Date of Grant | <Date of Grant> |
Option Shares | <Number of Shares Covered by the Option Granted> |
Option Exercise Price per Share | $<Exercise Price per Share> |
Exercisability | ______________________. Each of those dates is an “Exercisability Date”. |
Option Expiration Date | <Date of tenth anniversary of the Date of Grant> |
• | You have been granted a nonqualified stock option (the “Option”) to purchase shares of the Company’s common stock (“Shares”). The total number of Shares covered by the Option granted to you is in the chart above under “Option Shares” and the price per share is under “Option Exercise Price per Share.” |
• | The potential value of your stock option award increases if the price of the Company’s stock increases, but you also have to continue to provide services to the Company (except as the Award Agreement provides) to actually receive such value. Of course, the value of the stock may go up and down over time. |
• | You cannot exercise the Option (actually purchase Shares) until it becomes exercisable. Your stock option becomes exercisable as provided in the chart above under “Exercisability,” assuming you remain a member of the Board of Directors of the Company or an employee of the Company through each Exercisability Date and subject to the terms in the Award Agreement. |
• | Additional details regarding your stock option award are provided in the Plan and the Award Agreement. |
• | Whether or not you decide to exercise your stock option and purchase the Shares is your decision, and you have until the stock option expires (which will be no later than the tenth anniversary of the “Date of Grant” but can end earlier in various situations) to make that decision. |
• | Once you have purchased the Shares, you will own them and may decide whether to hold the stock, sell the stock or give the stock to someone as a gift. |
Option | While the Option remains in effect under the Option Expiration section below, |
Exercisability | you may exercise any exercisable portions of the Option (and buy the Option Shares) under the timing rules of this section. |
Change in Control | In the event a Change in Control occurs, the Option will be treated as provided in Section 11 of the Plan if within 24 months following the Change in Control, your service ends on a termination without Gross Misconduct, provided also that the Option will remain outstanding for twelve months following such termination but not beyond the Option Expiration Date. |
Option Expiration | The Option will expire no later than the close of business on the Option Expiration Date. Unless the Committee determines otherwise, unexercisable portions of the Option expire immediately when you cease to be a Director (unless you are concurrently remaining or becoming an employee, or, for an employee, concurrently remaining or becoming a member of the Board). If the Company terminates your service for Gross Misconduct, the Option will immediately expire without regard to whether it is then exercisable. “Gross Misconduct” for purposes of this Award Agreement shall mean the occurrence of one of the following events: (A) your conviction or plea of guilty or nolo contendere to any felony (or to a felony charge reduced to a misdemeanor), (B) theft or embezzlement of assets of the Company or an Affiliate, or (C) violation of the terms of any non-competition, non-disclosure, confidentiality or similar obligation or agreement with respect to the Company or any Affiliate to which the Plan participant is a party. |
• | Three months (measured to the corresponding date in the month) after your employment (or directorship) ends if you resign or if the Company terminates |
• | For death or disability, the first anniversary of the date your service ends; |
• | For Retirement, the second anniversary of your Retirement; or |
• | The Option Expiration Date. |
Method of | Subject to this Award Agreement and the Plan, you may exercise the Option only |
Exercise and | by providing a written notice (or notice through another previously approved |
Payment for | method, which could include a voice- or web-based, other electronic, or e-mail |
Shares | system) to the Corporate Secretary of the Company or the Corporate Secretary’s designee, received on or before the date the Option expires. Each such notice must satisfy whatever then-current procedures apply to that Option and must contain such representations (statements from you about your situation) as the Company requires. You must, at the same time, pay the Option Exercise Price using one or more of the following methods: |
Cash/Check | by cash or check in the amount of the Option Exercise Price payable to the order of the Company; |
Net Exercise | by delivery of a notice of “net exercise” to us or as directed by the Company, as a result of which you will receive (i) the number of Shares underlying the portion of the Option being exercised less (ii) such number of shares as is equal to (x) the aggregate Option Exercise Price for the portion of the Option being exercised divided by (y) the Fair Market Value on the date of exercise; |
Stock | if permitted by the Committee, by delivery of Shares that you already own having a Fair Market Value equal to the Option Exercise Price on the date of exercise, provided that (i) applicable law then permits such method of payment, (ii) you owned such Shares, if acquired directly from the Company, for such minimum period of time, if any, as the Committee may establish in its discretion, and (iii) the Shares are not subject to any repurchase, forfeiture, unfulfilled vesting, or other similar restrictions; or |
Withholding | The issuance of the Option Shares is contingent on satisfaction of all obligations with respect to required tax or other required withholdings (for example, in the |
Compliance | You may not exercise the Option if the Company’s issuing stock upon such |
with Law | exercise would violate any applicable Federal or state securities laws or other laws or regulations. You may not sell or otherwise dispose of the Option Shares in violation of applicable law. As part of this prohibition, you may not use the Cashless Exercise methods if the Company’s insider trading policy then prohibits you from selling to the market. |
Additional | The Company may postpone issuing and delivering any Option Shares for so |
Conditions | long as the Company determines to be advisable to satisfy the following: |
Additional | If you exercise the Option at a time when the Company does not have a current |
Representations | registration statement (generally on Form S-8) under the Securities Act of 1933 |
from You | (the “Act”) that covers issuances of shares to you, you must comply with the following before the Company will issue the Option Shares to you. You must — |
No Effect on | Nothing in this Award Agreement restricts the Company’s rights or those of any |
Employment | of its Affiliates to terminate your employment or other relationship at any time or |
Other | and for any or no reason. The termination of employment or other relationship, |
Relationship | whether by the Company or any of its Affiliates or otherwise, and regardless of the reason for such termination, has the consequences provided for under the Plan and any applicable employment or severance agreement or plan. |
Not a Shareholder | You understand and agree that (i) no dividends or Dividend Equivalents will be paid on the Option and (ii) the Company will not consider you a shareholder for any purpose (including, without limitation, the right to vote or receive dividends on the shares) with respect to any of the Option Shares until you have exercised the Option, paid for the shares, and received evidence of ownership. |
No Effect on | You understand and agree that the existence of the Option will not affect in any |
Running Business | way the right or power of the Company or its shareholders to make or authorize any adjustments, recapitalizations, reorganizations, or other changes in the Company’s capital structure or its business, or any merger or consolidation of the Company, or any issuance of bonds, debentures, preferred or other stock, with preference ahead of or convertible into, or otherwise affecting the Shares or the rights thereof, or the dissolution or liquidation of the Company, or any sale or transfer of all or any part of its assets or business, or any other corporate act or proceeding, whether or not of a similar character to those described above. |
Governing Law | The laws of the State of Delaware will govern all matters relating to the Option, without regard to the principles of conflict of laws. |
Clawbacks | The Committee may cancel this Option if you have engaged in or are engaging in activity that is in conflict with or adverse to the interest of the Company while employed by or providing services to the Company or any subsidiary, including fraud or conduct contributing to any financial restatements or irregularities. The Committee may cause you to forfeit any compensation, gain or other value realized thereafter on the vesting or exercise of the Option or the sale of Shares acquired under the Option, and must promptly repay such amounts to the Company. You agree that the Committee may require you to promptly repay to the Company any amount in excess of what you should have received under the terms of the Option for any reason (including without limitation by reason of a financial restatement, mistake in calculations or other administrative error). Furthermore, to the extent required by applicable law (including, without limitation, Section 304 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and Section 954 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act) and/or the rules and regulations of NASDAQ or any other securities exchange or inter-dealer quotation service on which the Shares are listed or quoted, or if so required pursuant to a written policy adopted by the Company, the Option shall be subject (including on a retroactive basis) to clawback, forfeiture or similar requirements. |
Notices | Unless the Company specifies another method of transmitting notice, any notice to the Company under this Award Agreement must be sent in writing, by hand or by mail, to the office of the Company’s Corporate Secretary at the Company’s then corporate headquarters. The Company will address any notices to you using its standard electronic communications methods, or to your current office or home address, as reflected in the Company’s personnel or other business r |
Amendment | The Committee may amend the Option without your consent provided that it concludes such amendment is not materially adverse to you, is required for compliance with Section 409A, or is permitted under Section 12 of the Plan. |
Plan Governs | Wherever a conflict may arise between the terms of this Award Agreement and the terms of the Plan, the terms of the Plan will control. The Committee may adjust the number of Option Shares, the Option Exercise Price, and other terms of the Option from time to time as the Plan provides. |
Electronic | You, by your electronic execution of this Award Agreement, agree to the terms |
Execution of | and conditions contained herein and further agree to execute any documents |
Award Agreement | requested by the Company required to effect the issuance of stock to you in connection with your exercise of the Option. |