EX-10.7 2 fs42021ex10-7_cmlifesci2.htm 2009 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN

Exhibit 10.7

 

SOMALOGIC, INC.
2009 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN

 

1. Purpose. The purpose of the SomaLogic, Inc. 2009 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) is to attract and retain the best available personnel for positions of responsibility with the Company, to provide additional incentives to them and align their interests with those of the Company’s stockholders, and to thereby promote the Company’s long-term business success.

 

2. Definitions. In this Plan, the following definitions will apply.

 

(a) “Affiliate” means any corporation that is a Subsidiary or Parent of the Company.

 

(b) “Agreement” means the written or electronic agreement containing the terms and conditions applicable to each Award granted under the Plan. An Agreement is subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan.

 

(c) “Award” means a grant made under the Plan in the form of Options, Stock Appreciation Rights, Restricted Stock, Stock Units, or Other Stock-Based Award.

 

(d) “Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.

 

(e) “Cause” means what the term is expressly defined to mean in a then-effective written agreement (including an Agreement) between a Participant and the Company or any Affiliate, or in the absence of any such then-effective agreement or definition, a Participant’s (i) incompetence or failure or refusal to perform satisfactorily the duties reasonably required of the Participant by the Company (other than by reason of Disability); (ii) material violation of any law, rule, regulation, court order or regulatory directive (other than traffic violations, misdemeanors or other minor offenses); (iii) material breach of any fiduciary duty or nondisclosure, non-solicitation, non-competition or similar obligation owed to the Company or any Affiliate; (iv) engaging in any act or practice that involves personal dishonesty on the part of the Participant or demonstrates a willful and continuing disregard for the best interests of the Company and its Affiliates; or (v) engaging in dishonorable or disruptive behavior, practices or acts which would be reasonably expected to harm or bring disrepute to Company or any of its Affiliates, their business or any of their customers, employees or vendors.

 

(f) “Change in Control” means, unless otherwise provided in an Agreement, one of the following:

 

(1) Any individual, entity or Group (a “Person”), other than (i) one or more Subsidiaries, or (ii) any employee benefit plan (or related trust) sponsored or maintained by the Company or any Affiliate, becomes the beneficial owner (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) of equity securities of the Company representing more than 50% of the combined voting power of the Company’s then outstanding securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors (“voting securities”), except that (A) any acquisition of Company equity securities by a Person directly from the Company for the purpose of providing financing to the Company, any formation of a Group consisting solely of beneficial owners of the Company’s voting securities as of the effective date of this Plan, or any repurchase or other acquisition by the Company of its equity securities that causes any Person to become the beneficial owner of more than 50% of the Company’s voting securities, will not be considered a Change in Control unless and until, in either case, such Person acquires beneficial ownership of additional Company voting securities after the Person initially became the beneficial owner of more than 50% of the Company’s voting securities by one of the means described in this clause (A); and (B) a Change in Control will occur if a Person becomes the beneficial owner of more than 50% of the Company’s voting securities as the result of a Corporate Transaction only if the Corporate Transaction is itself a Change in Control pursuant to subsection 2(f)(3);

 

 

 

 

(2) Individuals who are Continuing Directors cease for any reason to constitute a majority of the members of the Board; or

 

(3) The consummation of a Corporate Transaction unless, immediately following such Corporate Transaction, all or substantially all of the persons who were the beneficial owners of Company voting securities immediately prior to such Corporate Transaction beneficially own, directly or indirectly, more than 50% of the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities (or comparable equity interests) of the surviving or acquiring entity (or its Parent) resulting from such Corporate Transaction in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of Company voting securities immediately prior to such Corporate Transaction.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent that any Award constitutes a deferral of compensation subject to Code Section 409A, and if that Award provides for a change in the time or form of payment upon a Change in Control, then no Change in Control shall be deemed to have occurred upon an event described in Section 2(f) unless the event would also constitute a change in ownership or effective control of, or a change in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets of, the Company under Code Section 409A.

 

(g) “Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended and in effect from time to time, and the regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

(h) “Committee” means the Board or a committee of the Board comprised of two or more Non-Employee Directors designated by the Board to administer the Plan.

 

(i)   “Company” means SomaLogic, Inc., a Delaware corporation, or any successor thereto.

 

(j)   “Continuing Director” means an individual (A) who is, as of the effective date of the Plan, a director of the Company, (B) who is elected as a director of the Company subsequent to the effective date hereof pursuant to a nomination or board representation right of preferred stockholders of the Company, or (C) who becomes a director of the Company after the effective date hereof and whose initial election, or nomination for election by the Company’s stockholders, was approved by at least a majority of the then Continuing Directors.

 

(k) “Corporate Transaction” means (i) a sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, or (iii) a merger, consolidation, share exchange or similar transaction involving the Company, regardless of whether the Company is the surviving corporation.

 

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(l)   “Disability” means (A) any permanent and total disability under any long-term disability plan or policy of the Company or its Affiliates that covers the Participant, or (B) if there is no such long-term disability plan or policy, “total and permanent disability” within the meaning Code Section 22(e)(3).

 

(m) “Employee” means an employee of the Company or an Affiliate.

 

(n) “Exchange Program” means a program under which (i) outstanding Options or SARs are surrendered or cancelled in exchange for Options or SARs of the same type (which may have lower or higher exercise prices and different terms), Awards of a different type and/or cash, and/or (ii) the exercise price of an outstanding Option or SAR is reduced. The terms and conditions of any Exchange Program shall be determined by the Committee in its sole discretion.

 

(o) “Fair Market Value” means the fair market value of a Share determined as follows:

 

(1) If the Shares are readily tradable on an established securities market (as determined under Code Section 409A), then Fair Market Value will be the closing sales price for a Share on the principal securities market on which it trades on the date for which it is being determined, or if no sale of Shares occurred on that date, on the next preceding date on which a sale of Shares occurred, as reported in The Wall Street Journal or such other source as the Committee deems reliable; or

 

(2) If the Shares are not then readily tradable on an established securities market (as determined under Code Section 409A), then Fair Market Value will be determined by the Committee as the result of a reasonable application of a reasonable valuation method that satisfies the requirements of Code Section 409A.

 

(p) “Full Value Award” means an Award other than an Option or Stock Appreciation Right.

 

(q) “Grant Date” means the date on which the Committee approves the grant of an Award under the Plan, or such later date as may be specified by the Committee on the date the Committee approves the Award.

 

(r)   “Group” means two or more persons acting as a partnership, limited partnership, syndicate or other group for the purpose of acquiring, holding or disposing of securities of the Company.

 

(s) “Non-Employee Director” means a member of the Board who is not an Employee.

 

(t)   “Option” means a right granted under the Plan to purchase a specified number of Shares at a specified price. An “Incentive Stock Option” or “ISO” means any Option designated as such and granted in accordance with the requirements of Code Section 422. A “Non-Statutory Stock Option” means an Option other than an Incentive Stock Option.

 

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(u) “Other Stock-Based Award” means an Award described in Section 11 of this Plan.

 

(v) “Parent” means a “parent corporation,” as defined in Code Section 424(e).

 

(w) “Participant” means a person to whom an Award is or has been made in accordance with the Plan.

 

(x) “Plan” means this SomaLogic, Inc. 2009 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended and in effect from time to time.

 

(y) “Prior Plan” means the SomaLogic, Inc. 2000 Long-Term Incentive Plan.

 

(z) “Restricted Stock” means Shares issued to a Participant that are subject to such restrictions on transfer, forfeiture conditions and other restrictions or limitations as may be set forth in this Plan and the applicable Agreement.

 

(aa) “Service” means the provision of services by a Participant to the Company or any Affiliate in any Service Provider capacity. A Service Provider’s Service shall be deemed to have terminated either upon an actual cessation of providing services or upon the entity for which the Service Provider provides services ceasing to be an Affiliate. Except as otherwise provided in this Plan or any Agreement, Service shall not be deemed terminated in the case of (i) any approved leave of absence; (ii) transfers among the Company and any Affiliates in any Service Provider capacity; or (iii) any change in status so long as the individual remains in the service of the Company or any Affiliate in any Service Provider capacity.

 

(bb) “Service Provider” means an Employee, a Non-Employee Director, or any consultant or advisor who is a natural person and who provides services (other than in connection with (i) a capital-raising transaction or (ii) promoting or maintaining a market in Company securities) to the Company or any Affiliate.

 

(cc) “Share” means a share of Stock.

 

(dd) “Stock” means the common stock, $0.01 par value, of the Company.

 

(ee) “Stock Appreciation Right” or “SAR” means the right to receive, in cash and/or Shares as determined by the Committee, an amount equal to the appreciation in value of a specified number of Shares between the Grant Date of the SAR and its exercise date.

 

(ff) “Stock Unit” means a right to receive, in cash and/or Shares as determined by the Committee, the Fair Market Value of a Share, subject to such restrictions on transfer, forfeiture conditions and other restrictions or limitations as may be set forth in this Plan and the applicable Agreement.

 

(gg) “Subsidiary” means a “subsidiary corporation,” as defined in Code Section 424(f), of the Company.

 

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(hh) “Substitute Award” means an Award granted upon the assumption of, or in substitution or exchange for, outstanding awards granted by a company or other entity acquired by the Company or any Affiliate or with which the Company or any Affiliate combines.

 

3. Administration of the Plan.

 

(a) Administration. The authority to control and manage the operations and administration of the Plan shall be vested in the Committee in accordance with this Section 3.

 

(b) Scope of Authority. Subject to the terms of the Plan, the Committee shall have the authority, in its discretion, to take such actions as it deems necessary or advisable to administer the Plan, including:

 

(1) determining the Service Providers to whom Awards will be granted, the timing of each such Award, the types of Awards and the number of Shares covered by each Award, the terms, conditions, performance criteria, restrictions and other provisions of Awards, and the manner in which Awards are paid or settled;

 

(2) cancelling or suspending an Award, accelerating the vesting or extending the exercise period of an Award, or otherwise amending the terms and conditions of any outstanding Award, subject to the requirements of Sections 15(c) and (d);

 

(3) establishing, amending or rescinding rules to administer the Plan, interpreting the Plan and any Award or Agreement made under the Plan, and making all other determinations necessary or desirable for the administration of the Plan; and

 

(4) instituting an Exchange Program.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board shall perform the duties and have the responsibilities of the Committee with respect to Awards made to Non-Employee Directors.

 

(c) Acts of the Committee; Delegation. A majority of the members of the Committee shall constitute a quorum for any meeting of the Committee, and any act of a majority of the members present at any meeting at which a quorum is present or any act unanimously approved in writing by all members of the Committee shall be the act of the Committee. To the extent not inconsistent with applicable law or stock exchange rules, the Committee may delegate all or any portion of its authority under the Plan to determine and administer Awards that are made to Participants who are neither Non-Employee Directors nor executive officers of the Company to one or more persons who are either Non-Employee Directors or executive officers of the Company.

 

(d) Finality of Decisions. The Committee’s interpretation of the Plan and of any Award or Agreement made under the Plan and all related decisions or resolutions of the Board or Committee shall be final and binding on all parties with an interest therein.

 

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(e) Indemnification. Each person who is or has been a member of the Committee or of the Board, and any other person to whom the Committee delegates authority under the Plan, shall be indemnified by the Company, to the maximum extent permitted by law, against liabilities and expenses imposed upon or reasonably incurred by such person in connection with or resulting from any claims against such person by reason of the performance of the individual’s duties under the Plan. This right to indemnification is conditioned upon such person providing the Company an opportunity, at the Company’s expense, to handle and defend the claims before such person undertakes to handle and defend them on such person’s own behalf. The Company will not be required to indemnify any person for any amount paid in settlement of a claim unless the Company has first consented in writing to the settlement. The foregoing right of indemnification shall not be exclusive of any other rights of indemnification to which such person or persons may be entitled under the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws, as a matter of law, or otherwise.

 

4. Shares Available Under the Plan.

 

(a) Maximum Shares Available. Subject to Section 4(b) and to adjustment as provided in Section 12(a), a total of 5,000,000 Shares may be the subject of Awards and issued under the Plan. Shares issued under the Plan may come from authorized and unissued shares or treasury shares. In determining the number of Shares to be counted against this limit in connection with any Award, the following rules shall apply:

 

(1) Where the number of Shares subject to the Award is variable on the Grant Date, the number of Shares to be counted against the limit prior to the settlement of the Award shall be the maximum number of Shares that could be received under that particular Award.

 

(2) Where two or more types of Awards are granted to a Participant in tandem with each other, such that the exercise of one type of Award with respect to a number of Shares cancels at least an equal number of Shares of the other, the number of Shares to be counted against the limit shall be the largest number of Shares that would be counted against the limit under either of the Awards.

 

(3) Substitute Awards shall not be counted against the limit, nor shall they reduce the Shares authorized for grant to a Participant in any calendar year.

 

(b) Effect of Forfeitures and Other Actions. Any Shares subject to an Award, or to an award under the Prior Plan that is outstanding on the effective date of this Plan, that is forfeited, expires, is settled for cash, is surrendered pursuant to an Exchange Program, or otherwise does not result in the issuance of all or a portion of the Shares subject to such Award (including a payment in Shares on the exercise of a Stock Appreciation Right) shall, to the extent of such forfeiture, expiration, cash settlement, surrender or non-issuance, again become available for Awards under this Plan, and the total number of Shares available for grant under Section 4(a) shall be correspondingly increased. In the event that (i) any Award is exercised through the tendering of Shares (either actually or by attestation) or by the withholding of Shares by the Company in payment of the applicable exercise price, or (ii) any tax withholding obligations arising from such Award are satisfied by the tendering of Shares (either actually or by attestation) or by the withholding of Shares by the Company, then the Shares so tendered or withheld shall again become available for Awards under this Plan, and the total number of Shares available for grant under Section 4(a) shall be correspondingly increased.

 

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(c) No Fractional Shares. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, the number of Shares subject to an Award shall always be a whole number. No fractional Shares may be issued under the Plan, but the Committee may, in its discretion, pay cash in lieu of any fractional Share in settlement of an Award.

 

5. Eligibility. Participation in the Plan is limited to Service Providers. Incentive Stock Options may only be granted to Employees.

 

6. General Terms of Awards.

 

(a) Award Agreement. Each Award shall be evidenced by an Agreement setting forth the number of Shares subject to the Award together with such other terms and conditions applicable to the Award (and not inconsistent with the Plan) as determined by the Committee. An Award to a Participant may be made singly or in combination with any form of Award. Two types of Awards may be made in tandem with each other such that the exercise of one type of Award with respect to a number of Shares reduces the number of Shares subject to the related Award by at least an equal amount.

 

(b) Vesting and Term. Each Agreement shall set forth the vesting conditions applicable to the Award, the period until the applicable Award is scheduled to expire (which shall not be more than ten years from the Grant Date), and any applicable performance period.

 

(c) Transferability. Except as provided in this Section 6(c), (i) during the lifetime of a Participant, only the Participant or the Participant’s guardian or legal representative may exercise an Option or SAR, or receive payment with respect to any other Award; and (ii) no Award may be sold, assigned, transferred, exchanged or encumbered other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution. Any attempted transfer in violation of this Section 6(c) shall be of no effect. The Committee may, however, provide in an Agreement or otherwise that an Award (other than an Incentive Stock Option) may be transferred pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order or may be transferable by gift to any “family member” (as defined in Rule 701 under the Securities Act of 1933) of the Participant. Any Award held by a transferee shall continue to be subject to the same terms and conditions that were applicable to that Award immediately before the transfer thereof. For purposes of any provision of the Plan relating to notice to a Participant or to acceleration or termination of an Award upon the death or termination of employment of a Participant, the references to “Participant” shall mean the original grantee of an Award and not any transferee.

 

(d) Designation of Beneficiary. Each Participant may designate a beneficiary or beneficiaries to exercise any Award or receive a payment under any Award payable on or after the Participant’s death. Any such designation shall be on a form approved by the Committee and shall be effective upon its receipt by the Company.

 

(e) Termination of Service. Unless otherwise provided in an Agreement, and subject to Section 12 of this Plan, if a Participant’s Service with the Company and all of its Affiliates terminates, the following provisions shall apply (in all cases subject to the scheduled expiration of an Option or Stock Appreciation Right, as applicable):

 

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(1) Upon termination of Service for Cause, all unexercised Options and SARs and all unvested portions of any other outstanding Awards shall be immediately forfeited without consideration.

 

(2) Upon termination of Service for any other reason, all unvested and unexercisable portions of any outstanding Awards shall be immediately forfeited without consideration.

 

(3) Upon termination of Service for any reason other than Cause, death or Disability, the currently vested and exercisable portions of Options and SARs may be exercised for a period of three months after the date of such termination. However, if a Participant thereafter dies during such three-month period, the vested and exercisable portions of the Options and SARs may be exercised for a period of one year after the date of such termination.

 

(4) Upon termination of Service due to death or Disability, the currently vested and exercisable portions of Options and SARs may be exercised for a period of one year after the date of such termination.

 

(f) Rights as Stockholder. No Participant shall have any rights as a stockholder with respect to any securities covered by an Award unless and until the date the Participant becomes the holder of record of the Shares, if any, to which the Award relates.

 

(g) Performance-Based Awards. Any Award may be granted as a performance-based Award if the Committee establishes one or more measures of corporate, business unit or individual performance which must be attained, and the performance period over which the specified performance is to be attained, as a condition to the vesting, exercisability, lapse of restrictions and/or settlement in cash or Shares of such Award. In connection with any such Award, the Committee shall determine the extent to which performance measures have been attained and other applicable terms and conditions have been satisfied, and the degree to which vesting, exercisability, lapse of restrictions and/or settlement in cash or Shares of such Award has been earned. The Committee shall also have the authority to provide, in an Agreement or otherwise, for the modification of a performance period and/or an adjustment of performance measures upon the occurrence of certain events, which may include a Change of Control, a Corporate Transaction, a recapitalization, a change in the accounting practices of the Company, or the Participant’s death or Disability.

 

7. Stock Option Awards.

 

(a) Type and Exercise Price. The Agreement pursuant to which an Option is granted shall specify whether the Option is an Incentive Stock Option or a Non-Statutory Stock Option. The exercise price at which each Share subject to an Option may be purchased shall be determined by the Committee and set forth in the Agreement, and shall not be less than the Fair Market Value of a Share on the Grant Date, except in the case of Substitute Awards.

 

(b) Payment of Exercise Price. The purchase price of the Shares with respect to which an Option is exercised shall be payable in full at the time of exercise. The purchase price may be paid in cash or in such other manner as the Committee may permit, including by withholding Shares otherwise issuable to the Participant upon exercise of the Option, by delivery to the Company of Shares (by actual delivery or attestation) already owned by the Participant (in each case, such Shares having a Fair Market Value as of the date the Option is exercised equal to the purchase price of the Shares being purchased), by delivery of a promissory note made payable by the Participant to the Company containing such terms and conditions as may be specified by the Committee, or a combination thereof, unless otherwise provided in the Agreement. Any promissory note the Committee may agree to accept as payment of the exercise price of an Option shall be secured by the Option Shares and such other collateral as the Committee may deem acceptable.

 

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(c) Exercisability and Expiration. Each Option shall be exercisable in whole or in part on the terms provided in the Agreement. An Agreement may provide that a Participant, while still a Service Provider, may elect to exercise an Option in whole or in part at any time prior to the full vesting of the Option. Any unvested Shares so purchased shall be subject to a repurchase right in favor of the Company or to any other restriction the Committee deems appropriate. No Option shall be exercisable at any time after its scheduled expiration. When an Option is no longer exercisable, it shall be deemed to have terminated.

 

(d) Incentive Stock Options.

 

(1) An Option will constitute an Incentive Stock Option only if the Participant receiving the Option is an Employee, and only to the extent that (i) it is so designated in the applicable Agreement and (ii) the aggregate Fair Market Value (determined as of the Option’s Grant Date) of the Shares with respect to which Incentive Stock Options held by the Participant first become exercisable in any calendar year (under the Plan and all other plans of the Company and its Affiliates) does not exceed $100,000. To the extent an Option granted to a Participant exceeds this limit, the Option shall be treated as a Non-Statutory Stock Option. The maximum number of Shares that may be issued upon the exercise of Incentive Stock Options shall equal the maximum number of Shares that may be the subject of Awards and issued under the Plan as provided in Sections 4(a) and 4(b), up to an aggregate maximum of 11,000,000 Shares.

 

(2) No Participant may receive an Incentive Stock Option under the Plan if, immediately after the grant of such Award, the Participant would own (after application of the rules contained in Code Section 424(d)) Shares possessing more than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or an Affiliate, unless (i) the option price for that Incentive Stock Option is at least 110% of the Fair Market Value of the Shares subject to that Incentive Stock Option on the Grant Date and (ii) that Option will expire no later than five years after its Grant Date.

 

(3) For purposes of continued Service by a Participant who has been granted an Incentive Stock Option, no approved leave of absence may exceed three months unless reemployment upon expiration of such leave is provided by statute or contract. If reemployment is not so provided, then on the date six months following the first day of such leave, any Incentive Stock Option held by the Participant shall cease to be treated as an Incentive Stock Option and shall be treated for tax purposes as a Non-Statutory Stock Option.

 

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(4) If an Incentive Stock Option is exercised after the expiration of the exercise periods that apply for purposes of Code Section 422, such Option shall thereafter be treated as a Non-Statutory Stock Option.

 

(5) The Agreement covering an Incentive Stock Option shall contain such other terms and provisions that the Committee determines necessary to qualify the Option as an Incentive Stock Option.

 

8. Stock Appreciation Rights.

 

(a) Nature of Award. An Award of Stock Appreciation Rights shall be subject to such terms and conditions determined by the Committee, to receive upon exercise of the Stock Appreciation Right all or a portion of the excess of (i) the Fair Market Value of a specified number of Shares as of the date of exercise of the Stock Appreciation Right over (ii) a specified exercise price that shall not be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of such Shares on the Grant Date of the Stock Appreciation Right, except in the case of Substitute Awards.

 

(b) Exercise of SAR. Each Stock Appreciation Right may be exercisable in whole or in part at the times, on the terms and in the manner provided in the Agreement. No Stock Appreciation Right shall be exercisable at any time after its scheduled expiration. When a Stock Appreciation Right is no longer exercisable, it shall be deemed to have terminated. Upon exercise of a Stock Appreciation Right, payment to the Participant shall be made at such time or times as shall be provided in the Agreement in the form of cash, Shares or a combination of cash and Shares as determined by the Committee. The Agreement may provide for a limitation upon the amount or percentage of the total appreciation on which payment (whether in cash and/or Shares) may be made in the event of the exercise of a Stock Appreciation Right.

 

9. Restricted Stock Awards.

 

(a) Vesting and Consideration. Shares subject to a Restricted Stock Award shall be subject to vesting conditions, and the corresponding lapse or waiver of forfeiture conditions and other restrictions, based on such factors and occurring over such period of time as the Committee may determine in its discretion. The Committee may provide whether any consideration other than Services must be received by the Company or any Affiliate as a condition precedent to the grant of a Restricted Stock Award.

 

(b) Certificates. Unvested Shares subject to a Restricted Stock Award shall be evidenced by one or more Stock certificates issued in the name of the Participant. Any such Stock certificate shall be deposited with the Company or its designee, together with an assignment separate from the certificate, in blank, signed by the Participant, and bear an appropriate legend referring to the restricted nature of the Restricted Stock evidenced thereby. Upon the vesting of Shares of Restricted Stock and the corresponding lapse of the restrictions and forfeiture conditions, the corresponding restrictive legend will be removed from the certificate evidencing such Shares, and such certificate shall be delivered to the Participant. Such vested Shares may, however, remain subject to additional restrictions as provided in Sections 17 and 18(c).

 

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(c) Dividends and Distributions. Except as otherwise provided in this Plan and the applicable Agreement, a Participant with a Restricted Stock Award shall have all the other rights of a stockholder, including the right to receive dividends and the right to vote the Shares of Restricted Stock. Except as otherwise provided in the applicable Agreement, any Shares or property other than regular cash dividends distributed with respect to unvested Shares subject to a Restricted Stock Award shall be subject to the same conditions and restrictions as the underlying Shares.

 

10.   Stock Unit Awards.

 

(a) Vesting and Consideration. A Stock Unit Award shall be subject to vesting conditions, and the corresponding lapse or waiver of forfeiture conditions and other restrictions, based on such factors and occurring over such period of time as the Committee may determine in its discretion. The Committee may provide whether any consideration other than Services must be received by the Company or any Affiliate as a condition precedent to the settlement of a Stock Unit Award.

 

(b) Payment of Award. Following the vesting of a Stock Unit Award, settlement of the Award and payment to the Participant shall be made at such time or times in the form of cash, Shares (which may themselves be considered Restricted Stock under the Plan subject to restrictions on transfer and forfeiture conditions) or a combination of cash and Shares as determined by the Committee. If the Stock Unit Award is not by its terms exempt from the requirements of Code Section 409A, then the applicable Agreement shall contain terms and conditions necessary to avoid adverse tax consequences specified in Code Section 409A.

 

(c) Dividend Equivalents. A Stock Unit Award may, if so determined by the Committee, provide the Participant with the right to receive dividend equivalent payments with respect to Shares subject to the Award (both before and after the Shares are earned or vested), which payments may be either made currently, credited to an account for the Participant, or deemed to have been reinvested in additional Shares which shall thereafter be deemed to be part of and subject to the underlying Award, including the same vesting, performance and settlement conditions.

 

11.   Other Stock-Based Awards. The Committee may from time to time grant Stock and other Awards that are valued by reference to and/or payable in whole or in part in Shares under the Plan. The Committee, in its sole discretion, shall determine the terms and conditions of such Awards, which shall be consistent with the terms and purposes of the Plan. The Committee may, in its sole discretion, direct the Company to issue Shares subject to restrictive legends and/or stop transfer instructions that are consistent with the terms and conditions of the Award to which the Shares relate.

 

12.   Changes in Capitalization, Corporate Transactions, Change in Control.

 

(a) Adjustments for Changes in Capitalization. In the event of any equity restructuring (within the meaning of FASB ASC Topic 718 - Stock Compensation) that causes the per share value of Shares to change, such as a stock dividend, stock split, spinoff, rights offering or recapitalization through an extraordinary dividend, the Committee shall make such adjustments as it deems equitable and appropriate to (i) the aggregate number and kind of Shares or other securities issued or reserved for issuance under the Plan, (ii) the number and kind of Shares or other securities subject to outstanding Awards, (iii) the exercise price of outstanding Options and SARs, and (iv) any maximum limitations prescribed by the Plan with respect to certain types of Awards or the grants to individuals of certain types of Awards. In the event of any other change in corporate capitalization, including a merger, consolidation, reorganization, or partial or complete liquidation of the Company, such equitable adjustments described in the foregoing sentence may be made as determined to be appropriate and equitable by the Committee to prevent dilution or enlargement of rights of Participants. In either case, any such adjustment shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes of the Plan. No adjustment shall be made pursuant to this Section 12(a) in connection with the conversion of any convertible securities of the Company, or in a manner that would cause Incentive Stock Options to violate Section 422(b) of the Code or cause an Award to be subject to adverse tax consequences under Section 409A of the Code.

 

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(b) Corporate Transactions. Unless otherwise provided in an applicable Agreement, the following provisions shall apply to outstanding Awards in the event of a Change in Control that involves a Corporate Transaction.

 

(1) Continuation, Assumption or Replacement of Awards. In the event of a Corporate Transaction, then the surviving or successor entity (or its Parent) may continue, assume or replace Awards outstanding as of the date of the Corporate Transaction (with such adjustments as may be required or permitted by Section 12(a)), and such Awards or replacements therefore shall remain outstanding and be governed by their respective terms, subject to Section 12(b)(4) below. A surviving or successor entity may elect to continue, assume or replace only some Awards or portions of Awards. For purposes of this Section 12(b)(1), an Award shall be considered assumed or replaced if, in connection with the Corporate Transaction and in a manner consistent with Code Sections 409A and 424, either (i) the contractual obligations represented by the Award are expressly assumed by the surviving or successor entity (or its Parent) with appropriate adjustments to the number and type of securities subject to the Award and the exercise price thereof that preserves the intrinsic value of the Award existing at the time of the Corporate Transaction, or (ii) the Participant has received a comparable equity-based award that preserves the intrinsic value of the Award existing at the time of the Corporate Transaction and provides for a vesting or exercisability schedule that is the same as or more favorable to the Participant.

 

(2) Acceleration. If and to the extent that outstanding Awards under the Plan are not continued, assumed or replaced in connection with a Corporate Transaction, then (i) all outstanding Options and SARs shall become fully exercisable for such period of time prior to the effective time of the Corporate Transaction as is deemed fair and equitable by the Committee, and shall terminate at the effective time of the Corporate Transaction, and (ii) all outstanding Full Value Awards shall fully vest immediately prior to the effective time of the Corporate Transaction. The Committee shall provide written notice of the period of accelerated exercisability of Options and SARs to all affected Participants. The exercise of any Option or SAR whose exercisability is accelerated as provided in this Section 12(b)(2) shall be conditioned upon the consummation of the Corporate Transaction and shall be effective only immediately before such consummation.

 

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(3) Payment for Awards. If and to the extent that outstanding Awards under the Plan are not continued, assumed or replaced in connection with a Corporate Transaction, then the Committee may provide that holders of some or all of such outstanding Awards must surrender the Awards at or immediately prior to the effective time of the Corporate Transaction in exchange for payments to the holders as provided in this Section 12(b)(3). The Committee will not be required to treat all Awards similarly for purposes of this Section 12(b)(3). The payment for any Award surrendered shall be in an amount equal to the difference, if any, between (i) the fair market value (as determined in good faith by the Committee) of the consideration that would otherwise be received in the Corporate Transaction for the number of Shares subject to the Award, and (ii) the aggregate exercise price (if any) for the Shares subject to such Award. Payment shall be made in such form, on such terms and subject to such conditions as the Committee determines in its discretion, which may or may not be the same as the form, terms and conditions applicable to payments to the Company’s stockholders in connection with the Corporate Transaction, and may include subjecting such payments to vesting conditions comparable to those of the Award surrendered, or to escrow or holdback terms comparable to those imposed upon the Company’s stockholders under the Corporate Transaction.

 

(4) Termination After a Corporate Transaction. If and to the extent that Awards are continued, assumed or replaced under the circumstances described in Section 12(b)(1), and if within one year after the Corporate Transaction a Participant experiences an involuntary termination of Service for reasons other than Cause, then (i) outstanding Options and SARs issued to the Participant that are not yet fully exercisable shall immediately become exercisable in full and shall remain exercisable for one year following the Participant’s termination of employment, and (ii) any Full Value Awards that are not yet fully vested shall immediately vest in full.

 

(c) Change in Control. In connection with a Change in Control that does not involve a Corporate Transaction, the Committee may provide (in the applicable Agreement or otherwise) for one or more of the following: (i) that any Award shall become fully vested and exercisable upon the occurrence of the Change in Control or upon the involuntary termination of the Participant without Cause within one year of the Change in Control, (ii) that any Option or SAR shall remain exercisable during all or some specified portion of its remaining term, or (iii) that Awards shall be surrendered in exchange for payments in a manner similar to that provided in Section 12(b)(3). The Committee will not be required to treat all Awards similarly in such circumstances.

 

(d) Dissolution or Liquidation. Unless otherwise provided in an applicable Agreement, in the event of a proposed dissolution or liquidation of the Company, the Committee will notify each Participant as soon as practicable prior to the effective date of such proposed transaction. An Award will terminate immediately prior to the consummation of such proposed action.

 

13.   Plan Participation and Service Provider Status. Status as a Service Provider shall not be construed as a commitment that any Award will be made under the Plan to that Service Provider or to eligible Service Providers generally. Nothing in the Plan or in any Agreement or related documents shall confer upon any Service Provider or Participant any right to continued Service with the Company or any Affiliate, nor shall it interfere with or limit in any way any right of the Company or any Affiliate to terminate the person’s Service at any time with or without Cause or change such person’s compensation, other benefits, job responsibilities or title.

 

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14.   Tax Withholding. The Company or any Affiliate, as applicable, shall have the right to (i) withhold from any cash payment under the Plan or any other compensation owed to a Participant an amount sufficient to cover any required withholding taxes related to the grant, vesting, exercise or settlement of an Award, and (ii) require a Participant or other person receiving Shares under the Plan to pay a cash amount sufficient to cover any required withholding taxes before actual receipt of those Shares. In lieu of all or any part of a cash payment from a person receiving Shares under the Plan, the Committee may permit the individual to cover all or any part of the required withholdings (up to the Participant’s minimum required tax withholding rate) through a reduction in the number of Shares delivered or a delivery or tender to the Company of Shares held by the Participant or other person, in each case valued in the same manner as used in computing the withholding taxes under applicable laws.

 

15.   Effective Date, Duration, Amendment and Termination of the Plan.

 

(a) Effective Date. The Plan shall become effective on the date it is approved by the requisite vote of the Company’s Board, subject to approval by the Company’s stockholders. If the stockholders fail to approve the Plan within 12 months of its adoption by the Board, any Awards already made will be null and void and no additional Awards shall be made.

 

(b) Duration of the Plan. The Plan shall remain in effect until all Shares subject to it shall be distributed, all Awards have expired or terminated, the Plan is terminated pursuant to Section 15(c), or the tenth anniversary of the effective date of the Plan, whichever occurs first (the “Termination Date”). Awards made before the Termination Date may be exercised, vested or otherwise effectuated beyond the Termination Date unless limited in the Agreement or otherwise.

 

(c) Amendment and Termination of the Plan. The Board may at any time terminate, suspend or amend the Plan. The Company shall submit any amendment of the Plan to its stockholders for approval only to the extent required by applicable laws or regulations or the rules of any securities exchange on which the Shares may then be listed. No termination, suspension, or amendment of the Plan may materially impair the rights of any Participant under a previously granted Award without the Participant’s consent, unless such action is necessary to comply with applicable law, stock exchange rules or accounting rules.

 

(d) Amendment of Awards. The Committee may unilaterally amend the terms of any Agreement previously granted, except that no such amendment may materially impair the rights of any Participant under the applicable Award without the Participant’s consent, unless such amendment is necessary to comply with applicable law, stock exchange rules or accounting rules.

 

16.   Substitute Awards. The Committee may also grant Awards under the Plan in substitution for, or in connection with the assumption of, existing awards granted or issued by another corporation and assumed or otherwise agreed to be provided for by the Company pursuant to or by reason of a transaction involving a merger, consolidation, acquisition of property or stock, separation, reorganization or liquidation to which the Company or an Affiliate is a party. The terms and conditions of the Substitute Awards may vary from the terms and conditions set forth in the Plan to the extent that the Board at the time of the grant may deem appropriate to conform, in whole or in part, to the provisions of the awards in substitution for which they are granted.

 

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17.   Restrictions on Shares. At the discretion of the Committee, the Company may reserve to itself and its successors and assignees in an Agreement (i) a right of first refusal to purchase all Shares that a Participant (or a subsequent transferee) may propose to transfer to a third party, (ii) a right to repurchase a portion of or all Shares held by a Participant upon the Participant’s termination of Service with the Company and its Affiliates for any reason within a specified time (but not to exceed 90 days of the later of termination or exercise of the Award, if required by applicable laws), (iii) the right to require the Participant from time to time to execute and deliver stockholder, voting or similar agreements to which holders of a majority of the Stock are parties, (iv) the right of the Company to require the Participant from time to time to execute and deliver underwriter lock-up agreements, and (v) the right to repurchase upon a Participant’s termination of Service any or all unvested Shares acquired in accordance with Section 7(c) as the result of the exercise of an unvested Option. The price to be paid upon any purchase or repurchase of Shares pursuant to clause (i) or (ii) above shall be determined by the Committee, and the per Share price to be paid upon repurchase of Shares pursuant to clause (v) shall be the lesser of (A) the exercise price per Share paid by the Participant or (B) the Fair Market Value per Share at the time of the Participant’s termination of Service. Any reservation of rights pursuant to clauses (i) through (iii) above shall be effective only during any period prior to registration of the Stock pursuant to Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

 

18.   Other Provisions.

 

(a) Unfunded Plan. The Plan shall be unfunded and the Company shall not be required to segregate any assets that may at any time be represented by Awards under the Plan. Neither the Company, its Affiliates, the Committee, nor the Board shall be deemed to be a trustee of any amounts to be paid under the Plan nor shall anything contained in the Plan or any action taken pursuant to its provisions create or be construed to create a fiduciary relationship between the Company and/or its Affiliates, and a Participant. To the extent any person has or acquires a right to receive a payment in connection with an Award under the Plan, this right shall be no greater than the right of an unsecured general creditor of the Company.

 

(b) Limits of Liability. Except as may be required by law, neither the Company nor any member of the Board or of the Committee, nor any other person participating (including participation pursuant to a delegation of authority under Section 3(c) of the Plan) in any determination of any question under the Plan, or in the interpretation, administration or application of the Plan, shall have any liability to any party for any action taken, or not taken, in good faith under the Plan.

 

(c) Compliance with Applicable Legal Requirements. No Shares distributable pursuant to the Plan shall be issued and delivered unless the issuance of the Shares complies with all applicable legal requirements, including compliance with the provisions of applicable state and federal securities laws, and the requirements of any securities exchanges on which the Company’s Shares may, at the time, be listed. During any period in which the offering and issuance of Shares under the Plan is not registered under federal or state securities laws, Participants shall acknowledge that they are acquiring Shares under the Plan for investment purposes and not for resale, and that Shares may not be transferred except pursuant to an effective registration statement under, or an exemption from the registration requirements of, such securities laws. Stock certificates evidencing Shares issued under the Plan that are subject to such securities law restrictions shall bear an appropriate restrictive legend.

 

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(d) Other Benefit and Compensation Programs. Payments and other benefits received by a Participant under an Award made pursuant to the Plan shall not be deemed a part of a Participant’s regular, recurring compensation for purposes of the termination, indemnity or severance pay laws of any country and shall not be included in, nor have any effect on, the determination of benefits under any other employee benefit plan, contract or similar arrangement provided by the Company or an Affiliate unless expressly so provided by such other plan, contract or arrangement, or unless the Committee expressly determines that an Award or portion of an Award should be included to accurately reflect competitive compensation practices or to recognize that an Award has been made in lieu of a portion of competitive cash compensation.

 

(e) Requirements of Law.

 

(1) To the extent that federal laws do not otherwise control, the Plan and all determinations made and actions taken pursuant to the Plan shall be governed by the laws of the State of Delaware without regard to its conflicts-of-law principles and shall be construed accordingly.

 

(2) If any provision of the Plan shall be held illegal or invalid for any reason, the illegality or invalidity shall not affect the remaining parts of the Plan, and the Plan shall be construed and enforced as if the illegal or invalid provision had not been included.

 

(3) It is intended that (i) all Awards of Options, SARs and Restricted Stock under the Plan will not provide for the deferral of compensation within the meaning of Code Section 409A and thereby be exempt from Code Section 409A, and (ii) all other Awards under the Plan will either not provide for the deferral of compensation within the meaning of Code Section 409A, or will comply with the requirements of Code Section 409A, and Awards shall be structured and the Plan administered in accordance with this intent. The Plan and any Agreement may be unilaterally amended by the Company in any manner deemed necessary or advisable by the Committee or Board in order to maintain such exemption from or compliance with Code Section 409A, and any such amendment shall conclusively be presumed to be necessary to comply with applicable law.

 

(4) During any period prior to registration of the Stock pursuant to Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, no Agreement evidencing an Option or SAR Award granted to a Participant who is a resident of the State of California may provide for a post-termination exercisability period of less than 30 days in situations covered by Section 6(e)(3) of the Plan, or less than 6 months in situations covered by Section 6(e)(4) of the Plan.

 

 

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