Exhibit 10am 

2003 LONG TERM INCENTIVE PLAN

OF

C. R. BARD, INC.

SECTION 1. - Purpose of the Plan

The 2003 Long Term Incentive Plan of C. R. Bard, Inc. is designed to attract and retain the services of selected employees of the Corporation and its Subsidiaries and to motivate such employees to exert their best efforts on behalf of the Corporation and its Subsidiaries by providing incentives through the granting of Awards. The Corporation expects that it will benefit from the added interest that such employees will have in the welfare of the Corporation as a result of their proprietary interest in the Corporation's success. The Plan may be used to grant equity-based awards under various compensation programs of the Corporation, as determined in the discretion of the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of the Corporation and in accordance with the terms hereof. The Committee shall have the full authority to establish the terms and conditions of any Award granted under the Plan, subject to the terms and limitations contained herein.

SECTION 2. - Definitions

The following capitalized terms used in the Plan have the respective meanings set forth in this Section:

1. Act: The Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (or any successor statute thereto).
2. Award: An Option, Stock Appreciation Right or Other Stock-Based Award granted pursuant to the Plan.
3. Board: The Board of Directors of the Corporation.
4. Change of Control: A change of control of the nature that would be required to be reported in response to Item 1(a) of the Current Report on Form 8-K as in effect on April 16, 2003, pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Act (other than such a change of control involving a Permitted Holder); provided, that, without limitation, a Change of Control shall be deemed to have occurred if:
1. any "person" (other than a Permitted Holder) shall become the "beneficial owner", as those terms are defined below, of capital stock of the Corporation, the voting power of which constitutes 20% or more of the general voting power of all of the Corporation's outstanding capital stock; or
2. individuals who, as of April 16, 2003, constituted the Board (the "Incumbent Board") cease for any reasons to constitute at least a majority of the Board; provided, that any person becoming a Director subsequent to April 16, 2003, whose election, or nomination for election by the Corporation's shareholders, was approved by a vote of at least three quarters of the Directors comprising the Incumbent Board (other than an election or nomination of an individual whose initial assumption of office is in connection with an actual or threatened election contest relating to the election of the Directors of the Corporation, which is or would be subject to Rule 14a-11 of the Regulation 14A promulgated under the Act) shall be, for purposes of the Plan, considered as though such person were a member of the Incumbent Board.

For purposes of the definition of Change of Control, the following definitions shall be applicable:

1. The term "person" shall mean any individual, group, corporation or other entity.
2. For purposes of this definition only, any person shall be deemed to be the "beneficial owner" of any shares of capital stock of the Corporation:
1. which that person owns directly, whether or not of record, or
2. which that person has the right to acquire pursuant to any agreement or understanding or upon exercise of conversion rights, warrants, or options or otherwise, or
3. which are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly (including shares deemed owned through application of clause (ii) above), by an "affiliate" or "associate" (as defined in the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended) of that person, or
4. which are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly (including shares deemed owned through application of clause (ii) above), by any other person with which that person or such person's "affiliate" or "associate" (defined as aforesaid) has any agreement, arrangement or understanding for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting or disposing of capital stock of the Corporation.
3. The outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation shall include shares deemed owned through application of clauses (2)(ii), (iii) and (iv), above, but shall not include any other shares which may be issuable pursuant to any agreement or upon exercise of conversion rights, warrants or options, or otherwise, but which are not actually outstanding.
5. Code: The Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (or any successor statute thereto).
6. Committee: The Compensation Committee of the Board, or such other committee as may be designated by the Board.
7. Corporation: C. R. Bard, Inc., a New Jersey corporation.
8. Director: A member of the Board.
9. Disability: Inability of a Participant to perform in all material respects his duties and responsibilities to the Corporation, or any Subsidiary of the Corporation, by reason of a physical or mental disability or infirmity which inability is reasonably expected to be permanent and has continued (i) for a period of six consecutive months or (ii) such shorter period as the Committee may reasonably determine in good faith. The Disability determination shall be in the sole discretion of the Committee.
10. Effective Date: April 16, 2003, provided that the Plan shall have been approved by the shareholders of the Corporation.
11. Fair Market Value: On a given date, (i) if there should be a public market for the Shares on such date, the arithmetic mean of the high and low prices of the Shares as reported on such date on the Composite Tape of the principal national securities exchange on which such Shares are listed or admitted to trading, or, if the Shares are not listed or admitted on any national securities exchange, the arithmetic mean of the per Share closing bid price and per Share closing asked price on such date as quoted on the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation System (or such market in which such prices are regularly quoted) (the "NASDAQ"), or, if no sale of Shares shall have been reported on the Composite Tape of any national securities exchange or quoted on the NASDAQ on such date, then the immediately preceding date on which sales of the Shares have been so reported or quoted shall be used, and (ii) if there should not be a public market for the Shares on such date, the Fair Market Value shall be the value established by the Committee in good faith.
12. ISO: An Option that is also an incentive stock option granted pursuant to Section 6(d) of the Plan.
13. LSAR: A limited stock appreciation right granted pursuant to Section 7(d) of the Plan.
14. Other Stock-Based Awards: Awards granted pursuant to Section 8 of the Plan.
15. Option: A stock option granted pursuant to Section 6 of the Plan.
16. Option Price: The purchase price per Share of an Option, as determined pursuant to Section 6(a) of the Plan.
17. Participant: An employee of the Corporation or any of its Subsidiaries who is selected by the Committee to participate in the Plan.
18. Permitted Holder means, as of the date of determination: (i) an employee benefit plan (or trust forming a part thereof) maintained by the Corporation or any corporation or other person of which a majority of its voting power of its voting equity securities or equity interest is owned, directly or indirectly, by the Corporation (a "Controlled Entity"); (ii) the Corporation or any Controlled Entity; (iii) any entity, which directly or indirectly through a majority-owned Subsidiary, following a transaction described in paragraph (d) above, owns the stock or assets of the Corporation, and in which a majority of the combined voting power of the voting securities of such entity is held by the shareholders of the Corporation who were shareholders of the Corporation immediately prior to such transaction, in substantially the same proportion to each other that they were prior to the transaction; or (iv) an underwriter in a public offering, or purchaser in a private placement, of capital stock by the Corporation.
19. Performance-Based Awards: Certain Other Stock-Based Awards granted pursuant to Section 8(b) of the Plan.
20. Plan: The 2003 Long Term Incentive Plan of C. R. Bard, Inc., as amended from time to time.
21. Shares: Shares of common stock of the Corporation.
22. Stock Appreciation Right: A stock appreciation right granted pursuant to Section 7 of the Plan.
23. Subsidiary: A subsidiary corporation, as defined in Section 424(f) of the Code (or any successor section thereto).

SECTION 3. - Shares Subject to the Plan

Subject to adjustment as provided in Section 9, (i) the total number of Shares which may be issued under the Plan is 3,000,000 and (ii) the maximum number of Shares for which Options and Stock Appreciation Rights or Other Stock-Based Awards under Section 8(b) may be granted during a calendar year to any Participant shall not exceed 450,000. The maximum number of Shares that may be granted as Awards of restricted Shares, unrestricted Shares and restricted Share units shall not exceed 1,200,000 shares in the aggregate. The Shares may consist, in whole or in part, of unissued Shares or treasury Shares. The issuance of Shares or the payment of cash upon the exercise of an Award or in consideration of the cancellation or termination of an Award shall reduce the total number of Shares available under the Plan, as applicable. Shares subject to Awards which are forfeited, terminate or otherwise lapse will be added back to the aggregate number of Shares available under the Plan.

SECTION 4. - Administration

The Plan shall be administered by the Committee, which may delegate its duties and powers in whole or in part to any subcommittee thereof; it is expected that such subcommittee shall consist solely of at least two individuals who are intended to qualify as "Non-Employee Directors" within the meaning of Rule 16b-3 under the Act (or any successor rule thereto) and "outside directors" within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Code (or any successor section thereto); provided, however, that the failure of the subcommittee to be so constituted shall not impair the validity of any Award made by such subcommittee. Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Committee shall have exclusive power to select the Participants and to determine the amount of, or method of determining, the Awards to be made to Participants. All Awards granted to Participants under the Plan shall be evidenced by an Award agreement which specifies the type of Award granted pursuant to the Plan, the number of Shares underlying the Award and all terms governing the Award, including, without limitation, terms regarding vesting, exercisability and expiration of the Award. Awards may, in the discretion of the Committee and to the extent permitted by Section 6(a), be made under the Plan to Participants in assumption of, or in substitution for, outstanding awards previously granted by the Corporation or its affiliates or an entity acquired by the Corporation or with which the Corporation combines. The number of Shares underlying such substitute awards shall be counted against the aggregate number of Shares available for Awards under the Plan. The Shares underlying such previously outstanding awards, if such awards were Awards under this Plan, shall be added back to the aggregate number of Shares available under the Plan. The Committee is authorized to interpret the Plan, to establish, amend or rescind any rules and regulations relating to the Plan and to make any other determinations that it deems necessary or desirable for the administration of the Plan. The Committee may correct any defect or supply any omission or reconcile any inconsistency in the Plan in the manner and to the extent the Committee deems necessary or desirable. Any decision of the Committee in the interpretation and administration of the Plan, as described herein, shall lie within its sole and absolute discretion and shall be final, conclusive and binding on all parties concerned (including, but not limited to, Participants and their beneficiaries or successors). The Committee shall have the full power and authority, consistent with the provisions of the Plan, to establish the terms and conditions of any Award and to waive any such terms or conditions at any time (including, without limitation, accelerating or waiving any vesting conditions). The Committee shall require payment of any amount it may determine to be necessary to withhold for federal, state, local or other taxes as a result of the exercise, grant or vesting of an Award as a condition to such exercise, grant or vesting. Unless the Committee specifies otherwise, the Participant may elect to pay a portion or all of such withholding taxes by (a) delivery in Shares or (b) having Shares withheld by the Corporation from any Shares that would have otherwise been received by the Participant.

SECTION 5. - Limitations

No Award may be granted under the Plan after the tenth anniversary of the Effective Date, but Awards theretofore granted may extend beyond that date.

SECTION 6. - Terms and Conditions of Options

Options granted under the Plan shall be, as determined by the Committee, non-qualified or incentive stock options for federal income tax purposes, as evidenced by the related Award agreements between the Corporation and the Option recipient, and shall be subject to the foregoing and the following terms and conditions and to such other terms and conditions, not inconsistent therewith, as the Committee shall determine:

1. Option Price. The Option Price per Share shall be determined by the Committee, but shall not be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of the Shares on the date an Option is granted, except for Options granted in assumption of or substitution for outstanding awards previously granted by the Corporation or its affiliates or an entity that the Corporation acquires or with which the Corporation combines, in any case in a transaction contemplated by Section 9(a). Except as otherwise provided in this Section 6(a), the Committee shall not have the authority to reduce the Option Price per Share of any outstanding Option granted pursuant to the Plan by amendment or cancellation and substitution of the outstanding Option or by any other action of the Committee without the approval of the Corporation's shareholders.
2. Exercisability. Options granted under the Plan shall be vested and exercisable at such times and upon such terms and conditions as may be determined by the Committee, but in no event shall an Option be exercisable more than ten years after the date it is granted.
3. Exercise of Options. Except as otherwise provided in the Plan or in an Award agreement, an Option may be exercised for all, or from time to time any part, of the Shares for which it is then vested and exercisable. For purposes of Section 6 of the Plan, the exercise date of an Option shall be the later of the date a notice of exercise is received by the Corporation and, if applicable, the date payment is received by the Corporation pursuant to clauses (i), (ii), (iii) or (iv) in the following sentence. The purchase price for the Shares as to which an Option is exercised shall be paid to the Corporation in full at the time of exercise at the election of the Participant (i) in cash or its equivalent (e.g., by check), (ii) to the extent permitted by the Committee, in Shares having a Fair Market Value equal to the aggregate Option Price for the Shares being purchased and satisfying such other requirements as may be imposed by the Committee; provided, that such Shares have been held by the Participant for no less than six months (or such other period as established from time to time by the Committee in order to avoid adverse accounting treatment applying generally accepted accounting principles), (iii) partly in cash and, to the extent permitted by the Committee, partly in such Shares or (iv) if there is a public market for the Shares at such time, subject to rules and limitations established by the Committee, through the delivery of irrevocable instructions to a broker to sell Shares obtained upon the exercise of the Option and to deliver promptly to the Corporation an amount out of the proceeds of such sale equal to the aggregate Option Price for the Shares being purchased. No Participant shall have any rights to dividends or other rights of a stockholder with respect to Shares subject to an Option until the Participant has given written notice of exercise of the Option, paid in full for such Shares, received such Shares from the Corporation and, if applicable, has satisfied any other conditions imposed by the Committee pursuant to the Plan.
4. Incentive Stock Options. The Committee may grant Options under the Plan that are intended to be ISOs. Such ISOs shall comply with the requirements of Section 422 of the Code (or any successor section thereto). Except as otherwise permitted in Section 422 of the Code (or any successor section thereto), no ISO may be granted to any Participant who, at the time of such grant, owns more than ten percent of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Corporation or of any Subsidiary, unless (i) the Option Price for such ISO is at least 110% of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date the ISO is granted and (ii) the date on which such ISO terminates is a date not later than the day preceding the fifth anniversary of the date on which the ISO is granted. Any Participant who disposes of Shares acquired upon the exercise of an ISO either (i) within two years after the date of grant of such ISO or (ii) within one year after the transfer of such Shares to the Participant shall promptly notify the Corporation of such disposition and of the amount realized upon such disposition. All Options granted under the Plan are intended to be nonqualified stock options, unless the applicable Award agreement expressly states that the Option is intended to be an ISO. If an Option is intended to be an ISO, and if for any reason such Option (or portion thereof) shall not qualify as an ISO, then, to the extent of such failure to qualify, such Option (or portion thereof) shall be regarded as a nonqualified stock option granted under the Plan; provided, that such Option (or portion thereof) otherwise complies with the Plan's requirements relating to nonqualified stock options. In no event shall any member of the Committee, the Corporation or any of its Affiliates (or their respective employees, officers or directors) have any liability to any Participant (or any other Person) due to the failure of an Option to qualify for any reason as an ISO.
5. Attestation. Wherever in this Plan or any agreement evidencing an Award a Participant is permitted to pay the exercise price of an Option or taxes relating to the exercise of an Option by delivering Shares, the Participant may, subject to procedures satisfactory to the Committee, satisfy such delivery requirement by presenting proof that he or she is the beneficial owner (as such term is defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Act (or any successor rule thereto)) of such Shares, in which case the Corporation shall treat the Option as exercised without further payment and shall withhold such number of Shares from the Shares acquired by the exercise of the Option.

SECTION 7. - Terms and Conditions of Stock Appreciation Rights

1. Grants. The Committee also may grant (i) a Stock Appreciation Right independent of an Option or (ii) a Stock Appreciation Right in connection with an Option, or a portion thereof. A Stock Appreciation Right granted pursuant to clause (ii) of the preceding sentence (A) may be granted at the time the related Option is granted or at any time prior to the exercise or cancellation of the related Option, (B) shall cover the same number of Shares covered by an Option (or such lesser number of Shares as the Committee may determine) and (C) shall be subject to the same terms and conditions as such Option except for such additional limitations as are contemplated by this Section 7 (or such additional limitations as may be included in an Award agreement).
2. Terms. The exercise price per Share of a Stock Appreciation Right shall be an amount determined by the Committee but in no event shall such amount be less than the greater of (i) the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date the Stock Appreciation Right is granted or, in the case of a Stock Appreciation Right granted in conjunction with an Option, or a portion thereof, the Option Price of the related Option and (ii) the minimum amount permitted by applicable laws, rules, by-laws or policies of regulatory authorities or stock exchanges. Each Stock Appreciation Right granted independent of an Option shall entitle a Participant upon exercise to an amount equal to (i) the excess of (A) the Fair Market Value on the exercise date of one Share over (B) the exercise price per Share, times (ii) the number of Shares covered by the Stock Appreciation Right and as to which the Stock Appreciation Right is exercised. Each Stock Appreciation Right granted in conjunction with an Option, or a portion thereof, shall entitle a Participant to surrender to the Corporation the unexercised Option, or any portion thereof, and to receive from the Corporation in exchange therefor an amount equal to (i) the excess of (A) the Fair Market Value on the exercise date of one Share over (B) the Option Price per Share, times (ii) the number of Shares covered by the Option, or portion thereof, which is surrendered. The date a notice of exercise is received by the Corporation shall be the exercise date. Payment shall be made in Shares or in cash, or partly in Shares and partly in cash (any such Shares valued at such Fair Market Value), all as shall be determined by the Committee. Stock Appreciation Rights may be exercised from time to time in whole or in part upon actual receipt by the Corporation of written notice of exercise stating the number of Shares with respect to which the Stock Appreciation Right is being exercised. No fractional Shares will be issued in payment for Stock Appreciation Rights, but instead cash will be paid for a fraction or, if the Committee should so determine, the number of Shares will be rounded downward to the next whole Share.
3. Limitations. The Committee may impose, in its discretion, such conditions upon the exercisability or transferability of Stock Appreciation Rights as it may deem fit.
4. Limited Stock Appreciation Rights. The Committee may grant LSARs that are exercisable upon the occurrence of specified contingent events (including, without limitation, a Change of Control). Such LSARs may provide for a different method of determining appreciation, may specify that payment will be made only in cash and may provide that any related Awards are not exercisable while such LSARs are exercisable. Pursuant to Section 4, the Committee is authorized to amend the terms of an LSAR held by any employee subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act, as may be necessary so that the holding and exercise of such LSAR will be exempt under such Section 16. Unless the context otherwise requires, whenever the term "Stock Appreciation Right" is used in the Plan, such term shall include LSARs.

SECTION 8. - Other Stock-Based Awards

1. Generally. The Committee, in its sole discretion, may grant or sell Awards of Shares, Awards of restricted Shares and Awards that are valued in whole or in part by reference to, or are otherwise based on the Fair Market Value of, Shares ("Other Stock-Based Awards"). Such Other Stock-Based Awards shall be in such form, and dependent on such conditions, as the Committee shall determine, including, without limitation, the right to receive, or vest with respect to, one or more Shares (or the equivalent cash value of such Shares) upon the completion of a specified period of service, the occurrence of an event and/or the attainment of performance objectives; provided, however, that the Committee may grant Awards of unrestricted Shares only if the Committee has determined that such Award is made in lieu of salary or cash bonus. Other Stock-Based Awards may be granted alone or in addition to any other Awards granted under the Plan. Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Committee shall determine to whom and when Other Stock-Based Awards will be made, the number of Shares to be awarded under (or otherwise related to) such Other Stock-Based Awards; whether such Other Stock-Based Awards shall be settled in cash, Shares or a combination of cash and Shares; and all other terms and conditions of such Awards (including, without limitation, the vesting provisions thereof and provisions ensuring that all Shares so awarded and issued shall be fully paid and non-assessable); provided, however, that the restricted period specified in respect of any Award of restricted Shares shall not be less than three years, except that the Committee may (i) provide for the restricted period to terminate at any time after one year upon the attainment of performance-based objectives and (ii) the Committee may grant awards of up to 150,000 restricted Shares without regard to this limitation.
2. Performance-Based Awards. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, certain Other Stock-Based Awards granted under this Section 8 may be granted in a manner which is deductible by the Corporation under Section 162(m) of the Code (or any successor section thereto) ("Performance-Based Awards"). A Participant's Performance-Based Awards shall be determined based on the attainment of written performance goals approved by the Committee for a performance period established by the Committee (i) while the outcome for that performance period is substantially uncertain and (ii) no more than 90 days after the commencement of the performance period to which the performance goal relates or, if less, the number of days which is equal to 25 percent of the relevant performance period, or as otherwise permitted pursuant to Section 162(m) of the Code (or any successor section thereto). The performance goals, which must be objective, shall be based upon one or more of the following criteria: (i) consolidated earnings before or after taxes (including earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization); (ii) net income; (iii) operating income; (iv) earnings per Share; (v) return on shareholders' equity; (vi) attainment of strategic and operational initiatives; (vii) customer income; (viii) economic value-added models; (ix) maintenance or improvement of profit margins; (x) stock price, including, without limitation, as compared to one or more stock indices; (xi) market share; (xii) revenues, sales or net sales; (xiii) return on assets; (xiv) book value per Share; (xv) expense management; (xvi) improvements in capital structure; (xvii) costs and (xviii) cash flow. The foregoing criteria may relate to the Corporation, one or more of its Subsidiaries or one or more of its divisions or units, or any combination of the foregoing, and may be applied on an absolute basis and/or be relative to one or more peer group companies or indices, or any combination thereof, all as the Committee shall determine. In addition, to the degree consistent with the Code, the performance goals may be calculated without regard to extraordinary, unusual and/or non-recurring items. The Committee shall determine whether, with respect to a performance period, the applicable performance goals have been met with respect to a given Participant and, if they have, so certify and ascertain the amount of the applicable Performance-Based Award. No Performance-Based Awards will be paid for such performance period until such certification is made by the Committee. The amount of the Performance-Based Award actually paid to a given Participant may be less than the amount determined by the applicable performance goal formula, at the discretion of the Committee. The amount of the Performance-Based Award determined by the Committee for a performance period shall be paid to the Participant at such time as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion after the end of such performance period; provided, however, that a Participant may, if and to the extent permitted by the Committee and consistent with the provisions of Section 162(m) of the Code, elect to defer payment of a Performance-Based Award. To the extent Section 162(m) of the Code (or any successor section thereto) provides terms different from the requirements of this Section 8(b), this Section 8(b) shall be deemed amended thereby.

SECTION 9. - Adjustments Upon Certain Events

Notwithstanding any other provisions in the Plan to the contrary:

1. Generally. In the event after the Effective Date there is any Share dividend or split, reorganization, recapitalization, merger, consolidation, spin-off, combination, combination or transaction or exchange of Shares or other corporate exchange, or any distribution to shareholders of Shares or other property or securities (other than regular cash dividends) or any transaction similar to the foregoing or other transaction that results in a change to the Corporation's equity capitalization, the Committee in its sole discretion and without liability to any person may make such substitution or adjustment, if any, as it deems to be equitable or appropriate, as to (i) the number or kind of Shares or other securities issued or reserved for issuance pursuant to the Plan or pursuant to outstanding Awards, (ii) the maximum number of Shares for which Options and Stock Appreciation Rights and Other Stock-Based Awards under Section 8(b) may be granted during a calendar year to any Participant, (iii) the maximum number of Shares which may be granted as Awards of restricted Shares, unrestricted Shares and restricted Share units, (iv) the Option Price, exercise price of any Stock Appreciation Right or purchase price of any Award and/or (v) any other affected terms of an Award or the Plan.
2. Change of Control. In the event of a Change of Control after the Effective Date, except to the extent the Committee has determined otherwise with respect to any Award at or prior to the time of grant, (i) any outstanding Awards then held by Participants which are unexercisable or otherwise unvested or subject to lapse restrictions shall automatically be deemed exercisable or otherwise vested or no longer subject to lapse restrictions, as the case may be, as of immediately prior to the effectiveness of such Change of Control and (ii) the Committee may, but shall not be obligated to, (A) cancel such Awards for fair value (as determined in the sole discretion of the Committee) which, in the case of Options and Stock Appreciation Rights, may equal the excess, if any, of value of the consideration to be paid in the Change of Control transaction to holders of the same number of Shares subject to such Options or Stock Appreciation Rights (or, if no consideration is paid in any such transaction, the Fair Market Value of the Shares subject to such Options or Stock Appreciation Rights) over the aggregate exercise price of such Options or Stock Appreciation Rights or (B) provide for the issuance of substitute Awards that will substantially preserve the otherwise applicable terms of any affected Awards previously granted hereunder as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion.

SECTION 10. - No Right to Employment or Awards; Excluded Compensation Under Other Plans

The granting of an Award under the Plan shall impose no obligation on the Corporation or any Subsidiary to continue the employment of a Participant and shall not lessen or affect the Corporation's or Subsidiary's right to terminate the employment of such Participant. No Participant or other Person shall have any claim to be granted any Award, and there is no obligation for uniformity of treatment of Participants or holders or beneficiaries of Awards. The terms and conditions of Awards and the Committee's determinations and interpretations with respect thereto need not be the same with respect to each Participant (whether or not such Participants are similarly situated). No award under the Plan shall be taken into account in determining a Participant's compensation for purposes of any group life insurance or other employee benefit or pension plan of the Corporation.

SECTION 11. - Successors and Assigns

The Plan shall be binding on all successors and assigns of the Corporation and a Participant, including, without limitation, the estate of such Participant and the executor, administrator or trustee of such estate, or any receiver or trustee in bankruptcy or representative of the Participant's creditors.

SECTION 12. - Nontransferability of Awards

Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, an Award shall not be transferable or assignable by the Participant otherwise than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution. An Award exercisable after the death of a Participant may be exercised by the legatees, personal representatives or distributees of the Participant. Upon the Disability of a Participant, an Award may be exercisable by his or her conservator or representative.

SECTION 13. - Share Issuance and Delivery in Compliance With Securities Laws

If in the opinion of counsel for the Corporation (who may be an employee of the Corporation or independent counsel employed by the Corporation), any issuance or delivery of Shares to a Participant will violate the requirements of any applicable federal or state laws, rules or regulations (including, without limitation, the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Act), such issuance or delivery may be postponed until the Corporation is satisfied that the distribution will not violate such laws, rules or regulations. Certificates delivered to Participants pursuant to the Plan may bear such legends as the Corporation may deem advisable.

SECTION 14. - Amendments or Termination

The Board may amend the Plan at any time, provided that no amendment shall be made without the approval of the Shareholders of the Corporation that would (a) increase the maximum number of Shares which may be acquired under the Plan, (b) extend the term during which Options may be granted under the Plan, (c) permit the Option Price per Share to be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of the Shares on the date an Option is granted (other than as provided in Section 6(a)), (d) terminate restrictions applicable to Awards (except in connection with a Participant's death, Disability or termination of employment or in connection with a Change of Control) or (e) provide for Awards not permitted pursuant to the terms of the Plan. The Board shall also have the right to terminate the Plan at any time. Without the consent of a Participant (except as otherwise provided in Section 9(a)), no amendment shall materially diminish any of the rights of such Participant under any Award theretofore granted to such Participant under the Plan; provided, however, that the Committee may amend the Plan in such manner as it deems necessary to permit the granting of Awards meeting the requirements of the Code or other applicable laws.

SECTION 15. - International Participants

With respect to Participants who reside or work outside the United States of America and who are not (and who are not expected to be) "covered employees" within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Code, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, amend the terms of the Plan or Awards with respect to such Participants in order to conform such terms with the provisions of local law and practice or otherwise as deemed necessary or desirable by the Committee.

SECTION 16. - Choice of Law

The Plan shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New Jersey without regard to conflicts of laws.

SECTION 17. - Effectiveness of the Plan

The Plan shall be effective as of the Effective Date.