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Sample Business Contracts

Executive Special Benefit Agreement - Interpublic Group of Companies Inc. and Frank Lowe

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                      EXECUTIVE SPECIAL BENEFIT AGREEMENT
                      -----------------------------------


          AGREEMENT made as of January 15, 2001, by and between THE  INTERPUBLIC
GROUP OF COMPANIES,  INC., a corporation  of the State of Delaware  (hereinafter
referred  to as  "Interpublic")  and  FRANK  LOWE  (hereinafter  referred  to as
"Executive").

                              W I T N E S S E T H:
                              - - - - - - - - - -


          WHEREAS,  Executive is in the employ of Interpublic and/or one or more
of its subsidiaries (Interpublic and its subsidiaries being hereinafter referred
to collectively as the "Corporation"); and

          WHEREAS,  Interpublic and Executive  desire to enter into an Executive
Special  Benefit  Agreement  which  shall  be  supplementary  to any  employment
agreement  or  arrangement  which  Executive  now or  hereinafter  may have with
respect to Executive's employment by Interpublic or any of its subsidiaries;

          NOW,  THEREFORE,  in  consideration  of the mutual promises herein set
forth, the parties hereto, intending to be legally bound, agree as follows:

                                   ARTICLE I
                                   ---------

                     Death and Special Retirement Benefits
                     -------------------------------------

          1.01 For purposes of this  Agreement the "Accrual Term" shall mean the
period of  seventy-two  (72) months  beginning on the date of this Agreement and
ending on the day preceding the sixth anniversary hereof or on such earlier date
on which Executive shall cease to be in the employ of the Corporation.

          1.02 The  Corporation  shall  provide  Executive  with  the  following
benefits  contingent  upon  Executive's   compliance  with  all  the  terms  and
conditions  of this  Agreement  and  Executive's  satisfactory  completion  of a
physical  examination  in  connection  with an  insurance  policy on the life of
Executive which  Interpublic or its assignee (other than Executive)  proposes to
obtain and own.

          1.03 If,  during the  Accrual  Term or  thereafter  during a period of
employment  by the  Corporation  which  is  continuous  from  the  date  of this
Agreement,  Executive  shall die while in the  employ  of the  Corporation,  the
Corporation  shall pay to such  beneficiary or  beneficiaries as Executive shall
have designated pursuant to Section 1.07 (or in the absence of such designation,
shall pay to the  Executor  of the Will or the  Administrator  of the  Estate of
Executive)  survivor  income  payments of One Hundred  Eighty One Thousand  Four
Hundred and Ninety Five Dollars  ($181,495)  per annum for fifteen (15) years in
monthly  installments  beginning with the 15th of the calendar  month  following
Executive's death, and in equal monthly installment thereafter.

          1.04 If, after a continuous period of employment from the date of this
Agreement, Executive shall retire from the employ of the Corporation so that the
first  day on which  Executive  is no longer  in the  employ of the  Corporation
occurs on or after Executive's  sixty-fourth birthday, the Corporation shall pay
to Executive special  retirement  benefits at the rate of One Hundred Eighty One
Thousand Four Hundred and Ninety Five Dollars  ($181,495)  per annum for fifteen
(15) years in monthly installments beginning with the 15th of the calendar month
following Executive's last day of employment,  and in equal monthly installments
thereafter.

          1.05 If, after a continuous period of employment from the date of this
Agreement,  Executive shall retire,  resign, or be terminated from the employ of
the  Corporation  so that the first day on which  Executive  is no longer in the
employ of the Corporation  occurs on or after Executive's  sixtieth birthday but
prior  to  Executive's  sixty-fourth  birthday,  the  Corporation  shall  pay to
Executive  special  retirement  benefits at the annual rates set forth below for
fifteen years beginning with the calendar month following  Executive's  last day
of employment, such payments to be made in equal monthly installments:

Last Day of Employment                                        Annual Rate
----------------------                                        -----------
On or after 60th birthday but prior to 61st birthday          $80,648
On or after 61st birthday but prior to 62nd birthday          $100,016
On or after 62nd birthday but prior to 63rd birthday          $127,443
On or after 63rd birthday but prior to 64th birthday          $154,606

          1.06 If, following such termination of employment, Executive shall die
before  payment  of all of the  installments  provided  for in  Section  1.04 or
Section 1.05, any remaining  installments  shall be paid to such  beneficiary or
beneficiary or  beneficiaries  as Executive  shall have  designated  pursuant to
Section 1.07 or, in the absence of such designation, to the Executor of the Will
of the Administrator of the Estate of Executive.

          1.07 For purposes of Sections  1.03 and 1.04 and 1.05, or any of them,
Executive may at any time  designate a beneficiary  or  beneficiaries  by filing
with the chief personnel  officer of Interpublic a Beneficiary  Designation Form
provided by such officer. Executive may at any time, by filing a new Beneficiary
Designation Form, revoke or change any prior designation of beneficiary.

          1.08 If Executive shall die while in the employ of the Corporation, no
sum shall be payable pursuant to Sections 1.04, 1.05, 1.06.

          1.09 In  connection  with the life  insurance  policy  referred  to in
Section  1.02,  Interpublic  has  relied  on  written  representations  made  by
Executive  concerning  Executive's age and the state of Executive's  health.  If
said representations are untrue in any material respect,  whether directly or by
omission, and if the Corporation is damaged by any such untrue  representations,
no sum shall be payable pursuant to Sections 1.03, 1.04, 1.05, 1.06

          1.10 It is expressly  agreed that  Interpublic or its assignee  (other
than  Executive)  shall  at all  times  be  the  sole  and  complete  owner  and
beneficiary of the life insurance  policy referred to in Sections 1.02 and 1.09,
shall have the  unrestricted  right to use all amounts and  exercise all options
and  privileges  thereunder  without the  knowledge  or consent of  Executive or
Executive's  designated  beneficiary  or  any  other  person  and  that  neither
Executive nor Executive's designated beneficiary nor any other person shall have
any right,  title or  interest,  legal or  equitable,  whatsoever  in or to such
policy.

          1.11  It  is  expressly   agreed  that  if  Executive   should  become
permanently  disabled  at any time  prior to the end of the  Accrual  Term,  the
Corporation  shall  provide  Executive  with a maximum  benefit  payment of Five
Hundred Thousand Dollars ($500,000) per year for a period of fifteen (15) years.
The term "Permanent  Disability"  shall mean a  determination  that Executive is
permanently  unable to perform the  ordinary  responsibilities  of his  position
following  an absence  from work of sixty (60)  consecutive  days as a result of
illness, injury or incapacity.  The determination of Disability shall be subject
to  verification  by  the   Corporation.   The  foregoing   disability   payment
incorporates  all  amounts  to  which  Executive  is  entitled  under  the  ESBA
Agreements  between the Executive and the Corporation  dated January 1, 1991 and
January 1, 1996. 1.12 It is agreed upon that should Executive become Disabled as
defined  above,  the  Corporation  has the right to  appoint a Doctor to examine
Executive for purposes in verifying Executive's disability.

                                   ARTICLE II
                                   ----------

                    Non-solicitation of Clients or Employees
                    ----------------------------------------

          2.01 Following the termination of Executive's employment hereunder for
any reason, Executive shall not for a period of twelve months either (a) solicit
any  employee  of the  Corporation  to leave such  employ to enter the employ of
Executive  or of any  corporation  or  enterprise  with which  Executive is then
associated  or (b) solicit or handle on  Executive's  own behalf or on behalf of
any other person, firm or corporation, the advertising,  public relations, sales
promotion or market research business of any advertiser which is a client of the
Corporation at the time of such termination.

                                  ARTICLE III
                                  -----------

                                   Assignment
                                   ----------

          3.01 This Agreement  shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of
the successors and assigns of Interpublic. Neither this Agreement nor any rights
hereunder  shall be  subject in any matter to  anticipation,  alienation,  sale,
transfer,  assignment,  pledge, encumbrance or charge by Executive, and any such
attempted  action by Executive  shall be void. This Agreement may not be changed
orally, nor may this Agreement be amended to increase the amount of any benefits
that are payable  pursuant to this Agreement or to accelerate the payment of any
such benefits.

                                   ARTICLE IV
                                   ----------

                        Contractual Nature of Obligation
                        --------------------------------

          4.01 The liabilities of the Corporation to Executive  pursuant to this
Agreement shall be those of a debtor pursuant to such contractual obligations as
are created by the Agreement.  Executive's rights with respect to any benefit to
which Executive has become  entitled under this  Agreement,  but which Executive
has not yet received, shall be solely the rights of a general unsecured creditor
of the Corporation.
<PAGE>
                                   ARTICLE V
                                   ---------

                                 Applicable Law
                                 --------------

          5.01 This  Agreement  shall be governed by and construed in accordance
with the laws of the State of New York.

                              THE INTERPUBLIC GROUP OF
                              COMPANIES, INC.



                              By /s/ C. KENT KROEBER
                                ----------------------------------------
                                Name: C. KENT KROEBER
                                Title:  Senior Vice President, Human
                                        Resources



                                 /s/  FRANK LOWE
                                ----------------------------------------
                                    FRANK LOWE