EX-97. 8 ea0200203ex-97_valenssemi.htm VALENS SEMICONDUCTOR LTD. POLICY FOR RECOVERY OF ERRONEOUSLY AWARDED COMPENSATION

Exhibit 97

 

VALENS SEMICONDUCTOR LTD.

POLICY FOR RECOVERY OF ERRONEOUSLY AWARDED COMPENSATION

 

Effective as of October 2, 2023

 

Valens Semiconductor Ltd. (the “Company”) has adopted this Policy for Recovery of Erroneously Awarded Compensation (the “Policy”). Capitalized terms used in this Policy but not otherwise defined herein are defined in Section 12. This Policy is intended to comply with the requirements of Section 10D of the Exchange Act and Section 303A.14 of the NYSE Listed Company Manual and is being adopted in addition to, and not in lieu of, the clawback in any Other Recovery Arrangements.

 

1.Persons Subject to Policy

 

This Policy shall apply to and be binding and enforceable on current and former Officers. In addition, the Committee and the Board may, on a going forward basis, apply this Policy to persons who are not Officers, and such application shall apply in the manner determined by the Committee and the Board in their sole discretion.

 

2.Compensation Subject to Policy

 

This Policy shall apply to Incentive-Based Compensation received on or after the Effective Date. For purposes of this Policy, the date on which Incentive-Based Compensation is “received” shall be determined under the Applicable Rules, which generally provide that Incentive-Based Compensation is “received” in the Company’s fiscal period during which the relevant Financial Reporting Measure is attained or satisfied, without regard to whether the grant, vesting or payment of the Incentive-Based Compensation occurs after the end of that period.

 

3.Recovery of Compensation

 

In the event that the Company is required to prepare a Restatement, the Company shall recover, reasonably promptly and in accordance with Section 4 below, the portion of any Incentive-Based Compensation that is Erroneously Awarded Compensation, unless the Committee and the Board have determined that recovery from the relevant current or former Officer would be Impracticable. Recovery shall be required in accordance with the preceding sentence regardless of whether the applicable Officer engaged in misconduct or otherwise caused or contributed to the requirement for the Restatement and regardless of whether or when restated financial statements are filed by the Company. For clarity, the recovery of Erroneously Awarded Compensation under this Policy will not give rise to any Officer’s right to voluntarily terminate employment for “good reason” or due to a “constructive termination” (or any similar term of like effect) under any plan, program or policy of or agreement with the Company or any of its affiliates.

 

4.Manner of Recovery; Limitation on Duplicative Recovery

 

The Committee and the Board shall, in its sole discretion, determine the manner of recovery of any Erroneously Awarded Compensation, which may include, without limitation, a reduction or cancellation by the Company or an affiliate of the Company of Incentive-Based Compensation or Erroneously Awarded Compensation, requiring reimbursement or repayment by any person subject to this Policy of such Erroneously Awarded Compensation, seeking recovery of any gain realized on the vesting, exercise, settlement, sale, transfer or other disposition of any equity or equity-based awards, and, to the extent permitted by law, seeking an offset of the Erroneously Awarded Compensation against other compensation payable by the Company or an affiliate of the Company to such person. Notwithstanding the foregoing, unless otherwise prohibited by the Applicable Rules, to the extent this Policy provides for recovery of Erroneously Awarded Compensation already recovered by the Company pursuant to Section 304 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 or Other Recovery Arrangements, the amount of Erroneously Awarded Compensation already recovered by the Company from the recipient of such Erroneously Awarded Compensation may be credited to the amount of Erroneously Awarded Compensation required to be recovered pursuant to this Policy from such person.

 

 

 

5.Administration

 

This Policy shall be administered, interpreted and construed by the Committee, which is authorized to make all determinations necessary, appropriate or advisable for such purpose. The Board may re-vest in itself the authority to administer, interpret and construe this Policy in accordance with applicable law, and in such event references herein to the “Committee” shall be deemed to be references to the Board. Subject to any permitted review by the applicable national securities exchange or association pursuant to the Applicable Rules, all determinations and decisions made by the Committee pursuant to the provisions of this Policy shall be final, conclusive and binding on all persons, including the Company and its affiliates, shareholders and employees. The Committee may delegate administrative duties with respect to this Policy to one or more directors or employees of the Company, as permitted under applicable law, including any Applicable Rules.

 

6.Exempt Compensation

 

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, the Company has no obligation to seek recoupment of amounts paid to an Officer 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.

 

7.Interpretation

 

This Policy shall be interpreted and applied in a manner that is consistent with the requirements of the Applicable Rules, and to the extent this Policy is inconsistent with such Applicable Rules, it shall be deemed amended to the minimum extent necessary to ensure compliance therewith.

 

8.No Indemnification; No Liability

 

The Company shall not indemnify or insure any person against the loss of any Erroneously Awarded Compensation pursuant to this Policy, nor shall the Company directly or indirectly pay or reimburse any person for any premiums for third-party insurance policies that such person may elect to purchase to fund such person’s potential obligations under this Policy. None of the Company, an affiliate of the Company or any member of the Committee or the Board shall have any liability to any person as a result of actions taken under this Policy.

 

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9.Application; Enforceability

 

Except as otherwise determined by the Committee or the Board, the adoption of this Policy does not limit, and is intended to apply in addition to, any Other Recovery Arrangements. Without limiting the foregoing, in the event of a conflict between this Policy and the Compensation Policy, the latter shall prevail, except with respect to the recovery of any portion of Incentive-Based Compensation that is Erroneously Awarded Compensation that would not be recoverable under the Compensation Policy, in which case this Policy shall prevail. Subject to Section 4, the remedy specified in this Policy shall not be exclusive and shall be in addition to every other right or remedy at law or in equity that may be available to the Company or an affiliate of the Company or is otherwise required by applicable law and regulations.

 

10.Severability

 

The provisions in this Policy are intended to be applied to the fullest extent of the law; provided, however, to the extent that any provision of this Policy is found to be unenforceable or invalid under any applicable law, such provision will be applied to the maximum extent permitted, 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.

 

11.Amendment and Termination

 

Subject to Section 10D of the Exchange Act and Section 303A.14 of the NYSE Listed Company Manual, the Board or the Committee may amend, modify or terminate this Policy in whole or in part at any time and from time to time in its sole discretion. This Policy will terminate automatically when the Company does not have a class of securities listed on a national securities exchange or association in the U.S.

 

12.Definitions

 

Applicable Rules” means Section 10D of the Exchange Act, Rule 10D-1 promulgated thereunder, the listing rules of the national securities exchange or association on which the Company’s securities are listed (including Section 303A.14 of the NYSE Listed Company Manual), and any applicable rules, standards or other guidance adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission or any national securities exchange or association on which the Company’s securities are listed.

 

Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.

 

Compensation Policy” means the Company’s compensation policy for officers and directors, as adopted in accordance with the Israeli Companies Law 5759-1999 and as in effect from time to time.

 

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Committee” means the Compensation Committee of the Board or, in the absence of such a committee, a majority of the independent directors serving on the Board.

 

Effective Date” means the date on which Section 303A.14 of the NYSE Listed Company Manual becomes effective, i.e., October 2, 2023.

 

Erroneously Awarded Compensation” means the amount of Incentive-Based Compensation received by a current or former Officer that exceeds the amount of Incentive-Based Compensation that would have been received by such current or former Officer based on a restated Financial Reporting Measure, as determined on a pre-tax basis in accordance with the Applicable Rules.

 

If (i) the Financial Reporting Measure applicable to the relevant Incentive-Based 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 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 Restatement on the Company’s stock price or total shareholder return (or the derivative measure thereof) upon which such Incentive-Based Compensation was received.

 

Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

Financial Reporting Measure” means any measure determined and presented in accordance with the accounting principles used in preparing the Company’s financial statements, and any measures derived wholly or in part from such measures, including GAAP, IFRS and non-GAAP/IFRS financial measures, as well as stock price and total shareholder return.

 

GAAP” means United States generally accepted accounting principles.

 

IFRS” means international financial reporting standards as adopted by the International Accounting Standards Board.

 

Impracticable” means (a) the direct expense paid to third parties to assist in enforcing recovery would exceed the Erroneously Awarded Compensation; provided that the Company has (i) made reasonable attempt(s) to recover the Erroneously Awarded Compensation, (ii) documented such reasonable attempt(s) and (iii) provided such documentation to the relevant listing exchange or association, (b) the recovery would violate the Company’s home country laws adopted prior to November 28, 2022 pursuant to an opinion of home country counsel; provided that the Company has (i) obtained an opinion of home country counsel, acceptable to the relevant listing exchange or association, that recovery would result in such a violation and (ii) provided such opinion to the relevant listing exchange or association, or (c) recovery 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 26 U.S.C. 401(a)(13) or 26 U.S.C. 411(a) and the regulations thereunder.

 

Incentive-Based Compensation” means, with respect to a Restatement, any compensation (including, for the avoidance of doubt, any cash or equity or equity-based compensation, whether deferred or current) that is granted, earned, or vested based wholly or in part upon the attainment of one or more Financial Reporting Measures and received by a person: (a) after such person began service as an Officer; (b) who served as an Officer at any time during the performance period for that compensation; (c) while the Company has a class of securities listed on a national securities exchange or association; and (d) during the applicable Three-Year Period.

 

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Officer” means any current or former “officer” of the Company within the meaning of Rule 16a-1(f) under the Exchange Act.

 

Other Recovery Arrangementsmeans any clawback, recoupment, forfeiture or similar policies or provisions of the Company or its affiliates, including any such policies or provisions of such effect contained in any employment agreement, bonus plan, incentive plan, equity-based plan or award agreement thereunder or similar plan, program or agreement of the Company or an affiliate or required under applicable law (including, without limitation, the Compensation Policy).

 

Restatement” means an accounting restatement to correct the Company’s material noncompliance with any financial reporting requirement under securities laws, including restatements that correct an error in previously issued financial statements (a) that is material to the previously issued financial statements or (b) that would result in a material misstatement if the error were corrected in the current period or left uncorrected in the current period.

 

For purposes of this Policy, a 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 statement 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.

 

Three-Year Period” means, with respect to a Restatement, the three completed fiscal years immediately preceding the date that the Board, a committee of the Board, or the officer or officers 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 such Restatement, or, if earlier, the date on which a court, regulator or other legally authorized body directs the Company to prepare such Restatement. The “Three-Year Period” also includes any transition period (that results from a change in the Company’s fiscal year) within or immediately following the three completed fiscal years identified in the preceding sentence. However, 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 to 12 months shall be deemed a completed fiscal year.

 

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ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND CONSENT TO

POLICY FOR RECOVERY OF ERRONEOUSLY AWARDED COMPENSATION

 

The undersigned has received a copy of the Policy for Recovery of Erroneously Awarded Compensation (the “Policy”) adopted by Valens Semiconductor Ltd. (the “Company”), and has read and understands the Policy. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the Policy.

 

As a condition of receiving Incentive-Based Compensation from the Company, the undersigned agrees that any Incentive-Based Compensation received on or after the Effective Date is subject to recovery pursuant to the terms of the Policy. To the extent the Company’s recovery right conflicts with any other contractual rights the undersigned may have with the Company, the undersigned understands that the terms of the Policy shall supersede any such contractual rights. The terms of the Policy shall apply in addition to any right of recoupment against the undersigned under the Compensation Policy or applicable law and regulations.

 

       
Date   Signature  
       
    Name  
       
    Title  

 

 

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