ASTS 8-K
AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (ASTS)
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
CURRENT REPORT
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Item 5.02. Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.
On September 10, 2024, as described below under Item 5.07 of this Current Report on Form 8-K, the stockholders of AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (the “Company”) approved the AST SpaceMobile, Inc. 2024 Incentive Award Plan (the “Plan”). The Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) previously adopted the Plan on July 29, 2024, subject to stockholder approval. The Plan provides for grants of stock-based compensation awards, including stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock awards, restricted stock unit awards, incentive unit awards, other stock based or cash based awards, and dividend equivalent awards. All non-employee directors, employees, and consultants of the Company, any parent of the Company or any affiliate of the Company are eligible to receive awards under the Plan. The Plan is administered by the Board, which may delegate its duties and responsibilities to committees of the Company’s directors and/or officers (referred to collectively as the “administrator”), subject to certain limitations that may be imposed under Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or stock exchange rules, as applicable. The administrator has the authority to take all actions and make all determinations under the Plan, to interpret the Plan and award agreements and to adopt, amend and repeal rules for the administration of the Plan as it deems advisable. The administrator also has the authority to grant awards, to determine which eligible service providers receive awards, and to set the terms and conditions of all awards under the Plan, including any vesting and vesting acceleration provisions, subject to the conditions and limitations in the Plan.
The aggregate number of shares of the Company’s Class A Common Stock available for issuance in connection with awards made under the Plan is equal to the sum of (i) 2,000,000 shares plus (ii) one share for every one share available for award under the prior AST SpaceMobile, Inc. 2020 Incentive Award Plan (the “2020 Plan”) as of July 30, 2024 (1,415,079), for a total of 3,415,079 shares. Any shares subject to an award under the 2020 Plan that expires, is forfeited, otherwise terminates or is settled in cash, after the Plan’s effective date (July 29, 2024), shall be added to the shares reserved for issuance under the Plan. In addition, the number of shares available for issuance under the Plan may increase on each January 1 occurring following the Plan’s effective date in an amount up to 2,000,000 shares as shall be determined by the administrator.
The material terms of the Plan are described in “Proposal No. 3 – Approval of the 2024 Incentive Award Plan” in the Company’s Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 30, 2024, which description is incorporated herein by reference. A copy of the Plan is attached hereto as Exhibit 10.1.
Item 5.07. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders.
On September 10, 2024, the Company held its 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”), at which stockholders voted on proposals to (i) elect each of the directors nominated by the Board, each for a term expiring at the Company’s 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, (ii) ratify the Audit Committee’s appointment of KPMG LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2024 and (iii) approve the Plan.
The Company has three classes of common stock and holders of each class of common stock as of July 15, 2024 (the “Record Date”) were entitled to vote at the 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. Holders of the Company’s Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock were entitled to one vote per share on each of the forgoing proposals and holders of the Company’s Class C Common Stock were entitled to 10 votes per share on each of the forgoing proposals. There were 157,948,572 shares of the Company’s Class A, Class B and Class C Common Stock represented either in person or by proxy at the Annual Meeting, which represented 88.6% of the total voting power of the Company, thereby constituting a quorum.
A summary of the voting results, as certified by the Inspector of Election for the Annual Meeting, is set forth below.
Proposal 1: Election of Directors
| Director Nominee | Votes For | Votes Withheld | Broker Non-Votes | |||
| Abel Avellan | 814,559,597 | 7,011,352 | 39,845,325 | |||
| Adriana Cisneros | 813,557,325 | 8,013,624 | 39,845,325 | |||
| Luke Ibbetson | 819,441,755 | 2,136,854 | 39,837,665 | |||
| Edward Knapp | 819,420,717 | 2,157,892 | 39,837,665 | |||
| Hiroshi Mikitani | 807,035,883 | 14,535,066 | 39,845,325 | |||
| Ronald Rubin | 814,287,599 | 7,283,350 | 39,845,325 | |||
| Christopher Sambar | 821,903,050 | 286,783 | 39,226,441 | |||
| Richard Sarnoff | 808,051,778 | 13,519,171 | 39,845,325 | |||
| Julio A. Torres | 813,342,474 | 8,228,475 | 39,845,325 | |||
| Johan Wibergh | 821,204,341 | 985,492 | 39,226,441 |
Each of the 10 director nominees who was standing for re-election at the Annual Meeting was elected to serve until the 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.
Proposal 2: Ratification of Appointment of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
| Votes For | Votes Against | Abstentions | Broker Non-Votes | |||
| 860,198,390 | 1,018,964 | 198,920 | - |
The stockholders ratified the appointment of KPMG LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2024.
Proposal 3: Approval of the AST SpaceMobile, Inc. 2024 Incentive Award Plan
| Votes For | Votes Against | Abstentions | Broker Non-Votes | |||
| 807,818,901 | 13,847,493 | 523,438 | 39,226,442 |
The stockholders approved the Plan.
Item 9.01. Financial Statement and Exhibits.
| (d) | Exhibits |
| Exhibit No. | Description | |
| 10.1 | AST SpaceMobile, Inc. 2024 Incentive Award Plan. | |
| 104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document) |
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| AST SPACEMOBILE, INC. | ||
| Date: September 10, 2024 | By: | /s/ Andrew M. Johnson |
| Andrew M. Johnson | ||
| Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Legal Officer | ||
Exhibit 10.1
AST SPACEMOBILE, INC.
2024 INCENTIVE AWARD PLAN
ARTICLE 1
PURPOSE
The purpose of the AST SpaceMobile, Inc. 2024 Incentive Award Plan (as it may be amended or restated from time to time, the “Plan”) is to promote the success and enhance the value of AST SpaceMobile, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and AST & Science, LLC (the “Operating Company”), by linking the individual interests of Directors, Employees, and Consultants to those of Company stockholders and by providing such individuals with an incentive for outstanding performance to generate superior returns to Company stockholders. The Plan is further intended to provide flexibility to the Company and the Operating Company and their subsidiaries in their ability to motivate, attract, and retain the services of those individuals upon whose judgment, interest, and special effort the successful conduct of the Company’s and the Operating Company’s operation is largely dependent.
This Plan document is an omnibus document which includes, in addition to the Plan, separate sub-plans (“Sub Plans”) that permit offerings of grants to employees of certain foreign subsidiaries. Offerings under the Sub Plans may be made in particular locations outside the United States of America and shall comply with local laws applicable to offerings in such foreign jurisdictions. The Plan shall be a separate and independent plan from the Sub Plans, but the total number of Shares authorized to be issued under the Plan applies in the aggregate to both the Plan and the Sub Plans.
The Plan replaces and supersedes the AST SpaceMobile, Inc. 2020 Incentive Award Plan (the “Prior Plan”) and is effective upon the date approved by the Company’s stockholders. Upon approval of the Plan by the Company’s stockholders, no new awards shall be made under the Prior Plan, although outstanding awards previously made under the Prior Plan shall continue to be governed by the terms of the Prior Plan. Shares of Common Stock that are subject to outstanding awards under the Prior Plan that expire, are forfeited or otherwise terminate unexercised may be subjected to new Awards under the Plan, as provided in Article 3.
ARTICLE 2
DEFINITIONS AND CONSTRUCTION
Wherever the following terms are used in the Plan they shall have the meanings specified below, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The singular pronoun shall include the plural where the context so indicates.
2.1. “Administrator” shall mean the Board or a Committee to the extent that the Board’s powers or authority under the Plan have been delegated to such Committee.
2.2. “Affiliate” shall mean the Operating Company and any other person or entity that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by or is under common control with the Company, including any Subsidiary and any Affiliate that is a domestic eligible entity that is disregarded, under Treasury Regulation Section 301-7701-3, as an entity separate from either the Company or any Subsidiary. As used in this definition, “control” means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of the Company, whether through ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise.
2.3. “Applicable Accounting Standards” shall mean Generally Accepted Accounting Principles in the United States, International Financial Reporting Standards or such other accounting principles or standards as may apply to the Company’s financial statements under United States federal securities laws from time to time.
2.4. “Applicable Law” shall mean any applicable law, including, without limitation: (a) provisions of the Code, the Securities Act, the Exchange Act and any rules or regulations thereunder; (b) corporate, securities, tax or other laws, statutes, rules, requirements or regulations, whether federal, state, local or foreign; and (c) rules of any securities exchange or automated quotation system on which the Shares are listed, quoted or traded.
2.5. “Automatic Exercise Date” shall mean, with respect to an Option or a Stock Appreciation Right, the last business day of the applicable Option Term or SAR Term that was initially established by the Administrator for such Option or Stock Appreciation Right (e.g., the last business day prior to the tenth anniversary of the date of grant of such Option or Stock Appreciation Right if the Option or Stock Appreciation Right initially had a ten-year Option Term or SAR Term, as applicable).
2.6. “Award” shall mean an Option, a Stock Appreciation Right, a Restricted Stock award, a Restricted Stock Unit award, an Incentive Unit award, an Other Stock or Cash Based Award or a Dividend Equivalent award, which may be awarded or granted under the Plan.
2.7. “Award Agreement” shall mean any written notice, agreement, terms and conditions, contract or other instrument or document evidencing an Award, including through electronic medium, which shall contain such terms and conditions with respect to an Award as the Administrator shall determine consistent with the Plan.
2.8. “Board” shall mean the Board of Directors of the Company.
2.9. “Change in Control” shall mean
(a) any “person” or “group” (within the meaning of Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act, but excluding any employee benefit plan of such person and its subsidiaries, and any person or entity acting in its capacity as trustee, agent or other fiduciary or administrator of any such plan, and excluding the Permitted Holders (as defined in the Operating Company LLCA)) becomes the “beneficial owner” (within the meaning of Rules 13d-3 and 13d-5 under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of shares of Common Stock, Class B Common Stock, Class C Common Stock, preferred stock and/or any other class or classes of capital stock of the Company (if any) representing in the aggregate more than fifty percent (50%) of the voting power of all of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company entitled to vote;
(b) the stockholders of the Company approve a plan of complete liquidation or dissolution of the Company or there is consummated an agreement or series of related agreements for the sale or other disposition, directly or indirectly, by the Company of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets (including a sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Operating Company); or
(c) there is consummated a merger or consolidation of the Company with any other corporation or entity, and, immediately after the consummation of such merger or consolidation, the voting securities of the Company immediately prior to such merger or consolidation do not continue to represent, or are not converted into, more than fifty percent (50%) of the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities of the person resulting from such merger or consolidation or, if the surviving company is a subsidiary, the ultimate parent thereof.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) a “Change in Control” shall not be deemed to have occurred by virtue of the consummation of any transaction or series of integrated transactions immediately following which the record holders of the Common Stock, Class B Common Stock, Class C Common Stock, preferred stock and/or any other class or classes of capital stock of the Company immediately prior to such transaction or series of transactions continue to have substantially the same proportionate ownership in and voting control over, and own substantially all of the shares of, an entity which owns all or substantially all of the assets of the Company immediately following such transaction or series of transactions and (ii) if a Change in Control constitutes a payment event with respect to any Award (or any portion of an Award) that provides for the deferral of compensation that is subject to Section 409A, to the extent required to avoid the imposition of additional taxes under Section 409A, the transaction or event described in subsections (a), (b) or (c) with respect to such Award (or portion thereof) shall only constitute a Change in Control for purposes of the payment timing of such Award if such transaction also constitutes a “change in control event,” as defined in Treasury Regulation Section l .409A-3(i)(5) (it being understood that vesting of the Award may accelerate upon a Change in Control, even if payment or settlement of the Award may not accelerate pursuant to this clause (ii)).
The Administrator shall have full and final authority, which shall be exercised in its sole discretion, to determine conclusively whether a Change in Control has occurred pursuant to the above definition, the date of the occurrence of such Change in Control and any incidental matters relating thereto; provided that any exercise of authority in conjunction with a determination of whether a Change in Control is a “change in control event” as defined in Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-3(i)(5) shall be consistent with such regulation.
2.10. “Class B Common Stock” means the Class B Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of the Company.
2.11. “Class C Common Stock” means the Class C Common Stock, par value $0.000 l per share, of the Company.
2.12. “Code” shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time, together with the regulations and official guidance promulgated thereunder, whether issued prior or subsequent to the grant of any Award.
2.13. “Committee” shall mean the Board, or another committee or subcommittee of the Board which may be comprised of one or more Directors and/or executive officers of the Company as appointed by the Board, to the extent permitted in accordance with Applicable Law.
2.14. “Common Stock” shall mean the Class A Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of the Company.
2.15. “Common Units” means Common Units, as defined in the Operating Company LLCA.
2.16. “Company” shall have the meaning set forth in Article 1.
2.17. “Consultant” shall mean any consultant or adviser engaged to provide services to the Company or any parent of the Company or Affiliate who qualifies as a consultant or advisor under the applicable rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission for registration of shares on a Form S-8 Registration Statement.
2.18. “Director” shall mean a member of the Board, as constituted from time to time.
2.19. “Director Limit” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4.6.
2.20. “Dividend Equivalent” shall mean a right to receive the equivalent value (in cash or Shares) of dividends paid on Shares, awarded under Section 9.2.
2.21. “DRO” shall mean a “domestic relations order” as defined by the Code or Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended from time to time, or the rules thereunder.
2.22. “Effective Date” shall mean the date the Plan is adopted by the Board, subject to approval of the Plan by the Company’s stockholders.
2.23. “Eligible Individual” shall mean any person who is an Employee, a Consultant or a Non-Employee Director, as determined by the Administrator.
2.24. “Employee” shall mean any officer or other employee (as determined in accordance with Section 3401(c) of the Code and the Treasury Regulations thereunder) of the Company or of any parent of the Company or Affiliate.
2.25. “Exchange Act” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended from time to time.
2.26. “Fair Market Value” shall mean, as of any given date, the value of a Share determined as follows:
(a) If the Common Stock is (i) listed on any established securities exchange (such as the Nasdaq Capital Market, the Nasdaq Global Market, the Nasdaq Global Select Market, or the New York Stock Exchange), (ii) listed on any national market system or (iii) quoted or traded on any automated quotation system, its Fair Market Value shall be the closing sales price for a Share as quoted on such exchange or system for such date or, if there is no closing sales price for a Share on the date in question, the closing sales price for a Share on the last preceding date for which such quotation exists, as reported in The Wall Street Journal or such other source as the Administrator deems reliable;
(b) If the Common Stock is not listed on an established securities exchange, national market system or automated quotation system, but the Common Stock is regularly quoted by a recognized securities dealer, its Fair Market Value shall be the mean of the high bid and low asked prices for such date or, if there are no high bid and low asked prices for a Share on such date, the high bid and low asked prices for a Share on the last preceding date for which such information exists, as reported in The Wall Street Journal or such other source as the Administrator deems reliable; or
(c) If the Common Stock is neither listed on an established securities exchange, national market system or automated quotation system nor regularly quoted by a recognized securities dealer, its Fair Market Value shall be established by the Administrator in good faith.
2.27. “Greater Than 10% Stockholder” shall mean an individual then owning (within the meaning of Section 424(d) of the Code) more than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or any subsidiary corporation (as defined in Section 424(f) of the Code) or parent corporation thereof (as defined in Section 424(e) of the Code).
2.28. “Holder” shall mean a person who has been granted an Award.
2.29. “Incentive Stock Option” shall mean an Option that is intended to qualify as an incentive stock option and conforms to the applicable provisions of Section 422 of the Code.
2.30. “Incentive Unit” shall mean, to the extent authorized by the Operating Company LLCA, a class of limited liability company unit in the Operating Company that is granted pursuant to Section 9.3 hereof and is intended to constitute a “profits interest” within the meaning of the Code.
2.31. “Non-Employee Director” shall mean a Director of the Company who is not an Employee.
2.32. “Non-Employee Director Equity Compensation Policy” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4.6.
2.33. “Non-Qualified Stock Option” shall mean an Option that is not an Incentive Stock Option or which is designated as an Incentive Stock Option but does not meet the applicable requirements of Section 422 of the Code.
2.34. “Operating Company” means shall have the meaning set forth in Article 1.
2.35. “Operating Company LLCA” means the Fifth Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Operating Agreement of the Operating Company, as may be amended and/or restated from time to time.
2.36. “Option” shall mean a right to purchase Shares at a specified exercise price, granted under Article 5. An Option shall be either a Non-Qualified Stock Option or an Incentive Stock Option; provided, however, that Options granted to Non-Employee Directors and Consultants shall only be Non-Qualified Stock Options.
2.37. “Option Term” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5.4.
2.38. “Organizational Documents” shall mean, collectively, (a) the Company’s articles of incorporation, certificate of incorporation, bylaws or other similar organizational documents relating to the creation and governance of the Company, (b) the Committee’s charter or other similar organizational documentation relating to the creation and governance of the Committee, and (c) the Operating Company LLCA.
2.39. “Other Stock or Cash Based Award” shall mean a cash payment, cash bonus award, stock payment, stock bonus award, performance award or incentive award that is paid in cash, Shares or a combination of both, awarded under Section 9.1, which may include, without limitation, deferred stock, deferred stock units, performance awards, retainers, committee fees, and meeting-based fees.
2.40. “Performance Criteria” shall mean the criteria (and adjustments) that the Administrator selects for an Award for purposes of establishing the Performance Goal or Performance Goals for a Performance Period. The Performance Criteria that may be used to establish Performance Goals include, but are not limited to, the following: (i) net earnings or losses (either before or after one or more of the following: (A) interest, (B) taxes, (C) depreciation, (D) amortization and (E) non-cash equity-based compensation expense); (ii) net income (either before or after taxes) or net income growth; (iii) adjusted net income; (iv) operating earnings or profit (consolidated or unconsolidated, and either before or after taxes); (v) cash flow (including, but not limited to, operating cash flow and free cash flow); (vi) return on assets or return on net assets; (vii) return on capital (or invested capital) and cost of capital; (viii) return on stockholders’ equity; (ix) total stockholder return; (x) gross or net profit or operating margin; (xi) costs, reductions in costs and cost control measures; (xii) expenses and expense control measures; (xiii) working capital; (xiv) earnings or loss per share; (xv) adjusted earnings or loss per share; (xvi) price per share or dividends per share (or appreciation in and/or maintenance of such price or dividends); (xvii) regulatory achievements or compliance; (xviii) revenues, revenue growth or net revenue growth, (xix) implementation or completion of critical projects; (xx) market share; (xxi) economic value; (xxii) hiring or personnel, and (xxiii) individual employee performance, any of which may be measured either in absolute terms or as compared to any incremental increase or decrease or as compared to results of a peer group or other employees or to market performance indicators or indices.
2.41. “Performance Goals” shall mean, for a Performance Period, one or more goals established in writing by the Administrator for the Performance Period based upon one or more Performance Criteria. Depending on the Performance Criteria used to establish such Performance Goals, the Performance Goals may be expressed in terms of overall Company performance or the performance of an Affiliate, division, business unit, or an individual. The achievement of each Performance Goal shall be determined with reference to Applicable Accounting Standards or any other methodology as determined appropriate by the Administrator.
2.42. “Performance Period” shall mean one or more periods of time, which may be of varying and overlapping durations, as the Administrator may select, over which the attainment of one or more Performance Goals will be measured for the purpose of determining a Holder’s right to, vesting of, and/or the payment in respect of, an Award.
2.43. “Permitted Transferee” shall mean, with respect to a Holder, any “family member” of the Holder, as defined in the General Instructions to Form S-8 Registration Statement under the Securities Act (or any successor form thereto), or any other transferee specifically approved by the Administrator after taking into account Applicable Law.
2.44. “Plan” shall have the meaning set forth in Article 1.
2.45. “Program” shall mean any program adopted by the Administrator pursuant to the Plan containing the terms and conditions intended to govern a specified type of Award granted under the Plan and pursuant to which such type of Award may be granted under the Plan.
2.46. “Restricted Stock” shall mean Common Stock awarded under Article 7 that is subject to certain restrictions and may be subject to risk of forfeiture or repurchase.
2.47. “Restricted Stock Units” shall mean the right to receive Shares awarded under Article 8.
2.48. “Rule 16b-3” means Rule 16b-3 of the Exchange Act and any amendments thereto.
2.49. “SAR Term” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5.4.
2.50. “Section 409A” shall mean Section 409A of the Code and the Department of Treasury regulations and other interpretive guidance issued thereunder, including, without limitation, any such regulations or other guidance that may be issued after the Effective Date.
2.51. “Securities Act” shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
2.52. “Shares” shall mean shares of Common Stock.
2.53. “Stock Appreciation Right” shall mean an Award entitling the Holder (or other person entitled to exercise pursuant to the Plan) to exercise all or a specified portion thereof (to the extent then exercisable pursuant to its terms) and to receive from the Company an amount determined by multiplying (i) the difference obtained by subtracting (x) the exercise price per share of such Award from (y) the Fair Market Value on the date of exercise of such Award by (ii) the number of Shares with respect to which such Award shall have been exercised, subject to any limitations the Administrator may impose.
2.54. “Subsidiary” shall mean any entity (other than the Company), whether domestic or foreign, in an unbroken chain of entities beginning with the Company if each of the entities other than the last entity in the unbroken chain beneficially owns, at the time of the determination, securities or interests representing at least fifty percent (50%) of the total combined voting power of all classes of securities or interests in one of the other entities in such chain.
2.55. “Substitute Award” shall mean an Award granted under the Plan in connection with a corporate transaction, such as a merger, combination, consolidation or acquisition of property or stock, in any case, upon the assumption of, or in substitution for, outstanding equity awards previously granted by a company or other entity; provided, however, that in no event shall the term “Substitute Award” be construed to refer to an award made in connection with the cancellation and repricing of an Option or Stock Appreciation Right.
2.56. “Termination of Service” shall mean the date the Holder ceases to be an Eligible Individual. The Administrator, in its sole discretion, shall determine the effect of all matters and questions relating to any Termination of Service, including, without limitation, whether a Termination of Service has occurred, whether a Termination of Service resulted from a discharge for cause and all questions of whether particular leaves of absence constitute a Termination of Service; provided, however, that, with respect to Incentive Stock Options, unless the Administrator otherwise provides in the terms of any Program, Award Agreement or otherwise, or as otherwise required by Applicable Law, a leave of absence, change in status from an employee to an independent contractor or other change in the employee-employer relationship shall constitute a Termination of Service only if, and to the extent that, such leave of absence, change in status or other change interrupts employment for the purposes of Section 422(a)(2) of the Code and the then-applicable regulations and revenue rulings under said Section. For purposes of the Plan, a Holder’s employee-employer relationship or consultancy relations shall be deemed to be terminated in the event that the Affiliate employing or contracting with such Holder ceases to remain an Affiliate following any merger, sale of stock or other corporate transaction or event (including, without limitation, a spin-off).
ARTICLE 3
SHARES SUBJECT TO THE PLAN
3.1. Number of Shares.
(a) Subject to Sections 3.l(b) and 12.2, Awards may be made under the Plan from and after the Effective Date covering an aggregate number of Shares not to exceed the sum of (i) 2,000,000 Shares, plus (ii) one (1) Share for every one (1) Share available for award under the Prior Plan as of July 30, 2024. The limit provided in the immediately preceding sentence shall also constitute the maximum number of Awards under the Plan that may be granted as Incentive Stock Options; provided, however, that such limit shall be increased by 2,000,000 Shares as of each January 1st following the Effective Date and prior to the Expiration Date of this Plan. Any Shares distributed pursuant to an Award may consist, in whole or in part, of authorized and unissued Common Stock, treasury Common Stock or Common Stock purchased on the open market. Subject to Section 12.2, each Incentive Unit issued pursuant to an Award shall count as one (1) Share for purposes of calculating the aggregate number of Shares available for issuance under the Plan as set forth in this Section 3. l(a). Any Shares subject to an Award under the Prior Plan and that expires, is forfeited, otherwise terminates or is settled in cash, after the Effective Date, shall be added to the Shares reserved for issuance under this Plan. In addition, the number of Shares available for issuance under the Plan may increase on each January 1st occurring following the Effective Date and prior to the Expiration Date in an amount up to 2,000,000 Shares by action of the Administrator.
(b) If any Shares are forfeited, expire or otherwise terminate, or such Award is settled for cash (in whole or in part) (including Shares repurchased by the Company under Section 7.4 at the same price paid by the Holder), the Shares subject to such Award shall, to the extent of such forfeiture, expiration or cash settlement, again be available for future grants of Awards under the Plan. In addition, the following Shares shall be added to the Shares authorized for grant under Section 3.l(a) and shall be available for future grants of Awards: (i) Shares tendered by a Holder or withheld by the Company in payment of the exercise price of an Option; (ii) Shares tendered by the Holder or withheld by the Company to satisfy any tax withholding obligation with respect to an Option or a Stock Appreciation Right; (iii) Shares subject to a Stock Appreciation Right or other stock-settled Award (including Awards that may be settled in cash or stock) that are not issued in connection with the settlement or exercise, as applicable, of the Stock Appreciation Right or other stock-settled Award; and (iv) Shares purchased on the open market by the Company with the cash proceeds received from the exercise of Options. Any Shares repurchased by the Company under Section 7.4 at the same price paid by the Holder so that such Shares are returned to the Company shall again be available for Awards. The payment of Dividend Equivalents in cash in conjunction with any outstanding Awards shall not be counted against the Shares available for issuance under the Plan. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 3.l(b), no Shares may again be optioned, granted or awarded if such action would cause an Incentive Stock Option to fail to qualify as an incentive stock option under Section 422 of the Code.
(c) Substitute Awards may be granted on such terms as the Administrator deems appropriate, notwithstanding limitations on Awards in the Plan. Substitute Awards shall not reduce the Shares authorized for grant under the Plan, except as may be required by reason of Section 422 of the Code, and Shares subject to such Substitute Awards shall not be added to the Shares available for Awards under the Plan as provided in Section 3.1(b) above. Additionally, in the event that a company acquired by the Company or any Affiliate or with which the Company or any Affiliate combines has shares available under a pre-existing plan approved by its stockholders and not adopted in contemplation of such acquisition or combination, the shares available for grant pursuant to the terms of such pre-existing plan (as adjusted, to the extent appropriate, using the exchange ratio or other adjustment or valuation ratio or formula used in such acquisition or combination to determine the consideration payable to the holders of common stock of the entities party to such acquisition or combination) may be used for Awards under the Plan and shall not reduce the Shares authorized for grant under the Plan (and Shares subject to such Awards shall not be added to the Shares available for Awards under the Plan as provided in Section 3.1(b) above); provided that Awards using such available Shares shall not be made after the date awards or grants could have been made under the terms of the pre-existing plan, absent the acquisition or combination, and shall only be made to individuals who were not employed by or providing services to the Company or its Affiliates immediately prior to such acquisition or combination.
ARTICLE 4
GRANTING OF AWARDS
4.1. Participation. The Administrator may, from time to time, select from among all Eligible Individuals those to whom an Award shall be granted and shall determine the nature and amount of each Award, which shall not be inconsistent with the requirements of the Plan. Except for any Non-Employee Director’s right to Awards that may be required pursuant to the Non-Employee Director Equity Compensation Policy as described in Section 4.6, no Eligible Individual or other person shall have any right to be granted an Award pursuant to the Plan and neither the Company nor the Administrator is obligated to treat Eligible Individuals, Holders or any other persons uniformly. Participation by each Holder in the Plan shall be voluntary and nothing in the Plan or any Program shall be construed as mandating that any Eligible Individual or other person shall participate in the Plan.
4.2. Award Agreement. Each Award shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement that sets forth the terms, conditions and limitations for such Award as determined by the Administrator in its sole discretion (consistent with the requirements of the Plan and any applicable Program). Award Agreements evidencing Incentive Stock Options shall contain such terms and conditions as may be necessary to meet the applicable provisions of Section 422 of the Code. The Administrator, in its sole discretion, may grant Awards to Eligible Individuals that are based on one or more Performance Criteria or achievement of one or more Performance Goals or any such other criteria or goals as the Administrator shall establish.
4.3. Limitations Applicable to Section 16 Persons. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, the Plan, and any Award granted or awarded to any individual who is then subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act, shall be subject to any additional limitations set forth in any applicable exemptive rule under Section 16 of the Exchange Act (including Rule 16b-3) that are requirements for the application of such exemptive rule. To the extent permitted by Applicable Law, the Plan and Awards granted or awarded hereunder shall be deemed amended to the extent necessary to conform to such applicable exemptive rule.
4.4. At-Will Service. Nothing in the Plan or in any Program or Award Agreement hereunder shall confer upon any Holder any right to continue in the employ of, or as a Director or Consultant for, the Company or any Affiliate, or shall interfere with or restrict in any way the rights of the Company and any Affiliate, which rights are hereby expressly reserved, to discharge any Holder at any time for any reason whatsoever, with or without cause, and with or without notice, or to terminate or change all other terms and conditions of employment or engagement, except to the extent expressly provided otherwise in a written agreement between the Holder and the Company or any Affiliate.
4.5. Foreign Holders. Notwithstanding any provision of the Plan or applicable Program and/or Sub Plan to the contrary, in order to comply with the laws in countries other than the United States in which the Company and its Affiliates operate or have Employees, Non-Employee Directors or Consultants, or in order to comply with the requirements of any foreign securities exchange or other Applicable Law, the Administrator, in its sole discretion, shall have the power and authority to: (a) determine which Affiliates shall be covered by the Plan; (b) determine which Eligible Individuals outside the United States are eligible to participate in the Plan; (c) modify the terms and conditions of any Award granted to Eligible Individuals outside the United States to comply with Applicable Law (including, without limitation, applicable foreign laws or listing requirements of any foreign securities exchange); (d) establish Sub Plans and modify exercise procedures and other terms and procedures, to the extent such actions may be necessary or advisable; provided, however, that no such Sub Plans and/or modifications shall increase the share limitation contained in Section 3.1 or the Director Limit; and (e) take any action, before or after an Award is made, that it deems advisable to obtain approval or comply with any necessary local governmental regulatory exemptions or approvals or listing requirements of any foreign securities exchange.
4.6. Non-Employee Director Awards.
(a) Non-Employee Director Equity Compensation Policy. The Administrator, in its sole discretion, may provide that Awards granted to Non-Employee Directors shall be granted pursuant to a written nondiscretionary formula established by the Administrator (the “Non-Employee Director Equity Compensation Policy”), subject to the limitations of the Plan. The Non-Employee Director Equity Compensation Policy shall set forth the type of Award(s) to be granted to Non-Employee Directors, the number of Shares to be subject to Non-Employee Director Awards, the conditions on which such Awards shall be granted, become exercisable and/or payable and expire, and such other terms and conditions as the Administrator shall determine in its sole discretion. The Non-Employee Director Equity Compensation Policy may be modified by the Administrator from time to time in its sole discretion and pursuant to the exercise of its business judgment, taking into account such factors, circumstances and considerations as it shall deem relevant from time to time.
(b) Director Limit. Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in the Plan or in the Non-Employee Director Equity Compensation Policy, the sum of the grant date fair value of equity-based Awards granted and the amount of any cash-based Awards or other fees paid to a Non-Employee Director during any calendar year shall not exceed $1,000,000 (the “Director Limit”). The Administrator may make exceptions to this limit for individual Non-Employee Directors in extraordinary circumstances, as the Administrator may determine in its discretion, provided that the Non-Employee Director receiving such additional compensation may not participate in the decision to award such compensation or in other contemporaneous compensation decisions involving Non-Employee Directors.
ARTICLE 5
GRANTING OF OPTIONS AND STOCK APPRECIATION RIGHTS
5.1. Granting of Options and Stock Appreciation Rights to Eligible Individuals. The Administrator is authorized to grant Options and Stock Appreciation Rights to Eligible Individuals from time to time, in its sole discretion, on such terms and conditions as it may determine, which shall not be inconsistent with the Plan, including any limitations in the Plan that apply to Incentive Stock Options; provided, however that Options and Stock Appreciation Rights may not be granted with respect to stock that is not “service recipient stock” as defined in Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-l(b)(5)(iii).
5.2. Qualification of Incentive Stock Options. The Administrator may grant Options intended to qualify as Incentive Stock Options only to employees of the Company, any of the Company’s present or future “parent corporations” or “subsidiary corporations” as defined in Sections 424(e) or (f) of the Code, respectively, and any other entities the employees of which are eligible to receive Incentive Stock Options under the Code. No person who qualifies as a Greater Than 10% Stockholder may be granted an Incentive Stock Option unless such Incentive Stock Option conforms to the applicable provisions of Section 422 of the Code. To the extent that the aggregate fair market value of stock with respect to which “incentive stock options” (within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code, but without regard to Section 422(d) of the Code) are exercisable for the first time by a Holder during any calendar year under the Plan, and all other plans of the Company and any parent corporation or subsidiary corporation thereof (as defined in Section 424(e) and 424(f) of the Code, respectively), exceeds $100,000, the Options shall be treated as Non-Qualified Stock Options to the extent required by Section 422 of the Code. The rule set forth in the immediately preceding sentence shall be applied by taking Options and other “incentive stock options” into account in the order in which they were granted and the fair market value of stock shall be determined as of the time the respective options were granted. Any interpretations and rules under the Plan with respect to Incentive Stock Options shall be consistent with the provisions of Section 422 of the Code. Neither the Company nor the Administrator shall have any liability to a Holder, or any other person, (a) if an Option (or any part thereof) which is intended to qualify as an Incentive Stock Option fails to qualify as an Incentive Stock Option or (b) for any action or omission by the Company or the Administrator that causes an Option not to qualify as an Incentive Stock Option, including, without limitation, the conversion of an Incentive Stock Option to a Non-Qualified Stock Option or the grant of an Option intended as an Incentive Stock Option that fails to satisfy the requirements under the Code applicable to an Incentive Stock Option.
5.3. Option and Stock Appreciation Right Exercise Price. The exercise price per Share subject to each Option and Stock Appreciation Right shall be set by the Administrator, but shall not be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date the Option or Stock Appreciation Right, as applicable, is granted (or, as to Incentive Stock Options, on the date the Option is modified, extended or renewed for purposes of Section 424(h) of the Code). In addition, in the case of Incentive Stock Options granted to a Greater Than 10% Stockholder, such price shall not be less than 110% of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date the Option is granted (or the date the Option is modified, extended or renewed for purposes of Section 424(h) of the Code). Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case of an Option or Stock Appreciation Right that is a Substitute Award, the exercise price per share of the Shares subject to such Option or Stock Appreciation Right, as applicable, may be less than the Fair Market Value per share on the date of grant; provided that the exercise price of any Substitute Award shall be determined in accordance with the applicable requirements of Section 424 and 409A of the Code.
5.4. Option and SAR Term. The term of each Option (the “Option Term”) and the term of each Stock Appreciation Right (the “SAR Term”) shall be set by the Administrator in its sole discretion; provided, however, that the Option Term or SAR Tenn, as applicable, shall not be more than (a) ten (10) years from the date the Option or Stock Appreciation Right, as applicable, is granted to an Eligible Individual (other than a Greater Than 10% Stockholder), or (b) five (5) years from the date an Incentive Stock Option is granted to a Greater Than 10% Stockholder. Except as limited by the requirements of Section 409A or Section 422 of the Code and regulations and rulings thereunder or the first sentence of this Section 5.4 and without limiting the Company’s rights under Section 10.7, the Administrator may extend the Option Term of any outstanding Option or the SAR Term of any outstanding Stock Appreciation Right, and may extend the time period during which vested Options or Stock Appreciation Rights may be exercised, in connection with any Termination of Service of the Holder or otherwise, and may amend, subject to Section 10.7 and 12.1, any other term or condition of such Option or Stock Appreciation Right relating to such Termination of Service of the Holder or otherwise.
5.5. Option and SAR Vesting. The period during which the right to exercise, in whole or in part, an Option or Stock Appreciation Right vests in the Holder shall be set by the Administrator and set forth in the applicable Award Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing and unless determined otherwise by the Company, in the event that on the last business day of the term of an Option or Stock Appreciation Right (other than an Incentive Stock Option) (a) the exercise of the Option or Stock Appreciation Right is prohibited by Applicable Law, as determined by the Company, or (b) Shares may not be purchased or sold by the applicable Holder due to any Company insider trading policy (including blackout periods) or a “lock-up” agreement undertaken in connection with an issuance of securities by the Company, the term of the Option or Stock Appreciation Right shall be extended until the date that is thirty (30) days after the end of the legal prohibition, black-out period or lock-up agreement, as determined by the Company; provided, however, in no event shall the extension last beyond the ten year (or any shorter) term of the applicable Option or Stock Appreciation Right. Unless otherwise determined by the Administrator in the Award Agreement, the applicable Program or by action of the Administrator following the grant of the Option or Stock Appreciation Right, (i) no portion of an Option or Stock Appreciation Right which is unexercisable at a Holder’s Termination of Service shall thereafter become exercisable and (ii) the portion of an Option or Stock Appreciation Right that is unexercisable at a Holder’s Termination of Service shall automatically expire on the date of such Termination of Service.
ARTICLE 6
EXERCISE OF OPTIONS AND STOCK APPRECIATION RIGHTS
6.1. Exercise and Payment. An exercisable Option or Stock Appreciation Right may be exercised in whole or in part. However, unless the Administrator otherwise determines, an Option or Stock Appreciation Right shall not be exercisable with respect to fractional Shares and the Administrator may require that, by the terms of the Option or Stock Appreciation Right, a partial exercise must be with respect to a minimum number of Shares. Payment of the amounts payable with respect to Stock Appreciation Rights pursuant to this Article 6 shall be in cash, Shares (based on its Fair Market Value as of the date the Stock Appreciation Right is exercised), or a combination of both, as determined by the Administrator.
6.2. Manner of Exercise. Except as set forth in Section 6.3, all or a portion of an exercisable Option or Stock Appreciation Right shall be deemed exercised upon delivery of all of the following to the Secretary of the Company, the stock plan administrator of the Company or such other person or entity designated by the Administrator, or his, her or its office, as applicable:
(a) A written notice of exercise in a form the Administrator approves (which may be electronic) complying with the applicable rules established by the Administrator. The notice shall be signed or otherwise acknowledged electronically by the Holder or other person then entitled to exercise the Option or Stock Appreciation Right or such portion thereof;
(b) Such representations and documents as the Administrator, in its sole discretion, deems necessary or advisable to effect compliance with Applicable Law;
(c) In the event that the Option shall be exercised pursuant to Section 10.3 by any person or persons other than the Holder, appropriate proof of the right of such person or persons to exercise the Option or Stock Appreciation Right, as determined in the sole discretion of the Administrator; and
(d) Full payment of the exercise price and applicable withholding taxes for the Shares with respect to which the Option or Stock Appreciation Right, or portion thereof, is exercised, in a manner permitted by the Administrator in accordance with Sections 10.1 and 10.2.
6.3. Expiration of Option Term or SAR Term: Automatic Exercise of In-the-Money Options and Stock Appreciation Rights. Unless otherwise provided by the Administrator in an Award Agreement or otherwise, or as otherwise directed by an Option or Stock Appreciation Rights Holder in writing to the Company, each vested and exercisable Option and Stock Appreciation Right outstanding on the Automatic Exercise Date with an exercise price per Share that is less than the Fair Market Value per Share as of such date, shall automatically and without further action by the Option or Stock Appreciation Rights Holder or the Company be exercised on the Automatic Exercise Date. In the sole discretion of the Administrator, payment of the exercise price of any such Option shall be made pursuant to Section 10.l(b) or 10.l(c), and the Company or any Subsidiary shall be entitled to deduct or withhold an amount sufficient to satisfy all taxes associated with such exercise in accordance with Section 10.2. Unless otherwise determined by the Administrator, this Section 6.3 shall not apply to an Option or Stock Appreciation Right if the Holder of such Option or Stock Appreciation Right incurs a Termination of Service on or before the Automatic Exercise Date. For the avoidance of doubt, no Option or Stock Appreciation Right with an exercise price per Share that is equal to or greater than the Fair Market Value per Share on the Automatic Exercise Date shall be exercised pursuant to this Section 6.3.
6.4. Notification Regarding Disposition. The Holder shall give the Company prompt written or electronic notice of any disposition or other transfer (other than in connection with a Change in Control) of Shares acquired by exercise of an Incentive Stock Option which occurs within (a) two years from the date of granting (including the date the Option is modified, extended or renewed for purposes of Section 424(h) of the Code) such Option to such Holder, or (b) one year after the date of transfer of such Shares to such Holder. Such notice shall specify the date of such disposition or other transfer and the amount realized, in cash, other property, assumption of indebtedness or other consideration, by the Holder in such disposition or other transfer.
ARTICLE 7
AWARD OF RESTRICTED STOCK
7.1. Award of Restricted Stock. The Administrator is authorized to grant Restricted Stock, or the right to purchase Restricted Stock, to Eligible Individuals, and shall determine the terms and conditions, including the vesting conditions (which may be based on continued service and/or the achievement of Performance Goals) and other restrictions applicable to each award of Restricted Stock, which terms and conditions shall not be inconsistent with the Plan or any applicable Program, and may impose such conditions on the issuance of such Restricted Stock as it deems appropriate. The Administrator shall establish the purchase price, if any, and form of payment for Restricted Stock; provided, however, that if a purchase price is charged, such purchase price shall be no less than the par value, if any, of the Shares to be purchased, unless otherwise permitted by Applicable Law. In all cases, legal consideration shall be required for each issuance of Restricted Stock to the extent required by Applicable Law.
7.2. Rights as Stockholders. Subject to Section 7.4, upon issuance of Restricted Stock, the Holder shall have, unless otherwise provided by the Administrator, all of the rights of a stockholder with respect to said Shares, subject to the restrictions in the Plan, any applicable Program and/or the applicable Award Agreement, including the right to receive all dividends and other distributions paid or made with respect to the Shares to the extent such dividends and other distributions have a record date that is on or after the date on which the Holder to whom such Restricted Stock are granted becomes the record holder of such Restricted Stock; provided, however, that, in the sole discretion of the Administrator, any extraordinary dividends or distributions with respect to the Shares may be subject to the restrictions set forth in Section 7.3. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, with respect to any award of Restricted Stock, dividends which are paid to holders of Common Stock prior to vesting shall only be paid out to the Holder holding such Restricted Stock to the extent that the vesting conditions are subsequently satisfied. All such dividend payments will be made no later than March 15 of the calendar year following the calendar year in which the right to the dividend payment becomes non-forfeitable.
7.3. Restrictions. All shares of Restricted Stock (including any shares received by Holders thereof with respect to shares of Restricted Stock as a result of stock dividends, stock splits or any other form of recapitalization) and any property or cash transferred to Holders in connection with an extraordinary dividend or distribution shall be subject to such restrictions and vesting requirements as the Administrator shall provide in the applicable Program or Award Agreement.
7.4. Repurchase or Forfeiture of Restricted Stock. Except as otherwise determined by the Administrator, if no price was paid by the Holder for the Restricted Stock, upon a Termination of Service during the applicable restriction period, the Holder’s rights in unvested Restricted Stock then subject to restrictions shall lapse, and such Restricted Stock shall be surrendered to the Company and cancelled without consideration on the date of such Termination of Service. If a price was paid by the Holder for the Restricted Stock, upon a Termination of Service during the applicable restriction period, the Company shall have the right to repurchase from the Holder the unvested Restricted Stock then subject to restrictions at a cash price per share equal to the price paid by the Holder for such Restricted Stock or such other amount as may be specified in the applicable Program or Award Agreement.
7.5. Section 83(b) Election. If a Holder makes an election under Section 83(b) of the Code to be taxed with respect to the Restricted Stock as of the date of transfer of the Restricted Stock rather than as of the date or dates upon which the Holder would otherwise be taxable under Section 83(a) of the Code, the Holder shall deliver a copy of such election to the Company promptly after filing such election with the Internal Revenue Service along with proof of the timely filing thereof with the Internal Revenue Service.
ARTICLE 8
AWARD OF RESTRICTED STOCK UNITS
8.1. Grant of Restricted Stock Units. The Administrator is authorized to grant Awards of Restricted Stock Units to any Eligible Individual selected by the Administrator in such amounts and subject to such terms and conditions as determined by the Administrator. A Holder will have no rights of a stockholder with respect to Shares subject to any Restricted Stock Unit unless and until the Shares are delivered in settlement of the Restricted Stock Unit.
8.2. Vesting of Restricted Stock Units. At the time of grant, the Administrator shall specify the date or dates on which the Restricted Stock Units shall become fully vested and nonforfeitable, and may specify such conditions to vesting as it deems appropriate, including, without limitation, vesting based upon the Holder’s duration of service to the Company or any Affiliate, one or more Performance Goals or other specific criteria, in each case on a specified date or dates or over any period or periods, as determined by the Administrator. An Award of Restricted Stock Units shall only be eligible to vest while the Holder is an Employee, a Consultant or a Director, as applicable; provided, however, that the Administrator, in its sole discretion, may provide (in an Award Agreement or otherwise) that a Restricted Stock Unit award may become vested subsequent to a Termination of Service in the event of the occurrence of one or more specified events, including a Change in Control.
8.3. Maturity and Payment. At the time of grant, the Administrator shall specify the maturity date applicable to each grant of Restricted Stock Units, which shall be no earlier than the vesting date or dates of the Award and may be determined at the election of the Holder (if permitted by the applicable Award Agreement); provided that, except as otherwise determined by the Administrator, and subject to compliance with Section 409A, in no event shall the maturity date applicable to each Restricted Stock Unit occur following the later of (a) the 15th day of the third month following the end of the calendar year in which the applicable portion of the Restricted Stock Unit vests; and (b) the 15th day of the third month following the end of the Company’s fiscal year in which the applicable portion of the Restricted Stock Unit vests. On the maturity date, the Company shall, in accordance with the applicable Award Agreement and subject to Section 10.4(f), transfer to the Holder one unrestricted, fully transferable Share for each Restricted Stock Unit scheduled to be paid out on such date and not previously forfeited, or in the sole discretion of the Administrator, an amount in cash equal to the Fair Market Value of such Shares on the maturity date or a combination of cash and Common Stock as determined by the Administrator.
ARTICLE 9
AWARD OF OTHER STOCK OR CASH BASED AWARDS, DIVIDEND EQUIVALENTS AND INCENTIVE UNITS
9.1. Other Stock or Cash Based Awards. The Administrator is authorized to grant Other Stock or Cash Based Awards, including awards entitling a Holder to receive Shares or cash to be delivered immediately or in the future, to any Eligible Individual. Subject to the provisions of the Plan and any applicable Program, the Administrator shall determine the terms and conditions of each Other Stock or Cash Based Award, including the term of the Award, any exercise or purchase price, Performance Criteria and Performance Goals, transfer restrictions, vesting conditions and other terms and conditions applicable thereto, which shall be set forth in the applicable Award Agreement. Other Stock or Cash Based Awards may be paid in cash, Shares, or a combination of cash and Shares, as determined by the Administrator, and may be available as a form of payment in the settlement of other Awards granted under the Plan, as stand-alone payments, as a part of a bonus, deferred bonus, deferred compensation or other arrangement, and/or as payment in lieu of compensation to which an Eligible Individual is otherwise entitled.
9.2. Dividend Equivalents. Dividend Equivalents may be granted by the Administrator, either alone or in tandem with another Award, based on dividends declared on the Common Stock, to be credited as of dividend payment dates during the period between the date the Dividend Equivalents are granted to a Holder and the date such Dividend Equivalents terminate or expire, as determined by the Administrator. Such Dividend Equivalents shall be converted to cash or additional Shares by such formula and at such time and subject to such restrictions and limitations as may be determined by the Administrator. Notwithstanding the forgoing, Dividend Equivalents with respect to an Award shall only be paid to the Holder to the extent that the vesting conditions are subsequently satisfied. All such Dividend Equivalents will be made no later than March 15 of the calendar year following the calendar year in which the right to the Dividend Equivalent payment becomes non-forfeitable, unless determined otherwise by the Administrator.
9.3. Incentive Units. The Administrator is authorized to grant Incentive Units (if authorized under the Operating Company LLCA) in such amount and subject to such terms and conditions as may be determined by the Administrator; provided, however, that Incentive Units may only be issued to a Holder for the performance of services to or for the benefit of the Operating Company (a) in the Holder’s capacity as a member of the Operating Company, (b) in anticipation of the Holder becoming a member of the Operating Company, or (c) as otherwise determined by the Administrator, provided that if and to the extent that the Incentive Units are intended to constitute “profits interests” within the meaning of the Code, including, to the extent applicable, Revenue Procedure 93-27, 1993-2 C.B. 343 and Revenue Procedure 2001-43, 2001-2 C.B. 191, such Incentive Units shall be granted, administered and interpreted in all respects in accordance with the requirements thereof. The Administrator shall specify the conditions and dates upon which the Incentive Units shall vest and become nonforfeitable. Incentive Units shall be subject to the terms and conditions of the Operating Company LLCA and such other restrictions, including restrictions on transferability, as the Administrator may impose. These restrictions may lapse separately or in combination at such times, pursuant to such circumstances, in such installments, or otherwise, as the Administrator determines at the time of the grant of the Award or thereafter.
ARTICLE 10
ADDITIONAL TERMS OF AWARDS
10.1. Payment. The Administrator shall determine the method or methods by which payments by any Holder with respect to any Awards granted under the Plan shall be made, including, without limitation: (a) cash, wire transfer of immediately available funds or check, (b) Shares (including, in the case of payment of the exercise price of an Award, Shares issuable pursuant to the exercise of the Award) or Shares held for such minimum period of time as may be established by the Administrator, in each case, having a Fair Market Value on the date of delivery equal to the aggregate payments required, (c) delivery of a written or electronic notice that the Holder has placed a market sell order with a broker acceptable to the Company with respect to Shares then issuable upon exercise or vesting of an Award, and that the broker has been directed to pay a sufficient portion of the net proceeds of the sale to the Company in satisfaction of the aggregate payments required; provided that payment of such proceeds is then made to the Company upon settlement of such sale, other form of legal consideration acceptable to the Administrator in its sole discretion, or (e) any combination of the above permitted forms of payment. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan to the contrary, no Holder who is a Director or an “executive officer” of the Company within the meaning of Section 13(k) of the Exchange Act shall be permitted to make payment with respect to any Awards granted under the Plan, or continue any extension of credit with respect to such payment, with a loan from the Company or a loan arranged by the Company in violation of Section 13(k) of the Exchange Act.
10.2. Tax Withholding. The Company or any Affiliate shall have the authority and the right to deduct or withhold, or require a Holder to remit to the Company, an amount sufficient to satisfy federal, state, local and foreign taxes (including the Holder’s FICA, employment tax or other social security contribution obligation) required by law to be withheld with respect to any taxable event concerning a Holder arising as a result of the Plan or any Award. The Administrator may, in its sole discretion and in satisfaction of the foregoing requirement, or in satisfaction of such additional withholding obligations as a Holder may have elected, allow a Holder to satisfy such obligations by any payment means described in Section l0.1 hereof, including without limitation, by allowing such Holder to elect to have the Company or any Affiliate withhold Shares otherwise issuable under an Award (or allow the surrender of Shares). The number of Shares that may be so withheld or surrendered shall be limited to the number of Shares that have a fair market value on the date of withholding or repurchase no greater than the aggregate amount of such liabilities based on the maximum statutory withholding rates in such Holder’s applicable jurisdictions for federal, state, local and foreign income tax and payroll tax purposes that are applicable to such taxable income. The Administrator shall determine the fair market value of the Shares, consistent with applicable provisions of the Code, for tax withholding obligations due in connection with a broker-assisted cashless Option or Stock Appreciation Right exercise involving the sale of Shares to pay the Option or Stock Appreciation Right exercise price or any tax withholding obligation.
10.3. Transferability of Awards.
(a) Except as otherwise provided in Sections 10.3(b) and 10.3(c):
(i) No Award under the Plan may be sold, pledged, assigned or transferred in any manner other than (A) by will or the laws of descent and distribution or (B) subject to the consent of the Administrator, pursuant to a DRO, unless and until such Award has been exercised or the Shares underlying such Award have been issued, and all restrictions applicable to such Shares have lapsed;
(ii) No Award or interest or right therein shall be liable for or otherwise subject to the debts, contracts or engagements of the Holder or the Holder’s successors in interest or shall be subject to disposition by transfer, alienation, anticipation, pledge, hypothecation, encumbrance, assignment or any other means whether such disposition be voluntary or involuntary or by operation of law by judgment, levy, attachment, garnishment or any other legal or equitable proceedings (including bankruptcy) unless and until such Award has been exercised, or the Shares underlying such Award have been issued, and all restrictions applicable to such Shares have lapsed, and any attempted disposition of an Award prior to satisfaction of these conditions shall be null and void and of no effect, except to the extent that such disposition is permitted by Section 10.3(a)(i); and
(iii) During the lifetime of the Holder, only the Holder may exercise any exercisable portion of an Award granted to such Holder under the Plan, unless it has been disposed of pursuant to a DRO. After the death of the Holder, any exercisable portion of an Award may, prior to the time when such portion becomes unexercisable under the Plan or the applicable Program or Award Agreement, be exercised by the Holder’s personal representative or by any person empowered to do so under the deceased Holder’s will or under the then applicable laws of descent and distribution.
(b) Notwithstanding Section 10.3(a), the Administrator, in its sole discretion, may determine to permit a Holder or a Permitted Transferee of such Holder to transfer an Award other than an Incentive Stock Option (unless such Incentive Stock Option is intended to become a Nonqualified Stock Option) to any one or more Permitted Transferees of such Holder, subject to the following terms and conditions: (i) an Award transferred to a Permitted Transferee shall not be assignable or transferable by the Permitted Transferee other than (A) to another Permitted Transferee of the applicable Holder or (B) by will or the laws of descent and distribution or, subject to the consent of the Administrator, pursuant to a DRO; (ii) an Award transferred to a Permitted Transferee shall continue to be subject to all the terms and conditions of the Award as applicable to the original Holder (other than the ability to further transfer the Award to any person other than another Permitted Transferee of the applicable Holder); (iii) any transfer of an Award to a Permitted Transferee shall be without consideration, except as required by applicable law; and (iv) the Holder (or transferring Permitted Transferee) and the receiving Permitted Transferee shall execute any and all documents requested by the Administrator, including, without limitation documents to (A) confirm the status of the transferee as a Permitted Transferee, (B) satisfy any requirements for an exemption for the transfer under Applicable Law and (C) evidence the transfer. In addition, and further notwithstanding Section l0.3(a), hereof, the Administrator, in its sole discretion, may determine to permit a Holder to transfer Incentive Stock Options to a trust that constitutes a Permitted Transferee if, under Section 671 of the Code and other Applicable Law, the Holder is considered the sole beneficial owner of the Incentive Stock Option while it is held in the trust.
(c) Notwithstanding Section 10.3(a), a Holder may, in the manner determined by the Administrator, designate a beneficiary to exercise the rights of the Holder and to receive any distribution with respect to any Award upon the Holder’s death. A beneficiary, legal guardian, legal representative, or other person claiming any rights pursuant to the Plan is subject to all terms and conditions of the Plan and any Program or Award Agreement applicable to the Holder and any additional restrictions deemed necessary or appropriate by the Administrator. If the Holder is married or a domestic partner in a domestic partnership qualified under Applicable Law and resides in a community property state, a designation of a person other than the Holder’s spouse or domestic partner, as applicable, as the Holder’s beneficiary with respect to more than 50% of the Holder’s interest in the Award shall not be effective without the prior written or electronic consent of the Holder’s spouse or domestic partner. If no beneficiary has been designated or survives the Holder, payment shall be made to the person entitled thereto pursuant to the Holder’s will or the laws of descent and distribution. Subject to the foregoing, a beneficiary designation may be changed or revoked by a Holder at any time; provided that the change or revocation is delivered in writing to the Administrator prior to the Holder’s death.
10.4. Conditions to Issuance of Shares.
(a) The Administrator shall determine the methods by which Shares shall be delivered or deemed to be delivered to Holders. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Company shall not be required to issue or deliver any certificates or make any book entries evidencing Shares pursuant to the exercise of any Award, unless and until the Administrator has determined that the issuance of such Shares is in compliance with Applicable Law and the Shares are covered by an effective registration statement or applicable exemption from registration. In addition to the terms and conditions provided herein, the Administrator may require that a Holder make such reasonable covenants, agreements and representations as the Administrator, in its sole discretion, deems advisable in order to comply with Applicable Law.
(b) All share certificates delivered pursuant to the Plan and all Shares issued pursuant to book entry procedures are subject to any stop-transfer orders and other restrictions as the Administrator deems necessary or advisable to comply with Applicable Law. The Administrator may place legends on any share certificate or book entry to reference restrictions applicable to the Shares (including, without limitation, restrictions applicable to Restricted Stock).
(c) The Administrator shall have the right to require any Holder to comply with any timing or other restrictions with respect to the settlement, distribution or exercise of any Award, including a window-period limitation, as may be imposed in the sole discretion of the Administrator.
(d) Unless the Administrator otherwise determines, no fractional Shares shall be issued and the Administrator, in its sole discretion, shall determine whether cash shall be given in lieu of fractional Shares or whether such fractional Shares shall be eliminated by rounding down.
(e) The Company, in its sole discretion, may (i) retain physical possession of any stock certificate evidencing Shares until any restrictions thereon shall have lapsed and/or (ii) require that the stock certificates evidencing such Shares be held in custody by a designated escrow agent (which may but need not be the Company) until the restrictions thereon shall have lapsed, and that the Holder deliver a stock power, endorsed in blank, relating to such Shares.
(f) Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, unless otherwise determined by the Administrator or required by Applicable Law, the Company shall not deliver to any Holder certificates evidencing Shares issued in connection with any Award and instead such Shares shall be recorded in the books of the Company (or, as applicable, its transfer agent or stock plan administrator).
10.5. Forfeiture and Claw-Back Provisions. All Awards (including any proceeds, gains or other economic benefit actually or constructively received by a Holder upon any receipt or exercise of any Award or upon the receipt or resale of any Shares underlying the Award and any payments of a portion of an incentive-based bonus pool allocated to a Holder) shall be subject to the provisions of the AST SpaceMobile, Inc. Policy for the Recovery of Erroneously Awarded Incentive-Based Compensation (as it may be amended, restated, supplemented or replaced from time to time and including any successor policy or policies thereto) and any other claw-back policy implemented by the Company, whether or not such claw-back policy was in place at the time of grant of an Award, to the extent set forth in such claw-back policy and/or in the applicable Award Agreement.
10.6. Repricing. Subject to Section 12.2, the Administrator may not, without the approval of the stockholders of the Company,
(a) authorize the amendment of any outstanding Option or Stock Appreciation Right to reduce its price per Share, or (b) cancel any Option or Stock Appreciation Right in exchange for cash or another Award when the Option or Stock Appreciation Right price per Share exceeds the Fair Market Value of the underlying Shares. Furthermore, for purposes of this Section 10.6, except in connection with a corporate transaction involving the Company (including, without limitation, any stock dividend, stock split, extraordinary cash dividend, recapitalization, reorganization, merger, consolidation, split-up, spin-off, combination or exchange of shares), the terms of outstanding Awards may not be amended to reduce the exercise price per Share of outstanding Options or Stock Appreciation Rights or cancel outstanding Options or Stock Appreciation Rights in exchange for cash, other Awards or Options or Stock Appreciation Rights with an exercise price per Share that is less than the exercise price per Share of the original Options or Stock Appreciation Rights without the approval of the stockholders of the Company.
10.7. Amendment of Awards. Subject to Applicable Law and Section 10.6, the Administrator may amend, modify or terminate any outstanding Award, including but not limited to, substituting therefor another Award of the same or a different type and changing the date of exercise or settlement. The Holder’s consent to such action shall be required unless (a) the Administrator determines that the action, taking into account any related action, would not materially and adversely affect the Holder, or (b) the change is otherwise permitted under the Plan (including, without limitation, under Section 12.2 or 12.10).
10.8. Lock-Up Period. The Company may, in connection with registering the offering of any Company securities under the Securities Act, prohibit Holders from, directly or indirectly, selling or otherwise transferring any Shares or other Company securities during a period of up to one hundred eighty days following the effective date of a Company registration statement filed under the Securities Act, or such longer period as determined by the underwriter. In order to enforce the foregoing, the Company shall have the right to place restrictive legends on the certificates of any securities of the Company held by the Holder and to impose stop transfer instructions with the Company’s transfer agent with respect to any securities of the Company held by the Holder until the end of such period.
10.9. Data Privacy. As a condition of receipt of any Award, each Holder explicitly and unambiguously consents to the collection, use and transfer, in electronic or other form, of personal data as described in this Section 10.9 by and among, as applicable, the Company and its Affiliates for the exclusive purpose of implementing, administering and managing the Holder’s participation in the Plan. The Company and its Affiliates may hold certain personal information about a Holder, including but not limited to, the Holder’s name, home address and telephone number, date of birth, social security or insurance number or other identification number, salary, nationality, job title(s), any shares of stock held in the Company or any of its Affiliates, details of all Awards, in each case, for the purpose of implementing, managing and administering the Plan and Awards (the “Data”). The Company and its Affiliates may transfer the Data amongst themselves as necessary for the purpose of implementation, administration and management of a Holder’s participation in the Plan, and the Company and its Affiliates may each further transfer the Data to any third parties assisting the Company and its Affiliates in the implementation, administration and management of the Plan. These recipients may be located in the Holder’s country, or elsewhere, and the Holder’s country may have different data privacy laws and protections than the recipients’ country. Through acceptance of an Award, each Holder authorizes such recipients to receive, possess, use, retain and transfer the Data, in electronic or other form, for the purposes of implementing, administering and managing the Holder’s participation in the Plan, including any requisite transfer of such Data as may be required to a broker or other third party with whom the Company or any of its Affiliates or the Holder may elect to deposit any Shares. The Data related to a Holder will be held only as long as is necessary to implement, administer, and manage the Holder’s participation in the Plan. A Holder may, at any time, view the Data held by the Company with respect to such Holder, request additional information about the storage and processing of the Data with respect to such Holder, recommend any necessary corrections to the Data with respect to the Holder or refuse or withdraw the consents herein in writing, in any case without cost, by contacting his or her local human resources representative. The Company may cancel the Holder’s ability to participate in the Plan, and, in the Administrator’s discretion, the Holder may forfeit any outstanding Awards if the Holder refuses or withdraws his or her consents as described herein. For more information on the consequences of refusal to consent or withdrawal of consent, Holders may contact their local human resources representative.
ARTICLE 11
ADMINISTRATION
11.1. Administrator. The Committee shall administer the Plan (except as otherwise permitted herein). To the extent required to comply with the provisions of Rule 16b-3, it is intended that each member of the Committee will be, at the time the Committee takes any action with respect to an Award that is subject to Rule 16b-3, a “non-employee director” within the meaning of Rule 16b-3. Additionally, to the extent required by Applicable Law, each of the individuals constituting the Committee shall be an “independent director” under the rules of any securities exchange or automated quotation system on which the Shares are listed, quoted or traded. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any action taken by the Committee shall be valid and effective, whether or not members of the Committee at the time of such action are later determined not to have satisfied the requirements for membership set forth in this Section 11.1 or the Organizational Documents. Except as may otherwise be provided in the Organizational Documents or as otherwise required by Applicable Law, (a) appointment of Committee members shall be effective upon acceptance of appointment, (b) Committee members may resign at any time by delivering written or electronic notice to the Board and (c) vacancies in the Committee may only be filled by the Board. Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) the full Board, acting by a majority of its members in office, (A) shall conduct the general administration of the Plan with respect to Awards granted to Non-Employee Directors and, with respect to such Awards, the term “Administrator” as used in the Plan shall be deemed to refer to the Board, and (B) may re-vest in itself at any time any authority of the Committee hereunder, and (ii) the Board or Committee may delegate its authority hereunder to the extent permitted by Section 11.6.
11.2. Duties and Powers of Administrator. It shall be the duty of the Administrator to conduct the general administration of the Plan in accordance with its provisions. The Administrator shall have the power to interpret the Plan, all Programs and Award Agreements, and to adopt such rules for the administration, interpretation and application of the Plan and any Program as are not inconsistent with the Plan, to interpret, amend or revoke any such rules and to amend the Plan or any Program or Award Agreement; provided that the rights or obligations of the Holder of the Award that is the subject of any such Program or Award Agreement are not materially and adversely affected by such amendment, unless the consent of the Holder is obtained or such amendment is otherwise permitted under Section 10.7 or Section 12.10. In its sole discretion, the Board may at any time and from time to time exercise any and all rights and duties of the Committee in its capacity as the Administrator under the Plan except with respect to matters which under Rule 16b-3 or any successor rule, or any regulations or rules issued thereunder, or the rules of any securities exchange or automated quotation system on which the Shares are listed, quoted or traded are required to be determined in the sole discretion of the Committee.
11.3. Action by the Administrator. Unless otherwise established by the Board, set forth in any Organizational Documents or as required by Applicable Law, a majority of the Administrator shall constitute a quorum, and the acts of a majority of the members present at any meeting at which a quorum is present, and acts approved in writing by all members of the Administrator in lieu of a meeting, shall be deemed the acts of the Administrator. Each member of the Administrator is entitled to, in good faith, rely or act upon any report or other information furnished to that member by any officer or other employee of the Company or any Affiliate, the Company’s independent certified public accountants, or any executive compensation consultant or other professional retained by the Company to assist in the administration of the Plan. Neither the Administrator nor any member or delegate thereof shall have any liability to any person (including any Holder) for any action taken or omitted to be taken or any determination made in good faith with respect to the Plan or any Award.
11.4. Authority of Administrator. Subject to the Organizational Documents, any specific designation in the Plan and Applicable Law, the Administrator has the exclusive power, authority and sole discretion to:
(a) Designate Eligible Individuals to receive Awards;
(b) Determine the type or types of Awards to be granted to each Eligible Individual (including, without limitation, any Awards granted in tandem with another Award granted pursuant to the Plan);
(c) Determine the number of Awards to be granted and the number of Shares to which an Award will relate;
(d) Determine the terms and conditions of any Award granted pursuant to the Plan, including, but not limited to, the exercise price, grant price, purchase price, any Performance Criteria and/or Performance Goals, any restrictions or limitations on the Award, any schedule for vesting, lapse of forfeiture restrictions or restrictions on the exercisability of an Award, and accelerations or waivers thereof, and any provisions related to non-competition and claw-back and recapture of gain on an Award, based in each case on such considerations as the Administrator in its sole discretion determines;
(e) Determine whether, to what extent, and under what circumstances an Award may be settled in, or the exercise price of an Award may be paid in cash, Shares, other Awards, or other property, or an Award may be canceled, forfeited, or surrendered;
(f) Prescribe the form of each Award Agreement, which need not be identical for each Holder;
(g) Decide all other matters that must be determined in connection with an Award;
(h) Establish, adopt, or revise any Programs, rules and regulations as it may deem necessary or advisable to administer the Plan;
(i) Interpret the terms of, and any matter arising pursuant to, the Plan, any Program or any Award Agreement, resolve any ambiguities under the Plan or any Award and supply any omissions; and
(j) Make all other decisions and determinations that may be required pursuant to the Plan or as the Administrator deems necessary or advisable to administer the Plan.
11.5. Decisions Binding. The Administrator’s interpretation of the Plan, any Awards granted pursuant to the Plan, any Program or any Award Agreement and all decisions and determinations by the Administrator with respect to the Plan are final, binding and conclusive on all persons.
11.6. Delegation of Authority. The Board or Committee may from time to time delegate to a committee of one or more Directors or one or more officers of the Company the authority to grant or amend Awards or to take other administrative actions pursuant to this Article 11; provided, however, that in no event shall an officer of the Company be delegated the authority to grant Awards to, or amend Awards held by, the following individuals: (a) individuals who are subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act, or (b) officers of the Company (or Directors) to whom authority to grant or amend Awards has been delegated hereunder; provided, further, that any delegation of administrative authority shall only be permitted to the extent it is permissible under any Organizational Documents and Applicable Law. Any delegation hereunder shall be subject to the restrictions and limits that the Board or Committee specifies at the time of such delegation or that are otherwise included in the applicable Organizational Documents, and the Board or Committee, as applicable, may at any time rescind the authority so delegated or appoint a new delegatee. At all times, the delegatee appointed under this Section 11.6 shall serve in such capacity at the pleasure of the Board or the Committee, as applicable, and the Board or the Committee may abolish any committee at any time and re-vest in itself any previously delegated authority.
11.7. Acceleration. Subject to the Organizational Documents, any specific designation in the Plan and Applicable Law, the Administrator has the exclusive power, authority and sole discretion to accelerate, wholly or partially, the vesting or lapse of restrictions (and, if applicable, the Company shall cease to have a right of repurchase) of any Award or portion thereof at any time after the grant of an Award, subject to whatever terms and conditions it selects and Section 12.2.
11.8. Deferral. Notwithstanding any provision in this Plan to the contrary, the Administrator, in its sole discretion, may provide that Awards and amounts payable under such Awards may be deferred by Holders pursuant to such plan, policy or procedure as the Administrator and/or the Company may establish from time to time.
ARTICLE 12
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
12.1. Amendment, Suspension or Termination of the Plan.
(a) Except as otherwise provided in Section 12.l(b), the Plan may be wholly or partially amended or otherwise modified, suspended or terminated at any time or from time to time by the Board; provided that, except as provided in Section 10.7 and Section 12.10, no amendment, suspension or termination of the Plan shall, without the consent of the Holder, materially and adversely affect any rights or obligations under any Award theretofore granted or awarded, unless the Award itself otherwise expressly so provides.
(b) Notwithstanding Section 12.l(a), the Board may not, except as provided in Section 12.2, take any of the following actions without approval of the Company’s stockholders given within twelve (12) months before or after such action: (i) increase the limit imposed in Section 3.1 on the maximum number of Shares which may be issued under the Plan, (ii) reduce the price per share of any outstanding Option or Stock Appreciation Right granted under the Plan or take any action prohibited under Section 10.6, or (iii) cancel any Option or Stock Appreciation Right in exchange for cash or another Award in violation of Section 10.6.
(c) No Awards may be granted or awarded during any period of suspension or after termination of the Plan, and notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, in no event may any Award be granted under the Plan after the tenth (10th) anniversary of the earlier of (i) the date on which the Plan was adopted by the Board and (ii) the date the Plan was approved by the Company’s stockholders (such anniversary, the “Expiration Date”). Any Awards that are outstanding on the Expiration Date shall remain in force according to the terms of the Plan, the applicable Program and the applicable Award Agreement.
12.2. Changes in Common Stock or Assets of the Company, Acquisition or Liquidation of the Company and Other Corporate Events.
(a) In the event of (i) any equity distribution, extraordinary cash dividend or other distribution (whether in the form of securities or other property), recapitalization, division of Shares or Common Units, Share or unit split, reverse Share or unit split, reorganization, merger, consolidation, split-up, split-off, combination, repurchase or exchange of Shares or Common Units or other securities of the Company or an Affiliate, as applicable, issuance of warrants or other rights to acquire Shares or Common Units or other securities of the Company or an Affiliate, as applicable, or other similar corporate transaction or event (including, without limitation, a Change in Control) that affects the Shares or Common Units, or (ii) unusual or nonrecurring events (including, without limitation, a Change in Control) affecting the Company or an Affiliate, or the financial statements of the Company or an Affiliate, or changes in applicable rules, rulings, regulations or other requirements of any governmental body or securities exchange or inter-dealer quotation system, accounting principles or law, such that in either case an adjustment is determined by the Administrator in its sole discretion to be necessary or appropriate, then the Administrator shall make any such adjustments in such manner as it may deem equitable, including without limitation any or all of the following:
(i) Adjusting any or all of (A) the number of Shares or other securities of the Company or an Affiliate (or the number and kind of other securities or other property) that may be delivered in respect of Awards or with respect to which Awards may be granted under the Plan (including, without limitation, adjusting any or all of the limitations under Section 3 of the Plan) and (B) the terms of any outstanding Award, including, without limitation, (1) the number of Shares or other securities of the Company or an Affiliate (or the number and kind of other securities or other property) subject to outstanding Awards or to which outstanding Awards relate, (2) the exercise price with respect to any Award or (3) any applicable performance measures;
(ii) Providing for a substitution or assumption of Awards, accelerating the exercisability of, lapse of restrictions on, or termination of, Awards or providing for a period of time for exercise prior to the occurrence of such event; and
(iii) Cancelling any one or more outstanding Awards and causing to be paid to the holders thereof, in cash, Shares, other securities or other property, or any combination thereof, the value of such Awards, if any, as determined by the Administrator (which, if applicable, may be based upon the price per Share received or to be received by other holders of the Shares or same class or series of securities as the securities subject to the Award in such event), including without limitation, in the case of an outstanding Option or SAR, a cash payment in an amount equal to the excess, if any, of the Fair Market Value (as of a date specified by the Administrator) of the Shares subject to such Option or SAR over the aggregate exercise price of such Option or SAR, respectively (it being understood that, in such event, any Option or SAR having an exercise price equal to, or in excess of, the Fair Market Value of a Share subject thereto may be canceled and terminated without any payment or consideration therefor).
For the avoidance of doubt, in the case of any “equity restructuring” (within the meaning of the Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standard Codification (ASC) Section 718, Compensation - Stock Compensation (FASB ASC 718)), the Administrator shall make an equitable or proportionate adjustment to outstanding Awards to reflect such equity restructuring. Any adjustments under this Section 12.2(a) shall be made in a manner that does not adversely affect the exemption provided pursuant to Rule 16b-3, to the extent applicable. The Administrator or its designee shall give each Holder notice of an adjustment hereunder and, upon notice, such adjustment shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes.
(b) Except to the extent otherwise provided in an Award Agreement, in the event of a Change in Control, notwithstanding any provision of the Plan to the contrary, the Administrator may provide in its sole discretion that, with respect to all or any portion of a particular outstanding Award or Awards:
(i) To provide for the cancellation of any such Award in exchange for either an amount of cash or other property with a value equal to the amount that could have been obtained upon the exercise or settlement of the vested portion of such Award or realization of the Holder’s rights under the vested portion of such Award, as applicable; provided that, if the amount that could have been obtained upon the exercise or settlement of the vested portion of such Award or realization of the Holder’s rights, in any case, is equal to or less than zero, then the Award may be terminated without payment;
(ii) To provide that such Award shall vest and, to the extent applicable, be exercisable as to all Shares covered thereby, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Plan or the provisions of such Award;
(iii) To provide that such Award be assumed by the successor or survivor corporation, or a parent or subsidiary thereof, or shall be substituted for by awards covering the stock of the successor or survivor corporation, or a parent or subsidiary thereof, with appropriate adjustments as to the number and kind of shares and/or applicable exercise or purchase price, in all cases, as determined by the Administrator;
(iv) To make adjustments in the number and type of Shares (or other securities or property) subject to outstanding Awards and/or with respect to which Awards may be granted under the Plan (including, but not limited to, adjustments of the limitations in Article III on the maximum number and kind of shares which may be issued) and/or in the terms and conditions of (including the grant or exercise price or applicable performance goals), and the criteria included in, outstanding Awards;
(v) To replace such Award with other rights or property selected by the Administrator; and/or
(vi) To provide that the Award will terminate and cannot vest, be exercised or become payable after the applicable event.
To the extent practicable, any actions taken by the Administrator under the immediately preceding clauses (i) through (vi) shall occur in a manner and at a time which allows affected Holders the ability to participate in the Change in Control transaction with respect to the Shares subject to their Awards.
12.3. Approval of Plan by Stockholders. The Plan shall be submitted for the approval of the Company’s stockholders within twelve (12) months after the date of the Board’s initial adoption of the Plan. Awards may be granted or awarded prior to such stockholder approval; provided that such Awards shall not be exercisable, shall not vest and the restrictions thereon shall not lapse, and no Shares shall be issued pursuant thereto prior to the time when the Plan is approved by the Company’s stockholders; and provided, further, that if such approval has not been obtained at the end of said twelve (12) month period, all Awards previously granted or awarded under the Plan shall thereupon be canceled and become null and void.
12.4. No Stockholders Rights. Except as otherwise provided herein or in an applicable Program or Award Agreement, a Holder shall have none of the rights of a stockholder with respect to Shares covered by any Award until the Holder becomes the record owner of such Shares.
12.5. Paperless Administration. In the event that the Company establishes, for itself or using the services of a third party, an automated system for the documentation, granting or exercise of Awards, such as a system using an internet website or interactive voice response, then the paperless documentation, granting or exercise of Awards by a Holder may be permitted through the use of such an automated system.
12.6. Effect of Plan upon Other Compensation Plans. The adoption of the Plan shall not affect any other compensation or incentive plans in effect for the Company or any Affiliate. Nothing in the Plan shall be construed to limit the right of the Company or any Affiliate: (a) to establish any other forms of incentives or compensation for Employees, Directors or Consultants of the Company or any Affiliate, or (b) to grant or assume options or other rights or awards otherwise than under the Plan in connection with any proper corporate purpose including without limitation, the grant or assumption of options in connection with the acquisition by purchase, lease, merger, consolidation or otherwise, of the business, stock or assets of any corporation, partnership, limited liability company, firm or association.
12.7. Compliance with Laws. The Plan, the granting and vesting of Awards under the Plan and the issuance and delivery of Shares and Incentive Units and the payment of money under the Plan or under Awards granted or awarded hereunder are subject to compliance with all Applicable Law (including but not limited to state, federal and foreign securities law and margin requirements), and to such approvals by any listing, regulatory or governmental authority as may, in the opinion of counsel for the Company, be necessary or advisable in connection therewith. Any securities delivered under the Plan shall be subject to such restrictions, and the person acquiring such securities shall, if requested by the Company, provide such assurances and representations to the Company as the Company may deem necessary or desirable to assure compliance with all Applicable Law. The Administrator, in its sole discretion, may take whatever actions it deems necessary or appropriate to effect compliance with Applicable Law, including, without limitation, placing legends on share certificates and issuing stop-transfer notices to agents and registrars. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, the Administrator may not take any actions hereunder, and no Awards shall be granted, that would violate Applicable Law. To the extent permitted by Applicable Law, the Plan and Awards granted or awarded hereunder shall be deemed amended to the extent necessary to conform to Applicable Law.
12.8. Titles and Headings, References to Sections of the Code or Exchange Act. The titles and headings of the Sections in the Plan are for convenience of reference only and, in the event of any conflict, the text of the Plan, rather than such titles or headings, shall control. References to sections of the Code or the Exchange Act shall include any amendment or successor thereto.
12.9. Governing Law. The Plan and any Programs and Award Agreements hereunder shall be administered, interpreted and enforced under the internal laws of the State of Delaware without regard to conflicts of laws thereof or of any other jurisdiction.
12.10. Section 409A. To the extent that the Administrator determines that any Award granted under the Plan is subject to Section 409A, the Plan, the Program pursuant to which such Award is granted and the Award Agreement evidencing such Award shall incorporate the terms and conditions required by Section 409A. In that regard, to the extent any Award under the Plan or any other compensatory plan or arrangement of the Company or any of its Affiliates is subject to Section 409A, and such Award or other amount is payable on account of a Holder’s Termination of Service (or any similarly defined term), then (a) such Award or amount shall only be paid to the extent such Termination of Service qualifies as a “separation from service” as defined in Section 409A (and for clarity, the foregoing shall apply to any Award or other amount that is payable on account of a Holder’s Termination of Service (or similarly defined term) and which relies on an exemption from Section 409A linked to a “separation from service”), and (b) if such Award or amount is payable to a “specified employee” as defined in Section 409A then to the extent required in order to avoid a prohibited distribution under Section 409A, such Award or other compensatory payment shall not be payable prior to the earlier of (i) the expiration of the six-month period measured from the date of the Holder’s Termination of Service, or (ii) the date of the Holder’s death. To the extent applicable, the Plan, the Program and any Award Agreements shall be interpreted in accordance with Section 409A. Notwithstanding any provision of the Plan to the contrary, in the event that following the Effective Date the Administrator determines that any Award may be subject to Section 409A, the Administrator may (but is not obligated to), without a Holder’s consent, adopt such amendments to the Plan and the applicable Program and Award Agreement or adopt other policies and procedures (including amendments, policies and procedures with retroactive effect), or take any other actions, that the Administrator determines are necessary or appropriate to (A) exempt the Award from Section 409A and/or preserve the intended tax treatment of the benefits provided with respect to the Award, or (B) comply with the requirements of Section 409A and thereby avoid the application of any penalty taxes under Section 409A. The Company makes no representations or warranties as to the tax treatment of any Award under Section 409A or otherwise. The Company shall have no obligation under this Section 12.10 or otherwise to take any action (whether or not described herein) to avoid the imposition of taxes, penalties or interest under Section 409A with respect to any Award and shall have no liability to any Holder or any other person if any Award, compensation or other benefits under the Plan are determined to constitute non compliant, “nonqualified deferred compensation” subject to the imposition of taxes, penalties and/or interest under Section 409A.
12.11. Unfunded Status of Awards. The Plan is intended to be an “unfunded” plan for incentive compensation. With respect to any payments not yet made to a Holder pursuant to an Award, nothing contained in the Plan or any Program or Award Agreement shall give the Holder any rights that are greater than those of a general creditor of the Company or any Affiliate.
12.12. Indemnification. To the extent permitted under Applicable Law and the Organizational Documents, each member of the Administrator (and each delegate thereof pursuant to Section 11.6) shall be indemnified and held harmless by the Company from any loss, cost, liability, or expense that may be imposed upon or reasonably incurred by such member in connection with or resulting from any claim, action, suit, or proceeding to which he or she may be a party or in which he or she may be involved by reason of any action or failure to act pursuant to the Plan or any Award Agreement and against and from any and all amounts paid by him or her, with the Board’s approval, in satisfaction of judgment in such action, suit, or proceeding against him or her; provided he or she gives the Company an opportunity, at its own expense, to handle and defend the same before he or she undertakes to handle and defend it on his or her own behalf and, once the Company gives notice of its intent to assume such defense, the Company shall have sole control over such defense with counsel of the Company’s choosing. The foregoing right of indemnification shall not be available to the extent that a court of competent jurisdiction in a final judgment or other final adjudication, in either case not subject to further appeal, determines that the acts or omissions of the person seeking indemnity giving rise to the indemnification claim resulted from such person’s bad faith, fraud or willful criminal act or omission. The foregoing right of indemnification shall not be exclusive of any other rights of indemnification to which such persons may be entitled pursuant to the Organizational Documents, as a matter of law, or otherwise, or any power that the Company may have to indemnify them or hold them harmless.
12.13. Relationship to Other Benefits. No payment pursuant to the Plan shall be taken into account in determining any benefits under any pension, retirement, savings, profit sharing, group insurance, welfare or other benefit plan of the Company or any Affiliate except to the extent otherwise expressly provided in writing in such other plan or an agreement thereunder.
12.14. Expenses. The expenses of administering the Plan shall be borne by the Company and its Affiliates.