Exhibit
10.3
Human
Resources
4 World
Financial Center
31st Floor
New
York, New York 10080
[Date]
[Officer]
Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.
4 World Financial Center
New York, NY 10080
Dear [Officer],
Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc (the
Company) has entered into a Securities
Purchase Agreement, dated October 26, 2008 (the
Participation Agreement), with the United
States Department of Treasury (Treasury) that
provides for the Companys participation in the
Treasurys TARP Capital Purchase Program (the
CPP).
For the Company to participate in the CPP and as a condition to
the closing of the investment contemplated by the Participation
Agreement, the Company is required to establish specified
standards for incentive compensation to its senior executive
officers and to make changes to its compensation arrangements.
To comply with these requirements, and in consideration of the
benefits that you will receive as a result of the Companys
participation in the CPP, you agree as follows:
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(1)
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No Golden Parachute Payments. The Company is
prohibiting any golden parachute payment to you during any
CPP Covered Period. A CPP Covered
Period is any period during which (A) you are a
senior executive officer and (B) Treasury holds an equity
or debt position acquired from the Company in the CPP.
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(2)
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Recovery of Bonus and Incentive
Compensation. Any bonus and incentive
compensation paid to you during a CPP Covered Period is subject
to recovery or clawback by the Company if the
payments were based on materially inaccurate financial
statements or any other materially inaccurate performance metric
criteria.
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(3)
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Compensation Program Amendments. Each of the
Companys compensation, bonus, incentive and other benefit
plans, arrangements and agreements (including golden parachute,
severance and employment agreements) (collectively,
Benefit Plans) with respect to you is hereby
amended to the extent necessary to give effect to provisions
(1) and (2).
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In addition, the Company is required to review its Benefit Plans
to ensure that they do not encourage senior executive officers
to take unnecessary and excessive risks that threaten the value
of the Company. To the extent any such review requires revisions
to any Benefit Plan with respect to you, you and the Company
agree to execute such additional documents as the Company deems
necessary to effect such revisions.
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(4)
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Definitions and Interpretation. This letter
shall be interpreted as follows:
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Senior executive officer means the Companys
senior executive officers as defined in subsection
111(b)(3) of EESA.
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The Board appreciates the concessions you are making and looks
forward to your continued leadership during these financially
turbulent times.
Very truly yours,
Merrill
Lynch & Co., Inc.
By:
Name:
Title:
Intending to be legally bound, I agree
with and accept the foregoing terms.
[Officer]