Amending "Good Reason" at the last Minute - From CompensationStandards Blog

Interesting discussion on amending the definition of "good reason." Interesting difference of opinion.

"Max correctly notes that this paragraph of the Notice keys the ability to reform the good reason definition on whether the right to payment is “subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture” – not on whether the good reason condition is tantamount to an “involuntary termination” condition under Section 409A. He also points out that the final regulations (§1.409A-1(d)(1)) say that if a right to payment is conditioned on “involuntary termination” it will be subject to a “substantial risk of forfeiture” -- but do not say the converse – i.e., that if a right to payment is not conditioned on involuntary termination it is not subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture (because there other ways to be subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture).

Given that these are two distinct standards (with involuntary termination being a subset of substantial risk of forfeiture), he concludes that as long as the right to payment is still subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture, you can fix at will (for the rest of 2008)."