Exhibit 10.38
Ribbon Communications Inc.
2025 Incentive Award Plan
Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement (Performance-Based Vesting)
THIS RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT AWARD AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”), is made effective as of the date set forth in the table immediately below (the “Grant Date”), between Ribbon Communications Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and the participant named in the table immediately below (the “Participant”).
Participant: | |
Grant Effective Date: | |
Number of Restricted Stock Units Subject to Vesting Based on Company Performance Metrics (“Annual Performance PSUs”): | |
Number of Restricted Stock Units Subject to Vesting Based on Company Performance Metrics (“TSR PSUs”): | |
RECITALS
WHEREAS, the Company has adopted the Ribbon Communications Inc. 2025 Incentive Award Plan Stock Incentive Plan, as amended (the “Plan”), which Plan is incorporated herein by reference and made a part of this Agreement (capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings as set forth in the Plan); and
WHEREAS, the Board has determined that it is in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders to grant to the Participant the restricted stock units described herein pursuant to the Plan and the terms set forth below;
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants hereinafter set forth, the parties agree as follows:
| a. | Upon the vesting of the Award, as described in this Section and Schedule 1 attached hereto, the Company shall deliver for each Restricted Stock Unit that vests, the number of shares of Common Stock as is determined pursuant to Schedule 1. The Common Stock shall be delivered as soon as practicable following the Vesting Date (as defined in Schedule 1), but in any case within 30 days after such date. |
| b. | Subject to Section 2(c) and Section 3, the Restricted Stock Units shall vest in accordance with the terms set forth in Schedule 1 attached hereto. |
| c. | Notwithstanding Section 2(b), upon the Participant’s termination of employment, the Award shall become subject to the acceleration of vesting to the extent provided in Schedule 1 attached hereto or under the terms of the Participant’s employment and/or severance agreement with the Company, subject to any terms and conditions set forth in the Plan or imposed by the Board (including in Schedule 1 hereto). |
| d. | Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, pursuant to the terms of the Plan, this Award may be not be exercised, vested, paid or otherwise settled, or any shares of Common Stock issued with respect thereto, until the stockholders of the Company approve the Plan. |
For purposes of the Plan and the Award, a termination of employment shall be deemed to have occurred on the date upon which the Participant ceases to perform active employment duties for the Company or its subsidiaries following the provision of any notification of termination or resignation from employment, and without regard to any period of notice of termination of employment (whether expressed or implied) or any period of severance or salary continuation. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, the Award, this Agreement or any other agreement (written or oral) to the contrary, the Participant shall not be entitled (and by accepting an Award, thereby irrevocably waives any such entitlement) to any payment or other benefit to compensate the Participant for the loss of any rights under the Plan as a result of the termination or expiration of an Award in connection with any termination of employment. No amounts earned pursuant to the Plan or any Award shall be deemed to be eligible compensation in respect of any other plan of the Company or any of its subsidiaries.
| a. | This Agreement is intended to comply with or be exempt from Section 409A of the Code (together with the Department of Treasury regulations and other interpretive guidance issued thereunder (including, without limitation, any such regulations or other guidance issued after the Grant Date, “Section 409A”) and, to the extent applicable, this Agreement shall be interpreted in accordance with Section 409A. |
| b. | If and to the extent (i) any portion of any payment, compensation or other benefit provided to the Participant pursuant to this Agreement in connection with his or her employment termination constitutes “nonqualified deferred compensation” within the meaning of Section 409A and (ii) the Participant is a specified employee as defined in Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) of the Code, in each case as determined by the Company in accordance with its procedures, by which determinations the Participant (through accepting the Award) agrees that he or she is bound, such portion of the payment, compensation or other benefit shall not be paid before the day that is six months plus one day after the date of “separation from service” (as determined under Section 409A) (the “New Payment Date”), except as Section 409A may then permit. The aggregate of any payments that otherwise would have been paid to the Participant during the period between the date of separation from service and the New Payment Date shall be paid to the Participant in a lump sum |
| on such New Payment Date, and any remaining payments will be paid on their original schedule. |
| c. | Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan or this Agreement, if at any time the Board determines that the Restricted Stock Units (or any portion thereof) may be subject to Section 409A, the Board shall have the right in its sole discretion (without any obligation to do so or to indemnify the Participant or any other person for failure to do so) to adopt such amendments to this Agreement, or adopt other policies and procedures (including amendments, policies and procedures with retroactive effect), or take any other actions, as the Board determines are necessary or appropriate for Restricted Stock Units to be exempt from the application of Section 409A or to comply with the requirements of Section 409A. No provision of this Agreement shall be interpreted or construed to transfer any liability for failure to comply with the requirements of Section 409A from the Participant or any other individual to the Company or any of its affiliates, employees or agents. |
[Signature Page Follows]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Agreement is effective as of the date first above written.
RIBBON COMMUNICATIONS INC.
By: ___________________________________
Name: Patrick W. Macken
Title: Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer & Secretary
Agreed and acknowledged as of the date first above written:
________________________________
[PARTICIPANT]
Schedule 1
US-DOCS\106551488.7