6.0 10b5-1 Plans/Margin Accounts and Pledges/Short Sales
6.110b5-1 Trading Plans. A 10b5-1 trading plan is a binding, written contract between you and your broker that specifies the price, amount, and date of trades to be executed in your account in the future, or provides a formula or mechanism that your broker will follow. A 10b5-1 trading plan can only be established when you do not possess Material Non- Public Information. Therefore, Insiders cannot enter into these plans at any time when in possession of Material Non-Public Information and, in addition, persons subject to the pre-clearance requirements of this Policy described in Section 5.0 cannot enter into these plans outside Window Periods. In addition, a 10b5-1 trading plan must not permit you to exercise any subsequent influence over how, when, or whether the purchases or sales are made.
You have an affirmative defense against any claim by the SEC against you for insider trading if your trade was made under a 10b5-1 trading plan that you entered into when you were not aware of Material Non-Public Information. The rules regarding 10b5-1 trading plans are complex and you must fully comply with them. You should consult with your legal advisor before proceeding.
Each Insider who is not also a Section 16 Officer must pre-clear with the General Counsel his/her proposed 10b5-1 trading plan prior to the establishment of such plan. Each Section 16 Officer must pre-clear his/her proposed 10b5-1 trading plan with both the General Counsel and the Compensation Committee prior to the establishment of such plan. Each of the Corporation and/or the Compensation Committee, as applicable, reserves the right to withhold pre-clearance of any 10b5-1 trading plan that it determines is not consistent with the rules regarding such plans. Notwithstanding any pre-clearance of a 10b5-1 trading plan, the Corporation assumes no liability for the consequences of any transaction made pursuant to such plan.
If you enter into a 10b5-1 trading plan, your 10b5-1 trading plan should be structured to avoid purchases or sales shortly before known announcements, such as quarterly or annual earnings announcements. Even though transactions executed in accordance with a properly formulated 10b5-1 trading plan are exempt from the insider trading rules, the trades may nonetheless occur at times shortly before we announce material news, and the investing public and media may not understand the nuances of trading pursuant to a
10b5-1 trading plan. This could result in negative publicity for you and the Corporation if the SEC or the New York Stock Exchange were to investigate your trades.
For Insiders who are not Section 16 Officers, any modification of a pre-approved 10b5-1 trading plan requires pre-approval by the General Counsel. Any modification of a Section 16 Officer’s pre-approved 10b5-1 trading plan requires pre-approval by both the General Counsel and the Compensation Committee. Such modification must occur before you become aware of any Material Non-Public Information and must comply with the requirements of the rules regarding 10b5-1 trading plans and, if you are subject to Window Period restrictions, during a Window Period.
Transactions effected pursuant to a pre-cleared 10b5-1 trading plan will not require further pre-clearance at the time of the transaction if the plan specifies the dates, prices and amounts of the contemplated trades, or establishes a formula for determining the dates, prices and amounts.
Finally, if you are a Section 16 Person, 10b5-1 trading plans require special care. Because in a 10b5-1 trading plan you can specify conditions that trigger a purchase or sale, you