EX-10.21 5 pscq42025ex1021.htm AGREEMENT FOR EMPLOYEE GRANTS IN 2026
Exhibit 10.21
RESTRICTED STOCK AND MUTUAL FUND RESTRICTED SHARE AGREEMENT
(2026 Annual Grant)
Under the
PIPER SANDLER COMPANIES
AMENDED AND RESTATED 2003 ANNUAL AND LONG-TERM INCENTIVE PLAN
AND
MUTUAL FUND RESTRICTED SHARE INVESTMENT PLAN
Notice of Grant
Piper Sandler Companies, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), hereby grants to the below-named employee of the Company or an Affiliate of the Company (the “Employee”) (i) a Restricted Stock Award pursuant to the Company’s Amended and Restated 2003 Annual and Long-Term Incentive Plan, as amended from time to time (the “2003 Plan”), and (ii) a Mutual Fund Restricted Share Award (the “MFRS Award”) pursuant to the Company’s Mutual Fund Restricted Share Investment Plan, as amended from time to time (the “MFRS Plan” and together with the Restricted Stock Plan, the “Plans”). The terms and conditions of the Restricted Stock Award and MFRS Award (collectively, the “Awards”) are set forth in this Restricted Stock and Mutual Fund Restricted Share Agreement (the “Agreement”), consisting of this Notice of Grant and the Terms and Conditions on the following pages. This Agreement and the Awards are subject to all of the provisions of the applicable Plans. Any capitalized term that is not defined in this Agreement shall have the meaning set forth in the Plans as they currently exist or as they are amended in the future.
Name of Employee: ________________________
Restricted Stock Award
Date of Issuance: _______________, 2026

No. of Restricted Shares Covered:
Vesting Schedule pursuant to Section 3: The Restricted Shares shall vest ratably over four years on the 16 th day of the month (or, if the 16 th falls on a weekend or another day on which the New York Stock Exchange is closed, on the immediately preceding business day) in which the first, second, third, and fourth anniversaries of the date of issuance occurs.

Mutual Fund Restricted Share Award
Date of Issuance: _______________, 2026

Restricted Mutual Fund Shares Covered:* |
Vanguard Cash Reserves Federal Money Market Fund |
Dodge & Cox Income Fund |
T. Rowe Price Blue Chip Growth Fund |
Vanguard Extended Market Index Fund |
Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US Index Fund |
Vanguard 500 Index Fund |
Vesting Schedule pursuant to Section 3:
The Restricted Mutual Fund Shares shall vest ratably over four years on the 16 th day of the month (or, if the 16 th falls on a weekend or another day on which the New York Stock Exchange is closed, on the immediately preceding business day) in which the first, second, third, and fourth anniversaries of the date of issuance occurs.

* Subject to adjustment in accordance with the terms of this Agreement
IMPORTANT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: By signing this Agreement, Employee voluntarily elects to receive and accept the Restricted Stock Award and MFRS Award subject to all of the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, and specifically acknowledges and agrees that under certain circumstances, as specified in Section 5(a), the unvested Restricted Shares and Restricted Mutual Fund Shares may cease to vest and be forfeited to the Company. Employee also acknowledges and agrees that such terms and conditions are fair and reasonable under the circumstances.
EMPLOYEE
PIPER SANDLER COMPANIES
By__________________________________
Its

Terms and Conditions
1. Restricted Shares.
(a) The Shares subject to the Restricted Stock Award are subject to the restrictions provided for in this Agreement and are referred to collectively as the “Restricted Shares” and each as a “Restricted Share.”
(b) The Restricted Shares will be evidenced by a book entry made in the records of the Company’s transfer agent in the name of the Employee (unless the Employee requests a certificate evidencing the Restricted Shares). All restrictions provided for in this Agreement will apply to each Restricted Share and to any other securities distributed with respect to that Restricted Share. Any dividends or distributions payable or distributable with respect to or in exchange for outstanding but unvested Restricted Shares shall be held by the Company (or its designated agent) subject to the same restrictions, vesting conditions, and other terms of this Agreement to which the underlying unvested Restricted Shares are subject. At the time the underlying Restricted Shares vest, the Company shall cause to be delivered to the Employee (without interest) the portion of such retained dividends and distributions that relate to the Restricted Shares that have vested. Unless otherwise permitted by the Committee in accordance with the terms of the Plan, the Restricted Shares may not (until such Restricted Shares have vested in the Employee in accordance with all terms and conditions of this Agreement) be assigned or transferred other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution and shall not be subject to pledge, hypothecation, execution, attachment or similar process. Each Restricted Share will remain restricted and subject to forfeiture to the Company unless and until that Restricted Share has vested in the Employee in accordance with all of the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the 2003 Plan. Each book entry (or stock certificate if requested by the Employee) evidencing any Restricted Share may contain such notations or legends and stock transfer instructions or limitations as may be determined or authorized by the Company in its sole discretion. If a certificate evidencing any Restricted Share is requested by the Employee, the Company may, in its sole discretion, retain custody of the certificate throughout the period during which any restrictions are in effect and require, as a condition to issuing a certificate, that the Employee tender to the Company a stock power duly executed in blank relating to such custody.
2. Restricted Mutual Fund Shares.
(a) The Restricted Mutual Fund Shares represent Restricted Mutual Fund Shares that have been awarded to the Employee by the Company as well as any additional Restricted Mutual Fund Shares that the Employee has elected to receive in lieu of amounts that would have been otherwise awarded as Restricted Shares, in accordance with the Committee’s determination to permit such an election and in the amount so permitted. The Restricted Mutual Fund Shares were to be allocated by the Employee among mutual funds and exchange-traded funds selected by the Company. The deadline for submitting an allocation form for this award cycle has passed and no reallocation among selected mutual funds or exchange-traded funds shall be permitted. The Employee’s allocation, and any election to increase the amount of Restricted Mutual Fund

Shares received in lieu of amounts that would have been otherwise awarded as Restricted Shares, is irrevocable. If the Employee failed to allocate their Restricted Mutual Fund Shares among the available mutual funds and exchange-traded funds prior to the deadline, the Company’s determination of the allocation shall be binding on the Employee, and no reallocation shall be permitted.
(b) All vesting contingencies and restrictions provided for in this Agreement will apply to each Restricted Mutual Fund Share. The Restricted Mutual Fund Shares may not (until such Restricted Mutual Fund Shares have vested in the Employee in accordance with all terms and conditions of this Agreement) be assigned or transferred other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution and shall not be subject to pledge, hypothecation, execution, attachment or similar process. Each Restricted Mutual Fund Share will remain restricted, and its unvested portion subject to forfeiture to the Company, unless and until that Restricted Mutual Fund Share has vested in the Employee in accordance with all of the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the MFRS Plan. The Employee shall execute such pledge or other agreement that the Company may require at any time to perfect such restriction.
3. Vesting.
(a) Continuous Employment: So long as the Employee remains continuously employed (including during the continuance of any leave of absence as approved by the Company or an Affiliate) by the Company or an Affiliate, then the Restricted Shares and Restricted Mutual Fund Shares will vest in the numbers and on the dates specified in their respective Vesting Schedules in the Notice of Grant. Except as otherwise provided herein, if and when the Employee’s employment with the Company or an Affiliate terminates, whether by the Employee or by the Company (or an Affiliate), voluntarily or involuntarily, for any reason, then, in accordance with Section 5 of this Agreement, the Restricted Shares and Restricted Mutual Fund Shares shall cease vesting, the unvested Restricted Shares and Restricted Mutual Fund Shares as of the termination date shall be forfeited to the Company.
(b) Vesting in Event of Death: If the Employee’s employment by the Company or an Affiliate terminates because of the Employee’s death, then the unvested Restricted Shares and Restricted Mutual Fund Shares will immediately vest in full.
(c) Vesting in Event of Long-Term Disability: If the Employee’s employment by the Company or an Affiliate terminates because of the Employee’s long-term disability (as defined in the Company’s long-term disability plan, a “Disability”), then the unvested Restricted Shares and Restricted Mutual Fund Shares will continue vesting during the Employee’s long-term disability period in accordance with their respective Vesting Schedules set forth in the Notice of Grant. If, however, the Employee recovers from the Disability, and returns to gainful employment with any employer other than the Company or an Affiliate, the Employee’s entitlement to the unvested Restricted Shares and Restricted Mutual Fund Shares will be subject to the requirements of subparagraph 3(f) below.

(d) Vesting in Event of Severance Event: If the Employee’s employment by the Company or an Affiliate is involuntarily terminated as a result of a Company-determined severance event (i.e., an event specifically designated as a severance event by the Company in a written notice to the Employee that he or she is eligible for severance benefits under the Company’s Severance Plan, as may be amended from time to time), then on the 16 th day of the month (or, if the 16 th falls on a weekend or another day on which the New York Stock Exchange is closed, on the immediately preceding business day) of February, May, August or November immediately following the expiration of a thirty-day period commencing upon the Employee’s execution of a general release of all claims against the Company and its Affiliates, on a form provided by the Company for this purpose and within the timeframe designated by the Company, the unvested Restricted Shares and Restricted Mutual Fund Shares will vest in full; provided however, that no such vesting will occur unless (i) the Employee has not revoked the general release and it remains effective and enforceable, and (ii) the Employee has complied with the terms and conditions of the Company’s Severance Plan and the applicable severance agreement.
(e) Vesting in Event of For Cause Discharge: If the Employee’s employment with the Company or an Affiliate terminates because the Employee was discharged for “Cause” (as that term is defined in subparagraph 5(b)) below, then the unvested Restricted Shares and Restricted Mutual Fund Shares shall cease vesting and be forfeited to the Company.
(f) Vesting in the Event of Any Other Type of Separation: If the Employee’s employment with the Company or an Affiliate terminates for any reason other than the Employee’s death, Disability, termination in a Company-determined severance event, or for Cause (all as described above), then the unvested Restricted Shares and Restricted Mutual Fund Shares shall cease vesting and be forfeited to the Company; provided, however, that at the time of termination, the Company shall offer the Employee an opportunity to (a) sign a Post-Termination Agreement, and (b) execute a general release of all claims against the Company and its Affiliates on a form provided by the Company for this purpose and within the timeframe designated by the Company.
If the Employee signs a Post-Termination Agreement, and thereafter complies with the Employee’s obligations under such Post-Termination Agreement, including the obligation to refrain from engaging in any Restricted Activities (as defined below) for the shorter of the remaining vesting period of the unvested Restricted Shares and Restricted Mutual Fund Shares, or the restricted period identified in the Post-Termination Agreement (which may extend beyond the Applicable Post-Employment Restricted Period (as defined below) and be up to two years following the date of termination), and the Employee signs and does not rescind or take any action to revoke the general release as described above in whole or in part, then the unvested Restricted Shares and Restricted Mutual Fund Shares shall not cease to vest and shall not be forfeited, but rather, as set forth in the Post-Termination Agreement, shall continue to vest in the numbers and on the dates specified in their respective Vesting Schedules in the Notice of Grant for so long as the Employee continuously refrains from engaging in all Restricted Activities for the shorter of the remaining vesting period of the unvested Restricted Shares and Restricted Mutual Fund Shares, or the restricted period identified in the Post-Termination Agreement.

(g) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Agreement to the contrary, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, declare at any time that the unvested Restricted Shares or Restricted Mutual Fund Shares, or any portion of either thereof, shall vest immediately or, to the extent they otherwise would be forfeited, shall vest in the numbers and on such dates as are determined by the Committee to be in the interests of the Company as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion.
4. Effect of Vesting. Upon the vesting of any Restricted Shares or Restricted Mutual Fund Shares, such vested Restricted Shares and Restricted Mutual Fund Shares will no longer be subject to forfeiture; provided, however, that such vested Restricted Shares and Restricted Mutual Fund Shares shall remain subject to potential recovery by the Company pursuant to Section 7 of this Agreement.
5. Forfeiture of Unvested Restricted Shares and Restricted Mutual Fund Shares.
(a)If (i) the Employee attempts to pledge, encumber, assign, transfer or otherwise dispose of any of the Restricted Shares (except as permitted by Section 1(b) of this Agreement) or the Employee’s interest in or rights to any of the Restricted Mutual Fund Shares (except as permitted by Section 2(b) of this Agreement), or the Restricted Shares or Restricted Mutual Fund Shares become subject to attachment or any similar involuntary process in violation of this Agreement, or (ii) the Employee’s employment with the Company or an Affiliate (A) is terminated for Cause or (B) terminates under the circumstances covered by Section 3(d) or Section 3(f) (including as Section 3(f) applies with respect to Section 3(c)) of this Agreement and either (1) the conditions or restrictions of such Section, as applicable, are not satisfied or (2) the conditions or restrictions of such Section, as applicable, are satisfied but the Employee subsequently violates any of them, then any Restricted Shares and Restricted Mutual Fund Shares that have not previously vested shall cease to vest and shall be forfeited to the Company immediately, the Employee shall thereafter have no right, title or interest whatsoever in such unvested Restricted Shares and Restricted Mutual Fund Shares, and, if the Company does not have custody of any and all certificates representing Restricted Shares so forfeited, the Employee shall immediately return to the Company any and all certificates representing Restricted Shares so forfeited. Additionally, the Employee will deliver to the Company a stock power duly executed in blank relating to any and all certificates representing such forfeited Restricted Shares to the Company in accordance with the previous sentence or, if such stock power has previously been tendered to the Company, the Company will be authorized to deem such previously tendered stock power delivered, and the Company will be authorized to cancel any and all certificates representing Restricted Shares so forfeited and to cause a book entry to be made in the records of the Company’s transfer agent in the name of the Employee (or a new stock certificate to be issued, if requested by the Employee) evidencing any Restricted Shares that vested prior to the forfeiture of unvested Restricted Shares under this Section 5. If the Restricted Shares are evidenced by a book entry made in the records of the Company’s transfer agent, then the Company will be authorized to cause such book entry to be adjusted to reflect the number of Restricted Shares so forfeited.

(b) For purposes of this Agreement, “Cause” means (i) the Employee’s continued failure to substantially perform his or her duties with the Company or an Affiliate after written demand for substantial performance is delivered to the Employee; the Employee shall be provided thirty (30) days to attempt to remedy the deficiencies identified by the Company or an Affiliate in its written demand; (ii) the Employee’s conviction of a felony; (iii) the Employee committing a felony or engaging in other misconduct that the Company determines in its sole discretion impairs the Employee’s ability to perform his or her duties with the Company or an Affiliate, and/or results in negative or otherwise adverse publicity for the Company or an Affiliate; (iv) the Employee’s violation of any policy of the Company or an Affiliate that the Company, in its sole discretion, deems material; (v) the Employee’s violation of any securities law, rule or regulation that the Company, in its sole discretion, deems material; (vi) the Employee’s engagement in conduct that, in the Company’s sole discretion, exposes the Company or an Affiliate to civil or regulatory liability or injury to its reputation; (vii) the Employee’s engagement in conduct that would subject the Employee to statutory disqualification pursuant to Section 15(b) of the Exchange Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder; or (viii) the Employee’s gross or willful misconduct that the Company, in its sole discretion, deems material.
6. Restricted Activities. In consideration of the grant of this Award, the Employee agrees to comply with and be bound by the following restrictive covenants (each a “Restricted Activity” and together the “Restricted Activities”):
(a)the Employee will not, either during the Employee’s employment by the Company or an Affiliate or at any time thereafter, except in connection with the performance of the Employee’s job duties for the benefit of the Company, use, disclose or misappropriate any Company-Confidential Information (as defined below) unless the Company or an Affiliate consents otherwise in writing. “Company-Confidential Information” shall have the same meaning as provided in the Company’s Code of Ethics and Business Conduct, and shall include without limitation any confidential, secret or proprietary knowledge or information of the Company or an Affiliate that the Employee has acquired or become acquainted with during the Employee’s employment with the Company or an Affiliate. For the avoidance of doubt, nothing in this paragraph or any other provision of this Agreement precludes you from reporting to the Company’s management or directors or to the government, a regulator, or a self-regulatory agency conduct that you believe to be in violation of the law, or responding truthfully to questions or requests from the government, a regulator, a self-regulatory agency, or in a court of law.
(b) the Employee will not, during the Employee’s employment by the Company or an Affiliate and during the Applicable Post-Employment Restricted Period, directly or indirectly, on behalf of the Employee or any other person (including but not limited to any Talent Competitor (as defined below)), solicit, induce or encourage any person then employed, or employed within the 180-day period preceding the Employee’s termination, by the Company or an Affiliate to terminate or otherwise modify their employment relationship with the Company;
(c) the Employee will not, during the Employee’s employment by the Company or an Affiliate and during the Applicable Post-Employment Restricted Period, on behalf of the

Employee or any other person (including but not limited to any Talent Competitor (as defined below)), hire, retain or employ in any capacity any person then employed, or employed within the 180-day period preceding the Employee’s termination, by the Company or an Affiliate;
(d) the Employee will not, during the Employee’s employment by the Company or an Affiliate and during the Applicable Post-Employment Restricted Period, directly or indirectly, on behalf of the Employee or any other person (including but not limited to any Talent Competitor), solicit any customer, client or account of the Company or an Affiliate, or otherwise seek to divert any customer, client or account of the Company or an Affiliate away from engaging in business with the Company or an Affiliate. For purposes of this subparagraph, “customer, client or account” shall include the following: then-current customers, clients, or accounts of the Company or an Affiliate; any customers, clients or accounts that had been represented by or had a business relationship with the Company or an Affiliate within the 365-day period preceding the Employee’s termination; and any individual, company or other form of legal entity that had been solicited or pitched for business by the Company or an Affiliate within the 365-day period preceding the Employee’s termination, if the Employee was involved in any capacity in the solicitation or pitch;
(e) the Employee will not, during the Employee’s employment by the Company or an Affiliate and during the Applicable Post-Employment Restricted Period, without the prior written consent of the Company or an Affiliate, (x) become a director, officer, employee, partner, consultant or independent contractor of, or otherwise work or provide services for, a Talent Competitor doing business in the same geographic or market area(s) in which the Company or an Affiliate is also doing business, or (y) acquire any material ownership or similar financial interest in any such Talent Competitor;
(f) the Employee will not, either during the Employee’s employment by the Company or an Affiliate or at any time thereafter, make disparaging, derogatory, or defamatory statements about the Company or an Affiliate in any public forum or media; and
(g) the Employee will not, either during the Employee’s employment by the Company or an Affiliate or at any time thereafter, fail to cooperate fully with and provide full and accurate information to the Company and its counsel with respect to any matter (including any audit, tax proceeding, litigation, investigation or governmental proceeding) with respect to which the Employee may have knowledge or information, subject to reimbursement for actual, appropriate and reasonable expenses incurred by the Employee.
For purposes of this Section 6, the “Applicable Post-Employment Restricted Period” means: (i) with respect to Sections 6(b) and (c), one year following any termination of the Employee’s employment with the Company or an Affiliate (not including any period of notice provided by the Employee); (ii) with respect to Section 6(d), six months following any termination of the Employee’s employment with the Company or an Affiliate (not including any period of notice provided by the Employee); and (iii) with respect to Section 6(e), one month following any termination of the Employee’s employment initiated and effected by the Company or an Affiliate without Cause, or three months following any other termination of the Employee’s

employment with the Company or an Affiliate (not including any period of notice provided by the Employee); provided, however, that if the Employee voluntarily elects to sign a Post-Termination Agreement with the Company pursuant to Section 3(f), then such Post-Termination Agreement may include one or more restricted periods that are longer than the Applicable Post-Employment Restricted Period with respect to one or more of the Restricted Activities.
For purposes of this Section 6, a “Talent Competitor” means any corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other business association, organization or entity that engages in the investment banking, securities brokerage or investment management business, including, but not limited to, investment banks, sell-side broker dealers, mergers and acquisitions or strategic advisory firms, merchant banks, hedge funds, private equity firms, venture capital firms, asset managers and investment advisory firms.
7. Potential Clawback. These Awards and any compensation associated therewith is subject to the Company’s Incentive Compensation Recovery Policy for Accounting Restatements and Supplemental Incentive Compensation Recovery Policy (together, the “Policies”) and may be made subject to forfeiture, recovery by the Company or other action pursuant to any compensation recovery policy adopted by the Board or the Committee at any time, including any amendment to the Policies in effect as of the date hereof or in response to the requirements of Section 10D of the Exchange Act and any implementing rules and regulations thereunder, or as otherwise required by law. This Agreement may be unilaterally amended by the Committee at any time to comply with any such incentive compensation recovery policy.
8. Shareholder Rights. As of the date of issuance specified at the beginning of this Agreement, the Employee shall have all of the rights of a shareholder of the Company with respect to the Restricted Shares, and all the rights of a mutual fund shareholder with respect to the Restricted Mutual Fund Shares, except as otherwise specifically provided in this Agreement.
9. Fund Fees and Distributions.
(a)Management fees of the applicable mutual funds for the Restricted Mutual Fund Shares shall be the sole responsibility of the Employee.
(b) If any mutual fund in which the Employee holds an interest distributes dividends, income or earnings with respect to the Restricted Mutual Fund Shares prior to the vesting of such Restricted Mutual Fund Shares, then the following shall apply. In the event of distributions made in cash, such cash distributions shall be reinvested in the mutual fund from which the distribution occurred and the mutual fund shares representing the reinvested amounts shall be considered Restricted Mutual Fund Shares under this Agreement, and shall vest along with the other unvested Restricted Mutual Fund Shares in equal installments over the remaining vesting dates provided in the Vesting Schedule in the Notice of Grant. In the event of in-kind distributions, extraordinary distributions (whether in other securities or other property) or other adjustments, such distributions shall be held in the account of the Employee together with the Restricted Mutual Fund Shares. All Restricted Mutual Fund Shares received via distributions shall also be restricted and shall vest on the dates specified in the applicable Vesting Schedule in the Notice of

Grant. For the avoidance of doubt, in the event that any unvested Restricted Mutual Fund Shares are forfeited in accordance with this Agreement, the distributions with respect to any such Restricted Mutual Fund Shares not previously paid out will also be forfeited.
10. Tax Withholding. The parties hereto recognize that the Company or an Affiliate may be obligated to withhold federal and state taxes or other taxes upon the vesting of the Restricted Shares or Restricted Mutual Fund Shares, or, in the event that the Employee elects under Code Section 83(b) to report the receipt of the Restricted Shares or Restricted Mutual Fund Shares as income in the year of receipt, upon the Employee’s receipt of the Restricted Shares or Restricted Mutual Fund Shares, respectively. The Employee agrees that, at such time, if the Company or an Affiliate is required to withhold such taxes, the Employee will promptly pay, in cash upon demand (or in any other manner permitted by the Committee in accordance with the terms of the Plans), to the Company or an Affiliate such amounts as shall be necessary to satisfy such obligation. The Employee further acknowledges that the Company has directed the Employee to seek independent advice regarding the applicable provisions of the Code, the income tax laws of any municipality, state or foreign country in which the Employee may reside, and the tax consequences of the Employee’s death.
11. Injunctive Relief. In the event of a breach by the Employee of the Employee’s obligations under this Agreement, including but not limited to a commission by the Employee of a Restricted Activity as described in Section 6, in addition to being entitled to exercise all rights granted by law, including recovery of damages, the Company will be entitled to specific performance of its rights under this Agreement. The Employee acknowledges that a violation or attempted violation of the obligations set forth herein will cause immediate and irreparable damage to the Company, and therefore agrees that the Company shall be entitled as a matter of right to an injunction, from any court of competent jurisdiction, restraining any violation or further violation of such obligations (without posting any bond or other security).
12. Restrictive Legends and Stop-Transfer Orders.
(a) Legends. The book entry or certificate representing the Restricted Shares shall contain a notation or bear the following legend (as well as any notations or legends required by applicable state and federal corporate and securities laws) noting the existence of the restrictions and the Company’s rights to reacquire the Restricted Shares set forth in this Agreement:
“THE SHARES REPRESENTED BY THIS [BOOK ENTRY] [CERTIFICATE] MAY BE TRANSFERRED ONLY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TERMS OF A RESTRICTED STOCK AND MUTUAL FUND RESTRICTED SHARE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE COMPANY AND THE STOCKHOLDER, A COPY OF WHICH IS ON FILE WITH THE SECRETARY OF THE COMPANY.”
(b) Stop-Transfer Notices. The Employee agrees that, in order to ensure compliance with the restrictions referred to herein, the Company may issue appropriate “stop transfer”

instructions to its transfer agent, if any, and that, if the Company transfers its own securities, it may make appropriate notations to the same effect in its own records.
(c) Refusal to Transfer. The Company shall not be required (i) to transfer on its books any Restricted Shares that have been sold or otherwise transferred in violation of any of the provisions of this Agreement or (ii) to treat as owner of the Restricted Shares or to accord the right to vote or pay dividends to any purchaser or other transferee to whom the Restricted Shares shall have been so transferred.
13. Interpretation of This Agreement. All decisions and interpretations made by the Committee with regard to any question arising hereunder or under the Plans shall be binding and conclusive upon the Company and the Employee. If there is any inconsistency between the provisions of this Agreement and the Plans, the provisions of the Plans shall govern.
14. No Promise of Future Awards or Continued Employment. The Employee acknowledges that this Agreement awards restricted stock and/or property to the Employee, but does not impose any obligation on the Company to make any future grants or issue any future restricted shares or restricted mutual fund shares to the Employee or otherwise continue the participation of the Employee under either of the Plans. This Agreement shall not give the Employee a right to continued employment with the Company or any Affiliate, and the Company or Affiliate employing the Employee may terminate his or her employment at will, and otherwise deal with the Employee without regard to this Agreement.
15. Binding Effect. This Agreement shall be binding in all respects on the heirs, administrators, representatives, executors and successors of the Employee, and on the Company and its successors and assigns.
16. Agreement to Arbitrate. The Company and the Employee each agrees (i) that any dispute, claim or controversy arising out of or relating directly or indirectly to the construction, performance or breach of this Agreement (including, without limitation, the grant, issuance or forfeiture of Restricted Shares and Restricted Mutual Fund Shares) shall be settled by arbitration conducted before and in accordance with the rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority; and (ii) that judgment upon any award rendered by the arbitrator(s) may be entered in any court having jurisdiction thereof. Accordingly, the Company and the Employee each waive their right (if any) to a trial before a court judge and/or jury to resolve any such disputes; provided, this Section 16 shall not be construed to limit the Company’s right to obtain equitable relief under Section 11 with respect to any matter or controversy subject to Section 11, and pending a final determination by the arbitrators with respect to any such matter or controversy, the Company shall be entitled to obtain any such relief by direct application to state, federal, or other applicable court, without being required to first arbitrate such matter or controversy.
17. Choice of Law. The Company is incorporated in the State of Delaware, and by their terms the Plans are governed by the laws of the State of Delaware. Accordingly, this Agreement is entered into under the laws of the State of Delaware and shall be construed and interpreted thereunder (without regard to its conflict-of-law principles).

18. Modification. In the event that any one or more of the Restricted Activities described in Section 6 above shall be held to be unenforceable, invalid or illegal for any reason including, but not limited to, being excessively broad as to duration, geographical scope, activity or subject, such restriction shall be construed or modified by limiting and reducing it, so as to provide the Company with the maximum protection of its business interests and the intent of the parties as set forth herein and yet be valid and enforceable under the applicable law as it shall then exist. If any such restriction held to be unenforceable, invalid or illegal cannot be so construed or modified, such finding shall not affect the enforceability of any of the other restrictions contained herein.
19. Entire Agreement. This Agreement and the Plans set forth the entire agreement and understanding of the parties hereto with respect to the issuance and sale of the Restricted Shares and Restricted Mutual Fund Shares and the administration of the Plans, and supersede all prior agreements, arrangements, plans, and understandings relating to the issuance and sale of the Restricted Shares and Restricted Mutual Fund Shares and the administration of the Plans.
20. Amendment and Waiver. Except as provided in the Plans or in Section 7 above, this Agreement may be amended, modified, or canceled only by a written instrument executed by the parties. No term or condition of this Agreement shall be deemed to have been waived, nor shall there be any estoppel to enforce any provision of this Agreement, except by a statement in writing signed by the party against whom enforcement of the waiver or estoppel is sought. Any written waiver shall not be deemed a continuing waiver unless specifically stated, shall operate only as to the specific term or condition waived, and shall not constitute a waiver of such term or condition for the future or as to any other act other than that specifically waived.
21. Acknowledgment of Receipt of Copy. By execution hereof, the Employee acknowledges having received a copy of the prospectus related to the 2003 Plan and instructions on how to access a copy of each of the Plans.
22. Acknowledgement of Voluntary Election; Fairness. By executing this Agreement, the Employee acknowledges his or her voluntary election to receive and accept the Restricted Shares and any Restricted Mutual Fund Shares subject to all of the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, and agrees to be bound thereby, including, without limitation, the terms and conditions specifying the circumstances under which the unvested Restricted Shares and Restricted Mutual Fund Shares shall cease to vest and be forfeited. Employee further acknowledges and agrees that such terms and conditions are fair and reasonable in light of the circumstances under which the award of Restricted Shares and any award of Restricted Mutual Fund Shares is being made.