UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): March 11, 2022
Natera, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware | 001-37478 | 01-0894487 | ||
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation) |
(Commission File Number) |
(IRS Employer Identification No.) |
13011 McCallen Pass
Building A Suite 100
Austin, TX 78753
(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)
(650) 249-9090
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
N/A
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2):
¨ | Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) |
¨ | Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) |
¨ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) |
¨ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class |
Trading Symbol(s) |
Name of each exchange on which registered | ||
Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share | NTRA |
Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (Nasdaq Global Select Market) |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company ¨
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 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ¨
Item 5.02. | Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers. |
On March 14, 2022, Natera, Inc. (the “Company”) issued a press release announcing that its executive leaders and non-employee directors unanimously agreed on a compensation change that will see the executive leaders and non-employee directors receiving equity in lieu of their respective salaries and cash retainers for the remainder of 2022. A copy of the press release is furnished herewith as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.
RSU Awards for Executive Leaders
In connection with the foregoing, on March 11, 2022, the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors (the “Board”) approved restricted stock unit awards (“RSUs”) for Steven Chapman, Michael Brophy, Robert Schueren, Jonathan Sheena and Matthew Rabinowitz for 13,708, 9,108, 9,634, 4,141 and 6,763 shares of common stock, respectively, under the Company’s 2015 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”). The RSUs will have a grant date fair market value equal to each executive’s base salary for the remainder of 2022, and calculated based on the Company’s closing bid price on the Nasdaq Stock Market on March 11, 2022. The RSUs are initially unvested and will vest in full on December 31, 2022 based on each executive’s continuous service to the Company through the vesting date.
Amended and Restated Compensation Program and RSU Awards for Non-Employee Directors
On March 13, 2022, the Board approved the Amended and Restated Compensation Program for Non-Employee Directors (the “Restated Compensation Program”) in order to enable the non-employee directors to elect to receive all or a portion of their annual cash retainers in the form of RSUs pursuant to the Plan. The Restated Compensation Program previously authorized the non-employee directors to receive all or a portion of their annual cash retainers in the form of stock option awards pursuant to the Plan.
In accordance with the Restated Compensation Program, each of the Company’s non-employee directors elected to receive RSUs in lieu of cash retainers for the quarter ending June 30, 2022 and for all subsequent fiscal quarters until the non-employee director elects to change his or her election. Based on their prior elections, Roelof F. Botha will continue to receive stock option awards in lieu of his cash retainer for the remainder of 2022 and Gail Marcus will continue to receive stock option awards in lieu of one-half of her cash retainer for the remainder of 2022. The non-employee RSUs will be issued on a quarterly basis and will be fully-vested on issuance. The non-employee RSUs will have a grant date fair market value equal to the quarterly cash retainer otherwise payable to such non-employee director and calculated in accordance with the Restated Compensation Program.
The foregoing description of the RSUs does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by the full text of the Plan and the RSU award agreements to be entered into with the Company’s executive leaders and the non-employee directors. The Plan and form of Stock Unit Agreement and Notice of Stock Unit Award under the Plan was filed as Exhibit 10.2 to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, filed with the SEC on March 24, 2016 and is incorporated herein by reference. The foregoing description of the Restated Compensation Program does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by the full text of the Restated Compensation Program, a copy of which is filed hereto as Exhibit 10.1 and is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 9.01. | Financial Statements and Exhibits. |
(d) Exhibits.
Exhibit No. |
Description | |
10.1 | Amended and Restated Compensation Program for Non-Employee Directors. | |
10.2 | 2015 Equity Incentive Plan and forms of agreements thereunder (filed as Exhibit 10.2 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, filed with the SEC on March 24, 2016 and incorporated herein by reference (File No. 001-37478)). | |
99.1 | Press Release dated March 14, 2022. | |
104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as inline XBRL). |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
Natera, Inc. | ||
By: | /s/ Michael Brophy | |
Michael Brophy | ||
Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer) |
Dated: March 14, 2022
Exhibit 10.1
Natera,
Inc.
Amended and Restated Compensation Program for Non-Employee Directors
Effective as of March 13, 2022
A. | Cash Compensation: Annual cash retainers each paid quarterly, in arrears. |
1. | Retainer for each non-employee member of the Board: | $ | 45,000 | ||||
2. | Additional retainer for Lead Independent Director: | $ | 35,000 | ||||
3. | Additional retainer for Chair of Audit Committee: | $ | 20,000 | ||||
4. | Additional retainer for Chair of Compensation Committee: | $ | 15,000 | ||||
5. | Additional retainer for Chair of Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee: | $ | 10,000 | ||||
6. | Additional retainer for non-Chair members of Audit Committee: | $ | 10,000 | ||||
7. | Additional retainer for non-Chair members of Compensation Committee: | $ | 7,500 | ||||
8. | Additional retainer for non-Chair member of Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee: | $ | 5,000 | ||||
9. | Additional retainer for non-member observers of Audit Committee: | $ | 7,500 |
B. | Equity Compensation |
1. | Initial equity grants. The Compensation Committee will grant to each non-employee director who first becomes a member of the Board of Directors on or after the IPO date an “initial equity award” valued at $375,000. The grant will be made on or as soon as reasonably practicable after the date of his or her election. The exercise price per share of stock options will be equal to the fair market value per share of the Company’s Common Stock on the date of grant. Subject to the director’s continuous service on the Board, the initial equity award will vest and become exercisable with respect to 1/3rd of the shares at the end of each year following the director’s appointment to the Board, so that it will be fully vested and exercisable after 3 years of continuous service. The initial equity award will become fully vested and exercisable in the event that the Company is subject to a change in control. |
2. | Annual equity grants. In each year, the Compensation Committee will grant to each non-employee director who continues serving on the Board after the annual meeting of the Company’s stockholders an “annual equity award” valued at $250,000. The grant will be made on or as soon as reasonably practicable after the date of the annual meeting (the “Grant Year Annual Meeting”). The exercise price per share of stock options will be equal to the fair market value per share of the Company’s Common Stock on the date of grant. Subject to the director’s continuous service on the Board, the annual equity award will vest and become exercisable in full on the date that is 12 months following the date of the Grant Year Annual Meeting. The annual equity award will become fully vested and exercisable in the event that the Company is subject to a change in control. The foregoing notwithstanding, a new director who has received the initial equity award under Paragraph 1 above will not in the same calendar year receive an annual equity award under this Paragraph 2. |
3. | Stock Plan. Except as otherwise set forth above, the initial and annual equity awards will be granted under and subject to the general terms and conditions of a stockholder-approved equity incentive plan of the Company and a form of stock option agreement thereunder. |
4. | Election of Award Type. Beginning in 2020, each non-employee director may elect, in writing, to receive his or her initial or annual equity award (i) 100% of the total dollar value in the form of restricted stock units covering shares of the Company’s Common Stock, (ii) 100% of the total dollar value in the form of stock options to purchase shares of the Company’s Common Stock, or (ii) 50% of the total dollar value in the form of stock options and 50% of the total dollar value in the form of restricted stock units. If no election is made, the equity award will be made in the form of 50% in stock options and 50% in restricted stock units. The number of shares underlying stock options will be calculated based on a 2:1 ratio to restricted stock units.1 |
Once an election is made, such election will continue in effect for equity compensation (other than pursuant to Section C hereof) related to services performed during all future calendar years unless and until a new election form modifying the election is submitted to the Company. Such new election must be made no later than December 31 of the calendar year preceding the year in which such annual equity award is to be granted, and will become effective on January 1 of such following calendar year.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, a non-employee director who first becomes a member of the Board of Directors on or following March 13, 2020, may, within thirty (30) days after such director joins the Board of Directors, make the election described in this section, with such election to be effective for his or her initial equity award and annual equity awards granted after the date the election is made unless and until a modification is submitted in accordance with this section.
C. | Election to Receive Annual Cash Compensation in the Form of Equity |
For each calendar year, each non-employee director may elect, in writing, to receive all or a portion of his or her annual cash retainer(s) in the form of (i) fully vested options to purchase shares of the Company’s Common Stock (a “Retainer Option”) or (ii) fully vested restricted stock units covering shares of the Company’s Common Stock (a “Retainer RSU”; the Retainer Option or the Retainer RSU, “Retainer Equity”). If elected, all such Retainer Equity will be granted under and subject to the general terms and conditions of a stockholder-approved equity incentive plan of the Company and a form of stock option agreement or restricted stock unit agreement, as applicable, thereunder. Such fully vested Retainer Equity will be granted by the Compensation Committee on a quarterly basis, in arrears, with such grants subject to the director’s continuous service to the Company on the date of grant.
1 For illustration purposes, an equity award valued at $175,000 at an average price per share of $25.00 would result in (i) 7,000 restricted stock units, (ii) 14,000 stock options, or (iii) 3,500 restricted stock units and 7,000 options.
Amended and Restated Compensation Program for Non-Employee Directors
2
Each Retainer Equity award will have an aggregate grant date fair value equal to the cash amount that would otherwise be paid for the applicable quarter, with the number of shares subject to a (i) Retainer Option computed in accordance with the Black-Scholes model used by the Company for valuing options in its financial statements, and (ii) Retainer RSU computed based on the average price per share of the Company’s Common Stock in the 30 days prior to the date of grant, in each case rounded down for any partial share. Each such Retainer Option shall have a term of 10 years (subject to earlier expiration upon the termination of the director’s service) and shall have an exercise price equal to the closing price per share of the Company’s Common Stock on the grant date.
Any election to receive Retainer Equity in lieu of annual cash retainer(s) must be made by the non-employee director no later than December 31 of the calendar year preceding the year for which such cash retainer(s) would otherwise be earned, and such election will be irrevocable for such following calendar year. Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) a non-employee director who first becomes a member of the Board of Directors on or following January 1, 2016, may, within 30 days after such director joins the Board of Directors, may make the election described in this section, with such election to be effective for services performed after the date the election is made, and (ii) non-employee directors who are members of the Board of Directors as of March 13, 2022, may, within 10 days of March 13, 2022, make the election described in this section, with such election to be effective for services performed after the date the election is made.
D. | Expenses |
The reasonable expenses incurred by directors in connection with attendance at Board or committee meetings will be reimbursed upon submission of appropriate substantiation.
Amended and Restated Compensation Program for Non-Employee Directors
3
Exhibit 99.1
Natera Executives and Board to Take Pay in Stock Instead of Cash
Leadership, Board to Exchange Cash Compensation for Shares
AUSTIN, Texas, March 14, 2022 — Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTRA), a global leader in cell-free DNA testing, announced that its executive leaders and board of directors have unanimously agreed on a compensation change that will see them take company stock instead of their salaries and retainers for the remainder of 2022.
Steve Chapman, CEO, Mike Brophy, CFO, Bob Schueren, COO, Jonathan Sheena, co-founder and director, and Matthew Rabinowitz, executive chairman, along with all of Natera’s non-employee directors, will be taking their salaries and retainers in equity for the remainder of 2022.
“We are taking this step to express our confidence in Natera’s strong fundamentals and future business outlook.” said CEO Steve Chapman. “We believe we have all the pieces in place to deliver on our business plan and financial guidance for 2022.”
About Natera
Natera™ is a global leader in cell-free DNA testing, dedicated to oncology, women’s health, and organ health. We aim to make personalized genetic testing and diagnostics part of the standard of care to protect health, and inform earlier, more targeted interventions that help lead to longer, healthier lives. Natera’s tests are validated by more than 100 peer-reviewed publications that demonstrate high accuracy. Natera operates ISO 13485-certified and CAP-accredited laboratories certified under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) in Austin, Texas and San Carlos, California. For more information, visit www.natera.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this press release are forward-looking statements and are not a representation that Natera’s plans, estimates, or expectations will be achieved. These forward-looking statements represent Natera’s expectations as of the date of this press release, and Natera disclaims any obligation to update the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially, including with respect to our ability to achieve our financial projections and business goals, our efforts to develop and commercialize new product offerings, whether the results of clinical or other studies will support the use of our product offerings, the impact of results of such studies, our expectations of the reliability, accuracy and performance of our tests, or of the benefits of our tests and product offerings to patients, providers and payers. Additional risks and uncertainties are discussed in greater detail in "Risk Factors" in Natera’s recent filings on Forms 10-K and 10-Q and in other filings Natera makes with the SEC from time to time. These documents are available at www.natera.com/investors and www.sec.gov.
Contacts
Investor Relations: Mike Brophy, CFO, Natera, Inc., 510-826-2350
Media: Kate Stabrawa, Communications, Natera, Inc., pr@natera.com