As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 1, 2019

Registration No. 333-    

 

 

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

FORM S-8

 

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

US ECOLOGY, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 


 

Delaware
(State or other
jurisdiction of
incorporation or
organization)

 

4593
(Primary Standard
Industrial
Classification Code
Number)

 

95-3889638
(I.R.S.
Employer
Identification
No.)

 

101 S. Capitol Blvd., Suite 1000

Boise, Idaho 83702

(208) 331-8400
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)

 


 

 

AMENDED AND RESTATED US ECOLOGY, INC.

OMNIBUS INCENTIVE PLAN

AMENDED AND RESTATED US ECOLOGY, INC.

2008 STOCK OPTION INCENTIVE PLAN
AMENDED AND RESTATED US ECOLOGY, INC.

2018 EQUITY AND INCENTIVE COMPENSATION PLAN

(Full Title of the Plans)

 


 

 

Jeffrey R. Feeler
President and Chief Executive Officer

US Ecology, Inc.
101 S. Capitol Blvd., Suite 1000
Boise, Idaho 83702

(208) 331-8400

(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

 

With copies to:

 

Stephen M. Leitzell, Esq.

Michael Darby, Esq.

Dechert LLP

Cira Centre

2929 Arch Street

Philadelphia, PA 19104

(215) 994-4000

 


 

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company.  See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

 

Large accelerated filer

x

Accelerated filer

o

Non-accelerated filer

o

Smaller reporting company

o

 

 

Emerging growth company

o

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act.

 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Title Of Securities To Be Registered

 

Amount
To Be
Registered
(1)

 

Proposed
Maximum
Offering
Price Per Share

 

Proposed
Maximum
Aggregate
Offering Price

 

Amount Of
Registration
Fee

 

Amended and Restated US Ecology, Inc. Omnibus Incentive Plan(2)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In respect of assumed stock options: Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share

 

186,280

 

$

48.56

(3)

$

9,045,756.80

 

$

1,174.14

 

In respect of assumed performance stock units, restricted shares and restricted stock units: Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share

 

240,187

 

$

65.12

(4)(5)

$

15,640,977.44

 

$

2,030.20

 

In respect of available share reserve: Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share

 

1,073,533

 

$

65.12

(4)(6)

$

69,908,468.96

 

$

9,074.12

 

Amended and Restated US Ecology, Inc. 2008 Stock Option Incentive Plan(7)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In respect of assumed stock options: Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share

 

83,511

 

$

46.23

(3)

$

3,860,713.53

 

$

501.12

 

Amended and Restated US Ecology, Inc. 2018 Equity and Incentive Compensation Plan(8)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In respect of assumed stock options: Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share

 

29,400

 

$

52.30

(3)

$

1,537,620.00

 

$

199.58

 

In respect of assumed restricted stock units: Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share

 

118,239

 

$

65.12

(4)(5)

$

7,699,723.68

 

$

999.42

 

TOTAL

 

1,731,150

 

 

 

$

107,693,260.41

 

$

13,978.58

 

(1)                                     Pursuant to Rule 416(a) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), this Registration Statement for US Ecology, Inc. (the “Registrant”) shall also cover any additional shares of the Registrant’s common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Common Stock”), that become issuable under the Amended and Restated US Ecology, Inc. Omnibus Incentive Plan, the Amended and Restated US Ecology, Inc. 2008 Stock Option Incentive Plan and the Amended and Restated US Ecology, Inc. 2018 Equity and Incentive Compensation Plan (collectively, the “Plans”) by reason of any stock split, stock dividend, recapitalization or other similar transaction effected without the Registrant’s receipt of consideration that results in an increase in the number of the Registrant’s outstanding shares of Common Stock.

(2)                                     Upon the effectiveness of the Mergers (as defined below), the US Ecology, Inc. Omnibus Incentive Plan was assumed by the Registrant and was restated and renamed the Amended and Restated US Ecology, Inc. Omnibus Incentive Plan.

(3)                                     Computed in accordance with Rules 457(c) and 457(h) under the Securities Act solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee, based on the weighted average per share price at which the options may be exercised.  The Registrant has assumed the outstanding stock options granted under the Pre-Merger Plans (as defined below) pursuant to the Merger Agreement (as defined below).

(4)                                     Estimated solely for the purpose of computing the amount of registration fee pursuant to Rules 457(c) and 457(h) under the Securities Act, based on the average of the high and low prices of US Ecology Holdings, Inc.’s (the predecessor to the Registrant) common stock as reported on the Nasdaq Global Select Market on October 28, 2019.

(5)                                     The Registrant has assumed the outstanding performance stock unit, restricted share and restricted stock unit awards granted under the applicable Pre-Merger Plans pursuant to the Merger Agreement.

(6)                                     The Registrant has assumed the shares of common stock available for issuance under the ECOL Omnibus Plan (as defined below) pursuant to the Merger Agreement.

(7)                                     Upon the effectiveness of the Mergers, the American Ecology Corporation 2008 Stock Option Incentive Plan was assumed by the Registrant and was restated and renamed the Amended and Restated US Ecology, Inc. 2008 Stock Option Incentive Plan.

(8)                                     Upon the effectiveness of the Mergers, the NRC Group Holdings Corp. 2018 Equity and Incentive Compensation Plan was assumed by the Registrant and was restated and renamed the Amended and Restated US Ecology, Inc. 2018 Equity and Incentive Compensation Plan.

 

 

 


 

EXPLANATORY NOTE

 

The Registrant (formerly known as US Ecology Parent, Inc.) entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of June 23, 2019 (the “Merger Agreement”), with US Ecology Holdings, Inc. (formerly known as US Ecology, Inc.), a Delaware corporation (“US Ecology”), ECOL Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and, at the time of the signing of the Merger Agreement, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Registrant (“ECOL Merger Sub”), NRC Group Holdings Corp., a Delaware corporation (“NRCG”), and Rooster Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and, at the time of the signing of the Merger Agreement, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Registrant (“Rooster Merger Sub”).  Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, ECOL Merger Sub merged with and into US Ecology, with US Ecology as the surviving entity and continuing as the wholly-owned subsidiary of the Registrant (the “ECOL Merger”), and Rooster Merger Sub merged with and into NRCG, with NRCG as the surviving entity and continuing as the wholly-owned subsidiary of the Registrant (the “NRCG Merger”).  The ECOL Merger and NRCG Merger are referred to in this Registration Statement as the “Mergers.”  Following the closing of the Mergers, the Registrant contributed 100% of the common stock of NRCG to US Ecology so that, in such contribution, US Ecology became the wholly-owned subsidiary of the Registrant, and NRCG became the wholly-owned subsidiary of US Ecology.

 

As contemplated by the Merger Agreement, the Registrant assumed the US Ecology, Inc. Omnibus Incentive Plan (the “ECOL Omnibus Plan”) and restated and renamed it the Amended and Restated US Ecology, Inc. Omnibus Incentive Plan for the purpose of replacing outstanding equity awards of US Ecology with substantially similar equity awards of the Registrant and to grant any future equity awards unrelated to the Mergers.  The Registrant also assumed each of (i) the American Ecology Corporation 2008 Stock Option Incentive Plan (the “ECOL Option Plan”) and (ii) the NRC Group Holdings Corp. 2018 Equity and Incentive Compensation Plan (the “NRCG Equity Plan”) and restated and renamed each as (x) the Amended and Restated US Ecology, Inc. 2008 Stock Option Incentive Plan and (y) the Amended and Restated US Ecology, Inc. 2018 Equity and Incentive Compensation Plan, respectively, in each case, for the sole purpose of replacing outstanding equity awards of US Ecology and NRCG, respectively, with substantially similar equity awards of the Registrant.  The ECOL Omnibus Plan, the ECOL Option Plan and the NRCG Equity Plan are referred to in this Registration Statement as, collectively, the “Pre-Merger Plans,” and each individually, a “Pre-Merger Plan.”

 

In connection with the closing of the Mergers, all equity and equity-based awards granted under the Pre-Merger Plans that were outstanding as of immediately prior to the Effective Time (as defined in the Merger Agreement) were assumed by the Registrant and converted to be in respect of the Common Stock of the Registrant.

 

The Registrant files this Registration Statement on Form S-8 relating to its Common Stock issuable pursuant to the Plans.

 

PART I

 

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

 

Information required in Part I of Form S-8 to be contained in a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10(a) of the Securities Act is not required to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) and is omitted from this Registration Statement in accordance with the explanatory note to Part I of Form S-8 and Rule 428 under the Securities Act.

 

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PART II

 

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

 

Item 3.                   Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

 

The following documents previously or concurrently filed with the Commission by the Registrant, US Ecology or NRCG are hereby incorporated herein by reference:

 

(a)           The Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on November 1, 2019, including the description of the Registrant’s Common Stock contained therein;

 

(b)           US Ecology’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018 filed on February 28, 2019;

 

(c)           US Ecology’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed for the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2019 filed on May 6, 2019 and the fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2019 filed on August 5, 2019;

 

(d)           US Ecology’s Current Reports on Form 8-K filed on May 24, 2019, June 24, 2019 (two filings), July 22, 2019, August 9, 2019 and October 16, 2019 (in each case, excluding any information deemed furnished under Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 of Form 8-K, including the related exhibits, which information is not incorporated by reference herein);

 

(e)           NRCG’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018 filed on March 25, 2019;

 

(f)            NRCG’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed for the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2019 filed on May 7, 2019 and the fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2019 filed on August 7, 2019;

 

(g)           NRCG’s Current Reports on Form 8-K filed on, February 13, 2019, April 12, 2019, May 14, 2019, May 30, 2019, June 24, 2019 and October 16, 2019 (in each case, excluding any information deemed furnished under Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 of Form 8-K, including the related exhibits, which information is not incorporated by reference herein);

 

(h)           The description of the Registrant’s Common Stock contained in the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-4 initially filed on August 1, 2019 (File No. 333-232930), including any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such description.

 

In addition, all documents subsequently filed by the Registrant or NRCG pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement, which indicates that all securities offered have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, will be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement.  Each document incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a part of this Registration Statement from the date of the filing of such document with the Commission, until the information contained in such document is superseded or updated by any subsequently filed document which is incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement.

 

3


 

Item 4.                                                         Description of Securities.

 

Not applicable.

 

Item 5.                                                         Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

 

Not applicable.

 

Item 6.                                                         Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

 

Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”) sets forth the circumstances in which a Delaware corporation is permitted and/or required to indemnify its directors and officers.  The DGCL permits a corporation to indemnify its directors and officers in certain proceedings if the director or officer has complied with the standard of conduct set out in the DGCL.  The standard of conduct requires that the director or officer must have acted in good faith, in a manner the person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to matters in a criminal proceeding, the director or officer must have had no reason to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful.  With respect to suits by or in the right of the corporation, the DGCL permits indemnification of directors and officers if the person meets the standard of conduct, except that it precludes indemnification of directors and officers who are adjudged liable to the corporation, unless the Court of Chancery or the court in which the corporation’s action or suit was brought determines that the director or officer is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for expenses.  To the extent that a present or former director or officer of the corporation is successful on the merits or otherwise in his or her defense of a proceeding, the corporation is required to indemnify the director or officer against reasonable expenses incurred in defending himself or herself.  The rights provided in Section 145 of the DGCL are not exclusive, and the corporation may also provide for indemnification under bylaw, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise.

 

Article Seventh of the Registrant’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended (the “Certificate of Incorporation”) provides that the Registrant shall indemnify and hold harmless to the fullest extent authorized by the DGCL each person who was or is made a party to or is threatened to be made a party to or is involuntarily involved in any action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (a “Proceeding”), by reason of the fact that he or she is or was a director and/or officer of the Registrant, or is or was serving (during his or her tenure as director and/or officer) at the request of the Registrant, any other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise in any capacity, whether the basis of such Proceeding is an alleged action in an official capacity as a director or officer, or in any other capacity while serving as a director or officer, against all expenses, liability and loss (including attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines, ERISA excise taxes or penalties and amounts paid or to be paid in settlement) reasonably incurred or suffered by such person in connection with such Proceeding.  The Registrant’s Certificate of Incorporation also provides that such director or officer shall have the right to be paid by the Registrant for expenses incurred in defending any such Proceeding in advance of its final disposition; provided, however, that the payment of such expenses in advance of the final disposition of any such Proceeding will be made only upon receipt by the Registrant of an undertaking by or on behalf of such director or officer to repay all amounts so advanced if it should be determined ultimately that he or she is not entitled to be indemnified under the Registrant’s Certificate of Incorporation or otherwise.  Additionally, as permitted by Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL, the Registrant’s Certificate of Incorporation provides that no director of the Registrant shall be personally liable to the Registrant or its stockholders for monetary damages for any breach of fiduciary duty by such a director as a director.  Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, a director shall be liable to the extent provided by applicable law (i) for any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to the Registrant or is stockholders, (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (iii) pursuant to Section 174 of the DGCL, or (iv) for any transaction from which such director derived an improper personal benefit.  The Registrant’s Certificate of Incorporation further provides that the Registrant (i) may purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the Registrant, or is serving at the request of the Registrant as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against any liability asserted against him or her and incurred by him or her in any such capacity, or arising out of his or her status as such, whether or not the Registrant would have the power to indemnify him or her against such liability under the provisions of law; and (ii) may create a trust fund, grant a security interest and/or use other means (including, without limitation, letters of credit, surety bonds and/or other similar arrangements), as well as enter into contracts providing indemnification to the full extent authorized or permitted by law and including as part thereof provisions with respect to any or all of the foregoing to ensure the payment of such amounts as may become necessary to effect indemnification as provided therein, or elsewhere.

 

4


 

Each of the parties to the Merger Agreement agreed that all rights to indemnification, advancement of expenses and exculpation by NRCG existing at the time of the Mergers in favor of the current or former officers or directors of NRCG or any of its subsidiaries as provided in their respective certificates of incorporation or bylaws or other organization documents in effect on the date of the Merger Agreement were assumed by the Registrant at the Effective Time and survived the Mergers and remain in full force and effect in accordance with their terms.  Further, the Merger Agreement provides that for a period of six years from the Effective Time, the Registrant will maintain in effect the exculpation, indemnification, and advancement of expenses equivalent to the provisions of NRCG’s or any of its subsidiaries’ certificates of incorporation or bylaws or other organization documents in effect immediately prior to the Effective Time with respect to acts or omissions by any current or former officer or director of NRCG occurring prior to the Effective Time.  In addition, the Registrant agreed not to amend, repeal, or otherwise modify any such provisions in any manner that would adversely affect the rights thereunder of any individuals who at the Effective Time was a current or former officer or director of NRCG.  During such six-year period, the Registrant agreed to guarantee the obligations of NRCG with respect to any and all amounts payable under the directors’ and officers’ indemnification and insurance provision of the Merger Agreement.

 

In the Merger Agreement, the Registrant agreed to obtain prior to the Effective Time a “tail” officers’ and directors insurance policy (the “D&O Tail”) for the benefit of the officers and directors of NRCG and its subsidiaries.  Further, the Merger Agreement provides that the D&O Tail will be in place for six years after the Mergers and provide coverage that is at least the same coverage and amounts and containing terms and conditions that are not less advantageous to the indemnified parties than the terms of the directors’ and officers’ liability insurance policy maintained by NRCG as of the signing of the Merger Agreement.  However, the Registrant will not be required to expend in any one year an amount in excess of 300% of the last annual premium paid by NRCG at the time the Merger Agreement was signed.  In the event the premium exceeds 300% of the last annual premium at the time the Merger Agreement was signed, the Registrant will be obligated to obtain an insurance policy with the greatest coverage available for a cost equal to 300% of the annual premium at the time the Merger Agreement was signed.

 

In addition, the Registrant currently maintains liability insurance for its directors and officers insuring them against certain liabilities asserted against them in their capacities as directors or officers or arising out of such status.

 

Item 7.                                                         Exemption from Registration Claimed.

 

Not applicable.

 

Item 8.                                                         Exhibits.

 

The following exhibits are filed herewith or incorporated by reference as part of this Registration Statement:

 

Exhibit Number

 

Description

 

 

 

3.1

 

Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of US Ecology, Inc. filed with the Secretary of State of Delaware on November 1, 2019 (filed as Exhibit 3.1 to the Registrant’s Form 8-K filed on November 1, 2019)

 

 

 

3.2

 

Amended and Restated Bylaws of US Ecology, Inc. effective as of November 1, 2019 (filed as Exhibit 3.2 to the Registrant’s Form 8-K filed on November 1, 2019)

 

 

 

5.1

 

Opinion of Dechert LLP (counsel to the Registrant) as to the legality of the securities being registered

 

 

 

15.1

 

Letter re: Unaudited Financial Statements of US Ecology Holdings, Inc. (f/k/a US Ecology, Inc.)

 

5


 

23.1

 

Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP for US Ecology Holdings, Inc. (f/k/a US Ecology, Inc.)

 

 

 

23.2

 

Consent of Grant Thornton LLP for NRC Group Holdings Corp.

 

 

 

23.3

 

Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP for NRC Group Holdings Corp.

 

 

 

23.4

 

Consent of Dechert LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1)

 

 

 

24.1

 

Power of Attorney (contained on signature page hereto)

 

 

 

99.1

 

Amended and Restated US Ecology, Inc. Omnibus Incentive Plan

 

 

 

99.2

 

Amended and Restated US Ecology, Inc. 2008 Stock Option Incentive Plan

 

 

 

99.3

 

Amended and Restated US Ecology, Inc. 2018 Equity and Incentive Compensation Plan

 

Item 9.  Undertakings.

 

(a)           The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

 

(1)           To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:

 

(i)            to include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act;

 

(ii)           to reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of this Registration Statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in this Registration Statement.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement; and

 

6


 

(iii)          to include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in this Registration Statement or any material change to such information in this Registration Statement;

 

provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement.

 

(2)           That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

 

(3)           To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

 

(b)           The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the Registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

 

(c)           Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 

7


 

SIGNATURES

 

The Registrant.  Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Boise, State of Idaho, on this 1st day of November, 2019.

 

 

US ECOLOGY, INC.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Jeffrey R. Feeler

 

 

Jeffrey R. Feeler

 

 

President and Chief Executive Officer

 

8


 

POWER OF ATTORNEY

 

Each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Jeffrey R. Feeler and Eric L. Gerratt, each and individually, as his attorney and agent, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, on his behalf in any such capacity to sign and file this Registration Statement and any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments), supplements, exhibits and other documents related thereto which any such attorney or substitute may deem necessary or advisable to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, with full power and authority to perform and do any and all acts and things whatsoever which any such attorney or substitute may deem necessary or advisable to be performed or done in connection with any or all of the matters described in these resolutions, as fully as such officer or director might or could do if personally present and acting and as fully as US Ecology, Inc. might or could do by a properly authorized agent.

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement on Form S-8 has been signed by the following persons in the capacities indicated and on the dates indicated.

 

Signature

 

Title

 

Date

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ Jeffrey R. Feeler

 

President, Chief Executive Officer and Director

 

November 1, 2019

Jeffrey R. Feeler

 

(Principal Executive Officer)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ Eric L. Gerratt

 

Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer

 

November 1, 2019

Eric L. Gerratt

 

(Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ Joe F. Colvin

 

Director

 

November 1, 2019

Joe F. Colvin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ Katina Dorton

 

Director

 

November 1, 2019

Katina Dorton

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ Glenn A. Eisenberg

 

Director

 

November 1, 2019

Glenn A. Eisenberg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ Daniel Fox

 

Director

 

November 1, 2019

Daniel Fox

 

 

 

 

 

9


 

/s/ Ronald C. Keating

 

Director

 

November 1, 2019

Ronald C. Keating

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ Stephen A. Romano

 

Director

 

November 1, 2019

Stephen A. Romano

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ John T. Sahlberg

 

Director

 

November 1, 2019

John T. Sahlberg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ Melanie Steiner

 

Director

 

November 1, 2019

Melanie Steiner

 

 

 

 

 

10


Exhibit 5.1

 

Cira Centre

2929 Arch Street

Philadelphia, PA 19104

+1 215 994-4000   Main

+1 215 994 2222   Fax

www.dechert.com

 

 

November 1, 2019

 

US Ecology, Inc.
101 S. Capitol Blvd., Suite 1000

Boise, Idaho 83702

 

Re:                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON FORM S-8

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

We have acted as special counsel to US Ecology, Inc. (formerly known as US Ecology Parent, Inc.), a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) of a registration statement on Form S-8 (the “Registration Statement”) for the purpose of registering under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), 1,731,150 shares of its common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Shares”), issuable under (i) the Amended and Restated US Ecology, Inc. Omnibus Incentive Plan, (ii) the Amended and Restated US Ecology, Inc. 2008 Stock Option Incentive Plan and (iii) the Amended and Restated US Ecology, Inc. 2018 Equity and Incentive Compensation Plan (collectively, the “Plans”).

 

This opinion (the “Opinion”) is being furnished to the Company in connection with the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act, and no opinion is expressed herein as to any matter pertaining to the contents of the Registration Statement other than as expressly stated herein with respect to the Shares.

 

As your counsel, we have examined such documents and such matters of fact and law that we have deemed necessary for the purpose of rendering the Opinion expressed herein.

 

In connection with this Opinion, we have examined originals or copies (in each case signed, certified or otherwise proven to our satisfaction to be genuine) of: (i) the Plans; (ii) the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (as amended to date) (the “Charter”); (iii) the Company’s Amended and Restated Bylaws as currently in effect; and (iv) resolutions approving the corporate action of the Company authorizing the issuance and sale of the Shares.

 

In our examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as original documents, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as copies, the legal capacity of natural persons who are signatories to the documents examined by us and the legal power and authority of all persons signing on behalf of parties (other than the Company) to all documents.

 


 

US Ecology, Inc.

November 1, 2019

Page 2

 

In rendering the opinion expressed below, we have assumed that prior to the issuance of any of the Shares, there will exist under the Charter the requisite number of authorized but unissued shares of common stock. In addition, we have assumed (i) the resolutions authorizing the Company to issue the Shares in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Plans will remain in effect and unchanged at all times during which the Shares are issued by the Company, and (ii) the Registration Statement, and any amendments thereto, at the time of issuance of the Shares, will continue to be effective under the Securities Act.

 

Subject to the foregoing and the other matters set forth herein, it is our opinion that, as of the date hereof, when the Shares shall have been duly registered on the books of the transfer agent and registrar therefor in the name or on behalf of the holder and have been issued by the Company against payment therefor (not less than par value) in the circumstances contemplated by the Plans, assuming in each case that the individual issuances, grants or awards under the Plans are duly issued and granted or awarded and exercised in accordance with the requirements of law and the Plans (and the agreements and awards duly adopted thereunder and in accordance therewith), the issue and sale of the Shares will have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company, and the Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

 

We are members of the Bar of the State of New York and the foregoing Opinion is limited to the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.

 

We hereby consent to the filing of this Opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. In giving this consent, we do not admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

 

 

 

Very truly yours,

 

 

 

/s/ Dechert LLP

 

 


Exhibit 15.1

 

November 1, 2019

 

U.S. Ecology, Inc.

101 S. Capitol Blvd., Suite 1000

Boise, Idaho 83702

 

We have reviewed, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), the unaudited interim financial information of U.S. Ecology, Inc. and subsidiaries for the three-month periods ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, and have issued our report dated May 6, 2019, and for the three and six-month periods ended June 30, 2019 and 2018, and have issued our report dated August 5, 2019. As indicated in such reports, because we did not perform an audit, we expressed no opinion on that information.

 

We are aware that our reports referred to above, which were included in your Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2019 and June 30, 2019, are incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-8 of U.S. Ecology, Inc. (formerly known as US Ecology Parent, Inc.).

 

We also are aware that the aforementioned reports, pursuant to Rule 436(c) under the Securities Act of 1933, are not considered a part of the Registration Statement prepared or certified by an accountant or a report prepared or certified by an accountant within the meaning of Sections 7 and 11 of that Act.

 

/S/ DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP

 

Boise, Idaho

 


Exhibit 23.1

 

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-8 of U.S. Ecology, Inc. (formerly known as US Ecology Parent, Inc.) of our report dated February 28, 2019, relating to the consolidated financial statements of U.S. Ecology, Inc., and subsidiaries, and the effectiveness of U.S. Ecology, Inc. and subsidiaries’ internal control over financial reporting, appearing in the Annual Report on Form 10-K of U.S. Ecology, Inc. for the year ended December 31, 2018.

 

/S/ DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP

 

Boise, Idaho

 

November 1, 2019

 


Exhibit 23.2

 

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

We have issued our report dated March 25, 2019, with respect to the consolidated financial statements of NRC Group Holdings Corp. included in NRC Group Holdings Corp.’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, which is incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement. We consent to the incorporation by reference of the aforementioned report in this Registration Statement.

 

/s/ GRANT THORNTON LLP

 

New York, New York

November 1, 2019

 


Exhibit 23.3

 

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-8 of US Ecology, Inc. of our report dated July 19, 2018 relating to the financial statements of SES Hold Co, LLC, which appears in NRC Group Holdings Corp.’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018.

 

 

/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

 

 

Houston, Texas

November 1, 2019

 


Exhibit 99.1

 

AMENDED AND RESTATED

US ECOLOGY, INC.
OMNIBUS INCENTIVE PLAN

 

Section 1.                                           Purpose of the Plan.  The purpose of the Amended and Restated US Ecology, Inc. Omnibus Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) is to assist the Company and its Subsidiaries in attracting, motivating and retaining valued Employees, Consultants and Non-Employee Directors by offering them a greater stake in the Company’s success and a closer identity with it, aligning the interests of Employees, Consultants and Non-Employee Directors with the interests of the Company’s shareholders and encouraging ownership of the Company’s stock by such Employees, Consultants and Non-Employee Directors.  In connection with, and as contemplated by, that certain Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of June 23, 2019, by and among US Ecology, Inc. (now known as US Ecology Holdings, Inc.), US Ecology Parent, Inc. (now known as US Ecology, Inc.), Rooster Merger Sub, Inc., ECOL Merger Sub, Inc., and NRC Group Holdings Corp. (as amended and/or restated from time to time, the “Merger Agreement”), the Company assumed the US Ecology, Inc. Omnibus Incentive Plan (the “Pre-Merger Plan”), amended and restated such plan as set forth herein and renamed it the Amended and Restated US Ecology, Inc. Omnibus Incentive Plan.  All awards granted under the Pre-Merger Plan that were outstanding as of immediately prior to the Effective Time (as defined in the Merger Agreement) were assumed by the Company at the Effective Time and converted to be in respect of Shares (as defined below), and shall be treated as if they were issued under the Plan (such awards as converted, the “Converted Awards”).

 

Section 2.                                           Definitions.  As used herein, the following definitions shall apply:

 

2.1.                            Affiliate” means, with respect to any Person, any other Person that, directly or indirectly, is in control of, is controlled by, or is under common control with, such Person.  For purposes of this definition, “control” of a Person means the power, directly or indirectly, to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of such Person, whether by contract or otherwise.

 

2.2.                            Award” means any of Restricted Stock, Performance Stock, Options, SARs, Restricted Stock Units, Performance Stock Units, Other Stock-Based Awards or Cash-Based Awards under the Plan.

 

2.3.                            Award Agreement” means the written agreement, instrument or document evidencing an Award.

 

2.4.                            Beneficial Owner” has the meaning set forth in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act.

 

2.5.                            Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.

 

2.6.                            Cash-Based Awards” means an Award Granted under Section 6.8 of the Plan.

 

2.7.                            Cause” means,

 


 

(a)                                 if the applicable Participant is party to an effective employment, consulting, severance or similar agreement with the Company or a Subsidiary, and such term is defined therein, “Cause” shall have the meaning provided in such agreement;

 

(b)                                 if the applicable Participant is not a party to an effective employment, consulting, severance or similar agreement or if no definition of “Cause” is set forth in the applicable employment, consulting, severance or similar agreement, “Cause” shall have the meaning provided in the applicable Award Agreement; or

 

(c)                                  if neither (a) nor (b) applies, then “Cause” shall mean (i) engaging in (A) willful or gross misconduct or (B) willful or gross neglect; (ii) failing to adhere to the directions of superiors or the Board or the written policies and practices of the Company or its Subsidiaries or Affiliates; (iii) the commission of a felony or a crime involving any of the following: moral turpitude, dishonesty, breach of trust or unethical business conduct; or the commission of any crime involving the Company or its Subsidiaries or Affiliates; (iv) fraud, misappropriation or embezzlement; (v) a material breach of the Participant’s employment agreement (if any) with the Company or its Subsidiaries or Affiliates, whether or not such breach results in the termination of the Participant’s employment; (vi) acts or omissions constituting a material failure to perform substantially and adequately the duties assigned to the Participant; (vii) any illegal act detrimental to the Company or its Subsidiaries or Affiliates; (viii) repeated failure to devote substantially all of the Participant’s business time and efforts to the Company if required by the Participant’s employment agreement; (ix) the Participant’s abuse of illegal drugs and other controlled substances or the Participant’s habitual intoxication; or (x) any other action for which the Participant’s employment may be terminated under the Participant’s employment agreement, if any, or for which applicable law permits summary dismissal without notice.

 

2.8.                            Change in Control” means, after the Effective Date:

 

(a)                                 if the applicable Participant is party to an effective employment, consulting, severance or similar agreement with the Company or a Subsidiary, and such term is defined therein, “Change in Control” shall have the meaning provided in such agreement;

 

(b)                                 if the applicable Participant is not a party to an effective employment, consulting, severance or similar agreement or if no definition of “Change in Control” is set forth in the applicable employment, consulting, severance or similar agreement, “Change in Control” shall have the meaning provided in the applicable Award Agreement; or

 

(c)                                  if neither (a) nor (b) applies, then “Change in Control” shall mean:

 

(i)                                     the consummation of a reorganization, merger, statutory share exchange or consolidation or similar transaction involving the Company (each, a “Business Combination”), unless, following such Business Combination, all or substantially all of the individuals and entities that were the Beneficial Owners of the combined voting power of the Company’s outstanding securities immediately prior to such Business Combination beneficially own, directly or indirectly, at least 50% of the combined voting power of the then-outstanding securities of the entity

 


 

resulting from such Business Combination in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of the combined voting power of the Company’s outstanding securities immediately prior to the Business Combination; provided, however, that a public offering of the Company’s securities shall not constitute a Business Combination;

 

(ii)                                  any transaction as a result of which any person is the Beneficial Owner, directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing more than 50% of the total voting power represented by the Company’s then outstanding voting securities.  For purposes of this clause (ii), the term “person” shall have the same meaning as when used in sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act, but shall exclude (x) a trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under an executive benefit plan of the Company or of a subsidiary and (y) a corporation owned directly or indirectly by the stockholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of the common stock of the Company;

 

(iii)                               the sale, transfer, or other disposition of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets, other than to a wholly-owned Subsidiary or to a holding company of which the Company is a direct or indirect wholly owned subsidiary prior to such transaction;

 

(iv)                              the consummation of a plan of complete liquidation or substantial dissolution of the Company; or

 

(v)                                 a change in the composition of the Board in any two-year period as a result of which fewer than a majority of the directors are Incumbent Directors. “Incumbent Directors” shall mean directors who either (a) are directors of the Company as of the date hereof or (b) are elected, or nominated for election, to the Board with the affirmative votes (either by a specific vote or by approval of the proxy statement of the Company in which such person is named as a nominee for election as a director without objection to such nomination) of at least a majority of the Incumbent Directors at the time of such election or nomination (but shall not include an individual whose election or nomination is in connection with an actual or threatened proxy contest relating to the election of directors of the Company).

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, no event shall constitute a Change in Control with respect to an Award that constitutes “non-qualified deferred compensation” (within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code) unless such Change in Control satisfies the requirements of Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-3(i)(5).

 

2.9.                            Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

 

2.10.                     Company” means US Ecology, Inc. (formerly known as US Ecology Parent, Inc.), a Delaware corporation, or any successor corporation.

 

2.11.                     Committee” means the Compensation Committee of the Board.  The Committee shall have at least two members, each of whom shall be a “non-employee director” as defined in Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act and an “outside director” as defined in Section 162(m) of the

 


 

Code and the regulations thereunder, and, if applicable, shall meet the independence requirements of the applicable stock exchange, quotation system or other regulatory organization on which Shares are traded.

 

2.12.                     Consultant” means an individual other than an Employee or Non-Employee Director who provides bona fide services to the Company or a Subsidiary.

 

2.13.                     Disability” means,

 

(a)                                 if the applicable Participant is party to an effective employment, consulting, severance or similar agreement with the Company or a Subsidiary, and such term is defined therein, “Disability” shall have the meaning provided in such agreement;

 

(b)                                 if the applicable Participant is not a party to an effective employment, consulting, severance or similar agreement or if no definition of “Disability” is set forth in the applicable employment, consulting, severance or similar agreement, “Disability” shall have the meaning provided in the applicable Award Agreement; or

 

(c)                                  if neither (a) nor (b) applies, then “Disability” shall mean that the Participant is unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or which has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months.

 

2.14.                     Effective Date” means the date on which the Plan becomes effective, which shall be the date on which the closing of the Parent Merger (as defined in the Merger Agreement) occurs.

 

2.15.                     Employee” means an individual who is an officer or an employee of the Company or a Subsidiary.

 

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

 

2.17.                     Fair Market Value” means, on any given date (i) the average of the high and low sale prices reported as having occurred on the NASDAQ Global Market System (or other principal exchange or market on which the Shares are traded or listed) on such date, or, if no sale was made on such date on such principal exchange or market, on the last preceding day on which the Shares were traded or listed; or (ii) if (i) does not apply, such value as the Committee in its discretion may in good faith determine (such determination shall be made (a) in accordance with Section 409A of the Code and the regulations thereunder to the extent applicable and (b) in accordance with Section 422 of the Code and the regulations thereunder to the extent the Award granted is intended to be an Incentive Stock Option).

 

2.18.                     “Good Reason” means,

 

(a)                                 if the applicable Participant is party to an effective employment, consulting, severance or similar agreement with the Company or a Subsidiary, and such term is defined therein, “Good Reason” shall have the meaning provided in such agreement;

 


 

(b)                                 if the applicable Participant is not a party to an effective employment, consulting, severance or similar agreement or if no definition of “Good Reason” is set forth in the applicable employment, consulting, severance or similar agreement, “Good Reason” shall have the meaning provided in the applicable Award Agreement; or

 

(c)                                  if neither (a) nor (b) applies, then “Good Reason” shall mean, following a Change in Control, unless cured by the Company within 30 days following notice from the Participant thereof, (i) a relocation of the Participant’s principal place of employment or other service that increases the Participant’s one-way commute by more than 50 miles; (ii) a material diminution in the Participant’s duties or responsibilities; or (iii) a decrease in the Participant’s base salary or annual bonus opportunity, other than a decrease resulting from an across-the-board reduction in salaries or annual bonus opportunities applicable to similarly situated employees or the failure to meet performance criteria applicable to incentive compensation.

 

2.19.                     Grant Date” means the date specified by the Committee on which a grant of an Award shall become effective, which shall not be earlier than the date on which the Committee takes action with respect thereto.

 

2.20.                     Incentive Stock Option” means an Option or portion thereof intended to meet the requirements of an incentive stock option as defined in Section 422 of the Code and designated as an Incentive Stock Option, and if the Committee does not designate an Option as an Incentive Stock Option in the Award Agreement, the terms of the Award Agreement for such Option hereby provide that the Option will not be treated as an Incentive Stock Option under Section 422 of the Code.

 

2.21.                     Non-Employee Director” means a member of the Board who is not an Employee.

 

2.22.                     Non-Qualified Option” means an Option or portion thereof that does not qualify as or is not intended to be an Incentive Stock Option or that is not designated as an Incentive Stock Option in the Award Agreement.

 

2.23.                     Option” means a right granted under Section 6.1 of the Plan to purchase a specified number of Shares at a specified price.  An Option may be an Incentive Stock Option or a Non-Qualified Option.

 

2.24.                     Other Stock-Based Awards” means a right granted under Section 6.7 of the Plan.

 

2.25.                     Participant” means any Employee, Non-Employee Director or Consultant who receives an Award.

 

2.26.                     Performance Goals” means any goals established by the Committee in its sole discretion, the attainment of which is substantially uncertain at the time such goals are established. Performance Goals may be described in terms of Company-wide objectives or objectives that are related to the performance of the individual Participant or a Subsidiary, division, department or function within the Company or Subsidiary in which the Participant is employed.  Performance Goals may be measured on an absolute or relative basis.  Relative performance may be measured by a group of peer companies, by a financial market index or by another external measure.

 


 

Performance Goals may be based upon: specified levels of or increases in the Company’s, a division’s or a Subsidiary’s return on capital, equity or assets; earnings measures/ratios (on a gross, net, pre-tax or post-tax basis), including diluted earnings per share, total earnings, operating earnings, earnings growth, earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA); net economic profit (which is operating earnings minus a charge to capital); net income; operating income; safety and/or environmental record; sales; sales growth; gross margin; direct margin; share price (including but not limited to growth measures and total stockholder return), operating profit; operating efficiency; costs; per period or cumulative cash flow (including but not limited to operating cash flow and free cash flow) or cash flow return on investment (which equals net cash flow divided by total capital); inventory turns; financial return ratios; enterprise value; economic value added or other value added measurements; revenue; market share; balance sheet measurements such as receivable turnover; improvement in or attainment of expense levels; improvement in or attainment of working capital levels; debt reduction; strategic innovation, including but not limited to entering into, substantially completing, or receiving payments under, relating to, or deriving from a joint development agreement, licensing agreement, or similar agreement; completion of acquisitions, business expansion or divestitures of the Company, a division or a Subsidiary; implementation of critical projects or related milestones; achievement of operational or efficiency milestones; customer or employee satisfaction; individual objectives; any financial or other measurement deemed appropriate by the Committee as it relates to the results of operations or other measurable progress of the Company and its Subsidiaries (or any business unit of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries); and any combination of any of the foregoing criteria.  Subject to Section 7.4, if the Committee determines that a change in the business, operations, corporate structure or capital structure of the Company, or the manner in which it conducts its business, or other events or circumstances render the Performance Goals unsuitable, the Committee may modify such Performance Goals or the related minimum acceptable level of achievement, in whole or in part, as the Committee deems appropriate and equitable.

 

2.27.                     Performance Period” means the period, which shall not be less than one year, selected by the Committee during which the performance of the Company, any Subsidiary, any department of the Company or any Subsidiary, or any individual is measured for the purpose of determining the extent to which a Performance Goal has been achieved.

 

2.28.                     Performance Stock” means Shares awarded by the Committee under Section 6.4 of the Plan that are subject to Performance Goals.

 

2.29.                     Performance Stock Unit” means the right granted under Section 6.6 of the Plan to receive, on the date of settlement, one Share or an amount equal to the Fair Market Value of one Share that is subject to Performance Goals.  Performance Stock Units may be settled in cash, Shares or any combination thereof; provided, however, that unless otherwise provided in an Award Agreement, Performance Stock Units shall be settled in Shares.

 

2.30.                     Person” means an individual, corporation, partnership, association, limited liability company, estate or other entity.

 

2.31.                     Qualified Performance-Based Award” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.1.

 


 

2.32.                     Restricted Stock” means Shares awarded by the Committee under Section 6.3 of the Plan.

 

2.33.                     Restricted Stock Unit” means the right granted under Section 6.5 of the Plan to receive, on the date of settlement, one Share or an amount equal to the Fair Market Value of one Share.  Restricted Stock Units may be settled in cash, Shares or any combination thereof; provided, however, that unless otherwise provided in an Award Agreement, Restricted Stock Units shall be settled in Shares.

 

2.34.                     Restriction Period” means the period during which Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units are subject to forfeiture.

 

2.35.                     SAR” means a stock appreciation right awarded by the Committee under Section 6.2 of the Plan.  SARs may be settled in cash, Shares or any combination thereof; provided, however, that unless otherwise provided in an Award Agreement, SARs shall be settled in Shares.

 

2.36.                     Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

2.37.                     Share” means a share of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.01, or any security into which Shares are converted by reason of any transaction or event of a type described in Section 9.

 

2.38.                     Subsidiary” means any corporation, partnership, joint venture or other business entity of which 50% or more of the outstanding voting power is beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by the Company.

 

2.39.                     Ten Percent Stockholder” means an individual who on any given date is the Beneficial Owner (taking into account the attribution rules contained in Section 424(d) of the Code) of stock possessing more than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or a Subsidiary.

 

Section 3.                                           Eligibility.    Except as otherwise specifically provided herein, any Employee, Non-Employee Director or Consultant who is selected by the Committee shall be eligible to receive an Award under the Plan.

 

Section 4.                                           Administration and Implementation of the Plan.

 

4.1.                            The Plan shall be administered by the Committee.  Any action of the Committee in administering the Plan shall be final, conclusive and binding on all Persons, including the Company, its Subsidiaries, Participants, Persons claiming rights from or through Participants and stockholders of the Company.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Committee may delegate to one or more officers or Board members the authority to grant Awards to eligible individuals other than Non-Employee Directors; provided that the Committee may not delegate authority to grant Awards to eligible individuals who are subject to the requirements of Rule 16b-3 of the Exchange Act or Covered Employees within the meaning of Code Section 162(m) and the regulations thereunder. Any such delegation shall be subject to the limitations of Section 157(c) of the Delaware General Corporation Law, and the Committee may revoke any such allocation or delegation at any time for any reason, with or without prior notice.

 


 

4.2.                            Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Committee shall have full and final authority in its discretion to (i) select the Employees, Non-Employee Directors and Consultants who will receive Awards pursuant to the Plan; provided that Awards granted to Non-Employee Directors shall be subject to ratification by the full Board; (ii) determine the type or types of Awards to be granted to each Participant; (iii) determine the number of Shares to which an Award will relate, the terms and conditions of any Award granted under the Plan (including, but not limited to, restrictions as to vesting, Performance Goals relating to an Award, transferability or forfeiture, exercisability or settlement of an Award and waivers or accelerations thereof, and waivers of or modifications to Performance Goals relating to an Award, based in each case on such considerations as the Committee shall determine) and all other matters to be determined in connection with an Award; (iv) determine the exercise price, base price or purchase price (if any) of an Award; (v) determine whether, to what extent, and under what circumstances an Award may be cancelled, forfeited, or surrendered; (vi) determine how a leave of absence will impact an Award, including, without limitation, tolling the vesting schedule or treating such leave of absence as a termination of employment or other service; (vii) determine whether, and to certify that, Performance Goals to which an Award is subject are satisfied; (viii) correct any defect or supply any omission or reconcile any inconsistency in the Plan, and adopt, amend and rescind such rules, regulations, guidelines, forms of agreements and instruments relating to the Plan as it may deem necessary or advisable; (ix) construe and interpret the Plan; and (x) make all other determinations as it may deem necessary or advisable for the administration of the Plan.

 

Section 5.                                           Shares Subject to the Plan.

 

5.1.                            Subject to adjustment as provided in Section 9 hereof, the total number of Shares available for Awards under the Plan shall be 1,073,533 (the “Plan Limit”), of which 1,073,533 Shares may be issued pursuant to the exercise of Incentive Stock Options.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) Awards covering no more than 100,000 Shares may be awarded to any Participant other than a Non-Employee Director in any one calendar year and (ii) Awards covering no more than 25,000 Shares may be awarded to a Non-Employee Director in any one calendar year (provided that, for purposes of these individual limits, none of the Converted Awards nor any other Awards granted by the Company through the assumption or substitution of outstanding grants from an acquired company shall count).  For purposes of determining the number of Shares available for Awards under the Plan, each Award that is denominated in Shares but settled in cash shall count against the Plan Limit based on the number of Shares underlying such Award rather than the number of Shares issued in settlement of such Award.  Any Shares tendered by a Participant in payment of an exercise price for or settlement of an Award or the tax liability with respect to an Award, including, without limitation, Shares withheld from any such Award, shall not be available for future Awards hereunder.  Shares awarded under the Plan may be reserved or made available from the Company’s authorized and unissued Shares or from Shares reacquired (through open market transactions or otherwise) and held in the Company’s treasury.  Any Shares issued by the Company through the assumption or substitution of outstanding grants from an acquired company shall not reduce the number of Shares available for Awards under the Plan.  For the avoidance of doubt, Shares issued pursuant to Converted Awards shall be treated as if they were issued under the Plan and shall reduce the number of Shares available for issuance under the Plan.

 

5.2.                            If any Shares subject to an Award are forfeited or terminated without the issuance of Shares or settlement in cash, any Shares counted against the number of Shares available for

 


 

issuance pursuant to the Plan with respect to such Award shall, to the extent of any such forfeiture or termination, again be available for Awards under the Plan; provided, however, that the Committee may adopt other procedures for the counting of Shares relating to any Award to ensure appropriate counting, avoid double counting, provide for adjustments in any case in which the number of Shares actually distributed differs from the number of Shares previously counted in connection with such Award, and if necessary, to comply with applicable law or regulations.

 

Section 6.                                           Awards.  Awards may be granted on the terms and conditions set forth in this Section 6.  In addition, the Committee may impose on any Award or the settlement or exercise thereof, at the Grant Date or thereafter, such additional terms and conditions, not inconsistent with the provisions of the Plan, as the Committee shall determine, including without limitation terms requiring forfeiture of Awards in the event of the termination of a Participant’s employment or other relationship with the Company or any Subsidiary; provided, however, that, except as provided in Sections 7 or 15, the Committee shall retain full power to accelerate or waive any such additional term or condition as it may have previously imposed.  The right of a Participant to exercise or receive a grant or settlement of any Award, and the timing thereof, may be subject to such Performance Goals as may be determined by the Committee.  Each Award, and the terms and conditions applicable thereto, shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement.

 

6.1.                            Options.  Options give a Participant the right to purchase a specified number of Shares from the Company for a specified time period at a fixed exercise price, as provided in the applicable Award Agreement.  The grant of Options shall be subject to the following terms and conditions:

 

(a)                                 Exercise Price.  The price per share at which Shares may be purchased upon exercise of an Option shall be determined by the Committee and specified in the Award Agreement, but shall be not less than the Fair Market Value of a Share on the Grant Date.

 

(b)                                 Term of Options.  The term of an Option shall be specified in the Award Agreement, but shall in no event be greater than ten years.

 

(c)                                  Exercise of Option.  Each Award Agreement with respect to an Option shall specify the time or times at which an Option may be exercised in whole or in part and the terms and conditions applicable thereto, including (i) a vesting schedule which may be based upon the passage of time, attainment of Performance Goals or a combination thereof, (ii) whether the exercise price for an Option shall be paid in cash, Shares or any combination thereof, (iii) the methods of payment, which may include payment through cashless and net exercise arrangements, to the extent permitted by applicable law and (iv) the methods by which, or the time or times at which, Shares will be delivered or deemed to be delivered to Participants upon the exercise of such Option.

 

(d)                                 Termination of Employment or Other Service.  Unless otherwise provided in an Award Agreement or an effective employment, consulting, severance or similar agreement with the Company or a Subsidiary, or as otherwise may be determined by the Committee, (i) upon a Participant’s termination of employment or other service with the Company and its Subsidiaries (A) at any time, due to the Participant’s death or Disability or (B) within 24 months following a Change in Control, by the Company or a Subsidiary

 


 

without Cause or by the Participant for Good Reason, the unvested portion of such Participant’s Options shall vest in full (with any applicable Performance Goals being deemed to have been achieved at target or, if greater, actual levels), and the Participant’s Options shall remain exercisable by the Participant or the Participant’s beneficiary or legal representative, as the case may be, for a period 90 days thereafter and (ii) upon a Participant’s termination of employment or other service with the Company and its Subsidiaries for any other reason, the unvested portion of such Participant’s Options shall cease to vest and shall be forfeited with no further compensation due the Participant and the vested portion of such Participant’s Options shall remain exercisable by the Participant or the Participant’s beneficiary or legal representative, as the case may be, for a period of 30 days thereafter; provided, however, that in no event shall any Option be exercisable after its stated term has expired.  All of a Participant’s Options, whether or not vested, shall be forfeited immediately upon such Participant’s termination by the Company or a Subsidiary for Cause with no further compensation due the Participant.

 

(e)                                  No Dividend Equivalent Rights.  No Participant shall be entitled to dividend equivalent rights or payments with respect to any Shares underlying the unexercised portion of the Participant’s Options.

 

(f)                                   Incentive Stock Options.  The following conditions apply to Awards of Incentive Stock Options in addition to or in lieu of those described above in provisions (a)-(e) of this Section 6.1:

 

(i)                                     Eligibility.  Incentive Stock Options may only be granted to Participants who are Employees.

 

(ii)                                  Exercise Price.  In the case of Ten Percent Stockholder, the price at which a Share may be purchased upon exercise of an Incentive Stock Option shall not be less than 110% of the Fair Market Value of such Share on the Grant Date.

 

(iii)                               Term of Options.  In the case of a Ten Percent Stockholder, the term of an Incentive Stock Option shall be no greater than five years.

 

(iv)                              Notice.  Each Participant awarded an Incentive Stock Option under the Plan shall notify the Company in writing immediately after the date he or she makes a “disqualifying disposition” (as defined in Section 421(b) of the Code) of any Shares acquired pursuant to the exercise of such Incentive Stock Option.  The Company may, if determined by the Committee and in accordance with procedures established by it, retain possession of any Shares acquired pursuant to the exercise of an Incentive Stock Option as agent for the applicable Participant until the end of any period during which a disqualifying disposition could occur, subject to complying with any instructions from such Participant as to the sale of such Shares.  The aggregate Fair Market Value, determined as of the Grant Date, for Awards granted under the Plan (or any other stock option plan required to be taken into account under Section 422(d) of the Code) that are intended to be Incentive Stock Options which are first exercisable by the Participant during any calendar year shall not exceed $100,000.  To the extent an Award purporting to be an Incentive Stock

 


 

Option exceeds the limitation in the previous sentence, the portion of the Award in excess of such limit shall be a Non-Qualified Option.

 

(v)                                 Limits on Transferability.  Notwithstanding anything in Section 13 to the contrary, no Incentive Stock Option shall be pledged, encumbered, or hypothecated to, or in favor of, or subject to any lien, obligation, or liability of such Participant to, any party, other than the Company or any Subsidiary, or assigned or transferred by such Participant otherwise than by will or the laws of descent and distribution, and such Awards and rights shall be exercisable during the lifetime of the Participant only by the Participant or his or her guardian or legal representative.

 

6.2.                            Stock Appreciation Rights.  An SAR shall confer on the Participant a right to receive, upon exercise thereof, the excess of (i) the Fair Market Value of one Share on the date of exercise over (ii) the grant price of the SAR as determined by the Committee, but which may never be less than the Fair Market Value of one Share on the Grant Date.  The grant of SARs shall be subject to the following terms and conditions:

 

(a)                                 General.  Each Award Agreement with respect to an SAR shall specify the number of SARs granted, the grant price of the SAR, the time or times at which an SAR may be exercised in whole or in part (including vesting upon the passage of time, the attainment of Performance Goals, or a combination thereof), the method of exercise, method of settlement (in cash, Shares or a combination thereof), method by which Shares will be delivered or deemed to be delivered to Participants (if applicable) and any other terms and conditions of any SAR.

 

(b)                                 Termination of Employment or Other Service.  Unless otherwise provided in an Award Agreement or an effective employment, consulting, severance or similar agreement with the Company or a Subsidiary, or as otherwise may be determined by the Committee, (i) upon a Participant’s termination of employment or other service with the Company and its Subsidiaries (A) at any time, due to the Participant’s death or Disability or (B) within 24 months following a Change in Control, by the Company or a Subsidiary without Cause or by the Participant for Good Reason, the unvested portion of such Participant’s SARs shall vest in full (with any applicable Performance Goals being deemed to have been achieved at target or, if greater, actual levels) and the Participant’s SARs shall remain exercisable by the Participant or the Participant’s beneficiary or legal representative, as the case may be, for a period 90 days thereafter and (ii) upon a Participant’s termination of employment or other service with the Company and its Subsidiaries for any other reason, the unvested portion of such Participant’s SARs shall cease to vest and shall be forfeited with no further compensation due the Participant and the vested portion of such Participant’s SARs shall remain exercisable by the Participant or the Participant’s beneficiary or legal representative, as the case may be, for a period of 30 days thereafter; provided, however, that in no event shall any SAR be exercisable after its stated term has expired.  All of a Participant’s SARs, whether or not vested, shall be forfeited immediately upon such Participant’s termination by the Company or a Subsidiary for Cause with no further compensation due the Participant.

 


 

(c)                                  Term.  The term of an SAR shall be specified in the Award Agreement, but shall in no event be greater than ten years.

 

(d)                                 No Dividend Equivalent Rights.  No Participant shall be entitled to dividend equivalent rights or payments with respect to any Shares underlying the Participant’s SARs.

 

6.3.                            Restricted Stock.  An Award of Restricted Stock is a grant by the Company of a specified number of Shares to the Participant, which Shares are subject to forfeiture upon the happening of specified events during the Restriction Period.  An Award of Restricted Stock shall be subject to the following terms and conditions:

 

(a)                                 General.  Each Award Agreement with respect to Restricted Stock shall specify the duration of the Restriction Period, if any, and/or each installment thereof, the conditions under which the Restricted Stock may be forfeited to the Company, and the amount, if any, the Participant must pay to receive the Restricted Stock.  Such restrictions may include a vesting schedule based upon the passage of time.

 

(b)                                 Transferability.  During the Restriction Period, if any, the transferability of Restricted Stock shall be prohibited or restricted in the manner and to the extent prescribed in the applicable Award Agreement.  Such restrictions may include, without limitation, rights of repurchase or first refusal in the Company or provisions subjecting the Restricted Stock to a continuing substantial risk of forfeiture in the hands of any transferee.

 

(c)                                  Stockholder Rights.  Unless otherwise provided in the applicable Award Agreement, during the Restriction Period the Participant shall have all the rights of a stockholder with respect to Restricted Stock, including, without limitation, the right to receive dividends thereon (whether in cash or Shares), at the same time such dividends are paid on Shares generally, and to vote such shares of Restricted Stock.

 

(d)                                 Termination of Employment or Other Service.  Unless otherwise provided in an Award Agreement or an effective employment, consulting, severance or similar agreement with the Company or a Subsidiary, or as otherwise may be determined by the Committee, (i) upon a Participant’s termination of employment or other service with the Company and its Subsidiaries (A) at any time, due to the Participant’s death or Disability or (B) within 24 months following a Change in Control, by the Company or a Subsidiary without Cause or by the Participant for Good Reason, the unvested portion of each Award of Restricted Stock held by such Participant shall vest in full and the applicable Restriction Period shall expire and (ii) upon a Participant’s termination of employment or other service with the Company and its Subsidiaries for any other reason, the unvested portion of each Award of Restricted Stock held by such Participant shall be forfeited with no further compensation due the Participant.

 

6.4.                            Performance Stock.  An Award of Performance Stock is a grant by the Company of a specified number of Shares to the Participant, which Shares are conditional on the achievement of Performance Goals during the Performance Period and subject to forfeiture upon the happening

 


 

of specified events during the Restriction Period.  An Award of Performance Stock shall be subject to the following terms and conditions:

 

(a)                                 General.  Each Award Agreement with respect to Performance Stock shall specify the duration of the Performance Period and the Restriction Period, if any, and/or each installment thereof, the Performance Goals applicable to the Performance Stock and the conditions under which the Performance Stock may be forfeited to the Company, and the amount, if any, the Participant must pay to receive the Performance Stock.  Such restrictions may include a vesting schedule based on the attainment of Performance Goals measured on a milestone basis or in respect of the Performance Period.

 

(b)                                 Transferability.  During the Restriction Period, if any, the transferability of Performance Stock shall be prohibited or restricted in the manner and to the extent prescribed in the applicable Award Agreement.  Such restrictions may include, without limitation, rights of repurchase or first refusal in the Company or provisions subjecting the Performance Stock to a continuing substantial risk of forfeiture in the hands of any transferee.

 

(c)                                  Stockholder Rights.  Unless otherwise provided in the applicable Award Agreement, during the Restriction Period the Participant shall have all the rights of a stockholder with respect to Performance Stock; provided that the Participant shall not have the right to receive or accumulate dividends paid on or with respect to Performance Stock during the applicable Performance Period (whether in cash or Shares), which dividends shall be forfeited to the Company with no compensation due therefor; provided, further, that the Participant shall have the right to receive dividends paid after the expiration of the Performance Period with respect to earned Shares, whether or not such Shares are subject to restriction under Section 6.3, at the same time such dividends are paid on Shares generally.

 

(d)                                 Termination of Employment or Other Service.  Unless otherwise provided in an Award Agreement or an effective employment, consulting, severance or similar agreement with the Company or a Subsidiary, or as otherwise may be determined by the Committee, (i) upon a Participant’s termination of employment or other service with the Company and its Subsidiaries (A) at any time, due to the Participant’s death or Disability or (B) within 24 months following a Change in Control, by the Company or a Subsidiary without Cause or by the Participant for Good Reason, the unvested portion of each Award of Performance Stock held by such Participant shall vest in full (with the Performance Goals being deemed to have been achieved at target or, if greater, actual levels) and the applicable Restriction Period shall expire and (ii) upon a Participant’s termination of employment or other service with the Company and its Subsidiaries for any other reason, the unvested portion of each Award of Performance Stock held by such Participant shall be forfeited with no further compensation due the Participant.

 

6.5.                            Restricted Stock Units.  Restricted Stock Units are solely a device for the measurement and determination of the amounts to be paid to a Participant under the Plan. Restricted Stock Units do not constitute Shares and shall not be treated as (or as giving rise to) property or as a trust fund of any kind.  The right of any Participant in respect of an Award of

 


 

Restricted Stock Units shall be no greater than the right of any unsecured general creditor of the Company.  The grant of Restricted Stock Units shall be subject to the following terms and conditions:

 

(a)                                 Restriction Period.  Each Award Agreement with respect to Restricted Stock Units shall specify the duration of the Restriction Period, if any, and/or each installment thereof and the conditions under which such Award may be forfeited to the Company.  Such restrictions may include a vesting schedule based upon the passage of time.

 

(b)                                 Termination of Employment or Other Service.  Unless otherwise provided in an Award Agreement or an effective employment, consulting, severance or similar agreement with the Company or a Subsidiary, or as otherwise may be determined by the Committee, (i) upon a Participant’s termination of employment or other service with the Company and its Subsidiaries (A) at any time, due to the Participant’s death or Disability or (B) within 24 months following a Change in Control, by the Company or a Subsidiary without Cause or by the Participant for Good Reason, the unvested portion of each Award of Restricted Stock Units credited to such Participant shall vest in full, the applicable Restriction Period shall expire and each such Award of Restricted Stock Units shall be settled in accordance with Section 6.5(c) and (ii) upon a Participant’s termination of employment or other service with the Company and its Subsidiaries for any other reason, the unvested portion of each Award of Restricted Stock Units credited to such Participant shall be forfeited with no compensation due the Participant.

 

(c)                                  Settlement.  Unless otherwise provided in an Award Agreement, subject to the Participant’s continued employment or other service with the Company or a Subsidiary from the Grant Date through the expiration of the Restriction Period (or applicable portion thereof), the vested portion of an Award of Restricted Stock Units shall be settled within 30 days after the expiration of the Restriction Period (or applicable portion thereof).

 

(d)                                 Stockholder Rights.  Nothing contained in the Plan shall be construed to give any Participant rights as a stockholder with respect to an Award of Restricted Stock Units (including, without limitation, any voting, dividend or derivative or other similar rights).

 

6.6.                            Performance Stock Units.  Performance Stock Units are solely a device for the measurement and determination of the amounts to be paid to a Participant under the Plan.  Performance Stock Units do not constitute Shares and shall not be treated as (or as giving rise to) property or as a trust fund of any kind.  The right of any Participant in respect of an Award of Performance Stock Units shall be no greater than the right of any unsecured general creditor of the Company.  The grant of Performance Stock Units shall be subject to the following terms and conditions:

 

(a)                                 Restriction Period.  Each Award Agreement with respect to Performance Stock Units shall specify the duration of the Performance Period and the Restriction Period, if any, and/or each installment thereof, the Performance Goals applicable to the Performance Stock Units and the conditions under which the Performance Stock Units may

 


 

be forfeited to the Company.  Such restrictions may include a vesting schedule based on the attainment of Performance Goals measured on a milestone basis or in respect of the Performance Period.

 

(b)                                 Termination of Employment or Other Service.  Unless otherwise provided in an Award Agreement or an effective employment, consulting, severance or similar agreement with the Company or a Subsidiary, or as otherwise may be determined by the Committee, (i) upon a Participant’s termination of employment or other service with the Company and its Subsidiaries (A) at any time, due to the Participant’s death or Disability or (B) within 24 months following a Change in Control, by the Company or a Subsidiary without Cause or by the Participant for Good Reason, the unvested portion of each Award of Performance Stock Units credited to such Participant shall vest in full (with any applicable Performance Goals being deemed to have been achieved at target or, if greater, actual levels), the applicable Restriction Period shall expire and each such Award of Performance Stock Units shall be settled in accordance with Section 6.6(c) and (ii) upon a Participant’s termination of employment or other service with the Company and its Subsidiaries for any other reason, the unvested portion of each Award of Performance Stock Units credited to such Participant shall be forfeited with no compensation due the Participant.

 

(c)                                  Settlement.  Unless otherwise provided in an Award Agreement, subject to the Participant’s continued employment or other service with the Company or a Subsidiary from the Grant Date through the expiration of the Restriction Period (or applicable portion thereof), the vested portion of an Award of Performance Stock Units shall be settled within 30 days after the expiration of the Restriction Period (or applicable portion thereof).

 

(d)                                 Stockholder Rights.  Nothing contained in the Plan shall be construed to give any Participant rights as a stockholder with respect to an Award of Performance Stock Units (including, without limitation, any voting, dividend or derivative or other similar rights).

 

6.7.                            Other Stock-Based Awards.  The Committee is authorized, subject to limitations under applicable law, to grant to Participants any type of award (in addition to those Awards provided in Section 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 6.5 or 6.6 hereof) that is payable in, or valued in whole or in part by reference to, Shares, and that is deemed by the Committee to be consistent with the purposes of the Plan.  Such Awards may include deferred Shares or Share purchase Awards, as well as the outright grant of Shares that are not subject to any restrictions as to vesting or other forfeiture conditions, and shall be subject to such additional terms as the Committee determines in its sole discretion, consistent with provisions of the Plan.

 

(a)                                 Termination of Employment or Other Service.  Unless otherwise provided in an Award Agreement or an effective employment, consulting, severance or similar agreement with the Company or a Subsidiary, or as otherwise may be determined by the Committee, (i) upon a Participant’s termination of employment or other service with the Company and its Subsidiaries (A) at any time, due to the Participant’s death or Disability or (B) within 24 months following a Change in Control, by the Company or a Subsidiary without Cause or by the Participant for Good Reason, the unvested portion of each Other

 


 

Stock-Based Award held by such Participant shall vest in full (with any applicable Performance Goals being deemed to have been achieved at target or, if greater, actual levels) and (ii) upon a Participant’s termination of employment or other service with the Company and its Subsidiaries for any other reason, the unvested portion of each Other Stock-Based Award shall be forfeited with no further compensation due the Participant.

 

6.8.                            Cash-Based Awards.  The Committee is hereby authorized to grant Cash-Based Awards denominated in cash in such amounts and subject to such terms and conditions as the Committee may determine.  Each such Cash-Based Award shall specify a payment amount or payment range as determined by the Committee.  Cash-Based Awards may be based on the attainment of Performance Goals and designed to constitute Qualified Performance-Based Awards.  The maximum amount payable pursuant to Cash-Based Awards granted to a Participant during any one calendar year shall not exceed $10,000,000.

 

(a)                                 Termination of Employment or Other Service.  Unless otherwise provided in an Award Agreement or an effective employment, consulting, severance or similar agreement with the Company or a Subsidiary, or as otherwise may be determined by the Committee, (i) upon a Participant’s termination of employment or other service with the Company and its Subsidiaries (A) at any time, due to the Participant’s death or Disability or (B) within 24 months following a Change in Control, by the Company or a Subsidiary without Cause or by the Participant for Good Reason, the unvested portion of each Cash-Based Award held by such Participant shall vest in full (with any applicable Performance Goals being deemed to have been achieved at target or, if greater, actual levels) and become payable and (ii) upon a Participant’s termination of employment or other service with the Company and its Subsidiaries for any other reason, the unvested portion of each Cash-Based Award held by such Participant shall be forfeited with no further compensation due the Participant.

 

Section 7.                                           Code Section 162(m).

 

7.1.                            General Requirements.  If at any time the Company is subject to Code Section 162(m), the Committee may grant Awards that satisfy the following requirements for the exception to Code Section 162(m) for qualified performance-based compensation (“Qualified Performance-Based Awards”):

 

(a)                                 Eligibility.  Only Participants who are “Covered Employees” within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Code shall be eligible to receive Qualified Performance-Based Awards. The Committee shall designate in its sole discretion which Covered Employees shall be Participants for a Performance Period within the earlier of the (i) first 90 days of the Performance Period and (ii) the lapse of 25% of the Performance Period.

 

(b)                                 Performance Goals.  The Committee shall establish in writing within the earlier of the (i) first 90 days of a Performance Period and (ii) the lapse of 25% of the Performance Period, and in any event, while the outcome is substantially uncertain, (x) Performance Goals for the Performance Period, and (y) in respect of such Performance Goals, a minimum acceptable level of achievement below which no Award shall be made, and an objective formula or other method for determining the Award to be made if

 


 

performance is at or above such minimum acceptable level but falls short of the maximum achievement of the specified Performance Goals.

 

(c)                                  Certification.  Following the completion of a Performance Period, the Committee shall review and certify in writing whether, and to what extent, the Performance Goals for the Performance Period have been achieved and, if so, calculate and certify in writing the amount of the Qualified Performance-Based Awards earned for the period based upon the Performance Goals and the related formulas or methods as determined pursuant to Section 7.1(b).  The Committee shall then determine the actual number of Shares issuable under each Participant’s Award for the Performance Period, and, in doing so, may reduce or eliminate the amount of the Award, as permitted in the Award Agreement.  In no event shall the Committee have the authority to increase Award amounts to any Covered Employee.

 

(d)                                 Termination of Employment.  Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Committee shall not permit the payment or other settlement of a Qualified Performance-Based Award following a Participant’s termination of employment with the Company and its Subsidiaries for any reason other than the Participant’s death or Disability or following a Change in Control unless such Qualified Performance-Based Award would have been paid or settled based on the actual outcome of the applicable Performance Goals during the applicable Performance Period absent such termination of employment.  Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, unless otherwise provided in an Award Agreement or an effective employment, consulting, severance or similar agreement with the Company or a Subsidiary, or as otherwise may be determined by the Committee, upon a Participant’s termination of employment with the Company and its Subsidiaries (i) at any time, due to the Participant’s death or Disability or (ii) within 24 months following a Change in Control, by the Company or a Subsidiary without Cause or by the Participant for Good Reason, the Participant’s Qualified Performance-Based Awards shall be paid or settled in full based on the assumption that the applicable Performance Goals have been achieved at target or, if greater, actual levels.  Upon a Participant’s termination of employment with the Company and its Subsidiaries for Cause, 100% of a Participant’s Qualified Performance-Based Awards shall be forfeited with no compensation due therefor.

 

7.2.                            Notwithstanding anything in Section 5.1 to the contrary, the maximum number of Shares underlying Qualified Performance-Based Awards that may be granted to a Participant in any one Performance Period is 100,000 and the maximum number of shares that may be granted to a Participant pursuant to Options and SARs is 100,000, in each case, subject to adjustment as provided in Section 9.  The maximum amount payable to a Participant pursuant to Cash-Based Awards that are intended to constitute Qualified Performance-Based Awards during any one calendar year shall not exceed $10,000,000.  For purposes of the foregoing limitations, Converted Awards shall be treated as if they were granted in the year, and with respect to the performance period, in which the award granted under the Pre-Merger Plan from which they were converted was granted.

 

7.3.                            The Committee may, without the consent of a Participant, make any amendment, alteration or other modification to the Plan as would have a material adverse affect on the rights

 


 

of such Participant if such modification is necessary to ensure a deduction under Code Section 162(m).

 

7.4.                            The Committee is authorized, in its sole discretion, to adjust or modify a Performance Goal for a Performance Period, including, without limitation, the applicable minimum, target and maximum levels of achievement, in connection with any one or more of the following events: (a) asset write-downs; (b) significant litigation or claim judgments or settlements; (c) the effect of changes in tax laws, accounting standards or principles, or other laws or regulatory rules affecting reporting results; (d) any reorganization and restructuring programs or change in the corporate structure or capital structure of the Company; (e) extraordinary nonrecurring items as described in Accounting Principles Board Opinion No. 30 (or any successor pronouncement thereto) and/or in management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations appearing in the Company’s annual report to stockholders for the applicable year or period; (f) acquisitions or divestitures; (g) any other specific unusual or nonrecurring events or objectively determinable category thereof; (h) foreign exchange gains and losses; and (i) a change in the Company’s fiscal year.  Except as otherwise provided above in this Section 7.4, the Committee may not (i) adjust or otherwise amend any Performance Goal if such adjustment or amendment would adversely affect the status of an Award as a Qualified Performance-Based Award; or (ii) change any material term of a Performance Goal without stockholder approval as required by Section 162(m) and the regulations thereunder.

 

7.5.                            Other than certain of the Converted Awards, no Awards granted on or after the Effective Date are intended to be Qualified Performance-Based Awards or shall be subject to this Section 7.

 

Section 8.                                           Change in Control.  Unless otherwise provided in an Award Agreement or an effective employment, consulting, severance or similar agreement with the Company or a Subsidiary, a Change in Control shall not, in and of itself, accelerate the vesting, settlement or exercisability of outstanding Awards.  Notwithstanding the foregoing and unless otherwise provided in an Award Agreement or an effective employment, consulting, severance or similar agreement with the Company or a Subsidiary, if (i) the successor corporation (or its parent) does not agree to assume an outstanding Award or does not agree to substitute or replace such Award with an award involving the ordinary shares of such successor corporation (or its parent) on terms and conditions necessary to preserve the rights of the applicable Participant with respect to such Award, (ii) the securities of the Company or the successor corporation will not be publicly traded on a U.S. securities exchange or (iii) the Change in Control is not approved by a majority of the Incumbent Directors immediately prior to such Change in Control, the Committee, in its sole discretion, may take one or more of the following actions with respect to all, some or any such Awards: (a) accelerate the vesting, settlement and, if applicable, exercisability of such Awards such that the Awards are fully vested, settled and, if applicable, exercisable (effective immediately prior to such Change in Control); provided that Awards subject to performance-based vesting conditions shall be paid or settled in full based on the actual level of achievement of the applicable Performance Goals through the date of the Change in Control or, if doing so would result in the Participant’s receipt of a larger payment or settlement amount, using the applicable target (or, in the case of a Change in Control described in clause (ii), maximum) level of achievement through the date of such Change in Control rather than such actual level of achievement; (b) cancel outstanding Options or SARs in exchange for a cash payment in an amount equal to the excess, if

 


 

any, of the Fair Market Value of the Shares underlying the unexercised portion of the Option or SAR as of the date of the Change in Control over the exercise price or grant price, as the case may be, of such portion, provided that any Option or SAR with an exercise price or grant price, as the case may be, that equals or exceeds the Fair Market Value of the Shares on the date of the Change in Control shall be cancelled with no payment due the Participant; or (c) take such other actions as the Committee deems appropriate to preserve the rights of Participants with respect to their Awards.  The judgment of the Committee with respect to any matter referred to in this Section shall be conclusive and binding upon each Participant without the need for any amendment to the Plan.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Award that constitutes “non-qualified deferred compensation” (within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code) shall be payable upon the occurrence of a Change in Control unless such Change in Control satisfies the requirements of Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-3(i)(5).  In addition to the actions described above, and without the consent of any Participant, effective upon the occurrence of a Change in Control, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, terminate all Awards granted under the Plan that are treated as “non-qualified deferred compensation” under Section 409A of the Code and settle such shares for a cash payment equal to the Fair Market Value of such Shares or any benchmark, if any, provided that (1) such Change in Control satisfies the requirements of Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-3(i)(5) and (2) all other arrangements that would be aggregated with such Awards under Section 409A of the Code are terminated and liquidated within 30 days before or 12 months after such Change in Control.

 

Section 9.                                           Adjustments upon Changes in Capitalization.

 

9.1.                            In the event that the Committee shall determine that any stock dividend, recapitalization, forward split or reverse split, reorganization, merger, consolidation, spin-off, combination, repurchase or share exchange, extraordinary or unusual cash distribution or other similar corporate transaction or event, affects the Shares such that an adjustment is appropriate in order to prevent dilution or enlargement of the rights of Participants under the Plan, then the Committee shall proportionately and equitably adjust any or all of (i) the number and kind of Shares which may thereafter be issued in connection with Awards, (ii) the number and kind of Shares issuable in respect of outstanding Awards, (iii) the aggregate number and kind of Shares available under the Plan, (iv) the limits described in Section 5 of the Plan and (v) the exercise price or grant price relating to any Award or, if deemed appropriate, make provision for a cash payment with respect to any outstanding Award; provided, however, in each case, that each adjustment shall be made in a manner consistent with Section 7.

 

9.2.                            In addition, the Committee is authorized to make adjustments in the terms and conditions of, and the criteria included in, Awards in recognition of unusual or nonrecurring events (including, without limitation, events described in Section 9.1) affecting the Company or any Subsidiary, or in response to changes in applicable laws, regulations, or accounting principles. Notwithstanding the foregoing, all adjustments shall be made in a manner consistent with Section 7 and no adjustment shall be made in a manner that would adversely affect the status of an Award as a Qualified Performance-Based Award.

 


 

Section 10.                                    Termination and Amendment.

 

10.1.                     Changes to the Plan and Awards.  The Board may amend, alter, suspend, discontinue, or terminate the Plan without the consent of the Company’s stockholders or Participants, except that any such amendment, alteration, suspension, discontinuation, or termination shall be subject to the approval of the Company’s stockholders if (i) such action would increase the number of Shares subject to the Plan, (ii) such action results in the repricing, replacement or cash buyout/repurchase of any Option, SAR or other Award, or (iii) such stockholder approval is required by any applicable law or regulation or the rules of any stock exchange on which the Shares may then be listed, and the Board may otherwise, in its discretion, determine to submit such other changes to the Plan to the Company’s stockholders for approval; provided, however, that without the consent of an affected Participant, no amendment, alteration, suspension, discontinuation, or termination of the Plan may materially and adversely affect the rights of such Participant under any outstanding Award, except insofar as any such action is necessary to ensure the Plan’s compliance with applicable law or regulation or the listing requirements of an applicable securities exchange, including, without limitation, Code Sections 162(m) or 409A.

 

10.2.                     The Committee may waive any conditions or rights under, or amend, alter, suspend, discontinue, or terminate, any Award theretofore granted and any Award Agreement relating thereto; provided, however, that without the consent of an affected Participant, no such amendment, alteration, suspension, discontinuation, or termination of any Award may materially and adversely affect the rights of such Participant under such Award, except insofar as any such action is necessary to ensure the Plan’s compliance with applicable law or regulation or the listing requirements of an applicable securities exchange, including, without limitation, Code Sections 162(m) or 409A.

 

Section 11.                                    No Right to Award, Employment or Service.  No Employee, Consultant or Non-Employee Director shall have any claim to be granted any Award under the Plan, and there is no obligation that the terms of Awards be uniform or consistent among Participants.  Neither the Plan nor any action taken hereunder shall be construed as giving any Participant any right to be retained in the employ or service of the Company or any Subsidiary.  For purposes of this Plan, a transfer of employment or service between the Company and its Subsidiaries shall not be deemed a termination of employment or service; provided, however, that individuals employed by, or otherwise providing services to, an entity that ceases to be a Subsidiary shall be deemed to have incurred a termination of employment or service, as the case may be, as of the date such entity ceases to be a Subsidiary unless such individual becomes an employee of, or service provider to, the Company or another Subsidiary as of the date of such cessation.

 

Section 12.                                    Taxes.  Each Participant must make appropriate arrangement for the payment of any taxes relating to an Award granted hereunder.  The Company or any Subsidiary is authorized to withhold from any payment relating to an Award under the Plan, including from a distribution of Shares or any payroll or other payment to a Participant, amounts of withholding and other taxes due in connection with any transaction involving an Award, and to take such other action as the Committee may deem advisable to enable the Company and Participants to satisfy obligations for the payment of withholding taxes and other tax obligations relating to any Award.  This authority shall include the ability to withhold or receive Shares or other property and to make cash payments in respect thereof in satisfaction of a Participant’s tax obligations and to require the Participant to enter into elections in respect of taxes.  Withholding of taxes in the form of Shares with respect to

 


 

an Award shall not occur at a rate that exceeds the minimum required statutory federal and state withholding rates.  Participants who are subject to the reporting requirements of Section 16 of the Exchange Act shall have the right to pay all or a portion of any withholding or other taxes due in connection with an Award by directing the Company to withhold Shares that would otherwise be received in connection with such Award up to the minimum required withholding amount.

 

Section 13.                                    Limits on Transferability; Beneficiaries.  No Award or other right or interest of a Participant under the Plan shall be pledged, encumbered, or hypothecated to, or in favor of, or subject to any lien, obligation, or liability of such Participant to, any party, other than the Company or any Subsidiary, or assigned or transferred by such Participant otherwise than by will or the laws of descent and distribution, and such Awards and rights shall be exercisable during the lifetime of the Participant only by the Participant or his or her guardian or legal representative. Notwithstanding the foregoing, except as provided in Section 6.1(f)(v), the Committee may, in its discretion, provide that Awards or other rights or interests of a Participant granted pursuant to the Plan be transferable, without consideration, to immediate family members (i.e., children, grandchildren or spouse), to trusts for the benefit of such immediate family members and to partnerships in which such family members are the only partners.  The Committee may attach to such transferability feature such terms and conditions as it deems advisable.  In addition, a Participant may, in the manner established by the Committee, designate a beneficiary (which may be a natural person or a trust) to exercise the rights of the Participant, and to receive any distribution, with respect to any Award upon the death of the Participant.  A beneficiary, guardian, legal representative or other Person claiming any rights under the Plan from or through any Participant shall be subject to all terms and conditions of the Plan and any Award Agreement applicable to such Participant, except as otherwise determined by the Committee, and to any additional restrictions deemed necessary or appropriate by the Committee.

 

Section 14.                                    Securities Law Requirements.

 

14.1.                     No Shares may be issued hereunder if the Company shall at any time determine that to do so would (i) violate the listing requirements of an applicable securities exchange, or adversely affect the registration or qualification of the Company’s Shares under any state or federal law or regulation, or (ii) require the consent or approval of any regulatory body or the satisfaction of withholding tax or other withholding liabilities. In any of the events referred to in clause (i) or clause (ii) above, the issuance of such Shares shall be suspended and shall not be effective unless and until such withholding, listing, registration, qualifications or approval shall have been effected or obtained free of any conditions not acceptable to the Company in its sole discretion, notwithstanding any termination of any Award or any portion of any Award during the period when issuance has been suspended.

 

14.2.                     The Committee may require, as a condition to the issuance of Shares hereunder, representations, warranties and agreements to the effect that such Shares are being purchased or acquired by the Participant for investment only and without any present intention to sell or otherwise distribute such Shares and that the Participant will not dispose of such Shares in transactions which, in the opinion of counsel to the Company, would violate the registration provisions of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder.

 


 

Section 15.                                    Code Section 409A.  The Plan and all Awards are intended to comply with, or be exempt from, Code Section 409A and all regulations, guidance, compliance programs and other interpretative authority thereunder, and all provisions of the Plan, including, without limitation, Sections 6, 8 and 9, and any Award Agreement shall be applied and interpreted in a manner consistent therewith.  Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, in the event any Award is subject to Code Section 409A, the Committee may, in its sole discretion and without a Participant’s prior consent, amend the Plan and/or Awards, adopt policies and procedures, or take any other actions as deemed appropriate by the Committee to (i) exempt the Plan and/or any Award from the application of Code Section 409A, (ii) preserve the intended tax treatment of any such Award or (iii) comply with the requirements of Code Section 409A.  In the event that a Participant is a “specified employee” within the meaning of Code Section 409A, and a payment or benefit provided for under the Plan would be subject to additional tax under Code Section 409A if such payment or benefit is paid within six (6) months after such Participant’s separation from service (within the meaning of Code Section 409A), then such payment or benefit shall not be paid (or commence) during the six (6) month period immediately following such Participant’s separation from service except as provided in the immediately following sentence.  In such an event, any payments or benefits that would otherwise have been made or provided during such six (6) month period and which would have incurred such additional tax under Code Section 409A shall instead be paid to the Participant in a lump-sum payment, without interest, on the earlier of (i) the first business day of the seventh month following such Participant’s separation from service or (ii) the tenth business day following such Participant’s death.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, none of the Company, its Affiliates or their respective directors, officers, employees or advisors will be held liable for any taxes, interest or other amounts owed by any Participant as a result of the application of Code Section 409A.

 

Section 16.                                    Recoupment.  Any Award granted pursuant to the Plan shall be subject to mandatory repayment by the Participant to the Company pursuant to the terms of any Company “clawback” or recoupment policy.

 

Section 17.                                    Foreign Participants.  In order to facilitate the making of any grant or combination of grants under this Plan, the Committee may provide for such special terms for Awards to Participants who are foreign nationals, or who are employed by or perform services for the Company or any Subsidiary outside of the United States of America, as the Committee may consider necessary or appropriate to accommodate differences in local law, tax policy or custom.  Moreover, the Committee may approve such supplements to, or amendments, restatements or alternative versions of, this Plan as it may consider necessary or appropriate for such purposes without thereby affecting the terms of this Plan as in effect for any other purpose, provided that no such supplements, amendments, restatements or alternative versions shall include any provisions that are inconsistent with the terms of this Plan, as then in effect, unless this Plan could have been amended to eliminate such inconsistency without further approval by the stockholders of the Company.

 

Section 18.                                    Termination.  Unless earlier terminated, the Plan shall terminate on April 7, 2025, and no Awards under the Plan shall thereafter be granted; provided that no such termination shall impact Awards that were granted prior to such termination.

 


 

Section 19.                                    Fractional Shares.  The Company will not be required to issue any fractional Shares pursuant to the Plan.  The Committee may provide for the elimination of fractions and settlement of such fractional Shares in cash.

 

Section 20.                                    Non-Exclusivity of Plan.  Nothing in the Plan shall be construed in any way as limiting the authority of the Committee, the Board, the Company or any Subsidiary or Affiliate to establish any other cash or equity annual or incentive compensation plan or as limiting the authority of any of the foregoing to issue Shares or pay cash bonuses or other supplemental or additional cash or equity incentive compensation to any service provider to the Company, its Subsidiaries or Affiliates, whether or not such person is a Participant in this Plan and regardless of how the number of Shares or the amount of such bonuses or other cash or equity compensation is determined.

 

Section 21.                                    Discretion.  In exercising, or declining to exercise, any grant of authority or discretion hereunder, the Committee may consider or ignore such factors or circumstances and may accord such weight to such factors and circumstances as the Committee alone and in its sole judgment deems appropriate and without regard to the effect such exercise, or declining to exercise such grant of authority or discretion, would have upon the affected Participant, any other Participant, any Employee, Consultant or Non-Employee Director, the Company, any Subsidiary, any Affiliate of the Company, any stockholder or any other Person.

 

Section 22.                                    Governing Law.  To the extent that Federal laws do not otherwise control, the validity and construction of the Plan and any Award Agreement entered into thereunder shall be construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, but without giving effect to the choice of law principles thereof.

 

Section 23.                                    Effective Date.  The Plan shall become effective upon the Effective Date.

 

*          *          *          *           *

 


Exhibit 99.2

 

AMENDED AND RESTATED US ECOLOGY, INC.

2008 STOCK OPTION INCENTIVE PLAN

 

1.                                      PURPOSE.

 

The purpose of this Amended and Restated US Ecology, Inc. 2008 Stock Option Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) is to enable US Ecology, Inc., formerly known as US Ecology Parent, Inc. (the “Company”), to retain the services of (i) selected employees, officers and directors of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company and (ii) selected non-employee agents, consultants, advisers and independent contractors of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company.  For purposes of this Plan, a person is considered to be employed by or in the service of the Company if the person is employed by or in the service of any entity (the “Employer”) that is either the Company or a subsidiary of the Company.

 

In connection with, and as contemplated by, that certain Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of June 23, 2019, by and among US Ecology, Inc. (now known as US Ecology Holdings, Inc.), US Ecology Parent, Inc. (now known as US Ecology, Inc.), Rooster Merger Sub, Inc., ECOL Merger Sub, Inc., and NRC Group Holdings Corp. (as amended and/or restated from time to time, the “Merger Agreement”), the Company assumed the American Ecology Corporation 2008 Stock Option Incentive Plan (the “Pre-Merger Plan”), amended and restated the Pre-Merger Plan as set forth herein and renamed it the Amended and Restated US Ecology, Inc. 2008 Stock Option Incentive Plan.  All awards granted under the Pre-Merger Plan that were outstanding as of immediately prior to the Effective Time (as defined in the Merger Agreement) were assumed by the Company at the Effective Time and converted to be in respect of Common Stock (as defined below), and shall be treated as if they were granted under the Plan (such awards as converted, the “Converted Awards”).  No Options (as defined in Section 5 below) other than the Converted Awards may be granted under the Plan.

 

2.                                      SHARES SUBJECT TO THE PLAN.

 

Subject to adjustment as provided below and in Section 7, the total number of shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company (“Common Stock,” and such shares referred to herein as “shares”) that may be issued under the Plan shall be 83,511 shares, all of which may be issued and outstanding pursuant to the exercise of Incentive Stock Options (as defined in Section 5 below) and/or Non-Statutory Stock Options (as defined in Section 5 below) under the Plan or subject to Incentive Stock Options and/or Non-Statutory Stock Options outstanding under the Plan.  For the avoidance of doubt, shares issued pursuant to Converted Awards shall be treated as if they were issued under the Plan and shall reduce the number of shares available for issuance under the Plan.

 

3.                                      EFFECTIVE DATE AND DURATION OF PLAN.

 

3.1.                            Effective Date.  The Plan shall become effective as of the date on which the closing of the Parent Merger (as defined in the Merger Agreement) occurs.

 

3.2.                            Duration.  The Plan shall continue in effect until all shares available for issuance pursuant to the exercise of Options under the Plan have been issued.  The Board of Directors of

 


 

the Company (the “Board of Directors”) may suspend or terminate the Plan at any time except with respect to Options then outstanding under the Plan.  Termination of the Plan shall not affect any then outstanding Options issued under the Plan.  Notwithstanding anything in the Plan or any related agreement to the contrary, no Options other than Converted Awards shall be granted under the Plan after the Effective Time.

 

4.                                      ADMINISTRATION OF THE PLAN.

 

4.1.                            Except as provided in the following sentence, the Plan shall be administered by the Board of Directors.  The Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors (the “Compensation Committee”) shall administer the Plan with respect to any Options granted to “covered employees” (as defined in Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”)), and the Compensation Committee shall have the full authority of the Board of Directors, as described herein, with respect to such Options.  Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Board of Directors may adopt and amend rules and regulations relating to administration of the Plan, advance the lapse of any waiting period, accelerate any exercise date, and make all other determinations in the judgment of the Board of Directors necessary or desirable for the administration of the Plan.  The interpretation and construction of the provisions of the Plan and related agreements by the Board of Directors shall be final and conclusive.  The Board of Directors may correct any defect or supply any omission or reconcile any inconsistency in the Plan or in any related agreement in the manner and to the extent it deems expedient to carry the Plan into effect, and the Board of Directors shall be the sole and final judge of such expediency.

 

4.2.                            Compensation Committee.  In addition to the authority of the Compensation Committee described in Section 4.1 hereof, the Board of Directors may delegate to the Compensation Committee any or all authority for administration of the Plan.  The Compensation Committee shall be comprised solely of two or more “outside directors” (within the meaning ascribed to such term under the applicable regulations under Section 162(m) of the Code) who are “independent” as defined by applicable listing standards.  If authority is delegated to the Compensation Committee, all references to the Board of Directors in the Plan shall mean and relate to the Compensation Committee, except (i) as otherwise provided by the Board of Directors and (ii) that only the Board of Directors may amend or terminate the Plan as provided in Sections 3 and 8.

 

5.                                      TYPES OF AWARDS.

 

5.1.                            Types of Awards.  Each Converted Award granted under the Plan will be (i) an option intended to meet the requirements of an incentive stock option as defined in Section 422 of the Code, and designated as such (“Incentive Stock Option”), or (ii) an option that is not intended to be, or is not designated as, Incentive Stock Option (“Non-Statutory Stock Option” and together with Incentive Stock Option, “Option”), in any case as designated in the option instrument governing such Converted Award.

 

5.2.                            Intentionally omitted.

 

5.3.                            Intentionally omitted.

 

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6.                                      OPTION GRANTS.

 

6.1.                            General Rules Relating to Options.

 

(a)                                 Intentionally omitted.

 

(b)                                 Exercise of Options.  Except as provided in Section 6.1(d) or as determined by the Board of Directors, no Option granted under the Plan may be exercised unless at the time of exercise the optionee is employed by or in the service of the Company and shall have been so employed or provided such service continuously since the date the Option was granted.  Except as provided in Sections 6.1(d) and 7, Options granted under the Plan may be exercised from time to time over the period stated in each Option in amounts and at times prescribed by the Board of Directors, provided that Options may not be exercised for fractional shares.  Unless otherwise determined by the Board of Directors, if an optionee does not exercise an Option in any one year for the full number of shares to which the optionee is entitled in that year, the optionee’s rights shall be cumulative and the optionee may purchase those shares in any subsequent year during the term of the Option.

 

(c)                                  Nontransferability.  Each Incentive Stock Option and each other Option granted under the Plan by its terms (i) shall be nonassignable and nontransferable by the optionee, either voluntarily or by operation of law, except by will or by the laws of descent and distribution of the state or country of the optionee’s domicile at the time of death, (ii) during the optionee’s lifetime, shall be exercisable only by the optionee, and (iii) shall, under no circumstances, be transferable in exchange for consideration.

 

(d)                                 Termination of Employment or Service.

 

(i)                                     General Rule.  Unless otherwise determined by the Board of Directors or otherwise set forth in the applicable option instrument, if an optionee’s employment or service with the Company terminates for any reason other than because of total disability or death as provided in Sections 6.1(d)(ii) and (iii), his or her Option may be exercised at any time before the expiration date of the Option or the expiration of thirty (30) days after the date of termination, whichever is the shorter period, but only if and to the extent the optionee was entitled to exercise the Option at the date of termination.

 

(ii)                                  Termination Because of Total Disability.  Unless otherwise determined by the Board of Directors, if an optionee’s employment or service with the Company terminates because of total disability, his or her Option may be exercised at any time before the expiration date of the Option or before the date twelve (12) months after the date of termination, whichever is the shorter period, but only if and to the extent the optionee was entitled to exercise the Option at the date of termination.  The term “total disability” means a medically determinable mental or physical impairment that is expected to result in death or has lasted or is expected to last for a continuous period of twelve (12) months or more and that, in the opinion of the Company and two independent physicians, causes the optionee to be unable to perform his or her duties as an employee, director, officer or consultant of the Employer and unable to be engaged in any substantial gainful activity.  Total disability shall be deemed to have occurred on the first day after

 

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the two independent physicians have furnished their written opinion of total disability to the Company and the Company has reached an opinion of total disability.

 

(iii)                               Termination Because of Death.  Unless otherwise determined by the Board of Directors, if an optionee dies while employed by or providing service to the Company, his or her Option may be exercised at any time before the expiration date of the Option or before the date twelve (12) months after the date of death, whichever is the shorter period, but only if and to the extent the optionee was entitled to exercise the Option at the date of death and only by the person or persons to whom the optionee’s rights under the Option shall pass by the optionee’s will or by the laws of descent and distribution of the state or country of domicile at the time of death.

 

(iv)                              Amendment of Exercise Period.  The Board of Directors may at any time extend the 30-day and 12-month exercise periods  any length of time not longer than the original expiration date of the Option.  The Board of Directors may at any time increase the portion of an Option that is exercisable, subject to terms and conditions determined by the Board of Directors.

 

(v)                                 Failure to Exercise Option.  To the extent that the Option of any deceased optionee or any optionee whose employment or service terminates is not exercised within the applicable period, all further rights to purchase shares pursuant to the Option shall cease and terminate.

 

(vi)                              Leave of Absence.  Absence on leave approved by the Employer or on account of illness or disability shall not be deemed a termination or interruption of employment or service.  Unless otherwise determined by the Board of Directors, vesting of Options shall continue during a medical, family or military leave of absence, whether paid or unpaid, and vesting of Options shall be suspended during any other unpaid leave of absence.

 

(e)                                  Purchase of Shares.

 

(i)                                     Notice of Exercise.  Unless the Board of Directors determines otherwise, shares may be acquired pursuant to an Option granted under the Plan only upon the Company’s receipt of written notice from the optionee of the optionee’s binding commitment to purchase shares, specifying the number of shares the optionee desires to purchase under the Option and the date on which the optionee agrees to complete the transaction, and, if required to comply with the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), containing a representation that it is the optionee’s intention to acquire the shares for investment and not with a view to distribution.

 

(ii)                                  Payment.  Unless the Board of Directors determines otherwise, on or before the date specified for completion of the purchase of shares pursuant to an Option exercise, the optionee must pay the Company the full purchase price of those shares in cash or by check or, with the consent of the Board of Directors, in whole or in part, in Common Stock of the Company valued at fair market value, promissory notes and other forms of consideration.  The fair market value of Common Stock provided in payment of the purchase price shall be the closing price of the Common Stock last reported before the time payment in Common Stock is made or, if earlier, committed to be made, if the Common Stock is publicly traded, or another value of the Common Stock as specified by the Board of Directors.  No shares shall be issued until full payment for the shares has been made, including all amounts owed for tax withholding.  With the consent of the

 

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Board of Directors, an optionee may request the Company to apply automatically the shares to be received upon the exercise of a portion of an Option (even though stock certificates have not yet been issued) to satisfy the purchase price for additional portions of the Option subject to future exercise.

 

(iii)                               Tax Withholding.  Each optionee who has exercised an Option shall, immediately upon notification of the amount due, if any, pay to the Company in cash or by check amounts necessary to satisfy any applicable federal, state and local tax withholding requirements.  If additional withholding is or becomes required (as a result of exercise of an Option or as a result of disposition of shares acquired pursuant to exercise of an Option) beyond any amount deposited before delivery of the certificates, the optionee shall pay such amount, in cash or by check, to the Company on demand.  If the optionee fails to pay the amount demanded, the Company or the Employer may withhold that amount from other amounts payable to the optionee, including salary, subject to applicable law.  With the consent of the Board of Directors, an optionee may satisfy this obligation, in whole or in part, by instructing the Company to withhold from the shares to be issued upon exercise of an Option or by delivering to the Company other shares of Common Stock; provided, however, that the number of shares so withheld or delivered shall not exceed the minimum amount necessary to satisfy the required withholding obligation.

 

(iv)                              Reduction of Reserved Shares.  Upon the exercise of an Option, the number of shares reserved for issuance under the Plan shall be reduced by the number of shares issued upon exercise of the Option.

 

(f)                                   Option Repricing.  Except in connection with a corporate transaction involving the Company (including, without limitation, any stock dividend, stock split, extraordinary cash dividend, recapitalization, reorganization, merger, consolidation, split-up, spin-off, combination, or exchange of shares as described in Section 7), the terms of outstanding Options may not be amended to reduce the exercise price of outstanding Options or cancel outstanding Options in exchange for cash, other awards or Options with an exercise price that is less than the exercise price of the original Options without stockholder approval.

 

6.2.                            Incentive Stock Options.  Incentive Stock Options shall be subject to the following additional terms and conditions:

 

(a)                                 Limitation on Amount of Grants.  If the aggregate fair market value of stock (determined as of the date the Option is granted) for which Incentive Stock Options granted under this Plan (and any other stock incentive plan of the Company or its parent or subsidiary corporations, as defined in Subsections 424(e) and 424(f) of the Code) are exercisable for the first time by an employee during any calendar year exceeds $100,000, the portion of the Option or Options not exceeding $100,000, to the extent of whole shares, will be treated as an Incentive Stock Option and the remaining portion of the Option or Options will be treated as a Non-Statutory Stock Option.  The preceding sentence will be applied by taking Options into account in the order in which they were granted.  If, under the $100,000 limitation, a portion of an Option is treated as an Incentive Stock Option and the remaining portion of the Option is treated as a Non-Statutory Stock Option, unless the optionee designates otherwise at the time of exercise, the optionee’s exercise of all or a portion of the Option will be treated as the exercise of the Incentive Stock Option portion of the Option to the full extent permitted under the $100,000 limitation.  If an

 

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optionee exercises an Option that is treated as in part an Incentive Stock Option and in part a Non-Statutory Stock Option, the Company will designate the portion of the stock acquired pursuant to the exercise of the Incentive Stock Option portion as Incentive Stock Option stock by issuing a separate certificate for that portion of the stock and identifying the certificate as Incentive Stock Option stock in its stock records.

 

(b)                                 Limitations on Grants to 10 percent Shareholders.  An Incentive Stock Option may be granted under the Plan to an employee possessing more than ten percent (10%) of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or any parent or subsidiary (as defined in Subsections 424(e) and 424(f) of the Code) only if the Option price is at least 110 percent of the fair market value, as described in Section 6.2(d), of the Common Stock subject to the Option on the date it is granted and the Option by its terms is not exercisable after the expiration of five years from the date it is granted.

 

(c)                                  Duration of Options.  Subject to Sections 6.1(b), 6.1(d) and 6.2(b), Incentive Stock Options granted under the Plan shall continue in effect for the period fixed by the Board of Directors, except that by its terms no Incentive Stock Option shall be exercisable after the expiration of ten (10) years from the date it is granted.

 

(d)                                 Intentionally omitted.

 

(e)                                  Intentionally omitted.

 

(f)                                   Early Dispositions.  If within two (2) years after an Incentive Stock Option is granted or within twelve (12) months after an Incentive Stock Option is exercised, the optionee sells or otherwise disposes of Common Stock acquired on exercise of the Option, the optionee shall within thirty (30) days of the sale or disposition notify the Company in writing of (i) the date of the sale or disposition, (ii) the amount realized on the sale or disposition and (iii) the nature of the disposition (e.g., sale, gift, etc.).

 

6.3.                            Non-Statutory Stock Options.  Non-Statutory Stock Options shall be subject to the following terms and conditions, in addition to those set forth in Section 6.1 above:

 

(a)                                 Intentionally omitted.

 

(b)                                 Duration of Options.  Non-Statutory Stock Options granted under the Plan shall continue in effect for the period fixed by the Board of Directors not to exceed ten (10) years from the date of grant.

 

7.                                      CHANGES IN CAPITAL STRUCTURE.

 

7.1.                            Stock Splits, Stock Dividends.  If the outstanding Common Stock of the Company is hereafter increased or decreased or changed into or exchanged for a different number or kind of shares or other securities of the Company by reason of any stock split, combination of shares, dividend payable in shares, recapitalization or reclassification, appropriate adjustment shall be made by the Board of Directors in the number and kind of shares available for grants under the Plan and in all other share amounts set forth in the Plan.  In addition, the Board of Directors shall

 

6


 

make appropriate adjustment in the number and kind of shares as to which outstanding Options, or portions thereof then unexercised, shall be exercisable, so that the optionee’s proportionate interest before and after the occurrence of the event is maintained.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board of Directors shall have no obligation to effect any adjustment that would or might result in the issuance of fractional shares, and any fractional shares resulting from any adjustment may be disregarded or provided for in any manner determined by the Board of Directors.  Any such adjustments made by the Board of Directors shall be conclusive.

 

7.2.                            Mergers, Reorganizations, Etc.  In the event of a merger, consolidation, plan of exchange, acquisition of property or stock, split-up, split-off, spin-off, reorganization or liquidation to which the Company is a party or any sale, lease, exchange or other transfer (in one transaction or a series of related transactions) of all, or substantially all, of the assets of the Company (each, a “Transaction”), the Board of Directors shall, in its sole discretion and to the extent possible under the structure of the Transaction, select one or more of the following alternatives for treating outstanding Options under the Plan and the Board of Directors need not take the same action with respect to all Options, nor treat all optionees identically:

 

(a)                                 Outstanding Options shall remain in effect in accordance with their terms;

 

(b)                                 Outstanding Options shall be converted into Options to purchase stock in one or more of the corporations, including the Company, that are the surviving or acquiring corporations in the Transaction.  The amount, type of securities subject thereto and exercise price of the converted Options shall be determined by the Board of Directors of the Company, taking into account the relative values of the companies involved in the Transaction and the exchange rate, if any, used in determining shares of the surviving corporation(s) to be held by holders of shares of the Company following the Transaction.  Unless otherwise determined by the Board of Directors, the converted Options shall be vested only to the extent that the vesting requirements relating to Options granted hereunder have been satisfied.

 

(c)                                  The Board of Directors shall provide a period of 30 days or less before the completion of the Transaction during which outstanding Options may be exercised to the extent then exercisable, and upon the expiration of that period, all unexercised Options shall immediately terminate.  The Board of Directors may, in its sole discretion, accelerate, in whole or in part, the exercisability of Options so that they are exercisable in full during that period.

 

(d)                                 In the case of any Options the exercise price of which exceeds the Fair Market value of the underlying shares of Company Common Stock (determined in connection with the applicable Transaction), such Options may be cancelled with no further consideration due to the optionees.

 

7.3.                            Dissolution of the Company.  In the event of the dissolution of the Company, Options shall be treated in accordance with Section 7.2(c).

 

7.4.                            Intentionally omitted.

 

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8.                                      AMENDMENT OF THE PLAN.

 

The Board of Directors may at any time modify or amend the Plan in any respect.  Except as provided in Section 8, however, no change in an Option already granted shall be made without the written consent of the optionee of the award if the change would adversely affect the optionee.

 

9.                                      APPROVALS.

 

The Company’s obligations under the Plan are subject to the approval of state and federal authorities or agencies with jurisdiction in the matter.  The Company will use its best efforts to take steps required by state or federal law or applicable regulations, including rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and any stock exchange on which the Company’s shares may then be listed, in connection with the grants under the Plan.  The foregoing notwithstanding, the Company shall not be obligated to issue or deliver Common Stock under the Plan if such issuance or delivery would violate state or federal securities laws.

 

10.                               EMPLOYMENT AND SERVICE RIGHTS.

 

Nothing in the Plan or any Option granted pursuant to the Plan shall (i) confer upon any employee any right to be continued in the employment of an Employer or interfere in any way with the Employer’s right to terminate the employee’s employment at will at any time, for any reason, with or without cause, or to decrease the employee’s compensation or benefits, or (ii) confer upon any person engaged by an Employer any right to be retained or employed by the Employer or to the continuation, extension, renewal or modification of any compensation, contract or arrangement with or by the Employer.

 

11.                               RIGHTS AS A STOCKHOLDER.

 

The recipient of any Option granted under the Plan shall have no rights as a stockholder with respect to any shares of Common Stock until the date the recipient becomes the holder of record of those shares.  Except as otherwise expressly provided in the Plan, no adjustment shall be made for dividends or other rights for which the record date occurs before the date the recipient becomes the holder of record.

 

Adopted: November 1, 2019

 

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Exhibit 99.3

 

AMENDED AND RESTATED

US ECOLOGY, INC.
2018 EQUITY AND INCENTIVE COMPENSATION PLAN

 

1.                                      Purpose.  The purpose of this Plan is to retain non-employee Directors, officers and other employees of the Company and its Subsidiaries, and certain other service providers to the Company and its Subsidiaries, and to provide to such persons incentives and rewards for service and/or performance.

 

In connection with, and as contemplated by, that certain Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of June 23, 2019, by and among US Ecology, Inc. (now known as US Ecology Holdings, Inc.), US Ecology Parent, Inc. (now known as US Ecology, Inc.), Rooster Merger Sub, Inc., ECOL Merger Sub, Inc., and NRC Group Holdings Corp. (as amended and/or restated from time to time, the “Merger Agreement”), the Company assumed the NRC Group Holdings Corp. 2018 Equity and Incentive Compensation Plan (the “Pre-Merger Plan”), amended and restated the Pre-Merger Plan as set forth herein and renamed it the Amended and Restated U.S. Ecology, Inc. 2018 Equity and Incentive Compensation Plan.  All awards granted under the Pre-Merger Plan that were outstanding as of immediately prior to the Effective Time (as defined in the Merger Agreement) were assumed by the Company at the Effective Time and converted to be in respect of Common Stock (as defined below), and shall be treated as if they were granted under this Plan (such awards as converted, the “Converted Awards”).  No awards other than the Converted Awards may be granted under this Plan.

 

2.                                      Definitions.  As used in this Plan:

 

(a)                                 Intentionally omitted.

 

(b)                                 Intentionally omitted.

 

(c)                                  Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.

 

(d)                                 Intentionally omitted.

 

(e)                                  Cause” means, unless otherwise defined in the applicable Evidence of Award or the Participant’s employment agreement, (i) the indictment (or other criminal charge against the Participant) for a felony or any crime involving moral turpitude, or the Participant’s commission of fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, theft, embezzlement or crime against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or affiliates or any of their customers, (ii) conduct by the Participant that brings the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or affiliates into public disgrace or disrepute, (iii) the Participant’s gross negligence or willful misconduct with respect to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or affiliates or in the performance of Participant’s duties and services required for Participant’s position with the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or affiliates, which, if curable, is not cured within ten days after written notice thereof to Participant, (iv) the Participant’s insubordination to, or failure to follow, the lawful directions of the person to whom the Participant directly reports, which, if curable, is not cured within ten days after written notice thereof to the Participant, (v) the Participant’s material violation of any restrictive covenant agreement with the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or affiliates, (vi) the Participant’s breach of any material

 


 

agreement with the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or affiliates or any material employment policy of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or affiliates which, if curable, is not cured within ten days after written notice thereof to the Participant (including, without limitation, the Company’s code of ethics and insider trading policy), or (vii) the abuse of any controlled substance or of alcohol or any other non-controlled substance which the Company determines renders the Participant unfit to serve in the Participant’s capacity as an employee or service provider of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or affiliates.

 

(f)                                   Change in Control” has the meaning set forth in Section 12 of this Plan.

 

(g)                                  Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time.

 

(h)                                 Committee” means the Compensation Committee of the Board (or its successor(s)), or any other committee of the Board designated by the Board to administer this Plan pursuant to Section 10 of this Plan, and to the extent of any delegation by the Committee to a subcommittee pursuant to Section 10 of this Plan, such subcommittee, in each case, consisting of two or more members of the Board, each of whom is intended to be (i) a “Non-Employee Director” within the meaning of Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act and (ii) “independent” within the meaning of the rules of the NYSE or, if the Common Stock is not listed on the NYSE, within the meaning of the rules of the principal stock exchange on which the Common Stock is then traded.

 

(i)                                     Common Stock” means the common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company or any security into which such common stock may be changed by reason of any transaction or event of the type referred to in Section 11 of this Plan.

 

(j)                                    Company” means US Ecology, Inc. (formerly known as US Ecology Parent, Inc.), a Delaware corporation, and its successors.

 

(k)                                 Date of Grant” means the date on which the Converted Award was granted under the Pre-Merger Plan.

 

(l)                                     Director” means a member of the Board of Directors of NRC Group Holdings Corp.

 

(m)                             Disability” means, unless otherwise defined in the applicable Evidence of Award or the Participant’s employment agreement, (i) the Participant is unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment that can be expected to result in death or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months, or (ii) the Participant is, by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment that can be expected to result in death or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months, receiving income replacement benefits for a period of not less than three months under an accident and health plan covering employees of the Company or, if applicable, any Subsidiary.

 

(n)                                 Effective Date” means the date on which the closing of the Rooster Merger (as defined in the Merger Agreement) occurs.

 

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(o)                                 Evidence of Award” means an agreement, certificate, resolution or other type or form of writing or other evidence approved by the Committee that sets forth the terms and conditions of the awards granted under this Plan.  An Evidence of Award may be in an electronic medium, may be limited to notation on the books and records of the Company and, unless otherwise determined by the Committee, need not be signed by a representative of the Company or a Participant.

 

(p)                                 Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder, as such law, rules and regulations may be amended from time to time.

 

(q)                                 Incentive Stock Option” means an Option Right that is intended to qualify as an “incentive stock option” under Section 422 of the Code or any successor provision.

 

(r)                                    Management Objectives” means the performance objective or objectives, which shall be satisfied or met (i) as a condition to the grant or exercisability of all or a portion of an award or (ii) as a condition to the vesting of the holder’s interest in the shares of Common Stock subject to an award or of payment with respect to an award, which objectives shall include, but not be limited to, the following performance objectives measured on a Company, Subsidiary, business, operating unit or individual basis: cash flow; free cash flow; operating cash flow; earnings; market share; economic value added; achievement of annual operating budget; profits; profit contribution margins; profits before taxes; profits after taxes; operating profit; return on assets; return on investment; return on equity; return on invested capital; gross sales; net sales; sales volume; stock price; total stockholder return; dividend ratio; price-to-earnings ratio; expense targets; operating efficiency; customer satisfaction metrics; working capital targets; the achievement of certain target levels of innovation and/or development of products; measures related to acquisitions or divestitures or the formation or dissolution of joint ventures; corporate bond rating by credit agencies; debt to equity or leverage ratios; or other performance measures determined by the Committee.  If the Committee determines that a change in the business, operations, corporate structure or capital structure of the Company, or the manner in which it conducts its business, or other events or circumstances render the Management Objectives unsuitable, the Committee may in its discretion modify such Management Objectives or the acceptable levels of achievement, in whole or in part, as the Committee deems appropriate and equitable.

 

(s)                                   Market Value per Share” shall be based on the opening, closing, actual, high, low, or average selling prices of a Share reported on the NYSE or such other established stock exchange on which the Shares are principally traded on the applicable date, the preceding trading day, the next succeeding trading day, or an average of trading days, as determined by the Committee in its discretion.  Unless the Committee determines otherwise, Fair Market Value shall be deemed to be equal to the reported closing price of a Share on the date as of which such value is being determined or, if there shall be no reported transactions for such date, on the preceding date for which transactions were reported; provided, however, that if the Shares are not publicly traded at the time a determination of their value is required to be made hereunder, the determination of their Fair Market Value shall be made by the Committee in such manner as it deems appropriate and in accordance with Section 409A of the Code.

 

(t)                                    NYSE” means the New York Stock Exchange.

 

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(u)                                 Optionee” means the optionee named in an Evidence of Award evidencing an outstanding Option Right.

 

(v)                                 Option Price” means the purchase price payable on exercise of an Option Right.

 

(w)                               Option Right” means the right to purchase shares of Common Stock upon exercise of an award granted pursuant to Section 4 of this Plan.

 

(x)                                 Participant” means a person who receives a Converted Award under this Plan.

 

(y)                                 Intentionally omitted.

 

(z)                                  Intentionally omitted.

 

(aa)                          Intentionally omitted.

 

(bb)                          Person” means any individual, entity or group (within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) or 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act).

 

(cc)                            Plan” means this Amended and Restated U.S. Ecology, Inc. 2018 Equity and Incentive Compensation Plan, as amended or amended and restated from time to time.

 

(dd)                          Intentionally omitted.

 

(ee)                            Restricted Stock Units” means an award made pursuant to Section 7 of this Plan of the right to receive shares of Common Stock (or, to the extent specified in the Evidence of Award, cash or a combination thereof) at the end of the applicable Restriction Period.

 

(ff)                              Restriction Period” means any period during which (i) the Common Stock subject to a Restricted Stock Unit may not be sold, transferred, assigned, pledged, hypothecated or otherwise encumbered or disposed of, except as provided in this Plan or the Evidence of Award, or (ii) the conditions to vesting applicable to an award shall remain in effect.

 

(gg)                            Intentionally omitted.

 

(hh)                          Stockholder” means an individual or entity that owns one or more shares of Common Stock.

 

(ii)                                  Subsidiary” means a corporation, company or other entity (i) more than 50% of whose outstanding shares or securities (representing the right to vote for the election of directors or other managing authority) are, or (ii) which does not have outstanding shares or securities (as may be the case in a partnership, joint venture, limited liability company, unincorporated association or other similar entity), but more than 50% of whose ownership interest representing the right generally to make decisions for such other entity is, now or hereafter, owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by the Company; provided, however, that for purposes of determining whether any person may be a Participant for purposes of any grant of Incentive Stock Options, “Subsidiary” means any corporation in which the Company at the time owns or controls, directly

 

4


 

or indirectly, more than 50% of the total combined Voting Power represented by all classes of stock issued by such corporation.

 

(jj)                                Voting Power” means, at any time, the combined voting power of the then-outstanding securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors in the case of the Company or members of the board of directors or similar body in the case of another entity.

 

3.                                      Shares Available Under this Plan.

 

(a)                                 Maximum Shares Available Under this Plan.

 

(i)                                     Subject to adjustment as provided in Section 11 of this Plan, the number of shares of Common Stock available under this Plan for awards will not exceed in the aggregate 147,639 shares of Common Stock.  Such shares may be shares of original issuance or treasury shares or a combination of the foregoing.

 

(ii)                                  The aggregate number of shares of Common Stock available under Section 3(a)(i) of this Plan will be reduced by one share of Common Stock for every one share of Common Stock subject to an award granted under this Plan.  For the avoidance of doubt, shares of Common Stock issued pursuant to Converted Awards shall be treated as if they were issued under this Plan and shall reduce the number of shares of Common Stock available for issuance under this Plan.

 

(b)                                 Share Counting Rules.

 

(i)                                     Except as provided in Section 22 of this Plan, if any award granted under this Plan is cancelled or forfeited, expires, is settled for cash (in whole or in part), or is unearned (in whole or in part), the shares of Common Stock subject to such award will not, to the extent of such cancellation, forfeiture, expiration, cash settlement, or unearned amount, again be available under Section 3(a)(i) above.

 

(ii)                                  (A) Shares of Common Stock withheld by the Company, tendered or otherwise used in payment of the Option Price of an Option Right will not be added (or added back, as applicable) to the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock available under Section 3(a)(i) of this Plan; (B) shares of Common Stock withheld by the Company, tendered or otherwise used to satisfy tax withholding will not be added (or added back, as applicable) to the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock available under Section 3(a)(i) of this Plan; and (C) shares of Common Stock reacquired by the Company on the open market or otherwise using cash proceeds from the exercise of Option Rights will not be added (or added back, as applicable) to the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock available under Section 3(a)(i) of this Plan.

 

(iii)                               Intentionally omitted.

 

(c)                                  Intentionally omitted.

 

(d)                                 Intentionally omitted.

 

4.                                      Option Rights.  Converted Awards that are Option Rights may utilize any or all of the authorizations, and will be subject to all of the requirements, contained in the following provisions:

 

5


 

(a)                                 Each grant will specify the number of shares of Common Stock to which it pertains.

 

(b)                                 Each grant will specify an Option Price per share of Common Stock.

 

(c)                                  Each grant will specify whether the Option Price will be payable (i) in cash, by check acceptable to the Company or by wire transfer of immediately available funds, (ii) by the actual or constructive transfer to the Company of shares of Common Stock owned by the Optionee having a value at the time of exercise equal to the total Option Price, (iii) subject to any conditions or limitations established by the Committee, by the withholding of shares of Common Stock otherwise issuable upon exercise of an Option Right pursuant to a “net exercise” arrangement, (iv) by a combination of such methods of payment, or (v) by such other methods as may be approved by the Committee.

 

(d)                                 To the extent permitted by law, any grant may provide for deferred payment of the Option Price from the proceeds of sale through a bank or broker on a date satisfactory to the Company of some or all of the shares of Common Stock to which such exercise relates.

 

(e)                                  Intentionally omitted.

 

(f)                                   Each Converted Award that is an Option Right will be fully vested and exercisable at the Effective Time.

 

(g)                                  Intentionally omitted.

 

(h)                                 Option Rights granted under this Plan may be (i) options, including Incentive Stock Options, that are intended to qualify under particular provisions of the Code, (ii) options that are not intended to so qualify, or (iii) combinations of the foregoing. Incentive Stock Options may only be granted to Participants who meet the definition of “employees” under Section 3401(c) of the Code.  Each Option Right, or portion thereof, that is not an Incentive Stock Option, shall be a nonstatutory Option Right.

 

(i)                                     No Option Right will be exercisable more than 10 years from the Date of Grant.  The Committee may provide in any Evidence of Award for the automatic exercise of an Option Right upon such terms and conditions as established by the Committee

 

(j)                                    Option Rights granted under this Plan may not provide for any dividends or dividend equivalents thereon and will contain such terms and provisions, consistent with this Plan, as the Committee may approve.

 

(k)                                 Each grant of Option Rights will be evidenced by an Evidence of Award.  Each Evidence of Award will be subject to this Plan.

 

5.                                      Intentionally omitted.

 

6.                                      Intentionally omitted.

 

6


 

7.                                      Restricted Stock Units.  Converted Awards that are Restricted Stock Units may utilize any or all of the authorizations, and will be subject to all of the requirements, contained in the following provisions:

 

(a)                                 Each such grant or sale will constitute the agreement by the Company to deliver shares of Common Stock or cash, or a combination thereof, to the Participant in the future in consideration of the performance of services, but subject to the fulfillment of any other applicable conditions (which may include the achievement of Management Objectives) during the Restriction Period as the Committee may specify.

 

(b)                                 Intentionally omitted.

 

(c)                                  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Plan, Restricted Stock Units may provide for continued vesting or the earlier lapse or other modification of the Restriction Period, including in the event of the retirement, death or disability of a Participant or in the event of a Change in Control.

 

(d)                                 During the Restriction Period, the Participant will have no right to transfer any rights under his or her award and will have no rights of ownership in the shares of Common Stock deliverable upon payment of the Restricted Stock Units and will have no right to vote them, but the Committee may, at or after the Date of Grant, authorize the payment of dividend equivalents on such Restricted Stock Units on a deferred and contingent basis, either in cash or in additional shares of Common Stock; provided, however, that dividend equivalents or other distributions on shares of Common Stock underlying Restricted Stock Units will be deferred until and paid contingent upon the vesting of such Restricted Stock Units.

 

(e)                                  Each grant or sale of Restricted Stock Units will specify the time and manner of payment of the Restricted Stock Units that have been earned.  Each grant or sale will specify that the amount payable with respect thereto will be paid by the Company in shares of Common Stock or cash, or a combination thereof.  Unless otherwise specified in the Evidence of Award, Restricted Stock Units that are unvested or earned, as applicable, will be paid by the Company in shares of Common Stock.

 

(f)                                   Each grant or sale of Restricted Stock Units will be evidenced by an Evidence of Award.  Each Evidence of Award will be subject to this Plan and will contain such terms and provisions, consistent with this Plan, as the Committee may approve.

 

8.                                      Intentionally omitted.

 

9.                                      Intentionally omitted.

 

10.                               Administration of this Plan.

 

(a)                                 This Plan will be administered by the Committee.  The Committee may from time to time delegate all or any part of its authority under this Plan to a subcommittee thereof.  To the extent of any such delegation, references in this Plan to the Committee will be deemed to be references to such subcommittee.

 

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(b)                                 The interpretation and construction by the Committee of any provision of this Plan or of any Evidence of Award (or related documents) and any determination by the Committee pursuant to any provision of this Plan or of any such agreement, notification or document will be final and conclusive.  No member of the Committee shall be liable for any such action or determination made in good faith.  In addition, the Committee is authorized to take any action it determines in its sole discretion to be appropriate subject only to the express limitations contained in this Plan, and no authorization in any Plan section or other provision of this Plan is intended or may be deemed to constitute a limitation on the authority of the Committee.

 

(c)                                  The Committee may delegate some or all of its power and authority hereunder to the Board (or any members thereof) or, subject to applicable law, to a subcommittee of the Board, a member of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer or other executive officer of the Company as the Committee deems appropriate.

 

11.                               Adjustments.  The Committee shall make or provide for such adjustments in the number of and kind of shares of Common Stock covered by outstanding Option Rights and Restricted Stock Units and in the Option Price provided in outstanding Option Rights and in other award terms, as the Committee, in its sole discretion, exercised in good faith, determines is equitably required to prevent dilution or enlargement of the rights of Participants that otherwise would result from (a) any extraordinary cash dividend, stock dividend, stock split, combination of shares, recapitalization or other change in the capital structure of the Company, (b) any merger, consolidation, spin-off, split-off, spin-out, split-up, reorganization, partial or complete liquidation or other distribution of assets, issuance of rights or warrants to purchase securities, or (c) any other corporate transaction or event having an effect similar to any of the foregoing.  Moreover, in the event of any such transaction or event or in the event of a Change in Control, the Committee may provide in substitution for any or all outstanding awards under this Plan such alternative consideration (including cash), if any, as it, in good faith, may determine to be equitable in the circumstances and shall require in connection therewith the surrender of all awards so replaced in a manner that complies with Section 409A of the Code.  In addition, for each Option Right with an Option Price greater than the consideration offered in connection with any such transaction or event or Change in Control, the Committee may in its discretion elect to cancel such Option Right without any payment to the person holding such Option Right.  The Committee shall also make or provide for such adjustments in the number of shares of Common Stock specified in Section 3 of this Plan as the Committee in its sole discretion, exercised in good faith, determines is appropriate to reflect any transaction or event described in this Section 11; provided, however, that any such adjustment to the number specified in Section 3(c) of this Plan will be made only if and to the extent that such adjustment would not cause any Option Right intended to qualify as an Incentive Stock Option to fail to so qualify.

 

12.                               Change in Control.  For purposes of this Plan, a “Change in Control” will be deemed to have occurred upon the occurrence (after the Effective Date) of any of the following events:

 

(a)                                 the acquisition by any Person of beneficial ownership (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act) of 35% or more of either: (i) the then-outstanding shares of Common Stock; or (ii) the combined voting power of the then-outstanding voting securities of the Company entitled to vote generally in the election of directors or managers, as applicable (“Voting Shares”); provided, however, that for purposes of this Section 12(a), the

 

8


 

following acquisitions shall not constitute a Change in Control: (A) any acquisition directly from the Company; (B) any acquisition by the Company or any of its affiliates; (C) any acquisition by any employee benefit plan (or related trust) sponsored or maintained by the Company or any of its affiliates; or (D) any acquisition by any Person pursuant to a transaction which complies with clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) of Section 12(c);

 

(b)                                 individuals who, as of the date immediately after the Effective Date, constitute the Board (the “Incumbent Board”) cease for any reason (other than death or disability) to constitute at least a majority of the Board; provided, however, that any individual becoming a director subsequent to the Effective Date whose election, or nomination for election by the Stockholders, was approved by a vote or the approval of at least a majority of the directors then comprising the Incumbent Board (either by a specific vote or written action or by approval of the proxy statement of the Company in which such person is named as a nominee for director, without objection to such nomination) shall be considered as though such individual were a member of the Incumbent Board, but excluding for this purpose, any such individual whose initial assumption of office occurs as a result of an actual or threatened election contest with respect to the election or removal of directors or other actual or threatened solicitation of proxies or consents by or on behalf of a Person other than the Board;

 

(c)                                  consummation of a reorganization, merger or consolidation or sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company (a “Business Combination”), in each case, unless, following such Business Combination, (i) all or substantially all of the Persons who were the beneficial owners, respectively, of the shares of Common Stock and Voting Shares immediately prior to such Business Combination beneficially own, directly or indirectly, more than 66-2/3% of, respectively, the then-outstanding common shares and the combined voting power of the then-outstanding voting securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, as the case may be, of the entity resulting from such Business Combination (including an entity which as a result of such transaction owns the Company or all or substantially all of the Company’s assets either directly or through one or more subsidiaries) in substantially the same proportions relative to each other as their ownership, immediately prior to such Business Combination, of the shares of Common Stock and Voting Shares of the Company, as the case may be, (ii) no Person (excluding any entity resulting from such Business Combination or any employee benefit plan (or related trust) sponsored or maintained by the Company or any of its affiliates or such entity resulting from such Business Combination) beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, 30% or more of, respectively, the then-outstanding common equity securities of the entity resulting from such Business Combination, or the combined voting power of the then-outstanding voting securities of such entity except to the extent that such ownership existed prior to the Business Combination, and (iii) at least a majority of the members of the board of directors or managers, as applicable, of the entity resulting from such Business Combination were members of the Incumbent Board at the time of the execution of the initial agreement, or of the action of the Board, providing for such Business Combination; or

 

(d)                                 approval by the Stockholders of a complete liquidation or dissolution of the Company.

 

13.                               Detrimental Activity and Recapture Provisions.  Any Evidence of Award may reference a clawback policy of the Company or provide for the cancellation or forfeiture of an award or the

 

9


 

forfeiture and repayment to the Company of any gain related to an award, or other provisions intended to have a similar effect, upon such terms and conditions as may be determined by the Committee from time to time, if a Participant, either (a) during employment or other service with the Company or a Subsidiary, or (b) within a specified period after termination of such employment or service, engages in any detrimental activity, as described in the applicable Evidence of Award or such clawback policy.  In addition, notwithstanding anything in this Plan to the contrary, any Evidence of Award or such clawback policy may also provide for the cancellation or forfeiture of an award or the forfeiture and repayment to the Company of any shares of Common Stock issued under and/or any other benefit related to an award, or other provisions intended to have a similar effect, upon such terms and conditions as may be required by the Committee or under Section 10D of the Exchange Act and any applicable rules or regulations promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission or any national securities exchange or national securities association on which the shares of Common Stock may be traded.

 

14.                               Non-U.S. Participants.  In order to facilitate the grant of any Converted Award under this Plan, the Committee may provide for such special terms for awards to Participants who are foreign nationals or who are employed by the Company or any Subsidiary outside of the United States of America or who provide services to the Company or any Subsidiary, as the Committee may consider necessary or appropriate to accommodate differences in local law, tax policy or custom.  Moreover, the Committee may approve such supplements to or amendments, restatements or alternative versions of this Plan (including sub-plans) as it may consider necessary or appropriate for such purposes, without thereby affecting the terms of this Plan as in effect for any other purpose, and the secretary or other appropriate officer of the Company may certify any such document as having been approved and adopted in the same manner as this Plan.  No such special terms, supplements, amendments or restatements, however, will include any provisions that are inconsistent with the terms of this Plan as then in effect unless this Plan could have been amended to eliminate such inconsistency without further approval by the Stockholders.

 

15.                               Transferability.

 

(a)                                 Except as otherwise determined by the Committee, no Option Right, Restricted Stock Unit or dividend equivalents paid with respect to awards made under this Plan will be transferable by the Participant except by will or the laws of descent and distribution.  In no event will any such award granted under this Plan be transferred for value.  Except as otherwise determined by the Committee, Option Rights will be exercisable during the Participant’s lifetime only by him or her or, in the event of the Participant’s legal incapacity to do so, by his or her guardian or legal representative acting on behalf of the Participant in a fiduciary capacity under state law or court supervision.

 

(b)                                 To the extent specified on the Date of Grant, part or all of the shares of Common Stock that are to be issued or transferred by the Company upon the exercise of Option Rights or upon the termination of the Restriction Period applicable to Restricted Stock Units may be subject to further restrictions on transfer.

 

16.                               Withholding Taxes.  To the extent that the Company is required to withhold federal, state, local or foreign taxes or other amounts in connection with any payment made or benefit realized by a Participant or other person under this Plan, and the amounts available to the Company for

 

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such withholding are insufficient, it will be a condition to the receipt of such payment or the realization of such benefit that the Participant or such other person make arrangements satisfactory to the Company for payment of the balance of such taxes or other amounts required to be withheld, which arrangements (in the discretion of the Committee) may include relinquishment of a portion of such benefit.  If a Participant’s benefit is to be received in the form of shares of Common Stock, and such Participant fails to make arrangements for the payment of taxes or other amounts, then, unless otherwise determined by the Committee, the Company will withhold shares of Common Stock having a value equal to the amount required to be withheld.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, when a Participant is required to pay the Company an amount required to be withheld under applicable income, employment, tax or other laws, the Participant may elect, unless otherwise determined by the Committee, to satisfy the obligation, in whole or in part, by having withheld, from the shares of Common Stock required to be delivered to the Participant, shares of Common Stock having a value equal to the amount required to be withheld or by delivering to the Company other shares of Common Stock held by such Participant.  The shares of Common Stock used for tax or other withholding will be valued at an amount equal to the fair market value of such shares of Common Stock on the date the benefit is to be included in Participant’s income.  In no event will the fair market value of the shares of Common Stock to be withheld and delivered pursuant to this Section 16 exceed the minimum amount required to be withheld, unless (i) an additional amount can be withheld and not result in adverse accounting consequences, (ii) such additional withholding amount is authorized by the Committee, and (iii) the total amount withheld does not exceed the Participant’s estimated tax obligations attributable to the applicable transaction. Participants will also make such arrangements as the Company may require for the payment of any withholding tax or other obligation that may arise in connection with the disposition of shares of Common Stock acquired upon the exercise of Option Rights.

 

17.                               Compliance with Section 409A of the Code.

 

(a)                                 To the extent applicable, it is intended that this Plan and any grants made hereunder comply with the provisions of Section 409A of the Code, so that the income inclusion provisions of Section 409A(a)(1) of the Code do not apply to the Participants.  This Plan and any grants made hereunder will be administered in a manner consistent with this intent.  Any reference in this Plan to Section 409A of the Code will also include any regulations or any other formal guidance promulgated with respect to such section by the U.S. Department of the Treasury or the Internal Revenue Service.

 

(b)                                 Neither a Participant nor any of a Participant’s creditors or beneficiaries will have the right to subject any deferred compensation (within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code) payable under this Plan and grants hereunder to any anticipation, alienation, sale, transfer, assignment, pledge, encumbrance, attachment or garnishment.  Except as permitted under Section 409A of the Code, any deferred compensation (within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code) payable to a Participant or for a Participant’s benefit under this Plan and grants hereunder may not be reduced by, or offset against, any amount owed by a Participant to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.

 

(c)                                  If, at the time of a Participant’s separation from service (within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code), (i) the Participant will be a specified employee (within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code and using the identification methodology selected by the Company from

 

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time to time) and (ii) the Company makes a good faith determination that an amount payable hereunder constitutes deferred compensation (within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code) the payment of which is required to be delayed pursuant to the six-month delay rule set forth in Section 409A of the Code in order to avoid taxes or penalties under Section 409A of the Code, then the Company will not pay such amount on the otherwise scheduled payment date but will instead pay it, without interest, on the earlier to occur of (i) the fifth business day of the seventh month after such separation from service and (ii) the Participant’s death.

 

(d)                                 Solely with respect to any award that constitutes nonqualified deferred compensation subject to Section 409A of the Code and that is payable on account of a Change in Control (including any installments or stream of payments that are accelerated on account of a Change in Control), a Change in Control shall occur only if such event also constitutes a “change in the ownership,” “change in effective control,” and/or a “change in the ownership of a substantial portion of assets” of the Company as those terms are defined under Treasury Regulation §1.409A-3(i)(5), but only to the extent necessary to establish a time and form of payment that complies with Section 409A of the Code, without altering the definition of Change in Control for any purpose in respect of such award.

 

(e)                                  Notwithstanding any provision of this Plan and grants hereunder to the contrary, in light of the uncertainty with respect to the proper application of Section 409A of the Code, the Company reserves the right to make amendments to this Plan and grants hereunder as the Company deems necessary or desirable to avoid the imposition of taxes or penalties under Section 409A of the Code.  In any case, a Participant will be solely responsible and liable for the satisfaction of all taxes and penalties that may be imposed on a Participant or for a Participant’s account in connection with this Plan and grants hereunder (including any taxes and penalties under Section 409A of the Code), and neither the Company nor any of its affiliates will have any obligation to indemnify or otherwise hold a Participant harmless from any or all of such taxes or penalties.

 

18.                               Amendments.

 

(a)                                 The Board may at any time and from time to time amend this Plan in whole or in part; provided, however, that no amendment to the Plan shall be effective without the approval of the Company’s stockholders if stockholder approval is required by applicable law, rule or regulation, including any rule of the NYSE, or any other stock exchange on which the Common Stock is then traded.

 

(b)                                 Except in connection with a corporate transaction or event described in Section 11 of this Plan or in connection with a Change in Control, the terms of outstanding awards may not be amended to reduce the Option Price of outstanding Option Rights or cancel outstanding “underwater” Option Rights in exchange for cash, other awards or Option Rights with an Option Price that is less than the Option Price of the original Option Rights without Stockholder approval.  This Section 18(b) is intended to prohibit the repricing of “underwater” Option Rights and will not be construed to prohibit the adjustments provided for in Section 11 of this Plan.  Notwithstanding any provision of this Plan to the contrary, this Section 18(b) may not be amended without approval by the Stockholders.

 

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(c)                                  If permitted by Section 409A of the Code, but subject to the paragraph that follows, including in the case of termination of employment or service, or in the case of unforeseeable emergency or other circumstances or in the event of a Change in Control, to the extent a Participant holds any Restricted Stock Units as to which the Restriction Period has not been completed or any dividend equivalents subject to any vesting schedule or transfer restriction or who holds shares of Common Stock subject to any transfer restriction imposed pursuant to Section 15(b) of this Plan, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, provide for continued vesting or accelerate the time when such Restriction Period will end or the time when such transfer restriction will terminate or may waive any other limitation or requirement under any such award.

 

(d)                                 Subject to Section 18(b) of this Plan, the Committee may amend the terms of any award theretofore granted under this Plan prospectively or retroactively.  Except for adjustments made pursuant to Section 11 of this Plan, no such amendment will materially impair the rights of any Participant without his or her consent.  The Board may, in its discretion, terminate this Plan at any time.  Termination of this Plan will not affect the rights of Participants or their successors under any awards outstanding hereunder and not exercised in full on the date of termination.

 

19.                               Governing Law.  This Plan and all grants and awards and actions taken hereunder will be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal substantive laws of the State of Delaware.

 

20.                               Effective Date/Termination.  This Plan will be effective as of the Effective Date.   Notwithstanding anything in this Plan or Evidence of Award to the contrary, no Option Rights, Restricted Stock Units or other awards other than Converted Awards shall be granted under this Plan after the Effective Time.

 

21.                               Miscellaneous Provisions.

 

(a)                                 The Company will not be required to issue any fractional shares of Common Stock pursuant to this Plan.  The Committee may provide for the elimination of fractions or for the settlement of fractions in cash.

 

(b)                                 This Plan will not confer upon any Participant any right with respect to continuance of employment or other service with the Company or any Subsidiary, nor will it interfere in any way with any right the Company or any Subsidiary would otherwise have to terminate such Participant’s employment or other service at any time.

 

(c)                                  Except with respect to Section 21(e) of this Plan, to the extent that any provision of this Plan would prevent any Option Right that was intended to qualify as an Incentive Stock Option from qualifying as such, that provision will be null and void with respect to such Option Right.  Such provision, however, will remain in effect for other Option Rights and there will be no further effect on any provision of this Plan.

 

(d)                                 No award under this Plan may be exercised by the holder thereof if such exercise, and the receipt of cash or stock thereunder, would be, in the opinion of counsel selected by the Company, contrary to law or the regulations of any duly constituted authority having jurisdiction over this Plan.

 

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(e)                                  Subject to Section 409A of the Code or the extent otherwise provided for in an Evidence of Award, absence on leave approved by a duly constituted officer of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries will not be considered interruption or termination of service of any employee for any purposes of this Plan or awards granted hereunder.

 

(f)                                   No Participant will have any rights as a Stockholder with respect to any shares of Common Stock subject to awards granted to him or her under this Plan prior to the date as of which he or she is actually recorded as the holder of such shares of Common Stock upon the stock records of the Company.

 

(g)                                  Intentionally omitted.

 

(h)                                 Except with respect to Option Rights, the Committee may permit Participants to elect to defer the issuance of shares of Common Stock under this Plan pursuant to such rules, procedures or programs as it may establish for purposes of this Plan and which are intended to comply with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code.  The Committee also may provide that deferred issuances and settlements include the crediting of dividend equivalents or interest on the deferral amounts.

 

(i)                                     If any provision of this Plan is or becomes invalid or unenforceable in any jurisdiction, or would disqualify this Plan or any award under any law deemed applicable by the Committee, such provision will be construed or deemed amended or limited in scope to conform to applicable laws or, in the discretion of the Committee, it will be stricken and the remainder of this Plan will remain in full force and effect.  Notwithstanding anything in this Plan or an Evidence of Award to the contrary, nothing in this Plan or in an Evidence of Award prevents a Participant from providing, without prior notice to the Company, information to governmental authorities regarding possible legal violations or otherwise testifying or participating in any investigation or proceeding by any governmental authorities regarding possible legal violations, and for purpose of clarity a Participant is not prohibited from providing information voluntarily to the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Section 21F of the Exchange Act.

 

22.                               Intentionally omitted.

 

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