounts so advanced if it should ultimately be determined that the requesting person is not entitled to be indemnified by the Corporation under the “indemnification sources” as defined below, agreement, vote of shareholders or disinterested Directors or otherwise.

Section 5.4 Right of Claimant to Bring Suit. If a claim for indemnification under Section 5.1 or 5.3, respectively, is not paid in full by the Corporation within 90 or 15 days, respectively, after a written claim has been received by the Corporation, the claimant may bring suit against the Corporation to recover the unpaid amount of the claim. If the claimant is successful in whole or in part in such suit, the claimant shall also be paid the expense of prosecuting such claim.

It shall be a defense to any suit seeking indemnification under Section 5.1 of these Bylaws that the claimant has not met the standards of conduct which make it permissible (under indemnification sources, agreement, vote of shareholders or disinterested Directors or otherwise) for the Corporation to indemnify the claimant. The failure of the Corporation (through its Directors, independent legal counsel or shareholders) to make a determination before the commencement of such suit that indemnification of the claimant is proper under the circumstances (because the claimant has met the applicable standard of conduct) shall not be a defense to the claimant’s action or create a presumption that the claimant has not met the applicable standard of conduct. Similarly, an actual determination by the Corporation that the claimant has not met such applicable standard of conduct, shall not be a defense to the claimant’s action nor create a presumption that the claimant has not met the applicable standard of conduct.

Section 5.5 Definitions. In this Article the following terms have the following meanings:

(a) The term “applicable law” means (i) Section 351.355 of The Missouri General and Business Corporation Law (other than Subsection 6 thereof and any other Subsection comparable in purpose to Subsection 6) as in effect on May 7, 1986 and as thereafter amended (but in the case of any such amendment, only to the extent such amendment permits the Corporation to provide broader indemnification rights than The Missouri General and Business Corporation Law permitted the Corporation to provide immediately prior to such amendment) and (ii) any other statutory indemnification provisions adopted after May 7, 1986.

(b) The term “Directors” or “officers” of the Corporation shall include the heirs, executors, administrators and estate of each such person who was a Director or officer, which heirs, executors, administrators and estate shall succeed to all of the indemnification and other rights of such Director or officer.

(c) The term “proceedings” shall mean any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or other proceeding (including those by or in the right of the Corporation) whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative.

 

23


(d) The term “fines” shall include any excise taxes assessed on a person with respect to any employee benefit plan.

(e) The term “indemnification sources” shall refer jointly and severally to applicable law as defined above, this Article 5 and Article VIII of the Corporation’s Restated Articles of Incorporation.

(f) The term “other enterprise” shall include employee benefit plans.

(g) The term “serving at the request of the Corporation” shall include any service as a Director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation which imposes duties on, or involves services by, such Director, officer, employee or agent with respect to any employee benefit plan, its participants or beneficiaries.

Section 5.6 Rights Not Exclusive. The indemnification and other rights provided by this Article and the other indemnification sources shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which a Director or officer may be entitled under any agreement, vote of shareholders or disinterested Directors or otherwise, both as to action in such person’s official capacity and as to action in any other capacity while holding the office of Director or officer, and the Corporation may, at its discretion, provide such indemnification and other rights by any agreements, vote of shareholders or disinterested Directors or otherwise.

Section 5.7 Insurance. The Corporation may purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who was or is a Director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation, or was or is serving at the request of the Corporation as a Director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against any liability asserted against or incurred by such person in any such capacity, or arising out of his or her status as such, whether or not the Corporation would have the power to indemnify such person against such liability under these Bylaws, other indemnification sources, agreement, vote of shareholders or disinterested Directors or otherwise.

Section 5.8 Enforceability; Amendment. Each person who was or is a Director or officer of the Corporation is a third party beneficiary of this Article 5 and shall be entitled to enforce against the Corporation all indemnification and other rights provided or contemplated by this Article 5.

This Article 5 may be hereafter amended or repealed; provided, however, no such amendment or repeal shall reduce, terminate or otherwise adversely affect the right of any person who was or is a Director or officer (i) to obtain indemnification or an advance of expenses with respect to a proceeding that pertains to or arises out of actions or omissions that occurred prior to the “Deadline Indemnification Date” as defined in the next paragraph of this Section, or (ii) to bring suit with respect to the foregoing under Section 5.4 hereof.

 

24


The term “Deadline Indemnification Date” means the later of (a) the effective date of any amendment or repeal of this Article 5 which reduces, terminates or otherwise adversely affects the rights hereunder of any person who was or is a Director or officer; (b) the expiration date of such person’s then current term of office with, or service for, the Corporation (provided such person has a stated term of office or service and completes such term); or (c) the effective date such person resigns his or her office or terminates his or her service (provided such person has a stated term of office or service but resigns prior to the expiration of such term).

ARTICLE 6. GENERAL PROVISIONS

Section 6.1 Dividends. The Board of Directors may declare and the Corporation may pay dividends on its outstanding shares in cash, property, or its own shares pursuant to law and subject to the provisions of its Restated Articles of Incorporation.

Section 6.2 Reserves. The Board of Directors may by resolution create a reserve or reserves out of earned surplus for any purpose or purposes, and may abolish any such reserve in the same manner.

Section 6.3 Fiscal Year. The fiscal year of the Corporation shall be fixed by resolution of the Board of Directors. In the absence of such resolution, the fiscal year of the Corporation shall be the calendar year.

Section 6.4 Corporate Seal. The corporate seal shall have inscribed thereon the name of the Corporation and may be used by causing it or a facsimile thereof to be impressed or affixed or in any manner reproduced.

Section 6.5 Examination of Books. Any shareholder of record desiring to examine the books and records of the Corporation may do so during regular business hours at the office of the Corporation where such books and records are normally kept. No such shareholder, however, may remove any such books and records from such premises, and no such shareholder shall make alterations to such books or records, and in each instance of examination by such shareholder of such books or records, an officer or employee designated by an officer of the Corporation shall be present at all times during such examination, and the regular wage or salary of such officer or employee for the period of time spent in such examination shall be paid to the Corporation by such shareholder or shareholders making such examination. Notwithstanding any provision hereinabove to the contrary, no shareholder shall have the right to examine the books or the records of the Corporation if any officer of the Corporation determines, in his or her discretion, that such examination may be to the detriment or competitive disadvantage of the Corporation or if the purpose of such examination is improper.

Section 6.6 Amendments. These Bylaws may be altered, amended, or repealed, to the extent not prohibited by law or the Restated Articles of Incorporation, by the Board of Directors.

Section 6.7 Provisions Additional to Provisions of Law. All restrictions, limitations, requirements and other provisions of these Bylaws shall be construed, insofar as possible, as supplemental and additional to all provisions of law applicable to the subject matter thereof and shall be fully complied with in addition to the said provisions of law unless such compliance shall be illegal.

 

25


Section 6.8 Provisions Contrary to Provisions of Law. Any portion of these Bylaws which, upon being construed in the manner provided in Section 6.7 hereof, shall be contrary to or inconsistent with any applicable provisions of law, shall not apply so long as said provisions of law remain in effect, but such result shall not affect the validity or applicability of any other portion of these Bylaws, it being hereby declared that these Bylaws and each portion thereof would have been adopted, irrespective of the fact that any portion is illegal.

 

26


PROTECTED BYLAWS

The following bylaws have been designated by the Corporation’s Board of Directors as Protected Bylaws in accordance with Article IX, Section 2 of the Corporation’s Restated Articles of Incorporation:

 

ARTICLE 1     
Section 1.1      Annual Meeting – Date, Place and Time
Section 1.2      Business at Annual Meetings
Section 1.3      Special Meetings
Section 1.4      Quorum
Section 1.6      No Cumulative Voting
Section 1.7      Procedure
ARTICLE 2     
Section 2.1      Number, Election, Removal and Vacancies
Section 2.2      Advance Notice of Nominations
Section 2.3      Qualification
Section 2.4      Regular and Special Directors’ Meetings
Section 2.6      Committees
ARTICLE 5     
All Sections     
ARTICLE 6     
Section 6.6      Amendments

Approved: November 7, 2017 February 24, 2021

 

27

EXHIBIT 10.1 - SUMMARY SHEET OF EXECUTIVE CASH COMPENSATION

Exhibit 10.1

SUMMARY SHEET OF EXECUTIVE CASH COMPENSATION

This Summary Sheet contains the 2021 annual base salary rates and target percentages under the Key Officers Incentive Plan (the “KOIP”) adopted by the Board’s Compensation Committee (the “Committee”) on February 23, 2021 for the Company’s principal executive officer, principal financial officer and other named executive officers. This Summary Sheet also contains the 2020 annual base salary rates that were originally approved November 4, 2019, and information concerning the Business Unit Profit Sharing (the “BUPS”) Award Agreements granted to Steven K. Henderson.

 

Named Executive Officers1

   2020 Annual Base
Salary Rate2
     2021 Annual Base
Salary Rate
 

Karl G. Glassman, Chairman & CEO

   $ 1,225,000      $ 1,225,000  

J. Mitchell Dolloff, President & COO, President – Bedding Products

   $ 700,000      $ 800,000  

Jeffrey L. Tate, EVP & CFO3

   $ 570,000      $ 600,000  

Steven K. Henderson, EVP, President – Specialized Products and Furniture, Flooring & Textile Products

   $ 530,000      $ 541,000  

Scott S. Douglas, SVP – General Counsel & Secretary

   $ 450,000      $ 480,000  

 

1 

Perry E. Davis, former EVP, President – Residential Products & Industrial Products (SVP – Operations, 1/1/2020 through 2/7/2020) retired February 7, 2020. Prior to his retirement, Mr. Davis received a base salary at the annual base rate of $530,000. Matthew C. Flanigan, former EVP & CFO, retired December 31, 2019.

2 

The 2020 annual base salary rates were originally approved by the Committee on November 4, 2019. Because of various cost-cutting measures adopted by the Company in response to the economic downturn and uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the rates were reduced, effective April 12, 2020, by 50%. On June 29, 2020, effective July 5, 2020, the annual base salary rates were reinstated to their original levels.

3 

As previously reported, on August 6, 2019, Mr. Tate was appointed Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, effective September 3, 2019 (the “Start Date”). In addition to his base salary, Mr. Tate received a one-time cash sign-on bonus of $250,000 upon the Start Date, which must be repaid if he terminates his employment without “Good Reason,” or is terminated for “Cause” within the first year of employment, and half of which must be repaid, under the same circumstances, within the second year of employment. Also, if Mr. Tate is terminated, other than for “Cause,” death or disability, or if he terminates his employment for “Good Reason,” then the Company must pay Mr. Tate (a) 12 months of base salary if the termination occurs within the first 12 months after the Start Date, or 6 months of base salary if the termination occurs between 12 and 24 months after the Start Date; (b) a pro-rata incentive award under the KOIP for the year in which the termination occurred; and (c) a lump sum payment equal to 18 months of COBRA medical coverage. The Company must also provide reasonable and customary outplacement services for the shorter of 12 months from termination or the date Mr.  Tate accepts another position. For definitions of “Good Reason” and “Cause,” reference is made to the Separation Agreement between the Company and Jeffrey L. Tate, dated August 6, 2019, filed August 6, 2019 as Exhibit 10.12 to the Company’s Form 8-K. The definition of “Good Reason” includes the reduction of Mr. Tate’s base salary as in effect on his Start Date. On April 9, 2020, in conjunction with the Committee’s reduction of his base salary, Mr. Tate waived his right to terminate employment for Good Reason and receive termination benefits under the Separation Agreement by the Limited Waiver – Separation Agreement attached as Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed April 14, 2020.

Except as noted below, the named executive officers will be eligible to receive an annual cash incentive under the 2020 KOIP (filed February 19, 2020 as Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Form 8-K) in accordance with the 2021 KOIP Award Formula, adopted on February 23, 2021 and attached as Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed February 24, 2021. Each executive’s cash award is to be calculated by multiplying his or her annual base salary at the end of the KOIP plan year by a percentage set by the Committee (the “Target Percentage”), then applying the award formula adopted by the


Committee for that year. The Award Formula in 2020 and 2021 established two performance criteria: (i) Return on Capital Employed (“ROCE”) (60% Relative Weight) and (ii) Cash Flow or Free Cash Flow for Mr. Henderson (40% Relative Weight). The Target Percentages for 2020 and 2021 for the principal executive officer, principal financial officer, and other named executive officers are shown in the following table.

 

Named Executive Officers1

   2020 KOIP
Target
Percentage
    2021 KOIP
Target
Percentage
 

Karl G. Glassman, Chairman & CEO

     120     125

J. Mitchell Dolloff, President & COO, President – Bedding Products

     100     100

Jeffrey L. Tate, EVP & CFO

     80     80

Steven K. Henderson, EVP, President – Specialized Products and Furniture, Flooring & Textile Products

     80     80

Scott S. Douglas, SVP – General Counsel & Secretary

     60     70

 

1 

Perry E. Davis, former EVP, President – Residential Products & Industrial Products (SVP – Operations, 1/1/2020 through 2/7/2020) retired February 7, 2020. Matthew C. Flanigan, former EVP & CFO, retired December 31, 2019. Neither Mr. Davis nor Mr. Flanigan participated in the KOIP in 2020 or 2021.

Mr. Henderson has accepted the 2018-2020 Business Unit Profit Sharing Award Agreement granted by the Company, which is filed February 24, 2021 as Exhibit 10.8 to the Company’s Form 8-K, and the 2019-2021 Business Unit Profit Sharing Award Agreement, which is filed February 24, 2021 as Exhibit 10.9 to the Company’s Form 8-K. Each of the agreements provides that Mr. Henderson will receive a cash payment equal to 1.50% of the incremental earnings before interest and taxes (“EBIT”), subject to certain adjustments and limitations, produced by the business units under his direction during the three-year performance period. On February 23, 2021, the Committee approved a cash payment of $51,282 to Mr. Henderson pursuant to the 2018-2020 BUPS Award Agreement.

 

2

EXHIBIT 10.2 - 2021 KEY OFFICERS INCENTIVE PLAN AWARD FORMULA

Exhibit 10.2

2021 AWARD FORMULA

FOR THE

2020 KEY OFFICERS INCENTIVE PLAN

The 2020 Key Officers Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) provides cash Awards to Participants based on achievement of Performance Objectives for a specified Performance Period. Capitalized terms not defined in this document have the meaning ascribed under the Plan.

Participants in the Plan are the Section 16 Officers of the Company. There are separate Award Formulas under the Plan for Corporate Participants and Profit Center Participants. Under both formulas, a Participant’s Award is calculated by reference to the Target Percentage of the Participant’s base salary at the end of the Performance Period. The Award Formulas and each Participant’s Target Percentage are determined by the Committee.

For the Performance Period commencing January 1, 2021 and ending December 31, 2021, Awards under the Plan will be determined by achievement of the following Performance Objectives.

 

Participant Type

  

Performance Objectives

   Relative
Weight
 

Corporate Participants

   Return on Capital Employed (ROCE)      60
   Cash Flow      40

Profit Center Participants

   Return on Capital Employed (ROCE)      60
   Free Cash Flow (FCF)      40

Award Formula for Corporate Participants

ROCE and Cash Flow for Corporate Participants are calculated as follows:

 

ROCE =   

Earnings Before Interest and Taxes (EBIT)

  
   Net Property Plant and Equipment (PP&E) + Working Capital1,2   

 

1

Quarterly averaging of Net PP&E and Working Capital

2

Working Capital, excluding cash and current maturities of long-term debt, as presented on the Company’s December 31, 2021 Consolidated Balance Sheet

 

Cash Flow =    Earnings Before Interest Taxes Depreciation and Amortization (EBITDA) ± Change in Working Capital1 + Non-Cash Impairments – Capital Expenditures

 

1

Change in Working Capital, excluding cash and current maturities of long-term debt, from December 31, 2020 to December 31, 2021, as reflected on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets

 


Achievement of ROCE and Cash Flow targets for Corporate Participants is determined by the Company’s aggregate 2021 financial results. Financial results from acquisitions are excluded from calculations in the year of acquisition. Financial results from businesses divested during the year will be included in the calculations; however, the ROCE and Cash Flow targets relating to the divested businesses will be prorated to reflect only that portion of the year prior to the divestiture. Financial results from businesses classified as discontinued operations will be included in the calculations. Financial results will exclude (i) certain currency and hedging-related gains and losses, (ii) gains and losses from asset disposals, and (iii) items that are outside the scope of the Company’s core, on-going business activities.

ROCE and Cash Flow shall be adjusted for all items of gain, loss or expense for the fiscal year, as determined in accordance with standards established under Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, (i) from non-cash impairments; (ii) related to loss contingencies identified in footnotes to the financial statements in the Company’s 2020 10-K; (iii) related to the disposal of a segment of a business; or (iv) related to a change in accounting principle.

Achievement targets and payout percentages for Corporate Participants’ ROCE and Cash Flow are set forth below. No Awards are paid for ROCE achievement below 30.5% or Cash Flow below $375 million. The ROCE and Cash Flow payouts are each capped at 150%. Payouts will be interpolated for achievement levels falling between those set out in the schedule.

 

2021 Corporate Targets and Payout Schedule

 

 
ROCE          Cash Flow  

Achievement

    Payout          Achievement      Payout  
  < 30.5     0      <$ 375M        0
  30.5     50   Threshold    $ 375M        50
  37.5     100   Target    $ 450M        100
  44.5     150   Maximum    $ 525M        150

Award Formula for Profit Center Participants

ROCE and FCF for Profit Center Participants are calculated as follows:

 

ROCE =   

EBIT

  
   Net PP&E + Working Capital1, 2   

 

1

Monthly averaging of Net PP&E and Working Capital, adjusted for currency effects.

2

Working Capital excludes cash, current maturities of long-term debt, and balance sheet items not directly related to on-going Profit Center activity, such as interest receivable and payable, income taxes receivable and payable, current deferred tax assets and liabilities, and dividends payable.

 

2


FCF =    EBITDA (adjusted for currency effects) ± Change in Working Capital1 + Non-Cash Impairments – Capital Expenditures

 

1

Change in Working Capital from December 31, 2020 to December 31, 2021, excluding cash, current maturities of long-term debt, and balance sheet items not directly related to on-going Profit Center activity, such as interest receivable and payable, income tax receivable and payable, current deferred taxes assets and liabilities, and dividends payable.

Achievement of ROCE and FCF targets for Profit Center Participants is determined by aggregate 2021 financial results for the Profit Centers for which the Participant is responsible. Financial results from acquisitions are excluded from calculations in the year of acquisition. Financial results from businesses divested during the year will be included in the calculations; however, the ROCE and FCF targets relating to the divested businesses will be prorated to reflect only that portion of the year prior to the divestiture. Financial results from businesses classified as discontinued operations will be included in the calculations. Financial results will exclude (i) results from non-operating branches, (ii) certain currency and hedging-related gains and losses, (iii) gains and losses from asset disposals, (iv) items that are outside the scope of the Company’s core, on-going business activities or relating to any other special events or change in business conditions, and (v) the impact of corporate allocations.

ROCE and FCF shall be adjusted for all items of gain, loss or expense for the fiscal year, as determined in accordance with standards established under Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, (i) from non-cash impairments; (ii) related to loss contingencies identified in footnotes to the financial statements in the Company’s 2020 10-K; (iii) related to the disposal of a segment of a business; or (iv) related to a change in accounting principle.

Financial results for each Profit Center may include a critical compliance adjustment, ranging from a potential 5% increase for exceptional safety performance to a 20% deduction for critical compliance failures.

Achievement targets and payout percentages for the Profit Center Participant’s ROCE and FCF are set forth below. No Awards are paid for achievement below 75% of the ROCE and FCF targets. The ROCE and FCF payouts are each capped at 150%. The payout will be interpolated for achievement levels falling between those set out in the schedule.

 

2021 Profit Center Targets  
     ROCE Target     FCF Target  

Specialized Products + Furniture, Flooring & Textile Products

     42.6   $ 286.6M  

 

3


 

2021 Profit Center Payout Schedule

 

 

Achievement

         Payout  
  <75        0
    75   Threshold      50
  100   Target      100
  125   Maximum      150

Sample Calculation

For Corporate and Profit Center Participants, the Award is calculated by multiplying the Participant’s salary, Target Percentage, the relative weight of the Performance Objective, and the payout percentage for each Performance Objective. The sample calculation below assumes a Participant with a base salary of $500,000, a Target Percentage of 80%, a ROCE payout of 120%, and a Cash Flow/FCF payout of 80%:

 

Performance Objective

   Participant’s
Base Salary
     Participant’s
Target %
    Relative
Weight
    Payout
Percentage
    Award  

ROCE

   $ 500,000        80     60     120   $ 288,000  

Cash Flow/FCF

   $ 500,000        80     40     80     128,000  
           

 

 

 
            Total Award:     $ 416,000  

 

4

EXHIBIT 10.4 - ANNUAL RSU AGREEMENT - STEVEN K. HENDERSON

Exhibit 10.4

AGREEMENT

This Agreement is made as of November 4, 2019 between Leggett & Platt, Incorporated (the “Company”) and Steven K. Henderson (“Executive”).

WHEREAS, the Company and Executive wish to memorialize certain conditions of Executive’s employment.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt of which are hereby acknowledged, the Company and Executive agree as follows:

For such time as Executive remains a full-time employee of the Company, the Company agrees to make an annual award of 4,000 restricted stock units of Company stock to Executive. Notwithstanding the prior sentence, Executive is and shall remain an at-will employee.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Agreement has been signed as of the day and year first above written.

 

EXECUTIVE:     LEGGETT & PLATT, INCORPORATED
/s/ Steven K. Henderson     By:   /s/ Scott S. Douglas
Steven K. Henderson     Name:   Scott S. Douglas
    Title:   SVP, General Counsel & Secretary

 

EXHIBIT 10.5 - 2021 FORM OF PERFORMANCE STOCK UNIT AWARD AGREEMENT

Exhibit 10.5

2021 FORM OF PERFORMANCE STOCK UNIT AWARD AGREEMENT

Relative TSR and EBIT CAGR

[3-year Performance Period]

[Name]

Congratulations! On _____________, [2021], Leggett & Platt, Incorporated (the “Company”) granted you a Performance Stock Unit Award (the “Award”) under the Company’s Flexible Stock Plan (the “Plan”). The Award is granted subject to the enclosed Terms and Conditions – [2021-2023] Performance Stock Unit Award – Relative TSR and EBIT CAGR (the “Terms and Conditions”).

You have been granted a base award of [                ] Performance Stock Units. The number of PSUs for your base Award was determined by multiplying your current annual base salary by your Award multiple (set by Senior Management and approved by the Compensation Committee) and dividing this amount by the average closing share price of the Company’s stock for the 10 trading days following the [2020] fourth quarter earnings release.

A percentage of your base award will vest on December 31, [2023] and will be paid out by March 15, [2024]. Fifty percent of your vested Award will be paid out in cash, and the Company intends to pay out the remaining 50% in shares of the Company’s common stock.

As described in the Terms and Conditions, the payout you ultimately receive from this Award depends on the level of achievement of two performance objectives: 50% of your Award will vest based upon on the Company’s Total Shareholder Return compared to our Peer Group (“Relative TSR”), and 50% of your Award will vest based upon [the Company’s] [your Profit Centers’] compound annual growth rate of Earnings Before Interest and Taxes (“EBIT CAGR”), according to the schedules below.

 

Relative TSR
Percentile

   Relative TSR
Vesting %
    EBIT CAGR
%
    EBIT CAGR
Vesting %
 

25%

     25    

30%

     35    

35%

     45    

40%

     55    

45%

     65    

50%

     75     2     75

55%

     100     4     100

60%

     125     6     125

65%

     150     8     150

70%

     175     10     175

75%

     200     12     200

You are not required to accept the Award. By signing below, you confirm that you understand and agree that this Award of Performance Stock Units is granted in exchange for you agreeing to the Terms and Conditions and the Plan, that the Terms and Conditions and the Plan are included in this Agreement by reference, and that you are not otherwise entitled to the Award. A summary of the Plan and the Company’s most recent Annual Report to Shareholders are available upon request to the Corporate Human Resources Department.

 

Accepted and Agreed:    

 

    Date:                                                

 

This award letter and the enclosed materials are part of a prospectus covering securities that have been registered under the Securities Act of 1933. Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete.

 


TERMS AND CONDITIONS—PERFORMANCE STOCK UNIT AWARD

Relative TSR and EBIT CAGR

[2021-2023]

 

1.

Performance Period. Your payout under this Performance Stock Unit Award (the “Award”) will depend on (i) the base award shown on your Award Agreement and (ii) the Company’s, or applicable Profit Centers’, performance during the three-year period beginning January 1, [2021] and ending December 31, [2023] (the “Performance Period”).

 

2.

Performance Objectives. The payout under this Award is based upon the level of achievement of two performance objectives: 50% of your Award will vest based upon on the Company’s relative Total Shareholder Return (“Relative TSR”), and 50% of your Award will vest based upon the Company’s, or applicable Profit Centers’, compound annual growth rate of Earnings Before Interest and Taxes (“EBIT CAGR”).

 

  a.

Relative TSR. The Company’s Total Shareholder Return (“TSR”) during the Performance Period will be compared to the TSR of all the companies in the Industrial, Consumer Discretionary and Materials sectors of the S&P 500 and the S&P 400 (the “Peer Group”). TSR is calculated as follows and assumes dividends are reinvested on the ex-dividend date:

Ending Stock Price – Beginning Stock Price + Reinvested Dividends

Beginning Stock Price

The “Beginning Stock Price” is the average closing share price of the Company’s stock for the last 20 trading days prior to the Performance Period. The “Ending Stock Price” is the average closing share price of the Company’s stock for the last 20 trading days within the Performance Period.

The 50% of your Award allocated to Relative TSR will vest according to the following schedule. Payouts will be interpolated for results falling between the levels shown.

 

Relative

TSR

Percentile

         Relative
TSR
Vesting %
 
  <25        0
  25        25
  30        35
  35        45
  40        55
  45        65
  50        75
  55        100
  60        125
  65        150
  70        175
  75        200
  >75        200

 

2


Notwithstanding the foregoing vesting schedule, in the event that the Company’s TSR for the Performance Period is negative (Ending Stock Price plus Reinvested Dividends is less than the Beginning Stock Price), the Relative TSR vesting percentage will be capped at 100%.

 

  b.

EBIT CAGR. EBIT CAGR during the Performance Period will be the compound annual growth rate of the total earnings before income and taxes (“EBIT”) for the Company, or applicable Profit Centers, during the third fiscal year of the Performance Period compared to the Base Year EBIT. “Base Year EBIT” is the total EBIT of the Company, or applicable Profit Centers, during the fiscal year immediately preceding the Performance Period.

The calculation of EBIT CAGR will include results from businesses acquired during the Performance Period. EBIT CAGR will exclude results for any businesses divested during the Performance Period, and the divested businesses’ EBIT will also be deducted from Base Year EBIT. EBIT CAGR will exclude (i) results from non-operating branches, (ii) certain currency and hedging-related gains and losses, (iii) gains and losses from asset disposals, (iv) items that are outside the scope of the Company’s core, on-going business activities, and (v) with respect to Profit Centers, all amounts relating to corporate allocations. EBIT CAGR will be adjusted to eliminate gain, loss or expense, as determined in accordance with standards established under Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, (i) from non-cash impairments; (ii) related to loss contingencies identified in footnotes to the financial statements in the Company’s 10-K relating to the fiscal year immediately preceding the Performance Period; (iii) related to the disposal of a segment of a business; or (iv) related to a change in accounting principle.

The 50% of your Award allocated to EBIT CAGR will vest according to the following schedule. Payouts will be interpolated for results falling between the levels shown.

 

EBIT CAGR

            %             

         EBIT CAGR
Vesting %
 
  <2        0
  2        75
  4        100
  6        125
  8        150
  10        175
  12        200
  >12        200

If, during the Performance Period, your responsibilities shift due to a transfer or a corporate restructuring (a “Reassignment”), the 50% of your Award allocated to EBIT CAGR will be reallocated as follows:

(i) You will have EBIT CAGR results calculated for any full calendar year(s) during the Performance Period completed prior to the Reassignment based upon the Company, or applicable Profit Centers, identified in your original Award Agreement.

(ii) You will have EBIT CAGR results calculated for the calendar year in which the Reassignment occurs, and any subsequent calendar year(s) during the Performance Period, based upon the Company, or applicable Profit Centers, according to your responsibilities following the Reassignment.

 

3


(iii)The vesting percentage for the EBIT CAGR portion of your Award will be the weighted average of the results calculated under paragraphs (i) and (ii).

 

3.

Vesting of Award and Form of Payout. With the exception of early vesting for circumstances described in Sections 4 and 5, this Award will vest on December 31, [2023] (the “Vesting Date”). Fifty percent (50%) of your vested Award will be paid out in cash (the “Cash Portion”), and the Company intends to pay out the remaining fifty percent (50%) in shares of the Company’s common stock (the “Stock Portion”), although the Company reserves the right, subject to approval by the Committee (as defined below), to pay up to one hundred percent (100%) of the vested Award in cash. Your vested Award will be paid out as soon as reasonably practicable following the end of the Performance Period but in no event later than March 15, [2024] (the “Payout Date”). On the Payout Date, the Company will issue to you (i) one share of the Company’s common stock for each vested Performance Stock Unit comprising the Stock Portion of your Award, subject to reduction for tax withholding, and (ii) a check with a gross value equal to the closing market price of the Company’s common stock on the last business day of the Performance Period (or the date of the Change of Control if Section 5 applies) times the number of vested Performance Stock Units comprising the Cash Portion of your Award, subject to reduction for tax withholding as described in Section 8.

 

4.

Termination of Employment.

 

  a.

Except as provided in Section 4(b), Section 4(c), and Section 5, if your employment is terminated for any reason before the Vesting Date, your right to this Award will terminate immediately upon such termination of employment. Termination of employment and similar terms when used in this Award refer to a termination of employment that constitutes a separation from service within the meaning of Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code.

 

  b.

If your termination of employment during the Performance Period is due to Retirement (as defined below), your Award will vest at the end of the Performance Period and will be prorated for the number of days during the Performance Period prior to your termination.

Retirement” means a termination, other than for Cause (as defined below), occurring (i) on or after age 65, or (ii) on or after the date at which the combination of your age and your years of service with the Company or any company or division acquired by the Company is greater than or equal to 70 years.

 

  c.

If your termination of employment during the Performance Period is due to death or Disability (as defined below), your Award will vest immediately at 100% of your Base Award and be payable within 60 days of such event.

Disability” means the inability to substantially perform your duties and responsibilities by reason of any accident or illness that can be expected to result in death or to last for a continuous period of not less than one year.

 

  d.

The employment relationship will be treated as continuing intact while you are on military, sick leave or other bona fide leave of absence if (i) the Company does not terminate the employment relationship or (ii) your right to re-employment is guaranteed by statute or by contract.

 

5.

Change in Control. If, during the Performance Period, a Change in Control of the Company (as defined in the Flexible Stock Plan, the “Plan”) occurs and your employment is terminated either (i) by the Company (for reasons other than Disability or Cause, as defined below) or (ii) by you for Good Reason (as defined below), then the Company (or its successor) will issue to you 200% of your Base Award, within thirty (30) days

 

4


  following your termination of employment (subject to delay until the first day of the first month that is more than six months following your separation from service to the extent required in Section 16.7 of the Plan, if you are a specified employee within the meaning of Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code).

 

  a.

Termination by Company for Cause. Termination for “Cause” under this Agreement shall be limited to the following:

 

  i.

Your conviction of any crime involving money or other property of the Company or any of its affiliates (including entering any plea bargain admitting criminal guilt), or a conviction of any other crime (whether or not involving the Company or any of its affiliates) that constitutes a felony in the jurisdiction involved; or

 

  ii.

Your willful act or omission involving fraud, misappropriation, or dishonesty that (i) causes significant injury to the Company or (ii) results in significant personal enrichment to you at the expense of the Company; or

 

  iii.

Your continued, repeated, willful failure to substantially perform your duties; provided, however, that no discharge shall be deemed for Cause under this subsection (a) unless you first receive written notice from the Company advising you of specific acts or omissions alleged to constitute a failure to perform your duties, and such failure continues after you have had a reasonable opportunity to correct the acts or omissions so complained of.

A termination shall not be deemed for Cause if, for example, the termination results from the Company’s determination that your position is redundant or unnecessary or that your performance is unsatisfactory for reasons not otherwise specified above.

 

  b.

Termination by Employee for Good Reason. You may terminate your employment for “Good Reason” by giving notice of termination to the Company during the Performance Period following (i) any action or omission by the Company described in this Section or (ii) receipt of notice from the Company of the Company’s intention to take any such action or engage in any such omission.

The actions or omissions which may lead to a termination of employment for Good Reason are as follows:

 

  i.

A reduction by the Company in your base salary as in effect immediately prior to the Change in Control; or

 

  ii.

A change in your reporting responsibilities, titles or offices as in effect immediately prior to a Change in Control that results in a material diminution within the Company of title, status, authority or responsibility; or

 

  iii.

A material reduction in your target annual incentive opportunity as in effect immediately prior to the Change in Control, expressed as a percentage of base salary; or

 

  iv.

A requirement by the Company that you be based or perform your duties anywhere other than at the location immediately prior to the Change in Control, except for required travel on the Company’s business to an extent substantially consistent with your business travel obligations immediately prior to the Change in Control; or

 

5


  v.

A material reduction in annual target value of your long-term incentive awards as in effect immediately prior to the Change in Control (with the value determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting standards); or

 

  vi.

A failure by the Company to obtain the assumption agreement to perform this Agreement by any successor as contemplated by Section 13 of this Agreement; or

 

  vii.

Any purported termination of your employment for Disability or for Cause that is not carried out pursuant to a notice of termination which satisfies the requirements of Section 5(c); and for purposes of this Agreement, no such purported termination shall be effective.

 

  c.

Notice of Termination. Any purported termination by the Company of your employment shall be communicated by notice of termination to the other party. A notice of termination shall set forth, in reasonable detail, the facts and circumstances claimed to provide a basis for termination of employment under the Section so indicated.

 

  d.

Date of Termination. The date your employment is terminated under Section 5 of this Agreement is called the “Date of Termination”. In cases of Disability, the Date of Termination shall be 30 days after notice of termination is given (provided that you shall not have returned to the performance of your duties on a full-time basis during such 30-day period). If your employment is terminated for Cause, the Date of Termination shall be the date specified in the notice of termination. If your employment is terminated for Good Reason, the Date of Termination shall be the date set out in the notice of termination.

Any dispute by a party hereto regarding a notice of termination delivered to such party must be conveyed to the other party within 30 days after the notice of termination is given. If the particulars of the dispute are not conveyed within the 30-day period, then the disputing party’s claims regarding the termination shall be forever deemed waived.

 

6.

Transferability. The Performance Stock Units may not be transferred, assigned, pledged or otherwise encumbered until the underlying shares have been issued or settled in cash.

 

7.

No Rights as Shareholder. You will not have the rights of a shareholder with respect to the Stock Portion of the Performance Stock Units until the underlying shares have been issued. You will not have the right to vote the shares or receive any dividends that may be paid on the underlying shares prior to issuance.

 

8.

Withholding. You will recognize taxable income equal to the fair market value of the shares underlying the Stock Portion of the Award plus the dollar value of the Cash Portion of the Award on the Payout Date. This amount is subject to ordinary income tax and payroll tax. The Company will withhold (at the Company’s required withholding rate) any amount required to satisfy applicable tax laws (i) in cash from the Cash Portion of the payout and (ii) in shares from the Stock Portion of the payout.

 

6


The income and tax withholding generated by your payout will be reported on your W-2. If your personal income tax rate is higher than the Company’s required withholding rate, you will owe additional tax on the issuance. After payment of the ordinary income tax, the shares you receive for the Stock Portion of your payout will have a tax basis equal to the closing price of L&P stock on the Payout Date.

 

9.

Restrictive Covenants. Due to your leadership role in the Company, you are in a position of trust and confidence and have access to and knowledge of valuable confidential information of the Company, including business processes, techniques, plans, and strategies across the Company, trade secrets, sensitive financial and legal information, terms and arrangements with business partners, customers, and suppliers, trade secrets, and other confidential information that if known outside the Company would cause irreparable harm to the Company. In addition, you may have influence upon customer or supplier relationships, goodwill or loyalty which are valuable interests to the Company.

During your employment and through one year after the Payout Date of this Award, you will not directly or indirectly (i) engage in any Competitive Activity, (ii) solicit orders from or seek or propose to do business with any customer, supplier, or vendor of the Company or its subsidiaries or affiliates (collectively, the “Companies”) relating to any Competitive Activity, (iii) influence or attempt to influence any employee, representative or advisor of the Companies to terminate his or her employment or relationship with the Companies, or (iv) engage in activity that may require or inevitably will require disclosure of trade secrets, proprietary information, or confidential information. “Competitive Activity” means any manufacture, sale, distribution, engineering, design, promotion or other activity that competes with any business of the Companies in which you were involved during the last year of your employment in the Restricted Territory. “Restricted Territory” means any geographic area in which any of the following occurred or existed during the last year of your employment with one or more of the Companies: (i) you contacted any customer, supplier or vendor, or (ii) any customer, supplier or vendor you serviced or used were located, or (iii) operations for which you had responsibility sold any products, or (iv) any products you designed were sold or distributed. You agree the covenants in this Section are reasonable in time and scope and justified based on your position and receipt of the Award. In the event you violate the terms of this Section, the one-year term of the restrictive covenants shall be automatically extended by the period you were violating any term of this Section and by any period that the Companies seek to enforce its rights for any violating conduct through litigation.

If you violate the preceding paragraph, then you will pay to the Company any Award Gain you realized from this Award. “Award Gain” for the Cash Portion of your Award is equal to (i) the cash paid to you on the Payout Date of this Award (including the tax withholding), minus (ii) any non-refundable taxes paid by you as a result of the distribution. “Award Gain” for the Stock Portion of your Award is equal to (i) the number of shares distributed to you on the Payout Date of this Award times the fair market value of L&P stock on the Payout Date (including the tax withholding), minus (ii) any non-refundable taxes paid by you as a result of the distribution. In addition, the Company shall be entitled to seek a temporary or permanent injunction or other equitable relief against you for any breach or threatened breach of this Section from any court of competent jurisdiction, without the necessity of showing any actual damages or showing money damages would not afford an adequate remedy, and without the necessity of posting any bond or other security. Such equitable relief shall be in addition to, not in lieu of, any legal remedies, monetary damages, or other available forms of relief.

If any restriction in this Section is deemed unenforceable, then you and the Company contemplate that the appropriate court will reduce the scope or other provisions and enforce the restrictions set out in this section in their reduced form. The covenants in this Section are in addition to any similar covenants under any other agreement between the Company and you.

 

7


10.

Repayment of Awards. If, within 24 months after an Award is paid, the Company is required to restate previously reported financial results, the Committee will require all Award recipients to repay any amounts paid in excess of the amounts that would have been paid based on the restated financial results. The Committee will issue a written Notice of Repayment documenting the corrected Award calculation and the amount and terms of repayment.

In addition, the Committee may require repayment of the entire Award from any Award recipients determined, in its discretion, to be personally responsible for gross misconduct or fraud that caused the need for the restatement.

The Award recipient must repay the amount specified in the Notice of Repayment. The Committee may, in its discretion, reduce a current year Award payout as necessary to recoup any amounts outstanding under a previously issued Notice of Repayment.

 

11.

Award Not Benefit Eligible. This Award will be considered special incentive compensation and will not be included as earnings, wages, salary or compensation in any pension, retirement, welfare, life insurance or other employee benefit plan or arrangement of the Company.

 

12.

Plan Controls; Committee. This Award is subject to all terms, provisions and definitions of the Plan, which is incorporated by reference. In the event of any conflict, the Plan will control over this Award. Upon request, a copy of the Plan will be furnished to you. The Plan is administered by a committee of non-employee directors or their designees (the “Committee”). The Committee’s decisions and interpretations with regard to this Award will be binding and conclusive.

 

13.

Assignment. The Company will require any successor (whether direct or indirect, by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise) to all or substantially all of the business and/or assets of the Company to expressly assume and agree to perform this Award in the same manner and to the same extent that the Company would be required to perform it if no such succession had taken place. Failure of the Company to obtain such agreement prior to the effectiveness of any such succession shall be a breach of this Award. As used in this Award, “Company” means (i) Leggett & Platt, Incorporated, its subsidiaries and affiliates, and (ii) any successor to its business and/or assets which executes and delivers the agreement provided for in this Section or which otherwise becomes bound by all the terms and provisions of this Award by operation of law.

 

14.

Section 409A. The Company believes this Award constitutes a short-term deferral within the meaning of Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code and the regulations thereunder. Notwithstanding anything contained in these terms and conditions, it is intended that the Award will at all times meet the requirements of Section 409A and any regulations or other guidance issued thereunder, and that the provisions of the Award will be interpreted to meet such requirements.

To the extent permitted by Section 409A, the Committee retains the right to delay a distribution of this Award if the distribution would violate securities laws or otherwise result in material harm to the Company.

 

15.

Data Privacy. You acknowledge and agree that the Company may collect and use your personal information to implement and administer the Award. This personal information may include, without limitation, your: employee identification number; first and last names; home and other physical address; email addresses; telephone and fax numbers; organization name, job title, and department name; reporting hierarchy; work history; performance ratings; and payroll information. You further acknowledge and agree that the Company may disclose such information to non-agent third parties assisting the Company in administering Award.

 

8


Additional information concerning the Company’s collection and use of your personal information is available in the Privacy Policy located on the Company’s intranet site.    

 

16.

Other. In the absence of any specific agreement to the contrary, the grant of this Award to you will not affect any right of the Company or its subsidiaries to terminate your employment or your right to resign from employment.

This Award is entered into and accepted in Carthage, Missouri. The Award will be governed by Missouri law, excluding any conflicts or choice of law provision that might otherwise refer construction or interpretation of the Award to the substantive law of another jurisdiction.

Any action or proceeding arising from or related to this Award is subject to the exclusive venue and subject matter jurisdiction of the Circuit Court for Jasper County, Missouri or the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, and the parties agree to submit to the jurisdiction of such Courts. The parties also waive the defense of an inconvenient forum and agree not to seek any change of venue from such Courts.

 

9

EXHIBIT 10.6 - 2021 FORM OF RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT AWARD AGREEMENT

Exhibit 10.6

2021 FORM OF RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT AWARD AGREEMENT

[Name]

Congratulations!

On _____________, 20____ (the Grant Date”), Leggett & Platt, Incorporated (the “Company”) granted you a Restricted Stock Unit Award (the Award”) under the Company’s Flexible Stock Plan (the Plan”). The Award is granted subject to the enclosed Terms and Conditions – Restricted Stock Unit Award (the Terms and Conditions”).

You have been granted a base award of [                ] Restricted Stock Units (“RSUs”). Your Award will vest in one-third increments on the first, second and third anniversaries of the Grant Date, at which times you will be issued one share of the Company’s common stock for each vested RSU.

You are not required to accept the Award. By signing below, you confirm that you understand and agree that this Award of Restricted Stock Units is granted in exchange for you agreeing to the Terms and Conditions and the Plan, that the Terms and Conditions and the Plan are included in this Agreement by reference, and that you are not otherwise entitled to the Award. A summary of the Plan and the Company’s most recent Annual Report to Shareholders are available upon request to the Corporate Human Resources Department.

Accepted and Agreed:

                                                                                                Date:                                      

 

This award letter and the enclosed materials are part of a prospectus covering securities that have been registered under the Securities Act of 1933. Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete.


TERMS AND CONDITIONS – RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT AWARD

1. Vesting of Award and Form of Payout. With the exception of early vesting for circumstances described in Sections 3 and 4, this Award will vest in one-third increments on the first, second and third anniversaries of the Grant Date (the “Vesting Dates”). On each Vesting Date, you will be issued one share of the Company’s common stock for each vested RSU, subject to reduction for tax withholding as described in Section 7.

2. Termination of Employment. Except as provided in Section 3 and Section 4, if your employment is terminated for any reason before a Vesting Date, your right to any unvested shares under this Award will terminate immediately upon such termination of employment. Termination of employment and similar terms when used in this Award refer to a termination of employment that constitutes a separation from service within the meaning of Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code. The employment relationship will be treated as continuing intact while you are on military, sick leave or other bona fide leave of absence if (i) the Company does not terminate the employment relationship or (ii) your right to re-employment is guaranteed by statute or by contract.

3. Early Vesting. If your termination of employment is due to one of the following events, your Award will vest as follows:

 

  (a)

If your termination of employment is due to Retirement (as defined below), your Award will continue to vest on each of the Vesting Dates.

Retirement” means a termination, other than for Cause (as defined below), occurring (i) on or after age 65, or (ii) on or after the date at which the combination of your age and your years of service with the Company or any company or division acquired by the company is greater than or equal to 70 years.

 

  (b)

If your termination of employment during the vesting period is due to death or Disability (as defined below), your Award will vest immediately and be payable within 60 days of such event.

Disability” means the inability to substantially perform your duties and responsibilities by reason of any accident or illness that can be expected to result in death or to last for a continuous period of not less than one year.

4. Change in Control. If a Change in Control of the Company (as defined in the Flexible Stock Plan, the “Plan”) occurs and your employment is terminated either (i) by the Company (for reasons other than Disability or Cause, as defined below) or (ii) by you for Good Reason (as defined below), then your Award will vest and the Company (or its successor) will issue the vested shares to you within thirty (30) days following your termination of employment (subject to delay until the first day of the first month that is more than six months following your separation from service to the extent required in Section 16.7 of the Plan, if you are a specified employee within the meaning of Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code).

 

2


  (a)

Termination by Company for Cause. Termination for “Cause” under this Agreement shall be limited to the following:

 

  (i)

Your conviction of any crime involving money or other property of the Company or any of its affiliates (including entering any plea bargain admitting criminal guilt), or a conviction of any other crime (whether or not involving the Company or any of its affiliates) that constitutes a felony in the jurisdiction involved; or

 

  (ii)

Your willful act or omission involving fraud, misappropriation, or dishonesty that (i) causes significant injury to the Company or (ii) results in significant personal enrichment to you at the expense of the Company; or

 

  (iii)

Your continued, repeated, willful failure to substantially perform your duties; provided, however, that no discharge shall be deemed for Cause under this subsection (a) unless you first receive written notice from the Company advising you of specific acts or omissions alleged to constitute a failure to perform your duties, and such failure continues after you have had a reasonable opportunity to correct the acts or omissions so complained of.

A termination shall not be deemed for Cause if, for example, the termination results from the Company’s determination that your position is redundant or unnecessary or that your performance is unsatisfactory for reasons not otherwise specified above.

 

  (b)

Termination by Employee for Good Reason. You may terminate your employment for “Good Reason” by giving notice of termination to the Company following (i) any action or omission by the Company described in this Section or (ii) receipt of notice from the Company of the Company’s intention to take any such action or engage in any such omission.

The actions or omissions which may lead to a termination of employment for Good Reason are as follows:

 

  (i)

A reduction by the Company in your base salary as in effect immediately prior to the Change in Control; or

 

  (ii)

A change in your reporting responsibilities, titles or offices as in effect immediately prior to a Change in Control that results in a material diminution within the Company of title, status, authority or responsibility; or

 

  (iii)

A material reduction in your target annual incentive opportunity as in effect immediately prior to the Change in Control, expressed as a percentage of base salary; or

 

  (iv)

A requirement by the Company that you be based or perform your duties anywhere other than at the location immediately prior to the Change in Control, except for required travel on the Company’s business to an extent substantially consistent with your business travel obligations immediately prior to the Change in Control; or

 

3


  (v)

A material reduction in annual target value of your long-term incentive awards as in effect immediately prior to the Change in Control (with the value determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting standards); or

 

  (vi)

A failure by the Company to obtain the assumption agreement to perform this Agreement by any successor as contemplated by Section 11 of this Agreement; or

 

  (vii)

Any purported termination of your employment for Disability or for Cause that is not carried out pursuant to a notice of termination which satisfies the requirements of Section 4(c); and for purposes of this Agreement, no such purported termination shall be effective.

 

  (c)

Notice of Termination. Any purported termination by the Company of your employment shall be communicated by notice of termination to the other party. A notice of termination shall set forth, in reasonable detail, the facts and circumstances claimed to provide a basis for termination of employment under the Section so indicated.

 

  (d)

Date of Termination. The date your employment is terminated under Section 4 of this Agreement is called the “Date of Termination.” In cases of Disability, the Date of Termination shall be 30 days after notice of termination is given (provided that you shall not have returned to the performance of your duties on a full-time basis during such 30-day period). If your employment is terminated for Cause, the Date of Termination shall be the date specified in the notice of termination. If your employment is terminated for Good Reason, the Date of Termination shall be the date set out in the notice of termination.

Any dispute by a party hereto regarding a notice of termination delivered to such party must be conveyed to the other party within 30 days after the notice of termination is given. If the particulars of the dispute are not conveyed within the 30-day period, then the disputing party’s claims regarding the termination shall be forever deemed waived.

5. Transferability. The Award may not be transferred, assigned, pledged or otherwise encumbered until the underlying shares have been issued.

6. No Rights as Shareholder. You will not have the rights of a shareholder with respect to this Award until the underlying shares have been issued. You will not have the right to vote the shares or receive any dividends that may be paid on the underlying shares prior to issuance.

7. Withholding. You will recognize taxable income equal to the fair market value of the shares on each Vesting Date. This amount is subject to ordinary income tax and payroll tax. The Company will withhold (at the Company’s required withholding rate) any amount required to satisfy applicable tax laws from the shares issued.

The income and tax withholding generated by the issuance of shares to you will be reported on your W-2. If your personal income tax rate is higher than the Company’s required withholding rate, you will owe additional tax on the issuance. After payment of the ordinary income tax, your shares will have a tax basis equal to the closing price of L&P stock on the Vesting Date.

 

4


8. Restrictive Covenants. Due to your leadership role in the Company, you are in a position of trust and confidence and have access to and knowledge of valuable confidential information of the Company, including business processes, techniques, plans, and strategies across the Company, trade secrets, sensitive financial and legal information, terms and arrangements with business partners, customers, and suppliers, trade secrets, and other confidential information that if known outside the Company would cause irreparable harm to the Company. In addition, you may have influence upon customer or supplier relationships, goodwill or loyalty which are valuable interests to the Company.

During your employment and through one year after each Vesting Date of this Award, you will not directly or indirectly (i) solicit orders from or seek or propose to do business with any customer, supplier, or vendor of the Company or its subsidiaries or affiliates (collectively, the “Companies”) relating to any Competitive Activity, (ii) influence or attempt to influence any employee, representative or advisor of the Companies to terminate his or her employment or relationship with the Companies, or (iii) engage in activity that may require or inevitably will require disclosure of trade secrets, proprietary information, or confidential information. “Competitive Activity” means any manufacture, sale, distribution, engineering, design, promotion or other activity that competes with any business of the Companies in which you were involved during the last year of your employment in the Restricted Territory. “Restricted Territory” means any geographic area in which any of the following occurred or existed during the last year of your employment with one or more of the Companies: (i) you contacted any customer, supplier or vendor, or (ii) any customer, supplier or vendor you serviced or used were located, or (iii) operations for which you had responsibility sold any products, or (iv) any products you designed were sold or distributed. You agree the covenants in this Section are reasonable in time and scope and justified based on your position and receipt of the Award. In the event you violate the terms of this Section, the one-year term of the restrictive covenants shall be automatically extended by the period you were violating any term of this Section and by any period that the Companies seek to enforce its rights for any violating conduct through litigation.

If you violate the preceding paragraph, then you will pay to the Company any Award Gain you realized from this Award. “Award Gain” is equal to (i) the number of shares distributed to you on a Vesting Date of this Award times the fair market value of L&P stock on the such Vesting Date (including the tax withholding), minus (ii) any non-refundable taxes paid by you as a result of the distribution. In addition, the Company shall be entitled to seek a temporary or permanent injunction or other equitable relief against you for any breach or threatened breach of this Section from any court of competent jurisdiction, without the necessity of showing any actual damages or showing money damages would not afford an adequate remedy, and without the necessity of posting any bond or other security. Such equitable relief shall be in addition to, not in lieu of, any legal remedies, monetary damages, or other available forms of relief.

If any restriction in this Section is deemed unenforceable, then you and the Company contemplate that the appropriate court will reduce the scope or other provisions and enforce the restrictions set out in this section in their reduced form. The covenants in this Section are in addition to any similar covenants under any other agreement between the Company and you.

 

5


9. Award Not Benefit Eligible. This Award will be considered special incentive compensation and will not be included as earnings, wages, salary or compensation in any pension, retirement, welfare, life insurance or other employee benefit plan or arrangement of the Company.

10. Plan Controls; Committee. This Award is subject to all terms, provisions and definitions of the Plan, which is incorporated by reference. In the event of any conflict, the Plan will control over this Award. Upon request, a copy of the Plan will be furnished to you. The Plan is administered by a committee of non-employee directors or their designees (the “Committee”). The Committee’s decisions and interpretations with regard to this Award will be binding and conclusive.

11. Assignment. The Company will require any successor (whether direct or indirect, by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise) to all or substantially all of the business and/or assets of the Company to expressly assume and agree to perform this Award in the same manner and to the same extent that the Company would be required to perform it if no such succession had taken place. Failure of the Company to obtain such agreement prior to the effectiveness of any such succession shall be a breach of this Award. As used in this Award, “Company” means (i) Leggett & Platt, Incorporated, its subsidiaries and affiliates, and (ii) any successor to its business and/or assets which executes and delivers the agreement provided for in this Section or which otherwise becomes bound by all the terms and provisions of this Award by operation of law.

12. Section 409A. The Company believes this Award constitutes a short-term deferral within the meaning of Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code and the regulations thereunder. Notwithstanding anything contained in these Terms and Conditions, it is intended that the Award will at all times meet the requirements of Section 409A and any regulations or other guidance issued thereunder, and that the provisions of the Award will be interpreted to meet such requirements.

To the extent permitted by Section 409A, the Committee retains the right to delay a distribution of this Award if the distribution would violate securities laws or otherwise result in material harm to the Company.

13. Data Privacy. You acknowledge and agree that the Company may collect and use your personal information to implement and administer the Award. This personal information may include, without limitation, your: employee identification number; first and last names; home and other physical address; email addresses; telephone and fax numbers; organization name, job title, and department name; reporting hierarchy; work history; performance ratings; and payroll information. You further acknowledge and agree that the Company may disclose such information to non-agent third parties assisting the Company in administering the Award.

Additional information concerning the Company’s collection and use of your personal information is available in the Privacy Policy located on the Company’s intranet site.

14. Other. In the absence of any specific agreement to the contrary, the grant of this Award to you will not affect any right of the Company or its subsidiaries to terminate your employment or your right to resign from employment.

 

6


This Award is entered into and accepted in Carthage, Missouri. The Award will be governed by Missouri law, excluding any conflicts or choice of law provision that might otherwise refer construction or interpretation of the Award to the substantive law of another jurisdiction.

Any action or proceeding arising from or related to this Award is subject to the exclusive venue and subject matter jurisdiction of the Circuit Court for Jasper County, Missouri or the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, and the parties agree to submit to the jurisdiction of such Courts. The parties also waive the defense of an inconvenient forum and agree not to seek any change of venue from such Courts.

 

7

EXHIBIT 10.8 - 2018-2020 BUPS AWARD AGREEMENT - STEVEN K. HENDERSON

Exhibit 10.8

BUSINESS UNIT PROFIT SHARING AWARD AGREEMENT

2018-2020

STEVEN K HENDERSON

Congratulations!

You have been selected to receive a Business Unit Profit Sharing Award (the “Award”) for 2018-2020, as described in the enclosed Terms and Conditions.

Under this Award, you are eligible to receive a 1.50% share of the incremental Earnings before Interest and Taxes generated by the Automotive Business Unit in 2020 in excess of the Business Unit’s EBIT in 2017, subject to certain adjustments. Your maximum payout under the Award is capped at $675,000, based on 150% of your 2018 base salary and is subject to an aggregate maximum payout for all participants in your Business Unit. Your Award will vest on December 31, 2020 and will be paid in cash by March 15, 2021.

You are not required to accept this Award. By signing below, you confirm that you understand and agree that this Award is granted in exchange for you agreeing to the Terms and Conditions, that the Terms and Conditions are included in this Agreement by reference, and that you are not otherwise entitled to the Award.

Accepted and Agreed:

/s/ Steven K. Henderson                                                       Date: December 1, 2017


TERMS AND CONDITIONS – BUSINESS UNIT PROFIT SHARING

2018-2020

 

1.

Performance Period and Payout. This Business Unit Profit Sharing Award (“Award”) covers the three-year period beginning January 1, 2018 and ending December 31, 2020 (“Performance Period”). Your payout (“Payout”) under this Award is determined by multiplying (i) the profit share percentage shown on your Award Agreement (“Profit Share”) by (ii) your Business Unit’s Incremental EBIT (defined below) during the Performance Period. Your Payout is subject to an Individual Payout Cap and a BU Payout Cap.

 

  A.

Individual Payout Cap. The maximum Award Payout you are eligible to receive subject to the individual payout cap shown on your Award Agreement.

 

  B.

BU Payout Cap. In the event the aggregate Payouts for all Award recipients in your Business Unit exceed 5% of your Business Unit’s Incremental EBIT for the Performance Period, each of the Business Unit’s participants’ Profit Shares will be reduced proportionately such that the aggregate Payouts for all the Business Unit’s participants equal 5% of the Incremental EBIT.

 

2.

Incremental EBIT. The Incremental EBIT during the Performance Period is the total earnings before income and taxes (“EBIT”) for your Business Unit during the third fiscal year of the Performance Period compared to the Base Year EBIT. “Base Year EBIT” is the total EBIT of your Business Unit during the fiscal year immediately preceding the Performance Period.

The calculation of Incremental EBIT will include results from businesses acquired during the Performance Period. Incremental EBIT will exclude results for any businesses divested during the Performance Period, and the divested businesses’ EBIT will also be deducted from Base Year EBIT. Incremental EBIT will exclude (i) results from non-operating branches, (ii) certain currency and hedging-related gains and losses, (iv) items that are outside the scope of the Company’s core, on-going business activities, and (v) all amounts relating to corporate allocations. Incremental EBIT will be adjusted to eliminate gain, loss or expense, as determined in accordance with standards established under Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, (i) from non-cash impairments; (ii) related to loss contingencies identified in footnotes to the financial statements in the Company’s 10-K relating to the fiscal year immediately preceding the Performance Period; (iii) related to the disposal of a segment of a business; or (iv) related to a change in accounting principle.

 

3.

Reassignment. If, during the Performance Period, your responsibilities shift due to a transfer or a corporate restructuring (a “Reassignment”), your Award will be reallocated as follows:

(i) You will have Incremental EBIT results calculated for any full calendar year(s) during the Performance Period completed prior to the Reassignment based upon the Business Unit identified in your original Award Agreement.

(ii) You will have Incremental EBIT results calculated for the calendar year in which the Reassignment occurs, and any subsequent calendar year(s) during the Performance Period, based upon the Business Unit(s) for which you are responsible following the Reassignment.

(iii)Your Payout will be based upon results calculated under paragraphs (i) and (ii), prorated for the years of the Performance Period before and after the Reassignment.

 

2


4.

Vesting of Award. With the exception of early vesting for circumstances described in Sections 5 and 6, this Award will vest on December 31, 2020 (the “Vesting Date”). Your vested Award will be paid out as soon as reasonably practicable following the end of the Performance Period but in no event later than March 15, 2021 (the “Payout Date”). On the Payout Date, the Company will issue a check to you with a gross value equal to your Payout, subject to reduction for tax withholding as described in Section 8.

 

5.

Termination of Employment.

 

  A.

Except as provided in Section 5(B) and Section 6, if your employment is terminated for any reason before the Vesting Date, your right to this Award will terminate immediately upon such termination of employment. Termination of employment and similar terms when used in this Award refer to a termination employment that constitutes a separation from service within the meaning of Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code.

 

  B.

If your termination of employment during the Performance Period is due to Retirement (as defined below), death, or Disability (as defined below), your Award will vest at the end of the Performance Period and will be prorated for the number of days during the Performance Period prior to your termination.

Retirement” means you voluntarily quit (i) on or after age 65, or (ii) on or after age 55 if you have at least 20 years of service with the Company or any company or division acquired by the Company.

Disability” means the inability to substantially perform your duties and responsibilities by reason of any accident or illness that can be expected to result in death or to last for a continuous period of not less than one year; provided, however, the Award shall continue to vest for 18 months after Disability begins.

 

  C.

The employment relationship will be treated as continuing intact while you are on military, sick leave or other bona fide leave of absence if (i) the Company does not terminate the employment relationship or (ii) your right to re-employment is guaranteed by statute or by contract.

 

6.

Change in Control. If, during the Performance Period, a Change in Control of the Company (as defined in the Flexible Stock Plan, the “Plan”) occurs and your employment is terminated either (i) by the Company (for reasons other than Disability or Cause, as defined below) or (ii) by you for Good Reason, then the Company (or its successor) will pay you the maximum Payout under this Award (subject to the Individual Payout Cap and the BU Payout Cap), within 30 days following your termination of employment (subject to delay until the first day of the first month that is more than six months following your separation from service to the extent required in Section 16.7 of the Plan, if you are a specified employee within the meaning of Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code).

 

  A.

Termination by Company for Cause. Termination for “Cause” under this Award shall be limited to the following:

 

  i.

Your conviction of any crime involving money or other property of the Company or any of its affiliates (including entering any plea bargain admitting criminal guilt), or a conviction of any other crime (whether or not involving the Company or any of its affiliates) that constitutes a felony in the jurisdiction involved; or

 

3


  ii.

Your willful act or omission involving fraud, misappropriation, or dishonesty that (i) causes material injury to the Company or (ii) results in a material personal enrichment to you at the expense of the Company; or

 

  iii.

Your continued, repeated, willful failure to substantially perform your duties; provided, however, that no discharge shall be deemed for Cause under this subsection (a) unless you first receive written notice from the Company advising you of specific acts or omissions alleged to constitute a failure to perform your duties, and such failure continues after you have had a reasonable opportunity to correct the acts or omissions so complained of.

A termination shall not be deemed for Cause if, for example, the termination results from the Company’s determination that your position is redundant or unnecessary or that your performance is unsatisfactory.

 

  B.

Termination by Employee for Good Reason. You may terminate your employment for “Good Reason” by giving notice of termination to the Company during the Performance Period following (i) any action or omission by the Company described in this Section or (ii) receipt of notice from the Company of the Company’s intention to take any such action or engage in any such omission.

The actions or omissions which may lead to a termination of employment for Good Reason are as follows:

 

  i.

A reduction by the Company in your base salary as in effect immediately prior to the Change in Control; or

 

  ii.

A change in your reporting responsibilities, titles or offices as in effect immediately prior to a Change in Control that results in a material diminution within the Company of title, status, authority or responsibility; or

 

  iii.

A material reduction in your target annual incentive opportunity as in effect immediately prior to the Change in Control, expressed as a percentage of base salary; or

 

  iv.

A requirement by the Company that you be based or perform your duties anywhere other than at the location immediately prior to the Change in Control, except for required travel on the Company’s business to an extent substantially consistent with your business travel obligations immediately prior to the Change in Control; or

 

  v.

A material reduction in annual target value of your long-term incentive awards as in effect immediately prior to the Change in Control (with the value determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting standards); or

 

  vi.

A failure by the Company to obtain the assumption agreement to perform this Agreement by any successor as contemplated by Section 12 of this Agreement; or

 

  vii.

Any purported termination of your employment for Disability or for Cause that is not carried out pursuant to a notice of termination which satisfies the requirements of Section 6(c); and for purposes of this Agreement, no such purported termination shall be effective.

 

4


  C.

Notice of Termination. Any purported termination by the Company of your employment shall be communicated by notice of termination to the other party. A notice of termination shall set forth, in reasonable detail, the facts and circumstances claimed to provide a basis for termination of employment under the Section so indicated.

 

  D.

Date of Termination. The date your employment is terminated under Section 6 of this Agreement is called the “Date of Termination”. In cases of Disability, the Date of Termination shall be 30 days after notice of termination is given (provided that you shall not have returned to the performance of your duties on a full-time basis during such 30-day period). If your employment is terminated for Cause, the Date of Termination shall be the date specified in the notice of termination. If your employment is terminated for Good Reason, the Date of Termination shall be the date set out in the notice of termination.

Any dispute by a party hereto regarding a notice of termination delivered to such party must be conveyed to the other party within 30 days after the notice of termination is given. If the particulars of the dispute are not conveyed within the 30-day period, then the disputing party’s claims regarding the termination shall be forever deemed waived.

 

7.

Transferability. This Award may not be transferred, assigned, pledged or otherwise encumbered.

 

8.

Withholding. The Payout will be recognized as taxable on the Vesting Date and is subject to ordinary income tax and payroll tax. The Company may withhold from the Payout any amount required to satisfy applicable tax laws (at the Company’s required withholding rate).

 

9.

Restrictive Covenants. Due to your leadership role in the Company, you are in a position of trust and confidence and have access to and knowledge of valuable confidential information of the Company, including business processes, techniques, plans, and strategies across the Company, trade secrets, sensitive financial and legal information, terms and arrangements with business partners, customers, and suppliers, trade secrets, and other confidential information that if known outside the Company would cause irreparable harm to the Company.

For two years after the Payout Date of this Award, you will not directly or indirectly (i) engage in any Competitive Activity, (ii) solicit orders from or seek or propose to do business with any customer or supplier of the Company or its subsidiaries or affiliates (collectively, the “Companies”) relating to any Competitive Activity, or (iii) influence or attempt to influence any employee, representative or advisor of the Companies to terminate his or her employment or relationship with the Companies. “Competitive Activity” means any manufacture, sale, distribution, engineering, design, promotion or other activity that competes with any business of the Companies in which you were involved as an employee, consultant or agent. You agree the covenants in this Section are reasonable in time and scope and justified based on your position and receipt of the Award. In the event you violate the terms of this Section, the two-year term of the restrictive covenants shall be automatically extended by the period you were violating any term of this Section.

If you violate the preceding paragraph, then you will pay to the Company any Award Gain you realized from this Award. “Award Gain” is equal to (i) the cash paid to you on the Payout Date of this Award (including the tax withholding), minus (ii) any non-refundable taxes paid by you as a result of the

 

5


distribution. In addition, the Company shall be entitled to seek a temporary or permanent injunction or other equitable relief against you for any breach or threatened breach of this Section from any court of competent jurisdiction, without the necessity of showing any actual damages or showing money damages would not afford an adequate remedy, and without the necessity of posting any bond or other security. Such equitable relief shall be in addition to, not in lieu of, any legal remedies, monetary damages, or other available forms of relief.

If any restriction in this Section is deemed unenforceable, then you and the Company contemplate that the appropriate court will reduce the scope or other provisions and enforce the restrictions set out in this section in their reduced form. The covenants in this Section are in addition to any similar covenants under any other agreement between the Company and you.

 

10.

Repayment of Awards. If, within 24 months after an Award is paid, the Company is required to restate previously reported financial results, the Company will require all Award recipients to repay any amounts paid in excess of the amounts that would have been paid based on the restated financial results. The Company will issue a written Notice of Repayment documenting the corrected Award calculation and the amount and terms of repayment.

In addition, the Company may require repayment of the entire Award from any Award recipients determined, in its discretion, to be personally responsible for gross misconduct or fraud that caused the need for the restatement.

The Award recipient must repay the amount specified in the Notice of Repayment. The Company may, in its discretion, reduce a current year Award payout as necessary to recoup any amounts outstanding under a previously issued Notice of Repayment.

 

11.

Award Not Benefit Eligible. This Award will be considered special incentive compensation and will not be included as earnings, wages, salary or compensation in any pension, retirement, welfare, life insurance or other employee benefit plan or arrangement of the Company.

 

12.

Assignment. The Company will require any successor (whether direct or indirect, by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise) to all or substantially all of the business and/or assets of the Company to expressly assume and agree to perform this Award in the same manner and to the same extent that the Company would be required to perform it if no such succession had taken place. Failure of the Company to obtain such agreement prior to the effectiveness of any such succession shall be a breach of this Award. As used in this Award, “Company” means (i) Leggett & Platt, Incorporated, its subsidiaries and affiliates, and (ii) any successor to its business and/or assets which executes and delivers the agreement provided for in this Section or which otherwise becomes bound by all the terms and provisions of this Award by operation of law.

 

13.

Section 409A. The Company believes this Award constitutes a short-term deferral within the meaning of Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code and the regulations thereunder. Notwithstanding anything contained in the these terms and conditions, it is intended that the Award will at all times meet the requirements of Section 409A and any regulations or other guidance issued thereunder, and that the provisions of the Award will be interpreted to meet such requirements.

To the extent permitted by Section 409A, the Company retains the right to delay a distribution of this Award if the distribution would violate securities laws or otherwise result in material harm to the Company.

 

6


14.

Data Privacy. You acknowledge and agree that the Company may collect and use your personal information to implement and administer the Award. This personal information may include, without limitation, your: employee identification number; first and last names; home and other physical address; email addresses; telephone and fax numbers; organization name, job title, and department name; reporting hierarchy; work history; performance ratings; and payroll information. You further acknowledge and agree that the Company may disclose such information to non-agent third parties assisting the Company in administering Award.

Additional information concerning the Company’s collection and use of your personal information is available in the Privacy Policy located on the Company’s intranet site.

 

15.

Other. In the absence of any specific agreement to the contrary, the grant of this Award to you will not affect any right of the Company or its subsidiaries to terminate your employment or your right to resign from employment.

This Award is intended to comply with the requirements of Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code for performance-based compensation.

This Award is entered into and accepted in Carthage, Missouri. The Award will be governed by Missouri law, excluding any conflicts or choice of law provision that might otherwise refer construction or interpretation of the Award to the substantive law of another jurisdiction.

Any action or proceeding arising from or related to this Award is subject to the exclusive venue and subject matter jurisdiction of the Circuit Court for Jasper County, Missouri or the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, and the parties agree to submit to the jurisdiction of such Courts. The parties also waive the defense of an inconvenient forum and agree not to seek any change of venue from such Courts.

 

7

EXHIBIT 10.9 - 2019-2021 BUPS AWARD AGREEMENT - STEVEN K. HENDERSON

Exhibit 10.9

BUSINESS UNIT PROFIT SHARING AWARD AGREEMENT

2019-2021

Steven Kirk Henderson

Congratulations!

You have been selected to receive a Business Unit Profit Sharing Award (the “Award”) for 2019-2021, as described in the enclosed Terms and Conditions.

Under this Award, you are eligible to receive a 1.50% share of the incremental Earnings before Interest and Taxes (EBIT) generated by the Automotive Business Unit in 2021 in excess of the Business Unit’s EBIT in 2018, subject to certain adjustments. Your maximum payout under the Award is capped at $691,500, based on 150% of your 2019 base salary and is subject to an aggregate maximum payout for all participants in your Business Unit. Your Award will vest on December 31, 2021 and will be paid in cash by March 15, 2022.

You are not required to accept this Award. By signing below, you confirm that you understand and agree that this Award is granted in exchange for you agreeing to the Terms and Conditions, that the Terms and Conditions are included in this Agreement by reference, and that you are not otherwise entitled to the Award.

Accepted and Agreed:

/s/ Steven K. Henderson                                     Date: March 26, 2019


TERMS AND CONDITIONS – BUSINESS UNIT PROFIT SHARING

2019-2021

 

1.

Performance Period and Payout. This Business Unit Profit Sharing Award (“Award”) covers the three-year period beginning January 1, 2019 and ending December 31, 2021 (“Performance Period”). Your payout (“Payout”) under this Award is determined by multiplying (i) the profit share percentage shown on your Award Agreement (“Profit Share”) by (ii) your Business Unit’s Incremental EBIT (defined below) during the Performance Period. Your Payout is subject to an Individual Payout Cap and a BU Payout Cap.

 

  A.

Individual Payout Cap. The maximum Award Payout you are eligible to receive subject to the individual payout cap shown on your Award Agreement.

 

  B.

BU Payout Cap. In the event the aggregate Payouts for all Award recipients in your Business Unit exceed 5% of your Business Unit’s Incremental EBIT for the Performance Period, each of the Business Unit’s participants’ Profit Shares will be reduced proportionately such that the aggregate Payouts for all the Business Unit’s participants equal 5% of the Incremental EBIT.

 

2.

Incremental EBIT. The Incremental EBIT during the Performance Period is the total earnings before income and taxes (“EBIT”) for your Business Unit during the third fiscal year of the Performance Period compared to the Base Year EBIT. “Base Year EBIT” is the total EBIT of your Business Unit during the fiscal year immediately preceding the Performance Period.

The calculation of Incremental EBIT will include results from businesses acquired during the Performance Period. Incremental EBIT will exclude results for any businesses divested during the Performance Period, and the divested businesses’ EBIT will also be deducted from Base Year EBIT. Incremental EBIT will exclude (i) results from non-operating branches, (ii) certain currency and hedging-related gains and losses, (iv) items that are outside the scope of the Company’s core, on-going business activities, and (v) all amounts relating to corporate allocations. Incremental EBIT will be adjusted to eliminate gain, loss or expense, as determined in accordance with standards established under Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, (i) from non-cash impairments; (ii) related to loss contingencies identified in footnotes to the financial statements in the Company’s 10-K relating to the fiscal year immediately preceding the Performance Period; (iii) related to the disposal of a segment of a business; or (iv) related to a change in accounting principle.

 

3.

Reassignment. If, during the Performance Period, your responsibilities shift due to a transfer or a corporate restructuring (a “Reassignment”), your Award will be reallocated as follows:

(i) You will have Incremental EBIT results calculated for any full calendar year(s) during the Performance Period completed prior to the Reassignment based upon the Business Unit identified in your original Award Agreement.

(ii) You will have Incremental EBIT results calculated for the calendar year in which the Reassignment occurs, and any subsequent calendar year(s) during the Performance Period, based upon the Business Unit(s) for which you are responsible following the Reassignment.

(iii)Your Payout will be based upon results calculated under paragraphs (i) and (ii), prorated for the years of the Performance Period before and after the Reassignment.

 

2


4.

Vesting of Award. With the exception of early vesting for circumstances described in Sections 5 and 6, this Award will vest on December 31, 2021 (the “Vesting Date”). Your vested Award will be paid out as soon as reasonably practicable following the end of the Performance Period but in no event later than March 15, 2022 (the “Payout Date”). On the Payout Date, the Company will issue a check to you with a gross value equal to your Payout, subject to reduction for tax withholding as described in Section 8.

 

5.

Termination of Employment.

 

  A.

Except as provided in Section 5(B) and Section 6, if your employment is terminated for any reason before the Vesting Date, your right to this Award will terminate immediately upon such termination of employment. Termination of employment and similar terms when used in this Award refer to a termination employment that constitutes a separation from service within the meaning of Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code.

 

  B.

If your termination of employment during the Performance Period is due to Retirement (as defined below), death, or Disability (as defined below), your Award will vest at the end of the Performance Period and will be prorated for the number of days during the Performance Period prior to your termination.

Retirement” means you voluntarily quit (i) on or after age 65, or (ii) on or after age 55 if you have at least 20 years of service with the Company or any company or division acquired by the Company.

Disability” means the inability to substantially perform your duties and responsibilities by reason of any accident or illness that can be expected to result in death or to last for a continuous period of not less than one year; provided, however, the Award shall continue to vest for 18 months after Disability begins.

 

  C.

The employment relationship will be treated as continuing intact while you are on military, sick leave or other bona fide leave of absence if (i) the Company does not terminate the employment relationship or (ii) your right to re-employment is guaranteed by statute or by contract.

 

6.

Change in Control. If, during the Performance Period, a Change in Control of the Company (as defined in the Flexible Stock Plan, the “Plan”) occurs and your employment is terminated either (i) by the Company (for reasons other than Disability or Cause, as defined below) or (ii) by you for Good Reason (as defined below), then the Company (or its successor) will pay you the maximum Payout under this Award (subject to the Individual Payout Cap and the BU Payout Cap), within 30 days following your termination of employment (subject to delay until the first day of the first month that is more than six months following your separation from service to the extent required in Section 16.7 of the Plan, if you are a specified employee within the meaning of Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code).

 

  A.

Termination by Company for Cause. Termination for “Cause” under this Award shall be limited to the following:

 

  i.

Your conviction of any crime involving money or other property of the Company or any of its affiliates (including entering any plea bargain admitting criminal guilt), or a conviction of any other crime (whether or not involving the Company or any of its affiliates) that constitutes a felony in the jurisdiction involved; or

 

3


  ii.

Your willful act or omission involving fraud, misappropriation, or dishonesty that (i) causes significant injury to the Company or (ii) results in a significant personal enrichment to you at the expense of the Company; or

 

  iii.

Your continued, repeated, willful failure to substantially perform your duties; provided, however, that no discharge shall be deemed for Cause under this subsection (a) unless you first receive written notice from the Company advising you of specific acts or omissions alleged to constitute a failure to perform your duties, and such failure continues after you have had a reasonable opportunity to correct the acts or omissions so complained of.

A termination shall not be deemed for Cause if, for example, the termination results from the Company’s determination that your position is redundant or unnecessary or that your performance is unsatisfactory for reasons not otherwise specified above.

 

  B.

Termination by Employee for Good Reason. You may terminate your employment for “Good Reason” by giving notice of termination to the Company during the Performance Period following (i) any action or omission by the Company described in this Section or (ii) receipt of notice from the Company of the Company’s intention to take any such action or engage in any such omission.

The actions or omissions which may lead to a termination of employment for Good Reason are as follows:

 

  i.

A reduction by the Company in your base salary as in effect immediately prior to the Change in Control; or

 

  ii.

A change in your reporting responsibilities, titles or offices as in effect immediately prior to a Change in Control that results in a material diminution within the Company of title, status, authority or responsibility; or

 

  iii.

A material reduction in your target annual incentive opportunity as in effect immediately prior to the Change in Control, expressed as a percentage of base salary; or

 

  iv.

A requirement by the Company that you be based or perform your duties anywhere other than at the location immediately prior to the Change in Control, except for required travel on the Company’s business to an extent substantially consistent with your business travel obligations immediately prior to the Change in Control; or

 

  v.

A material reduction in annual target value of your long-term incentive awards as in effect immediately prior to the Change in Control (with the value determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting standards); or

 

  vi.

A failure by the Company to obtain the assumption agreement to perform this Agreement by any successor as contemplated by Section 12 of this Agreement; or

 

  vii.

Any purported termination of your employment for Disability or for Cause that is not carried out pursuant to a notice of termination which satisfies the requirements of Section 6(c); and for purposes of this Agreement, no such purported termination shall be effective.

 

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  C.

Notice of Termination. Any purported termination by the Company of your employment shall be communicated by notice of termination to the other party. A notice of termination shall set forth, in reasonable detail, the facts and circumstances claimed to provide a basis for termination of employment under the Section so indicated.

 

  D.

Date of Termination. The date your employment is terminated under Section 6 of this Agreement is called the “Date of Termination”. In cases of Disability, the Date of Termination shall be 30 days after notice of termination is given (provided that you shall not have returned to the performance of your duties on a full-time basis during such 30-day period). If your employment is terminated for Cause, the Date of Termination shall be the date specified in the notice of termination. If your employment is terminated for Good Reason, the Date of Termination shall be the date set out in the notice of termination.

Any dispute by a party hereto regarding a notice of termination delivered to such party must be conveyed to the other party within 30 days after the notice of termination is given. If the particulars of the dispute are not conveyed within the 30-day period, then the disputing party’s claims regarding the termination shall be forever deemed waived.

 

7.

Transferability. This Award may not be transferred, assigned, pledged or otherwise encumbered.

 

8.

Withholding. The Payout will be recognized as taxable on the Vesting Date and is subject to ordinary income tax and payroll tax. The Company may withhold from the Payout any amount required to satisfy applicable tax laws (at the Company’s required withholding rate).

 

9.

Restrictive Covenants. Due to your leadership role in the Company, you are in a position of trust and confidence and have access to and knowledge of valuable confidential information of the Company, including business processes, techniques, plans, and strategies across the Company, trade secrets, sensitive financial and legal information, terms and arrangements with business partners, customers, and suppliers, trade secrets, and other confidential information that if known outside the Company would cause irreparable harm to the Company.

During your employment and through two years after the Payout Date of this Award, you will not directly or indirectly (i) engage in any Competitive Activity, (ii) solicit orders from or seek or propose to do business with any customer or supplier of the Company or its subsidiaries or affiliates (collectively, the “Companies”) relating to any Competitive Activity, or (iii) influence or attempt to influence any employee, representative or advisor of the Companies to terminate his or her employment or relationship with the Companies. “Competitive Activity” means any manufacture, sale, distribution, engineering, design, promotion or other activity that competes with any business of the Companies in which you were involved as an employee, consultant or agent. You agree the covenants in this Section are reasonable in time and scope and justified based on your position and receipt of the Award. In the event you violate the terms of this Section, the two-year term of the restrictive covenants shall be automatically extended by the period you were violating any term of this Section.

If you violate the preceding paragraph, then you will pay to the Company any Award Gain you realized from this Award. “Award Gain” is equal to (i) the cash paid to you on the Payout Date of this Award (including the tax withholding), minus (ii) any non-refundable taxes paid by you as a result of the distribution. In addition, the Company shall be entitled to seek a temporary or permanent injunction or other equitable relief against

 

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you for any breach or threatened breach of this Section from any court of competent jurisdiction, without the necessity of showing any actual damages or showing money damages would not afford an adequate remedy, and without the necessity of posting any bond or other security. Such equitable relief shall be in addition to, not in lieu of, any legal remedies, monetary damages, or other available forms of relief.

If any restriction in this Section is deemed unenforceable, then you and the Company contemplate that the appropriate court will reduce the scope or other provisions and enforce the restrictions set out in this section in their reduced form. The covenants in this Section are in addition to any similar covenants under any other agreement between the Company and you.

 

10.

Repayment of Awards. If, within 24 months after an Award is paid, the Company is required to restate previously reported financial results, the Company will require all Award recipients to repay any amounts paid in excess of the amounts that would have been paid based on the restated financial results. The Company will issue a written Notice of Repayment documenting the corrected Award calculation and the amount and terms of repayment.

In addition, the Company may require repayment of the entire Award from any Award recipients determined, in its discretion, to be personally responsible for gross misconduct or fraud that caused the need for the restatement.

The Award recipient must repay the amount specified in the Notice of Repayment. The Company may, in its discretion, reduce a current year Award payout as necessary to recoup any amounts outstanding under a previously issued Notice of Repayment.

 

11.

Award Not Benefit Eligible. This Award will be considered special incentive compensation and will not be included as earnings, wages, salary or compensation in any pension, retirement, welfare, life insurance or other employee benefit plan or arrangement of the Company.

 

12.

Assignment. The Company will require any successor (whether direct or indirect, by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise) to all or substantially all of the business and/or assets of the Company to expressly assume and agree to perform this Award in the same manner and to the same extent that the Company would be required to perform it if no such succession had taken place. Failure of the Company to obtain such agreement prior to the effectiveness of any such succession shall be a breach of this Award. As used in this Award, “Company” means (i) Leggett & Platt, Incorporated, its subsidiaries and affiliates, and (ii) any successor to its business and/or assets which executes and delivers the agreement provided for in this Section or which otherwise becomes bound by all the terms and provisions of this Award by operation of law.

 

13.

Section 409A. The Company believes this Award constitutes a short-term deferral within the meaning of Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code and the regulations thereunder. Notwithstanding anything contained in these terms and conditions, it is intended that the Award will at all times meet the requirements of Section 409A and any regulations or other guidance issued thereunder, and that the provisions of the Award will be interpreted to meet such requirements.

To the extent permitted by Section 409A, the Company retains the right to delay a distribution of this Award if the distribution would violate securities laws or otherwise result in material harm to the Company.

 

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14.

Data Privacy. You acknowledge and agree that the Company may collect and use your personal information to implement and administer the Award. This personal information may include, without limitation, your: employee identification number; first and last names; home and other physical address; email addresses; telephone and fax numbers; organization name, job title, and department name; reporting hierarchy; work history; performance ratings; and payroll information. You further acknowledge and agree that the Company may disclose such information to non-agent third parties assisting the Company in administering Award.

Additional information concerning the Company’s collection and use of your personal information is available in the Privacy Policy located on the Company’s intranet site.

 

15.

Other. In the absence of any specific agreement to the contrary, the grant of this Award to you will not affect any right of the Company or its subsidiaries to terminate your employment or your right to resign from employment.

This Award is entered into and accepted in Carthage, Missouri. The Award will be governed by Missouri law, excluding any conflicts or choice of law provision that might otherwise refer construction or interpretation of the Award to the substantive law of another jurisdiction.

Any action or proceeding arising from or related to this Award is subject to the exclusive venue and subject matter jurisdiction of the Circuit Court for Jasper County, Missouri or the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, and the parties agree to submit to the jurisdiction of such Courts. The parties also waive the defense of an inconvenient forum and agree not to seek any change of venue from such Courts.

 

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