EON Resources Inc PRE 14A, filed Sep 5, 2025
EON Resources Inc. (EONR)
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
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SCHEDULE 14A
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Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
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Filed by the Registrant |
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Filed by a Party other than the Registrant |
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Check the appropriate box:
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Preliminary Proxy Statement |
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Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2)) |
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Definitive Proxy Statement |
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Definitive Additional Materials |
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Soliciting Material Pursuant to §240.14a-12 |
EON RESOURCES INC.
(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)
N/A
(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)
Payment of Filing Fee (Check all boxes that apply):
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No fee required. |
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Fee paid previously with preliminary materials. |
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Fee computed on table in exhibit required by Item 25(b) per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11. |
NOTICE OF THE ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS OF EON RESOURCES INC.
TO BE HELD ON OCTOBER 29, 2025
EON Resources Inc.
3730 Kirby Drive, Suite 1200
Houston, Texas 77098
TO THE STOCKHOLDERS OF EON RESOURCES INC.:
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the annual meeting of the stockholders of EON Resources Inc. (“EON,” the “Company,” “we,” “us” or “our”), will be held at 2:30 P.M. Eastern Time, on October 29, 2025 (the “Annual Meeting”). The Annual Meeting will be conducted via live webcast at the following address: https://www.cstproxy.com/eonr/2025. You will be able to vote and submit questions and access our stockholder list by visiting https://www.cstproxy.com/eonr/2025 and participate live in the webcast. A secure control number that will allow you to participate in the meeting electronically can be found on the enclosed proxy card. If you do not have a control number, please contact the bank or broker that you hold your shares with directly. The Annual Meeting webcast will begin promptly at 2:30 P.M. Eastern Time on October 29, 2025, and our stockholders will be able to log in beginning at 2:15 P.M. Eastern Time on October 29, 2025. We encourage you to access the Annual Meeting prior to the start time. The virtual Annual Meeting platform is fully supported across browsers (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome and Safari) and devices (desktops, laptops, tablets, and cell phones) running the most updated version of applicable software and plugins. Participants in the Annual Meeting should ensure that they have a strong Wi-Fi connection wherever they intend to participate in the meeting. We encourage participants in the Annual Meeting to log on to the live webcast 15 minutes prior to the start time of the Annual Meeting and ensure that they can hear streaming audio. For purposes of attendance at the Annual Meeting, all references in the accompanying proxy statement (the “Proxy Statement”) to “present in person” or “in person” shall mean virtually present at the Annual Meeting.
At the Annual Meeting, you will be asked to consider and vote on the following proposals (the “Proposals”):
Proposal No. 1: The Directors Proposal — To elect three (3) persons to our Board of Directors as Class II directors, each to hold office until the 2027 annual meeting of stockholders or until their respective successors shall have been duly elected or appointed and qualify.
Proposal No. 2: The Auditor Proposal — To ratify the appointment of CBIZ CPAs P.C. as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2025.
Proposal No. 3: The Incentive Plan Proposal — To approve the EON Resources Inc. 2025 Omnibus Incentive Plan, as detailed in the accompanying proxy statement.
Proposal No. 4: The Adjournment Proposal — To approve the adjournment of the Annual Meeting to a later date or dates, if necessary or appropriate, to permit further solicitation and vote of proxies in the event that there are insufficient votes for, or otherwise in connection with, the approval of any of the above proposals.
Each of these proposals is more fully described in the accompanying Proxy Statement, which you are encouraged to read carefully.
Our Class A Common Stock is currently listed on the NYSE American under the symbol “EONR” and our redeemable public warrants are listed on the NYSE American under the symbol “EONR WS.”
Only holders of record of shares of our common stock at the close of business on September 9, 2025 (the “Record Date”) are entitled to notice of and to vote and have their votes counted at the Annual Meeting and any adjournments or postponements of the Annual Meeting. A complete list of our stockholders of record entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting will be available for 10 days before the Annual Meeting at our principal executive offices for inspection by stockholders during ordinary business hours for any purpose germane to the Annual Meeting and electronically during the Annual Meeting at https://www.cstproxy.com/eonr/2025.
After careful consideration, our board of directors believes that each of the Director Proposal, the Auditor Proposal, the Incentive Plan Proposal, and the Adjournment Proposal is in the best interests of our Company and our stockholders and unanimously recommends that its stockholders vote “FOR” each of the nominees for the Director Proposal and “FOR” each of the other Proposals to be presented at the Annual Meeting.
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By Order of the Board of Directors, |
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Dante Caravaggio |
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Chief Executive Officer |
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, 2025 |
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Houston, Texas |
OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS APPRECIATES AND ENCOURAGES YOUR PARTICIPATION IN OUR ANNUAL MEETING. WHETHER OR NOT YOU PLAN TO ATTEND THE ANNUAL MEETING, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOUR SHARES BE REPRESENTED. ACCORDINGLY, PLEASE AUTHORIZE A PROXY TO VOTE YOUR SHARES BY INTERNET, TELEPHONE OR MAIL. IF YOU ATTEND THE ANNUAL MEETING, YOU MAY WITHDRAW YOUR PROXY, IF YOU WISH, AND VOTE IN PERSON. YOUR PROXY IS REVOCABLE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROCEDURES SET FORTH IN THIS PROXY STATEMENT.
EON Resources Inc.
3730 Kirby Drive, Suite 1200
Houston, Texas 77098
PROXY STATEMENT FOR THE ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS OF
EON RESOURCES INC.
TO BE HELD ON OCTOBER 29, 2025
General
This proxy statement (the “Proxy Statement”) is furnished in connection with the solicitation of proxies by the board of directors (the “Board of Directors”) of EON Resources Inc. (“EON,” the “Company,” “we,” “us” or “our”), for the annual meeting of stockholders to be held at 2:30 P.M. Eastern Time on October 29, 2025 (the “Annual Meeting”). This Proxy Statement and related materials are first being mailed to stockholders on or about September 17, 2025. The Annual Meeting will be conducted via live webcast at the following address: https://www.cstproxy.com/eonr/2025. You will be able to vote and submit questions and access our stockholder list by visiting https://www.cstproxy.com/eonr/2025 and participate live in the webcast. A secure control number that will allow you to participate in the meeting electronically can be found on the enclosed proxy card. If you do not have a control number, please contact the bank or broker that you hold your shares with directly. The Annual Meeting webcast will begin promptly at 2:30 P.M. Eastern Time on October 29, 2025, and our stockholders will be able to log in beginning at 2:15 P.M. Eastern Time on October 29, 2025. We encourage you to access the Annual Meeting prior to the start time. The virtual Annual Meeting platform is fully supported across browsers (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome and Safari) and devices (desktops, laptops, tablets, and cell phones) running the most updated version of applicable software and plugins. Participants in the Annual Meeting should ensure that they have a strong Wi-Fi connection wherever they intend to participate in the meeting. We encourage participants in the Annual Meeting to log on to the live webcast 15 minutes prior to the start time of the Annual Meeting and ensure that they can hear streaming audio. For purposes of attendance at the Annual Meeting, all references in this Proxy Statement to “present in person” or “in person” shall mean virtually present at the Annual Meeting.
At the Annual Meeting, you will be asked to consider and vote on the following proposals (the “Proposals”):
Proposal No. 1: The Directors Proposal — To elect two (2) persons to our Board of Directors as Class I directors, each to hold office until the 2026 annual meeting of stockholders or until their respective successors shall have been duly elected or appointed and qualify.
Proposal No. 2: The Auditor Proposal — To ratify the appointment of CBIZ CPAs P.C. as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2025.
Proposal No. 3: The Incentive Plan Proposal — To approve the EON Resources Inc. 2025 Omnibus Incentive Plan, as detailed in the accompanying proxy statement.
Proposal No. 4: The Adjournment Proposal — To approve the adjournment of the Annual Meeting to a later date or dates, if necessary or appropriate, to permit further solicitation and vote of proxies in the event that there are insufficient votes for, or otherwise in connection with, the approval of any of the above proposals.
Our Class A Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share, is currently listed on the NYSE American under the symbol “EONR” and our redeemable public warrants are listed on the NYSE American under the symbol “EONR WS.”
Only holders of record of shares of our Common Stock at the close of business on September 9, 2025 (the “Record Date”) are entitled to notice of and to vote and have their votes counted at the Annual Meeting and any adjournments or postponements of the Annual Meeting. A complete list of our stockholders of record entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting will be available for 10 days before the Annual Meeting at our principal executive offices for inspection by stockholders during ordinary business hours for any purpose germane to the Annual Meeting and electronically during the Annual Meeting at https://www.cstproxy.com/eonr/2025.
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Recommendation of our Board of Directors
Our Board of Directors believes that each of the Director Proposal, the Auditor Proposal, the Incentive Plan Proposal, and the Adjournment Proposal is in the best interests of our Company and our stockholders and recommends that our stockholders vote “FOR” each of the nominees for the Director Proposal and “FOR” each of the other proposals to be presented at the Annual meeting.
Record Date; Who is Entitled to Vote
Our stockholders will be entitled to vote or direct votes to be cast at the Annual Meeting if they owned shares of Common Stock at the close of business on the Record Date. As of the Record Date, there were 38,225,057 shares of Class A Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share (“Common Stock”), outstanding, which shares are entitled to an aggregate of 38,225,057 votes at the Annual Meeting. Under Delaware law, stockholders will not have appraisal or similar rights in connection with any proposal set forth in this Proxy Statement. If your shares are held in “street name” or are in a margin or similar account, you should contact your broker to ensure that votes related to the shares you beneficially own are properly counted. Our redeemable public warrants (the “Public Warrants”) will not have the right to vote at the Annual Meeting.
Quorum
A quorum of our stockholders is necessary to hold a valid meeting. The presence, in person (which includes presence virtually at the Annual Meeting) or by proxy of shares of outstanding Common Stock representing one-third (33.33%) of the voting power of all outstanding shares of Common Stock entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting will constitute a quorum. In the absence of a quorum, the chairperson of the Annual Meeting has the power to adjourn the Annual Meeting. As of the Record Date, shares of outstanding Commons Stock representing 12,740,412 votes would be required to achieve a quorum.
Failure to Vote and Abstentions
With respect to Proposal No. 1 — the Director Proposal in this Proxy Statement, you may vote “FOR ALL,” “WITHOLD ALL” or “FOR ALL EXCEPT,” and with respect to each of the remaining proposals in this Proxy Statement, you may vote “FOR,” “AGAINST” or “ABSTAIN.”
Abstentions and broker non-votes will each be counted as present for the purpose of determining whether a quorum is present at the Annual Meeting. Abstentions and broker non-votes will have no effect on the outcome of Proposal No. 1 — the Director Proposal, Proposal No. 2 — the Auditor Proposal, Proposal No. 3 — the Incentive Plan Proposal, and Proposal No. 4 — the Adjournment Proposal.
A broker non-vote occurs when a broker submits a proxy card with respect to shares of Common Stock held in a fiduciary capacity (typically referred to as being held in “street name”) but declines to vote on a particular matter because the broker has not received voting instructions from the beneficial owner. Even if you do not provide voting instructions, under the rules of various national and regional securities exchanges, banks, brokers or other nominees can still vote your shares with respect to matters that are “routine,” but not with respect to “non-routine” matters. If a broker, bank, or other agent indicates on a proxy that it does not have discretionary authority to vote certain shares on a non-routine proposal, then those shares will be treated as broker non-votes. We believe that all proposals in this proxy statement, other than Proposal No. 2 — the Auditor Proposal and Proposal No. 4 — the Adjournment Proposal, are non-routine proposals; therefore, your broker, bank or other agent will only be entitled to vote on Proposal No. 2 — the Auditor Proposal and Proposal No. 4 — the Adjournment Proposal at the Annual Meeting without your instructions.
Stockholders do not have cumulative voting rights in the election of directors.
Vote Required for Approval
The following votes are required for each Proposal at the Annual Meeting:
• The Director Proposal: The nominees who receive a plurality of votes from the shares present virtually or by proxy and entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting will be elected.
• The Auditor Proposal: The vote of a majority of the votes cast by stockholders present virtually or by proxy and entitled to vote on the matter at the Annual Meeting is required.
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• Incentive Plan Proposal: The vote of a majority of the votes cast by stockholders present virtually or by proxy and entitled to vote on the matter at the Annual Meeting is required.
• The Adjournment Proposal: The vote of a majority of the votes cast by stockholders present virtually or by proxy and entitled to vote on the matter at the Annual Meeting is required.
Voting Your Shares
Each share of Common Stock that you own in your name entitles you to one vote. Your proxy card shows the number of shares of Common Stock that you own. If your shares are held in “street name” or are in a margin or similar account, you should contact your broker to ensure that votes related to the shares you beneficially own are properly counted. There are two ways to vote your shares of Common Stock at the Annual Meeting.
• You Can Vote by Signing and Returning the Enclosed Proxy Card. If you vote by proxy card, your “proxy,” whose name is listed on the proxy card, will vote your shares as you instruct on the proxy card. If you sign and return the proxy card but do not give instructions on how to vote your shares, your shares will be voted as recommended by the Board of Directors: “FOR” the each of the nominees for the Director Proposal, “FOR” the Auditor Proposal, “FOR” the Incentive Plan Proposal, and “FOR” the Adjournment Proposal. Votes received after a matter has been voted upon at the Annual Meeting will not be counted.
• You Can Attend the Annual Meeting and Vote in Person (Which Includes Presence Virtually at the Annual Meeting). We will be hosting the Annual Meeting via live webcast. If you attend the Annual Meeting, you may submit your vote at the Annual Meeting online at https://www.cstproxy.com/eonr/2025, in which case any votes that you previously submitted will be superseded by the vote that you cast at the Annual Meeting.
Revoking Your Proxy
If you are a stockholder and you give a proxy, you may revoke it at any time before it is exercised by doing any one of the following:
• you may send another proxy card with a later date;
• you may notify David M. Smith, our General Counsel, in writing before the Annual Meeting that you have revoked your proxy; or
• you may attend the Annual Meeting, revoke your proxy, and vote in person (which would include presence at the virtual Annual Meeting), as indicated above.
Questions
During the live question and answer portion of the Annual Meeting, our stockholders may submit questions, which will be answered as they come in, as time permits. If you wish to submit a question, you may do so by logging in to the virtual Annual Meeting platform on the Annual Meeting website, typing your question into the “Ask a Question” field and clicking “Submit.” Only questions relevant to Annual Meeting matters will be answered during the Annual Meeting, subject to time constraints. Questions relevant to Annual Meeting matters that we do not have time to answer during the Annual Meeting will be posted to our website following the Annual Meeting.
Technical Support
We will have technicians ready to assist stockholders with any technical difficulties they may have accessing the virtual Annual Meeting. If you encounter any difficulties accessing the virtual Annual Meeting during the check-in or meeting time, please call the technical support number that will be posted on the virtual Annual Meeting log in page.
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Who Can Answer Your Questions About Voting Your Shares
If you are a stockholder and have any questions about how to vote or direct a vote in respect of your shares of Common Stock, please contact Advantage Proxy, Inc., our proxy solicitor, by calling (877)-870-8565, or banks and brokers may call collect at (206)-870-8565, or by emailing ksmith@advantageproxy.com. This notice of Annual Meeting and the Proxy Statement are available at https://www.cstproxy.com/eonr/2025.
Appraisal Rights
Neither our stockholders nor holders of Public Warrants have appraisal rights in connection with proposals set forth herein Purchase under the Delaware General Corporation Law (“DGCL”).
Proxy Solicitation Costs
We are soliciting proxies on behalf of the Board of Directors. This solicitation is being made by mail but also may be made by telephone or in person. We, along with our directors, officers and employees, may also solicit proxies in person, by telephone or by other electronic means. We will bear the cost of the solicitation.
We have hired Advantage Proxy, Inc. to assist in the proxy solicitation process. We will pay that firm a fee of $10,000 plus disbursements.
We will ask banks, brokers and other institutions, nominees and fiduciaries to forward the proxy materials to their principals and to obtain their authority to execute proxies and voting instructions. We will reimburse them for their reasonable expenses.
Householding
Some banks, brokers and other nominee record holders may be participating in the practice of “householding” proxy statements and annual reports. This means that only one copy of this Proxy Statement or our annual report may have been sent to multiple stockholders in your household. We will promptly deliver a separate copy of either document to you if you call or write us at the following address or phone number: EON Resources Inc., 3730 Kirby Drive, Suite 1200, Houston, Texas 77098, phone: (713) 834-1145, Attention: General Counsel. If you want to receive separate copies of our annual report and Proxy Statement in the future, or if you are receiving multiple copies and would like to receive only one copy for your household, you should contact your bank, broker or other nominee record holder, or you may contact us at the above address and phone number.
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PROPOSAL NO. 1 — THE DIRECTOR PROPOSAL
General
Our Amended and Restated By-laws (the “Bylaws”) provide that the Board of Directors of our Company shall consist of a number fixed by the Board of Directors. Currently, the Board of Directors consists of five (5) members. The Bord of Directors is divided into two classes with only one class of directors being elected in each year and each class (except for those directors appointed prior to our first annual meeting of stockholders) serving a two-year term. The Class II directors consist of Mitchell Trotter, Byron Blount, and Joseph V. Salvucci, Sr. and their term will expire at the Annual Meeting (our second annual meeting of stockholders). The Class I directors consist of Dante Caravaggio and Joseph V. Salvucci, Jr., and their term will expire at the 2026 annual meeting of stockholders.
At the Annual Meeting, three (3) Class II directors are to be elected to serve until the 2027 annual meeting of our stockholders or until such directors’ respective successors are elected or appointed and qualify or until any such director’s earlier resignation or removal. The Board of Directors has nominated each of the persons listed below for election to the Board of Directors at the Annual Meeting. Each of the director nominees is currently a member of our Board of Directors.
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Name |
Age |
Position |
Director Since |
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Mitchell B. Trotter |
66 |
Chief Financial Officer and Director |
2023 |
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Joseph V. Salvucci, Sr.(1) |
69 |
Director and Chairman |
2021 |
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Byron Blount(2) |
68 |
Director |
2023 |
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(1) Member of the Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.
(2) Chairman of the Audit Committee and member of the Compensation Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.
If any nominee is unable or unwilling to serve as a director at the time of the Annual Meeting, the proxies may be voted for the balance of those nominees named and for any substitute nominee designated by the current Board of Directors or the proxy holders to fill such vacancy or for the balance of those nominees named without the nomination of a substitute, or the size of the Board of Directors may be reduced in accordance with our Bylaws.
Nominees
Mitchell B. Trotter — Chief Financial Officer and Director. Mr. Trotter joined the company and has served as our Senior Vice President of Finance since October 2022 and became Chief Financial Officer and Director in November 2023. Mr. Trotter has 44 years of experience beginning his career in 1981 as an auditor with Coopers & Lybrand for seven years. He then served as CFO of two private investor backed private companies where the first was in real estate development and the latter in the engineering and construction industry. For the next 30 years, Mr. Trotter served in various CFO and Controller positions with three publicly traded companies in the engineering and construction services industry which were: Earth Tech to 2002; Jacobs Engineering to 2017; and AECOM to 2022. In those roles Mr. Trotter managed up to 400 plus staff across six continents supporting global operations with clients in multiple industries across private, semi-public and public sectors. Mr. Trotter earned his BS Accounting from Virginia Tech in 1981 and his MBA from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1994. His professional credentials are: Certified Public Accountant in Virginia; Certified Management Accountant; and Certified in Financial Management.
Joseph V. Salvucci, Sr. — Independent Director and Chairman of the Board. Joseph V. Salvucci, Sr. has served as a member of our board of directors since December 2021. JVS Alpha Property, LLC, an entity which the majority is beneficially owned by Mr. Salvucci, with the balance owned by his immediate family, purchased 940,000 shares as a founder. Mr. Salvucci acquired PEAK Technical Staffing USA (“PEAK”), peaktechnical.com in 1986 and has grown the business to be a premier provider of USA-based contract engineers and technical specialists, on assignment worldwide through a comprehensive, customer focused, enterprise-wide Managed Staffing Solution. During his 35-year tenure as owner of the company, PEAK has expanded from Pittsburgh to do business in all 50 States, Canada, Europe, South America, India, and the Philippines. He served 10 years on the board of directors culminating as President and Board Chairman of the National Technical Services Association, a trade association representing 300,000 contractors on assignment in the technical staffing industry that later merged with the American Staffing Association. He is an active member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO GOLD), formerly known as the World Presidents Organization (WPO) and has served as a member of the WPO International Board, as well
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as chairman of East Central US (ECUS) Region and Pittsburgh chapters as Chairman of the Board. As a 1976 Civil Engineering graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, he was a member of the Triangle (Engineering) Fraternity and its Alumni Association. He earned the Triangle Fraternity Distinguished Alumnus Citation in 2011 and currently serves on the Board of Directors. After earning the rank of Eagle Scout in 1970, he has remained active with the Boy Scouts of America, having served as the founding Chairman of the Board of the Pittsburgh Chapter of the National Eagle Scout Association, earning the NOESA (National Outstanding Eagle Scout Award) and the Silver Beaver Award and is past VP of Development and a board member of the Laurel Highlands Council in Western Pennsylvania. He was awarded the Manifesting the Kingdom of God Award by the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh in 2011. He was awarded the “Big Mac Award” from the Ronald McDonald Charities. As well as earning his BS in Civil Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh in 1976 and attended Harvard Business School’s OPM 33, graduating in 2003.
Byron Blount — Independent Director. Mr. Blount joined the board of directors and is the chair of the audit committee since November 2023. Mr. Blount has extensive experience in finance, investments, and acquisitions. He was Managing Director for the Blackstone Real Estate Group from 2011 to 2021 where he: had Primary Asset Management responsibilities for several industries and portfolio companies; oversaw the onboarding of acquisitions and establishment of Blackstone-affiliated portfolio companies; and had Primary Disposition responsibilities for several portfolios and companies across several industries. Mr. Blount was the LXR/Blackstone Executive Vice President from 2005 to 2010. His primary responsibilities involved: underwriting and acquisition of domestic and international property and mortgage loan portfolios; asset management; renovation and reconstruction projects, debt, and business model restructuring; and dispute resolution. He was a Principal of Colony Capital from 1993 to 2004 and was responsible for sourcing and structuring new investments, consummating transactions valued in excess of $5 billion. His Primary Acquisitions responsibilities included domestic and international acquisitions of real property, distressed mortgage debt, and real estate-related assets and entities. From 1987 to 1992, Mr. Blount was Vice President of WSGP which was formed to capitalize on the struggles of the US Savings and Loan industry and the FSLIC. He was responsible for structuring and managing/working out new investment opportunities, generally acquired from failed financial institutions. He graduated from University of Southern California in 1982 with a B.S. in Business Administration. Mr. Blount earned his MBA from University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business in 1987 and is a member Beta Gamma Sigma (International Business Honor Society).
The above information is submitted concerning the nominees for election as directors based upon information received by us from such persons.
Vote Required and Board of Directors’ Recommendation
Assuming a quorum is present, the affirmative vote of a plurality of the votes cast at the Annual Meeting, either in person or by proxy, is required for the election of a director. For purposes of the election of directors, withholding authority to vote your shares with respect to one or more director nominees and broker non-votes will have no effect on the result of the vote.
The BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS STOCKHOLDERS
VOTE “FOR” ALL OF THE NOMINEES NAMED IN PROPOSAL NO. 1.
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SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS
The following table sets forth information known to us regarding the beneficial ownership of Common Stock as of August 29, 2025 (the “Beneficial Ownership Date”) by:
• each person who is the beneficial owner of more than 5% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock;
• each of the Company’s named executive officers and directors; and
• all of the Company’s executive officers and directors as a group.
Beneficial ownership is determined according to the rules of the SEC, which generally provide that a person has beneficial ownership of a security if he, she or it possesses sole or shared voting or investment power over that security. Under those rules, beneficial ownership includes securities that the individual or entity has the right to acquire, such as through the exercise of warrants or stock options or the vesting of restricted stock units, within 60 days of the Beneficial Ownership Date. Shares subject to warrants or options that are currently exercisable or exercisable within 60 days of the Beneficial Ownership Date or subject to restricted stock units that vest within 60 days of the Beneficial Ownership Date are considered outstanding and beneficially owned by the person holding such warrants, options or restricted stock units for the purpose of computing the percentage ownership of that person but are not treated as outstanding for the purpose of computing the percentage ownership of any other person.
Except as described in the footnotes below and subject to applicable community property laws and similar laws, the Company believes that each person listed above has sole voting and investment power0 with respect to such shares.
The beneficial ownership of our securities is based on 38,225,057 shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding as of the Beneficial Ownership Date.
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Name and Address of Beneficial Owners(1) |
Number of |
% of |
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Directors and officers: |
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Byron Blount(2) |
140,359 |
* |
% |
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Dante Caravaggio(3) |
544,107 |
1.42 |
% |
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Joseph V. Salvucci, Sr.(4) |
2,275,844 |
5.91 |
% |
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Joseph V. Salvucci, Jr.(5) |
1,633,228 |
4.24 |
% |
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Mitchell B. Trotter(6) |
184,055 |
* |
% |
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David M. Smith(7) |
291,541 |
* |
% |
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All directors and officers after as a group (6 persons) |
3,544,123 |
9.18 |
% |
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Five Percent Holders: |
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FK Venture, LLC(8) |
2,000,000 |
5.23 |
% |
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* Less than one percent (1%)
(1) Unless otherwise noted, the business address of each of the following entities or individuals is 3730 Kirby Drive, Suite 1200, Houston, Texas 77098.
(2) Consists of (1) 124,806 shares of Common Stock held by Mr. Blount, and (2) 15,553 shares of Common Stock underlying warrants held by Mr. Blount.
(3) Consists of (1) 17,400 shares of Common Stock held by Mr. Caravaggio, (2) 460,040 shares of Common Stock held by Dante Caravaggio, LLC, of which Mr. Caravaggio has voting and dispositive control over the shares held by such entity, (3) 16,667 shares of Common Stock underlying options held by Mr. Caravaggio, and (5) 50,000 shares of Common Stock held by Donna Caravaggio, the wife of Mr. Caravaggio.
(4) Consists of (1) 750,833 shares of Common Stock held by Mr. Salvucci, Sr., (2) 1,232,621 shares of Common Stock held by JVS Alpha Property, LLC, over which Mr. Salvucci, Sr. has voting and dispositive control, and (3) 292,390 shares of Common Stock underlying warrants held by JVS Alpha Property, LLC.
(5) Consists of (1) 108,217 shares of Common Stock held directly by Mr. Salvucci, Jr., (2) 1,232,621 shares of Common Stock by JVS Alpha Property, LLC, and (3) 292,390 shares of Common Stock underlying warrants held by JVS Alpha Property, LLC, over which Mr. Salvucci, Jr. has voting and dispositive control.
(6) Consists of (1) 167,388 shares of Common Stock held by Mr. Trotter, and, (2) 16,667 shares of Common Stock underlying stock options held by Mr. Trotter.
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(7) Consists of (1) 265,500 shares of Common Stock held directly by Mr. Smith, (2) 9,374 shares of Common Stock underlying warrants held by Mr. Smith and (3) 16,667 shares of Common Stock underlying stock options held by Mr. Smith.
(8) The business address for this holder is 16192 Coastal Highway, Lewes, Delaware 19958.
Biographical Information Concerning Our Directors and Executive Officers
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Name |
Age |
Title |
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Dante Caravaggio |
68 |
Chief Executive Officer, President and Director |
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Mitchell B. Trotter |
66 |
Chief Financial Officer and Director |
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David M. Smith |
70 |
General Counsel and Secretary |
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Joseph V. Salvucci, Sr |
69 |
Director and Chairman |
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Joseph V. Salvucci, Jr. |
40 |
Director |
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Byron Blount |
68 |
Director |
Biographical information concerning Mr. Trotter, our Chief Financial Officer, who also serves as a member of our Board of Directors, Mr. Blount, and Mr. Salvucci, Sr. is set forth above.
Dante Caravaggio — Chief Executive Officer, President and Director. Mr. Caravaggio joined the company and has served as our Chief Executive Officer, President, and Director since December 2023. Since April 2021, Mr. Caravaggio has served as Chairman of SWI Excavating, one of the leading regional underground utility contractors in Colorado. In addition, since January 2021, Mr. Caravaggio has served as a strategy consultant for Shuler Industries to advance proprietary renewable technologies. From January 2020 to April 2022, Mr. Caravaggio served on the board of directors of McCarl’s Inc., a leading energy constructor in the northeast United States. Prior to joining McCarl’s Inc., Mr. Caravaggio was Senior Vice President, Hydrocarbons Americas for KBR (US) since January 2018. Prior to his role with KBR (US), Mr. Caravaggio held a number of roles as an executive and project manager with Parsons Corp. and Jacobs Engineering, overseeing upstream and downstream hydrocarbon projects. Mr. Caravaggio received his MBA at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California and his BS and MS in Petroleum Engineering at the University of Southern California.
Mr. Caravaggio is qualified to serve as CEO and as a member of our board of directors based on our review of his qualifications, attributes, and skills, including his oil and gas management experience and oil and gas acquisition experience.
David M. Smith, Esq. — Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of the Company. Mr. Smith has served as our General Counsel and Secretary since November 2023. Mr. Smith is a licensed attorney in Texas with over 40 years’ experience in the legal field of oil and gas exploration and production, manufacturing, purchase and sale agreements, exploration agreements, land and leaseholds, right of ways, pipelines, surface use, joint operating agreements, joint interest agreements, participation agreements and operations as well as transactional and litigation experience in oil and gas, real estate, bankruptcy and commercial industries. Mr. Smith purchased 142,500 shares of our Common Stock as a founder. Mr. Smith has represented a number of companies in significant oil and gas transactions, mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property research and development and sales in the oil and gas drilling business sector. Mr. Smith began his career by serving in a land and legal capacity as Vice President of Land and, subsequently, as President of a public Canadian company until beginning his legal practice as a partner with several law firms and ultimately creating his own independent legal practice. Mr. Smith holds a degree in Finance from Texas A&M University, a Doctor of Jurisprudence from South Texas College of Law and is licensed before the Texas Supreme Court.
Joseph V. Salvucci, Jr. — Independent Director. Joseph V. Salvucci, Jr. has served as a member of our board of directors since December 2021. Mr. Salvucci began his career with PEAK Technical Staffing USA (“PEAK”) in November 2010 and is currently serving as the Chief Executive Officer overseeing nine branches with several hundred employees, and managing strategic initiatives for the company, including Staff Training, Career Pathing, and Organic Growth. Mr. Salvucci Jr. received his Executive MBA from the University of Pittsburgh. In addition to his responsibilities as President/COO of PEAK, Mr. Salvucci Jr. serves on the board of Temporary Services Insurance Limited, a Workers’ Compensation company serving staffing companies.
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Arrangements Regarding Director Nominations
There are no arrangements regarding the nomination of our directors.
Family Relationships
There are no family relationships between any of our officers and directors, except that Mr. Joseph V. Salvucci, Sr. and Mr. Joseph V. Salvucci, Jr. are father and son, respectively.
Director or Officer Involvement in Certain Legal Proceedings
Our directors and executive officers were not involved in any legal proceedings as described in Item 401(f) of Regulation S-K in the past ten years.
Director Independence
The NYSE American listing standards require that a majority of our Board of Directors be independent. An “independent director” is defined generally as a person other than an officer or employee of the company or its subsidiaries or any other individual having a relationship which in the opinion of the company’s board of directors, would interfere with the director’s exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director. Of the current members of our Board of Directors, Messrs. Salvucci, Sr., Salvucci, Jr., and Byron Blount are each considered an “independent director” under the NYSE American listing standards and applicable SEC rules. Our independent directors will have regularly scheduled meetings at which only independent directors are present.
Meetings of the Board of Directors
The Board of Directors held seven meetings during our 2024 fiscal year. During our 2024 fiscal year, each member of our Board of Directors attended more than 75% of the aggregate number of meetings of the Board of Directors that were held during the time that they served as members of the Board of Directors. We do not have a formal policy regarding attendance by members of the Board of Directors at the annual meeting of stockholders, but we strongly encourage all members of the Board of Directors to attend our annual meetings and expect such attendance except in the event of extraordinary circumstances.
Committees of the Board of Directors
The standing committees of our Board of Directors consist of an audit committee (the “Audit Committee”), a compensation committee (the “Compensation Committee”), and a Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee (the “Nominating Committee”). The Audit Committee, Compensation Committee, and the Nominating Committee report to the Board of Directors.
Audit Committee
Currently, the members of our Audit Committee are Messrs. Blount and Salvucci, Sr., and Mr. Blount serves as chairman of the Audit Committee. As a smaller reporting company under the NYSE American listing standards, we are required to have at least two members on the Audit Committee. The rules of the NYSE American and Rule 10A-3 of the Exchange Act require that the audit committee of a listed company be comprised solely of independent directors. Each of Messrs. Salvucci, Sr. and Blount qualifies as an independent director under applicable rules. Each member of the Audit Committee is financially literate and our Board of Directors has determined that Mr. Blount qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” as defined in applicable SEC rules.
We have adopted an audit committee charter, which details the principal functions of the audit committee, including:
• the appointment, compensation, retention, replacement, and oversight of the work of the independent registered accounting firm and any other independent registered public accounting firm engaged by us;
• pre-approving all audit and non-audit services to be provided by the independent registered accounting firm or any other registered public accounting firm engaged by us, and establishing pre-approval policies and procedures;
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• reviewing and discussing with the independent registered accounting firm all relationships the auditors have with us in order to evaluate their continued independence;
• setting clear hiring policies for employees or former employees of the independent registered accounting firm;
• setting clear policies for audit partner rotation in compliance with applicable laws and regulations;
• obtaining and reviewing a report, at least annually, from the independent registered accounting firm describing (i) the independent registered accounting firm’s internal quality-control procedures and (ii) any material issues raised by the most recent internal quality-control review, or peer review, of the audit firm, or by any inquiry or investigation by governmental or professional authorities, within, the preceding five years respecting one or more independent audits carried out by the firm and any steps taken to deal with such issues;
• reviewing and approving any related party transaction required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404 of Regulation S-K promulgated by the SEC prior to us entering into such transaction; and
• reviewing with management, the independent registered accounting firm, and our legal advisors, as appropriate, any legal, regulatory or compliance matters, including any correspondence with regulators or government agencies and any employee complaints or published reports that raise material issues regarding our financial statements or accounting policies and any significant changes in accounting standards or rules promulgated by the Financial Accounting Standards Board, the SEC or other regulatory authorities.
Compensation Committee
Currently, the members of our Compensation Committee are Messrs. Salvucci, Sr., Salvucci, Jr., and Blount. Mr. Salvucci, Jr. serves as chairman of the Compensation Committee. Under the NYSE American listing standards and applicable SEC rules, we are required to have at least two members on the Compensation Committee, all of whom must be independent.
We have adopted a compensation committee charter, which details the principal functions of the compensation committee, including:
• reviewing and approving on an annual basis the corporate goals and objectives relevant to our Chief Executive Officer’s compensation, evaluating our Chief Executive Officer’s performance in light of such goals and objectives and determining and approving the remuneration (if any) of our Chief Executive Officer based on such evaluation;
• reviewing and approving the compensation of all of our other executive officers;
• reviewing our executive compensation policies and plans;
• implementing and administering our incentive compensation equity-based remuneration plans;
• assisting management in complying with our proxy statement and annual report disclosure requirements;
• approving all special perquisites, special cash payments and other special compensation and benefit arrangements for our executive officers and employees;
• producing a report on executive compensation to be included in our annual proxy statement; and
• reviewing, evaluating and recommending changes, if appropriate, to the remuneration for directors.
The charter also provides that the Compensation Committee may, in its sole discretion, retain or obtain the advice of a compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser and will be directly responsible for the appointment, compensation and oversight of the work of any such adviser. However, before engaging or receiving advice from a compensation consultant, external legal counsel or any other adviser, the compensation committee will consider the independence of each such adviser, including the factors required by the NYSE American and the SEC.
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Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee
The members of our Nominating Committee are Messrs. Blount, Salvucci, Sr. and Salvucci, Jr. Mr. Salvucci, Jr. serves as chair of Nominating Committee.
The primary purposes of our Nominating Committee is to assist the Board of Directors in:
• identifying, screening and reviewing individuals qualified to serve as directors and recommending to the Board of Directors candidates for nomination for election at the annual meeting of stockholders or to fill vacancies on the Board of Directors;
• developing, recommending to the Board of Directors and overseeing implementation of our corporate governance guidelines;
• coordinating and overseeing the annual self-evaluation of the Board of Directors, its committees, individual directors and management in the governance of the company; and
• reviewing on a regular basis our overall corporate governance and recommending improvements as and when necessary.
The Nominating Committee is governed by a charter that complies with the rules of the NYSE American.
A copy of each of our Nominating Committee Charter, Compensation Committee Charter, and Audit Committee Charter are accessible at https://EON-R.com/governance-documents.
Director Nominations
Our Nominating Committee recommends to the Board of Directors candidates for nomination for election at the annual meeting of the stockholders. The Board of Directors will also consider director candidates recommended for nomination by our stockholders during such times as they are seeking proposed nominees to stand for election at the next annual meeting of stockholders (or, if applicable, a special meeting of stockholders).
We have not formally established any specific, minimum qualifications that must be met or skills that are necessary for directors to possess. In general, in identifying and evaluating nominees for director, the board of directors considers educational background, diversity of professional experience, knowledge of our business, integrity, professional reputation, independence, wisdom, and the ability to represent the best interests of our stockholders.
Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation
During 2024, the Compensation Committee was composed of Messrs. Salvucci, Sr. (Chair), Salvucci, Jr., and Blount, none of whom were employed by the Company. In addition, none of the Compensation Committee members were formerly officers of the Company. See the section titled “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions — Related Party Transactions” for a description of certain relationships with Messrs. Salvucci, Sr., Salvucci Jr., and Blount that are disclosed pursuant to Item 404 of Regulation S-K, which are incorporated herein by reference.
Code of Ethics
We have adopted a Code of Ethics applicable to our directors, officers and employees. The Code of Ethics is available on our website accessible at https://EON-R.com/governance-documents. In addition, a copy of the Code of Ethics will be provided without charge upon request from us. We intend to disclose any amendments to or waivers of certain provisions of our Code of Ethics in a Current Report on Form 8-K.
Stockholder Communications
All stockholder communications must: (i) be addressed to our Secretary or Board of Directors at our address; (ii) be in writing in print and delivered in person or by first class United States mail postage prepaid or by reputable overnight delivery service; (iii) be signed by the stockholder sending the communication; (iv) indicate whether the communication is intended for the entire Board of Directors, a committee thereof, or the independent directors;
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(v) if the communication relates to a stockholder proposal or director nominee, the name and address of the stockholder, the class and number of shares held by the stockholder, a description of any agreement, arrangement or understanding with respect to the nomination or other business between or among such stockholder or beneficial owner and any other person, including without limitation any agreements that would be required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 5 or Item 6 of Exchange Act Schedule 13D (regardless of whether the requirement to file a Schedule 13D is applicable to the stockholder or beneficial owner) and a description of any agreement, arrangement or understanding (including any derivative or short positions, profit interests, options, hedging transactions, and borrowed or loaned shares) that has been entered into as of the date of the stockholder’s notice by, or on behalf of, such stockholder or beneficial owner, the effect or intent of which is to mitigate loss, manage risk or benefit from changes in the share price of any class of the Company’s capital stock, or maintain, increase or decrease the voting power of the stockholder or beneficial owner with respect to shares of stock of the Company; provided that we will not entertain stockholder proposals or stockholder nominations from stockholders who do not meet the eligibility and procedural criteria for submission of stockholder proposals under Rule 14a-8 of Regulation 14A under the Exchange Act; and (vi) if the communication relates to a director nominee being recommended by the stockholder, must include all other information as required by our Bylaws, including without limitation, appropriate biographical information of the candidate.
Upon receipt of a stockholder communication that is compliant with the requirements identified above, the Secretary shall promptly deliver such communication to the appropriate member(s) of the Board of Directors or committee member(s) identified by the stockholder as the intended recipient of such communication by forwarding the communication to either the chairman of the Board of Directors with a copy to the Chief Executive Officer, the chairman of the applicable committee, or to each of the independent directors, as the case may be.
The Chief Executive Officer may, in his sole discretion and acting in good faith, provide copies of any such stockholder communication to any one or more of our directors and executive officers, except that in processing any stockholder communication addressed to the independent directors, the Chief Executive Officer may not copy any member of management in forwarding such communications. In addition, the Chief Executive Officer may, in his sole discretion and acting in good faith, not forward certain items if they are deemed of a commercial or frivolous nature or otherwise inappropriate for consideration by the intended recipient and any such correspondence may be forwarded elsewhere in our Company for review and possible response.
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CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
Approval for Related Party Transactions
Our Board of Directors has adopted a written related person transaction policy, which sets forth the policies and procedures for the review and approval or ratification of related party transactions. This policy is administrated by our Audit Committee. These policies provide that, in determining whether or not to recommend the initial approval or ratification of a related party transaction, the relevant facts and circumstances available shall be considered, including, among other factors it deems appropriate, whether the interested transaction is on terms no less favorable than terms generally available to an unaffiliated third party under the same or similar circumstances and the extent of the related party’s interest in the transaction.
Related Party Transactions
Other than compensation arrangements for our named executive officers and directors, we describe below each transaction or series of similar transactions, since January 1, 2023, to which we were a party or will be a party, in which:
• the amounts involved exceeded or will exceed the lesser of (i) $120,000 or (ii) one percent of the average of our total assets at year-end for the last two completed fiscal years; and
• any of our directors, executive officers or holders of more than 5% of our capital stock, or any member of the immediate family of the foregoing persons, had or will have a direct or indirect material interest.
See “Executive Compensation” for a description of certain arrangements with our executive officers and directors.
Related Party Loans and Costs
During 2023, we received an additional $5,305,000 in cash proceeds from existing investors of the company, officers and directors and entered into various note and warrant purchase agreements.
In March 2024, we issued 100,000 warrants to our Chief Financial Officer having terms substantially similar to the Private Placement Warrants in connection with the receipt of $100,000 in cash and the issuance of a promissory note.
In April 2024, we issued 100,000 warrants to our Chief Financial Officer having terms substantially similar to the Private Placement Warrants in connection with the receipt of $100,000 in cash and the issuance of a promissory note.
In May 2024, we issued 100,000 warrants to a stockholder controlled by a director having terms substantially similar to the private placement warrants in connection with the receipt of $100,000 in cash and the issuance of a promissory note.
Founder Pledge Agreement
In connection with the closing of our initial business combination in November 2023, we entered into entered into a Founder Pledge Agreement (the “Founder Pledge Agreement”) with the certain affiliates (the “Founders”) whereby, in consideration of placing certain shares into escrow and entering into an agreement with Pogo Royalty LLC, we agreed: (a) by January 15, 2024, to issue to the Founders an aggregate number of newly issued shares of Common Stock equal to 10% of the number of shares placed in trust; (b) by January 15, 2024, to issue to the Founders a number of warrants to purchase an aggregate number of shares of Common Stock equal to 10% of the number of shares placed in trust, which such warrants shall be exercisable for five years from issuance at an exercise price of $11.50 per shares; (c) to issue an aggregate number of newly issued shares of Common Stock equal to (i) (A) the number of v, divided by (B) the simple average of the daily VWAP of the Common Stock during the five (5) Trading Days prior to the date of the termination of the backstop agreement, subject to a minimum of $6.50 per share, multiplied by (C) a price between $10.00-$13.00 per share (as further described in the Founder Pledge Agreement), minus (ii) the number of shares placed in trust; and (d) following the purchase of preferred units of HNRA Upstream LLC by a Founder pursuant to the backstop agreement, to issue a number of newly issued shares of Common Stock equal to the number of shares placed
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in trust sold by such Founder. Until the Founder Pledge Agreement is terminated, the Founders are not permitted to engage in any transaction which is designed to sell short the Common Stock or any other publicly traded securities of our Company.
Pursuant to the Founder Pledge Agreement, we issued (i) 94,000 shares of Common Stock to JVS Alpha Property, LLC, an entity controlled by Joseph Salvucci, Jr., a member of our Board of Directors, (ii) 2,500 shares of Common Stock to Byron Blount, a member of our Board of Directors, and (iii) 30,000 shares of Common Stock to Dante Caravaggio, LLC, an entity controlled by Dante Caravaggio, our Chief Executive Officer, President, and member of our Board of Directors.
Exchange Agreements
On November 13, 2023, we entered into exchange agreements (“Exchange Agreements”) with certain holders (the “Noteholders”) of promissory notes issued by us for working capital purposes which accrued interest at a rate of 15% per annum (the “Notes”). Pursuant to the Exchange Agreements, we agreed to exchange, in consideration of the surrender and termination of the Notes in an aggregate principal amount (including interest accrued thereon) of $2,257,771, for 451,563 shares of Common Stock at a price per share equal to $5.00 per share. The Noteholders include JVS Alpha Property, LLC, a company which is controlled by Joseph Salvucci, Jr., member of our Board of Directors, Dante Caravaggio, LLC, a company which is controlled by Dante Caravaggio, our Chief Executive Officer, President, and member of our Board of Directors, Byron Blount, a member of our Board of Directors, and Mitchell B. Trotter, our Chief Financial Officer and a member of our Board of Directors.
Consulting Agreement
In connection with a Referral Fee and Consulting Agreement (the “Consulting Agreement”) by and between us and Alexandria VMA Capital, LLC, an entity controlled by Dante Caravaggio, our Chief Executive Officer, President, and member of our Board of Directors (“Consultant”), we issued 89,000 shares of Common Stock to Consultant in connection with the closing of the Purchase as consideration for services rendered with a value of $900,000. The Consultant also earned an additional $900,000 transaction fee, of which the Company owes $403,000 as of December 31, 2024.
Convertible Notes
In May 2025, we entered into exchange agreements whereby each of JVS Alpha Property, LLC, an entity controlled by Joseph Salvucci, Jr., Mitch Trotter, and Byron Blount exchanged their promissory notes and warrants to purchase common stock for convertible promissory notes (the “Convertible Notes”). The principal amounts of the Convertible Notes were determined by adding the original principal amount of the promissory notes and the number of warrants to purchase common stock. In connection with the exchange agreements, we issued Convertible Notes in the aggregate principal amount of $1,450,000 in exchange for promissory notes and warrants to purchase common stock held by our named executive officers and directors. The Convertible Notes mature on January 31, 2028 and accrue interest at a rate of 7.5% per annum. The Convertible Notes may be prepaid by us at any time, in whole or in part, without any premium or penalty. The Convertible Notes may be converted by the holders at any time after issuance into shares of Common Stock at a conversion price equal to the greater of (a) $0.25 per share or (b) 90% multiplied by the average of the three lowest VWAPs of the Common Stock over the ten trading days prior to conversion.
Other
On February 14, 2023, we entered into a consulting agreement with Donald Orr, our former President, which became effective upon the closing of our initial business combination for a term of three years. Under the agreement, we will pay Mr. Orr an initial cash amount of $25,000, an initial award of 60,000 shares of common stock, a monthly payment of $8,000 for the first year of the agreement and $12,000 per month for the remaining two years, and two grants, each consisting of restricted stock units (“RSUs”) calculated by dividing $150,000 by the stock price on the one year and two year anniversary of the initial Business Combination. Each of the RSU awards will vest upon the one year and two year anniversary of the grants. In the event of termination of Mr. Orr without cause, Mr. Orr will be entitled to 12 months of the monthly payment in effect at that time, and the RSU awards issued to Mr. Orr shall fully vest. The shares of common stock were approved by the Board of Directors and issued in March of 2024.
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In connection with a Referral Fee and Consulting Agreement (the “Consulting Agreement”) by and between us and Alexandria VMA Capital, LLC, an entity controlled by Dante Caravaggio, our Chief Executive Officer, President, and member of our Board of Directors (“Consultant”), we issued 89,000 shares of Common Stock to Consultant in connection with the closing of the initial business combination as consideration for services rendered with a value of $900,000. The Consultant also earned an additional $900,000 transaction fee, of which we owed $403,000 as of December 31, 2024.
On February 15, 2023, we entered into a consulting agreement with Rhône Merchant House, Ltd. (“RMH Ltd”), a company control by our former Chairman and CEO Donald H. Goree, which became effective upon the closing of our initial business combination for a term of three years (the “Consulting Agreement”). Under the Consulting Agreement, we agreed to pay to RMH Ltd an initial cash amount of $50,000, an initial award of 60,000 shares of common stock, a monthly payment of $22,000, and two grants, each consisting of RSUs calculated by dividing $250,000 by the stock price on the one year and two year anniversary of the initial business combination. Each of the RSU awards would vest upon the one year and two year anniversary of the grants. In the event of termination of RMH Ltd. without cause, RMH Ltd. would be entitled to $264,000, and the RSU awards issued to RMH Ltd. shall fully vest. The shares of common stock were approved by the Board of Directors and issued in March of 2024. Effective May 6, 2024, we and RMH Ltd. entered into a settlement and mutual release agreement pursuant to which we paid $100,000 in cash, with $50,000 paid on or before execution and the remaining $50,000 was paid on July 19, 2024 in the form of an unsecured promissory note. We also issued 150,000 shares of Common Stock on October 15, 2024, subject to a contractual lockup, as final consideration under the Consulting Agreement, which was deemed terminated effective May 6, 2024.
In May 2024, we issued 100,000 warrants to a stockholder controlled by Joseph V. Salvucci, Sr., a member of our Board of Directors, having terms substantially similar to the Private Placement Warrants in connection with the receipt of $100,000 in cash and the issuance of a promissory note.
In October 2024, we issued 27,963 shares of Common Stock (the “Pledge Shares”) issued to Dante Caravaggio, Mitch Trotter, David Smith, Byron Blount, and Jesse Allen (our VP of Operations) in connection with their agreement to pledge equity in favor of First International Bank & Trust (“FIBT”).
In October 2024, we issued 50,000 shares of Common Stock to Mark Williams, our Controller and Vice President of Finance and Admin, in connection with the forgiveness of $50,000 of accounts payable due to him for his services as a consultant prior to our initial business combination.
In October 2024, each of Dante Caravaggio, LLC, an entity controlled by our Chief Executive Officer, and Mark Williams agreed to forgive certain accounts payable of the Company in exchange for shares of Common Stock at a rate of $1.00 of accounts payable per share of Common Stock. Dante Caravaggio, LLC provided consulting services prior to the closing of the Company’s initial business combination, and assigned the right to receive the Common Stock to Donna Caravaggio, the wife of our Chief Executive Officer. Mark Williams provided financial consulting services prior to the closing of the Company’s initial business combination. The Company issued 100,000 shares of Common Stock to Ms. Caravaggio, and 50,000 shares of Common Stock to Mr. Williams in exchange for the forgiveness of $100,000 and $50,000 of outstanding accounts payable, respectively.
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PROPOSAL NO. 2 — THE AUDITOR PROPOSAL
Overview
We have appointed CBIZ CPAs P.C. (“CBIZ”) to serve as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2025. CBIZ has served as our independent registered public accounting firm since 2024, when CBIZ acquired the attest business of our prior independent registered public accounting firm in November 2024.
In the event that ratification of this appointment CBIZ is not approved by the affirmative vote of a majority of votes cast on the matter, then the appointment CBIZ will be reconsidered by us.
Your ratification of the appointment of CBIZ as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2025 does not preclude us from terminating our engagement of CBIZ and retaining a new independent registered public accounting firm, if we determine that such an action would be in our best interest.
The following table sets forth the aggregate fees billed to us for professional services rendered by our prior independent registered public accounting firm and CBIZ for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023:
SERVICES
|
December 31, |
December 31, |
|||||
|
Audit fees |
$ |
412,539 |
$ |
383,655 |
||
|
Audit related fees |
|
81,369 |
|
241,844 |
||
|
Tax Fees |
|
— |
|
— |
||
|
All other fees |
|
— |
|
— |
||
|
Total fees |
$ |
493,908 |
$ |
625,499 |
||
____________
(1) Audit Fees — Audit fees consist of fees billed for professional services rendered for the audit of our year-end financial statements and services that are normally provided by our prior independent registered public accounting firm and CBIZ in connection with regulatory filings.
(2) Audit-Related Fees — Audit-related services consist of fees billed for assurance and related services that are reasonably related to performance of the audit or review of our financial statements and are not reported under “Audit Fees.” These services include attest services that are not required by statute or regulation and consultations concerning financial accounting and reporting standards.
(3) Tax Fees — Tax fees consist of aggregate fees for tax compliance and tax advice, including the review and preparation of our various jurisdictions’ income tax returns.
Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures
The Audit Committee has the authority to appoint or replace our independent registered public accounting firm (subject, if applicable, to stockholder ratification). The Audit Committee is also responsible for the compensation and oversight of the work of the independent registered public accounting firm (including resolution of disagreements between management and the independent registered public accounting firm regarding financial reporting) for the purpose of preparing or issuing an audit report or related work. The independent registered public accounting firm was engaged by, and reports directly to, the Audit Committee.
The Audit Committee pre-approves all audit services and permitted non-audit services (including the fees and terms thereof) to be performed for us by our independent registered public accounting firm, subject to the de minimis exceptions for non-audit services described in Section 10A(i)(1)(B) of the Exchange Act and Rule 2-01(c)(7)(i)(C) of Regulation S-X, provided that all such excepted services are subsequently approved prior to the completion of the audit. We have complied with the procedures set forth above, and the Audit Committee has otherwise complied with the provisions of its charter.
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Vote Required and Board of Directors’ Recommendation
Assuming a quorum is present, the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast by stockholders present at the Annual Meeting and entitled to vote, either in person or by proxy, is required for approval of the Auditor Proposal. For purposes of the ratification of our independent registered public accounting firm, abstentions and broker non-votes will have no effect on the result of the vote.
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS THAT STOCKHOLDERS
VOTE “FOR” AUDITOR PROPOSAL.
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PROPOSAL NO. 3 — INCENTIVE PLAN PROPOSAL
2025 Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan
On September 4, 2025, our Board of Directors approved the adoption, subject to stockholder approval at the Annual Meeting, of the EON Resources Inc. 2025 Omnibus Incentive Plan (the “2025 Plan”). As part of this process, our Board of Directors reviewed the number of shares available under the 2023 HNR Acquisition Corp Omnibus Incentive Plan (the “2023 Plan”), and determined that approximately 23,872 shares available for grant thereunder represented an insufficient number of shares to enable us to provide sufficient future grants of stock options or other stock awards, as we seek to expand our business operations.
As a result, our Board of Directors believes that the adoption of the 2025 Plan is necessary and in the best interests of our company and its long-term strategic growth to permit us to continue to attract, retain and motivate officers, employees, non-employee directors and consultants.
Potentially all of our employees, officers, directors and consultants will be eligible to participate in the 2025 Plan. Because participation in, and the types of awards that may be made under, the 2025 Plan are subject to the discretion of the Compensation Committee (or the Board, as applicable), we cannot determine the dollar value or number of shares of Common Stock that will in the future be received by or allocated to any participant or groups of participants, including our directors, executive officers and other employees. As of September 5, 2025, there were approximately 3 executive officers and approximately 3 non-employee directors of the Company who will be eligible to participate in the 2025 Plan.
The following is a brief description of the 2025 Plan. The full text of the 2025 Plan is attached as Annex A to this Proxy Statement, and the following description is qualified in its entirety by reference thereto. We urge you to read the 2025 Plan document carefully for a complete statement of the provisions summarized herein.
Purpose and Eligibility. The purpose of the 2025 Plan is (i) to provide eligible persons with an incentive to contribute to our success and to operate and manage our business in a manner that will provide for our long-term growth and profitability and that will benefit our stockholders and other important stakeholders, including our employees and customers, and (ii) to provide a means of recruiting, rewarding, and retaining key personnel.
Equity awards may be granted under the 2025 Plan to officers, directors, including non-employee directors, other employees, advisors, consultants or other service providers of the company or our subsidiaries or other affiliates, and to any other individuals who are approved by the Compensation Committee as eligible to participate in the 2025 Plan. Only our employees or employees of our corporate subsidiaries are eligible to receive incentive stock options.
Effective Date and Term. The 2025 Plan is effective as of September 4, 2025, subject to approval of the Company’s stockholders at the Annual Meeting, and will terminate automatically at 11:59PM ET on the day before the 10th anniversary of the such date, unless earlier terminated by our board of directors or in accordance with the terms of the 2025 Plan.
Administration, Amendment and Termination. The 2025 Plan will generally be administered by the Compensation Committee. Except where the authority to act on such matters is specifically reserved to the full board of directors under the 2025 Plan or applicable law, the Compensation Committee will have full power and authority to interpret and construe all provisions of the 2025 Plan, any award, and any award agreement, and take all actions and to make all determinations required or provided for under the 2025 Plan, any award, and any award agreement, including the authority to:
• designate grantees of awards;
• determine the type or types of awards to be made to a grantee;
• determine the number of shares of Common Stock subject to an award or to which an award relates;
• establish the terms and conditions of each award;
• prescribe the form of each award agreement;
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• subject to limitations in the 2025 Plan (including the prohibition on repricing of options or share appreciation rights without stockholder approval), amend, modify, or supplement the terms of any outstanding award; and
• make substitute awards.
The Board of Directors is also authorized to appoint one or more committees of the Board of Directors consisting of one or more directors who need not meet the independence requirements under the listing rules of any stock exchange on which Common Stock is listed for certain limited purposes permitted by the 2025 Plan, and to the extent permitted by applicable law, the Compensation Committee is authorized to delegate authority to the Chief Executive Officer and/or any other officers of the company for certain limited purposes permitted by the 2025 Plan. The Board of Directors will retain the authority under the 2025 Plan to exercise any or all of the powers and authorities related to the administration and implementation of the 2025 Plan.
The Board of Directors may amend, suspend, or terminate the 2025 Plan at any time; provided that with respect to awards that are granted under the 2025 Plan, no amendment, suspension or termination may materially impair the rights of the award holder without such holder’s consent. No such action may amend the 2025 Plan without the approval of stockholders if the amendment is required to be submitted for stockholder approval by the Board of Directors, the terms of the 2025 Plan, or applicable law.
Awards. Awards under the 2025 Plan may be made in the form of:
• stock options, which may be either incentive stock options or nonqualified stock options;
• stock appreciation rights or “SARs”;
• restricted stock;
• restricted stock units;
• dividend equivalent rights;
• performance awards, including performance shares;
• other equity-based awards; or
• cash.
An incentive stock option is an option that meets the requirements of Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and a nonqualified stock option is an option that does not meet those requirements. A SAR is a right to receive upon exercise, in the form of stock, cash or a combination of stock and cash, the excess of the fair market value of one share on the exercise date over the exercise price of the SAR. Restricted stock is an award of common stock subject to restrictions over restricted periods that subject the shares to a substantial risk of forfeiture, as defined in Section 83 of the Code. A restricted stock unit or deferred stock unit is an award that represents a conditional right to receive shares in the future and that may be made subject to the same types of restrictions and risk of forfeiture as restricted stock. Dividend equivalent rights are awards entitling the grantee to receive cash, shares, other awards under the 2025 Plan or other property equal in value to dividends or other periodic payments paid or made with respect to a specified number of shares of stock. Performance awards are awards made subject to the achievement of one or more performance goals over a performance period established by the Compensation Committee. Other equity-based awards are awards representing a right or other interest that may be denominated or payable in, valued in whole or in part by reference to, or otherwise based on or related to stock, other than an option, SAR, restricted stock, restricted stock unit, unrestricted stock, dividend equivalent right, or a performance award.
The 2025 Plan provides that each award will be evidenced by an award agreement, which may specify terms and conditions of the award that differ from the terms and conditions that would otherwise apply under the 2025 Plan in the absence of the different terms and conditions in the award agreement. In the event of any inconsistency between the 2025 Plan and an award agreement, the provisions of the 2025 Plan will control.
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Awards under the 2025 Plan may be granted alone or in addition to, in tandem with, or in substitution or exchange for any other award under the 2025 Plan, other awards under another compensatory plan of the company or any of our affiliates (or any business entity that has been a party to a transaction with the company or any of our affiliates), or other rights to payment from the company or any of our affiliates. Awards granted in addition to or in tandem with other awards may be granted either at the same time or at different times.
The Compensation Committee may permit or require the deferral of any payment pursuant to any award into a deferred compensation arrangement, which may include provisions for the payment or crediting of interest or dividend equivalent rights, in accordance with rules and procedures established by the Compensation Committee. Awards under the 2025 Plan generally will be granted for no consideration other than past services by the grantee of the award or, if provided for in the award agreement or in a separate agreement, the grantee’s promise to perform future services to the company or one of our subsidiaries or other affiliates.
Forfeiture; Recoupment. We may reserve the right in an award agreement to cause a forfeiture of the gain realized by a grantee with respect to an award on account of actions taken by, or failed to be taken by, such grantee in violation or breach of, or in conflict with, any employment agreement, non-competition agreement, agreement prohibiting solicitation of employees or clients of the company or any affiliate, confidentiality obligations with respect to the company or any affiliate, or otherwise in competition with the company or any affiliate, to the extent specified in such award agreement. If the grantee is an employee and is terminated for “Cause” (as defined in the 2025 Plan), the Compensation Committee may annul the grantee’s award as of the date of the grantee’s termination.
In addition, any award granted pursuant to the 2025 Plan will be subject to mandatory repayment by the grantee to the company to the extent (i) set forth in the 2025 Plan or in an award agreement, or (ii) the grantee is or becomes subject to our clawback policy, or any applicable laws which impose mandatory recoupment.
Shares Subject to the 2025 Plan. Subject to adjustment as described below, the maximum number of shares of common stock reserved for issuance under the 2025 Plan is equal to 4,587,007 shares of Common Stock. The maximum number of shares of Common Stock available for issuance pursuant to incentive stock options granted under the 2025 Plan will be the same as the total number of shares of Common Stock reserved for issuance under the 2025 Plan. Shares issued under the 2025 Plan may be authorized and unissued shares, or treasury shares, or a combination of the foregoing.
Any shares covered by an award, or portion of an award, granted under the 2025 Plan that are not purchased or forfeited or canceled, or expire or otherwise terminate without the issuance of shares or are settled in cash in lieu of shares, will again be available for issuance under the 2025 Plan.
Shares subject to an award granted under the 2025 Plan will be counted against the maximum number of shares reserved for issuance under the 2025 Plan as one share for every one share subject to such an award. In addition, at least the target number of shares of stock issuable under a performance award will be counted against the maximum number of shares reserved for issuance under the 2025 Plan as of the grant date, but such number will be adjusted to equal the actual number of shares of stock issued upon settlement of the performance award to the extent different from such number initially counted against the share reserve.
The number of shares available for issuance under the 2025 Plan will not be increased by the number of shares of Common Stock: (i) tendered or withheld or subject to an award surrendered in connection with the purchase of shares upon exercise of an option; (ii) that were not issued upon the net settlement or net exercise of a stock-settled SAR, (iii) deducted or delivered from payment of an award in connection with our tax withholding obligations; or (iv) purchased by us with proceeds from option exercises.
Options. The 2025 Plan authorizes the Compensation Committee to grant incentive stock options (under Section 422 of the Code) and options that do not qualify as incentive stock options. An option granted under the 2025 Plan will be exercisable only to the extent that it is vested. Each option will become vested and exercisable at such times and under such conditions as the Compensation Committee may approve consistent with the terms of the 2025 Plan. No option may be exercisable more than ten years after the option grant date, or five years after the option grant date in the case of an incentive stock option granted to a “ten percent stockholder” (as defined in the 2025 Plan); provided that, to the extent deemed necessary or appropriate by the Compensation Committee to reflect differences in local law, tax policy, or custom with respect to any option granted to a grantee who is a foreign national or is a natural person who is employed outside of the United States, such option may terminate, and all rights to purchase shares of
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stock thereunder may cease, upon the expiration of a period longer than ten (10) years from the date of grant of such option as the Compensation Committee shall determine. The Compensation Committee may include in the option agreement provisions specifying the period during which an option may be exercised following termination of the grantee’s service. The exercise price of each option will be determined by the Compensation Committee, provided that the per share exercise price will be equal to or greater than 100% of the fair market value of a share of Common Stock on the grant date (other than as permitted for substitute awards). If we were to grant incentive stock options to any ten percent stockholder, the per share exercise price will not be less than 110% of the fair market value of a share of Common Stock on the grant date.
Incentive stock options and nonqualified stock options are generally non-transferable, except for transfers by will or the laws of descent and distribution. The Compensation Committee may, in its discretion, determine that a nonqualified stock option may be transferred to family members by gift or other transfers deemed not to be for value.
Share Appreciation Rights. The 2025 Plan authorizes the Compensation Committee to grant SARs that provide the recipient with the right to receive, upon exercise of the SAR, cash, Common Stock, or a combination of the two. The amount that the recipient will receive upon exercise of the SAR generally will equal the excess of the fair market value of shares of Common Stock on the date of exercise over the fair market value of shares of Common Stock on the grant date. SARs will become exercisable in accordance with terms determined by the Compensation Committee. SARs may be granted in tandem with an option grant or independently from an option grant. The term of a SAR cannot exceed ten (10) years from the date of grant. The per share exercise price of a SAR will be no less than the fair market value of one share of Common Stock on the grant date of such SAR.
SARs will be nontransferable, except for transfers by will or the laws of descent and distribution. The Compensation Committee may determine that all or part of a SAR may be transferred to certain family members of the grantee by gift or other transfers deemed not to be for value.
Fair Market Value. For so long as the Common Stock remains listed on NYSE American, the fair market value of the Common Stock on an award’s grant date, or on any other date for which fair market value is required to be established under the 2025 Plan, will be the closing price of the Common Stock as reported on NYSE American on such date. If there is no such reported closing price on such date, the fair market value of the Common Stock will be the closing price of the Common Stock as reported on such market on the next preceding date on which any sale of Common Stock will have been reported.
If the Common Stock ceases to be listed on NYSE American and is listed on another established national or regional stock exchange, or traded on another established securities market, fair market value will similarly be determined by reference to the closing price of the Common Stock on the applicable date as reported on such other stock exchange or established securities market.
If the Common Stock ceases to be listed on NYSE American or another established national or regional stock exchange, or traded on another established securities market, the Compensation Committee will determine the fair market value of the Common Stock by the reasonable application of a reasonable valuation method in a manner consistent with Section 409A of the Code.
No Repricing. Except in connection with a corporate transaction involving the company (including, without limitation, any stock dividend, distribution (whether in the form of cash, shares of stock, other securities or other property), stock split, extraordinary dividend, recapitalization, change in control, reorganization, merger, consolidation, split-up, spin-off, combination, repurchase or exchange of shares of stock or other securities or similar transaction), we may not, without obtaining stockholder approval, (a) amend the terms of outstanding options or SARs to reduce the exercise price of such outstanding options or SARs, (b) cancel outstanding options or SARs in exchange for, or in substitution of, options or SARs with an exercise price that is less than the exercise price of the original options or SARs, (c) cancel outstanding options or SARs with an exercise price above the current price of Common Stock in exchange for cash or other securities, in each case, unless such action is (i) subject to and approved by our stockholders or (ii) would not be deemed to be a repricing under the rules of any stock exchange or securities market on which the Common Stock is listed or publicly traded.
Restricted Stock; Restricted Stock Units. The 2025 Plan authorizes the Compensation Committee to grant restricted stock and restricted stock units. Subject to the provisions of the 2025 Plan, the Compensation Committee will determine the terms and conditions of each award of restricted stock and restricted stock units, including the
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restricted period for all or a portion of the award, the restrictions applicable to the award, and the purchase price, if any, for the shares of stock subject to the award. The restrictions, if any, may lapse over a specified period of time or through the satisfaction of conditions, in installments or otherwise, as the Compensation Committee may determine. A grantee of restricted stock will have all of the rights of a stockholder as to those shares, including, without limitation, the right to vote the shares and receive dividends or distributions on the shares, except to the extent limited by the Compensation Committee. The Compensation Committee may provide in an award agreement evidencing a grant of restricted stock that (a) cash dividend payments or distributions paid on restricted stock will be reinvested in shares of stock, which may or may not be subject to the same vesting conditions and restrictions as applicable to such shares of restricted stock or (b) any dividend payments or distributions declared or paid on shares of restricted stock will only be made or paid upon satisfaction of the vesting conditions and restrictions applicable to such shares of restricted stock. Dividend payments or distributions declared or paid on shares of restricted stock which vest or are earned based on upon the achievement of performance goals will not vest unless such performance goals for such shares of restricted stock are achieved, and if such performance goals are not achieved, the grantee of such shares of restricted stock will promptly forfeit and, to the extent already paid or distributed, repay to us such dividend payments or distributions. Grantees of restricted stock units and deferred stock units will have no voting or dividend rights or other rights associated with share ownership, although the Compensation Committee may award dividend equivalent rights on such units.
During the restricted period, if any, when restricted stock and restricted stock units are non-transferable or forfeitable, a grantee is prohibited from selling, transferring, assigning, pledging, exchanging, hypothecating, or otherwise encumbering or disposing of the grantees’ restricted stock and restricted stock units.
Dividend Equivalent Rights. The 2025 Plan authorizes the Compensation Committee to grant dividend equivalent rights. Dividend equivalent rights may be granted independently or in connection with the grant of any equity-based award, except that no dividend equivalent right may be granted in connection with, or related to an option or SAR. Dividend equivalent rights may be paid currently (with or without being subject to forfeiture or a repayment obligation) or may be deemed to be reinvested in additional shares of stock or awards which may thereafter accrue additional dividend equivalent rights (with or without being subject to forfeiture or a repayment obligation) and may be payable in cash, common shares, or a combination of the two. Dividend equivalent rights granted as a component of another award may (a) provide that such dividend equivalent right will be settled upon exercise, settlement, or payment of, or lapse of restriction on, such other award and that such dividend equivalent will expire or be forfeited or annulled under the same conditions as such award or (b) contain terms and conditions which are different from the terms and conditions of such other award, provided that dividend equivalent rights credited pursuant to a dividend equivalent right granted as a component of another award which vests or is earned based on the achievement of performance goals will not vest unless such performance goals for such underlying award are achieved, and if such performance goals are not achieved, the grantee of such dividend equivalent right will promptly forfeit and, to the extent already paid or distributed, repay to us payments or distributions made in connection with such dividend equivalent rights.
Performance Awards. The 2025 Plan authorizes the Compensation Committee to grant performance awards. The Compensation Committee will determine the applicable performance period, the performance goals, and such other conditions that apply to the performance award. Any performance measures may be used to measure the performance of the company and our subsidiaries and other affiliates as a whole or any business unit of the company, our subsidiaries, and/or our affiliates or any combination thereof, as the Compensation Committee may deem appropriate, or any performance measures as compared to the performance of a group of comparable companies, or published or special index that the Compensation Committee deems appropriate. Performance goals may relate to our financial performance or the financial performance of our operating units, the grantee’s performance, or such other criteria determined by the Compensation Committee. If the performance goals are met, performance awards will be paid in cash, shares of stock, other awards, or a combination thereof.
Other Equity-Based Awards. The 2025 Plan authorizes the Compensation Committee to grant other types of stock-based awards under the 2025 Plan. The terms and conditions that apply to other equity-based awards are determined by the Compensation Committee.
Forms of Payment. The exercise price for any option or the purchase price (if any) for restricted stock, and vested restricted stock units is generally payable (i) in cash or in cash equivalents acceptable to the company, (ii) to the extent the award agreement provides, by the tender (or attestation of ownership) of shares of Common Stock having a fair market value on the date of tender (or attestation) equal to the exercise price or purchase price, (iii) to the extent
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permitted by law and to the extent permitted by the award agreement, through a broker-assisted cashless exercise, or (iv) to the extent the award agreement provides and/or unless otherwise specified in an award agreement, any other form permissible by applicable law, including net exercise or net settlement and service rendered to us or our affiliates.
Change in Capitalization. The Compensation Committee may adjust the terms of outstanding awards under the 2025 Plan to preserve the proportionate interests of the holders in such awards on account of any recapitalization, reclassification, share split, reverse share split, spin-off, combination of share, exchange of shares, share dividend or other distribution payable in capital shares, or other increase or decrease in such shares effected without receipt of consideration by the company. The adjustments will include proportionate adjustments to (i) the number and kind of shares subject to outstanding awards and (ii) the per share exercise price of outstanding options or SARs.
Transaction not Constituting a Change in Control. If the company is the surviving entity in any reorganization, merger, or consolidation with one or more other entities which does not constitute a “change in control” (as defined in the 2025 Plan), any awards will be adjusted to pertain to and apply to the securities to which a holder of the number of common shares subject to such award would have been entitled immediately after such transaction, with a corresponding proportionate adjustment to the per share price of options and SARs so that the aggregate price per share of each option or SAR thereafter is the same as the aggregate price per share of each option or SAR subject to the option or SAR immediately prior to such transaction. Further, in the event of any such transaction, performance awards (and the related performance measures if deemed appropriate by the Compensation Committee) will be adjusted to apply to the securities that a holder of the number of Common Stock subject to such performance awards would have been entitled to receive following such transaction.
Effect of a Change in Control in which Awards are not Assumed. Except as otherwise provided in the applicable award agreement, in another agreement with the grantee, or as otherwise set forth in writing, upon the occurrence of a change in control in which outstanding awards are not being assumed or continued, the following provisions will apply to such awards, to the extent not assumed or continued:
• Immediately prior to the occurrence of such change in control, in each case with the exception of performance awards, all outstanding shares of restricted stock and all restricted stock units, and dividend equivalent rights will be deemed to have vested, and all shares of stock and/or cash subject to such awards will be delivered; and either or both of the following two actions will be taken:
• At least 15 days prior to the scheduled consummation of such change in control, all options and SARs outstanding will become immediately exercisable and will remain exercisable for a period of 15 days. Any exercise of an option or SAR during this 15-day period will be conditioned on the consummation of the applicable change in control and will be effective only immediately before the consummation thereof, and upon consummation of such change in control, the 2025 Plan and all outstanding but unexercised options and SARs will terminate, with or without consideration as determined by the Compensation Committee in its sole discretion; and/or
• The Compensation Committee may elect, in its sole discretion, to cancel any outstanding awards of options, SARs, restricted stock, restricted stock units, and/or dividend equivalent rights and pay or deliver, or cause to be paid or delivered, to the holder thereof an amount in cash or capital stock having a value (as determined by the Compensation Committee acting in good faith), in the case of restricted stock, restricted stock units, deferred stock units, and dividend equivalent rights (for shares of stock subject thereto), equal to the formula or fixed price per share paid to holders of shares of stock pursuant to such change in control and, in the case of options or SARs, equal to the product of the number of shares of stock such subject to such options or SARs multiplied by the amount, if any, which (i) the formula or fixed price per share paid to holders of shares of stock pursuant to such change in control exceeds (ii) the option price or SAR price applicable to such options or SARs.
• For performance awards, if less than half of the performance period has lapsed, such awards will be treated as though the target performance thereunder has been achieved. If at least half of the performance period has lapsed, such performance awards will be earned, as of immediately prior to but contingent on the occurrence of such change in control, based on the greater of (i) deemed achievement of target performance or (ii) determination of actual performance as of a date reasonably proximate to the date of consummation of the change in control as determined by the Compensation Committee, in its sole discretion.
• Other Equity-Based Awards will be governed by the terms of the applicable award agreement.
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Effect of a Change in Control in which Awards are Assumed. Except as otherwise provided in the applicable award agreement, in another agreement with the grantee, or as otherwise set forth in writing, upon the occurrence of a change in control in which outstanding awards are being assumed or continued, the following provisions will apply to such awards, to the extent not assumed or continued: The 2025 Plan and the options, SARs, restricted stock, restricted stock units, dividend equivalent rights, and other equity-based equity awards granted under the 2025 Plan will continue in the manner and under the terms so provided in the event of any change in control to the extent that provision is made in writing in connection with such change in control for the assumption or continuation of such awards, or for the substitution for such awards of new options, SARs, restricted stock, restricted stock units, dividend equivalent rights, and other equity-based awards relating to the capital stock of a successor entity, or a parent or subsidiary thereof, with appropriate adjustment as to the number of shares and exercise price of options and SARs.
In general, a “change in control” means:
• a transaction or series of related transactions whereby a person or group (other than the company or any of our affiliates) becomes the beneficial owner of 50% or more of the total voting power of the our voting stock on a fully diluted basis;
• individuals who constitute the our board of directors, cease to constitute a majority of the members of our board of directors then in office;
• a merger or consolidation of the company, other than any such transaction in which the holders of our voting stock immediately prior to the transaction own directly or indirectly at least a majority of the voting power of the surviving entity immediately after the transaction;
• a sale of substantially all of our assets to another person or entity; or
• the consummation of a plan or proposal for the dissolution or liquidation of the company.
Certain Federal Income Tax Consequences of the 2025 Plan
The following is a brief and general summary of certain U.S. federal income tax consequences applicable to the 2025 Plan. The summary does not reflect any provisions of the income tax laws of any state, local or foreign taxing jurisdiction and does not attempt to describe other non-income tax consequences of participation in the 2025 Plan. Because the tax consequences of events and transactions under the 2025 Plan depend upon various factors, including an individual’s own tax status, each participant who receives an award under the 2025 Plan should consult a tax advisor.
Incentive Stock Options. Stock options granted under the 2025 Plan may be incentive stock options (within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code) or non-qualified stock options. Upon the grant of an incentive stock option, the optionee will not recognize any income. Generally, no income is recognized by the optionee upon the exercise of an incentive stock option. However, the optionee must increase his or her alternative minimum taxable income for the taxable year in which he or she exercised the incentive stock option by the amount that would have been ordinary income had the option not been an incentive stock option.
Upon the subsequent disposition of common stock acquired upon the exercise of an incentive stock option, the federal income tax consequences will depend upon when the disposition occurs and the type of disposition. If the common stock is disposed of by the optionee after the later to occur of (i) the end of the two year period beginning the day after the day the incentive stock option is awarded to the optionee, or (ii) the end of the one-year period beginning on the day after the date of exercise (the later of (i) or (ii) being the “ISO Holding Period”), any gain or loss realized upon such disposition will be long-term capital gain or loss, and our company (or a subsidiary) will not be entitled to any income tax deduction in respect of the option or its exercise. For purposes of determining the amount of such gain or loss, the optionee’s tax basis in the shares will be the option price.
For the exercise of an option to qualify for the foregoing tax treatment, the grant must be made by the employee’s employer or a parent or subsidiary of the employer. If an optionee has not remained an employee of our company (or a subsidiary) during the period beginning with the grant of an incentive stock option and ending on the day three months (one year if the optionee becomes disabled) before the date the option is exercised, the exercise of such option will be treated as the exercise of a non-qualified stock option with the tax consequences described below.
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If the optionee sells or otherwise disposes of the common stock acquired without satisfying the ISO Holding Period (known as a “disqualifying disposition”), the optionee will recognize ordinary income upon the disposition of the common stock in an amount generally equal to the excess of the fair market value of the common stock at the time the option was exercised over the option exercise price (but not in excess of the gain realized on the sale). The balance of the realized gain, if any, will be capital gain. The employer will generally be allowed a compensation expense deduction to the extent that the optionee recognizes ordinary income, except to the extent the limits of Section 162(m) of the Code apply.
Non-Qualified Stock Options. In general, upon the grant of a non-qualified stock option, an optionee will not recognize any income. At the time a nonqualified option is exercised, the optionee will recognize compensation taxable as ordinary income in an amount equal to the difference between the fair market value of the common stock on the date of exercise and the exercise price. Upon a subsequent disposition of the common stock acquired pursuant to the exercise of a non-qualified stock option, the optionee will recognize capital gain or loss, measured by the difference between the amount realized on the disposition and the tax basis of the common stock. The optionee’s tax basis in the common stock generally will be the fair market value of such shares on the exercise date. The employer will generally be entitled to a compensation expense deduction in the same amount and generally at the same time as the optionee recognizes ordinary income, except to the extent the limits of Section 162(m) of the Code apply.
Stock Appreciation Rights. There are no immediate tax consequences of receiving an award of stock appreciation rights under the 2025 Plan. Upon exercising a stock appreciation right, a participant will recognize ordinary income in an amount equal to the difference between the exercise price and the fair market value of the common stock on the date of exercise. The employer will generally be entitled to a compensation expense deduction in the same amount and generally at the same time as the participant recognizes ordinary income, except to the extent the limits of Section 162(m) of the Code apply.
Restricted Shares. A participant will not recognize any income upon the award of restricted shares unless the participant makes an election under Section 83(b) of the Code in respect of such grant, as described below. Unless a participant has made an election under Section 83(b) of the Code in respect of any restricted shares, any dividends received by the participant with respect to restricted shares prior to the date the participant recognizes income with respect to such award (as described below) must be treated by the participant as compensation taxable as ordinary income, and our company will be entitled to a deduction (subject to the limits of Section 162(m) of the Code), in an amount equal to the amount of ordinary income recognized by the participant. After the terms and conditions applicable to the restricted shares are satisfied, or if the participant has made an election under Section 83(b) of the Code in respect of the restricted shares, any dividends received by the participant in respect of such award will be treated as a dividend taxable as ordinary income, and our company will not be entitled to a deduction in respect of any such dividend payment.
Unless the participant has made an election under Section 83(b) of the Code (as described below), at the time the terms and conditions applicable to the restricted shares are satisfied, a participant will recognize compensation taxable as ordinary income, and our company generally will be entitled to a deduction (subject to the limits of Section 162(m) of the Code), in an amount equal to the then fair market value of the shares of common stock for which the terms and conditions applicable to the restricted share award have been satisfied. The participant’s tax basis for any such shares of common stock would be the fair market value on the date such terms and conditions are satisfied.
A participant may irrevocably elect under Section 83(b) of the Code to recognize compensation taxable as ordinary income, and our company will be entitled to a corresponding deduction (subject to the limits of Section 162(m) of the Code), in an amount equal to the fair market value of such restricted shares (determined without regard to any restrictions thereon) on the date of grant. Such an election must be made by the participant not later than thirty (30) days after the date of grant. If such an election is made, no income would be recognized by the participant (and our company will not be entitled to a corresponding deduction) at the time the applicable terms and conditions are satisfied. The participant’s tax basis for the restricted shares received and for any shares of common stock subsequently held in respect thereof would be the fair market value of the restricted shares (determined without regard to any restrictions thereon) on the date of grant. If a participant makes such an election and subsequently all or part of the award is forfeited, the participant will not be entitled to a deduction as a result of such forfeiture.
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The holding period for capital gain or loss purposes in respect of the common stock underlying an award of restricted shares shall commence when the terms and conditions applicable to the restricted shares are satisfied, unless the participant makes a timely election under Section 83(b) of the Code. In such case, the holding period will commence immediately after the grant of such restricted shares.
Performance Units. A participant generally will not recognize any income upon the award of a performance unit. If the performance goals applicable to the performance unit are achieved during the applicable performance period and such performance units are earned, a participant normally will recognize compensation taxable as ordinary income equal to the cash received and/or the fair market value of any substantially vested common stock received when he or she receives payment with respect to such performance unit, and at such time the Company will be entitled to a deduction equal to the amount of ordinary income recognized by the participant on the determination date, except to the extent the limits of Section 162(m) of the Code apply. The participant’s tax basis for any such shares of common stock would be the fair market value on the date such unrestricted shares are transferred to the participant. If all or a portion of the performance units are paid in restricted shares, see “Restricted Shares” above for a discussion of the applicable tax treatment.
Additional Information. The recognition by an employee of compensation income with respect to a grant or an award under the 2025 Plan will be subject to withholding for federal income and employment tax purposes. If an employee, to the extent permitted by the terms of a grant or award under the 2025 Plan, uses shares of Class A Common Stock to satisfy the federal income and employment tax withholding obligation, or any similar withholding obligation for state and local tax obligations, the employee will recognize a capital gain or loss, short-term or long-term, depending on the tax basis and holding period for such shares of the Class A Common Stock.
Section 162(m) of the Code limits to $1 million the amount that a publicly held corporation is allowed each year to deduct for compensation paid to the corporation’s “covered employees.” “Covered employees” include the corporation’s chief executive officer, chief financial officer and the three next most highly compensated executive officers. If an individual is determined to be a covered employee for any year beginning after December 31, 2016, then that individual will continue to be a covered employee for future years, regardless of changes in the individual’s compensation or position.
In the event of a change of control, certain compensation payments or other benefits received by “disqualified individuals” (as defined in Section 280G(c) of the Code) under the 2025 Plan or otherwise may cause or result in “excess parachute payments” (as defined in Section 280G(b)(I) of the Code). Pursuant to Section 280G of the Code, any amount that constitutes an excess parachute payment is not deductible by the Company. In addition, Section 4999 of the Code generally imposes a 20% excise tax on the amount of any such excess parachute payment received by such a disqualified individual, and any such excess parachute payments will not be deductible by our company (or a subsidiary).
Interests of Directors and Executive Officers
Each of our directors and executive officers would be eligible to participate in the 2025 Plan. As a result, approval of the 2025 Plan impacts each of our directors and executive officers and each of them has a personal interest in this proposal and its approval by our stockholders.
Vote Required and Board of Directors’ Recommendation
Assuming a quorum is present, the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast by the stockholders present at the Annual Meeting, either in person or by proxy, and entitled to vote, is required for approval of the Incentive Plan Proposal. For purposes of the approval of the Incentive Plan Proposal, abstentions and broker non-votes, if any, will have no effect on the result of the vote.
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS THAT STOCKHOLDERS VOTE “FOR” THE APPROVAL AND ADOPTION OF THE INCENTIVE PLAN PROPOSAL.
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PROPOSAL NO. 4 — THE ADJOURNMENT PROPOSAL
In the event there are not sufficient votes for, or otherwise in connection with, the adoption of the above proposals, the Board of Directors may adjourn the Annual Meeting to a later date, or dates, if necessary, to permit further solicitation of proxies. In no event will we solicit proxies to adjourn the Annual Meeting beyond the date by which we may properly do so under our Certificate of Incorporation and Delaware law.
The chairman of the Board of Directors has the authority to adjourn any meeting of our stockholders, including the Annual Meeting.
Vote Required and Board of Directors’ Recommendation
Assuming a quorum is present, the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast by stockholders present at the Annual Meeting, either in person or by proxy, and entitled to vote, is required for approval of the Adjournment Proposal. For purposes of the approval of the Adjournment Proposal, abstentions and broker non-votes, if any, will have no effect on the result of the vote.
THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT STOCKHOLDERS VOTE “FOR” THE APPROVAL OF THE ADJOURNMENT PROPOSAL.
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REPORT OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The Audit Committee of the Board of Directors, on behalf of the Board of Directors, serves as an independent and objective party to monitor and provide general oversight of the integrity of our financial statements, the independent registered public accounting firm’s qualifications and independence, the performance of the independent registered public accounting firm, the compliance by us with legal and regulatory requirements and our standards of business conduct. The Audit Committee performs these oversight responsibilities in accordance with its Audit Committee Charter.
Our management is responsible for preparing our financial statements and our financial reporting process. Our independent registered public accounting firm is responsible for performing an independent audit of our consolidated financial statements in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (“PCAOB”). The Audit Committee’s responsibility is to administer and oversee these processes.
However, the members of the Audit Committee are not practicing certified public accountants or professional auditors and rely, without independent verification, on information provided to them and on the representations made by management, and on the report issued by the independent registered public accounting firm.
The Audit Committee met with the independent registered public accounting firm, with and without management present, to discuss the audit plan, the results of their examinations, and the overall quality of our financial reporting.
In this context, the Audit Committee has reviewed and discussed the audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2024 with management and with the independent registered public accounting firm. The Audit Committee has discussed with the independent registered public accounting firm the matters required to be discussed by Auditing Standard No. 16, Communications with Audit Committees, which includes, among other items, matters related to the conduct of the audit of our annual financial statements.
The Audit Committee has also received the written disclosures and the letter from the independent registered public accounting firm required by applicable requirements of the PCAOB regarding the independent accountant’s communications with the Audit Committee concerning independence, and has discussed with the independent registered public accounting firm the issue of its independence from us and management. In addition, the Audit Committee has considered whether the provision of any non-audit services by the independent registered public accounting firm in the year ended December 31, 2024 is compatible with maintaining the registered public accounting firm’s independence and has concluded that it is.
Based on its review of the audited financial statements and the various discussions noted above, the Audit Committee recommended to the Board of Directors that the audited financial statements be included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024.
|
Respectfully, |
||
|
Byron Blount, Chairman |
||
|
Joseph V. Salvucci, Sr. |
The foregoing Audit Committee Report does not constitute soliciting material and shall not be deemed filed or incorporated by reference into any of our filings under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, except to the extent we specifically incorporate this Audit Committee Report by reference therein.
28
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
Summary Compensation Table
The following table sets forth information regarding compensation earned during the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 by our principal executive officers and our other most highly compensated executive officers as of the end of December 31, 2024 (“NEOs”).
|
(a) |
(b) |
(c) |
(d) |
(e) |
(f) |
(g) |
(h) |
(i) |
(j) |
|||||||||
|
Name and Principal |
Year |
Salary |
Bonus |
Stock |
Option |
Non-equity |
Nonqualified |
All other |
Total |
|||||||||
|
($) |
($) |
($) |
($) |
($) |
($) |
($) |
($) |
|||||||||||
|
Dante Caravaggio |
2024 |
104,000 |
— |
96,000 |
118,285 |
— |
146,000 |
20,100 |
484,385 |
|||||||||
|
Chief Executive Officer and President |
2023 |
4,000 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
6,417 |
— |
10,417 |
|||||||||
|
Mitchell B. Trotter |
2024 |
104,000 |
— |
96,000 |
78,857 |
— |
146,000 |
4,448 |
429,305 |
|||||||||
|
Chief Financial Officer |
2023 |
12,000 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
19,250 |
— |
31,250 |
|||||||||
|
David M. Smith |
2024 |
104,000 |
— |
96,000 |
78,857 |
— |
146,000 |
20,100 |
444,957 |
|||||||||
|
General Counsel and Secretary |
2023 |
12,000 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
19,250 |
— |
31,250 |
____________
(1) The fair value of the stock awards to Messrs. Caravaggio, Trotter and Smith were based on the closing price of the Company’s Class A Common Stock on March 4, 2024 in accordance with FASB ASC 718.
(2) The fair value of the option awards to Messrs. Caravaggio, Trotter and Smith were estimated under FASB ASC 718 using a Black-Scholes Option Pricing Model and the following assumptions: (1) expected volatility of 110.42% based on a group of comparable peer companies; (2) an exercise price of $2.02; (3) a stock price of $2.02 based on the closing price of the Company’s Class A Common Stock on the grant date of March 12, 2024; (4) an expected term of 4.5 years; (5) a risk-free rate of 4.26%; and (6) a dividend rate of 0%.
Narrative Disclosures Regarding Compensation; Employment Agreements
None of our NEOs received any cash compensation prior to the Closing of the Purchase on November 15, 2023, other than the $10,000 per month, including the deferred payments, administrative fee for office space, utilities, secretarial and administrative services, and the reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses paid to Rhône Merchant Resources Inc., and $5,000 per month paid to Donald W. Orr, no compensation or fees of any kind was paid to the Sponsor, or members of our management team or their respective affiliates, for services rendered prior to or in connection with the consummation of our initial business combination.
Dante Caravaggio
Effective December 18, 2023, we entered into an employment agreement (the “Caravaggio Employment Agreement”) with Dante Caravaggio, pursuant to which he serves as our Chief Executive Officer, President, and a member of our board of directors. The Caravaggio Employment Agreement is on our standard form for executives, and provides that we pay to Mr. Caravaggio an annual base salary of $250,000. In addition, we agreed to issue a one-time Equity Sign-On Incentive to Mr. Caravaggio under the 2023 HNR Acquisition Corp Omnibus Incentive Plan (the “2023 Plan”), which consists of restricted stock units (“RSUs”), equal to 200% of base salary divided by $10 (i.e. 50,000 RSUs), subject to time-based vesting as follows: 1/3 on the first anniversary of the date of grant, 1/3 on the second anniversary of the date of grant, and 1/3 on the third anniversary of the date of grant, so long as Mr. Caravaggio continues to provide service through such vesting date. The 50,000 RSUs were approved by the Board and issued in March 2024. Mr. Caravaggio will be permitted to participate in any broad-based retirement, health and welfare plans that will be offered to all of our employees.
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Pursuant to the Caravaggio Employment Agreement, if we terminate Mr. Caravaggio’s employment without Cause (as defined in the Caravaggio Employment Agreement) or Mr. Caravaggio terminates his employment for Good Reason (as defined in the Caravaggio Employment Agreement), then Mr. Caravaggio will be entitled to: (i) any accrued obligations as of the date of termination, including base salary, PTO and holidays, and continued benefits required by our employee benefit plans; (ii) continued base salary for 12 months following the date of termination, paid in accordance with our payroll practices; (iii) the total monthly cost of coverage for Mr. Caravaggio and his covered dependents under COBRA, if elected; and (iv) full vesting in all equity grants as of the date of termination. To receive such severance benefits, Mr. Caravaggio will be required to execute a non-competition agreement, non-solicitation agreement, or confidentiality agreement or invention assignment agreement and release of claims.
Mitchell B. Trotter
Effective November 15, 2023, we entered into an employment agreement (the “Trotter Employment Agreement”) with Mitchell B. Trotter, pursuant to which he serves as our Chief Financial Officer and a member of our board of directors. The Trotter Employment Agreement is on our standard form for executives, and provides that we pay to Mr. Trotter an annual base salary of $250,000. In addition, we agreed to issue a one-time Equity Sign-On Incentive to Mr. Trotter under the 2023 Plan, which consists of RSUs equal to 200% of base salary divided by $10 (i.e. 50,000 RSUs), subject to time-based vesting as follows: 1/3 on the first anniversary of the date of grant, 1/3 on the second anniversary of the date of grant, and 1/3 on the third anniversary of the date of grant so long as Mr. Trotter continues to provide service through such vesting date. The 50,000 RSUs were approved by the Board and issued in March 2024. Mr. Trotter will be permitted to participate in any broad-based retirement, health and welfare plans that will be offered to all of our employees.
Pursuant to the Trotter Employment Agreement, if we terminate Mr. Trotter’s employment without Cause (as defined in the Trotter Employment Agreement) or Mr. Trotter terminates his employment for Good Reason (as defined in the Trotter Employment Agreement), then Mr. Trotter will be entitled to: (i) any accrued obligations as of the date of termination, including base salary, PTO and holidays, and continued benefits required by our employee benefit plans; (ii) continued base salary for 12 months following the date of termination, paid in accordance with our payroll practices; (iii) the total monthly cost of coverage for Mr. Trotter and his covered dependents under COBRA, if elected; and (iv) full vesting in all equity grants as of the date of termination. To receive such severance benefits, Mr. Trotter will be required to execute a non-competition agreement, non-solicitation agreement, or confidentiality agreement or invention assignment agreement and release of claims.
David M. Smith
Effective November 15, 2023, we entered into an employment agreement (the “Smith Employment Agreement”) with David M. Smith, pursuant to which he serves as our General Counsel and Secretary. The Smith Employment Agreement is on our standard form for executives, and provides that we pay to Mr. Smit Pursuant to the Smith Employment Agreement, if we terminate Mr. Smith’s employment without Cause (as defined in the Smith Employment Agreement) or Mr. Smith terminates his employment for Good Reason (as defined in the Smith Employment Agreement), then Mr. Smith will be entitled to: (i) any accrued obligations as of the date of termination, including base salary, PTO and holidays, and continued benefits required by our employee benefit plans; (ii) continued base salary for 12 months following the date of termination, paid in accordance with our payroll practices; (iii) the total monthly cost of coverage for Mr. Smith and his covered dependents under COBRA, if elected; and (iv) full vesting in all equity grants as of the date of termination. To receive such severance benefits, Mr. Smith will be required to execute a non-competition agreement, non-solicitation agreement, or confidentiality agreement or invention assignment agreement and release of claims.
Compensation Advisor
The Compensation Committee retained Pearl Meyer & Partners, LLC (“Pearl Meyer”), a compensation consulting firm, to assist it in evaluating the elements and levels of our executive compensation, including base salaries, annual cash incentive awards and equity-based incentives for our executive officers, consultant, and directors. In November 2022, the Compensation Committee determined that Pearl Meyer is independent from management and that Pearl Meyer’s work has not raised any conflicts of interest. Pearl Meyer reports directly to the Compensation Committee and the Compensation Committee has the sole authority to approve Pearl Meyer’s compensation and may terminate the relationship at any time.
30
Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year End
2024 Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-end Table
The following table sets forth information regarding the outstanding equity awards held by our Named Executive Officers as of December 31, 2024:
|
Option Awards |
Stock Awards |
||||||||||||||||||
|
Name |
Number of |
Number of |
Equity |
Option |
Option |
Number of |
Market |
Equity |
Equity |
||||||||||
|
Dante Caravaggio |
— |
— |
75,000 |
2.02 |
March 11, 2034 |
— |
— |
33,333 |
$ |
27,333 |
|||||||||
|
Mitchell B. Trotter |
— |
— |
50,000 |
2.02 |
March 11, 2034 |
— |
— |
33,333 |
$ |
27,333 |
|||||||||
|
David M. Smith |
— |
— |
50,000 |
2.02 |
March 11, 2034 |
— |
— |
33,333 |
$ |
27,333 |
|||||||||
Option Re-pricings
We have not engaged in any option re-pricings or other modifications to any of our outstanding equity awards to our NEOs during fiscal years 2023 and 2024.
Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control
None of our NEOs are entitled to receive payments or other benefits upon termination of employment or a change in control.
Retirement Plans
We do not maintain any deferred compensation, retirement, pension or profit-sharing plans.
Employee Benefits
All of our full-time employees are eligible to participate in health and welfare plans maintained by us, including:
• medical, dental and vision benefits; and
• basic life and accidental death & dismemberment insurance.
Our NEOs participate in these plans on the same basis as other eligible employees. We do not maintain any supplemental health and welfare plans for our NEOs.
Nonqualified Deferred Compensation
During the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, our NEOs deferred a portion of their salaries not paid by us during the years 2024 and 2023, as disclosed in the table above. Such payments were deferred because timely payments further jeopardize our ability to continue as a going concern. We intend to make such payments as soon as we are able.
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Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan
On November 15, 2023, we adopted the 2023 Plan, the material terms of which are described below.
Purpose and Eligibility. The purpose of the 2023 Plan is (i) to provide eligible persons with an incentive to contribute to our success and to operate and manage our business in a manner that will provide for our long-term growth and profitability and that will benefit our stockholders and other important stakeholders, including our employees and customers, and (ii) to provide a means of recruiting, rewarding, and retaining key personnel.
Equity awards may be granted under the 2023 Plan to officers, directors, including non-employee directors, other employees, advisors, consultants or other service providers of the company or our subsidiaries or other affiliates, and to any other individuals who are approved by the Compensation Committee as eligible to participate in the 2023 Plan. Only our employees or employees of our corporate subsidiaries are eligible to receive incentive stock options.
Effective Date and Term. The 2023 Plan is effective as of November 15, 2023 and will terminate automatically at 11:59PM ET on the day before the 10th anniversary of the such date, unless earlier terminated by our board of directors or in accordance with the terms of the 2023 Plan.
Administration, Amendment and Termination. The 2023 Plan will generally be administered by the Compensation Committee. Except where the authority to act on such matters is specifically reserved to the full board of directors under the 2023 Plan or applicable law, the Compensation Committee will have full power and authority to interpret and construe all provisions of the 2023 Plan, any award, and any award agreement, and take all actions and to make all determinations required or provided for under the 2023 Plan, any award, and any award agreement, including the authority to:
• designate grantees of awards;
• determine the type or types of awards to be made to a grantee;
• determine the number of shares of Class A Common Stock subject to an award or to which an award relates;
• establish the terms and conditions of each award;
• prescribe the form of each award agreement;
• subject to limitations in the 2023 Plan (including the prohibition on repricing of options or share appreciation rights without stockholder approval), amend, modify, or supplement the terms of any outstanding award; and
• make substitute awards.
The Board of Directors is also authorized to appoint one or more committees of the Board of Directors consisting of one or more directors who need not meet the independence requirements under the listing rules of any stock exchange on which Class A Common Stock is listed for certain limited purposes permitted by the 2023 Plan, and to the extent permitted by applicable law, the Compensation Committee is authorized to delegate authority to the Chief Executive Officer and/or any other officers of the company for certain limited purposes permitted by the 2023 Plan. The Board of Directors will retain the authority under the 2023 Plan to exercise any or all of the powers and authorities related to the administration and implementation of the 2023 Plan.
The Board of Directors may amend, suspend, or terminate the 2023 Plan at any time; provided that with respect to awards that are granted under the 2023 Plan, no amendment, suspension or termination may materially impair the rights of the award holder without such holder’s consent. No such action may amend the 2023 Plan without the approval of stockholders if the amendment is required to be submitted for stockholder approval by the Board of Directors, the terms of the 2023 Plan, or applicable law.
Awards. Awards under the 2023 Plan may be made in the form of:
• stock options, which may be either incentive stock options or nonqualified stock options;
• stock appreciation rights or “SARs”;
32
• restricted stock;
• restricted stock units;
• dividend equivalent rights;
• performance awards, including performance shares;
• other equity-based awards; or
• cash.
An incentive stock option is an option that meets the requirements of Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and a nonqualified stock option is an option that does not meet those requirements. A SAR is a right to receive upon exercise, in the form of stock, cash or a combination of stock and cash, the excess of the fair market value of one share on the exercise date over the exercise price of the SAR. Restricted stock is an award of common stock subject to restrictions over restricted periods that subject the shares to a substantial risk of forfeiture, as defined in Section 83 of the Code. A restricted stock unit or deferred stock unit is an award that represents a conditional right to receive shares in the future and that may be made subject to the same types of restrictions and risk of forfeiture as restricted stock. Dividend equivalent rights are awards entitling the grantee to receive cash, shares, other awards under the 2023 Plan or other property equal in value to dividends or other periodic payments paid or made with respect to a specified number of shares of stock. Performance awards are awards made subject to the achievement of one or more performance goals over a performance period established by the Compensation Committee. Other equity-based awards are awards representing a right or other interest that may be denominated or payable in, valued in whole or in part by reference to, or otherwise based on or related to stock, other than an option, SAR, restricted stock, restricted stock unit, unrestricted stock, dividend equivalent right, or a performance award.
The 2023 Plan provides that each award will be evidenced by an award agreement, which may specify terms and conditions of the award that differ from the terms and conditions that would otherwise apply under the 2023 Plan in the absence of the different terms and conditions in the award agreement. In the event of any inconsistency between the 2023 Plan and an award agreement, the provisions of the 2023 Plan will control.
Awards under the 2023 Plan may be granted alone or in addition to, in tandem with, or in substitution or exchange for any other award under the 2023 Plan, other awards under another compensatory plan of the company or any of our affiliates (or any business entity that has been a party to a transaction with the company or any of our affiliates), or other rights to payment from the company or any of our affiliates. Awards granted in addition to or in tandem with other awards may be granted either at the same time or at different times.
The Compensation Committee may permit or require the deferral of any payment pursuant to any award into a deferred compensation arrangement, which may include provisions for the payment or crediting of interest or dividend equivalent rights, in accordance with rules and procedures established by the Compensation Committee. Awards under the 2023 Plan generally will be granted for no consideration other than past services by the grantee of the award or, if provided for in the award agreement or in a separate agreement, the grantee’s promise to perform future services to the company or one of our subsidiaries or other affiliates.
Forfeiture; Recoupment. We may reserve the right in an award agreement to cause a forfeiture of the gain realized by a grantee with respect to an award on account of actions taken by, or failed to be taken by, such grantee in violation or breach of, or in conflict with, any employment agreement, non-competition agreement, agreement prohibiting solicitation of employees or clients of the company or any affiliate, confidentiality obligations with respect to the company or any affiliate, or otherwise in competition with the company or any affiliate, to the extent specified in such award agreement. If the grantee is an employee and is terminated for “Cause” (as defined in the 2023 Plan), the Compensation Committee may annul the grantee’s award as of the date of the grantee’s termination.
In addition, any award granted pursuant to the 2023 Plan will be subject to mandatory repayment by the grantee to the company to the extent (i) set forth in the 2023 Plan or in an award agreement, or (ii) the grantee is or becomes subject to our clawback policy, or any applicable laws which impose mandatory recoupment.
Shares Subject to the 2023 Plan. Subject to adjustment as described below, the maximum number of shares of common stock reserved for issuance under the 2023 Plan is equal to 1,400,000 shares of Class A Common Stock. The maximum number of shares of Class A Common Stock available for issuance pursuant to incentive stock options
33
granted under the 2023 Plan will be the same as the total number of shares of Class A Common Stock reserved for issuance under the 2023 Plan. Shares issued under the 2023 Plan may be authorized and unissued shares, or treasury shares, or a combination of the foregoing.
Any shares covered by an award, or portion of an award, granted under the 2023 Plan that are not purchased or forfeited or canceled, or expire or otherwise terminate without the issuance of shares or are settled in cash in lieu of shares, will again be available for issuance under the 2023 Plan.
Shares subject to an award granted under the 2023 Plan will be counted against the maximum number of shares reserved for issuance under the 2023 Plan as one share for every one share subject to such an award. In addition, at least the target number of shares of stock issuable under a performance award will be counted against the maximum number of shares reserved for issuance under the 2023 Plan as of the grant date, but such number will be adjusted to equal the actual number of shares of stock issued upon settlement of the performance award to the extent different from such number initially counted against the share reserve.
The number of shares available for issuance under the 2023 Plan will not be increased by the number of shares of Class A Common Stock: (i) tendered or withheld or subject to an award surrendered in connection with the purchase of shares upon exercise of an option; (ii) that were not issued upon the net settlement or net exercise of a stock-settled SAR, (iii) deducted or delivered from payment of an award in connection with our tax withholding obligations; or (iv) purchased by us with proceeds from option exercises.
Options. The 2023 Plan authorizes the Compensation Committee to grant incentive stock options (under Section 422 of the Code) and options that do not qualify as incentive stock options. An option granted under the 2023 Plan will be exercisable only to the extent that it is vested. Each option will become vested and exercisable at such times and under such conditions as the Compensation Committee may approve consistent with the terms of the 2023 Plan. No option may be exercisable more than ten years after the option grant date, or five years after the option grant date in the case of an incentive stock option granted to a “ten percent stockholder” (as defined in the 2023 Plan); provided that, to the extent deemed necessary or appropriate by the Compensation Committee to reflect differences in local law, tax policy, or custom with respect to any option granted to a grantee who is a foreign national or is a natural person who is employed outside of the United States, such option may terminate, and all rights to purchase shares of stock thereunder may cease, upon the expiration of a period longer than ten (10) years from the date of grant of such option as the Compensation Committee shall determine. The Compensation Committee may include in the option agreement provisions specifying the period during which an option may be exercised following termination of the grantee’s service. The exercise price of each option will be determined by the Compensation Committee, provided that the per share exercise price will be equal to or greater than 100% of the fair market value of a share of Class A Common Stock on the grant date (other than as permitted for substitute awards). If we were to grant incentive stock options to any ten percent stockholder, the per share exercise price will not be less than 110% of the fair market value of a share of Class A Common Stock on the grant date.
Incentive stock options and nonqualified stock options are generally non-transferable, except for transfers by will or the laws of descent and distribution. The Compensation Committee may, in its discretion, determine that a nonqualified stock option may be transferred to family members by gift or other transfers deemed not to be for value.
Share Appreciation Rights. The 2023 Plan authorizes the Compensation Committee to grant SARs that provide the recipient with the right to receive, upon exercise of the SAR, cash, Class A Common Stock, or a combination of the two. The amount that the recipient will receive upon exercise of the SAR generally will equal the excess of the fair market value of shares of Class A Common Stock on the date of exercise over the fair market value of shares of Class A Common Stock on the grant date. SARs will become exercisable in accordance with terms determined by the Compensation Committee. SARs may be granted in tandem with an option grant or independently from an option grant. The term of a SAR cannot exceed ten (10) years from the date of grant. The per share exercise price of a SAR will be no less than the fair market value of one share of Class A Common Stock on the grant date of such SAR.
SARs will be nontransferable, except for transfers by will or the laws of descent and distribution. The Compensation Committee may determine that all or part of a SAR may be transferred to certain family members of the grantee by gift or other transfers deemed not to be for value.
34
Fair Market Value. For so long as the Class A Common Stock remains listed on NYSE American, the fair market value of the Class A Common Stock on an award’s grant date, or on any other date for which fair market value is required to be established under the 2023 Plan, will be the closing price of the Class A Common Stock as reported on NYSE American on such date. If there is no such reported closing price on such date, the fair market value of the Class A Common Stock will be the closing price of the Class A Common Stock as reported on such market on the next preceding date on which any sale of Class A Common Stock will have been reported.
If the Class A Common Stock ceases to be listed on NYSE American and is listed on another established national or regional stock exchange, or traded on another established securities market, fair market value will similarly be determined by reference to the closing price of the Class A Common Stock on the applicable date as reported on such other stock exchange or established securities market.
If the Class A Common Stock ceases to be listed on NYSE American or another established national or regional stock exchange, or traded on another established securities market, the Compensation Committee will determine the fair market value of the Class A Common Stock by the reasonable application of a reasonable valuation method in a manner consistent with Section 409A of the Code.
No Repricing. Except in connection with a corporate transaction involving the company (including, without limitation, any stock dividend, distribution (whether in the form of cash, shares of stock, other securities or other property), stock split, extraordinary dividend, recapitalization, change in control, reorganization, merger, consolidation, split-up, spin-off, combination, repurchase or exchange of shares of stock or other securities or similar transaction), we may not, without obtaining stockholder approval, (a) amend the terms of outstanding options or SARs to reduce the exercise price of such outstanding options or SARs, (b) cancel outstanding options or SARs in exchange for, or in substitution of, options or SARs with an exercise price that is less than the exercise price of the original options or SARs, (c) cancel outstanding options or SARs with an exercise price above the current price of Class A Common Stock in exchange for cash or other securities, in each case, unless such action is (i) subject to and approved by our stockholders or (ii) would not be deemed to be a repricing under the rules of any stock exchange or securities market on which the Class A Common Stock is listed or publicly traded.
Restricted Stock; Restricted Stock Units. The 2023 Plan authorizes the Compensation Committee to grant restricted stock and restricted stock units. Subject to the provisions of the 2023 Plan, the Compensation Committee will determine the terms and conditions of each award of restricted stock and restricted stock units, including the restricted period for all or a portion of the award, the restrictions applicable to the award, and the purchase price, if any, for the shares of stock subject to the award. The restrictions, if any, may lapse over a specified period of time or through the satisfaction of conditions, in installments or otherwise, as the Compensation Committee may determine. A grantee of restricted stock will have all of the rights of a stockholder as to those shares, including, without limitation, the right to vote the shares and receive dividends or distributions on the shares, except to the extent limited by the Compensation Committee. The Compensation Committee may provide in an award agreement evidencing a grant of restricted stock that (a) cash dividend payments or distributions paid on restricted stock will be reinvested in shares of stock, which may or may not be subject to the same vesting conditions and restrictions as applicable to such shares of restricted stock or (b) any dividend payments or distributions declared or paid on shares of restricted stock will only be made or paid upon satisfaction of the vesting conditions and restrictions applicable to such shares of restricted stock. Dividend payments or distributions declared or paid on shares of restricted stock which vest or are earned based on upon the achievement of performance goals will not vest unless such performance goals for such shares of restricted stock are achieved, and if such performance goals are not achieved, the grantee of such shares of restricted stock will promptly forfeit and, to the extent already paid or distributed, repay to us such dividend payments or distributions. Grantees of restricted stock units and deferred stock units will have no voting or dividend rights or other rights associated with share ownership, although the Compensation Committee may award dividend equivalent rights on such units.
During the restricted period, if any, when restricted stock and restricted stock units are non-transferable or forfeitable, a grantee is prohibited from selling, transferring, assigning, pledging, exchanging, hypothecating, or otherwise encumbering or disposing of the grantees’ restricted stock and restricted stock units.
Dividend Equivalent Rights. The 2023 Plan authorizes the Compensation Committee to grant dividend equivalent rights. Dividend equivalent rights may be granted independently or in connection with the grant of any equity-based award, except that no dividend equivalent right may be granted in connection with, or related to an option or SAR. Dividend equivalent rights may be paid currently (with or without being subject to forfeiture or a repayment obligation) or may be deemed to be reinvested in additional shares of stock or awards which may thereafter accrue
35
additional dividend equivalent rights (with or without being subject to forfeiture or a repayment obligation) and may be payable in cash, common shares, or a combination of the two. Dividend equivalent rights granted as a component of another award may (a) provide that such dividend equivalent right will be settled upon exercise, settlement, or payment of, or lapse of restriction on, such other award and that such dividend equivalent will expire or be forfeited or annulled under the same conditions as such award or (b) contain terms and conditions which are different from the terms and conditions of such other award, provided that dividend equivalent rights credited pursuant to a dividend equivalent right granted as a component of another award which vests or is earned based on the achievement of performance goals will not vest unless such performance goals for such underlying award are achieved, and if such performance goals are not achieved, the grantee of such dividend equivalent right will promptly forfeit and, to the extent already paid or distributed, repay to us payments or distributions made in connection with such dividend equivalent rights.
Performance Awards. The 2023 Plan authorizes the Compensation Committee to grant performance awards. The Compensation Committee will determine the applicable performance period, the performance goals, and such other conditions that apply to the performance award. Any performance measures may be used to measure the performance of the company and our subsidiaries and other affiliates as a whole or any business unit of the company, our subsidiaries, and/or our affiliates or any combination thereof, as the Compensation Committee may deem appropriate, or any performance measures as compared to the performance of a group of comparable companies, or published or special index that the Compensation Committee deems appropriate. Performance goals may relate to our financial performance or the financial performance of our operating units, the grantee’s performance, or such other criteria determined by the Compensation Committee. If the performance goals are met, performance awards will be paid in cash, shares of stock, other awards, or a combination thereof.
Other Equity-Based Awards. The 2023 Plan authorizes the Compensation Committee to grant other types of stock-based awards under the 2023 Plan. The terms and conditions that apply to other equity-based awards are determined by the Compensation Committee.
Forms of Payment. The exercise price for any option or the purchase price (if any) for restricted stock, and vested restricted stock units is generally payable (i) in cash or in cash equivalents acceptable to the company, (ii) to the extent the award agreement provides, by the tender (or attestation of ownership) of shares of Class A Common Stock having a fair market value on the date of tender (or attestation) equal to the exercise price or purchase price, (iii) to the extent permitted by law and to the extent permitted by the award agreement, through a broker-assisted cashless exercise, or (iv) to the extent the award agreement provides and/or unless otherwise specified in an award agreement, any other form permissible by applicable law, including net exercise or net settlement and service rendered to us or our affiliates.
Change in Capitalization. The Compensation Committee may adjust the terms of outstanding awards under the 2023 Plan to preserve the proportionate interests of the holders in such awards on account of any recapitalization, reclassification, share split, reverse share split, spin-off, combination of share, exchange of shares, share dividend or other distribution payable in capital shares, or other increase or decrease in such shares effected without receipt of consideration by the company. The adjustments will include proportionate adjustments to (i) the number and kind of shares subject to outstanding awards and (ii) the per share exercise price of outstanding options or SARs.
Transaction not Constituting a Change in Control. If the company is the surviving entity in any reorganization, merger, or consolidation with one or more other entities which does not constitute a “change in control” (as defined in the 2023 Plan), any awards will be adjusted to pertain to and apply to the securities to which a holder of the number of common shares subject to such award would have been entitled immediately after such transaction, with a corresponding proportionate adjustment to the per share price of options and SARs so that the aggregate price per share of each option or SAR thereafter is the same as the aggregate price per share of each option or SAR subject to the option or SAR immediately prior to such transaction. Further, in the event of any such transaction, performance awards (and the related performance measures if deemed appropriate by the Compensation Committee) will be adjusted to apply to the securities that a holder of the number of Class A Common Stock subject to such performance awards would have been entitled to receive following such transaction.
36
Effect of a Change in Control in which Awards are not Assumed. Except as otherwise provided in the applicable award agreement, in another agreement with the grantee, or as otherwise set forth in writing, upon the occurrence of a change in control in which outstanding awards are not being assumed or continued, the following provisions will apply to such awards, to the extent not assumed or continued:
• Immediately prior to the occurrence of such change in control, in each case with the exception of performance awards, all outstanding shares of restricted stock and all restricted stock units, and dividend equivalent rights will be deemed to have vested, and all shares of stock and/or cash subject to such awards will be delivered; and either or both of the following two actions will be taken:
• At least 15 days prior to the scheduled consummation of such change in control, all options and SARs outstanding will become immediately exercisable and will remain exercisable for a period of 15 days. Any exercise of an option or SAR during this 15-day period will be conditioned on the consummation of the applicable change in control and will be effective only immediately before the consummation thereof, and upon consummation of such change in control, the 2023 Plan and all outstanding but unexercised options and SARs will terminate, with or without consideration as determined by the Compensation Committee in its sole discretion; and/or
• The Compensation Committee may elect, in its sole discretion, to cancel any outstanding awards of options, SARs, restricted stock, restricted stock units, and/or dividend equivalent rights and pay or deliver, or cause to be paid or delivered, to the holder thereof an amount in cash or capital stock having a value (as determined by the Compensation Committee acting in good faith), in the case of restricted stock, restricted stock units, deferred stock units, and dividend equivalent rights (for shares of stock subject thereto), equal to the formula or fixed price per share paid to holders of shares of stock pursuant to such change in control and, in the case of options or SARs, equal to the product of the number of shares of stock such subject to such options or SARs multiplied by the amount, if any, which (i) the formula or fixed price per share paid to holders of shares of stock pursuant to such change in control exceeds (ii) the option price or SAR price applicable to such options or SARs.
• For performance awards, if less than half of the performance period has lapsed, such awards will be treated as though the target performance thereunder has been achieved. If at least half of the performance period has lapsed, such performance awards will be earned, as of immediately prior to but contingent on the occurrence of such change in control, based on the greater of (i) deemed achievement of target performance or (ii) determination of actual performance as of a date reasonably proximate to the date of consummation of the change in control as determined by the Compensation Committee, in its sole discretion.
• Other Equity-Based Awards will be governed by the terms of the applicable award agreement.
Effect of a Change in Control in which Awards are Assumed. Except as otherwise provided in the applicable award agreement, in another agreement with the grantee, or as otherwise set forth in writing, upon the occurrence of a change in control in which outstanding awards are being assumed or continued, the following provisions will apply to such awards, to the extent not assumed or continued: The 2023 Plan and the options, SARs, restricted stock, restricted stock units, dividend equivalent rights, and other equity-based equity awards granted under the 2023 Plan will continue in the manner and under the terms so provided in the event of any change in control to the extent that provision is made in writing in connection with such change in control for the assumption or continuation of such awards, or for the substitution for such awards of new options, SARs, restricted stock, restricted stock units, dividend equivalent rights, and other equity-based awards relating to the capital stock of a successor entity, or a parent or subsidiary thereof, with appropriate adjustment as to the number of shares and exercise price of options and SARs.
In general, a “change in control” means:
• a transaction or series of related transactions whereby a person or group (other than the company or any of our affiliates) becomes the beneficial owner of 50% or more of the total voting power of the our voting stock on a fully diluted basis;
• individuals who constitute the our board of directors, cease to constitute a majority of the members of our board of directors then in office;
37
• a merger or consolidation of the company, other than any such transaction in which the holders of our voting stock immediately prior to the transaction own directly or indirectly at least a majority of the voting power of the surviving entity immediately after the transaction;
• a sale of substantially all of our assets to another person or entity; or
• the consummation of a plan or proposal for the dissolution or liquidation of the company.
Compensation of Directors
2024 Director Compensation Table
The following Director Compensation Table sets forth information concerning compensation for services rendered by our independent directors for fiscal year 2024.
|
Name |
Fees |
Stock |
Option |
All Other |
Total |
||||||||||
|
Byron Blount(1) |
$ |
125,000 |
$ |
139,200 |
$ |
— |
$ |
5,025 |
$ |
369,225 |
|||||
|
Joseph Salvucci, Jr.(2) |
|
110,000 |
|
143,040 |
|
— |
|
— |
|
253,040 |
|||||
|
Joseph Salvucci, Sr.(3) |
|
100,000 |
|
148,800 |
|
— |
|
— |
|
248,800 |
|||||
|
Total: |
$ |
335,000 |
$ |
431,040 |
$ |
— |
$ |
5,025 |
$ |
771,065 |
|||||
____________
(1) Mr. Blount was appointed to serve as a member of the Board of Directors in November 2023.
(2) Mr. Salvucci, Jr. was appointed to serve as a member of the Board of Directors in December 2021.
(3) Mr. Salvucci, Sr. was appointed to serve as a member of the Board of Directors in December 2021.
Messrs. Caravaggio and Trotter have not been included in the Director Compensation Table because there were NEOs of our company for all of our 2024 fiscal year, and all compensation paid to each of them during our 2024 fiscal year is reflected in the Summary Compensation Table above.
Director Compensation Program
We believe that attracting and retaining qualified directors is critical to our ability to grow in a manner that is consistent with our corporate governance principles and that is designed to create value for stockholders. We also believe that structuring director compensation with a significant equity component is key to achieving our goals. We believe that this structure will also allow directors to carry out their responsibilities with respect to oversight of the Company while also maintaining alignment with stockholder interests and fiduciary obligations. We anticipate that embedding these core principles and values of alignment and solid governance will enhance our ability to grow and unlock value for stockholders. We have implemented a director compensation policy for our non-employee directors, which consists of:
• An annual retainer for non-employee directors of $75,000;
• An annual grant for non-employee directors of RSUs, calculated by dividing $75,000 by the then current-stock price, which will vest on the first anniversary of the grant;
• An additional annual retainer payment of $50,000 to the Chairman; $25,000 to the Chair of the Audit Committee; $20,000 to the Chair of the Compensation Committee; and $15,000 to the Chair of the Nominating Committee.
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SUBMISSION OF STOCKHOLDER PROPOSALS
Only proper proposals under Rule 14a-8 of the Exchange Act which are timely received will be included in the proxy materials for our next annual meeting. In order to be considered timely, such proposal must be received by our Corporate Secretary, David M. Smith, at 3730 Kirby Drive, Suite 1200, Houston, Texas 77098, no later than May 20, 2026, which is the date that is 120 calendar days prior to the anniversary of the date this year’s proxy statement was first released to stockholders in connection with the Annual Meeting. We suggest that stockholders submit any stockholder proposal by certified mail, return receipt requested.
Our Bylaws require advance notice of any proposal by a stockholder intended to be presented at an annual meeting that is not included in our notice of annual meeting and proxy statement because it was not timely submitted under the following paragraph, or made by or at the direction of any member of the Board of Directors, including any proposal for the nomination for election as a director. To be considered for such presentation at our 2026 annual meeting of stockholders (the “2026 Annual Meeting”), any such stockholder proposal must be received by the General Counsel, EON Resources Inc., 3730 Kirby Drive, Suite 1200, Houston, Texas 77098, not less than ninety (90) days nor more than one hundred twenty (120) days before the first anniversary of the date on which the corporation held its annual meeting in the immediately preceding year, and must otherwise comply with applicable rules and regulations of the SEC, including Rule 14a-8 of Regulation 14A under the Exchange Act, provided that if the 2026 Annual Meeting is scheduled to be held on a date more than thirty (30) days before or more than seventy (70) days after the anniversary date of this Annual Meeting of stockholders, a stockholder’s proposal shall be timely if delivered to, or mailed to and received by, the Secretary of our Company not later than the close of business on the tenth (10th) day following the day on which public announcement of the date of the 2026 Annual Meeting is first made by us, and in any case discretionary authority may be used if such proposal is untimely submitted. Assuming the date of the 2026 annual meeting is held on a date that is not more than thirty (30) days before or more than seventy (70) days after the anniversary date of this Annual Meeting, stockholders proposals must be received by the General Counsel no earlier than July 1, 2026 and no later than July 31, 2026
In addition to satisfying the provisions in our Bylaws relating to nominations of director candidates, including the deadline for written notices, to comply with the SEC’s universal proxy rule, stockholders who intend to solicit proxies in support of director nominees other than our nominees in compliance with Rule 14a-19 under the Exchange Act must provide notice that sets forth the information required by Rule 14a-19 no later than August 30, 2026.
DELINQUENT SECTION 16(a) REPORTS
Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, requires our executive officers and directors, and persons who own more than 10% of a registered class of our equity securities (“Reporting Persons”), to file reports of ownership and changes in ownership with the SEC. The Reporting Persons are required by SEC regulation to furnish us with copies of all Section 16(a) forms they file with the SEC. Based solely on our review of the reports filed by Reporting Persons, and written representations from certain Reporting Persons that no other reports were required for those persons, we believe that, during the year ended December 31, 2024, the Reporting Persons met all applicable Section 16(a) filing requirements, except: (i) one late Form 4 filing for Joseph Salvucci, Jr., (ii) two late Form 4 filings for Dante Caravaggio, and (iii) one late Form 4 filing for Byron Blount.
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OTHER MATTERS
We will furnish without charge to each person whose proxy is being solicited, upon the written request of any such person, a copy of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, as filed with the SEC on April 16, 2025, including the financial statements. Requests for copies of such Annual Report on Form 10-K should be directed to EON Resources Inc., 3730 Kirby Drive, Suite 1200, Houston, Texas 77098, Attn: Chief Financial Officer.
Our Board of Directors does not know of any other matters that are to be presented for action at the Annual Meeting. If any other matters are properly brought before the Annual Meeting or any adjournments thereof, the persons named in the enclosed proxy will have the discretionary authority to vote all proxies received with respect to such matters in accordance with their best judgment.
It is important that the proxies be returned promptly and that your shares are represented at the Annual Meeting. Stockholders are urged to mark, date, execute and promptly return the accompanying proxy card in the enclosed envelope.
40
Annex A
EON RESOURCES INC. 2025 OMNIBUS INCENTIVE PLAN
EON RESOURCES INC. 2025 OMNIBUS INCENTIVE PLAN
1. PURPOSE
The Plan is intended to (a) provide eligible individuals with an incentive to contribute to the success of the Company and to operate and manage the Company’s business in a manner that provides for the Company’s long-term growth and profitability and that benefits its stockholders and other important stakeholders, including its employees and customers, and (b) provide a means of recruiting, rewarding, and retaining key personnel. To this end, the Plan provides for the grant of Awards of Options, SARs, Restricted Stock, RSUs, Dividend Equivalent Rights, Other Equity-Based Awards, and cash bonus awards. Any of these Awards may, but need not, be made as performance incentives to reward the holders of such Awards for the achievement of performance goals in accordance with the terms of the Plan. Options granted under the Plan may be Nonqualified Stock Options or Incentive Stock Options.
2. DEFINITIONS
For purposes of interpreting the Plan documents, including the Plan and Award Agreements, the following capitalized terms shall have the meanings specified below, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
2.1 “Affiliate” shall mean any Person that controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with the Company within the meaning of Rule 405 of Regulation C under the Securities Act, including any Subsidiary. For purposes of making a grant of Options or SARs, an entity shall not be considered an Affiliate unless the Company holds a Controlling Interest in such entity. The preceding sentence does not, however, apply for purposes of determining whether Service is uninterrupted for purposes of vesting, exercisability, or expiration of Options and SARs.
2.2 “Applicable Laws” shall mean the legal requirements relating to the Plan and the Awards under (a) applicable provisions of the Code, the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, any rules or regulations thereunder, and any other laws, rules, regulations, and government orders of any jurisdiction applicable to the Company or its Affiliates, (b) applicable provisions of the corporate, securities, tax, and other laws, rules, regulations, and government orders of any jurisdiction applicable to Awards granted to residents thereof, and (c) the rules of any Stock Exchange or Securities Market on which the Stock is listed or publicly traded.
2.3 “Award” shall mean a grant under the Plan of an Option, a SAR, Restricted Stock, a RSU, a Dividend Equivalent Right, a Performance Award, an Other Equity-Based Award, or cash.
2.4 “Award Agreement” shall mean the written agreement, in such written, electronic, or other form as determined by the Committee, between the Company and a Grantee that evidences and sets forth the terms and conditions of an Award.
2.5 “Beneficial Owner” shall have the meaning set forth in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act.
2.6 “Benefit Arrangement” shall mean any formal or informal plan or other arrangement for the direct or indirect provision of compensation to a Grantee (including groups or classes of Grantees or beneficiaries of which the Grantee is a member), whether or not such compensation is deferred, is in cash, or is in the form of a benefit to or for the Grantee.
2.7 “Board” shall mean the Board of Directors of the Company.
2.8 “Capital Stock” shall mean, with respect to any Person, any and all shares, interests, participations, or other equivalents (however designated, whether voting or non-voting) in equity of such Person, whether outstanding on the Effective Date or issued thereafter, including, without limitation, all shares of Stock.
2.9 “Cause” shall have the meaning set forth in an applicable agreement between a Grantee and the Company or an Affiliate, and in the absence of any such agreement, shall mean, with respect to any Grantee and as determined by the Committee, (a) gross negligence or willful misconduct in connection with the performance of duties; (b) conviction of, or pleading guilty or nolo contendere to, a criminal offense (other than minor traffic offenses); or (c) material breach of any term of any employment, consulting or other services, confidentiality, intellectual property, or non-competition agreements, if any, between such Grantee and the Company or an Affiliate. Any determination by the Committee regarding whether an event constituting Cause shall have occurred shall be final, binding, and conclusive.
Annex A-1
2.10 “Change in Control” shall mean, subject to Section 18.11, the occurrence of any of the following:
(a) A transaction or a series of related transactions whereby any Person or Group (other than the Company or any Affiliate) becomes the Beneficial Owner of more than 50% of the total voting power of the Voting Stock of the Company, on a Fully Diluted Basis;
(b) Individuals who, as of the Effective Date, constitute the Board (the “Incumbent Board”) (together with any new directors whose election by such Incumbent Board or whose nomination by such Incumbent Board for election by the stockholders of the Company was approved by a vote of at least a majority of the members of such Incumbent Board then in office who either were members of such Incumbent Board or whose election or nomination for election was previously so approved) cease for any reason to constitute a majority of the members of such Board then in office;
(c) The Company consolidates with, or merges with or into, any Person, or any Person consolidates with, or merges with or into, the Company (regardless of whether the Company is the surviving Person), other than any such transaction in which the Prior Stockholders own directly or indirectly at least a majority of the voting power of the Voting Stock of the surviving Person in such merger or consolidation immediately after such transaction;
(d) The consummation of any direct or indirect sale, lease, transfer, conveyance, or other disposition (other than by way of reorganization, merger, or consolidation), in one transaction or a series of related transactions, of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, to any Person or Group (other than the Company or any Affiliate), except any such transaction or series of transactions in which the Prior Stockholders own directly or indirectly at least a majority of the voting power of the Voting Stock of such Person or Group immediately after such transaction or series of transactions; or
(e) The consummation of a plan or proposal for the liquidation, winding up, or dissolution of the Company.
The Board shall have full and final authority, in its sole discretion, to determine conclusively whether a Change in Control has occurred pursuant to the above definition, the date of the occurrence of such Change in Control, and any incidental matters relating thereto.
2.11 “Code” shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, as now in effect or as hereafter amended, and any successor thereto. References in the Plan to any Code section shall be deemed to include, as applicable, regulations and guidance promulgated under such Code section.
2.12 “Committee” shall mean a committee of, and designated from time to time by resolution of, the Board, which shall be constituted as provided in Section 3.1.2 and Section 3.1.3 (or, if no Committee has been so designated, the Board).
2.13 “Company” shall mean EON Resources Inc., a Delaware corporation, and any successor thereto.
2.14 “Controlling Interest” shall have the meaning set forth in Treasury Regulation § 1.414(c)-2(b)(2)(i); provided that (a) except as specified in clause (b), an interest of “at least 50 percent” shall be used instead of an interest of “at least 80 percent” in each case where “at least 80 percent” appears in Treasury Regulation § 1.414(c)-2(b)(2)(i), and (b) where a grant of Options or SARs is based on a legitimate business criterion, an interest of “at least 20 percent” shall be used instead of an interest of “at least 80 percent” in each case where “at least 80 percent” appears in Treasury Regulation § 1.414(c)-2(b)(2)(i).
2.15 “Disability” shall mean the inability of a Grantee to perform each of the essential duties of such Grantee’s position by reason of a medically determinable physical or mental impairment that is potentially permanent in character or that can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months; provided that, with respect to rules regarding the expiration of an Incentive Stock Option following termination of a Grantee’s Service, Disability shall mean the inability of such Grantee to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of a medically determinable physical or mental impairment that can be expected to result in death or that has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months.
2.16 “Disqualified Individual” shall have the meaning set forth in Code § 280G(c).
2.17 “Dividend Equivalent Right” shall mean a right, granted to a Grantee pursuant to Article 12, entitling the Grantee thereof to receive, or to receive credits for the future payment of, cash, Stock, other Awards, or other property equal in value to dividend payments or distributions, or other periodic payments, declared or paid with respect to
Annex A-2
a number of shares of Stock specified in such Dividend Equivalent Right (or other Award to which such Dividend Equivalent Right relates) as if such shares of Stock had been issued to and held by the Grantee of such Dividend Equivalent Right as of the record date of the declaration thereof.
2.18 “Effective Date” shall mean the date the Plan is adopted by the Board, subject to approval of the Plan by the Company’s stockholders in accordance with Section 5.1.
2.19 “Employee” shall mean, as of any date of determination, an employee (including an officer) of the Company or an Affiliate.
2.20 “Exchange Act” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, as now in effect or as hereafter amended, and any successor thereto.
2.21 “Fair Market Value” shall mean the fair market value of a share of Stock for purposes of the Plan, which shall be, as of any date of determination:
(a) If on such date the shares of Stock are listed on a Stock Exchange, or are publicly traded on another Securities Market, the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock shall be the closing price of the Stock as reported on such Stock Exchange or such Securities Market (provided that, if there is more than one such Stock Exchange or Securities Market, the Committee shall designate the appropriate Stock Exchange or Securities Market for purposes of the Fair Market Value determination). If there is no such reported closing price on such date, the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock shall be the closing price of the Stock on the next preceding day on which any sale of Stock shall have been reported on such Stock Exchange or such Securities Market.
(b) If on such date the shares of Stock are not listed on a Stock Exchange or publicly traded on a Securities Market, the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock shall be the value of the Stock as determined by the Committee by the reasonable application of a reasonable valuation method, in a manner consistent with Code § 409A.
Notwithstanding this Section 2.21 or Section 18.3, for purposes of determining taxable income and the amount of the related tax withholding obligation pursuant to Section 18.3, the Fair Market Value shall be determined by the Committee in good faith using any reasonable method it deems appropriate, to be applied consistently with respect to Grantees; provided that the Committee shall determine the Fair Market Value of shares of Stock for tax withholding obligations due in connection with sales, by or on behalf of a Grantee, of such shares of Stock subject to an Award to pay the Option Price, SAR Price, or any tax withholding obligation on the same date on which such shares may first be sold pursuant to the terms of the applicable Award Agreement (including broker-assisted cashless exercises of Options and SARs, as described in Section 14.3, and sell-to-cover transactions) in any manner consistent with applicable provisions of the Code, including, without limitation, by using the sale price of such shares on such date (or if sales of such shares are effectuated at more than one sale price, the weighted average sale price of such shares on such date) as the Fair Market Value of such shares, so long as such Grantee has provided the Company, or its designee or agent, with advance written notice of such sale.
2.22 “Family Member” shall mean, with respect to any Grantee as of any date of determination, (a) a Person who is a spouse, former spouse, child, stepchild, grandchild, parent, stepparent, grandparent, niece, nephew, mother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother, sister, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law, including adoptive relationships, of such Grantee, (b) any Person sharing such Grantee’s household (other than a tenant or employee), (c) a trust in which any one or more of the Persons specified in clauses (a) and (b) (and such Grantee) own more than 50% of the beneficial interest, (d) a foundation in which any one or more of the Persons specified in clauses (a) and (b) (and such Grantee) control the management of assets, and (e) any other entity in which one or more of the Persons specified in clauses (a) and (b) (and such Grantee) own more than 50% of the voting interests.
2.23 “Fully Diluted Basis” shall mean, as of any date of determination, the sum of (a) the number of shares of Voting Stock outstanding as of such date of determination plus (b) the number of shares of Voting Stock issuable upon the exercise, conversion, or exchange of all then-outstanding warrants, options, convertible Capital Stock or indebtedness, exchangeable Capital Stock or indebtedness, or other rights exercisable for or convertible or exchangeable into, directly or indirectly, shares of Voting Stock, whether at the time of issue or upon the passage of time or upon the occurrence of some future event, and whether or not in-the-money as of such date of determination.
Annex A-3
2.24 “Grant Date” shall mean, as determined by the Committee, the latest to occur of (a) the date as of which the Committee approves the Award, (b) the date on which the recipient of an Award first becomes eligible to receive an Award under Article 6 (for example, in the case of a new hire, the first date on which such new hire performs any Service), or (c) such date later than the dates specified in clauses (a) and (b) specified by the Committee in the corporate action approving the Award.
2.25 “Grantee” shall mean a Person who receives or holds an Award under the Plan.
2.26 “Group” shall have the meaning set forth in Exchange Act §§ 13(d) and 14(d)(2).
2.27 “Incentive Stock Option” shall mean an “incentive stock option” within the meaning of Code § 422.
2.28 “Nonqualified Stock Option” shall mean an Option that is not an Incentive Stock Option.
2.29 “Non-Employee Director” shall have the meaning set forth in Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act.
2.30 “Officer” shall have the meaning set forth in Rule 16a-1(f) under the Exchange Act.
2.31 “Option” shall mean an option to purchase one or more shares of Stock at a specified Option Price awarded to a Grantee pursuant to Article 8.
2.32 “Option Price” shall mean the per share exercise price for shares of Stock subject to an Option.
2.33 “Other Agreement” shall mean any agreement, contract, or understanding heretofore or hereafter entered into by a Grantee with the Company or an Affiliate, except an agreement, contract, or understanding that expressly addresses Code §§ 280G or 4999.
2.34 “Other Equity-Based Award” shall mean an Award representing a right or other interest that may be denominated or payable in, valued in whole or in part by reference to, or otherwise based on or related to Stock, other than an Option, a SAR, Restricted Stock, an RSU, a Dividend Equivalent Right, or a Performance Award.
2.35 “Parachute Payment” shall mean a “parachute payment” within the meaning of Code § 280G(b)(2), or the corresponding provision of any subsequently enacted tax statute, as amended from time to time.
2.36 “Performance Award” shall mean an Award of Options, SARs, Restricted Stock, RSUs, Other Equity-Based Awards, or cash made subject to the achievement of Performance Measures (as provided in Article 13) over a Performance Period specified by the Committee.
2.37 “Performance Measures” shall mean performance criteria on which performance goals under Performance Awards are based.
2.38 “Performance Period” shall mean the period of time, up to ten years, during or over which the Performance Measures under Performance Awards must be met in order to determine the degree of payout or vesting with respect to any such Performance Awards.
2.39 “Person” shall mean an individual, a corporation, a partnership, a limited liability company, an association, a trust, or any other entity or organization, including a government or political subdivision or an agency or instrumentality thereof; provided that, for purposes of Section 2.10(a) and Section 2.10(d), Person shall have the meaning set forth in Exchange Act §§ 13(d) and 14(d)(2).
2.40 “Plan” shall mean this EON Resources Inc. 2025 Omnibus Incentive Plan, as amended and/or restated from time to time.
2.41 “Prior Stockholders” shall mean the holders of equity securities that represented 100% of the Voting Stock of the Company immediately prior to a reorganization, merger, or consolidation involving the Company or any sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole (or other equity securities into which the Stock or such other equity securities are converted as part of such reorganization, merger, or consolidation transaction).
2.42 “Restricted Period” shall mean a period of time established by the Committee during which an Award of Restricted Stock or RSUs is subject to restrictions.
Annex A-4
2.43 “Restricted Stock” shall mean shares of Stock awarded to a Grantee pursuant to Article 10.
2.44 “RSU” shall mean restricted stock unit, which is a bookkeeping entry representing the equivalent of one share of Stock awarded to a Grantee pursuant to Article 10 that may be settled, subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable Award Agreement, in shares of Stock, cash, or a combination thereof.
2.45 “SAR” shall mean a stock appreciation right granted to a Grantee pursuant to Article 9.
2.46 “SAR Price” shall mean the per share exercise price of a SAR.
2.47 “Securities Act” shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, as now in effect or as hereafter amended, and any successor thereto.
2.48 “Securities Market” shall mean an established securities market.
2.49 “Separation from Service” shall have the meaning set forth in Code § 409A.
2.50 “Service” shall mean service qualifying a Grantee as a Service Provider to the Company or an Affiliate. Unless otherwise provided in the applicable Award Agreement, a Grantee’s change in position or duties shall not result in interrupted or terminated Service, so long as such Grantee continues to be a Service Provider to the Company or an Affiliate. Subject to the preceding sentence, any determination by the Committee whether a termination of Service shall have occurred for purposes of the Plan shall be final, binding, and conclusive. If a Service Provider’s employment or other Service relationship is with an Affiliate and the applicable entity ceases to be an Affiliate, a termination of Service shall be deemed to have occurred when such entity ceases to be an Affiliate unless the Service Provider transfers his or her employment or other Service relationship to the Company or any other Affiliate.
2.51 “Service Provider” shall mean (a) an Employee or director of the Company or an Affiliate, or (b) a consultant or adviser to the Company or an Affiliate (i) who is a natural person, (ii) who is currently providing bona fide services to the Company or an Affiliate, and (iii) whose services are not in connection with the Company’s sale of securities in a capital-raising transaction and do not directly or indirectly promote or maintain a market for the Company’s Capital Stock.
2.52 “Service Recipient Stock” shall have the meaning set forth in Code § 409A.
2.53 “Share Limit” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4.1.
2.54 “Short-Term Deferral Period” shall have the meaning set forth in Code § 409A.
2.55 “Stock” shall mean the Class A Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of the Company, or any security into which shares of Stock may be changed or for which shares of Stock may be exchanged as provided in Section 16.1.
2.56 “Stock Exchange” shall mean the New York Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq Capital Market, the Nasdaq Global Market, the Nasdaq Global Select Market, or another established national or regional stock exchange.
2.57 “Subsidiary” shall mean any corporation (other than the Company) or non-corporate entity with respect to which the Company owns, directly or indirectly, 50% or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of Voting Stock. In addition, any other entity may be designated by the Committee as a Subsidiary, provided that (a) such entity could be considered as a subsidiary according to generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America and (b) in the case of an Award of Options or SARs, such Award would be considered to be granted in respect of Service Recipient Stock under Code § 409A.
2.58 “Substitute Award” shall mean an Award granted upon assumption of, or in substitution for, outstanding awards previously granted under a compensatory plan of the Company, an Affiliate, or a business entity acquired or to be acquired by the Company or an Affiliate or with which the Company or an Affiliate has combined or shall combine.
2.59 “Ten Percent Stockholder” shall mean a natural Person who owns more than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of Voting Stock of the Company, the Company’s parent (if any), or any of the Company’s Subsidiaries. In determining stock ownership, the attribution rules of Code § 424(d) shall be applied.
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2.60 “Voting Stock” shall mean, with respect to any Person, Capital Stock of any class or kind ordinarily having the power to vote for the election of directors, managers, or other voting members of the governing body of such Person. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Stock shall be Voting Stock of the Company.
3. ADMINISTRATION OF THE PLAN
3.1 Committee.
3.1.1 Powers and Authorities.
The Committee shall administer the Plan and shall have such powers and authorities related to the administration of the Plan as are consistent with the Company’s certificate of incorporation and bylaws and Applicable Laws. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Committee shall have full power and authority to take all actions and to make all determinations required or provided for under the Plan, any Award, or any Award Agreement and shall have full power and authority to take all such other actions and to make all such other determinations not inconsistent with the specific terms and provisions of the Plan that the Committee deems to be necessary or appropriate to the administration of the Plan, any Award, or any Award Agreement. All such actions and determinations shall be made by (a) the affirmative vote of a majority of the members of the Committee present at a meeting at which a quorum is present, or (b) the unanimous consent of the members of the Committee executed in writing or evidenced by electronic transmission in accordance with the Company’s certificate of incorporation and bylaws and Applicable Laws. Unless otherwise expressly determined by the Board, the Committee shall have the authority to interpret and construe all provisions of the Plan, any Award, and any Award Agreement, and any such interpretation or construction, and any other determination contemplated to be made under the Plan or any Award Agreement, by the Committee shall be final, binding, and conclusive on all Persons, whether or not expressly provided for in any provision of the Plan, such Award, or such Award Agreement.
In the event that the Plan, any Award, or any Award Agreement provides for any action to be taken by the Board or any determination to be made by the Board, such action may be taken or such determination may be made by the Committee constituted in accordance with this Section 3.1 if the Board has delegated the power and authority to do so to such Committee.
3.1.2 Composition of the Committee.
The Committee shall be a committee composed of not fewer than two directors of the Company designated by the Board to administer the Plan. Each member of the Committee shall (a) be a Non-Employee Director and (b) satisfy the composition requirements of any Stock Exchange on which the Stock is listed. Any action taken by the Committee shall be valid and effective whether or not members of the Committee at the time of such action are later determined not to have satisfied the requirements for membership set forth in this Section 3.1.2 or otherwise provided in any charter of the Committee. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Committee may be the Compensation Committee of the Board or a subcommittee thereof.
3.1.3 Other Committees.
The Board also may appoint one or more committees of the Board, each composed of one or more directors of the Company, which (a) may administer the Plan with respect to Grantees who are not Officers or directors of the Company, (b) may grant Awards under the Plan to such Grantees, and (c) may determine all terms of such Awards subject, if applicable, to the requirements of Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act and the rules of any Stock Exchange or Securities Market on which the Stock is listed or publicly traded.
3.1.4 Delegation by the Committee.
If and to the extent permitted by Applicable Laws, the Committee, by resolution, may delegate some or all of its authority with respect to the Plan and Awards to the Chief Executive Officer of the Company and/or any other officer of the Company designated by the Committee, provided that the Committee may not delegate its authority hereunder (a) to make Awards to directors of the Company, (b) to make Awards to Employees who are (i) Officers or (ii) officers of the Company who are delegated authority by the Committee pursuant to this Section 3.1.4, or (c) to interpret the Plan, any Award, or any Award Agreement. Any delegation shall be subject to the restrictions and limits that the Committee specifies at the time of such delegation or thereafter. Nothing in the Plan shall be construed as obligating the Committee to delegate authority to any officer of the Company, and the Committee may at any time rescind the
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authority delegated to an officer of the Company appointed hereunder and delegate authority to one or more other officers of the Company. At all times, an officer of the Company delegated authority pursuant to this Section 3.1.4 shall serve in such capacity at the pleasure of the Committee. Any action undertaken by any such officer of the Company in accordance with the Committee’s delegation of authority shall have the same force and effect as if undertaken directly by the Committee, and any reference in the Plan to the “Committee” shall, to the extent consistent with the terms and limitations of such delegation, be deemed to include a reference to each such officer.
3.2 Board.
The Board, from time to time, may exercise any or all of the powers and authorities related to the administration and implementation of the Plan, as set forth in Section 3.1 and other applicable provisions of the Plan, as the Board shall determine, consistent with the Company’s certificate of incorporation and bylaws and Applicable Laws.
3.3 Terms of Awards.
3.3.1 Committee Authority.
Subject to the other terms and conditions of the Plan, the Committee shall have full and final authority to:
(a) designate Grantees;
(b) determine the type or types of Awards to be made to a Grantee;
(c) determine the number of shares of Stock to be subject to an Award or to which an Award relates;
(d) establish the terms and conditions of each Award (including the Option Price of any Option, the SAR Price for any SAR, and the purchase price for applicable Awards, the nature and duration of any restriction or condition (or provision for lapse thereof) relating to the vesting, exercise, transfer, or forfeiture of an Award or the shares of Stock subject thereto, the treatment of an Award in the event of a Change in Control (subject to applicable agreements), and any terms or conditions that may be necessary to qualify Options as Incentive Stock Options);
(e) prescribe the form of each Award Agreement evidencing an Award;
(f) subject to the limitation on repricing in Section 3.4, amend, modify, or supplement the terms of any outstanding Award, which authority shall include the authority, in order to effectuate the purposes of the Plan but without amending the Plan, to make Awards or to modify outstanding Awards made to eligible natural Persons who are foreign nationals or are natural Persons who are employed outside the United States to reflect differences in local law, tax policy, or custom; provided that, notwithstanding the foregoing, no amendment, modification, or supplement of the terms of any outstanding Award shall, without the consent of the Grantee thereof, impair such Grantee’s rights under such Award; and
(g) make Substitute Awards.
3.3.2 Forfeiture; Recoupment.
The Committee may reserve the right in an Award Agreement to cause a forfeiture of the gain realized by a Grantee with respect to an Award thereunder on account of actions taken by, or failed to be taken by, such Grantee in violation or breach of, or in conflict with, any (a) employment agreement, (b) non-competition agreement, (c) agreement prohibiting solicitation of Employees or clients of the Company or an Affiliate, (d) confidentiality obligation with respect to the Company or an Affiliate, (e) policy or procedure of the Company or an Affiliate, (f) other agreement, or (g) other obligation of such Grantee to the Company or an Affiliate, as and to the extent specified in such Award Agreement. If the Grantee of an outstanding Award is an Employee of the Company or an Affiliate and such Grantee’s Service is terminated for Cause, the Committee may annul such Grantee’s outstanding Award as of the date of the Grantee’s termination of Service for Cause.
Any Award granted pursuant to the Plan shall be subject to mandatory repayment by the Grantee to the Company to the extent set forth in the Plan or an Award Agreement or to the extent the Grantee is, or in the future becomes, subject to (1) any Company or Affiliate “clawback” or recoupment policy that is adopted to comply with the requirements of any Applicable Laws, or (2) any Applicable Laws that impose mandatory recoupment, under circumstances set forth in such Applicable Laws.
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3.4 No Repricing Without Stockholder Approval.
Except in connection with a corporate transaction involving the Company (including, without limitation, any stock dividend, distribution (whether in the form of cash, shares of Stock, other securities, or other property), stock split, extraordinary dividend, recapitalization, Change in Control, reorganization, merger, consolidation, split-up, spin-off, combination, repurchase or exchange of shares of Stock, or other securities or similar transaction), the Company may not: (a) amend the terms of outstanding Options or SARs to reduce the Option Price or SAR Price, as applicable, of such outstanding Options or SARs; (b) cancel outstanding Options or SARs in exchange for, or in substitution of, Options or SARs with an Option Price or SAR Price, as applicable, that is less than the Option Price or SAR Price, as applicable, of the original Options or SARs; or (c) cancel outstanding Options or SARs with an Option Price or SAR Price, as applicable, above the current Fair Market Value in exchange for cash or other securities, in each case, unless such action (i) is subject to and approved by the Company’s stockholders or (ii) would not be deemed to be a repricing under the rules of any Stock Exchange or Securities Market on which the Stock is listed or publicly traded.
3.5 Deferral Arrangement.
The Committee may permit or require the deferral of any payment pursuant to any Award into a deferred compensation arrangement, subject to such rules and procedures as it may establish, which may include provisions for the payment or crediting of interest or Dividend Equivalent Rights and, in connection therewith, provisions for converting such credits into RSUs that comply with the requirements of Code § 409A and for restricting deferrals to comply with hardship distribution rules affecting tax-qualified retirement plans subject to Code § 401(k)(2)(B)(IV), provided that no Dividend Equivalent Rights may be granted in connection with, or related to, an Award of Options or SARs. Any such deferrals shall be made in a manner that complies with Code § 409A, including, if applicable, with respect to when a Separation from Service occurs.
3.6 Registration; Share Certificates.
Notwithstanding any provision of the Plan to the contrary, the ownership of the shares of Stock issued under the Plan may be evidenced in such a manner as the Committee, in its sole discretion, deems appropriate, including by book-entry or direct registration (including transaction advices) or the issuance of one or more share certificates.
4. STOCK SUBJECT TO THE PLAN
4.1 Number of Shares of Stock Available for Awards.
Subject to such additional shares of Stock as shall be available for issuance under the Plan pursuant to Section 4.2 and Section 4.3(c), and subject to adjustment pursuant to Article 16, the maximum number of shares of Stock reserved for issuance under the Plan shall be equal to 4,587,007 shares of Stock (the “Share Limit”). Such shares of Stock may be authorized and unissued shares of Stock, treasury shares of Stock, or any combination of the foregoing, as may be determined from time to time by the Board or by the Committee. Any of the shares of Stock reserved and available for issuance under the Plan may be used for any type of Award under the Plan, and any or all of the shares of Stock reserved for issuance under the Plan shall be available for issuance pursuant to Incentive Stock Options.
4.2 Adjustments in Authorized Shares of Stock.
In connection with mergers, reorganizations, separations, or other transactions to which Code § 424(a) applies, the Committee shall have the right to cause the Company to assume awards previously granted under a compensatory plan of another business entity that is a party to such transaction and to grant Substitute Awards under the Plan for such awards. The Share Limit pursuant to Section 4.1 shall be increased by the number of shares of Stock subject to any such assumed awards and Substitute Awards. Shares available for issuance under a stockholder-approved plan of a business entity that is a party to such transaction (as appropriately adjusted, if necessary, to reflect such transaction) may be used for Awards under the Plan and shall not reduce the number of shares of Stock otherwise available for issuance under the Plan, subject to applicable rules of any Stock Exchange or Securities Market on which the Stock is listed or publicly traded.
4.3 Share Usage.
(a) Shares of Stock covered by an Award shall be counted as used as of the Grant Date for purposes of calculating the number of shares of Stock available for issuance under Section 4.1.
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(b) Any shares of Stock that are subject to Awards, including shares of Stock acquired through dividend reinvestment pursuant to Article 10, shall be counted against the Share Limit set forth in Section 4.1 as one share of Stock for every one share of Stock subject to an Award. The number of shares of Stock subject to an Award of SARs shall be counted against the Share Limit set forth in Section 4.1 as one share of Stock for every one share of Stock subject to such Award regardless of the number of shares of Stock actually issued to settle such SARs upon the exercise of the SARs. At least the target number of shares of Stock issuable under a Performance Award grant shall be counted against the Share Limit set forth in Section 4.1 as of the Grant Date, but such number shall be adjusted to equal the actual number of shares of Stock issued upon settlement of the Performance Award to the extent different from such target number of shares of Stock.
(c) If any shares of Stock covered by an Award granted under the Plan are not purchased or are forfeited or expire or if an Award otherwise terminates without delivery of any Stock subject thereto or is settled in cash in lieu of shares, then the number of shares of Stock counted against the Share Limit with respect to such Award shall, to the extent of any such forfeiture, termination, expiration, or settlement, again be available for making Awards under the Plan.
(d) The number of shares of Stock available for issuance under the Plan shall not be increased by the number of shares of Stock (i) tendered, withheld, or subject to an Award granted under the Plan surrendered in connection with the purchase of shares of Stock upon exercise of an Option, (ii) that were not issued upon the net settlement or net exercise of a Stock-settled SAR granted under the Plan, (iii) deducted or delivered from payment of an Award granted under the Plan in connection with the Company’s tax withholding obligations as provided in Section 18.3, or (iv) purchased by the Company with proceeds from Option exercises.
5. TERM; AMENDMENT AND TERMINATION
5.1 Term.
The Plan shall become effective as of the Effective Date, subject to approval of the Plan by the Company’s stockholders within 12 months of the Effective Date. Upon approval of the Plan by the Company’s stockholders, all Awards made under the Plan on or after the Effective Date shall be fully effective as if the stockholders of the Company had approved the Plan on the Effective Date. If the Stockholders do not approve the Plan within 12 months of the Effective Date, any Awards made under the Plan on or after the Effective Date shall not be exercisable, settleable, or deliverable, except to the extent such Awards could have otherwise been made under the Plan. The Plan shall terminate on the first to occur of (a) 11:59PM ET on the day before the tenth anniversary of the Effective Date, (b) the date determined in accordance with Section 5.2, and (c) the date determined in accordance with Section 16.3. Upon such termination of the Plan, all outstanding Awards shall continue to have full force and effect in accordance with the provisions of the terminated Plan and the applicable Award Agreement (or other documents evidencing such Awards).
5.2 Amendment, Suspension, and Termination.
The Board may, at any time and from time to time, amend, suspend, or terminate the Plan; provided that, with respect to Awards theretofore granted under the Plan, no amendment, suspension, or termination of the Plan shall, without the consent of any Grantee affected thereby, impair the rights or obligations under any such Award. The effectiveness of any amendment to the Plan shall be conditioned on approval of such amendment by the Company’s stockholders to the extent provided by the Board or required by Applicable Laws; provided that no amendment shall be made to the no-repricing provisions of Section 3.4, the Option pricing provisions of Section 8.1, or the SAR pricing provisions of Section 9.1 without the approval of the Company’s stockholders.
6. AWARD ELIGIBILITY AND LIMITATIONS
6.1 Eligible Grantees.
Subject to this Article 6, Awards may be made under the Plan to (a) any Service Provider, as the Committee shall determine and designate from time to time, and (b) any other individual whose participation in the Plan is determined to be in the best interests of the Company by the Committee.
6.2 Stand-Alone, Additional, Tandem, and Substitute Awards.
Subject to Section 3.4, Awards granted under the Plan may, in the discretion of the Committee, be granted either alone or in addition to, in tandem with, or in substitution or exchange for, (a) any other Award, (b) any award granted under another plan of the Company, an Affiliate, or any business entity that has been a party to a transaction with the
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Company or an Affiliate, or (c) any other right of a Grantee to receive payment from the Company or an Affiliate. Such additional, tandem, exchange, or Substitute Awards may be granted at any time. If an Award is granted in substitution or exchange for another Award, or for an award granted under another plan of the Company, an Affiliate, or any business entity that has been a party to a transaction with the Company or an Affiliate, the Committee shall require the surrender of such other Award or award under such other plan in consideration for the grant of such exchange or Substitute Award. In addition, Awards may be granted in lieu of cash compensation, including in lieu of cash payments under other plans of the Company or an Affiliate. Notwithstanding Section 8.1 and Section 9.1, but subject to Section 3.4, the Option Price of an Option or the SAR Price of a SAR that is a Substitute Award may be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock on the original Grant Date; provided that such Option Price or SAR Price is determined in accordance with the principles of Code § 424 for any Incentive Stock Option and consistent with Code § 409A for any other Option or SAR.
7. AWARD AGREEMENT
Each Award granted pursuant to the Plan shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement, which shall be in such form or forms as the Committee shall from time to time determine. Award Agreements utilized under the Plan from time to time or at the same time need not contain similar provisions but shall be consistent with the terms of the Plan. Each Award Agreement evidencing an Award of Options shall specify whether such Options are intended to be Nonqualified Stock Options or Incentive Stock Options, and, in the absence of such specification, such Options shall be deemed to constitute Nonqualified Stock Options. In the event of any inconsistency between the Plan and an Award Agreement, the provisions of the Plan shall control.
8. TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF OPTIONS
8.1 Option Price.
The Option Price of each Option shall be fixed by the Committee and stated in the Award Agreement evidencing such Option. Except in the case of Substitute Awards, the Option Price of each Option shall be at least the Fair Market Value of one share of Stock on the Grant Date; provided that, in the event that a Grantee is a Ten Percent Stockholder, the Option Price of an Option granted to such Grantee that is intended to be an Incentive Stock Option shall be not less than 110% of the Fair Market Value of one share of Stock on the Grant Date. In no case shall the Option Price of any Option be less than the par value of one share of Stock.
8.2 Vesting and Exercisability.
Subject to Sections 8.3 and 16.3, each Option granted under the Plan shall become vested and/or exercisable at such times and under such conditions as shall be determined by the Committee and stated in the Award Agreement, in another agreement with the Grantee, or otherwise in writing; provided that no Option shall be granted to Grantees who are entitled to overtime under Applicable Laws that shall vest or be exercisable within a six-month period starting on the Grant Date.
8.3 Term.
Each Option granted under the Plan shall terminate, and all rights to purchase shares of Stock thereunder shall cease, on the tenth anniversary of the Grant Date of such Option, or under such circumstances and on such date prior thereto as is set forth in the Plan or as may be fixed by the Committee and stated in the Award Agreement relating to such Option; provided that, in the event that the Grantee is a Ten Percent Stockholder, an Option granted to such Grantee that is intended to be an Incentive Stock Option shall not be exercisable after the fifth anniversary of the Grant Date of such Option; and provided, further, that, to the extent deemed necessary or appropriate by the Committee to reflect differences in local law, tax policy, or custom with respect to any Option granted to a Grantee who is a foreign national or is a natural Person who is employed outside the United States, such Option may terminate, and all rights to purchase shares of Stock thereunder may cease, upon the expiration of a period longer than ten years from the Grant Date of such Option as the Committee shall determine.
8.4 Termination of Service.
Each Award Agreement with respect to the grant of an Option shall set forth the extent to which the Grantee thereof, if at all, shall have the right to exercise such Option following termination of such Grantee’s Service. Such provisions shall be determined in the sole discretion of the Committee, need not be uniform among all Options issued pursuant to the Plan, and may reflect distinctions based on the reasons for termination of Service.
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8.5 Limitations on Exercise of Option.
Notwithstanding any provision of the Plan to the contrary, in no event may any Option be exercised, in whole or in part, after the occurrence of an event referred to in Article 16 that results in the termination of such Option.
8.6 Method of Exercise.
Subject to the terms of Article 14 and Section 18.3, an Option that is exercisable may be exercised by the Grantee’s delivery to the Company or its designee or agent of notice of exercise on any business day, at the Company’s principal office or the office of such designee or agent, on the form specified by the Company and in accordance with any additional procedures specified by the Committee. Such notice shall specify the number of shares of Stock with respect to which such Option is being exercised and shall be accompanied by payment in full of the Option Price of the shares of Stock for which such Option is being exercised, plus the amount (if any) of federal and/or other taxes that the Company may, in its judgment, be required to withhold with respect to the exercise of such Option.
8.7 Rights of Holders of Options.
Unless otherwise stated in the applicable Award Agreement, a Grantee or other Person holding or exercising an Option shall have none of the rights of a stockholder of the Company (for example, the right to receive cash or dividend payments or distributions attributable to the shares of Stock subject to such Option, to direct the voting of the shares of Stock subject to such Option, or to receive notice of any meeting of the Company’s stockholders) until the shares of Stock subject thereto are fully paid and issued to such Grantee or other Person. Except as provided in Article 16, no adjustment shall be made for dividends, distributions, or other rights with respect to any shares of Stock subject to an Option for which the record date is prior to the date of issuance of such shares of Stock.
8.8 Delivery of Stock.
Promptly after the exercise of an Option by a Grantee and the payment in full of the Option Price with respect thereto, such Grantee shall be entitled to receive such evidence of such Grantee’s ownership of the shares of Stock subject to such Option as shall be consistent with Section 3.6.
8.9 Transferability of Options.
Except as provided in Section 8.10, during the lifetime of a Grantee of an Option, only such Grantee (or, in the event of such Grantee’s legal incapacity or incompetency, such Grantee’s guardian or legal representative) may exercise such Option. Except as provided in Section 8.10, no Option shall be assignable or transferable by the Grantee to whom it is granted, other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution.
8.10 Family Transfers.
If authorized in the applicable Award Agreement and by the Committee, in its sole discretion, a Grantee may transfer, not for value, all or part of an Option that is not an Incentive Stock Option to any Family Member. For the purpose of this Section 8.10, a transfer “not for value” is a transfer that is (a) a gift, (b) a transfer under a domestic relations order in settlement of marital property rights, or (c) unless Applicable Laws do not permit such transfer, a transfer to an entity in which more than 50% of the voting interests are owned by Family Members (and/or the Grantee) in exchange for an interest in such entity. Following a transfer under this Section 8.10, any such Option shall continue to be subject to the same terms and conditions as were applicable thereto immediately prior to such transfer. Subsequent transfers of transferred Options shall be prohibited except to Family Members of the original Grantee in accordance with this Section 8.10 or by will or the laws of descent and distribution. The provisions of Section 8.4 relating to termination of Service shall continue to be applied with respect to the original Grantee of the Option, following which such Option shall be exercisable by the transferee only to the extent, and for the periods specified, in Section 8.4.
8.11 Limitations on Incentive Stock Options.
An Option shall constitute an Incentive Stock Option only (a) if the Grantee of such Option is an Employee of the Company or any corporate Subsidiary, (b) to the extent specifically provided in the related Award Agreement, and (c) to the extent that the aggregate Fair Market Value (determined at the time such Option is granted) of the shares of Stock with respect to which all Incentive Stock Options held by such Grantee become exercisable for the
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first time during any calendar year (under the Plan and all other plans of the Company and its Affiliates) does not exceed $100,000. Except to the extent provided in the regulations under Code § 422, this limitation shall be applied by taking Options into account in the order in which they were granted.
8.12 Notice of Disqualifying Disposition.
If any Grantee shall make any disposition of shares of Stock issued pursuant to the exercise of an Incentive Stock Option under the circumstances provided in Code § 421(b) (relating to certain disqualifying dispositions), such Grantee shall notify the Company of such disposition immediately but in no event later than ten days thereafter.
9. TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SARS
9.1 Right to Payment and SAR Price.
A SAR shall confer on the Grantee to whom it is granted a right to receive, upon exercise thereof, the excess of (a) the Fair Market Value of one share of Stock on the date of exercise, over (b) the SAR Price as determined by the Committee. The Award Agreement for a SAR shall specify the SAR Price, which shall be no less than the Fair Market Value of one share of Stock on the Grant Date of such SAR. SARs may be granted in tandem with all or part of an Option granted under the Plan or at any subsequent time during the term of such Option, in combination with all or any part of any other Award, or without regard to any Option or other Award; provided that a SAR that is granted in tandem with all or part of an Option shall have the same term, and expire at the same time, as the related Option; provided, further, that a SAR that is granted subsequent to the Grant Date of a related Option must have a SAR Price that is no less than the Fair Market Value of one share of Stock on the Grant Date of such SAR.
9.2 Other Terms.
The Committee shall determine, on the Grant Date or thereafter, the time or times at which, and the circumstances under which, a SAR may be exercised in whole or in part (including based on achievement of performance goals and/or future Service requirements); the time or times at which SARs shall cease to be or become exercisable following termination of Service or upon other conditions; the method of exercise, method of settlement, form of consideration payable in settlement, method by or forms in which shares of Stock shall be delivered or deemed to be delivered to Grantees, whether or not a SAR shall be granted in tandem or in combination with any other Award; and any and all other terms and conditions of any SAR; provided that no SARs shall be granted to Grantees who are entitled to overtime under Applicable Laws that shall vest or be exercisable within a six-month period starting on the Grant Date.
9.3 Term.
Each SAR granted under the Plan shall terminate, and all rights thereunder shall cease, on the tenth anniversary of the Grant Date of such SAR or under such circumstances and on such date prior thereto as is set forth in the Plan or as may be fixed by the Committee and stated in the Award Agreement relating to such SAR.
9.4 Rights of Holders of SARs.
Unless otherwise stated in the applicable Award Agreement, a Grantee or other Person holding or exercising a SAR shall have none of the rights of a stockholder of the Company (for example, the right to receive cash or dividend payments or distributions attributable to the shares of Stock underlying such SAR, to direct the voting of the shares of Stock underlying such SAR, or to receive notice of any meeting of the Company’s stockholders) until the shares of Stock underlying such SAR, if any, are issued to such Grantee or other Person. Except as provided in Article 16, no adjustment shall be made for dividends, distributions, or other rights with respect to any shares of Stock underlying a SAR for which the record date is prior to the date of issuance of such shares of Stock, if any.
9.5 Transferability of SARs.
Except as provided in Section 9.6, during the lifetime of a Grantee of a SAR, only the Grantee (or, in the event of such Grantee’s legal incapacity or incompetency, such Grantee’s guardian or legal representative) may exercise such SAR. Except as provided in Section 9.6, no SAR shall be assignable or transferable by the Grantee to whom it is granted, other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution.
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9.6 Family Transfers.
If authorized in the applicable Award Agreement and by the Committee, in its sole discretion, a Grantee may transfer, not for value, all or part of a SAR to any Family Member. For the purpose of this Section 9.6, a transfer “not for value” is a transfer that is (a) a gift, (b) a transfer under a domestic relations order in settlement of marital property rights, or (c) unless Applicable Laws do not permit such transfer, a transfer to an entity in which more than 50% of the voting interests are owned by Family Members (and/or the Grantee) in exchange for an interest in such entity. Following a transfer under this Section 9.6, any such SAR shall continue to be subject to the same terms and conditions as were in effect immediately prior to such transfer. Subsequent transfers of transferred SARs shall be prohibited except to Family Members of the original Grantee in accordance with this Section 9.6 or by will or the laws of descent and distribution.
10. TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF RESTRICTED STOCK AND RSUS
10.1 Grant of Restricted Stock and RSUs.
Awards of Restricted Stock and RSUs may be made for consideration or for no consideration, other than the par value of the shares of Stock, which shall be deemed paid by past Service or, if so provided in the related Award Agreement or a separate agreement, the promise by the Grantee to perform future Service to the Company or an Affiliate.
10.2 Restrictions.
At the time a grant of Restricted Stock or RSUs is made, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, (a) establish a Restricted Period applicable to such Restricted Stock or RSUs and (b) prescribe restrictions in addition to or other than the expiration of the Restricted Period, including the achievement of corporate or individual performance goals, which may be applicable to all or any portion of such Restricted Stock or RSUs as provided in Article 13. Awards of Restricted Stock and RSUs may not be sold, transferred, assigned, pledged, or otherwise encumbered or disposed of during the Restricted Period or prior to the satisfaction of any other restrictions prescribed by the Committee with respect to such Awards.
10.3 Registration; Restricted Stock Certificates.
Pursuant to Section 3.6, to the extent that ownership of Restricted Stock is evidenced by a book-entry registration or direct registration (including transaction advices), such registration shall be notated to evidence the restrictions imposed on such Award of Restricted Stock under the Plan and the applicable Award Agreement. Subject to Section 3.6 and the immediately following sentence, the Company may issue, in the name of each Grantee to whom Restricted Stock has been granted, certificates representing the total number of shares of Restricted Stock granted to the Grantee, as soon as reasonably practicable after the Grant Date of such Restricted Stock. The Committee may provide in an Award Agreement with respect to an Award of Restricted Stock that either (a) the Secretary of the Company shall hold such certificates for such Grantee’s benefit until such time as such shares of Restricted Stock are forfeited to the Company or the restrictions applicable thereto lapse and such Grantee shall deliver a stock power to the Company with respect to each certificate, or (b) such certificates shall be delivered to such Grantee, provided that such certificates shall bear legends that comply with Applicable Laws and make appropriate reference to the restrictions imposed on such Award of Restricted Stock under the Plan and such Award Agreement.
10.4 Rights of Holders of Restricted Stock.
Unless the Committee provides otherwise in an Award Agreement and subject to the restrictions set forth in the Plan, any applicable Company program, and the applicable Award Agreement, holders of Restricted Stock shall have the right to vote such shares of Restricted Stock and the right to receive any dividend payments or distributions declared or paid with respect to such shares of Restricted Stock. The Committee may provide in an Award Agreement evidencing a grant of Restricted Stock that (a) any cash dividend payments or distributions paid on Restricted Stock shall be reinvested in shares of Stock, which may or may not be subject to the same vesting conditions and restrictions as applicable to such underlying shares of Restricted Stock or (b) any dividend payments or distributions declared or paid on shares of Restricted Stock shall only be made or paid upon satisfaction of the vesting conditions and restrictions applicable to such shares of Restricted Stock. Dividend payments or distributions declared or paid on shares of Restricted Stock that vest or are earned based on the achievement of performance goals shall not vest unless such performance goals for such shares of Restricted Stock are achieved, and if such performance goals are not achieved,
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the Grantee of such shares of Restricted Stock shall promptly forfeit and, to the extent already paid or distributed, repay to the Company such dividend payments or distributions. All stock dividend payments or distributions, if any, received by a Grantee with respect to shares of Restricted Stock as a result of any stock split, stock dividend, combination of stock, or other similar transaction shall be subject to the same vesting conditions and restrictions as applicable to such underlying shares of Restricted Stock.
10.5 Rights of Holders of RSUs.
10.5.1 Voting and Dividend Rights.
Holders of RSUs shall have no rights as stockholders of the Company (for example, the right to receive dividend payments or distributions attributable to the shares of Stock underlying such RSUs to direct the voting of the shares of Stock underlying such RSUs, or to receive notice of any meeting of the Company’s stockholders). The Committee may provide in an Award Agreement evidencing a grant of RSUs that the holder of such RSUs shall be entitled to receive Dividend Equivalent Rights, in accordance with Article 12.
10.5.2 Creditor’s Rights.
A holder of RSUs shall have no rights other than those of a general unsecured creditor of the Company. RSUs represent unfunded and unsecured obligations of the Company, subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable Award Agreement.
10.6 Termination of Service.
Unless the Committee provides otherwise in an Award Agreement, in another agreement with the Grantee, or otherwise in writing after such Award Agreement is issued, but prior to termination of Grantee’s Service, upon the termination of such Grantee’s Service, any Restricted Stock or RSUs held by such Grantee that have not vested, or with respect to which all applicable restrictions and conditions have not lapsed, shall immediately be deemed forfeited. Upon forfeiture of such Restricted Stock or RSUs, the Grantee thereof shall have no further rights with respect thereto, including any right to vote such Restricted Stock or any right to receive dividends or Dividend Equivalent Rights, as applicable, with respect to such Restricted Stock or RSUs.
10.7 Purchase of Restricted Stock and Shares of Stock Subject to RSUs.
The Grantee of an Award of Restricted Stock or vested RSUs shall be required, to the extent required by Applicable Laws, to purchase such Restricted Stock or the shares of Stock subject to such vested RSUs from the Company at a purchase price equal to the greater of (a) the aggregate par value of the shares of Stock represented by such Restricted Stock or such vested RSUs or (b) the purchase price, if any, specified in the Award Agreement relating to such Restricted Stock or such vested RSUs. Such purchase price shall be payable in a form provided in Article 14 or, in the sole discretion of the Committee, in consideration for Service rendered or to be rendered by the Grantee to the Company or an Affiliate.
10.8 Delivery of Shares of Stock.
Upon the expiration or termination of any Restricted Period and the satisfaction of any other conditions prescribed by the Committee, including, without limitation, any performance goals or delayed delivery period, the restrictions applicable to Restricted Stock or RSUs settled in shares of Stock shall lapse, and, unless otherwise provided in the applicable Award Agreement, a book-entry or direct registration (including transaction advices) or a certificate evidencing ownership of such shares of Stock shall, consistent with Section 3.6, be issued, free of all such restrictions, to the Grantee thereof or such Grantee’s beneficiary or estate, as the case may be. Neither the Grantee, nor the Grantee’s beneficiary or estate, shall have any further rights with regard to an RSU once the shares of Stock represented by such RSU have been delivered in accordance with this Section 10.8.
11. TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF OTHER EQUITY-BASED AWARDS
The Committee may, in its sole discretion, grant Awards in the form of Other Equity-Based Awards, as deemed by the Committee to be consistent with the purposes of the Plan. Awards granted pursuant to this Article 11 may be granted with vesting, value, or payment contingent on the achievement of one or more performance goals. The Committee shall determine the terms and conditions of Other Equity-Based Awards on the Grant Date or thereafter. Unless the Committee provides otherwise in an Award Agreement, in another agreement with the Grantee, or otherwise
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in writing after such Award Agreement is issued, but prior to termination of Grantee’s Service, upon the termination of a Grantee’s Service, any Other Equity-Based Awards held by such Grantee that have not vested, or with respect to which all applicable restrictions and conditions have not lapsed, shall immediately be deemed forfeited. Upon forfeiture of any Other Equity-Based Award, the Grantee thereof shall have no further rights with respect to such Other Equity-Based Award.
12. TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF DIVIDEND EQUIVALENT RIGHTS
12.1 Dividend Equivalent Rights.
A Dividend Equivalent Right may be granted hereunder, provided that no Dividend Equivalent Rights may be granted in connection with, or related to, an Award of Options or SARs. The terms and conditions of Dividend Equivalent Rights shall be specified in the Award Agreement therefor. Dividend equivalents credited to the holder of a Dividend Equivalent Right may be paid currently (with or without being subject to forfeiture or a repayment obligation) or may be deemed to be reinvested in additional shares of Stock or Awards, which may thereafter accrue additional Dividend Equivalent Rights (with or without being subject to forfeiture or a repayment obligation). Any such reinvestment shall be at the Fair Market Value thereof on the date of such reinvestment. Dividend Equivalent Rights may be settled in cash, shares of Stock, or a combination thereof, in a single installment or in multiple installments, all as determined in the sole discretion of the Committee. A Dividend Equivalent Right granted as a component of another Award may (a) provide that such Dividend Equivalent Right shall be settled upon exercise, settlement, or payment of, or lapse of restrictions on, such other Award and that such Dividend Equivalent Right shall expire or be forfeited or annulled under the same conditions as such other Award or (b) contain terms and conditions that are different from the terms and conditions of such other Award, provided that Dividend Equivalent Rights credited pursuant to a Dividend Equivalent Right granted as a component of another Award that vests or is earned based on the achievement of performance goals shall not vest unless such performance goals for such underlying Award are achieved, and if such performance goals are not achieved, the Grantee of such Dividend Equivalent Rights shall promptly forfeit and, to the extent already paid or distributed, repay to the Company payments or distributions made in connection with such Dividend Equivalent Rights.
12.2 Termination of Service.
Unless the Committee provides otherwise in an Award Agreement, in another agreement with the Grantee, or otherwise in writing after such Award Agreement is issued, a Grantee’s rights in all Dividend Equivalent Rights shall automatically terminate upon such Grantee’s termination of Service for any reason.
13. TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF PERFORMANCE AWARDS
13.1 Grant of Performance Awards.
Subject to the terms and provisions of the Plan, the Committee, at any time and from time to time, may grant Performance Awards in such amounts and on such terms as the Committee shall determine.
13.2 Value of Performance Awards.
Each grant of a Performance Award shall have an initial cash value or an actual or target number of shares of Stock that is established by the Committee as of the Grant Date. The Committee shall set performance goals in its discretion that, depending on the extent to which they are achieved, shall determine the amount of cash or value or number of shares of Stock that shall be paid out to the Grantee thereof.
13.3 Earning of Performance Awards.
Subject to the terms of the Plan, after the applicable Performance Period has ended, the Grantee of a Performance Award shall be entitled to receive a payout of the value earned under such Performance Award by such Grantee over such Performance Period, to be determined based on the extent to which the corresponding performance goals have been achieved.
13.4 Form and Timing of Payment of Performance Awards.
Payment of the value earned under a Performance Award shall be made, as determined by the Committee, in the form, at the time, and in the manner described in the applicable Award Agreement. Subject to the terms of the Plan, the Committee, in its sole discretion, (a) may pay the value earned under Performance Awards in the form of cash, shares
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of Stock, other Awards, or a combination thereof, including shares of Stock and/or Awards that are subject to any restrictions deemed appropriate by the Committee, and (b) shall pay the value earned under Performance Awards at the close of the applicable Performance Period, or as soon as reasonably practicable after the Committee has determined that the performance goal or goals relating thereto have been achieved; provided that, unless specifically provided in the Award Agreement for such Performance Awards, such payment shall occur no later than the 15th day of the third month following the end of the calendar year in which such Performance Period ends. Any shares of Stock paid out under a Performance Award 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 for the Performance Award.
13.5 Performance Conditions.
The right of a Grantee to exercise or receive a grant or settlement of any Performance Award, and the timing thereof, may be subject to the achievement of such Performance Measures as may be specified by the Committee. The Committee may use such business criteria and other measures of performance as it may deem appropriate in establishing any performance conditions.
13.6 Performance Measures.
Performance under any Performance Measures (a) may be used to measure the performance of (i) the Company, its Subsidiaries, and other Affiliates as a whole, (ii) the Company, any Subsidiary, and/or any other Affiliate or any combination thereof, or (iii) any one or more business units or operating segments of the Company, any Subsidiary, and/or any other Affiliate, in each case as the Committee, in its sole discretion, deems appropriate and (b) may be compared to the performance of one or more other companies or one or more published or special indices designated or approved by the Committee for such comparison, as the Committee, in its sole discretion, deems appropriate. In addition, the Committee, in its sole discretion, may select a Performance Measure for comparison to performance under one or more stock market indices designated or approved by the Committee. The Committee shall also have the authority to provide for accelerated vesting of any Performance Award based on the achievement of performance goals pursuant to any Performance Measures. For the avoidance of doubt, nothing herein is intended to prevent the Committee from granting Awards subject to subjective performance conditions (including individual performance conditions).
14. FORMS OF PAYMENT
14.1 General Rule.
Payment of the Option Price for the shares of Stock purchased pursuant to the exercise of an Option or the purchase price, if any, for Restricted Stock or vested RSUs shall be made in cash or in cash equivalents acceptable to the Company.
14.2 Surrender of Shares of Stock.
To the extent that the applicable Award Agreement so provides, payment of the Option Price for shares of Stock purchased pursuant to the exercise of an Option or the purchase price, if any, for Restricted Stock or vested RSUs may be made all or in part through the tender or attestation to the Company of shares of Stock, which shall be valued, for purposes of determining the extent to which such Option Price or purchase price has been paid thereby, at their Fair Market Value on the date of such tender or attestation.
14.3 Cashless Exercise.
To the extent permitted by Applicable Laws and to the extent the Award Agreement so provides, payment of the Option Price for shares of Stock purchased pursuant to the exercise of an Option may be made all or in part by delivery (on a form acceptable to the Committee) of an irrevocable direction to a licensed securities broker acceptable to the Company to sell shares of Stock and to deliver all or part of the proceeds of such sale to the Company in payment of such Option Price and/or any withholding taxes described in Section 18.3.
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14.4 Other Forms of Payment.
To the extent that the applicable Award Agreement so provides and/or unless otherwise specified in an Award Agreement, payment of the Option Price for shares of Stock purchased pursuant to exercise of an Option or the purchase price, if any, for Restricted Stock or vested RSUs may be made in any other form that is consistent with Applicable Laws, including (a) with respect to Restricted Stock or vested RSUs only, Service rendered or to be rendered by the Grantee thereof to the Company or an Affiliate and (b) with the consent of the Company, by withholding the number of shares of Stock that would otherwise vest or be issuable in an amount equal in value to the Option Price or purchase price or the required tax withholding amount.
15. REQUIREMENTS OF LAW
15.1 General.
The Company shall not be required to offer, sell, or issue any shares of Stock under any Award, whether pursuant to the exercise of an Option, a SAR, or otherwise, if the offer, sale, or issuance of such shares of Stock would constitute a violation by the Grantee, the Company, an Affiliate, or any other Person of any provision of the Company’s certificate of incorporation or bylaws or of Applicable Laws, including any federal or state securities laws or regulations. If at any time the Company shall determine, in its discretion, that the listing, registration, or qualification of any shares of Stock subject to an Award on any Stock Exchange or Securities Market or under any governmental regulatory body is necessary or desirable as a condition of, or in connection with, the offering, sale, issuance, or purchase of shares of Stock in connection with any Award, no shares of Stock may be offered, sold, or issued to the Grantee or any other Person under such Award, whether pursuant to the exercise of an Option, a SAR, or otherwise, unless such listing, registration, or qualification shall have been effected or obtained free of any conditions not acceptable to the Company, and any delay caused thereby shall in no way affect the date of termination of such Award. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, upon the exercise of any Option or any SAR that may be settled in shares of Stock or the delivery of any shares of Stock underlying an Award, unless a registration statement under the Securities Act is in effect with respect to the shares of Stock subject to such Award, the Company shall not be required to offer, sell, or issue such shares of Stock unless the Committee shall have received evidence satisfactory to it that the Grantee or any other Person exercising such Option or SAR or accepting delivery of such shares may acquire such shares of Stock pursuant to an exemption from registration under the Securities Act. Any determination by the Committee in connection with the foregoing shall be final, binding, and conclusive. The Company may register, but shall in no event be obligated to register, any shares of Stock or other securities issuable pursuant to the Plan pursuant to the Securities Act. The Company shall not be obligated to take any affirmative action in order to cause the exercise of an Option or a SAR or the issuance of shares of Stock or other securities issuable pursuant to the Plan or any Award to comply with any Applicable Laws. As to any jurisdiction that expressly imposes the requirement that an Option or SAR that may be settled in shares of Stock shall not be exercisable until the shares of Stock subject to such Option or SAR are registered under the securities laws thereof or are exempt from such registration, the exercise of such Option or SAR under circumstances in which the laws of such jurisdiction apply shall be deemed to be conditioned on the effectiveness of such registration or the availability of such an exemption.
15.2 Rule 16b-3.
During any time when the Company has any class of common equity securities registered under Exchange Act § 12, it is the intention of the Company that Awards pursuant to the Plan and the exercise of Options and SARs granted hereunder that would otherwise be subject to Exchange Act § 16(b) shall qualify for the exemption provided by Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act. To the extent that any provision of the Plan or action by the Committee does not comply with the requirements of such Rule 16b-3, such provision or action shall be deemed inoperative with respect to such Awards to the extent permitted by Applicable Laws and deemed advisable by the Committee and shall not affect the validity of the Plan. In the event that such Rule 16b-3 is revised or replaced, the Committee may exercise its discretion to modify the Plan in any respect necessary or advisable in its judgment to satisfy the requirements of, or to permit the Company to avail itself of the benefits of, the revised exemption or its replacement.
16. EFFECT OF CHANGES IN CAPITALIZATION
16.1 Changes in Stock.
If the number of outstanding shares of Stock is increased or decreased or the shares of Stock are changed into or exchanged for a different number of shares or kind of Capital Stock or other securities of the Company on account of any recapitalization, reclassification, stock split, reverse stock split, spin-off, combination of stock, exchange of stock,
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stock dividend or other distribution payable in capital stock, or other increase or decrease in shares of Stock effected without receipt of consideration by the Company occurring after the Effective Date, the number and kinds of shares of Capital Stock for which grants of Options and other Awards may be made under the Plan, including the Share Limit set forth in Section 4.1, which includes the number and kinds of issued shares of Capital Stock by which the Plan reserve may be increased annually, shall be adjusted proportionately and accordingly by the Committee. In addition, the number and kind of shares of Capital Stock for which Awards are outstanding shall be adjusted proportionately and accordingly by the Committee so that the proportionate interest of the Grantee therein immediately following such event shall, to the extent practicable, be the same as immediately before such event. Any such adjustment in outstanding Options or SARs shall not change the aggregate Option Price or SAR Price payable with respect to shares that are subject to the unexercised portion of such outstanding Options or SARs, as applicable, but shall include a corresponding proportionate adjustment in the per share Option Price or SAR Price, as the case may be. The conversion of any convertible securities of the Company shall not be treated as an increase in shares effected without receipt of consideration. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event of any distribution to the Company’s stockholders of securities of any other entity or other assets (including an extraordinary dividend, but excluding a non-extraordinary dividend, declared and paid by the Company) without receipt of consideration by the Company, the Board or the Committee constituted pursuant to Section 3.1.2 shall, in such manner as the Board or the Committee deems appropriate, adjust (a) the number and kind of shares of Capital Stock subject to outstanding Awards and/or (b) the aggregate and per share Option Price of outstanding Options and the aggregate and per share SAR Price of outstanding SARs as required to reflect such distribution.
16.2 Transactions That Do Not Constitute a Change in Control.
Subject to Section 16.3, if the Company shall be the surviving entity in any reorganization, merger, or consolidation of the Company with one or more other entities that does not constitute a Change in Control, any Award theretofore granted pursuant to the Plan shall pertain to and apply to the Capital Stock to which a holder of the number of shares of Stock subject to such Award would have been entitled immediately following such reorganization, merger, or consolidation, with a corresponding proportionate adjustment of the per share Option Price or SAR Price of any outstanding Option or SAR so that the aggregate Option Price or SAR Price thereafter shall be the same as the aggregate Option Price or SAR Price of the shares of Stock remaining subject to the Option or SAR as in effect immediately prior to such reorganization, merger, or consolidation. Subject to any contrary language in an Award Agreement, in another agreement with the Grantee, or as otherwise set forth in writing, any restrictions applicable to such Award shall apply as well to any replacement shares of Capital Stock subject to such Award received by the Grantee as a result of such reorganization, merger, or consolidation. In the event of any reorganization, merger, or consolidation of the Company referred to in this Section 16.2, Performance Awards shall be adjusted (including any adjustment to the Performance Measures or other performance goals applicable to such Awards deemed appropriate by the Committee) so as to apply to the Capital Stock that a holder of the number of shares of Stock subject to the Performance Awards would have been entitled to receive immediately following such reorganization, merger, or consolidation.
16.3 Change in Control in which Awards are not Assumed.
Except as otherwise provided in the applicable Award Agreement, in another agreement with the Grantee, or as otherwise set forth in writing, upon the occurrence of a Change in Control in which outstanding Awards are not being assumed or continued, the following provisions shall apply to such Awards, to the extent not assumed or continued:
(a) Immediately prior to the occurrence of such Change in Control, in each case with the exception of Performance Awards, all outstanding shares of Restricted Stock and all RSUs and Dividend Equivalent Rights shall be deemed to have vested, and all shares of Stock and/or cash subject to such Awards shall be delivered; and either or both of the following actions shall be taken:
(i) At least 15 days prior to the scheduled consummation of such Change in Control, all Options and SARs outstanding hereunder shall become immediately exercisable and shall remain exercisable for a period of 15 days. Any exercise of an Option or SAR during this 15-day period shall be conditioned on the consummation of the applicable Change in Control and shall be effective only immediately before the consummation thereof, and upon consummation of such Change in Control, the Plan and all outstanding but unexercised Options and SARs shall terminate, with or without consideration (including, without limitation, consideration in accordance with clause (ii)) as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion. The Committee shall send notice of an event that shall result in such a termination to all Persons who hold Options and SARs not later than the time at which the Company gives notice thereof to its stockholders.
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(ii) The Committee may elect, in its sole discretion, to cancel any outstanding Awards of Options, SARs, Restricted Stock, RSUs or Dividend Equivalent Rights and pay or deliver, or cause to be paid or delivered, to the holder thereof an amount in cash or Capital Stock having a value (as determined by the Committee acting in good faith), in the case of Restricted Stock, RSUs, and Dividend Equivalent Rights (for shares of Stock subject thereto), equal to the formula or fixed price per share paid to holders of shares of Stock pursuant to such Change in Control and, in the case of Options or SARs, equal to the product of the number of shares of Stock subject to such Options or SARs multiplied by the amount, if any, by which (1) the formula or fixed price per share paid to holders of shares of Stock pursuant to such transaction exceeds (2) the Option Price or SAR Price applicable to such Options or SARs.
(b) For Performance Awards, if less than half of the Performance Period has lapsed, such Awards shall be treated as though the target performance thereunder has been achieved. If at least half of the Performance Period has lapsed, actual performance to date shall be determined as of a date reasonably proximate to the date of consummation of the Change in Control as determined by the Committee, in its sole discretion, and that level of performance thus determined shall be treated as achieved immediately prior to occurrence of the Change in Control. For purposes of the preceding sentence, if, based on the discretion of the Committee, actual performance is not determinable, the Performance Awards shall be treated as though the target performance has been achieved. After application of this Section 16.3(b), if any Awards arise from application of this Article 16, such Awards shall be settled under the applicable provision of Section 16.3(a).
(c) Other Equity-Based Awards shall be governed by the terms of the applicable Award Agreement.
16.4 Change in Control in which Awards are Assumed.
Except as otherwise provided in the applicable Award Agreement, in another agreement with the Grantee, or as otherwise set forth in writing, upon the occurrence of a Change in Control in which outstanding Awards are being assumed or continued, the following provisions shall apply to such Award, to the extent assumed or continued:
The Plan and the Options, SARs, Restricted Stock, RSUs, Dividend Equivalent Rights, and Other Equity-Based Awards granted under the Plan shall continue in the manner and under the terms so provided in the event of any Change in Control to the extent that provision is made in writing in connection with such Change in Control for the assumption or continuation of such Options, SARs, Restricted Stock, RSUs, Dividend Equivalent Rights, and Other Equity-Based Awards, or for the substitution for such Options, SARs, Restricted Stock, RSUs, Dividend Equivalent Rights, and Other Equity-Based Awards of new stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, restricted stock units, dividend equivalent rights, and other equity-based awards relating to the Capital Stock of a successor entity, or a parent or subsidiary thereof, with appropriate adjustments as to the number of shares (disregarding any consideration that is not common stock) and exercise prices of options and stock appreciation rights.
16.5 Adjustments.
Adjustments under this Article 16 related to shares of Stock or other Capital Stock of the Company shall be made by the Committee, whose determination in that respect shall be final, binding, and conclusive. No fractional shares or other securities shall be issued pursuant to any such adjustment, and any fractions resulting from any such adjustment shall be eliminated in each case by rounding downward to the nearest whole share. The Committee may provide in the applicable Award Agreement as of the Grant Date, in another agreement with the Grantee, or otherwise in writing at any time thereafter with the consent of the Grantee, for different provisions to apply to an Award in place of those provided in Sections 16.1, 16.2, 16.3, and 16.4. This Article 16 shall not limit the Committee’s ability to provide for alternative treatment of Awards outstanding under the Plan in the event of a change in control event involving the Company that is not a Change in Control.
16.6 No Limitations on Company.
The making of Awards pursuant to the Plan shall not affect or limit in any way the right or power of the Company to make adjustments, reclassifications, reorganizations, or changes of its capital or business structure or to merge, consolidate, dissolve, or liquidate, or to sell or transfer all or any part of its business or assets (including all or any part of the business or assets of any Subsidiary or other Affiliate) or to engage in any other transaction or activity.
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17. PARACHUTE LIMITATIONS
If any Grantee is a Disqualified Individual, then, notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan or of any Other Agreement to the contrary and notwithstanding any Benefit Arrangement, any right of such Grantee to any exercise, vesting, payment, or benefit under the Plan shall be reduced or eliminated:
(a) to the extent that such right to exercise, vesting, payment, or benefit, taking into account all other rights, payments, or benefits to or for the Grantee under the Plan, all Other Agreements, and all Benefit Arrangements, would cause any exercise, vesting, payment, or benefit to such Grantee under the Plan to be considered a Parachute Payment; and
(b) if, as a result of receiving such Parachute Payment, the aggregate after-tax amounts received by the Grantee from the Company under the Plan, all Other Agreements, and all Benefit Arrangements would be less than the maximum after-tax amount that could be received by the Grantee without causing any such payment or benefit to be considered a Parachute Payment.
Except as required by Code § 409A or to the extent that Code § 409A permits discretion, the Committee shall have the right, in the Committee’s sole discretion, to designate those rights, payments, or benefits under the Plan, all Other Agreements, and all Benefit Arrangements that should be reduced or eliminated so as to avoid having such rights, payments, or benefits be considered a Parachute Payment; provided, that, to the extent any payment or benefit constitutes deferred compensation under Code § 409A, in order to comply with Code § 409A, except as otherwise provided in an applicable agreement between a Grantee and the Company or an Affiliate, the Company shall instead accomplish such reduction by first reducing or eliminating any cash payments (with the payments to be made furthest in the future being reduced first), then by reducing or eliminating any accelerated vesting of Performance Awards, then by reducing or eliminating any accelerated vesting of Options or SARs, then by reducing or eliminating any accelerated vesting of Restricted Stock or RSUs, then by reducing or eliminating any other remaining Parachute Payments.
18. GENERAL PROVISIONS
18.1 Disclaimer of Rights.
No provision in the Plan, any Award, or any Award Agreement shall be construed (a) to confer on any individual the right to remain in the Service of the Company or an Affiliate, (b) to interfere in any way with any contractual or other right or authority of the Company or an Affiliate either to increase or decrease the compensation or other payments to any Person at any time, or (c) to terminate any Service or other relationship between any Person and the Company or an Affiliate. In addition, notwithstanding any provision of the Plan to the contrary, unless otherwise stated in the applicable Award Agreement, in another agreement with the Grantee, or otherwise in writing, no Award granted under the Plan shall be affected by any change of duties or position of the Grantee thereof, so long as such Grantee continues to provide Service. The obligation of the Company to pay any benefits pursuant to the Plan shall be interpreted as a contractual obligation to pay only those amounts provided herein, in the manner and under the conditions prescribed herein. The Plan and Awards shall in no way be interpreted to require the Company to transfer any amounts to a third-party trustee or otherwise to hold any amounts in trust or escrow for payment to any Grantee or beneficiary under the terms of the Plan.
18.2 Nonexclusivity of the Plan.
Neither the adoption of the Plan nor the submission of the Plan to the stockholders of the Company for approval shall be construed as creating any limitations on the right and authority of the Board or the Committee to adopt such other incentive compensation arrangements (which arrangements may be applicable either generally to a class or classes of individuals or specifically to a particular individual or particular individuals) as the Board or the Committee in their discretion determine desirable.
18.3 Withholding Taxes.
The Company or an Affiliate, as the case may be, shall have the right to deduct from payments of any kind otherwise due to a Grantee any federal, state, or local taxes of any kind required by Applicable Laws to be withheld with respect to the vesting of or other lapse of restrictions applicable to an Award or upon the issuance of any shares of Stock upon the exercise of an Option or pursuant to any other Award. At the time of such vesting, lapse of restrictions, or exercise, the Grantee shall pay in cash to the Company or an Affiliate, as the case may be, any amount that the Company or such
Annex A-20
Affiliate may reasonably determine to be necessary to satisfy such withholding obligation; provided that if there is a same-day sale of shares of Stock subject to an Award, the Grantee shall pay such withholding obligation on the day on which such same-day sale is completed. Subject to the prior approval of the Company or an Affiliate, which may be withheld by the Company or such Affiliate, as the case may be, in its sole discretion, the Grantee may elect to satisfy such withholding obligation, in whole or in part, (a) by causing the Company or such Affiliate to withhold shares of Stock otherwise issuable to the Grantee or (b) by delivering to the Company or such Affiliate shares of Stock already owned by the Grantee. The shares of Stock so withheld or delivered shall have an aggregate Fair Market Value equal to such withholding obligation. The Fair Market Value of the shares of Stock used to satisfy such withholding obligation shall be determined by the Company or such Affiliate as of the date on which the amount of tax to be withheld is to be determined. A Grantee who has made an election pursuant to this Section 18.3 may satisfy such Grantee’s withholding obligation only with shares of Stock that are not subject to any repurchase, forfeiture, unfulfilled vesting, or other similar requirements. The maximum number of shares of Stock that may be withheld from any Award to satisfy any federal, state, or local tax withholding requirements upon the exercise, vesting, or lapse of restrictions applicable to any Award or payment of shares of Stock pursuant to such Award, as applicable, may not exceed such number of shares of Stock having a Fair Market Value equal to the minimum statutory amount required by the Company or the applicable Affiliate to be withheld and paid to any such federal, state, or local taxing authority with respect to such exercise, vesting, lapse of restrictions, or payment of shares of Stock; provided, however, that for so long as Accounting Standards Update 2016-09 or a similar rule remains in effect, the Board or the Committee has full discretion to choose, or to allow a Grantee to elect, to withhold a number of Shares having an aggregate Fair Market Value that is greater than the applicable minimum statutory required withholding obligation (but such withholding may in no event be in excess of the maximum required statutory withholding amounts in such Grantee’s relevant tax jurisdiction).
18.4 Captions.
The use of captions in the Plan or any Award Agreement is for convenience of reference only and shall not affect the meaning of any provision of the Plan or such Award Agreement.
18.5 Construction.
Unless the context otherwise requires, all references in the Plan to “including” shall mean “including without limitation.”
18.6 Other Provisions.
Each Award granted under the Plan may contain such other terms and conditions not inconsistent with the Plan as may be determined by the Committee, in its sole discretion.
18.7 Number and Gender.
With respect to words used in the Plan, the singular form shall include the plural form, and the masculine gender shall include the feminine gender, as the context requires.
18.8 Severability.
If any provision of the Plan or any Award Agreement shall be determined to be illegal or unenforceable by any court of law in any jurisdiction, the remaining provisions hereof and thereof shall be severable and enforceable in accordance with their terms, and all provisions shall remain enforceable in any other jurisdiction.
18.9 Governing Law.
The Plan and the instruments evidencing the Awards hereunder shall be governed by, and construed and interpreted in accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware, other than any conflicts or choice of law rule or principle that might otherwise refer construction or interpretation of the Plan and the instruments evidencing the Awards granted hereunder to the substantive laws of any other jurisdiction.
Annex A-21
18.10 Foreign Jurisdictions.
To the extent the Committee determines that the material terms set by the Committee imposed by the Plan preclude the achievement of the material purposes of the Plan in jurisdictions outside the United States, the Committee shall have the authority and discretion to modify those terms and provide for such additional terms and conditions as the Committee determines to be necessary, appropriate, or desirable to accommodate differences in local law, policy, or custom or to facilitate administration of the Plan. The Committee may adopt or approve sub-plans, appendices, or supplements to, or amendments, restatements, or alternative versions of the Plan as in effect for any other purposes. The special terms and any sub-plans, appendices, supplements, amendments, restatements, or alternative versions, however, shall not include any provisions that are inconsistent with the terms of the Plan as in effect, unless the Plan could have been amended to eliminate such inconsistency without further approval by the Company’s stockholders.
18.11 Code § 409A.
The Plan is intended to comply with Code § 409A to the extent subject thereto, and, accordingly, to the maximum extent permitted, the Plan shall be interpreted and administered to be in compliance with Code § 409A. Any payments described in the Plan that are due within the Short-Term Deferral Period shall not be treated as deferred compensation unless Applicable Laws require otherwise. Any grant of an Option or SAR pursuant to the Plan is intended to comply with the “stock rights” exemption from Code § 409A. Notwithstanding any provision of the Plan to the contrary, to the extent required to avoid accelerated taxation and tax penalties under Code § 409A, amounts that would otherwise be payable and benefits that would otherwise be provided pursuant to the Plan during the six-month period immediately following the Grantee’s Separation from Service shall instead be paid on the first payroll date after the six-month anniversary of the Grantee’s Separation from Service (or the Grantee’s death, if earlier).
Furthermore, notwithstanding anything in the Plan to the contrary, in the case of an Award that is characterized as deferred compensation under Code § 409A, and pursuant to which settlement and delivery of the cash or shares of Stock subject to the Award is triggered based on a Change in Control, in no event shall a Change in Control be deemed to have occurred for purposes of such settlement and delivery of cash or shares of Stock if the transaction is not also a “change in the ownership or effective control of” the Company or “a change in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets of” the Company as determined under Treasury Regulation § 1.409A-3(i)(5) (without regard to any alternative definition thereunder). If an Award characterized as deferred compensation under Code § 409A is not settled and delivered on account of the provision of the preceding sentence, the settlement and delivery shall occur on the next succeeding settlement and delivery triggering event that is a permissible triggering event under Code § 409A. No provision of this paragraph shall in any way affect the determination of a Change in Control for purposes of vesting in an Award that is characterized as deferred compensation under Code § 409A.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, neither the Company nor the Committee shall have any obligation to take any action to prevent the assessment of any excise tax or penalty on any Grantee under Code § 409A, and neither the Company or an Affiliate nor the Board or the Committee shall have any liability to any Grantee for such tax or penalty.
18.12 Limitation on Liability.
No member of the Board or the Committee shall be liable for any action or determination made in good faith with respect to the Plan, any Award, or any Award Agreement. Notwithstanding any provision of the Plan to the contrary, neither the Company, an Affiliate, the Board, the Committee, nor any person acting on behalf of the Company, an Affiliate, the Board, or the Committee shall be liable to any Grantee or to the estate or beneficiary of any Grantee or to any other holder of an Award under the Plan by reason of any acceleration of income, or any additional tax (including any interest and penalties), asserted by reason of the failure of an Award to satisfy the requirements of Code §§ 422 or 409A or by reason of Code § 4999, or otherwise asserted with respect to the Award; provided, that this Section 18.12 shall not affect any of the rights or obligations set forth in an applicable agreement between the Grantee and the Company or an Affiliate.
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Annex A-22
To record adoption of the Plan by the Board as of [_____________] and approval of the Plan by the Company’s stockholders as of [_____________], the Company has caused its authorized officer to execute the Plan.
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EON RESOURCES INC. |
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Annex A-23
PROXY CARD FOR ANNUAL MEETING
EON Resources Inc.
THIS PROXY IS SOLICITED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR THE ANNUAL MEETING OF
STOCKHOLDERS TO BE HELD ON OCTOBER 29, 2025
The undersigned, revoking any previous proxies relating to these shares, hereby acknowledges receipt of the Notice and Proxy Statement, dated September 15, 2025, in connection with the Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held on October 29, 2025 at 2:30 P.M. Eastern Time. The Annual Meeting of Stockholders will be conducted via live webcast at https://www.cstproxy.com/eonr/2025. The undersigned hereby appoints Dante Caravaggio and Mitchell B. Trotter, and each of them (with full power to act alone), the attorneys and proxies of the undersigned, with power of substitution to each, to vote all shares of the common stock of EON Resources Inc. (the “Company”) registered in the name provided, which the undersigned is entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders, and at any adjournments thereof, with all the powers the undersigned would have if personally present. Without limiting the general authorization hereby given, said proxies are, and each of them is, instructed to vote or act as follows on the proposals set forth in the accompanying Proxy Statement.
PLEASE SIGN, DATE AND RETURN THE PROXY IN THE ENCLOSED ENVELOPE. THIS PROXY WILL BE VOTED IN THE MANNER DIRECTED HEREIN BY THE UNDERSIGNED STOCKHOLDER. IF NO DIRECTION IS MADE, THIS PROXY WILL BE VOTED “FOR” EACH OF THE PROPOSALS AND WILL GRANT DISCRETIONARY AUTHORITY TO VOTE UPON SUCH OTHER MATTERS AS MAY PROPERLY COME BEFORE THE MEETING OR ANY ADJOURNMENTS THEREOF. THIS PROXY WILL REVOKE ALL PRIOR PROXIES SIGNED BY YOU. AFTER CAREFUL CONSIDERATION OF ALL RELEVANT FACTORS, THE BOARD HAS DETERMINED THAT EACH OF THE PROPOSALS IS ADVISABLE AND IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE STOCKHOLDERS AND RECOMMENDS THAT YOU VOTE OR GIVE INSTRUCTION TO VOTE “FOR” EACH OF THE DIRECTORS BEING NOMINATED AND “FOR” PROPOSALS 2, 3, AND 4.
Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held on October 29, 2025: This notice of meeting and the accompanying proxy statement are available at https://www.cstproxy.com/eonr/2025.
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Please mark vote as |
EON RESOURCES INC. — THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE “FOR” EACH OF THE DIRECTORS BEING NOMINATED AND “FOR” PROPOSALS 2, 3, AND 4.
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FOR ALL |
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FOR ALL |
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Proposal 1 — The Director Proposal |
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To elect three (3) persons to the Company’s Board of Directors as Class II directors, each to hold office until the 2027 annual meeting of stockholders or until their respective successors shall have been duly elected or appointed and qualify. Nominee: 01) Mitchell B. Trotter 02) Joseph Salvucci, Sr. 03) Byron Blount |
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To withhold authority to vote for any individual nominees, mark “For All Except” and write the number(s) of the nominees on the line: |
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Proposal 2 — The Auditor Proposal |
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To ratify the appointment of CBIZ CPAs P.C. as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2025. |
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ABSTAIN |
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Proposal 3 — The Incentive Plan Proposal |
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To approve the EON Resources Inc. 2025 Omnibus Incentive Plan, as detailed in the accompanying proxy statement. |
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ABSTAIN |
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Proposal 4 — The Stockholder Adjournment Proposal |
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To approve the adjournment of the Annual Meeting to a later date or dates, if necessary or appropriate, to permit further solicitation and vote of proxies in the event that there are insufficient votes for, or otherwise in connection with, the approval of any of the above proposals. |
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Dated __________________, 2025 |
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Stockholder’s Signature |
Stockholder’s Signature |
Signature should agree with name printed hereon. If stock is held in the name of more than one person, EACH joint owner should sign. Executors, administrators, trustees, guardians, and attorneys should indicate the capacity in which they sign. Attorneys should submit powers of attorney.