Bon Natural Life Ltd 6-K, filed Feb 23, 2024
Bon Natural Life Ltd (BON)
About this 6-K
Bon Natural Life Ltd filed this 6-K on February 23, 2024.
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 6-K
REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER
PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-16 OR 15d-16 OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the month of February 2023
Commission File Number 001-40517
BON NATURAL LIFE LIMITED
(Translation of registrant’s name into English)
Room 601, Block C, Gazelle Valley, No.69, Jinye Road
High-Tech Zone, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
People’s Republic of China
(Address of principal executive offices)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F: Form 20-F ☒ Form 40-F ☐
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1): ☐
Note: Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1) only permits the submission in paper of a Form 6-K if submitted solely to provide an attached annual report to security holders.
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7): ☐
Note: Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7) only permits the submission in paper of a Form 6-K if submitted to furnish a report or other document that the registrant foreign private issuer must furnish and make public under the laws of the jurisdiction in which the registrant is incorporated, domiciled or legally organized (the registrant’s “home country”), or under the rules of the home country exchange on which the registrant’s securities are traded, as long as the report or other document is not a press release, is not required to be and has not been distributed to the registrant’s security holders, and, if discussing a material event, has already been the subject of a Form 6-K submission or other Commission filing on EDGAR.
Pending Share Consolidation (Reverse Split) and Increased in Authorized Shares
Subject to the further approval of the majority of our shareholders, our Board of Directors has approved a reverse split (a “share consolidation” under Cayman Islands law) at a ratio of one (1) ordinary share for every ten (10) ordinary shares issued and outstanding (the “Reverse Split”). Upon completion of the Reverse Split, every ten (10) issued and outstanding ordinary shares will be consolidated into one (1) ordinary share. Any fractional shares resulting from the Reverse Split will be rounded to the next whole share. Immediately following the Reverse Split, and also subject to the further approval of a majority of our shareholders, our Board of Directors has approved an increase in our authorized share capital such that we will have 270,000,000 authorized ordinary shares, par value US$0.001 each, and 30,000,000 preference shares, par value US$0.001 each. The proposed Reverse Split and increase in authorized shares will be accomplished by way of an amendment to our Memorandum and Articles of Association, to be reflected in the proposed Second Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association (the “Second Amended M&A”) filed herewith as Exhibit 3.1.
Pending Adoption of 2024 Equity Incentive Plan
Our Board of Directors has also approved the adoption of the Bon Natural Life Limited 2024 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2024 Plan”), a copy of which is filed herewith as Exhibit 4.1. Under the 2024 Plan, and subject to the oversight an approval of the Compensation Committee of our Board of Directors, we will be permitted to grant stock options, restricted stock, restricted stock units, and similar equity-based compensation for the purpose of attracting, retaining, and incentivizing qualified officers, directors, and employees. The maximum number of shares which may be issued or issuable under the Plan, at any given time, is limited to 20% of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares on a fully diluted basis. The Plan will be submitted for approval by our shareholders.
Special Shareholder Meeting
For the purposes of seeking shareholder approval of the Reverse Split, the increase in authorized shares, the Second Amended M&A, and the 2024 Plan, our Board of Directors has scheduled an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders to be held under Cayman Islands law. The meeting will be held on March 9, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. (Beijing time) at Room 601, Block C, Gazelle Valley, No.69, Jinye Road, High-Tech Zone, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China. All shareholders of record as of February 21, 2024 are entitled to vote at the meeting in person or by proxy. A copy of the Notice of Extraordinary General Meeting is furnished herewith as Exhibit 99.1
Exhibits
The following exhibits are included in this Form 6-K:
| Exhibit No. | Description of Exhibit | |
| 3.1 | Second Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association (proposed) | |
| 4.1 | 2024 Equity Incentive Plan | |
| 99.1 | Notice of Extraordinary General Meeting |
SIGNATURES
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, thereunto duly authorized.
| Date: February 23, 2024 | Bon Natural Life Limited | |
| By: | /s/ Yongwei Hu | |
| Yongwei Hu | ||
| Chairman and Chief Executive Officer | ||
Exhibit 3.1
THE CAYMAN ISLANDS
THE COMPANIES ACT
(AS AMENDED)
Second Amended and Restated
Memorandum of Association
of
Bon Natural Life Limited
(adopted by special resolutions dated March 9, 2024)
THE CAYMAN ISLANDS
THE COMPANIES ACT (AS AMENDED)
SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED MEMORANDUM OF ASSOCIATION
OF
Bon Natural Life Limited
(the “Company”)
(adopted by special resolutions dated March 9, 2024)
| 1. | Name |
The name of the Company is Bon Natural Life Limited. | |
| 2. | Registered Office |
The registered office of the Company shall be situated at the Office of Sertus Incorporations (Cayman) Limited, Sertus Chambers, Governors Square, Suite # 5-204, 23 Lime Tree Bay Avenue, P.O. Box 2547, Grand Cayman, KY1-1104, Cayman Islands, or such other place in the Cayman Islands as the Directors may, from time to time decide, being the registered office of the Company. | |
| 3. | General Objects and Powers |
The objects for which the Company is established are unrestricted and the Company shall have full power and authority to carry out any object not prohibited by Section 7(4) of The Companies Act (As Amended) or as the same may be amended from time to time, or any other law of the Cayman Islands. | |
| 4. | Limitations on the Company’s Business |
| 4.1 | For the purposes of the Companies Act (As Amended) the Company has no power to: |
| (a) | carry on the business of a Bank or Trust Company without being licensed in that behalf under the provisions of the Banks & Trust Companies Act (As Amended); or | |
| (b) | to carry on Insurance Business from within the Cayman Islands or the business of an Insurance Manager, Agent, Sub-agent or Broker without being licensed in that behalf under the provisions of the Insurance Act (As Amended); or | |
| (c) | to carry on the business of Company Management without being licensed in that behalf under the provisions of the Companies Management Act (As Amended). |
| 4.2 | The Company shall not trade in the Cayman Islands with any person, firm or corporation except in furtherance of the business of the Company carried on outside the Cayman Islands; provided that nothing in this section shall be construed as to prevent the Company effecting and concluding contracts in the Cayman Islands, and exercising in the Cayman Islands all of its powers necessary for the carrying on of its business outside the Cayman Islands. |
| 5. | Company Limited by Shares |
The Company is a company limited by shares. The liability of each member is limited to the amount, if any, unpaid on the shares held by such member. | |
| 6. | Authorised Shares |
The capital of the Company is USD300,000 divided into (a) 270,000,000 ordinary shares of a par value of USD0.001 each and (b) 30,000,000 preference shares of a par value of USD0.001 each. Subject to the provisions of the Companies Act (As Amended) and the Articles of Association of the Company, the Company shall have power to redeem or purchase any of its shares and to increase, reduce, sub-divide or consolidate the share capital and to issue all or any part of its capital whether original, redeemed, increased or reduced with or without any preference, priority or special privilege or subject to any postponement of rights or to any conditions or restrictions whatsoever and so that unless the conditions of issue shall otherwise expressly provide every issue of shares whether stated to be ordinary, preference or otherwise shall be subject to the powers on the part of the Company hereinbefore provided. | |
| 7. | Continuation |
| Subject to the provisions of the Companies Act (As Amended) and the Articles of Association of the Company, the Company may exercise the power contained in Section 206 of The Companies Act (As Amended) to deregister in the Cayman Islands and be registered by way of continuation under the laws of any jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands. |
THE CAYMAN ISLANDS
THE COMPANIES ACT
(AS AMENDED)
Second Amended and Restated
Articles of Association
of
Bon Natural Life Limited
(adopted by special resolutions dated March 9, 2024)
THE CAYMAN ISLANDS
THE COMPANIES ACT (AS REVISED)
SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION
OF
Bon Natural Life Limited
(the “Company”)
(adopted by special resolutions dated March 9, 2024)
| 1. | Table A |
The Table ‘A’ in the First Schedule of The Companies Act (As Amended) shall not apply to this Company and the following shall constitute the Articles of Association of the Company. | |
| 2. | Definitions and Interpretation |
| 2.1 | References in these Articles of Association (“Articles”) to the “Companies Act” shall mean The Companies Act (As Amended) of the Cayman Islands and any statutory amendments or re-enactment thereof. In these Articles, save where the content otherwise requires:
“Directors” and “Board of Directors” means the Directors of the Company for the time being, or as the case may be, the Directors assembled as a board or as a committee thereof, and “Director” means any one of the Directors;
“Electronic Record” has the meaning given to that term in the Electronic Transactions Act (Revised) of the Cayman Islands;
“Members” means those persons whose names are entered in the register of members as the holders of shares and includes each subscriber of the Memorandum pending the issue to him of the subscriber share or shares, and “Member” means any one of them;
“Memorandum of Association” means the Memorandum of Association of the Company, as amended and re-stated from time to time;
“Ordinary Resolution” means a resolution: |
| (a) | passed by a simple majority of such Members as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at a general meeting of the Company and where a poll is taken regard shall be had in computing a majority to the number of votes to which each Member is entitled; or | |
| (b) | approved in writing by the requisite majority of the Members entitled to vote at a general meeting of the Company in accordance with Article 17.7, in one or more instruments each signed by one or more of the Members and the effective date of the resolution so adopted shall be the date on which the instrument, or the last of such instruments if more than one, is executed; |
“Ordinary Shares” means the ordinary shares of a par value of US$0.001 each in the capital of the Company; including a fraction of any of them and “Ordinary Share” means any one of them;
“Paid up” means paid up as to the par value and any premium payable in respect of the issue of any shares and includes credited as paid up;
“Preference Shares” means the preference shares of a par value of US$0.001 each in the capital of the Company; including a fraction of any of them and “Preference Share” means any one of them;
“Register of Members” means the register to be kept by the Company in accordance with Section 40 of the Companies Act;
“Seal” means the Common Seal of the Company (if any) including any facsimile thereof;
“Shares” means shares in the capital of the Company, including a fraction of any of them and “Share” means any one of them. All references to “Shares” herein shall be deemed to be shares of any or all classes as the context may require;
“Special Resolution” means a resolution passed in accordance with Section 60 of the Companies Act, being a resolution: |
| (a) | passed by a majority of not less than two-thirds of such Members as, being entitled to do so, vote in person or, where proxies are allowed, by proxy at a general meeting of the Company of which notice specifying the intention to propose the resolution as a Special Resolution has been duly given and where a poll is taken regard shall be had in computing a majority to the number of votes to which each Member is entitled, or | |
| (b) | approved in writing by all of the Members entitled to vote at a general meeting of the Company in one or more instruments each signed by one or more of the Members and the effective date of the Special Resolution so adopted shall be the date on which the instrument or the last of such instruments if more than one, is executed. |
| 2.2 | In these Articles, words and expressions defined in the Companies Act shall have the same meaning and, unless otherwise required by the context, (a) the singular shall include the plural and vice versa; (b) the masculine shall include the feminine and the neuter and references to persons shall include companies and all legal entities capable of having a legal existence; (c) “may” shall be construed as permissive and “shall” shall be construed as imperative; (d) a reference to a dollar or dollars (or $) is a reference to dollars of the United States of America; and (e) references to a statutory enactment shall include reference to any amendment or re-enactment thereof for the time being in force. |
| 3. | Share Certificates |
| 3.1 | Every person whose name is entered as a Member in the Register of Members, shall without payment, be entitled to a share certificate signed by a Director of the Company specifying the share or shares held and the amount paid up thereof, provided that in respect of a share or shares held jointly by several persons, the Company shall not be bound to issue more than one share certificate and delivery of a certificate for a share to one of several joint holders shall be sufficient delivery to all. |
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| 3.2 | If a share certificate is worn out, lost or defaced, it may be renewed on production of the worn out or defaced certificate, or on satisfactory proof of its loss together with such indemnity as the Directors may reasonably require. Any Member receiving a share certificate shall indemnify and hold the Company and its officers harmless from any loss or liability which it or they may incur by reason of wrongful or fraudulent use or representation made by any person by virtue of the possession of such a share certificate. |
| 4. | Issue of Shares |
| 4.1 | (a) | Subject to the provisions of these Articles, the unissued Shares of the Company (whether forming part of the original or any increased authorised shares) shall be at the disposal of the Directors who may offer, allot, grant options over or otherwise dispose of them to such persons at such times and for such consideration, and upon such terms and conditions as the Directors may determine. Without limitation to the foregoing, the Directors may so deal the unissued Shares with or without preferred, deferred or other special rights or restrictions, whether in regard to dividend, voting, return of capital or otherwise. |
| (b) | Before any Preference Shares of any series are issued, the Directors shall fix, by resolution or resolutions, the following provisions of such series: |
| (i) | the designation of such series and the number of Preferred Shares to constitute such series; | |
| (ii) | whether the shares of such series shall have voting rights, in addition to any voting rights provided by Law, and, if so, the terms of such voting rights, which may be general or limited; | |
| (iii) | the dividends, if any, payable on such series, whether any such dividends shall be cumulative, and, if so, from what dates, the conditions and dates upon which such dividends shall be payable, the preference or relation which such dividends shall bear to the dividends payable on any Shares of any other class of Shares or any other series of Preferred Shares; | |
| (iv) | whether the Preference Shares or such series shall be subject to redemption by the Company, and, if so, the times, prices and other conditions of such redemption; | |
| (v) | the amount or amounts payable upon Preference Shares of such series upon, and the rights of the holders of such series in, a voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up, or upon any distribution of the assets, of the Company; | |
| (vi) | whether the Preference Shares of such series shall be subject to the operation of a retirement or sinking fund and, if so, the extent to and manner in which any such retirement or sinking fund shall be applied to the purchase or redemption of the Preference Shares of such series for retirement or other corporate purposes and the terms and provisions relative to the operation of the retirement or sinking fund; | |
| (vii) | whether the Preference Shares of such series shall be convertible into, or exchangeable for, Shares of any other class of Shares or any other series of Preference Shares or any other securities and, if so, the price or prices or the rate or rates of conversion or exchange and the method, if any, of adjusting the same, and any other terms and conditions of conversion or exchange; | |
| (viii) | the limitations and restrictions, if any, to be effective while any Preference Shares or such series are outstanding upon the payment of dividends or the making of other distributions on, and upon the purchase, redemption or other acquisition by the Company of, the existing Shares or Shares of any other class of Shares or any other series of Preference Shares; | |
| (ix) | the conditions or restrictions, if any, upon the creation of indebtedness of the Company or upon the issue of any additional Shares, including additional shares of such series or of any other class of Shares or any other series of Preference Shares; and | |
| (x) | any other powers, preferences and relative, participating, optional and other special rights, and any qualifications, limitations and restrictions of any other class of Shares or any other series of Preference Shares. |
4.2
|
The Company may in so far as may be permitted by Companies Act, pay a commission to any person in consideration of his subscribing or agreeing to subscribe whether absolutely or conditionally for any shares. Such commissions may be satisfied by the payment of cash or the lodgement of fully or partly paid-up shares or partly in one way and partly in the other. The Company may also on any issue of shares pay such brokerage as may be lawful. |
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5. |
Variation of Rights Attaching to Shares |
| 5.1 | If at any time the share capital of the Company is divided into different classes of shares, the rights attaching to any class (unless otherwise provided by the terms of issue of the shares of that class) may be varied or abrogated with the consent in writing of the holders of two-thirds of the issued shares of that class, or with the sanction of a resolution passed by at least a two-thirds majority of the holders of shares of the class present in person or by proxy at a separate general meeting of the holders of the shares of the class. To every such separate general meeting the provisions of these Articles relating to general meetings of the Company shall mutatis mutandis apply, but so that the necessary quorum shall be at least one person holding or representing by proxy at least one-third of the issued shares of the class and that any holder of shares of the class present in person or by proxy may demand a poll. |
| 5.2 | The rights conferred upon the holders of the shares of any class issued with preferred or other rights shall not, unless otherwise expressly provided by the terms of issue of the shares of that class, be deemed to be varied by the creation or issue of further shares ranking pari passu therewith or by the redemption or purchase of shares of any class by the Company. |
| 5.3 | The Company shall not issue shares to bearer form. |
| 6. | Transfer of Shares |
| 6.1 | Subject to such of the restriction of these Articles as may be applicable, any Member may transfer all or any of his shares by an instrument in writing in any usual or common form or any other form which the Directors may approve or on behalf of the transferor and if in respect of a nil or partly paid up share or if so required by the Directors shall also be executed on behalf of the transferee and shall be accompanied by the certificate of the shares to which it relates and such other evidence as the Directors may reasonably require to show the right of the transferor to make the transfer. The transferor shall be deemed to remain a holder of the share until the name of the transferee is entered in the Register of Members in respect thereof. |
| 6.2 | The Directors may in their absolute discretion to decline to register any transfer of any share, whether or not it is a fully paid share, without assigning any reason for so doing. If the Directors refuse to register a transfer they shall within 2 months of the date on which the transfer was lodged with the Company send to the transferor and transferee notice of the refusal. |
| 6.3 | All instruments of transfer which shall be registered shall be retained by the Company, but any instrument of transfer which the Directors may decline to register shall (except in any case of fraud) be returned to the person depositing the same. |
| 6.4 | The registration of transfers may be suspended at such times and for such periods as the Directors may from time to time determine, provided always that such registration shall not be suspended for more than 45 days in any year. |
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| 7. | Transmission of Shares |
| 7.1 | In case of the death of a Member, the survivor or survivors, or the legal personal representatives of the deceased survivor, where the deceased was a joint holder, and the legal personal representatives of the deceased, where he was a sole holder, shall be the only persons recognized by the Company as having any title to the shares. |
| 7.2 | Any person becoming entitled to a share in consequence of the death, bankruptcy, liquidation or dissolution of a Member shall, upon such evidence being produced as may from time to time be properly required by the Directors, and subject as hereinafter provided, elect either to be registered himself as holder of the share or to have some person nominated by him registered as the transferee thereof, but the Directors shall, in either case, have the same right to decline or suspend registration as they would have had in the case of a transfer of the share by that Member before his death or bankruptcy, as the case may be. |
| 7.3 | A person becoming entitled to a share by reason of the death, bankruptcy, liquidation or dissolution of the holder shall be entitled to the same dividends and other advantages to which he would be entitled if he were the registered holder of the share, except that he shall not, before being registered as a Member in respect of the share, be entitled in respect of it to exercise any right conferred by membership in relation to meetings of the Company.
|
| 8. | Redemption and Purchase of Own Shares
|
| 8.1 | Subject to the provisions of the Companies Act, the Company may: |
| (a) | issue shares on terms that they are to be redeemed or are liable to be redeemed at the option of the Company on such terms and in such manner as the Directors may determine before the issue of such shares; | |
| (b) | purchase its own shares (including any redeemable shares) on such terms and in such manner as the Directors may determine and agree with the Member; and | |
| (c) | make a payment in respect of the redemption or purchase of its own shares in any manner permitted by the Companies Act, including out of capital. |
| 8.2 | A share which is liable to be redeemed by the Company shall be redeemed by the Company giving to the Member notice in writing of the intention to redeem such shares (a “Redemption Notice”) and specifying the date of such redemption which must be a day on which banks in the Cayman Islands are open for business. |
| 8.3 | Any share in respect of which Redemption Notice has been given shall not be entitled to participate in the profits of the Company in respect of the period after the date specified as the date of redemption in the Redemption Notice. |
| 8.4 | The redemption or purchase of any share shall not be deemed to give rise to the redemption or purchase of any other share. |
| 8.5 | At the date specified in the Redemption Notice, or the date on which the shares are to be purchased, the holder of the shares being redeemed or purchased shall be bound to deliver up to the Company at its Registered Office the certificate thereof for cancellation and thereupon the Company shall pay to him the redemption or purchase moneys in respect thereof. |
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| 8.6 | The Directors may when making payments in respect of redemption or purchase of shares, if authorised by the terms of issue of the shares being redeemed or purchased or with the agreement of the holder of such shares, make such payment either in cash or in specie. |
| 9. | Fractional Shares |
| The Directors may issue fractions of a share of any class of shares, and, if so issued, a fraction of a share (calculated to three decimal points) shall be subject to and carry the corresponding fraction of liabilities (whether with respect to any unpaid amount thereon, contribution, calls or otherwise), limitations, preferences, privileges, qualifications, restrictions, rights (including, without limitation, voting and participation rights) and other attributes of a whole share of the same class of shares. If more than one fraction of a share of the same class is issued to or acquired by the same Member such fractions shall be accumulated. For the avoidance of doubt, in these Articles the expression “share” shall include a fraction of a share. | |
| 10. | Lien |
| 10.1 | The Company shall have a first priority lien and charge on every share (not being a fully paid up share) for all moneys (whether presently payable or not) called or payable at a fixed time in respect of that share, and the Company shall also have a first priority lien and charge on all shares (other than fully paid up shares) registered in the name of a member for all moneys presently payable by him or his estate to the Company, but the Directors may at any time declare any share to be wholly or in part exempt from the provisions of this Article. The Company’s lien, if any, on a share shall extend to all dividends and other moneys payable in respect thereon. |
| 10.2 | The Company may sell, in such manner as the Directors think fit, any shares on which the Company has a lien, but no sale shall be made unless some sum in respect of which the lien exists is presently payable, nor until the expiration of 14 days after a notice in writing, stating and demanding payment of such part of the amount in respect of which the lien exists as is presently payable, has been given to the registered holder for the time being of the share, or the persons entitled thereto of which the Company has notice, by reason of his death or bankruptcy, winding up or otherwise by operation of Companies Act or court order. |
| 10.3 | To give effect to any such sale the Directors may authorise some person to transfer the shares sold to the purchaser thereof. The purchaser shall be registered as the holder of the shares comprised in any such transfer, and he shall not be bound to see to the application of the purchase money, nor shall his title to the shares be affected by any irregularity or invalidity in the proceedings in reference to the sale. |
| 10.4 | The proceeds of the sale shall be received by the Company and applied in payment of such part of the amount in respect of which the lien exists as is presently payable, and the residue, if any, shall (subject to a like lien for sums not presently payable as existed upon the shares prior to the sale) be paid to the person entitled to the shares at the date of the sale. |
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| 11. | Calls on Shares |
| 11.1 | The Directors may from time to time make calls upon the Members in respect of any moneys unpaid on their shares (whether on account of the nominal value of the shares or by way of premium or otherwise), and each Member shall (subject to receiving at least 14 days’ notice in writing specifying the time or times and place of payment) pay to the Company at the time or times and place so specified the amount called on his shares. The non-receipt of a notice of any call by, or the accidental omission to give notices of a call to, any Members shall not invalidate the call. A call may be revoked or postponed as the Directors may determine. |
11.2 |
The joint holders of a share shall be jointly and severally liable to pay all calls in respect thereof. |
| 11.3 | If a sum called in respect of a share is remain unpaid before or on the day appointed for payment thereof, the person from whom the sum is due shall pay interest on the sum from the day appointed for the payment thereof to the time of the actual payment at such rate not exceeding 10 percent per annum as the Directors may determine, but the Directors shall be at liberty to waive payment of that interest wholly or in part. |
| 11.4 | Any sum which by the terms of issue of a share becomes payable on allotment or at any fixed date, whether on account of the nominal value of the share or by way of premium or otherwise, shall for the purposes of these Articles be deemed to be a call duly made, notified and payable on the date on which by the terms of issue the same becomes payable, and in case of non-payment all the relevant provisions of these Articles as to payment of interest and expenses, forfeiture or otherwise shall apply as if such sum had become payable by virtue of a call duly made and notified. |
| 11.5 | The provisions of these Articles as to the liability of joint holders and as to payment of interest shall apply in the case of non-payment of any sum which, by the terms of issue of a share, becomes payable at a fixed time, whether on account of the amount of the share, or by way of premium, as if the same had become payable by virtue of a call duly made and notified. |
| 11.6 | The Directors may make arrangements on the issue of shares, differentiate between the Members, as to the amount of calls to be paid and the times of payment. |
| 11.7 | The Directors may, if they think fit, receive from any Member willing to advance the same, all or any part of the moneys uncalled and unpaid upon any shares held by him, and upon all or any of the moneys so advanced may (until the same would, but for such advance, become presently payable) pay interest at such rate not exceeding 10 percent per annum (unless the Company in general meeting shall otherwise direct), as may be agreed between the Directors and the Member paying the sum in advance. |
| 12. | Forfeiture of Shares |
| 12.1 | If a Member fails to pay any call or instalment of a call with any interest on the day appointed for payment thereof, the Directors may, at any time thereafter during such time as any part of such call or instalment remains unpaid, serve a notice in writing on him requiring payment of so much of the call or instalment as is unpaid, together with any interest accrued and expenses incurred by the reason of such non-payment. |
| 12.2 | The notice shall name a further day (not earlier than the expiration of 14 days from the date of the service of the notice) on or before which the payment required by the notice is to be made, and shall state that in the event of non-payment at or before the time appointed the shares in respect of which the call was made will be liable to be forfeited. |
| 12.3 | If the requirements of any such notice as aforesaid are not complied with, any share in respect of which the notice has been given may at any time thereafter, before the payment required by notice has been made, be forfeited by a resolution of the Directors to that effect and such forfeiture shall extend to all dividends declared in respect of the share so forfeited but not actually paid before such forfeiture. |
| 12.4 | A forfeited share may be sold, cancelled or otherwise disposed of on such terms and in such manner as the Directors in their absolute discretion think fit, and at any time before a sale, cancellation or disposition the forfeiture may be cancelled on such terms as the Directors in their absolute discretion think fit. |
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12.5 |
A person whose shares have been forfeited shall cease to be a Member in respect of the forfeited shares, but shall, notwithstanding, remain liable to pay to the Company all moneys which, at the date of forfeiture, were payable by him to the Company in respect of the shares, but his liability shall cease if and when the Company receives payment in full of the fully paid up amount of the shares. |
| 12.6 | A statutory declaration in writing that the declarant is a Director of the Company, and that a share in the Company has been duly forfeited or surrendered or sold to satisfy a lien of the Company on a date stated in the declaration, shall be conclusive evidence of the facts therein stated as against all persons claiming to be entitled to the share. The Company may receive the consideration, if any, given for the share on any sale or disposition thereof and may execute a transfer of the share in favour of the person to whom the share is sold or disposed of and he shall thereupon be registered as the holder of the share, and shall not be bound to see to the application of the purchase money, if any, nor shall his title to the share be affected by any irregularity or invalidity in the proceedings in reference to the forfeiture, sale or disposal of the share. |
| 12.7 | When any shares have been forfeited, an entry shall be made in the Register of Members recording the forfeiture and the date thereof, and so soon as the shares so forfeited have been sold or otherwise disposed of, an entry shall be made of the manner and date of the sale or disposal thereof. |
| 12.8 | The provisions of these Articles as to forfeiture shall apply in the case of non-payment of any sum, which by the terms of issue of a share, becomes due and payable at any time, whether on account of the amount of the share, or by way of premium, as if the same had been payable by virtue of a call duly made and notified. |
| 13. | Alteration of Share Capital |
13.1 |
The Company may from time to time by Ordinary Resolution increase the share capital by such sum, to be divided into shares of such classes and amount, as the resolution shall prescribe. |
| 13.2 | The Company may by Ordinary Resolution: |
| (a) | consolidate and divide all or any of its share capital into shares of larger amount than its existing shares; | |
| (b) | subdivide its existing shares, or any of them, into shares of a smaller amount provided that in the subdivision the proportion between the amount paid and the amount, if any, unpaid on each reduced share shall be the same as it was in case of the share from which the reduced share is derived; | |
| (c) | cancel any shares which, at the date of the passing of the resolution, have not been taken or agreed to be taken by any person and diminish the amount of its share capital by the amount of the shares so cancelled; and | |
| (d) | convert all or any of its paid up shares into stock and reconvert that stock into paid up shares of any denomination. |
13.3 |
The Company may by Special Resolution reduce its share capital and any capital redemption reserve in any manner, authorised and consent required by Companies Act. |
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| 14. | Closing Register of Members or Fixing Record Date |
| 14.1 | For the purpose of determining those Members that are entitled to receive notice of, attend or vote at any meeting of Members or any adjournment thereof, or those Members that are entitled to receive payment of any dividend, or in order to make a determination as to who is a Member for any other purpose, the Directors may provide that the Register of Members shall be closed for transfers for a stated period but not to exceed in any case 40 days. If the Register of Members shall be so closed for the purpose of determining those Members that are entitled to receive notice of, attend or vote at a meeting of Members such register shall be so closed for at least 10 days immediately preceding such meeting and the record date for such determination shall be the first day of the closure of the Register of Members. |
| 14.2 | In lieu of or apart from closing the Register of Members, the Directors may fix in advance a date as the record date for any such determination of those Members that are entitled to receive notice of, attend or vote at a meeting of the Members and for the purpose of determining those Members that are entitled to receive payment of any dividend the Directors may, at or within 90 days prior to the date of declaration of such dividend fix a subsequent date as the record date for such determination. |
| 14.3 | If the Register of Members is not so closed and no record date is fixed for the determination of those Members that are entitled to receive notice of, attend or vote at a meeting of Members or those Members that are entitled to receive payment of a dividend, the date on which notice of the meeting is posted or the date on which the resolution of the Directors declaring such dividend is adopted, as the case may be, shall be the record date for such determination of Members. When a determination of those Members that are entitled to receive notice of, attend or vote at a meeting of Members has been made as provided in this section, such determination shall apply to any adjournment thereof. |
| 15. | General Meeting of Members |
| 15.1 | The Directors, whenever they consider necessary or desirable, may convene meetings of the Members of the Company. The Directors shall convene a meeting of Members upon the written requisition of any Members or Members entitled to attend and vote at general meeting of the Company who hold not less than 10 percent of the paid up voting share capital of the Company in respect to the matter for which the meeting is requested, deposited at the registered office of the Company specifying the objects of the meeting for a date no later than 21 days from the date of deposit of the requisition signed by the requisitionists. If the Directors do not convene such meeting for a date not later than 30 days after the date of such deposit, the requisitionists themselves may convene the general meeting in the same manner, as nearly as possible, as that in which meetings may be convened by the Directors, and all reasonable expenses incurred by the requisitionists as a result of the failure of the Directors shall be reimbursed to them by the Company. |
| 15.2 | If at any time there are no Directors of the Company, any two Members (or if there is only one Member then that Member) entitled to vote at general meetings of the Company may convene a general meeting in the same manner as nearly as possible as that in which meetings may be convened by the Directors. |
| 16. | Notice of General Meetings |
| 16.1 | At least seven days’ notice counting from the date service is deemed to take place as provided in these Articles specifying the place, the day and the hour of the meeting and, in case of special business, the general nature of that business, shall be given in manner hereinafter provided or in such other manner (if any) as may be prescribed by the Company by Ordinary Resolution to such persons as are, under these Articles, entitled to receive such notices from the Company. |
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16.2 |
Notwithstanding the aforesaid Article, a meeting of Members is held in contravention of the requirement to give notice shall be deemed to have been validly held if the consent of all Members entitled to receive notice of some particular meeting and attend and vote thereat, that meeting may be convened by such shorter notice or without notice and in such manner as those Members may think fit. |
| 16.3 | The accidental omission to give notice of a meeting to, or the non-receipt of a notice of a meeting by any Member shall not invalidate the proceedings at any meeting. |
| 17. | Proceedings at General Meetings |
| 17.1 | No business shall be transacted at any general meeting unless a quorum of Members is present at the time when the meeting proceeds to business. Save as otherwise provided by these Articles, a quorum shall consist of one or more Members present in person or by proxy holding at least a majority of the paid up voting share capital of the Company. If the Company has only one Member, that only Member present in person or by proxy shall be a quorum for all purposes. |
| 17.2 | If within half an hour from the time appointed for the meeting a quorum is not present, the meeting, if convened upon the requisition of Members, shall be dissolved. In any other case it shall stand adjourned to the same day in the next week, at the same time and place or to such other day and at such other time and place as the Directors may decide, and if at the adjourned meeting a quorum is not present within half an hour from the time appointed for the meeting the Member or Members present and entitled to vote shall be a quorum. |
| 17.3 | At every meeting the Members present shall choose someone of their number to be the chairman (the “Chairman”). If the Members are unable to choose a Chairman for any reason, then the person representing the greatest number of voting shares present at the meeting shall preside as Chairman, failing which the oldest individual Member present at the meeting or failing any Member personally attending the meeting, the proxy present at the meeting representing the oldest Member of the Company, shall take the chair. |
| 17.4 | The Chairman may, with the consent of any meeting, at which a quorum is present (and shall if so directed by the meeting) adjourn any meeting from time to time and from place to place, but no business shall be transacted at any adjourned meeting other than the business left unfinished at the meeting from which the adjournment took place. When a meeting is adjourned for 10 days or more, notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given as in the case of an original meeting. Save as aforesaid, it shall not be necessary to give any notice of an adjournment or of the business to be transacted at an adjourned meeting. |
| 17.5 | All business carried out at a general meeting shall be deemed special with the exception of declaring a dividend, the consideration of the accounts, balance sheets, and reports of the Directors and the Company’s auditors, the appointment and removal of Directors, and the appointment and the fixing of the remuneration of the Company’s auditors. No special business shall be transacted at any general meeting without the consent of all Members entitled to receive notice of that meeting unless notice of such special business has been given in the notice convening that meeting. |
| 17.6 | Any one or more Members may participate in a general meeting by means of a conference telephone or similar communications equipment allowing all persons participating in the meeting to hear each other at the same time. Participating by such means shall constitute presence in person at a meeting. A resolution in writing signed by all the Members for the time being entitled to receive notice of and to attend and vote at general meetings (or being corporations by their duly authorized representatives) shall be as valid and effective as if the same had been passed at a general meeting of the Company duly convened and held. |
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| 17.7 | Members may pass an Ordinary Resolution in writing without holding a meeting if the following conditions are met: |
| (a) | all Members entitled to vote on the resolution are: (i) given notice of the resolution as if the same were being proposed at a meeting of Members; and (ii) notified in the same or an accompanying notice of the date by which the resolution must be passed if it is not to lapse, being a period of seven (7) days beginning with the date that the notice is first given; | |
| (b) | the required majority of the Members entitled so to vote:(i) sign a document; or (ii) sign several documents in the like form each signed by one or more of those Members; and | |
| (c) | the signed document or documents is or are delivered to the Company, including, if the Company so nominates, by delivery of an Electronic Record by electronic means to the address specified for that purpose. | |
| Such written resolution, which shall be as effective as if it had been passed at a meeting of the Members entitled to vote duly convened and held, is passed upon the later of these dates: (i) subject to the following Article, the date next immediately following the end of the period of three (3) days beginning with the date that notice of the resolution is first given and (ii) the date when the required majority have so signified their agreement to the resolution. However, the proposed written resolution lapses if it is not passed before the end of the period of seven (7) days beginning with the date that notice of it is first given. | ||
| If all Members entitled to be given notice of the Ordinary Resolution consent, a written resolution may be passed as soon as the required majority have signified their agreement to the resolution, without any minimum period of time having first elapsed. Save that the consent of the majority may be incorporated in the written resolution, each consent shall be in writing or given by Electronic Record and shall otherwise be given to the Company in accordance with Article 33 (Notices) prior to the written resolution taking effect. | ||
| The directors may determine the manner in which written resolutions shall be put to Members. In particular, they may provide, in the form of any written resolution, for each Member to indicate, out of the number of votes the Member would have been entitled to cast at a meeting to consider the resolution, how many votes he wishes to cast in favour of the resolution and how many against the resolution or to be treated as abstentions. The result of any such written resolution shall be determined on the same basis as on a poll. | ||
| 18. | Votes of Members |
| 18.1 | Subject to any rights and restrictions for the time being attached to any class or classes of shares, on a show of hands every Member present in person and every person representing a Member by proxy shall at a general meeting of the Company have one vote and on a poll every Member and every person representing a Member by proxy shall have one vote for each share of which he or the person represented by proxy is the holder. |
| 18.2 | At any general meeting a resolution put to the vote of the meeting shall be decided on a show of hands by a simple majority, unless a poll is (before or on the declaration of the result of the show of hands) demanded by the Chairman; or one or more Members present in person or by proxy entitled to vote and who together hold not less than 10 percent of the paid up voting share capital of the Company. Unless a poll is so demanded, a declaration by the Chairman that a resolution has, on a show of hands, been carried, or carried unanimously, or by a particular majority, or lost, and an entry to that effect in the book of the proceedings of the Company, shall be conclusive evidence of the fact, without proof of the number or proportion of the votes recorded in favour of or against such resolution. |
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| 18.3 | If a poll is duly demanded it shall be taken in such manner as the Chairman directs, and the result of the poll shall be deemed to be the resolution of the meeting at which the poll was demanded. The demand for a poll may be withdrawn. |
| 18.4 | In the case of an equality of votes, whether on a show of hands, or on a poll, the Chairman of the meeting at which the show of hands takes place, or at which the poll is demanded, shall be entitled to a second or casting vote. |
| 18.5 | A poll demanded on the election of a Chairman of a meeting or on a question of adjournment shall be taken forthwith. A poll demanded on any other question shall be taken at such time as the Chairman of the meeting directs, and any business other than that upon which a poll has been demanded may be proceeded with pending the taking of the poll. |
| 18.6 | In the case of joint holders the vote of the senior who tenders a vote whether in person or by proxy shall be accepted to the exclusion of the votes of the joint holders and for this purpose seniority shall be determined by the order in which the names stand in the Register of Members. |
| 18.7 | A Member of unsound mind, or in respect of whom an order has been made by any court having jurisdiction in lunacy, may vote, whether on a show of hands or on a poll, by his committee, or other person in the nature of a committee appointed by that court, and any such committee or other person, may on a poll, vote by proxy. |
| 18.8 | No Member shall be entitled to vote at any general meeting unless all calls or other sums presently payable by him in respect of shares in the Company held by him and carrying the right to vote have been paid. |
| 19. | Members’ Proxies |
| 19.1 | The instrument appointing a proxy shall be in writing under the hand of the appointor or of his attorney duly authorised in writing or, if the appointor is a corporation, either under seal or under the hand of an officer or attorney duly authorised. A proxy need not be a Member of the Company. An instrument appointing a proxy may be in any usual or common form or such other form as the Directors may approve. The instrument appointing a proxy shall be deemed to confer authority to demand or join in demanding a poll. |
| 19.2 | On a poll votes may be given either personally or by proxy. The instrument appointing a proxy shall be deposited at the Registered Office or at such other place appointed for the meeting before the time for holding the meeting at which the person named in such instrument proposes to vote. |
| 20. | Corporations Acting by Representatives at Meetings |
Any corporation or other form of corporate legal entity which is a Member or a Director of the Company may, by resolution of its directors or other governing body, authorise such person as it thinks fit to act as its representative at any meeting of the Members or any class of Members of the Company or of the Board of Directors or of a Committee of Directors, and the person so authorised shall be entitled to exercise the same powers on behalf of such corporation which he represents as that corporation could exercise if it were an individual Member or Director of the Company. |
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| 21. | Directors |
| 21.1 | The name of the first Director(s) shall either be determined in writing by a majority (or in the case of a sole subscriber that subscriber) of, or elected at a meeting of, the subscribers of the Memorandum of Association. The Company may by Ordinary Resolution appoint any person to be a Director. |
| 21.2 | Subject to the provisions of these Articles, a Director shall hold office until such time as he is removed from office by the Company by Ordinary Resolution. |
| 21.3 | Unless and until otherwise determined by an Ordinary Resolution of the Company, the Directors shall not be less than one in number, and there shall be no maximum number of Directors. |
| 21.4 | The remuneration of the Directors shall from time to time be determined by the Company by Ordinary Resolution. |
| 21.5 | The shareholding qualification for Directors may be fixed by the Company by Ordinary Resolution and unless and until so fixed no share qualification shall be required. |
| 21.6 | The Directors shall have power at any time and from time to time to appoint any other person as a Director, either to fill a casual vacancy or as an additional Director, subject to the maximum number (if any) imposed by the Company by Ordinary Resolution. |
| 22. | Alternate Director |
| 22.1 | Any Director may in writing appoint another Director or another person to be his alternate to act in his place at any meeting of the Directors at which he is unable to be present and may at any time in writing to revoke the appointment of an alternate appointed by him. Every such alternate shall be entitled to be given notice of meetings of the Directors and to attend and vote thereat as a Director at any such meeting at which the person appointing him is not personally present and generally at such meeting to have and exercise all the powers, right, duties and authorises of the Director appointing him. |
| 22.2 | An alternate shall not be an officer of the Company and shall be deemed to be the agent of the Director appointing him. A Director may at any time in writing revoke the appointment of an alternate appointed by him. The remuneration of such alternate shall be payable out of the remuneration of the Director appointing him and the proportion thereof shall be agreed between them. If a Director shall die or cease to hold the office of Director, the appointment of his alternate shall thereupon cease and terminate. |
| 22.3 | Any Director may appoint any person, whether or not a Director, to be the proxy of that Director to attend and vote on his behalf, in accordance with instructions given by that Director, or in the absence of such instructions at the discretion of the proxy, at a meeting or meetings of the Directors which that Director is unable to attend personally. The instrument appointing the proxy shall be in writing under the hand of the appointing Director and shall be in any usual or common form or such other form as the Directors may approve, and must be lodged with the chairman of the meeting of the Directors at which such proxy is to be used, or first used, prior to the commencement of the meeting. |
| 23. | Officers |
| 23.1 | The Directors of the Company may, by resolution of Directors, appoint officers of the Company at such times as shall be considered necessary or expedient, and such officers may consist of a president, one or more vice presidents, a secretary, and a treasurer and/or such other officers as may from time to time be deemed desirable. The officers shall perform such duties as shall be prescribed at the time of their appointment subject to any modifications in such duties as may be prescribed by the Directors thereafter, but in the absence of any specific allocation of duties it shall be the responsibility of the president to manage the day to day affairs of the Company, the vice presidents to act in order of seniority in the absence of the president, but otherwise to perform such duties as may be delegated to them by the president, the secretary to maintain the registers, minute books and records (other than financial records) of the Company and to ensure compliance with all procedural requirements imposed on the Company by applicable law, and the treasurer to be responsible for the financial affairs of the Company. |
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| 23.2 | Any person may hold more than one office and no officer need be a Director or Member of the Company. The officers shall remain in relevant office until removed from the said office by the Directors, whether or not a successor is appointed. |
| 23.3 | Any officer who is a body corporate may appoint any person its duly authorised representative for the purpose of representing it and of transacting any of the business of the officers. |
| 24. | Powers and Duties of Directors |
| 24.1 | The business of the Company shall be managed by the Directors who may pay all expenses incurred preliminary to and in connection with the setup and registration of the Company, and may exercise all such powers of the Company necessary for managing and for directing and supervising, the business affairs of the Company as are not required by the Companies Act or by these Articles required to be exercised by the Members subject to any delegation of such powers as may be authorised by these Articles and permitted by the Companies Act and to such requirements as may be prescribed by resolution of the Members, but no requirement made by resolution of the Members shall prevail if it was inconsistent with these Articles nor shall such resolution invalidate any prior act of the Directors which would have been valid if such resolution had not been made. |
| 24.2 | The Directors may from time to time and at any time by power of attorney or otherwise appoint any company, firm or person or body of persons, whether nominated directly or indirectly by the Directors, to be the attorney or attorneys of the Company for such purposes and with such powers, authorities and discretion (not exceeding those vested in or exercisable by the Directors under these Articles) and for such period and subject to such conditions as they may think fit, and any such powers of attorney may contain such provisions for the protection and convenience of persons dealing with any such attorney as the Directors may think fit and may also authorise any such attorney to delegate all or any of the powers, authorities and discretions vested in him. |
| 24.3 | The Directors may exercise all the powers of the Company to borrow money and to mortgage or charge its undertaking, property, assets (present and future) and uncalled capital or any part thereof, to issue debentures, debenture stock and other securities whenever money is borrowed or as security for any debt, liability or obligation of the Company or of any third party. |
| 25. | Committees of Directors |
| 25.1 | The Directors may delegate any of their powers to committees consisting of such member or members of their body as they think fit; any committee so formed shall in the exercise of the powers so delegated conform to any regulations that may be imposed on it by the Directors. |
| 25.2 | The Directors may establish any committees, local boards or agencies for managing any of the businesses and affairs of the Company, and may appoint any persons to be members of such committees, local boards, managers or agents for the Company and may fix their remuneration and may delegate to any committees, local board, manager or agent any of the powers, authorities and discretions vested in the Directors, with the power to sub-delegate, and may authorise the members of any committees, local boards or agencies, or any of them, to fill any vacancies therein and to act notwithstanding vacancies, and any such appointment and delegation may be made upon such terms and subject to such conditions as the Directors may think fit, and the Directors may remove any person so appointed and may annul or vary any such delegation, but no person dealing in good faith and without notice of any such annulment or variation shall be affected thereby. |
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| 26. | Disqualification of Directors |
| The office of Director shall be automatically vacated, if the Director: | ||
| (a) | becomes bankrupt or makes any arrangement or composition with his creditors; | |
| (b) | is found to be or becomes of unsound mind; | |
| (c) | resigns his office by notice in writing to the Company; | |
| (d) | is removed from office by Ordinary Resolution; | |
| (e) | is convicted of an arrestable offence; or | |
| (f) | dies. | |
| 27. | Proceedings of Directors |
| 27.1 | The meetings of the Board of Directors and any committee thereof shall be held at such place or places as the Directors shall decide. |
| 27.2 | The Directors may elect a chairman of their meetings and determine the period for which he is to hold office. If no such chairman is elected, or if at any meeting the chairman is not present within fifteen minutes after the time appointed for holding the meeting, the Directors present may choose one of their number to be chairman for the meeting. If the Directors are unable to choose a chairman, for any reason, then the seniority Director present at the meeting shall preside as the chairman of the meeting. |
| 27.3 | The Directors may meet together (either within or without the Cayman Islands) for the dispatch of business, adjourn and otherwise regulate their meetings and proceedings as they think fit. Questions arising at any meeting shall be decided by a majority of votes. In case of an equality in votes the chairman shall have a second or casting vote. A Director may at any time summon a meeting of the Directors. If the Company shall have only one Director, the provisions hereinafter contained for meetings of the Directors shall not apply but such sole Director shall have full power to represent and act for the Company in all matters and in lieu of minutes of a meeting shall record written resolutions and sign as a resolution of the Directors. Such note or memorandum shall constitute sufficient evidence of such resolution for all purposes. |
| 27.4 | Any one or more members of the Board of Directors or any committee thereof may participate in a meeting of such Board of Directors or committee by means of a conference telephone or similar communications equipment allowing all persons participating in the meeting to hear each other at the same time. Participating by such means shall constitute presence in person at a meeting. |
| 27.5 | The quorum necessary for the transaction of the business of the Directors may be fixed by the Directors, and unless so fixed, if there be more than two Directors shall be two, and if there be two or less Directors shall be one. A Director represented by proxy or by an alternate Director at any meeting shall be deemed to be present for the purposes of determining whether or not a quorum is present. |
| 27.6 | A Director who is in any way, whether directly or indirectly, interested in a contract or proposed contract with the Company shall declare the nature of his interest at a meeting of the Directors. A general notice given to the Directors by any Director to the effect that he is a member of any specified company or firm and is to be regarded as interested in any contract which may thereafter be made with that company or firm shall be deemed a sufficient declaration of interest in regard to any contract so made. A Director may vote in respect of any contract or proposed contract or arrangement notwithstanding that he may be interested therein and if he does so his vote shall be counted and he may be counted in the quorum at any meeting of the Directors at which any such contract or proposed contract or arrangement shall come before the meeting for consideration. |
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| 27.7 | A Director may hold any other office or place of profit under the Company (other than the office of auditor) in conjunction with his office of Director for such period and on such terms (as to remuneration and otherwise) as the Directors may determine and no Director or intending Director shall be disqualified by his office from contracting with the Company either with regard to his tenure of any such other office or place of profit or as vendor, purchaser or otherwise, nor shall any such contract or arrangement entered into by or on behalf of the Company in which any Director is in any way interested, be liable to be avoided, nor shall any Director so contracting or being so interested be liable to account to the Company for any profit realised by any such contract or arrangement by reason of such Director holding that office or of the fiduciary relation thereby established. A Director, notwithstanding his interest, may be counted in the quorum present at any meeting whereat he or any other Director is appointed to hold any such office or place of profit under the Company or whereat the terms of any such appointment are arranged and he may vote on any such appointment or arrangement. |
| 27.8 | The Directors shall cause to be entered and kept in books or files provided for the purpose minutes or memoranda of the following (where applicable): - |
| (a) | all appointments of officers made by the Directors; | |
| (b) | the names of the Directors, and any alternate Director who is not also a Director, present at each meeting of the Directors and of any committee of the Directors; and | |
| (c) | all resolutions and proceedings of all meetings of the Members, all meetings of the Directors and all meetings of committees and, where the Company has only one Member and/or one Director, all written resolutions of the decisions of the sole Member and/or the sole Director; | |
and any such minutes or memoranda of any meeting or decisions of the Directors, or any committee, or of the Company, if purporting to be signed by the chairman of such meeting, or by the chairman of the next succeeding meeting, shall be receivable as prima facie evidence of the matters stated therein. | ||
| 27.9 | When the Chairman of a meeting of the Directors signs the minutes of such meeting the same shall be deemed to have been duly held notwithstanding that all the Directors have not actually come together or that there may have been a technical defect in the proceedings. |
| 27.10 | A resolution in writing signed by a majority of the Directors for the time being shall be as valid and effectual for all purposes as a resolution of the Directors passed at a meeting of the Directors duly called and constituted. Such resolution in writing may consist of several documents each signed by one or more of the Directors. |
| 27.11 | The continuing Directors may act notwithstanding any vacancy in their body but if and so long as their number is reduced below the number fixed by or pursuant to the Articles of the Company as the necessary quorum of Directors, the continuing Directors may act for the purpose of increasing the number, or of summoning a general meeting of the Company, but for no other purpose. |
| 27.12 | A committee appointed by the Directors may elect a chairman of its meetings. If no such chairman is elected, or if at any meeting the chairman is not present within 15 minutes after the time appointed for holding the same, the members present may choose one of their number to be chairman of their meetings. |
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| 27.13 | A committee appointed by the Directors may meet and adjourn as it thinks fit. Questions arising at any meeting shall be determined by a majority of votes of the committee members present and in case of an equality of votes the chairman shall have a second or casting vote. |
| 27.14 | All acts done bona fide by any meeting of the Directors or of a committee of Directors, or by any person acting as a Director, shall notwithstanding that it was afterwards discovered that there was some defect in the appointment of any such Director or person acting as aforesaid, or that they or any of them were disqualified, be as valid as if every such person had been duly appointed and was qualified to be a Director. |
| 28. | Dividends |
| 28.1 | Subject to any rights and restrictions for the time being attached to any class or classes of shares, the Directors may from time to time declare dividends (including interim dividends) and other distributions on shares of the Company in issue and authorise payment of the same out of the funds of the Company lawfully available therefor. |
| 28.2 | Subject to any rights and restrictions for the time being attached to any class or classes of shares, the Company may by Ordinary Resolution declare final dividends, but no dividend shall exceed the amount recommended by the Directors. |
| 28.3 | The Directors may, before recommending or declaring any dividend, set aside out of the funds legally available for distribution of the Company such sums as they think proper as a reserve or reserves which shall, at the absolute discretion of the Directors be applicable for meeting contingencies, or for equalising dividends or for any other purpose to which those funds may be properly applied and may pending such application, in the Directors’ absolute discretion, either be employed in the business of the Company or be invested in such investments (other than shares of the Company) as the Directors may from time to time think fit. |
| 28.4 | No dividend shall be paid otherwise than out of profits or, subject to the restrictions of the Companies Act, the share premium account. |
| 28.5 | Any dividend may be paid by cheque or warrant sent through the post directed to the registered address of the Member or person entitled thereto (or in case of joint holders, to the registered address of any one of such joint holders whose name stands first on the Register of Members of the Company in respect of the joint holding) or addressed to such person at such address as the holder or joint holders may in writing direct. Every such cheque or warrant shall be made payable to the order of the person to whom it is sent, but in any event the Company shall not be liable or responsible for any cheque or warrant lost in transmission nor for any dividend, bonus, interest or other monies lost to the Member or person entitled thereto by the forged endorsement of any cheque or warrant. Any payment of the cheque or warrant by the Company’s banker on whom it is drawn shall be a good discharge to the Company. |
| 28.6 | The Directors when paying dividends to the Members in accordance with the foregoing provisions may make such payment either in cash or in specie. |
| 28.7 | Subject to the rights of persons, if any, entitled to shares with special rights as to dividend, all dividends shall be declared and paid according to the amounts paid or credited as paid on the shares in respect whereof the dividend is paid, but no amount paid or credited as paid on a share in advance of calls shall be treated for the purposes of this article as paid on the share. All dividends shall be apportioned and paid proportionately to the amounts paid or credited as paid on the shares during any portion or portions of the period in respect of which the dividend is paid but if any share is issued on terms providing that it shall rank for dividend as from a particular date that share shall rank for dividend accordingly. |
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| 28.8 | If several persons are registered as joint holders of any share, any of them may give effectual receipts for any dividend or other moneys payable on or in respect of the share. |
| 28.9 | No dividend shall bear interest against the Company. |
| 29. | Accounts and Audit |
| 29.1 | The Directors shall cause books of account relating to the Company’s affairs to be kept in such manner as may be determined from time to time by the Directors. Unless the Directors otherwise prescribe, the financial year of the Company shall end on 30 September in each year and begin on 1 October in each year. |
| 29.2 | The books of account shall be kept at the registered office of the Company, or at such other place or places as the Directors think fit, and shall always be open to the inspection of the Directors. |
| 29.3 | The Directors shall from time to time determine whether and to what extent and at what times and places and under what conditions or regulations the accounts and books of the Company or any of them shall be open to the inspection of Members not being Directors, and no Member (not being a Director) shall have any right of inspecting any account or book or document of the Company except as conferred by the Companies Act or authorised by the Directors or by the Company by ordinary resolution. |
| 29.4 | The Directors shall from time to time determine whether and to what extent and at what times and places and under what conditions the records, documents and registers of the Company or any of them shall be open to the inspection of Members not being Directors, and no Member (not being a Director) shall have any right of inspecting any records, documents or registers of the Company except as conferred by the Companies Act or authorised by resolution of the Directors. |
| 30. | Capitalisation of Profits |
| 30.1 | Subject to the Companies Act, the Directors may, with the authority of an Ordinary Resolution, resolve that it is desirable to capitalise any part of the amount for the time being standing to the credit of any of the Company’s reserve accounts (including a share premium account and capital redemption reserve), or to the credit of the profit and loss account or otherwise available for distribution, and accordingly that such sum be set free for distribution, amongst the Members who would have been entitled thereto if distributed by way of dividend and in the same proportion, on condition that the same be not paid in cash but be applied either in or towards paying up any amounts (if any) for the time being unpaid on any shares held by such Members respectively, or paying up in full unissued shares or debentures of the Company to be allotted and distributed credited as fully paid up to and amongst such Members in the proportion aforesaid or partly in the one way and partly in the other. Provided that a share premium account and a capital redemption reserve fund may, for the purposes of this Article, only be applied in the paying up of unissued shares to be allotted to Members of the Company as fully paid bonus shares. |
| 30.2 | Whenever such a resolution as aforesaid shall have been passed the Directors shall make all appropriations and applications of the undivided profits resolved to be capitalised thereby, and all allotments and issues of fully paid shares or debentures, if any and generally shall do all acts and things required to give effect thereto, with full power to the Directors to make such provision by the issue of fractional certificates by payment in cash or otherwise as they think fit for the case of shares or debentures becoming distributable in fractions, and also to authorise any person to enter on behalf of all the Members entitled thereto into an agreement with the Company providing for the allotment to them respectively, credited as fully paid up, of any further shares or debentures to which they may be entitled upon such capitalisation, or as the case may require, for the payment up by the Company on their behalf, by the application thereto of their respective proportions of the profits resolved to be capitalised, of the amounts or any part of the amounts remaining unpaid on their existing shares, and any agreement made under such authority shall be effective and binding on all such Members. |
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| 31. | Share Premium Account
|
| 31.1 | The Board of Directors shall in accordance with the Companies Act establish a share premium account and shall carry to the credit of such account from time to time a sum equal to the amount or value of the premium paid on the issue of any share.
|
| 31.2 | There shall be debited to any share premium account on the redemption or purchase of a share the difference between the nominal value of such share and the redemption or purchase price provided always that at the discretion of the Board of Directors such sum may be paid out of the profits of the Company or, if permitted by the Companies Act, out of capital.
|
| 32. | Indemnity |
Subject to the provisions of the Companies Act and in the absence of fraud or wilful default, the Company may indemnify against all expenses, including legal fees, and against all judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement and reasonably incurred in connection with legal, administrative or investigative proceedings any person who: |
| (a) | is or was a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed proceedings, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, by reason of the fact that the person is or was a Director, managing director, agent, auditor, secretary and other officer for the time being of the Company; or | |
| (b) | is or was, at the request of the Company, serving as a Director, managing director, agent, auditor, secretary and other officer for the time being of, or in any other capacity is or was acting for, another company or a partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise. |
| 33. | Notices |
| 33.1 | Notice shall be in writing and may be given by the Company or by the person entitled to give notice to any Member either personally by electronic mail, by facsimile or by sending it through the post in a prepaid letter or via a recognised courier service, fees prepaid, addressed to the Member at his address as appearing in the Register of Members. Notices posted to addresses outside the Cayman Islands shall be forwarded by prepaid airmail. A notice may be given by the Company to the joint holders of a share by giving the notice to the joint holder first named in the Register of Members in respect of the share. |
| 33.2 | Any Member present, either personally or by proxy, at any meeting of the Company shall for all purposes be deemed to have received due notice of such meeting and, where requisite, of the purposes for which such meeting was convened. |
| 33.3 | Any notice, if served by (a) post, shall be deemed to have been served 5 days after the time when the letter containing the same is posted and if served by courier, shall be deemed to have been served 5 days after the time when the letter containing the same is delivered to the courier or, (b) facsimile, shall be deemed to have been served upon confirmation of receipt or (c) electronic mail, shall be deemed to have been served upon confirmation of receipt, or (d) recognised delivery service, shall be deemed to have been served 48 hours after the time when the letter containing the same is delivered to the courier service provider. |
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| 33.4 | A notice may be given by the Company to the persons entitled to a share in consequence of the death, bankruptcy or insolvency of a Member by sending it through the post in a prepaid letter, by airmail if appropriate addressed to them by name or by the title of representatives of the deceased or assignee or trustee of the bankrupt or insolvent or by a like description at the address, if any, supplied for the purpose by the persons claiming to be so entitled, or, until such an address has been so supplied, by giving the notice in any manner in which the same might have been given if the death, bankruptcy or insolvency had not occurred. |
| 33.5 | Notice of every general meeting shall be given in the manner hereinbefore authorised to: |
| (a) | all Members who have a right to receive notice and who have supplied the Company with an address for the giving of notices to them and in case of joint holder, the notice shall be sufficient if given to the first named joint holder in the Register of Members; and | |
| (b) | every person entitled to a share in consequence of the death or bankruptcy of a Member, who but for his death or bankruptcy would be entitled to receive notice of the meeting. | |
No other person shall be entitled to receive notice of general meetings. | ||
| 34. | Seal |
| 34.1 | The Directors shall provide for the safe custody of the Seal of the Company. The Seal when affixed to any instrument shall be witnessed by a Director or the secretary or officer of the Company or any other person so authorised from time to time by the Directors or of a committee of the Directors authorised by the Directors on that behalf. The Directors may provide for a facsimile of the Seal and approve the signature of any Director or authorised person which may be reproduced by printing or other means on any instrument and it shall have the same force and validity as if the Seal has been affixed to such instrument and the same had been signed as hereinbefore described. |
| 34.2 | Notwithstanding the foregoing, a director or officer, representative or attorney of the Company shall have the authority to affix the Seal, or a duplicate of the Seal, over his signature alone on any instrument or document required to be authenticated by him under Seal or to be filed with the Registrar of Companies in the Cayman Islands or elsewhere wheresoever. |
| 35. | Winding Up |
| 35.1 | If the Company shall be wound up the liquidator may, with the sanction of an Ordinary Resolution of the Company and any other sanction required by the Companies Act, divide amongst the Members in specie or cash the whole or any part of the assets of the Company whether they shall consist of property of the same kind or not and may, for such purpose set such value as he deems fair upon any property to be divided as aforesaid and may determine how such division shall be carried out as between the Members or different classes of Members. The liquidator may, with the like sanction, vest the whole or any part of such assets in trustees upon such trusts for the benefit of the contributors as the liquidator shall think fit, but so that no Member shall be compelled to accept any shares or other securities whereon there is any liability. |
| 35.2 | Without prejudice to the rights of holders of shares issued upon special terms and conditions, if the Company shall be wound up, and the assets available for distribution among the Members as such shall be insufficient to repay the whole of the paid-up capital, such assets shall be distributed so that, as nearly as may be, the losses shall be borne by the Members in proportion to the capital paid-up, or which ought to have been paid-up, at the commencement of the winding up on the shares held by them respectively. If on a winding up the assets available for distribution among the Members shall be more than sufficient to repay the whole of the capital paid-up at the commencement of the winding up, the excess shall be distributed among the Members in proportion to the capital paid up at the commencement of the winding up on the shares held by them respectively. |
| 36. | Amendment of Memorandum and Articles of Association |
The Company may alter or modify the provisions contained in these Memorandum and Articles of Association as originally drafted or as amended from time to time by a Special Resolution and subject to the Companies Act and the rights attaching to the various classes of shares. | |
| 37. | Registration By Way of Continuation |
| The Company may by Special Resolution resolve to be registered by way of continuation in a jurisdiction outside the Cayman Islands or such other jurisdiction in which it is for the time being incorporated, registered or existing. In furtherance of a resolution adopted pursuant to this Article. The Directors may cause an application to be made to the Registrar of Companies to deregister the Company in the Cayman Islands or such other jurisdiction in which it is for the time being incorporated, registered or existing and may cause all such further steps as they consider appropriate to be taken in accordance to the Companies Act to effect the transfer by way of continuation of the Company. |
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Exhibit 4.1
BON NATURAL LIFE Limited
2024 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN
TABLE OF CONTENTS
| Page | ||
| I. | ESTABLISHMENT, OBJECTIVES AND DURATION | 3 |
| II. | DEFINITIONS | 3 |
| III. | ADMINISTRATION | 7 |
| IV. | SHARES SUBJECT TO THE PLAN AND MAXIMUM AWARDS | 7 |
| V. | ELIGIBILITY AND PARTICIPATION | 9 |
| VI. | STOCK OPTIONS | 9 |
| VII. | STOCK APPRECIATION RIGHTS | 11 |
| VIII. | RESTRICTED STOCK | 12 |
| IX. | RESTRICTED STOCK UNITS | 15 |
| X. | PERFORMANCE UNITS AND PERFORMANCE SHARES | 16 |
| XI. | PERFORMANCE MEASURES | 17 |
| XII. | BENEFICIARY DESIGNATION | 17 |
| XIII. | DEFERRALS | 18 |
| XIV. | RIGHTS OF PARTICIPANTS | 18 |
| XV. | AMENDMENT, MODIFICATION, TERMINATION AND ADJUSTMENTS | 18 |
| XVI. | PAYMENT OF PLAN AWARDS AND CONDITIONS THEREON | 19 |
| XVII. | CHANGE IN CONTROL | 19 |
| XVIII. | TAX PROVISIONS | 20 |
| XIX. | INDEMNIFICATION | 20 |
| XX. | SUCCESSORS | 21 |
| XXI. | LEGAL CONSTRUCTION | 21 |
| 2 |
BON NATURAL LIFE LIMITED
2024 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN
I. ESTABLISHMENT, OBJECTIVES AND DURATION
A. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE PLAN. Bon Natural Life Limited, a corporation established in the Cayman Islands (hereinafter referred to as the “Company”), hereby adopts an incentive compensation plan known as the “Bon Natural Life Limited 2024 Equity Incentive Plan” (hereinafter referred to as the “Plan”), as set forth in this document. The Plan permits the grant of Nonqualified Stock Options, Incentive Stock Options, Stock Appreciation Rights, Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, Performance Shares and Performance Units.
The Plan shall become effective upon adoption hereof by the Board of Directors and the stockholders of the Company (the “Effective Date”). The Plan shall remain in effect as provided in Section I.C hereof.
B. OBJECTIVES OF THE PLAN. The objectives of the Plan are to optimize the profitability and growth of the Company through incentives which are consistent with the Company’s goals and which link the personal interests of Participants to those of the Company’s stockholders; to provide Participants with an incentive for excellence in individual performance; and to promote teamwork among Participants.
It is also intended with respect to the Non-Employee Directors of the Company that the Committee be able to choose from among Awards of Non-Qualified Stock Options, Stock Appreciation Rights, Restricted Stock and RSUs which will (a) permit Non-Employee Directors to increase their ownership and proprietary interest in the Company and enhance their identification with the interests of the Company’s stockholders, (b) provide a means of compensating Non-Employee Directors that will help attract qualified candidates to serve as Non-Employee Directors, and (c) induce incumbent Non-Employee Directors to continue to serve if the Board desires that they remain on the Board.
C. DURATION OF THE PLAN. The Plan shall commence on the Effective Date and shall remain in effect, subject to the right of the Board of Directors to amend or terminate the Plan at any time pursuant to Article XV hereof, until all Shares subject to it shall have been purchased or acquired according to the Plan’s provisions.
II. DEFINITIONS
Whenever used in the Plan, the following terms shall have the meanings set forth below, and when the meaning is intended, the initial letter of the word shall be capitalized:
A. “AFFILIATE” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules and Regulations of the Exchange Act.
B. “AWARD” means, individually or collectively, a grant under this Plan of Nonqualified Stock Options, Incentive Stock Options, Stock Appreciation Rights, Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, Performance Shares or Performance Units.
C. “AWARD AGREEMENT” means an agreement entered into by the Company and each Participant setting forth the terms and provisions applicable to Awards granted under this Plan.
D. “BENEFICIAL OWNER” or “BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Rule 13d-3 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act.
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E. “BOARD” or “BOARD OF DIRECTORS” means the Board of Directors of the Company.
F. “CHANGE IN CONTROL” shall mean the occurrence, in a single transaction or in a series of related transactions, of any one or more of the following events:
(i) A transaction or series of transactions (other than an offering of Shares to the general public through a registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission) whereby any “person” or related “group” of “persons” (as such terms are used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act) (other than the Company, any of its subsidiaries, an employee benefit plan maintained by the Company or any of its subsidiaries or a “person” that, prior to such transaction, directly or indirectly controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, the Company) directly or indirectly acquires beneficial ownership (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) of securities of the Company possessing more than 50% of the total combined voting power of the Company’s securities outstanding immediately after such acquisition; or
(ii) During any period of two consecutive years, individuals who, at the beginning of such period, constitute the Board together with any new Director(s) (other than a Director designated by a person who shall have entered into an agreement with the Company to effect a transaction described in Section II.F(i) or II.F(iii) whose election by the Board or nomination for election by the Company’s stockholders was approved by a vote of at least two-thirds of the Directors then still in office who either were Directors at the beginning of the two-year period or whose election or nomination for election was previously so approved, cease for any reason to constitute a majority thereof; or
(iii) The consummation by the Company (whether directly involving the Company or indirectly involving the Company through one or more intermediaries) of (a) a merger, consolidation, reorganization, or business combination or (b) a sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets in any single transaction or series of related transactions or (c) the acquisition of assets or stock of another entity, in each case other than a transaction:
(1) which results in the Company’s voting securities outstanding immediately before the transaction continuing to represent (either by remaining outstanding or by being converted into voting securities of the Company or the person that, as a result of the transaction, controls, directly or indirectly, the Company or owns, directly or indirectly, all or substantially all of the Company’s assets or otherwise succeeds to the business of the Company (the Company or such person, the “SUCCESSOR ENTITY”)) directly or indirectly, at least a majority of the combined voting power of the Successor Entity’s outstanding voting securities immediately after the transaction, and
(2) after which no person or group beneficially owns voting securities representing 50% or more of the combined voting power of the Successor Entity; provided, however, that no person or group shall be treated for purposes of this Section 2.9(c)(ii) as beneficially owning 50% or more of the combined voting power of the Successor Entity solely as a result of the voting power held in the Company prior to the consummation of the transaction; or
(iv) The Company’s stockholders approve a liquidation or dissolution of the Company.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a Change in Control constitutes a payment event with respect to any portion of an Award that provides for the deferral of compensation and is subject to Section 409A of the Code, the transaction or event described in subsection (i), (ii), (iii) or (iv) with respect to such Award (or portion thereof) must also constitute a “change in control event,” as defined in Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-3(i)(5) to the extent required by Section 409A.
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The Committee shall have full and final authority, which shall be exercised in its discretion, to determine conclusively whether a Change in Control of the Company has occurred pursuant to the above definition, and the date of the occurrence of such Change in Control and any incidental matters relating thereto; provided that any exercise of authority is 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.
G. “CODE” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time.
H. “COMMITTEE” means the Compensation Committee of the Board (or a successor committee with similar authority) or if no such committee is named by the Board, then it shall mean the Board.
I. “COMPANY” means Bon Natural Life Limited including any and all Subsidiaries, and any successor thereto as provided in Article XX herein.
J. “COVERED EMPLOYEE” means a Participant who, as of the date of vesting and/or payout of an Award, as applicable, is one of the group of “covered employees,” as defined in Code Section 162(m) and the regulations promulgated under Code Section 162(m), or any successor statute.
K. “DIRECTOR” means any individual who is a member of the Board of Directors of the Company or any Subsidiary; provided, however, that any Director who is employed by the Company shall be considered an Employee under the Plan.
L. “DISABILITY” with respect to any Award, a Participant shall be considered Disabled if the Participant is considered “disabled” under the Company’s long-term disability plan then in effect, or if none, then if the Participant qualifies to receive disability payments under the federal Social Security Act.
M. “EFFECTIVE DATE” shall mean that date on which the Plan has been adopted and approved by both the Board of Directors and a majority of the stockholders of the Company.
N. “EMPLOYEE” means any full-time, active employee of the Company or its Subsidiaries. Directors who are not employed by the Company shall not be considered Employees under this Plan.
O. “EXCHANGE ACT” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended from time to time, or any successor act thereto.
P. “FAIR MARKET VALUE” shall be determined on the basis of the closing sale price at which Shares have been sold on the principal securities exchange on which the Shares are traded or, if there is no such sale on the relevant date, then on the last previous day on which there was such a sale.
Q. “FREESTANDING SAR” means an SAR that is granted independently of any Options, as described in Article VII herein.
R. “INCENTIVE STOCK OPTION” or “ISO” means an option to purchase Shares granted under Article VI herein and which is designated as an Incentive Stock Option and which is intended to meet the requirements of Code Section 422.
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S. “INSIDER” shall mean an individual who is, on the relevant date, an officer, director or more than ten percent (10%) Beneficial Owner of any class of the Company’s equity securities that is registered pursuant to Section 12 of the Exchange Act, all as defined under Section 16 of the Exchange Act.
T. “NON-EMPLOYEE DIRECTOR” shall mean a Director who is not also an Employee.
U. “NON-QUALIFIED STOCK OPTION” or “NQSO” means an option to purchase Shares granted under Article VI herein and which is not intended to meet the requirements of Code Section 422.
V. “OPTION” means an Incentive Stock Option or a Nonqualified Stock Option, as described in Article VI herein.
W. “OPTION PRICE” means the price at which a Share may be purchased by a Participant pursuant to an Option.
X. “PARTICIPANT” means: (1) an Employee or consultant who has been selected to receive an Award or who has an outstanding Award granted under the Plan; or (2) a Non-Employee Director who has been selected to receive an Award other than an Incentive Stock Option, Performance Share or Performance Unit or who has an outstanding Award other than an Incentive Stock Option, Performance Share or Performance Unit granted under the Plan.
Y. “PERFORMANCE-BASED EXCEPTION” means the performance-based exception from the tax deductibility limitations of Code Section 162(m).
Z. “PERFORMANCE SHARE” means an Award granted to a Participant (other than a Non-Employee Director), as described in Article X herein, that shall have an initial value equal to the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of grant.
AA. “PERFORMANCE UNIT” means an Award granted to a Participant (other than a Non-Employee Director), as described in Article X herein, that shall have an initial value that is established by the Committee on the date of grant.
BB. “PERIOD OF RESTRICTION” means the period during which the transfer of Shares of Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units is limited in some way (based on the passage of time, the achievement of performance goals or upon the occurrence of other events as determined by the Committee, at its discretion, as specified in the Award Agreement), and the Shares are subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture, as provided in Article VIII and Article IX herein.
CC. “PERSON” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3(a)(9) of the Exchange Act and used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) thereof, including a “group” as defined in Section 13(d) thereof.
DD. “RESTRICTED STOCK” means an Award granted to a Participant pursuant to Article VIII herein.
EE. “RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT” or “RSU” means an award granted to a Participant pursuant to Article IX herein.
FF. “SEPARATION FROM SERVICE” means a termination of employment or other separation from service as described in Code Section 409A and the regulations thereunder.
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GG. “SHARES” means the shares of common stock of the Company.
HH. “SPECIFIED EMPLOYEE” means, with respect to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, and determined as of the date of an individual’s separation from service from the Company (1) any officer during the prior twelve (12) month period with annual compensation in excess of $170,000 (as adjusted from time to time under the Code), (2) a 5-percent owner of the Company’s outstanding equity stock during the prior twelve (12) month period or (3) a 1-percent owner of the Company’s outstanding equity stock during the prior (12) month period with annual compensation in excess of $150,000 (as adjusted from time under Code), provided that the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is publicly-traded within the meaning of Code Section 409A on the date of determination.
II. “STOCK APPRECIATION RIGHT” or “SAR” means an Award, granted alone or, in connection with a related Option, designated as an SAR, pursuant to the terms of Article VII herein.
JJ. “SUBSIDIARY” means any corporation, partnership, joint venture or other entity in which the Company has a majority voting interest (including all divisions, affiliates and related entities).
KK. “TANDEM SAR” means an SAR that is granted in connection with a related Option pursuant to Article VII herein, the exercise of which shall require forfeiture of the right to purchase a Share under the related Option (and when a Share is purchased under the Option, the Tandem SAR shall similarly be canceled).
III. ADMINISTRATION
A. THE COMMITTEE. The Plan shall be administered by the Committee.
B. AUTHORITY OF THE COMMITTEE. Except as limited by law or by the Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws of the Company, and subject to the provisions herein, the Committee shall have full power to select Employees and Non-Employee Directors who shall participate in the Plan; determine the sizes and types of Awards; determine the terms and conditions of Awards in a manner consistent with the Plan; construe and interpret the Plan and any agreement or instrument entered into under the Plan; establish or amend rules and regulations for the Plan’s administration; and (subject to the provisions of Article XV herein) amend the terms and conditions of any outstanding Award to the extent such terms and conditions are within the discretion of the Committee as provided in the Plan. Further, the Committee is empowered hereby to make all other determinations which may be necessary or advisable for the administration of the Plan. As permitted by law, the Committee may delegate its authority as identified herein.
C. DECISIONS BINDING. All determinations and decisions made by the Committee pursuant to the provisions of the Plan and all related orders and resolutions of the Board shall be final, conclusive and binding on all persons, including the Company, its stockholders, Directors, Employees, Participants and their estates and beneficiaries.
IV. SHARES SUBJECT TO THE PLAN AND MAXIMUM AWARDS
A. NUMBER OF SHARES AVAILABLE FOR GRANTS. Subject to adjustment as set forth in Sections IV.B and IV.C herein, the maximum number of Shares with respect to which Awards may be granted to Participants under the Plan may not exceed, at any given time, twenty percent percent (20%) of the total of: (a) the issued and outstanding shares of the Corporation’s Common Stock, and (b) all shares common stock issuable upon conversion or exercise of any outstanding securities of the Corporation which are convertible or exercisable into shares of Common Stock under the terms thereof . Shares issued under the Plan may be either authorized but unissued Shares, treasury Shares or any combination thereof. The maximum number of Shares with respect to which Awards may be granted to Participants under the Plan shall be in excess of any Shares authorized under other equity incentive plans previously adopted by the Company.
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B. ADJUSTMENTS FOR AWARDS AND PAYOUTS. Unless determined otherwise by the Committee, the following Awards and payouts will reduce, on a one-for-one basis, the number of Shares available for issuance under the Plan:
| 1. | An Award of an Option; | |
| 2. | An Award of a SAR; | |
| 3. | An Award of Restricted Stock; | |
| 4. | A payout of a Performance Share Award in Shares; and | |
| 5. | A payout of a Performance Units Award in Shares. |
Unless determined otherwise by the Committee, unless a Participant has received a benefit of ownership such as dividend or voting rights with respect to the Award, the following transactions will restore, on a one-for-one basis, the number of Shares available for issuance under the Plan:
| 1. | A payout of a SAR or a Tandem SAR in cash; | |
| 2. | A cancellation, termination, expiration, forfeiture or lapse for any reason (with the exception of the termination of a Tandem SAR upon exercise of the related Options, or the termination of a related Option upon exercise of the corresponding Tandem SAR) of any Award payable in Shares; | |
| 3. | Shares tendered in payment of the exercise price of an Option; | |
| 4. | Shares withheld for payment of federal, state or local taxes; | |
| 5. | Shares repurchased by the Company with proceeds collected in connection with the exercise of outstanding Options; and | |
| 6. | The net Shares issued in connection with the exercise of SARs (as opposed to the full number of Shares underlying the exercised portion of the SAR). |
C. ADJUSTMENTS IN AUTHORIZED SHARES. In the event of any change in corporate capitalization such as a stock split or stock dividend, or a corporate transaction such as any merger, consolidation, separation, including a spin-off, or other distribution of stock or property of the Company, any reorganization (whether or not such reorganization comes within the definition of such term in Code Section 368) or any partial or complete liquidation of the Company, such adjustment shall be made in the number and class of Shares which are reserved and may be delivered under Section IV.A, and in the number and class of and/or price of Shares subject to outstanding Awards granted under the Plan, as may be determined to be appropriate and equitable by the Committee, in its sole discretion, to prevent dilution or enlargement of rights; provided, however, that the number of Shares subject to any Award shall always be a whole number.
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V. ELIGIBILITY AND PARTICIPATION
A. ELIGIBILITY. Persons eligible to participate in this Plan include officers and certain key salaried Employees of the Company with potential to contribute to the success of the Company or its Subsidiaries, including Employees who are members of the Board. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Non-Employee Directors of the Company or consultants shall be eligible to participate in the Plan with respect to Awards of Non-Qualified Stock Options, Stock Appreciation Rights, Restricted Stock and RSUs, as specified in Article VI, Article VII, Article VIII and Article IX. Except as otherwise specifically provided in this Plan, the Committee shall determine the terms and conditions of any such Awards to Non-Employee Directors, including the terms and conditions which shall apply upon a termination of the Non-Employee Director’s service as a member of the Board, and shall have full power and authority in its discretion to administer such Awards, subject to the terms of the Plan and applicable law.
B. ACTUAL PARTICIPATION. Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Committee may, from time to time, select in its sole and broad discretion, upon or without the recommendation of officers of the Company, from all eligible Employees those to whom Awards shall be granted, and shall determine the nature and amount of each Award.
VI. STOCK OPTIONS
A. GRANT OF OPTIONS. Subject to the terms and provisions of the Plan, Options may be granted to Participants in such number, and upon such terms, and at any time and from time to time as shall be determined by the Committee. For purposes of this Article VI, with respect to NQSOs only, the term “Participant” shall include Non-Employee Directors and consultants of the Company.
B. AWARD AGREEMENT. Each Option grant shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement that shall specify the Option Price, the duration of the Option, the number of Shares to which the Option pertains, and such other provisions as the Committee shall determine. The Award Agreement also shall specify whether the Option is intended to be an ISO within the meaning of Code Section 422, or an NQSO, whose grant is intended not to fall under the provisions of Code Section 422.
C. OPTION PRICE. The Option Price for each grant of an Option under this Plan shall be at least equal to one hundred percent (100%) of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date the Option is granted. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no ISO shall be granted to any person who, immediately prior to the grant, owns stock possessing more than ten percent (10%) of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company, unless the Option Price is at least one hundred ten percent (110%) of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of grant of the Option.
D. DURATION OF OPTIONS. Each Option granted to a Participant shall expire at such time as the Committee shall determine at the time of grant; provided, however, that no Option shall be exercisable later than the tenth (10th) anniversary following the date of its grant and provided further that no Option that is an ISO shall be exercisable later than the fifth (5th) anniversary following the date of its grant to a Participant, who at the time of such grant owns stock possessing more than ten percent (10%) of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company.
E. EXERCISE OF OPTIONS. Options granted under this Article VI shall be exercisable at such times and be subject to such restrictions and conditions as the Committee shall in each instance approve, which need not be the same for each grant or for each Participant.
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F. PAYMENT. Options granted under this Article VI shall be exercised by the delivery of a written notice of exercise to the Company, setting forth the number of Shares with respect to which the Option is to be exercised, accompanied by full payment for the Shares.
The Option Price upon exercise of any Option shall be payable to the Company in full either: (a) in cash or its equivalent; or (b) by tendering previously acquired Shares having an aggregate Fair Market Value at the time of exercise equal to the total Option Price (provided that the Shares which are tendered must have been held by the Participant for at least six months prior to their tender to satisfy the Option Price); or (c) by a combination of (a) and (b).
The Committee, in its discretion, may also (a) allow cashless exercise as permitted under Federal Reserve Board’s Regulation T, subject to applicable securities law restrictions, (b) cashless exercise by the Participant by the Company’s withholding of Shares issuable upon exercise of an Option, or (c) by any other means which the Committee determines to be consistent with the Plan’s purpose and applicable law.
Subject to any governing rules or regulations, as soon as practicable after receipt of a written notification of exercise and full payment, the Company shall deliver to the Participant, in the Participant’s name, Share certificates in an appropriate amount based upon the number of Shares purchased under the Option(s).
G. RESTRICTIONS ON SHARE TRANSFERABILITY. The Committee may impose such restrictions on any Shares acquired pursuant to the exercise of an Option granted under this Article VI as it may deem advisable, including, without limitation, restrictions under applicable federal securities laws, under the requirements of any stock exchange or market upon which such Shares are then listed and/or traded, and under any blue sky or state securities laws applicable to such Shares.
H. TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT BY A PARTICIPANT WHO IS AN EMPLOYEE. With respect to a Participant who is an Employee, each Option Award Agreement shall set forth the extent to which the Participant shall have the right to exercise the Option following termination of the Participant’s employment with the Company, with the exception of a termination of employment after a Change in Control, which is controlled by Article XVII. Such provisions shall be determined in the sole discretion of the Committee but shall conform to the limitations established in Section VI.D, shall be included in the Award Agreement entered into with each Participant, need not be uniform among all Options issued pursuant to this Article VI, and may reflect distinctions based on the reasons for termination of employment.
| I. | NONTRANSFERABILITY OF OPTIONS. |
| 1. | INCENTIVE STOCK OPTIONS. No ISO granted under the Plan may be sold, transferred, pledged, assigned or otherwise alienated or hypothecated, other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution. Further, all ISOs granted to a Participant under the Plan shall be exercisable during his or her lifetime only by such Participant or the Participant’s legal representative (to the extent permitted under Code Section 422). | |
| 2. | NONQUALIFIED STOCK OPTIONS. No NQSO granted under this Article VI may be sold, transferred, pledged, assigned or otherwise alienated or hypothecated, other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution. Further, except as otherwise provided in a Participant’s Award Agreement, all NQSOs granted to a Participant under this Article VI shall be exercisable during his or her lifetime only by such Participant or the Participant’s legal representative. |
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VII. STOCK APPRECIATION RIGHTS
A. GRANT OF SARS. Subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan, SARs may be granted to Participants at any time and from time to time as shall be determined by the Committee. The Committee may grant Freestanding SARs, Tandem SARs or any combination of these forms of SAR. For purposes of this Article VII, the term “Participant” shall include Non-Employee Directors of the Company and consultants; provided, however, that a Tandem SAR may not be granted to a Non-Employee Director or consultant unless the related Option is a NQSO.
The Committee shall have complete discretion in determining the number of SARs granted to each Participant (subject to Article IV herein) and, consistent with the provisions of the Plan, in determining the terms and conditions pertaining to such SARs.
The grant price of a Freestanding SAR shall equal the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of grant of the SAR. The grant price of Tandem SARs shall equal the Option Price of the related Option.
B. EXERCISE OF TANDEM SARS. Tandem SARs may be exercised for all or part of the Shares subject to the related Option upon the surrender of the right to exercise the equivalent portion of the related Option. A Tandem SAR may be exercised only with respect to the Shares for which its related Option is then exercisable.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Plan to the contrary, with respect to a Tandem SAR granted to an Employee in connection with an ISO: (i) the Tandem SAR will expire no later than the expiration of the underlying ISO; (ii) the value of the payout with respect to the Tandem SAR may be for no more than one hundred percent (100%) of the difference between the Option Price of the underlying ISO and the Fair Market Value of the Shares subject to the underlying ISO at the time the Tandem SAR is exercised; and (iii) the Tandem SAR may be exercised only when the Fair Market Value of the Shares subject to the ISO exceeds the Option Price of the ISO.
C. EXERCISE OF FREESTANDING SARS. Freestanding SARs may be exercised upon whatever terms and conditions the Committee, in its sole discretion, imposes upon them.
D. SAR AGREEMENT. Each SAR grant shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement that shall specify the grant price, the term of the SAR, and such other provisions as the Committee may determine.
E. TERM OF SARS. The term of an SAR granted under the Plan shall be determined by the Committee, in its sole discretion; provided, however, that such term shall not exceed ten (10) years.
F. PAYMENT OF SAR AMOUNT. Upon exercise of an SAR, a Participant shall be entitled to receive payment from the Company in an amount determined by multiplying:
| 1. | the difference between the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of exercise over the grant price; by | |
| 2. | the number of Shares with respect to which the SAR is exercised. |
At the discretion of the Committee, the payment upon SAR exercise may be in cash, in Shares of equivalent value, or in some combination thereof. The Committee’s determination regarding the form of SAR payout shall be set forth in the Award Agreement pertaining to the grant of the SAR.
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G. TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT BY A PARTICIPANT WHO IS AN EMPLOYEE. With respect to a Participant who is an Employee, each SAR Award Agreement shall set forth the extent to which the Participant shall have the right to exercise the SAR following termination of the Participant’s employment with the Company and/or its Subsidiaries, with the exception of a termination of employment that occurs after a Change in Control, which is controlled by Article XVII. Such provisions shall be determined in the sole discretion of the Committee, shall be included in the Award Agreement entered into with Participants, need not be uniform among all SARs issued pursuant to the Plan and may reflect distinctions based on the reasons for termination of employment.
H. NONTRANSFERABILITY OF SARS. No SAR granted under the Plan may be sold, transferred, pledged, assigned or otherwise alienated or hypothecated, other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution. Further, except as otherwise provided in a Participant’s Award Agreement, all SARs granted to a Participant under the Plan shall be exercisable during his or her lifetime only by such Participant or the Participant’s legal representative.
VIII. RESTRICTED STOCK
A. GRANT OF RESTRICTED STOCK. Subject to the terms and provisions of the Plan, the Committee, at any time and from time to time, may grant Shares of Restricted Stock to Participants in such amounts as the Committee shall determine. For purposes of this Article VIII, the term “Participant” shall include Non-Employee Directors of the Company and consultants.
B. RESTRICTED STOCK AGREEMENT. Each Restricted Stock grant shall be evidenced by a Restricted Stock Award Agreement that shall specify the Period(s) of Restriction, the number of Shares of Restricted Stock granted and such other provisions as the Committee shall determine.
C. NONTRANSFERABILITY. Except as provided in this Article VIII and subject to federal securities laws, the Shares of Restricted Stock granted under the Plan may not be sold, transferred, pledged, assigned or otherwise alienated or hypothecated until the end of the applicable Period of Restriction established by the Committee and specified in the Restricted Stock Award Agreement, or upon earlier satisfaction of any other conditions, as specified by the Committee in its sole discretion and as set forth in the Restricted Stock Award Agreement. All rights with respect to the Restricted Stock granted to a Participant under the Plan shall be available during his or her lifetime only to such Participant or the Participant’s legal representative for the Period of Restriction.
D. OTHER RESTRICTIONS. Subject to Article XI herein, the Committee may impose such other conditions and/or restrictions on any Shares of Restricted Stock granted pursuant to the Plan as it may deem advisable including, without limitation, a requirement that Participants pay a stipulated purchase price for each Share of Restricted Stock, restrictions based upon the achievement of specific performance goals (Company-wide, divisional and/or individual), time-based restrictions on vesting following the attainment of the performance goals and/or restrictions under applicable federal or state securities laws.
The Company may retain the certificates representing Shares of Restricted Stock in the Company’s possession until such time as all conditions and/or restrictions applicable to such Shares have been satisfied.
Except as otherwise provided in this Article VIII and subject to Federal securities laws, Shares of Restricted Stock covered by each Restricted Stock grant made under the Plan shall become freely transferable by the Participant after the last day of the applicable Period of Restriction.
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E. VOTING RIGHTS. Participants holding Shares of Restricted Stock granted hereunder may be granted the right to exercise full voting rights with respect to those Shares during the Period of Restriction.
F. DIVIDENDS AND OTHER DISTRIBUTIONS. During the Period of Restriction, Participants holding Shares of Restricted Stock granted hereunder shall be credited with regular cash dividends paid with respect to the underlying Shares while they are so held. The Committee may apply any restrictions to the dividends that the Committee deems appropriate. Without limiting the generality of the preceding sentence, if the grant or vesting of Restricted Stock granted to a Covered Employee is designed to comply with the requirements of the Performance-Based Exception, the Committee may apply any restrictions it deems appropriate to the payment of dividends declared with respect to such Restricted Stock, such that the dividends and/or the Restricted Stock maintain eligibility for the Performance-Based Exception. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, (i) dividends accrued on Restricted Stock will only be paid if the Restricted Stock vests; and (ii) for any Award that is governed by Code Section 409A regarding non-qualified deferred compensation, the Committee shall establish the schedule of any payments of dividends in accordance with the requirements of Code Section 409A or any guidance promulgated thereunder.
G. TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT BY A PARTICIPANT WHO IS AN EMPLOYEE. With respect to a Participant who is an Employee, each Restricted Stock Award Agreement shall set forth the extent to which the Participant shall have the right to receive nonvested Restricted Shares following termination of the Participant’s employment with the Company. Such provisions shall be determined in the sole discretion of the Committee, shall be included in the Award Agreement entered into with each Participant, need not be uniform among all Shares of Restricted Stock issued pursuant to the Plan and may reflect distinctions based on the reasons for termination of employment.
H. VESTING OF RESTRICTED STOCK AWARDS. Unless otherwise provided in the Plan or under an Award Agreement: (1) all Awards of Restricted Stock that vest based on the passage of time which are granted to a Participant shall vest no more rapidly than pro-rata over a three (3) year period from the date of grant (the “Time-Based Restricted Stock”); and (2) all Awards of Restricted Stock that vest based on the achievement of specific measures designed to satisfy the Performance-Based Exception or other performance measures which are granted to a Participant shall vest no more rapidly than one (1) year from the date of grant (the “Performance-Based Restricted Stock”); provided, however: (1) up to ten percent (10%) of the Time-Based Restricted Stock Awards, Performance-Based Restricted Stock Awards, or both, may by designation of the Committee (as reflected in the Restricted Stock Award Agreement), be subject to a more accelerated time-based vesting schedule or performance-based vesting schedule, as the case may be; and (2) Restricted Stock Awards which fully vest upon certain termination events as determined by the Committee and specified in the Employee’s Restricted Stock Award Agreement (or as a result of termination from the Board as a Non-Employee Director pursuant to Section VIII.I.3.f.) or a Change in Control shall not count as part of this ten percent (10%) pool.
| I. | ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS RELATED TO RESTRICTED STOCK AWARDS TO NON-EMPLOYEE DIRECTORS. |
| 1. | AWARD DATES. Effective as of the date specified by the Committee in its sole discretion, each Non-Employee Director will be awarded such number of Shares of Restricted Stock as determined by the Board, after consideration of the recommendation of the Committee. Non-Employee Directors may, but need not, be awarded the same number of Shares of Restricted Stock. A Non-Employee Director who is first elected to the Board on a date subsequent to the date specified by the Committee in its sole discretion will be awarded such number of Shares of Restricted Stock as of such date of election as determined by the Board, after consideration of the recommendation of the Committee. |
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| 2. | DIVIDEND RIGHTS OF HOLDERS OF RESTRICTED STOCK. Notwithstanding Section VIII.F., upon issuance of a Restricted Stock Agreement, the Non-Employee Director in whose name the Restricted Stock Agreement is registered will, subject to the provisions of the Plan have the right to receive cash dividends and other cash distributions thereon. | |
| 3. | PERIOD OF RESTRICTION. Restricted Stock will be subject to the restrictions set forth in Section VIII.I.4. and the other provisions of the Plan during the Period of Restriction commencing on the date as of which the Restricted Stock is awarded (the “Award Date”) and ending on the earliest of the first to occur of the following: |
| a. | the retirement of the Non-Employee Director from the Board in compliance with the Board’s retirement policy as then in effect; | |
| b. | the termination of the Non-Employee Director’s service on the Board as a result of the Non-Employee Director’s not being nominated for reelection by the Board; | |
| c. | the termination of the Non-Employee Director’s service on the Board because of the Non-Employee Director’s resignation or failure to stand for reelection with the consent of the Company’s Board (which means approval by at least 80% of the Directors voting, with the affected Non-Employee Director abstaining); | |
| d. | the termination of the Non-Employee Director’s service on the Board because the Non-Employee Director, although nominated for reelection by the Board, is not reelected by the stockholders; | |
| e. | the termination of the Non-Employee Director’s service on the Board because of (i) the Non-Employee’s Director’s resignation at the request of the Nominating and Governance Committee of the Board (or successor committee), (ii) the Non-Employee Director’s removal by action of the stockholders or by the Board, or (iii) a Change in Control of the Company; | |
| f. | the termination of the Non-Employee Director’s service on the Board because of Disability or death; or | |
| g. | the vesting of the Restricted Stock. |
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Section VIII.I.3.a. through g. above are subject to the further restrictions that a removal or resignation for “Cause” will be deemed to not constitute completion of the Period of Restriction and will result in a forfeiture of Restricted Stock not previously vested under Section VIII.I.4. For purposes of this Plan, “Cause” will be a good faith determination by the Board that the Non-Employee Director (i) failed to substantially perform his or her duties (other than a failure resulting from his or her incapacity due to physical or mental illness) after a written demand for substantial performance has been delivered to him or her by the Board, which demand specifically identifies the manner in which the Board believes such Non-Employee Director has not substantially performed his or her duties; (ii) has engaged in conduct the consequences of which are materially adverse to the Company, monetarily or otherwise; or (iii) has pleaded guilty or nolo contendere to or been convicted of a felony. The Non-Employee Director will not be deemed to have been terminated for Cause unless there will have been delivered to the Non-Employee Director a letter from the Board setting forth the reasons for the Company’s termination of the Non-Employee Director for Cause and, with respect to (i) or (ii), stating that the Non-Employee Director has failed to cure such reason for termination within thirty (30) days after the Non-Employee Director’s receipt of such notice.
| 4. | FORFEITURE OF RESTRICTED STOCK. As of the date (“Termination Date”) a Non-Employee Director ceases to be a member of the Board for any reason, including but not limited to removal or resignation for Cause, the Non-Employee Director shall forfeit to the Company all Restricted Stock awarded to the Non-Employee Director for which the Period of Restriction has not ended pursuant to Section VIII.I.3. as of or prior to the Termination Date. |
IX. RESTRICTED STOCK UNITS
A. GRANT OF RESTRICTED STOCK UNITS. Subject to the terms of the Plan, RSUs may be granted to Participants in such amounts and upon such terms, and at any time and from time to time, as shall be determined by the Committee. For purposes of this Article IX, the term “Participant” shall include Non-Employee Directors of the Company and consultants.
B. RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT AGREEMENT. Each RSU grant shall be evidenced by a Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement that shall specify the Period(s) of Restriction, the number of RSUs granted, and such other provisions as the Committee may determine.
C. VALUE OF RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT. Each RSU shall have a value that is equal to the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of grant.
D. FORM AND TIMING OF PAYMENT OF RESTRICTED STOCK UNITS. Settlement of vested RSUs may be made in the form of (i) cash, (ii) Shares or (iii) any combination of both, as determined by the Committee at the time of the grant of the RSUs, in its sole discretion. Vested RSUs shall be settled in a lump sum as soon as administratively practicable after the vesting date, but in no event later than two and one-half (2 ½) months following the vesting date. The amount of such settlement shall be equal to the Fair Market Value of the RSUs on the vesting date.
E. DIVIDEND EQUIVALENTS. Each RSU shall be credited with an amount equal to the dividends paid on a Share between the date of grant and the date such RSU is paid to the Participant (if at all). Dividend equivalents shall vest, if at all, upon the same terms and conditions governing the vesting of RSUs under the Plan. Payment of the dividend equivalent shall be made at the same time as payment of the RSU and shall be made without interest or other adjustment. If the RSU is forfeited, the Participant shall have no right to dividend equivalents.
F. VOTING RIGHTS. The holders of RSUs shall have no voting rights.
G. NONTRANSFERABILITY. RSUs may not be sold, transferred, pledged, assigned, or otherwise alienated or hypothecated, other than by will or by laws of descent and distribution.
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X. PERFORMANCE UNITS AND PERFORMANCE SHARES
A. GRANT OF PERFORMANCE UNITS/SHARES. Subject to the terms of the Plan, Performance Units and/or Performance Shares may be granted to Participants in such amounts and upon such terms, and at any time and from time to time, as shall be determined by the Committee.
B. PERFORMANCE UNIT/SHARE AGREEMENT. Each Performance Unit or Performance Share grant shall be evidenced by a Performance Unit or Performance Share Award Agreement, as the case may be, that shall specify the number of Performance Units or Performance Shares granted and such other provisions as the Committee may determine.
C. VALUE OF PERFORMANCE UNITS/SHARES. Each Performance Unit shall have an initial value that is established by the Committee at the time of grant. Each Performance Share shall have an initial value equal to the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of grant. The Committee shall set performance goals in its discretion which, depending on the extent to which they are met, will determine the number and/or value of Performance Units/Shares that will be paid out to the Participant. For purposes of this Article X, the time period during which the performance goals must be met shall be called a “Performance Period.”
D. EARNING OF PERFORMANCE UNITS/SHARES. Subject to the terms of this Plan, after the applicable Performance Period has ended, the holder of Performance Units/Shares shall be entitled to receive payout on the number and value of Performance Units/Shares earned by the Participant over the Performance Period, to be determined as a function of the extent to which the corresponding performance goals have been achieved.
E. FORM AND TIMING OF PAYMENT OF PERFORMANCE UNITS/SHARES. Payment of earned Performance Units/Shares shall be made in a single lump sum following the close of the applicable Performance Period. Subject to the terms of this Plan, the Committee, in its sole discretion, may pay earned Performance Units/Shares in the form of cash or in Shares (or in a combination thereof) which have an aggregate Fair Market Value equal to the value of the earned Performance Units/Shares at the close of the applicable Performance Period. Such Shares may be granted subject to any restrictions deemed appropriate by the Committee. The determination of the Committee with respect to the form of payout of such Awards shall be set forth in the Award Agreement pertaining to the grant of the Award. Payment shall be made no later than two and one-half (2 ½) months following the close of the Performance Period.
F. SEPARATION FROM SERVICE DUE TO DEATH OR DISABILITY. In the event the Participant incurs a Separation From Service by reason of death or Disability during a Performance Period, the Participant shall not receive a payout of the Performance Units/Shares, unless determined otherwise by the Committee or set forth in the Participant’s Award Agreement.
Payment of earned Performance Units/Shares shall be made at a time specified by the Committee in its sole discretion and set forth in the Participant’s Award Agreement.
G. TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT FOR OTHER REASONS. In the event that a Participant’s employment terminates for any reason other than those reasons set forth in Section X.F. herein, all Performance Units/Shares intended to qualify for the Performance-Based Exception shall be forfeited by the Participant to the Company.
H. NONTRANSFERABILITY. Except as otherwise provided in a Participant’s Award Agreement, Performance Units/Shares may not be sold, transferred, pledged, assigned or otherwise alienated or hypothecated, other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution. Further, except as otherwise provided in a Participant’s Award Agreement, a Participant’s rights under the Plan shall be exercisable during the Participant’s lifetime only by the Participant or the Participant’s legal representative.
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I. NO DIVIDEND AND VOTING RIGHTS. Participants will not be entitled to receive any dividends declared with respect to Shares which have been earned in connection with grants of Performance Units and/or Performance Shares, but not yet distributed to Participants nor shall Participants have voting rights with respect to such Shares.
XI. PERFORMANCE MEASURES
Unless and until the Committee proposes for stockholder vote and the Company’s stockholders approve a change in the general performance measures set forth in this Article XI, the attainment of which may determine the degree of payout and/or vesting with respect to Awards to Covered Employees which measures are designed to qualify for the Performance-Based Exception, the performance measure(s) to be used for purposes of such grants may be measured at the Company level, at a Subsidiary or Affiliate level, or at an operating unit level and shall be chosen from among the following: net income either before or after taxes (including adjusted net income), share price, earnings per share (basic or diluted), total stockholder return, return on assets, return on equity, operating income, return on capital or investment, cash flow or adjusted cash flow from operations, economic value added or adjusted cash flow per Share (net income plus or minus change in operating assets and liabilities), debt level, cost reduction targets, and equity ratios.
The Committee shall have the discretion to adjust the determinations of the degree of attainment of the preestablished performance goals; provided, however, that Awards which are designed to qualify for the Performance-Based Exception, and which are held by Covered Employees, may not be adjusted upward (the Committee shall retain the discretion to adjust such Awards downward).
In the event that applicable tax and/or securities laws or exchange listing standards change to permit Committee discretion to alter the governing performance measures without obtaining stockholder approval of such changes, the Committee shall have sole discretion to make such changes without obtaining stockholder approval. In addition, in the event that the Committee determines that it is advisable to grant Awards which shall not qualify for the Performance-Based Exception, the Committee may make such grants without satisfying the requirements of Code Section 162(m).
In the case of any Award which is granted subject to the condition that a specified performance measure be achieved, no payment under such Award shall be made prior to the time that the Committee certifies in writing that the performance measure has been satisfied, in accordance with Internal Revenue Service requirements. No such certification is required, however, in the case of an Award that is based solely on an increase in the value of a Share from the date such Award was made.
XII. BENEFICIARY DESIGNATION
Each Participant under the Plan may, from time to time, name any beneficiary or beneficiaries (who may be named contingently or successively) to whom any benefit under the Plan is to be paid in case of his or her death before he or she receives any or all of such benefit. Each such designation shall revoke all prior designations by the same Participant, shall be in a form prescribed by the Company, and will be effective only when filed by the Participant in writing with the Company during the Participant’s lifetime. In the absence of any such designated beneficiary, benefits remaining unpaid at the Participant’s death shall be paid to the Participant’s estate.
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XIII. DEFERRALS
The Committee may permit or require a Participant to defer such Participant’s receipt of the payment of cash or the delivery of Shares that would otherwise be due to such Participant by virtue of the exercise of an Option or SAR, the lapse or waiver of restrictions with respect to Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units, or the satisfaction of any requirements or goals with respect to Performance Units/Shares. If any such deferral election is required or permitted, the Committee shall, in its sole discretion, establish rules and procedures for such payment deferrals, provided, however, all deferrals shall be made in accordance with all applicable requirements of Code Section 409A or any guidance promulgated thereunder.
XIV. RIGHTS OF EMPLOYEES
A. EMPLOYMENT. Nothing in the Plan shall interfere with or limit in any way the right of the Company to terminate any Participant’s employment at any time, nor confer upon any Participant any right to continue in the employ of the Company.
B. PARTICIPATION. No Employee shall have the right to be selected to receive an Award under this Plan or, having been so selected, to be selected to receive a future Award.
XV. AMENDMENT, MODIFICATION, TERMINATION AND ADJUSTMENTS
A. AMENDMENT, MODIFICATION, AND TERMINATION. Subject to the terms of the Plan, the Board, upon recommendation of the Committee, may at any time and from time to time, alter, amend, suspend or terminate the Plan in whole or in part for any purpose which the Committee deems appropriate and that is otherwise consistent with Code Section 409A; provided, however, no amendment shall, without shareholder approval, (i) materially increase the benefits accruing to Participants under the Plan; (ii) materially increase the number of securities which may be issued under the Plan; or (iii) materially modify the requirements for participation in the Plan.
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 of outstanding Options or SARs or cancel outstanding Options or SARs in exchange for cash, other awards or Options or SARs with an exercise price that is less than the exercise price of the original Options or SARs without shareholder approval.
B. ADJUSTMENT OF AWARDS UPON THE OCCURRENCE OF CERTAIN UNUSUAL OR NONRECURRING EVENTS. The Committee may make adjustments in the terms and conditions of, and the criteria included in, Awards in recognition of unusual or nonrecurring events (including, without limitation, the events described in Section IV.C. hereof) affecting the Company or the financial statements of the Company or of changes in applicable laws, regulations or accounting principles, whenever the Committee determines that such adjustments are appropriate in order to prevent dilution or enlargement of the benefits or potential benefits intended to be made available under the Plan; provided that unless the Committee determines otherwise, no such adjustment shall be authorized to the extent that such authority would be inconsistent with the Plan or Awards meeting the requirements of Code Sections 162(m) and 409A, as from time to time amended.
C. AWARDS PREVIOUSLY GRANTED. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan to the contrary (but subject to Section XV.B. hereof), no termination, amendment or modification of the Plan shall adversely affect in any material way any Award previously granted under the Plan without the written consent of the Participant holding such Award.
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D. COMPLIANCE WITH CODE SECTION 162(m). At all times when Code Section 162(m) is applicable, all Awards granted under this Plan shall comply with the requirements of Code Section 162(m); provided, however, that in the event the Committee determines that such compliance is not desired with respect to any Award or Awards available for grant under the Plan, then compliance with Code Section 162(m) will not be required. In addition, in the event that changes are made to Code Section 162(m) to permit greater flexibility with respect to any Award or Awards available under the Plan, the Committee may, subject to this Article XV, make any adjustments it deems appropriate consistent with the changes made to Code Section 162(m).
XVI. PAYMENT OF PLAN AWARDS AND CONDITIONS THEREON
A. EFFECT OF COMPETITIVE ACTIVITY. Anything contained in the Plan to the contrary notwithstanding, unless otherwise covered in an employment agreement by and between the Company and the Participant, with respect to any Participant who is an Employee, if the employment of any Participant shall terminate, for any reason other than death, while any Award to such Participant is outstanding hereunder, and such Participant has not yet received the Shares covered by such Award or otherwise received the full benefit of such Award, such Participant, if otherwise entitled thereto, shall receive such Shares or benefit only if, during the entire period from the date of such Participant’s termination to the date of such receipt, such Participant shall have earned such Award by making himself or herself available, upon request, at reasonable times and upon a reasonable basis, to consult with, supply information to, and otherwise cooperate with the Company or any Subsidiary or Affiliate thereof with respect to any matter that shall have been handled by him or her or under his or her supervision while he or she was in the employ of the Company or of any Subsidiary or Affiliate thereof.
B. NONFULFILLMENT OF COMPETITIVE ACTIVITY CONDITIONS; WAIVERS UNDER THE PLAN. In the event of a Participant’s nonfulfillment of any condition set forth in Section XVI.A. hereof, such Participant’s rights under any Award shall be forfeited and canceled forthwith; provided, however, that the nonfulfillment of such condition may at any time (whether before, at the time of, or subsequent to termination of employment) be waived by the Committee upon its determination that in its sole judgment there shall not have been and will not be any substantial adverse effect upon the Company or any Subsidiary or Affiliate thereof by reason of the nonfulfillment of such condition.
XVII. CHANGE IN CONTROL
A. TREATMENT OF OUTSTANDING AWARDS. Notwithstanding any provisions in the Participant’s Employment Agreement to the contrary, but subject to Section XVII.B. herein or the Plan governing the particular Award, upon the occurrence of a Change in Control:
| 1. | any and all Options and SARs granted hereunder shall become fully-vested and immediately exercisable; | |
| 2. | any Periods of Restriction and restrictions imposed on Restricted Stock or RSUs which are not intended to qualify for the Performance-Based Exception shall lapse; and | |
| 3. | any Award intended to qualify for the Performance-Based Exception shall be earned in accordance with the applicable Award Agreement. |
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B. TERMINATION, AMENDMENT AND MODIFICATIONS OF CHANGE-IN-CONTROL PROVISIONS. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan or any Award Agreement provision, the provisions of this Article XVII may not be terminated, amended or modified on or after the date of an event, commencing upon material discussions by the Board respecting a possible transaction that would result in a Change in Control, which is likely to give rise to a Change in Control to affect adversely any Award theretofore granted under the Plan without the prior written consent of the Participant with respect to said Participant’s outstanding Awards.
XVIII. TAX PROVISIONS
A. TAX WITHHOLDING. The Company shall have the power and the right to deduct or withhold, or require a Participant who is an Employee to remit to the Company, an amount sufficient to satisfy federal, state and local taxes, domestic or foreign, required by law or regulation to be withheld with respect to any taxable event arising as a result of this Plan.
B. SHARE WITHHOLDING. With respect to withholding required upon the exercise of Options or SARs, upon the lapse of restrictions on Restricted Stock or Restricted RSUs, upon achievement of the performance goals on Performance Shares or Performance Units or upon any other taxable event arising as a result of Awards granted hereunder, Participants who are Employees may elect, subject to the approval of the Committee, to satisfy the withholding requirement, in whole or in part, by having the Company withhold Shares having a Fair Market Value on the date the tax is to be determined at least equal to the minimum, but not more than the maximum, statutory tax which could be imposed on the transaction. All such elections shall be irrevocable, made in writing, and signed by the Participant, and shall be subject to any restrictions or limitations that the Committee, in its sole discretion, deems appropriate.
C. REQUIREMENT OF NOTIFICATION OF CODE SECTION 83(b) ELECTION. If any Participants shall make an election under Code Section 83(b) (to include in gross income in the year of transfer the amounts specified in Code Section 83(b)) or under a similar provisions of the laws of a jurisdiction outside the United States, such Participant shall notify the Company of such election within ten (10) days after filing notice of the election with the Internal Revenue Service or other government authority, in addition to any filing and notification required pursuant to regulations issued under Code Section 83(b) or other applicable provision.
D. REQUIREMENT OF NOTIFICATION UPON DISQUALIFYING DISPOSITION UNDER CODE SECTION 421(b). If any Participant shall make any disposition of shares of stock delivered pursuant to the exercise of an Incentive Stock Option under the circumstances described in Code Section 421(b) (relating to certain disqualifying dispositions), such Participant shall notify the Company of such disposition within ten (10) days thereof.
XIX. INDEMNIFICATION
Each person who is or shall have been a member of the Committee, or of the Board, shall be indemnified and held harmless by the Company against and from any loss, cost, liability or expense that may be imposed upon or reasonably incurred by him or her 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 taken or failure to act under the Plan and against and from any and all amounts paid by him or her in settlement thereof, with the Company’s approval, or paid by him or her in satisfaction of any judgment in any such action, suit or proceeding against him or her, provided he or she shall give 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. The foregoing right of indemnification shall not be exclusive of any other rights of indemnification to which such persons may be entitled under the Company’s Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws, as a matter of law or otherwise, or any power that the Company may have to indemnify them or hold them harmless.
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XX. SUCCESSORS
All obligations of the Company under the Plan with respect to Awards granted hereunder shall be binding on any successor to the Company, whether the existence of such successor is the result of a direct or indirect purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise, of all or substantially all of the business or assets of the Company.
XXI. LEGAL CONSTRUCTION
A. GENDER AND NUMBER. Except where otherwise indicated by the context, any masculine term used herein also shall include the feminine, the plural shall include the singular, and the singular shall include the plural.
B. SEVERABILITY. In the event any provision of the Plan shall be held illegal or invalid for any reason, the illegality or invalidity shall not affect the remaining parts of the Plan, and the Plan shall be construed and enforced as if the illegal or invalid provision had not been included.
C. REQUIREMENTS OF LAW. The granting of Awards and the issuance of Shares under the Plan shall be subject to all applicable laws, rules and regulations, and to such approvals by any governmental agencies or national securities exchanges as may be required.
D. SECURITIES LAW COMPLIANCE. With respect to Insiders, transactions under this Plan are intended to comply with all applicable conditions of Rule 16b-3 or its successors under the Exchange Act. To the extent any provision of the Plan or action by the Committee fails to so comply, it shall be deemed null and void, to the extent permitted by law and deemed advisable by the Committee.
E. CODE SECTION 409A COMPLIANCE. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Plan to the contrary, all Awards under this Plan that are subject to Code Section 409A shall be designed and administered in a manner that does not result in the imposition of tax or penalties under Code Section 409A. Accordingly, Awards under this Plan that are subject to Code Section 409A shall comply with the following requirements, as applicable.
| 1. | Distribution to Specified Employees Upon Separation from Service. To the extent that payment under an Award which is subject to Code Section 409A is due to a Specified Employee on account of the Specified Employee’s Separation from Service from the Company or its Affiliate or Subsidiary, such payment shall be delayed until the first day of the seventh (7th) month following such Separation from Service (or as soon as practicable thereafter). The Committee, in its discretion, may provide in the Award document for the payment of interest at a rate set by the Committee for such six-month period. In the event that a payment under an Award is exempt from Code Section 409A, payment shall be made to a Specified Employee without any such six-month delay. | |
| 2. | No Acceleration of Payment. To the extent that an Award is subject to Code Section 409A, payment under such Award shall not be accelerated from the date(s) specified in the Award documents as of the date of grant. | |
| 3. | Subsequent Delay in Payment. To the extent that an Award is subject to Code Section 409A, payment under such Award shall not be deferred beyond the dates specified in the Award document as of the date of grant, unless the Committee or Participant, as the case may be, makes the decision to delay payment at least one year prior to the scheduled payment date, and payment is delayed at least five (5) years. |
F. GOVERNING LAW. To the extent not preempted by federal law, the Plan, and all agreements hereunder, shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the laws of the Cayman Islands.
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C E R T I F I C A T I O N S
On behalf of the Company, the undersigned hereby certifies that this Bon Natural Life Limited 2024 Equity Incentive Plan has been approved by the Board of Directors of the Company as of February ____, 2024.
| BON NATURAL LIFE LIMITED | ||
| By: | ||
| Print Name: | Yongwei Hu | |
| Title: | CEO | |
On behalf of the Company, the undersigned hereby certifies that this Bon Natural Life Limited 2024 Equity Incentive Plan has been approved by a majority of the stockholders of the Company as of __________ _____, 2024.
| BON NATURAL LIFE LIMITED | ||
| By: | ||
| Print Name: | Yongwei Hu | |
| Title: | CEO | |
| 22 |
Exhibit 99.1
Bon Natural Life Limited
Registered Company No 358246
(the Company)
NOTICE OF EXTRAODINARY GENERAL MEETING
Notice is hereby given that the extraordinary general meeting (the Meeting) of Bon Natural Life Limited, a Cayman Islands exempted company with limited liability (the Company) will be held at Room 601, Block C, Gazelle Valley, No.69, Jinye Road, High-Tech Zone, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China on March 9, 2024 at 10:00 A.M. (local time) for the purpose of, considering and, if thought fit, passing with or without amendments, the following resolutions of the Company:
RESOLUTION 1:
“RESOLVED as an ordinary resolution that, with immediate effect upon passing:
| (a) | every ten (10) issued and unissued existing ordinary shares of US$0.0001 par value each of the Company be consolidated into one (1) ordinary share of US$0.001 par value each (the Consolidated Ordinary Shares), with such Consolidated Ordinary Shares ranking pari passu in all respect with each other and having the same rights and being subject to the same restrictions (save as to nominal value) as the existing ordinary shares of US$0.0001 par value each of the Company as set out in the Company’s memorandum and articles of association; |
| (b) | every ten (10) existing preference shares of US$0.0001 par value each be consolidated into one (1) preference share of US$0.001 par value each; |
| (c) | as a result of such share Consolidation, the authorized share capital of the Company be amended from US$50,000 divided into (a) 450,000,000 ordinary shares of a par value of US$0.0001 each; and (b) 50,000,000 preference shares of a par value of US$0.0001 each to US$50,000 divided into (a) 45,000,000 ordinary shares of a par value of US$0.001 each; and (b) 5,000,000 preference shares of a par value of US$0.001 each (the Share Consolidation); and |
| (d) | all fractional entitlements to the issued Consolidated Ordinary Shares resulting from the Share Consolidation will not be issued to the shareholders of the Company and the Company be authorized to round up any fractional shares resulting from the Share Consolidation to the next whole number, such that each shareholder of the Company will be entitled to receive one Consolidated Ordinary Share in lieu of any fractional share that would have resulted from the Share Consolidation.” |
RESOLUTION 2:
“RESOLVED as an ordinary resolution that immediately after the Share Consolidation takes effect, the Company’s authorised share capital be increased from US$50,000 divided into (a) 45,000,000 ordinary shares of a par value of US$0.001 each; and (b) 5,000,000 preference shares of a par value of US$0.001 each to US$300,000 divided into (a) 270,000,000 ordinary shares of a par value of US$0.001 each; and (b) 30,000,000 preference shares of a par value of US$0.001 each, by creation of an additional 225,000,000 ordinary shares of a par value of US$0.001 each and an additional 25,000,000 preference shares of a par value of US$0.001 each (the Increase of Authorized Shares).”
RESOLUTION 3:
“RESOLVED as a special resolution that the Company adopts the second amended and restated memorandum and articles of association of the Company (the Restated M&A) , a copy of which is attached hereto as Appendix 1, in its entirety and in substitution for, and to the exclusion of, the existing memorandum and articles of association of the Company with immediate effect.”
RESOLUTION 4:
“RESOLVED as an ordinary resolution that the Bon Natural Life Limited 2024 Equity Incentive Plan, a copy of which is attached hereto as Appendix 2 (the Bon Natural Equity Incentive Plan), be and is hereby adopted with immediate effect and (ii) the maximum number of shares issuable under the Bon Natural Equity Incentive Plan, being twenty percent (20%) of the total of: (a) the issued and outstanding shares of the Company, and (b) all shares issuable upon conversion or exercise of any outstanding securities of the Company which are convertible or exercisable into shares under the terms thereof be and are hereby reserved from the authorised but unissued share capital of the Company for issuance under the Bon Natural Equity Incentive Plan.”
All shareholders of the Company at the close of business on February 21, 2023 (the Record Date) are entitled to receive notice of, attend and vote on the matters to be acted on at the Meeting and any adjourned or postponed meeting thereof.
By order of the board,
Bon Natural Life Limited
……………………………………
Yongwei Hu
Director
February 20, 2024
Proxies
A member entitled to attend and vote at the meeting may appoint a proxy.
A blank proxy form is attached. Please consider carefully the conditions attaching to appointment of a proxy.
A proxy form in hard copy must be delivered to Room 601, Block C, Gazelle Valley, No.69, Jinye Road, High-Tech Zone, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China (Attention to: Cindy Liu).
A proxy form in electronic copy must be delivered to bonnatural@appchem.cn
Please see the conditions attaching to the appointment of a proxy for the time of such delivery.
Proxy instructions
What happens if you do not follow these instructions?
| 1 | If you do not follow these instructions, any instrument you make appointing a proxy will be invalid. |
Eligible members
| 2 | If you are a member entitled to attend and vote at this meeting of the Company, you may appoint a proxy to vote on your behalf. Only registered shareholders whose names are on the register of members of the Company as at the close of business on February 21, 2023, being the Record Date, are entitled to attend and vote at the meeting of the Company. |
| 3 | A proxy need not be a member of the Company. |
If you complete a proxy form, can you still attend and vote at the meeting?
| 4 | Completion of the proxy form does not preclude a member from subsequently attending and voting at the meeting in person if he or she so wishes. |
Multiple proxies
| 5 | If you are a member entitled to cast two or more votes at the meeting, you may appoint two proxies and may specify the proportion of votes each proxy is appointed to exercise. If no proportion or number is specified, each proxy is deemed to exercise half of your votes. |
Joint shareholders
| 6 | In the case of jointly held shares, if more than one joint holder purports to appoint a proxy, only the appointment submitted by the most senior holder will be accepted. For this purpose, seniority will be determined by the order in which the names of the joint holders appear in the register of members (the first-named being the most senior). |
How to appoint a proxy
| 7 | If you are an eligible member and a natural person, the appointment of your proxy must be in writing and signed by you or your authorised attorney. |
| 8 | If you are an eligible member and a corporation, the appointment of your proxy must be in writing and executed in any of the following ways: (i) under the corporation’s common seal or (ii) not under the corporation’s common seal but otherwise in accordance with its articles of association. |
Delivery of proxy form to Company
| 9 | For an appointment of a proxy to be effective, the following documents must be received by the Company before the time for the holding of the meeting or adjourned meeting at which the proxy proposes to vote: |
| (a) | The proxy form; | |
| (b) | If the proxy form is executed by a corporation otherwise than under its common seal - an extract of its articles that evidences that it may be duly executed in that way; and | |
| (c) | If the proxy form is signed by your attorney — the authority under which it was signed or a certified copy of the authority. |
| 10 | Those documents may be delivered in either of the following ways: |
| (a) | In the case of hard-copy documents - they must be left at or sent by post to the Company’s registered office or the other place, if any, specified by the Company for the purpose of the meeting. | |
| (b) | In the case of documents comprised in an electronic record - they must be sent to an address specified by the Company for the purpose of receiving electronic records. |
| 11 | If a poll is to take place within 24 hours after it has been demanded then, in addition to the ways specified in the preceding paragraph, the documents may be delivered to the chairperson or to the Company secretary or to any director at the meeting at which the poll was demanded. |
Bon Natural Life Limited
Registered Company No 358246
(The Company)
Proxy Form
| I/We1 | ________________________________________________________ |
| of | ________________________________________________________ |
being a member/members of the Company and the holder/holders of | |
| ___________________________________________________(number and class of shares) | |
| appoint as my/our proxy 2 | |
| ________________________________________________________ | |
| of | ________________________________________________________ |
at the extraordinary general meeting of the Company to be held at Room 601, Block C, Gazelle Valley, No.69, Jinye Road, High-Tech Zone, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China on March 9, 2024 at 10:00 A.M. (local time) and at any adjournment of that meeting.
Please indicate with a tick mark in the spaces opposite to the resolution how you wish the proxy to vote on your behalf. In the absence of any such indication, the proxy may vote for or against the resolutions or may abstain at his/her discretion.
| Resolution | For | Against | Abstain | |||||
| 1 | It was resolved as an ordinary resolution that, with immediate effect upon passing: | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ||||
| (a) | every ten (10) issued and unissued existing ordinary shares of US$0.0001 par value each of the Company be consolidated into one (1) ordinary share of US$0.001 par value each (the Consolidated Ordinary Shares), with such Consolidated Ordinary Shares ranking pari passu in all respect with each other and having the same rights and being subject to the same restrictions (save as to nominal value) as the existing ordinary shares of US$0.0001 par value each of the Company as set out in the Company’s memorandum and articles of association; | |||||||
| (b) | every ten (10) existing preference shares of US$0.0001 par value each be consolidated into one (1) preference share of US$0.001 par value each; | |||||||
| (c) | as a result of such share Consolidation, the authorized share capital of the Company be amended from US$50,000 divided into (a) 450,000,000 ordinary shares of a par value of US$0.0001 each; and (b) 50,000,000 preference shares of a par value of US$0.0001 each to US$50,000 divided into (a) 45,000,000 ordinary shares of a par value of US$0.001 each; and (b) 5,000,000 preference shares of a par value of US$0.001 each (the Share Consolidation); and | |||||||
| (d) | all fractional entitlements to the issued Consolidated Ordinary Shares resulting from the Share Consolidation will not be issued to the shareholders of the Company and the Company be authorized to round up any fractional shares resulting from the Share Consolidation to the next whole number, such that each shareholder of the Company will be entitled to receive one Consolidated Ordinary Share in lieu of any fractional share that would have resulted from the Share Consolidation. | |||||||
1 Full name(s) and address(es) to be inserted in block letters.
2 Insert name and address of the desired proxy in the spaces provided. If you wish to appoint the chairperson, write "The chairperson" without inserting an address.
| 2 | It was resolved as an ordinary resolution that immediately after the Share Consolidation takes effect, the Company’s authorised share capital be increased from US$50,000 divided into (a) 45,000,000 ordinary shares of a par value of US$0.001 each; and (b) 5,000,000 preference shares of a par value of US$0.001 each to US$300,000 divided into (a) 270,000,000 ordinary shares of a par value of US$0.001 each; and (b) 30,000,000 preference shares of a par value of US$0.001 each, by creation of an additional 225,000,000 ordinary shares of a par value of US$0.001 each and an additional 25,000,000 preference shares of a par value of US$0.001 each. | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | |||
| 3 | It was resolved as a special resolution that the Company adopts the second amended and restated memorandum and articles of association of the Company (the Restated M&A) , a copy of which is attached hereto as Appendix 1, in its entirety and in substitution for, and to the exclusion of, the existing memorandum and articles of association of the Company with immediate effect. | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | |||
| 4 | It was resolved as an ordinary resolution that the Bon Natural Life Limited 2024 Equity Incentive Plan, a copy of which is attached hereto as Appendix 2 (the Bon Natural Equity Incentive Plan), be and is hereby adopted with immediate effect and (ii) the maximum number of shares issuable under the Bon Natural Equity Incentive Plan, being twenty percent (20%) of the total of: (a) the issued and outstanding shares of the Company, and (b) all shares issuable upon conversion or exercise of any outstanding securities of the Company which are convertible or exercisable into shares under the terms thereof be and are hereby reserved from the authorised but unissued share capital of the Company for issuance under the Bon Natural Equity Incentive Plan. |
☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
Dated ______________ 2024
Executed by:
|
| __________________________________ |
Signature of shareholder
Name of Authorised Officer/Attorney: ________________________3 |
3 To be completed if the shareholder is a corporation – please insert name of authorised officer/attorney signing on behalf of the corporate shareholder.
Appendix 1
Restated M&A
Appendix 2
Bon Natural Equity Incentive Plan