EX-97.0 8 exhibit970.htm EX-97.0 exhibit970
 
 
 
VAXXINITY,
 
INC.
COMPENSATION RECOUPMENT POLICY
This Compensation Recoupment Policy (the
 
Policy
”) has been adopted by the
 
Board of Directors
(the “
Board
”) of Vaxxinity,
 
Inc. (the “
Company
”) on October 3, 2023. This Policy provides for the recoupment of
certain executive compensation in the event of an accounting restatement resulting from material noncompliance
with financial reporting requirements under U.S. federal securities laws in accordance with the terms
 
and conditions
set forth herein. This Policy is intended to comply with the requirements of Section 10D of the Exchange
 
Act (as
defined below) and Section 5608 of the Nasdaq Listing Rules (the “
Listing Rule
”).
1.
 
Definitions. For the purposes of this
 
Policy, the following terms shall have the meanings set
 
forth below.
Capitalized terms used but not defined in this Policy shall have the meanings set forth in the 2021 Omnibus
Incentive Compensation Plan (as may be amended from time to time).
(a)
 
Committee
” means the compensation committee of the Board or any successor committee thereof. If
there is no compensation committee
 
of the Board, references herein to
 
the “Committee” shall refer to the
 
Company’s
committee of independent directors that is responsible for executive compensation decisions, or in the absence of
such a compensation committee, the independent members of the Board.
(b)
 
Covered Compensation
” means any Incentive-based
 
Compensation “received” by
 
a Covered
Executive during the applicable Recoupment Period;
provided
that:
(i)
 
such Incentive-based Compensation was received
 
by such Covered Executive (A) on
 
or after the Effective
Date, (B) after he or she commenced service as an Executive Officer and (C) while the Company had a class of
securities publicly listed on a United States national securities exchange; and
(ii)
 
such Covered Executive served as
 
an Executive Officer at any time during
 
the performance period
applicable to such Incentive-based Compensation.
For purposes of this Policy, Incentive-based Compensation is “
received
” by a Covered Executive during
 
the fiscal
period in which the Financial Reporting Measure applicable to such Incentive-based Compensation (or portion
thereof) is attained, even if the payment or grant of such Incentive-based Compensation is made thereafter.
(c)
 
Covered Executive
” means any
 
current or former
 
Executive Officer.
(d)
 
Effective Date
” means October
 
2, 2023.
(e)
 
Exchange Act
” means the U.S.
 
Securities Exchange Act
 
of 1934, as amended.
(f)
 
Executive Officer
” means, with respect to the Company, (i) its president, (ii) its principal financial
officer, (iii) its principal accounting officer (or if there is no such accounting officer, its controller), (iv) any vice-
president in charge of a principal business unit, division or function (such as sales, administration or finance), (v)
any other officer who performs a policy-making
 
function for the Company (including any
 
officer of the Company’s
parent(s) or subsidiaries if they perform policy-making functions for the Company) and (vi) any other person who
performs similar policy-making functions for the Company. Policy-making function is not intended to include
policy-making functions that are not significant. The determination as to an individual’s status as an Executive
Officer shall be made by the Committee and such determination shall be final, conclusive and binding on such
individual and all other interested persons.
(g)
 
Financial Reporting Measure
” means any (i) measure that is determined and presented in
accordance with the accounting principles used in preparing the Company’s financial statements, (ii) stock price
measure or (iii) total shareholder return measure (and any measures that are derived wholly or in part from any
measure referenced in clause (i), (ii) or (iii)
 
above). For the avoidance of doubt, any such
 
measure does not need to
be presented within the Company’s financial statements or included in a filing with the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission to constitute a Financial Reporting Measure.
 
 
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(h)
 
Financial Restatement
” means a restatement of the Company’s financial statements due to the
Company’s material noncompliance with any financial reporting requirement
 
under U.S. federal securities laws
 
that
is required in order to correct:
(i)
 
an error in previously issued financial
 
statements that is material to the
 
previously issued financial
statements; or
(ii)
 
an error that would
 
result in a material
 
misstatement if the error
 
were (A) corrected in
 
the current period or
(B) left uncorrected in
 
the current period.
For purposes of this Policy, a Financial Restatement shall not be deemed to occur in the event of a revision of the
Company’s financial statements due to an out-of-period adjustment (i.e., when the error is immaterial to the
previously issued financial statements and the correction of the error is also immaterial to the current period) or a
retrospective (1) application of a change
 
in accounting principles; (2) revision
 
to reportable segment information due
to a change in the structure of the Company’s internal organization; (3) reclassification due to a discontinued
operation; (4) application of a change in reporting entity, such as from a reorganization of entities under common
control; or (5) revision for stock splits, reverse stock splits, stock dividends or other changes in capital structure.
(i)
 
Incentive-based Compensation”
means any compensation (including, for the avoidance of doubt,
any cash or equity or equity-based compensation, whether deferred or current) that is granted, earned and/or vested
based wholly or in part upon the achievement of a Financial Reporting Measure. For purposes of this Policy,
“Incentive-based Compensation” shall also be deemed to include any amounts which were determined based on (or
were otherwise calculated by reference to) Incentive-based Compensation (including, without limitation, any
amounts under any long-term disability, life insurance or supplemental
 
retirement or severance plan or agreement
 
or
any notional account that is based on Incentive-based Compensation, as well as any earnings accrued thereon).
(j)
 
Nasdaq
” means the
 
NASDAQ Global Select
 
Market, or any successor
 
thereof.
(k)
 
Recoupment Period
” means the three fiscal years completed immediately preceding the date of any
applicable Recoupment Trigger Date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Recoupment Period additionally includes
any transition period (that results from a change in the Company’s fiscal year) within or immediately following
those three completed fiscal years, provided
 
that a transition period between the
 
last day of the Company’s previous
fiscal year end and the first day of its new fiscal year that comprises a period of nine (9) to twelve (12) months
would be deemed a completed fiscal year.
(l)
 
Recoupment Trigger Date
” means the earlier of (i) the date that the Board (or a committee thereof
or the officer(s) of the Company authorized to take such action if Board action is not required) concludes, or
reasonably should have concluded, that the Company
 
is required to prepare a Financial Restatement,
 
and (ii) the date
on which a court, regulator or other legally
 
authorized body directs the Company to prepare
 
a Financial Restatement.
2.
 
Recoupment of
 
Erroneously Awarded Compensation.
(a)
 
In the event of a Financial Restatement, if the amount of any Covered Compensation received by a
Covered Executive (the “
Awarded Compensation
”) exceeds the amount of such
 
Covered Compensation that would
have otherwise been received by such Covered Executive if calculated based on the Financial Restatement (the
Adjusted Compensation
”), the Company shall reasonably promptly recover from such Covered Executive an
amount equal to the excess of the Awarded Compensation over the Adjusted Compensation, each calculated on a
pre-tax basis (such excess amount, the “
Erroneously Awarded Compensation
”).
(b)
 
If (i) the Financial Reporting
 
Measure applicable to the relevant Covered
 
Compensation is stock price
or total shareholder return (or any measure derived wholly or in part from either of such measures) and (ii) the
amount of Erroneously Awarded Compensation is not subject to mathematical recalculation directly from the
information in the Financial Restatement, then the amount of Erroneously Awarded Compensation shall be
determined (on a pre-tax basis) based on the Company’s reasonable estimate of the effect of the Financial
Restatement on the Company’s stock price or total shareholder return (or the derivative measure thereof) upon
which such Covered Compensation was received.
 
 
 
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(c)
 
For the avoidance of doubt,
 
the Company’s obligation to recover Erroneously
 
Awarded Compensation
is not dependent on (i) if or when the restated financial statements are filed or (ii) any fault of any Covered
Executive for the accounting errors or other actions leading to a Financial Restatement.
(d)
 
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Sections
 
2(a) through (c) hereof, the Company shall
 
not be
required to recover any Erroneously Awarded Compensation if both (x) the conditions set forth in any of the
following clauses (i) or (ii) are satisfied and
 
(y) the Committee (or a majority of the
 
independent directors serving on
the Board) has determined that recovery of the Erroneously Awarded Compensation would be impracticable:
(i)
 
the direct expense paid to a third party to assist in enforcing the recovery of the Erroneously Awarded
Compensation under this Policy would exceed the amount of such Erroneously Awarded Compensation to be
recovered;
provided
that, before concluding that it would be impracticable to recover any amount of Erroneously
Awarded Compensation pursuant to this Section 2(d), the Company shall have first made a reasonable attempt to
recover such Erroneously Awarded Compensation, document such reasonable attempt(s)
 
to make such recovery and
provide that documentation to the Nasdaq; or
(ii)
 
recovery of the Erroneously Awarded Compensation would likely cause an otherwise tax-qualified
retirement plan, under which benefits are broadly available to employees of the Company, to fail to meet the
requirements of Sections 401(a)(13) or
 
411(a) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code
 
of 1986, as amended (the “
Code
”).
(e)
 
The Company shall not indemnify any Covered Executive, directly or indirectly, for any losses that
such Covered Executive may incur in
 
connection with the recovery of Erroneously
 
Awarded Compensation pursuant
to this Policy, including through the payment of insurance premiums or gross-up payments.
(f)
 
The Committee shall determine, in its
 
sole discretion, the manner and timing
 
in which any Erroneously
Awarded Compensation shall be recovered from a Covered Executive in accordance with applicable law, including,
without limitation, by (i) requiring reimbursement of Covered Compensation previously paid in cash; (ii) seeking
recovery of any gain realized on the vesting, exercise, settlement, sale, transfer or other disposition of any equity or
equity-based awards; (iii) offsetting the Erroneously Awarded Compensation amount from any compensation
otherwise owed by the Company or any of its affiliates to the Covered Executive; (iv) cancelling outstanding vested
or unvested equity or equity-based awards; and/or (v) taking any other remedial and recovery action permitted by
applicable law. For the avoidance of doubt, except as set forth in Section 2(d), in no event may the Company accept
an amount that is less than the amount of Erroneously Awarded Compensation;
provided
that, to the extent
necessary to avoid any adverse tax consequences to the Covered Executive pursuant to Section 409A of the Code,
any offsets against amounts under any nonqualified deferred compensation plans (as defined under Section 409A of
the Code) shall be made in compliance with Section 409A of the Code.
3.
 
Administration.
 
This Policy shall be administered
 
by the Committee.
 
All decisions of the Committee
 
shall
be final, conclusive and binding upon the Company and the Covered Executives, their beneficiaries, heirs,
executors, administrators and any other legal representative. The Committee shall have full power and authority to
(i) administer and interpret this Policy; (ii) correct any defect, supply any omission and reconcile any inconsistency
in this Policy; and (iii) make any other determination and take any other action that the Committee deems necessary
or desirable for the administration of this Policy and to comply with applicable law (including Section 10D of the
Exchange Act) and applicable stock market or exchange rules and regulations. Notwithstanding anything to the
contrary contained herein, to the extent permitted by Section 10D of the Exchange Act and the Listing Rule, the
Board may, in its sole discretion, at any time and from time
 
to time, administer this Policy in the same
 
manner as the
Committee.
4.
 
Amendment/Termination. Subject to Section 10D of the Exchange Act and the Listing Rule, this Policy
may be amended or terminated by the Committee
 
at any time.
 
To the extent that any applicable law, or stock market
or exchange rules or regulations require recovery of Erroneously Awarded Compensation in circumstances in
addition to those specified herein, nothing in this Policy shall be deemed to limit or restrict the right or obligation of
the Company to recover Erroneously Awarded Compensation to the fullest extent required by such applicable law,
stock market or exchange rules and regulations. Unless otherwise required by applicable law, this Policy shall no
longer be effective from and after the date that the Company no longer has a class of securities publicly listed on a
United States national securities exchange.
 
 
 
 
 
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5.
 
Interpretation. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, this Policy is intended to comply with the
requirements of Section 10D of the Exchange Act and the Listing Rule (and any applicable regulations,
administrative interpretations or stock market or exchange rules and regulations adopted in connection therewith).
The provisions of this Policy shall be interpreted
 
in a manner that satisfies such requirements
 
and this Policy shall be
operated accordingly. If any provision of this Policy would otherwise frustrate or conflict with this intent, the
provision shall be interpreted and deemed amended so as to avoid such conflict.
6.
 
Other Compensation Clawback/Recoupment Rights. Any right of recoupment under this Policy is in
addition to, and not in lieu of, any
 
other remedies, rights or requirements with respect
 
to the clawback or recoupment
of any compensation that may be available to the Company pursuant to the terms of any other recoupment or
clawback policy of the Company (or any of its affiliates) that may be in effect from time to time, any provisions in
any employment agreement, offer letter, equity plan, equity award agreement or similar plan or agreement, and any
other legal remedies available to the Company, as well as applicable law, stock market or exchange rules, listing
standards or regulations;
provided
,
however
, that any amounts recouped or clawed back under any other policy that
would be recoupable under this Policy shall count toward any required clawback or recoupment under this Policy
and vice versa.
7.
 
Exempt Compensation. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, the Company has no obligation
under this Policy to seek recoupment of amounts paid to a Covered Executive which are granted, vested or earned
based solely upon the occurrence or non-occurrence of nonfinancial events. Such exempt compensation includes,
without limitation, base salary, time-vesting awards, compensation awarded on the basis of the achievement of
metrics that are not Financial Reporting Measures or compensation awarded solely at the discretion of the
Committee or the Board,
provided
that such amounts are in no way contingent
 
on, and were not in any way granted
on the basis of, the achievement of any Financial Reporting Measure performance goal.
8.
 
Miscellaneous.
(a)
 
Any applicable award agreement or other document setting forth the terms and conditions of any
compensation covered by this Policy shall be deemed to include the restrictions imposed herein and incorporate this
Policy by reference and, in the event of any inconsistency, the terms of this Policy will govern. For the avoidance of
doubt, this Policy applies to all compensation
 
that is received on or after the Effective Date,
 
regardless of the date on
which the award agreement or other document setting forth the terms and conditions of the Covered Executive’s
compensation became effective, including, without limitation, compensation received under the 2021 Omnibus
Incentive Compensation Plan and any successor plan thereto.
(b)
 
This Policy shall be binding and
 
enforceable against all Covered Executives
 
and their beneficiaries,
heirs, executors, administrators or other legal representatives.
(c)
 
All issues concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of this Policy and all
related documents, including, without limitation, any employment agreement, offer letter, equity award agreement
or similar agreement, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware,
without giving effect to any choice of law
 
or conflict of law rules or provisions
 
(whether of the State of Delaware
 
or
any other jurisdiction) that would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of
Delaware.
(d)
 
The Covered Executives, their beneficiaries, executors, administrators and any other legal
representative and the Company shall initially attempt to resolve all claims, disputes or controversies arising under,
out of or in connection with this Policy by conducting good faith negotiations amongst themselves. To ensure the
timely and economical resolution of disputes that arise in connection with this Policy, the federal and state courts
sitting within the State of Delaware shall be the sole and exclusive forums for any and all disputes, claims, or causes
of action arising from or relating to the enforcement, performance or interpretation of this Policy. The Covered
Executives, their beneficiaries, executors, administrators and any other legal representative and the Company, shall
not commence any suit, action or other proceeding arising out of or based upon this Agreement except in the United
States District Court for the District of Delaware or any Delaware court, and hereby waive, and agree not to assert,
by way of motion, as a defense or otherwise, in any such suit, action or proceeding, any claim that such party is not
subject to the jurisdiction of the above-named courts, that its property is exempt or immune from attachment or
execution, that the suit, action or proceeding
 
is brought in an inconvenient forum,
 
that the venue of the suit, action or
 
5
proceeding is improper or that this Policy
 
or the subject matter hereof may not be
 
enforced in or by such courts. To
the fullest extent permitted by law, the Covered Executives, their beneficiaries, executors, administrators, and any
other legal representative, and the Company, shall waive (and shall hereby be deemed to have waived) the right to
resolve any such dispute through a trial by jury.
(e)
 
If any provision of this Policy
 
is determined to be unenforceable or
 
invalid under any applicable law,
such provision will be applied to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law and shall automatically
 
be
deemed amended in a manner consistent with its objectives to the extent necessary to conform to any limitations
required under applicable law.