As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 25, 2016

Registration No. 333-

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

 

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

 

BLONDER TONGUE LABORATORIES, INC.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

 

 

 

Delaware

(State or Other Jurisdiction

of Incorporation or Organization)

 

52-1611421

(IRS Employer

Identification No.)

     
 

One Jake Brown Road

Old Bridge, New Jersey 08857

(732) 679-4000

(Address, Including ZIP Code, and

Telephone Number, Including Area Code,

of Registrant's Principal Executive Offices)

 

 

BLONDER TONGUE LABORATORIES, INC. 2016 EMPLOYEE EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN

 

BLONDER TONGUE LABORATORIES, INC. 2016 DIRECTOR EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN

(Full Title of the Plans)

 

 

Robert J. Pallé, Jr.

Chief Executive Officer and President

One Jake Brown Road

Old Bridge, New Jersey 08857

(732) 679-4000

(Name, Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone

Number, Including Area Code, of Agent for Service)

 

 

 

 

  Copies to:  
     
 

Gary P. Scharmett, Esq.

Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP

2005 Market Street, Suite 2600

Philadelphia, PA 19103-7018

Telephone: (215) 564-8000

 

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b2 of the Exchange Act.

 

Large accelerated filer ¨   Accelerated filer ¨
Non-accelerated filer ¨ (Do not check if a smaller reporting company) Smaller reporting company x

 

 

 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

 

Title of Each Class of
Securities to Be Registered
  Amount to be
Registered (1)(2)
    Proposed
Maximum Offering 
Price Per Share (3)
    Proposed
Maximum
Aggregate Offering 
Price (3)
    Amount of
Registration Fee
 
Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share     1,400,000     $ 0.64     $ 896,000     $ 90.23  

 

(1) This Registration Statement register 1,400,000 shares of Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share, of Blonder Tongue Laboratories, Inc. (the “Registrant”) that may be issued pursuant to the Blonder Tongue Laboratories, Inc. 2016 Employee Equity Incentive Plan and the Blonder Tongue Laboratories, Inc. 2016 Director Equity Incentive Plan (collectively, the “Plans”), as such Plans may be amended from time to time.
   
(2)

Pursuant to Rule 416 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), this Registration Statement also covers any additional shares of common stock of the Registrant in respect of the securities identified above that become issuable by reason of any stock dividend, stock split, recapitalization or other similar transaction.

   
(3) Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee, pursuant to Rules 457(c) and 457(h)(1) promulgated under the Securities Act, based on the average of the high and low sales prices for the Common Stock reported on the NYSE MKT on August 18, 2016, which is within five (5) business days prior to the date of this Registration Statement.

  

 

 

 

 

PART I

 

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

 

The information specified in Items 1 and 2 of Part I of Form S-8 is omitted from this Registration Statement in accordance with the provisions of Rule 428 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and the introductory note to Part I of Form S-8.

 

PART II

 

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

 

Item 3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

 

The Registrant hereby incorporates by reference the documents listed below that the Registrant has previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) (other than, in each case, documents or information deemed to have been furnished and not filed in accordance with SEC rules):

 

    The Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, filed with the SEC on March 30, 2016 (the “Annual Report”);
       
    The Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2016, filed with the SEC on August 15, 2016;
       
    The Registrant’s Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on January 13, 2016, February 2, 2016, February 12, 2016, March 1, 2016, March 30, 2016, May 27, 2016 and June 3, 2016; and
       
    The description of the Registrant’s Common Stock contained in the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 originally filed with the SEC on October 12, 1995, including any amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating such description.

 

The Registrant also incorporates by reference all other documents filed by the Registrant with the SEC pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (other than, in each case, information deemed to have been furnished and not filed in accordance with SEC rules), prior to the prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement which indicates that all securities offered hereby have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold,

 

Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement to the extent that a statement contained herein or in any subsequently filed document which is also deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this Registration Statement.

 

The Registrant will furnish to each person, including any beneficial owner, to whom this document is delivered, without charge, a copy of any or all of the information that has been incorporated by reference (including any exhibits that are specifically incorporated by reference in that information) upon oral or written request to: Eric Skolnik, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Blonder Tongue Laboratories, Inc., One Jake Brown Road, Old Bridge, New Jersey 08857; telephone (732) 679-4000.

 

Item 4. Description of Securities

 

Not applicable.

 

  1  

 

 

Item 5. Interests of Named Experts and Counsel

 

Gary P. Scharmett, a director of the Registrant, is a partner of Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP, which the Registrant has retained to provide legal services to the Registrant. As of August 17, 2016, beneficially owns 315,718 shares of the Registrant’s common stock, which amount includes 95,000 shares underlying options to purchase common stock that are exercisable within 60 days of August 17, 2016.

 

Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers

 

Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (“DGCL”) provides that a corporation may indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal or investigative (other than an action by or in the right of the corporation) by reason of the fact that the person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding if the person acted in good faith and in a manner the person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe the person’s conduct was unlawful. Section 145 further provides that a corporation similarly may indemnify any such person serving in any such capacity who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the corporation to procure a judgment in its favor, by reason of the fact that the person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with the defense or settlement of such action or suit if the person acted in good faith and in a manner the person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation and except that no indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the corporation unless and only to the extent that the Delaware Court of Chancery or the court in which such action or suit was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which the Delaware Court of Chancery or such other court shall deem proper.

 

Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL permits a corporation to include in its certificate of incorporation a provision eliminating or limiting the personal liability of a director to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, provided that such provision shall not eliminate or limit the liability of a director (i) for any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders, (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (iii) under Section 174 of the DGCL (relating to unlawful payment of dividends and unlawful stock purchase and redemption) or (iv) for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit.

 

The Registrant’s Restated Certificate of Incorporation provides that the Registrant’s directors shall not be liable to the Registrant or the Registrant’s stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director except to the extent that exculpation from liabilities is not permitted under the DGCL as in effect at the time such liability is determined. The Registrant’s Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Restated Bylaws each also include provisions requiring the Registrant to indemnify directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL. The Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Restated Bylaws provide that any person made a party or threatened to be made a party to a threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director or officer of the Registrant, is or was serving at the request of the Registrant as a director or officer of another corporation or enterprise, including service with respect to an employee benefit plan, shall be indemnified by the Registrant against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by him in connection with such action, suit or proceeding to the fullest extent authorized from time to time by the DGCL. The rights of indemnification are not exclusive of any other rights to which those seeking indemnification may be entitled and shall continue as to a person who ceases to be a director, officer, employee or agent.

 

  2  

 

 

The Registrant has obtained director and officer liability insurance under which, subject to the limitations of such policies, coverage will be provided (a) to directors and officers against loss arising from claims made by reason of breach of fiduciary duty or other wrongful acts as a director or officer, including claims relating to public securities matters and (b) to the Registrant with respect to payments which may be made by the Registrant to these directors and officers pursuant to the above indemnification provision or otherwise as a matter of law.

 

The Registrant has also entered into indemnification agreements with the Registrant’s directors. The indemnification agreements provide directors with further indemnification to the maximum extent permitted by the DGCL.

 

Item 7. Exemption from Registration Claimed

 

Not applicable.

 

Item 8. Exhibits

 

The following exhibits are filed herewith or are incorporated herein by reference to other filings.

 

Exhibit
Number
 
Description
     
4.1   Restated Certificate of Incorporation, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 initially filed with the SEC on October 12, 1995.
     
4.2   Restated Bylaws, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Registrant’s amended Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the period ending December 31, 2007, filed with the SEC on May 9, 2008.
     
4.3   Blonder Tongue Laboratories, Inc. 2016 Employee Equity Incentive Plan, filed herewith.
     
4.4   Blonder Tongue Laboratories, Inc. 2016 Director Equity Incentive Plan, filed herewith.
     
5.1   Opinion of Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP, filed herewith.
     
23.1   Consent of Marcum, LLP, filed herewith.
     
23.2   Consent of Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1).
     
24.1   Power of Attorney (included on the signature page of the Registration Statement).

 

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 the Registration Statement:

 

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

 

  3  

 

 

(ii)         To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the Registration Statement (or most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the 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 SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective Registration Statement; and

 

(iii)        To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the Registration Statement or any material change to such information in the 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 SEC by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in the 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 Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, 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 the Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new Registration Statement relating to the securities offered herein, 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 SEC 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.

 

  4  

 

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all 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 Old Bridge, State of New Jersey, on August 25, 2016.

 

    BLONDER TONGUE LABORATORIES, INC.
  By: /s/ Robert J. Pallé
    Robert J. Pallé
    President and Chief Executive Officer

   

POWER OF ATTORNEY

 

By so signing, each of the undersigned, in his capacity as a director or officer, or both, as the case may be, of Blonder Tongue Laboratories, Inc., does hereby appoint Robert J. Pallé and Eric Skolnik, and each of them severally, his true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, to execute in his, place and stead, in his capacity as a director or officer, or both, as the case may be, of Blonder Tongue Laboratories, Inc., any and all amendments to this Registration Statement and post-effective amendments thereto and all instruments necessary or incidental in connection therewith, and to file the same with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Each of said attorneys-in-fact and agents shall have full power and authority to do and perform in the name and on behalf of each of the undersigned, in any and all capacities, every act whatsoever requisite or necessary to be done in the premises as fully, and for all intents and purposes, as each of the undersigned might or could do in person, the undersigned hereby ratifying and approving the acts of said attorneys-in-fact and each of them and their substitutes lawfully done or caused to be done by virtue of this power of attorney.

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

Signature   Title   Date
         

/s/ Robert J. Pallé

 

President, Chief Executive Officer and Director

  August 25, 2016

Robert J. Pallé

  (Principal Executive Officer)    
         

 /s/ Eric Skolnik

  Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer   August 25, 2016

Eric Skolnik

  (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)    
         
/s/ Anthony Bruno   Director   August 25, 2016

Anthony Bruno

       
         
/s/ James F. Williams   Director   August 25, 2016

James F. Williams

       
         
/s/ Charles E. Dietz   Director   August 25, 2016

Charles E. Dietz

       
         
/s/ Gary P. Scharmett   Director   August 25, 2016

Gary P. Scharmett

       
         
/s/ Steven L. Shea   Director   August 25, 2016

Steven L. Shea

       
         
/s/ James H. Williams   Director   August 25, 2016
James H. Williams        

 

 

 

 

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit
Number
  Description
     
4.1   Restated Certificate of Incorporation, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 initially filed with the SEC on October 12, 1995.
     
4.2   Restated Bylaws, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Registrant’s amended Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the period ending December 31, 2007, filed with the SEC on May 9, 2008.
     
4.3   Blonder Tongue Laboratories, Inc. 2016 Employee Equity Incentive Plan, filed herewith.
     
4.4   Blonder Tongue Laboratories, Inc. 2016 Director Equity Incentive Plan, filed herewith.
     
5.1   Opinion of Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP, filed herewith.
     
23.1   Consent of Marcum, LLP, filed herewith.
     
23.2   Consent of Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1).
     
24.1   Power of Attorney (included on the signature page of the Registration Statement).

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 4.3

 

BLONDER TONGUE LABORATORIES, INC.
2016 EMPLOYEE EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN

 

ARTICLE 1
PURPOSE

 

1.1            GENERAL . The purpose of this Blonder Tongue Laboratories, Inc. 2016 Employee Equity Incentive Plan (the “ Plan ”) is to promote the success and enhance the value of Blonder Tongue Laboratories, Inc. (the “ Company ”) by linking the personal interests of key employees of the Company and its subsidiaries to those of Company stockholders and by providing such individuals with an incentive for outstanding performance in order to generate superior returns to stockholders of the Company. The Plan is further intended to provide flexibility to the Company in its ability to motivate, attract, and retain the services of key employees upon whose judgment, interest, and special effort the successful conduct of the Company’s operation is largely dependent. For purposes of this Plan, “Company” shall be deemed to include direct and indirect subsidiaries of Blonder Tongue Laboratories, Inc., unless the context requires otherwise.

 

ARTICLE 2
EFFECTIVE DATE AND TERM

 

2.1            EFFECTIVE DATE . The Plan, as hereby amended and restated, will be effective as of February 4, 2016 (the “ Effective Date ”).

 

2.2            TERM . Unless sooner terminated by the Board, the Plan shall terminate on the tenth (10 th ) anniversary of the Effective Date, and no Awards may be granted under the Plan thereafter. The termination of the Plan shall not affect any Award that is outstanding on the termination date, without the consent of the Participant.

 

ARTICLE 3
DEFINITIONS AND CONSTRUCTION

 

3.1            DEFINITIONS . When a word or phrase appears in this Plan with the initial letter capitalized, and the word or phrase does not commence a sentence, the word or phrase shall generally be given the meaning ascribed to it in this Section or in Sections 1.1 or 2.1 unless a clearly different meaning is required by the context. The following words and phrases shall have the following meanings:

 

(a)          “ Award ” means any Option, Stock Appreciation Right, Restricted Stock Award, Unrestricted Stock Award, or Performance-Based Award granted to a Participant under the Plan.

 

(b)          “ Award Agreement ” means a writing, in such form as the Committee in its discretion shall prescribe, evidencing an Award.

 

(c)          “ Board ” means the Board of Directors of Blonder Tongue Laboratories, Inc.

 

(d)          “ Code ” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

(e)          “ Committee ” means the committee of the Board described in Article 4.

 

(f)          “ Covered Employee ” means an Employee who is a “covered employee” within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Code.

 

(g)          “ Exchange Act ” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

(h)          “ Fair Market Value ” means, with respect to a share of Stock as of any given date, (i) if the Stock is traded on the over-the-counter market, the mean average of the bid and the asked prices for the Stock at the close of trading on that date, or if that day is not a trading day on the trading day immediately preceding such day; (ii) if the Stock is listed on a national securities exchange, the mean average of the high and low selling prices of the Stock on the composite tape on that date, or if that day in not a trading day on the trading day immediately preceding such given date; and (iii) if the Stock is neither traded on the over-the-counter market nor listed on a national securities exchange, such value as the Committee, in good faith, shall determine.

 

(i)          “ Incentive Stock Option ” means an Option that is intended to meet the requirements of Section 422 of the Code or any successor provision thereto.

 

(j)          “ Non-Employee Director ” means a member of the Board who qualifies as a “Non-Employee Director” as defined in Rule 16b-3(b)(3) under the Exchange Act, or any successor definition adopted by the Board.

 

 

 

 

(k)         “ Non-Qualified Stock Option ” means an Option that is not intended to be an Incentive Stock Option.

 

(l)          “ Option ” means a right granted to a Participant under Article 7 of the Plan to purchase Stock at a specified price during specified time periods. An Option may be either an Incentive Stock Option or a Non-Qualified Stock Option.

 

(m)          “ Participant ” means a person who has been granted an Award under the Plan.

 

(n)          “ Performance-Based Awards ” means Stock Awards granted to selected Covered Employees pursuant to Article 9, but which are subject to the terms and conditions set forth in Article 10. All Performance-Based Awards are intended to qualify as “performance-based compensation” under Section 162(m) of the Code.

 

(o)          “ Performance Criteria ” means the criteria that the Committee selects for purposes of establishing the Performance Goal or Performance Goals for a Participant for a Performance Period. The Performance Criteria that will be used to establish Performance Goals may include, but shall not be limited to, one or more of the following: pre- or after-tax net earnings, sales growth, operating earnings, operating cash flow, working capital, return on net assets, return on stockholders’ equity, return on assets, return on capital, Stock price growth, stockholder returns, gross or net profit margin, earnings per share, price per share of Stock, and market share, any of which may be measured either in absolute terms or as compared to any incremental increase or as compared to results of a peer group. The Committee shall, within the time prescribed by Section 162(m) of the Code, define in an objective fashion the manner of calculating the Performance Criteria it selects to use for such Performance Period for such Participant.

 

(p)          “ Performance Goals ” means, for a Performance Period, the goals established in writing by the Committee for the Performance Period based upon the Performance Criteria. Depending on the Performance Criteria used to establish such Performance Goals, the Performance Goals may be expressed in terms of overall Company performance or the performance of a division, business unit, or an individual. The Committee, in its discretion, may, within the time prescribed by Section 162(m) of the Code, adjust or modify the calculation of Performance Goals for such Performance Period in order to prevent the dilution or enlargement of the rights of Participants (i) in the event of, or in anticipation of, any unusual or extraordinary corporate item, transaction, event, or development, or (ii) in recognition of, or in anticipation of, any other unusual or nonrecurring events affecting the Company, or the financial statements of the Company, or in response to, or in anticipation of, changes in applicable laws, regulations, accounting principles, or business conditions.

 

(q)          “ Performance Period ” means the one or more periods of time, which may be of varying and overlapping durations, as the Committee may select, over which the attainment of one or more Performance Goals will be measured for the purpose of determining a Participant’s right to, and the payment of, a Performance-Based Award.

 

(r)          “ Plan ” means the Blonder Tongue Laboratories, Inc. 2005 Employee Equity Incentive Plan as set forth herein.

 

(s)          “ Restricted Stock Award ” means Stock granted to a Participant under Article 9 that is subject to certain restrictions and to risk of forfeiture.

 

(t)          “ Stock ” means the common stock of Blonder Tongue Laboratories, Inc. and such other securities that may be substituted for Stock pursuant to Article 12.

 

(u)          “ Stock Appreciation Right ” or “SAR” means a right granted to a Participant under Article 8 to receive a payment equal to the difference between the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock as of the date of exercise of the SAR over the grant price of the SAR, all as determined pursuant to Article 8.

 

(v)         “ Stock Award ” means a Restricted Stock Award or an Unrestricted Stock Award.

 

(w)          “ Unrestricted Stock Award ” means Stock granted to a Participant under Article 9 that is not subject to restrictions or a risk of forfeiture.

 

ARTICLE 4
ADMINISTRATION

 

4.1            COMMITTEE; BOARD APPROVAL . The Plan shall be administered by a Committee appointed by, and which serves at the discretion of, the Board. The Board may designate the Compensation Committee of the Board as the “Committee” hereunder provided the Compensation Committee meets the requirements of this Section. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, at all times the Committee shall consist of at least two individuals and each member of the Committee shall qualify as a Non-Employee Director. To the extent necessary or desirable (as may be determined by the Board from time to time) each member of the Committee shall also qualify as an “outside director” under Code Section 162(m) and the regulations issued thereunder. The members of the Committee shall meet such additional criteria, as may be necessary or desirable to comply with regulatory or stock exchange rules or exemptions. The Company will pay all reasonable expenses of the Committee.

 

  - 2 -  

 

 

4.2            AUTHORITY OF COMMITTEE . Subject to any specific designation in the Plan, the Committee has the exclusive power, authority and discretion to:

 

(a)          Designate Participants to receive Awards;

 

(b)          Determine the type or types of Awards to be granted to each Participant;

 

(c)          Determine the number of Awards to be granted and the number of shares of Stock to which an Award will relate;

 

(d)          Determine the terms and conditions of any Award granted under the Plan including but not limited to, the exercise price, grant price, or purchase price, any restrictions or limitations on the Award, any schedule for lapse of forfeiture restrictions or restrictions on the exercisability of an Award, and accelerations or waivers thereof, based in each case on such considerations as the Committee in its sole discretion determines;

 

(e)          Amend, modify, or terminate any outstanding Award (including re-pricing), with the Participant’s consent unless the Committee has the authority to amend, modify, or terminate an Award without the Participant’s consent under any other provision of the Plan.

 

(f)          Determine whether, to what extent, and under what circumstances an Award may be settled in, or the exercise price of an Award may be paid in, cash, Stock, other Awards, or other property, or an Award may be canceled, forfeited, or surrendered;

 

(g)          Prescribe the form of each Award Agreement which need not be identical for each Participant;

 

(h)          Decide all other matters that must be determined in connection with an Award;

 

(i)          Establish, adopt, revise, amend or rescind any guidelines, rules and regulations as it may deem necessary or advisable to administer the Plan; and

 

(j)          Interpret the terms of, and rule on any matter arising under, the Plan or any Award Agreement;

 

(k)          Make all other decisions and determinations that may be required under the Plan or as the Committee deems necessary or advisable to administer the Plan, including but not limited to, the determination of whether and to what extent any Performance Goals have been achieved; and

 

(l)          Retain counsel, accountants and other consultants to aid in exercising its powers and carrying out its duties under the Plan.

 

4.3            DECISIONS BINDING . The Committee’s interpretation of the Plan, any Awards granted under the Plan, any Award Agreement and all decisions and determinations by the Committee with respect to the Plan shall be final, binding, and conclusive on all parties and any other persons claiming an interest in any Award or under the Plan.

 

ARTICLE 5
SHARES SUBJECT TO THE PLAN

 

5.1            NUMBER OF SHARES . One million (1,000,000) shares of Stock shall be available for Awards on and after the Effective Date; provided, however, each Award shall be conditioned upon the approval of the Plan by the stockholders of the Company. The number of shares set forth in this Section 5.1 shall be subject to adjustment as provided in Section 12.1.

 

5.2            LAPSED AWARDS . To the extent that an Award terminates, is cancelled, expires, lapses or is forfeited for any reason, including, but not limited to, the failure to achieve any Performance Goals, any shares of Stock subject to the Award will again be available for the grant of an Award under the Plan.

 

5.3            STOCK DISTRIBUTED . Any Stock distributed pursuant to an Award may consist, in whole or in part, of authorized and unissued Stock, treasury Stock or Stock purchased on the open market.

 

5.4            LIMITATION ON NUMBER OF SHARES SUBJECT TO AWARDS . Notwithstanding any provision in the Plan to the contrary, and subject to the adjustment in Section 12.1, the maximum number of shares of Stock with respect to Options and Stock Appreciation Rights that may be granted to any one Participant during a fiscal year of the Company shall be One Hundred Thousand (100,000) shares.

 

  - 3 -  

 

 

ARTICLE 6
ELIGIBILITY AND PARTICIPATION

 

6.1            ELIGIBILITY . Persons eligible to participate in this Plan include all executive officers and other key employees of the Company, as determined by the Committee.

 

6.2            ACTUAL PARTICIPATION . Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Committee may, from time to time, select from among all eligible individuals those to whom Awards shall be granted and shall determine the nature and amount of each Award. No individual shall have any right to be granted an Award under this Plan.

 

ARTICLE 7
STOCK OPTIONS

 

7.1            GENERAL . The Committee is authorized to grant Options to Participants on the following terms and conditions:

 

(a)          EXERCISE PRICE. The exercise price per share of Stock under an Option shall be not less than the Fair Market Value as of the date of grant.

 

(b)          TERM OF OPTION. No Option shall be exercisable after the date that is ten years from the date it is granted.

 

(c)          TIME AND CONDITIONS OF EXERCISE. Except as provided herein, the Committee shall determine the time or times at which an Option may be exercised in whole or in part. The Committee shall also determine the performance or other conditions, if any, that must be satisfied before all or part of an Option may be exercised.

 

(d)          PAYMENT. An Option shall be exercised by giving a written notice to the Company stating the number of shares of Stock with respect to which the Option is being exercised and containing such other information as the Committee may require and by tendering payment therefore with a cashier’s check or certified check. In addition, if the Award Agreement with respect to an Option so provides, or upon exercise of discretion by the Committee in accordance with the terms of the Award Agreement, the Participant may pay the exercise price by (i) to the extent permitted by applicable law, delivering the Participant’s note payable to the Company over such period of time, at such rate of interest and in form and substance satisfactory to the Committee, (ii) transferring shares of Stock previously acquired by the Participant, (iii) directing the Company to withhold that number of shares of Stock acquired upon exercise having an aggregate Fair Market Value as of the date of exercise equal to the Option’s exercise price, or the applicable portion of the Option’s exercise price if the Option is not exercised in full, (iv) an open market broker-assisted sale transaction pursuant to which the Company is promptly delivered the amount of proceeds necessary to satisfy the exercise price, (v) a combination of the methods described above, or (vi) such other method as may be approved by the Committee and set forth in the Award Agreement.

 

(e)          EVIDENCE OF GRANT. All Options shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement. The Award Agreement shall include such additional provisions as may be specified by the Committee.

 

7.2            INCENTIVE STOCK OPTIONS . The terms of any Incentive Stock Options granted under the Plan must comply with the following additional rules, which in case of conflict shall control over other provisions of this Plan that might otherwise be applicable:

 

(a)          EXERCISE. In no event may any Incentive Stock Option be exercisable for more than ten years from the date of its grant.

 

(b)          INDIVIDUAL DOLLAR LIMITATION. The aggregate Fair Market Value (determined as of the time an Award is made) of all shares of Stock with respect to which Incentive Stock Options are first exercisable by a Participant in any calendar year may not exceed $100,000.00 or such other limitation as imposed by Section 422(d) of the Code, or any successor provision. To the extent that Incentive Stock Options are first exercisable by a Participant in excess of such limitation, the excess shall be considered Non-Qualified Stock Options.

 

(c)          TEN PERCENT OWNERS. An Incentive Stock Option may be granted to any individual who, at the date of grant, owns stock possessing more than ten percent of the total combined voting power of all classes of Stock of the Company only if such Option is granted at a price that is not less than 110% of Fair Market Value on the date of grant and the Option is exercisable for no more than five years from the date of grant.

 

(d)          RIGHT TO EXERCISE. During a Participant’s lifetime, an Incentive Stock Option may be exercised only by the Participant.

 

  - 4 -  

 

 

ARTICLE 8
STOCK APPRECIATION RIGHTS

 

8.1            GRANT OF SARS . The Committee is authorized to grant SARs to Participants on the following terms and conditions:

 

(a)          RIGHT TO PAYMENT. Upon the exercise of a Stock Appreciation Right, the Participant to whom it is granted has the right to receive the excess, if any, of:

 

(1)         The Fair Market Value of a share of Stock on the date of exercise; over

 

(2)         The grant price of the Stock Appreciation Right as determined by the Committee, which shall not be less than the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock on the date of grant.

 

(b)          OTHER TERMS. All such Awards shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement. The terms, methods of exercise, methods of settlement, form of consideration payable in settlement, and any other terms and conditions of any Stock Appreciation Right shall be determined by the Committee at the time of the grant of the Award and shall be reflected in the Award Agreement, except that in all events a Stock Appreciation Right granted in tandem with an Incentive Stock Option shall be exercisable only when the underlying Incentive Stock Option may be exercised. For purposes of the Plan, a Stock Appreciation Right shall be considered to be granted in tandem with an Incentive Stock Option if the exercise of one results in an automatic forfeiture of the other, or if the exercise of one results in the automatic exercise of the other.

 

ARTICLE 9
STOCK AWARDS

 

9.1            GRANT OF STOCK . The Committee is authorized to grant Unrestricted Stock Awards and Restricted Stock Awards to Participants in such amounts and subject to such terms and conditions as determined by the Committee. All such Awards shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement.

 

9.2            ISSUANCE AND RESTRICTIONS . An Unrestricted Stock Award may provide for a transfer of shares of Stock to a Participant at the time the Award is granted, or it may provide for a deferred transfer of shares of Stock subject to conditions prescribed by the Committee. Restricted Stock Awards shall be subject to such restrictions on transferability and risks of forfeiture as the Committee may impose. These restrictions and risks may lapse separately or in combination at such times, under such circumstances, in such installments, or otherwise, as the Committee determines at the time of the grant of the Award or thereafter.

 

9.3            FORFEITURE . Except as otherwise determined by the Committee at the time of the grant of the Award or thereafter, upon termination of employment during the applicable restriction period, Stock subject to a Restricted Stock Award that is at that time subject to restrictions shall be forfeited, provided, however, that the Committee may provide in any Restricted Stock Award that restrictions or forfeiture conditions relating to the Stock will be waived in whole or in part in the event of terminations resulting from specified causes, and the Committee may in other cases waive in whole or in part restrictions or forfeiture conditions relating to the Stock.

 

9.4            CERTIFICATES FOR RESTRICTED STOCK . Restricted Stock Awards granted under the Plan may be evidenced in such manner as the Committee shall determine. If certificates representing shares of Stock subject to Restricted Stock Awards are registered in the name of the Participant, certificates must bear an appropriate legend referring to the terms, conditions, and restrictions applicable to such shares, and the Company may, at its discretion, retain physical possession of the certificate until such time as all applicable restrictions lapse.

 

ARTICLE 10
PERFORMANCE-BASED AWARDS

 

10.1          PURPOSE . The purpose of this Article 10 is to provide the Committee the ability to qualify the Awards under Article 9 as “performance-based compensation” under Section 162(m) of the Code. If the Committee, in its discretion, decides to grant a Performance-Based Award to a Covered Employee, the provisions of this Article 10 shall control over any contrary provision contained in Article 9.

 

10.2          APPLICABILITY . This Article 10 shall apply only to those Covered Employees selected by the Committee to receive Performance-Based Awards. The Committee may, in its discretion, grant Awards other than Performance-Based Awards to Covered Employees that do not satisfy the requirements of this Article 10. The designation of a Covered Employee as a Participant for a Performance Period shall not in any manner entitle the Participant to receive an Award for the period. Moreover, designation of a Covered Employee as a Participant for a particular Performance Period shall not require designation of such Covered Employee as a Participant in any subsequent Performance Period and designation of one Covered Employee as a Participant shall not require designation of any other Covered Employees as a Participant in such period or in any other period.

 

  - 5 -  

 

 

10.3          DISCRETION OF COMMITTEE WITH RESPECT TO PERFORMANCE AWARDS . With regard to a particular Performance Period, the Committee shall have full discretion to select the length of such Performance Period, the type of Performance-Based Awards to be issued, the kind and/or level of the Performance Goal, and whether the Performance Goal is to apply to the Company or any division or business unit thereof or to particular Participants or other individuals.

 

10.4          PAYMENT OF PERFORMANCE-BASED AWARDS . Unless otherwise provided in the relevant Award Agreement, a Participant must be employed by the Company on the last day of the Performance Period to be eligible for a Performance-Based Award for such Performance Period. In determining the actual size of an individual Performance-Based Award, the Committee may reduce or eliminate the amount of the Performance-Based Award earned for the Performance Period, if in its sole and absolute discretion, such reduction or elimination is appropriate.

 

10.5          STOCKHOLDER APPROVAL . The Board shall disclose to the stockholders of the Company the material terms of any Performance-Based Award, and shall secure approval of the stockholders of the Performance-Based Award before any Stock or cash is transferred or paid to a Participant, or before any restrictions with respect to same lapse, pursuant to the Award. The Committee shall certify that the Performance Goals with respect to any Performance-Based Award have been achieved before any Stock or cash is transferred or paid to a Participant, or before any restrictions with respect to same lapse. Such disclosure, approval and certification shall be effected in accordance with the requirements of Section 162(m)(4)(C) of the Code.

 

ARTICLE 11
PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO ALL AWARDS

 

11.1          STAND-ALONE AND TANDEM AWARDS . Awards granted under the Plan may, in the discretion of the Committee, be granted either alone, in addition to, or in tandem with, any other Award granted under the Plan. Awards granted in addition to or in tandem with other Awards may be granted either at the same time as or at a different time from the grant of such other Awards.

 

11.2          EXCHANGE PROVISIONS . The Committee may at any time offer to exchange or buy out any previously granted Award for a payment in cash, Stock, or another Award, based on the terms and conditions the Committee determines and communicates to the Participant at the time the offer is made.

 

11.3          TERM OF AWARD . The term of each Award shall be for the period as determined by the Committee, provided that in no event shall the term of any Incentive Stock Option or a Stock Appreciation Right granted in tandem with an Incentive Stock Option exceed a period of ten years from the date of its grant.

 

11.4          LIMITS ON TRANSFER . No right or interest of a Participant in any Award may be pledged, encumbered, or hypothecated to or in favor of any party other than the Company, or shall be subject to any lien, obligation, or liability of such Participant to any other party other than the Company; provided, however, that the foregoing shall not be deemed to imply any obligation of the Company to lend against or accept a lien or pledge of any Award for any reason. No Award shall be assignable or transferable by a Participant other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution, except that the Committee, in its discretion, may permit a Participant to make a gratuitous transfer of an Award that is not an Incentive Stock Option or a Stock Appreciation Right granted in tandem with an Incentive Stock Option to his or her spouse, lineal descendants, lineal ascendants, or a duly established trust for the benefit of one or more of these individuals. Awards so transferred may thereafter be transferred only to the Participant who originally received the Award or to an individual or trust to whom the Participant could have initially transferred the Award pursuant to this Section 11.4.

 

11.5          BENEFICIARIES . Notwithstanding Section 11.4, a Participant may, if and to the extent, and in such manner as may be determined by the Committee from time to time, designate a beneficiary to exercise the rights of the Participant and to receive any distribution with respect to any Award upon the Participant’s death. A beneficiary, legal guardian, legal representative, or other person claiming any rights under the Plan is subject to all terms and conditions of the Plan and any Award applicable to the Participant, except to the extent the Plan and Award otherwise provide, and to any additional restrictions deemed necessary or appropriate by the Committee. If no beneficiary has been designated or survives the Participant, payment shall be made to the Participant’s estate. Subject to the foregoing, if a Participant is entitled to designate a beneficiary, a beneficiary designation may be changed or revoked by a Participant at any time in accordance with any procedures or conditions established by the Committee from time to time, provided the change or revocation is filed with the Committee.

 

  - 6 -  

 

 

11.6          STOCK CERTIFICATES . Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Company shall not be required to issue or deliver any certificates evidencing shares of Stock pursuant to the exercise or vesting of any Awards, as the case may be, unless and until the Committee has determined, with advice of counsel, that the issuance and delivery of such certificates is in compliance with all applicable laws, regulations of governmental authorities and, if applicable, the requirements of any exchange on which the shares of Stock are listed or traded as well as the terms of this Plan and any other terms, conditions or restrictions that may be applicable. All Stock certificates delivered under the Plan are subject to any stop-transfer orders and other restrictions as the Committee deems necessary or advisable to comply with Federal, state, or foreign jurisdiction, securities or other laws, rules and regulations and the rules of any national securities exchange or automated quotation system on which the Stock is listed, quoted, or traded. The Committee may place legends on any Stock certificate to reference restrictions applicable to the Stock. In addition to the terms and conditions provided herein, the Committee may require that a Participant make such reasonable covenants, agreements, and representations as the Committee, in its discretion, deems advisable in order to comply with any such laws, regulations, or requirements.

 

11.7          COMPLIANCE WITH SECTION 409A . The terms of all Awards granted under the Plan shall comply with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code, to the extent subject to Section 409A.

 

11.8          ClawbackS .    Notwithstanding anything to the contrary under the Plan, any Award and any Stock or other consideration granted pursuant to any Award under the Plan shall be subject to the Company’s ability to recoup or recover any such Award, Stock or other consideration previously granted pursuant to (i) any compensation recovery or recoupment policy (i.e., clawback policy) to be adopted by the Company from time to time in the future (regardless of whether adopted pursuant to Section 954 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act or otherwise), or (ii) any other applicable law, regulation or stock exchange rule, including without limitation, Section 304 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.   

 

ARTICLE 12
CHANGES IN CAPITAL STRUCTURE

 

12.1          GENERAL .

 

(a)          SHARES AVAILABLE FOR GRANT. In the event of any change in the number of shares of Stock outstanding by reason of any stock dividend or split, recapitalization, merger, consolidation, combination or exchange of shares or similar corporate change, the maximum aggregate number of shares of Stock with respect to which the Committee may grant Awards shall be appropriately adjusted. In the event of any change in the number of shares of Stock outstanding by reason of any other event or transaction, the Committee may, but need not, make such adjustments in the number and class of shares of Stock with respect to which Awards may be granted as the Committee may deem appropriate.

 

(b)          OUTSTANDING AWARDS - INCREASE OR DECREASE IN ISSUED SHARES WITHOUT CONSIDERATION. Subject to any required action by the stockholders of the Company, in the event of any increase or decrease in the number of issued shares of Stock resulting from a subdivision or consolidation of shares of Stock or the payment of a stock dividend (but only on the shares of Stock), or any other increase or decrease in the number of such shares effected without receipt or payment of consideration by the Company, the Committee shall proportionally adjust the number of shares of Stock subject to each outstanding Award and the exercise price per share of Stock of each such Award.

 

(c)          OUTSTANDING AWARDS - CERTAIN MERGERS. Subject to any required action by the stockholders of the Company, in the event that the Company shall be the surviving corporation in any merger or consolidation (except a merger or consolidation as a result of which the holders of shares of Stock receive securities of another corporation), each Award outstanding on the date of such merger or consolidation shall pertain to and apply to the securities which a holder of the number of shares of Stock subject to such Award would have received in such merger or consolidation.

 

(d)          OUTSTANDING AWARDS - CERTAIN OTHER TRANSACTIONS. In the event of (1) a dissolution or liquidation of the Company, (ii) a sale of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets, (iii) a merger or consolidation involving the Company in which the Company is not the surviving corporation or (iv) a merger or consolidation involving the Company in which the Company is the surviving corporation but the holders of shares of Stock receive securities of another corporation and/or other property, including cash, the Committee shall, in its absolute discretion, have the power to cancel, effective immediately prior to the occurrence of such event, each Award outstanding immediately prior to such event (whether or not then exercisable), and, in full consideration of such cancellation, pay to the Participant to whom such Award was granted an amount in cash, for each share of Stock subject to such Award, respectively, equal to the excess of (A) the value, as determined by the Committee in its absolute discretion, of the property (including cash) received by the holder of a share of Stock as a result of such event over (B) the exercise price (if any) of such Award.

 

  - 7 -  

 

 

(e)          OUTSTANDING AWARDS - OTHER CHANGES. In the event of any other change in the capitalization of the Company or corporate change other than those specifically referred to in this Article, the Committee may, in its absolute discretion, make such adjustments in the number and class of shares subject to Awards outstanding on the date on which such change occurs and in the per share exercise price of each Award as the Committee may consider appropriate to prevent dilution or enlargement of rights.

 

(f)          NO ADDITIONAL STOCKHOLDER APPROVAL REQUIRED IN CERTAIN CASES. Except to the extent required by applicable law or stock exchange rule, no adjustment in the number of shares subject to outstanding Awards, and no adjustment in the number of shares available for grant under this Plan, shall require additional stockholder approval, and all such future adjustments shall be deemed approved by the approval of this Plan, to the extent that such adjustment, whether automatic or discretionary, is proportional to and accompanies an equivalent adjustment in the number of shares held by the Company’s stockholders.

 

(g)          NO OTHER RIGHTS. Except as expressly provided in the Plan, no Participant shall have any rights by reason of any subdivision or consolidation of shares of stock of any class, the payment of any dividend, any increase or decrease in the number of shares of stock of any class or any dissolution, liquidation, merger, or consolidation of the Company or any other corporation. Except as expressly provided in the Plan, no issuance by the Company of shares of stock of any class, or securities convertible into shares of stock of any class, shall affect, and no adjustment by reason thereof shall be made with respect to, the number of shares of Stock subject to an Award or the exercise price of any Award.

 

ARTICLE 13
AMENDMENT, MODIFICATION, AND TERMINATION

 

13.1          AMENDMENT, MODIFICATION, AND TERMINATION . At any time and from time to time, the Board may terminate, amend or modify the Plan; provided, however, that the Board shall not, without the approval of stockholders, make any amendment which would (i) increase the maximum number of shares of Stock for which Awards may be granted under the Plan, (ii) extend the term of the Plan, or (iii) amend the requirements as to the employees eligible to receive Awards; and further provided that no other amendment shall be made without stockholder approval to the extent stockholder approval is necessary to comply with any applicable law, regulations or stock exchange rule.

 

13.2          AWARDS PREVIOUSLY GRANTED . Except as otherwise provided in the Plan, including without limitation, the provisions of Section 11.8 and Article 12, no termination, amendment, or modification of the Plan shall adversely affect in any material way any Award previously granted under the Plan, without the written consent of the Participant.

 

ARTICLE 14
GENERAL PROVISIONS

 

14.1          NO RIGHTS TO AWARDS . No employee or other person shall have any claim to be granted any Award under the Plan, and neither the Company nor the Committee is obligated to treat Participants, employees, and other persons uniformly.  

 

14.2          NO STOCKHOLDERS RIGHTS . No Award gives the Participant any of the rights of a stockholder of the Company unless and until shares of Stock are in fact issued to such person in connection with such Award. If stockholder approval of the Plan (or an amendment to the Plan) is required by applicable law, regulation or stock exchange rule, Awards may be granted under the Plan prior to such stockholder approval, provided these Awards are subject to the Company receiving the requisite stockholder approval and no shares of Stock can be issued under these Awards (e.g., a Participant cannot exercise an Option) until after the requisite stockholder approval has been obtained.

 

14.3          WITHHOLDING . The Company shall have the authority and the right to deduct or withhold, or require a Participant to remit to the Company, an amount sufficient to satisfy Federal, state, and local taxes (including the Participant’s FICA obligation) required by law to be withheld with respect to any taxable event arising as a result of this Plan. A Participant may elect to have the Company withhold from those shares of Stock that would otherwise be received upon the settlement of any Award, a number of shares having a Fair Market Value equal to the minimum statutory amount necessary to satisfy the Company’s applicable federal, state, local and foreign income and employment tax withholding obligations.

 

14.4          NO RIGHT TO EMPLOYMENT . Nothing in the Plan or any Award Agreement shall interfere with or limit in any way the right of the Company to terminate any Participant’s employment at any time, nor confer upon any Participant any right to continue in the employ of the Company.

 

  - 8 -  

 

 

14.5          INDEMNIFICATION . To the extent allowable under applicable law, each member of the Committee shall be indemnified and held harmless by the Company from any loss, cost, liability, or expense that may be imposed upon or reasonably incurred by such member in connection with or resulting from any claim, action, suit, or proceeding to which he or she may be a party or in which he or she may be involved by reason of any action or failure to act under the Plan and against and from any and all amounts paid by him or her in satisfaction of judgment in such action, suit, or proceeding against him or her provided he or she gives the Company an opportunity, at its own expense, to handle and defend the same before he or she undertakes to handle and defend it on his or her own behalf. The foregoing right of indemnification shall not be exclusive of any other rights of indemnification to which such persons may be entitled under the Company’s Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws, as a matter of law, or otherwise, or any power that the Company may have to indemnify them or hold them harmless.

 

14.6          FRACTIONAL SHARES . No fractional shares of stock shall be issued and the Committee shall determine, in its discretion, whether cash shall be given in lieu of fractional shares or whether such fractional shares shall be eliminated by rounding up or down as appropriate.

 

14.7          GOVERNMENT AND OTHER REGULATIONS . The obligation of the Company to make payment of awards in Stock or otherwise shall be subject to all applicable laws, rules, and regulations, and to such approvals by government agencies as may be required. The Company shall be under no obligation to register under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, any of the shares of Stock paid under the Plan. If the shares paid under the Plan may in certain circumstances be exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Company may restrict the transfer of such shares in such manner as it deems advisable to ensure the availability of any such exemption.

 

14.8          REPRICINGS . Notwithstanding anything in the Plan to the contrary, the Committee may not reprice Options, nor may the Board amend the Plan to permit repricing of Options, unless the stockholders of the Company provide prior approval for such repricing. The term “repricing” shall have the meaning given that term in Section 303A(8) of the New York Stock Exchange Listed Company Manual, as in effect from time to time.

 

14.9          GOVERNING LAW . The Plan and the terms of all Awards shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the laws of the State of New Jersey without regard to rules of choice of law or conflict of laws, except to the extent such laws may be pre-empted by the federal laws of the United States of America.

 

  - 9 -  

 

Exhibit 4.4

 

BLONDER TONGUE LABORATORIES, INC.

2016 DIRECTOR EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN

 

ARTICLE 1
PURPOSE

 

1.1            GENERAL . The purpose of this Blonder Tongue Laboratories, Inc. 2016 Director Equity Incentive Plan (the “ Plan ”) is to promote the success and enhance the value of Blonder Tongue Laboratories, Inc. (the “ Company ”) by linking the personal interests of non-employee directors of the Company to those of Company stockholders and by providing such individuals with an incentive for outstanding performance in order to generate superior returns to stockholders of the Company. The Plan is further intended to provide flexibility to the Company in its ability to motivate, attract, and retain the services of non-employee directors upon whose judgment, interest, and special effort the successful conduct of the Company’s operation is largely dependent.

 

ARTICLE 2
EFFECTIVE DATE AND TERM

 

2.1            EFFECTIVE DATE . The Plan will be effective as of February 4, 2016 (the “ Effective Date ”).

 

2.2            TERM . Unless sooner terminated by the Board, the Plan shall terminate on the tenth (10 th ) anniversary of the Effective Date, and no Awards may be granted under the Plan thereafter. The termination of the Plan shall not affect any Award that is outstanding on the termination date, without the consent of the Participant.

 

ARTICLE 3
DEFINITIONS AND CONSTRUCTION

 

3.1            DEFINITIONS . When a word or phrase appears in this Plan with the initial letter capitalized, and the word or phrase does not commence a sentence, the word or phrase shall generally be given the meaning ascribed to it in this Section or in Sections 1.1 or 2.1 unless a clearly different meaning is required by the context. The following words and phrases shall have the following meanings:

 

(a)          “ Award ” means any Option, Stock Appreciation Right, Restricted Stock Award or Unrestricted Stock Award granted to a Participant under the Plan.

 

(b)          “ Award Agreement ” means a writing, in such form as the Board in its discretion shall prescribe, evidencing an Award.

 

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

 

(d)          “ Code ” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

(e)          “ Eligible Director ” means any person who is a member of the Board and neither is currently, nor within the past six (6) months was, employed by the Company or any subsidiary of the Company.

 

(f)          “ Fair Market Value ” means, with respect to a share of Stock as of any given date, (i) if the Stock is traded on the over-the-counter market, the mean average of the bid and the asked prices for the Stock at the close of trading on that date, or if that day is not a trading day on the trading day immediately preceding such day; (ii) if the Stock is listed on a national securities exchange, the mean average of the high and low selling prices of the Stock on the composite tape on that date, or if that day in not a trading day on the trading day immediately preceding such given date; and (iii) if the Stock is neither traded on the over-the-counter market nor listed on a national securities exchange, such value as the Board, in good faith, shall determine.

 

(g)          “ Option ” means a right granted to a Participant under Article 7 of the Plan to purchase Stock at a specified price during specified time periods.

 

 

 

 

(h)         “ Participant ” means a person who has been granted an Award under the Plan.

 

(i)          “ Plan ” means the Blonder Tongue Laboratories, Inc. 2005 Director Equity Incentive Plan as set forth herein.

 

(j)          “ Restricted Stock Award ” means Stock granted to a Participant under Article 9 that is subject to certain restrictions and to risk of forfeiture.

 

(k)          “Stock” means the common stock of Blonder Tongue Laboratories, Inc. and such other securities which may be substituted for Stock pursuant to Article 11.

 

(l)          “ Stock Appreciation Right ” or “ SAR ” means a right granted to a Participant under Article 8 to receive a payment equal to the difference between the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock as of the date of exercise of the SAR over the grant price of the SAR, all as determined pursuant to Article 8.

 

(m)          “ Stock Award ” means a Restricted Stock Award or an Unrestricted Stock Award.

 

(n)          “ Unrestricted Stock Award ” means Stock granted to a Participant under Article 9 that is not subject to restrictions or a risk of forfeiture.

 

ARTICLE 4
ADMINISTRATION

 

4.1            GENERAL . The Plan shall be administered by the Board. Subject to any specific designation in the Plan, the Board has the exclusive power, authority and discretion to:

 

(a)          Designate Participants to receive Awards;

 

(b)          Determine the type or types of Awards to be granted to each Participant;

 

(c)          Determine the number of Awards to be granted and the number of shares of Stock to which an Award will relate;

 

(d)          Determine the terms and conditions of any Award granted under the Plan including but not limited to, the exercise price, grant price, or purchase price, any restrictions or limitations on the Award, any schedule for lapse of forfeiture restrictions or restrictions on the exercisability of an Award, and accelerations or waivers thereof, based in each case on such considerations as the Board in its sole discretion determines;

 

(e)          Amend, modify, or terminate any outstanding Award (including re-pricing), with the Participant’s consent unless the Board has the authority to amend, modify, or terminate an Award without the Participant’s consent under any other provision of the Plan.

 

(f)          Determine whether, to what extent, and under what circumstances an Award may be settled in, or the exercise price of an Award may be paid in, cash, Stock, other Awards, or other property, or an Award may be canceled, forfeited, or surrendered;

 

(g)          Prescribe the form of each Award Agreement, which need not be identical for each Participant;

 

(h)          Decide all other matters that must be determined in connection with an Award;

 

(i)           Establish, adopt, revise, amend or rescind any guidelines, rules and regulations as it may deem necessary or advisable to administer the Plan; and

 

  2  

 

 

(j)          Interpret the terms of, and rule on any matter arising under, the Plan or any Award Agreement;

 

(k)          Make all other decisions and determinations that may be required under the Plan or as the Board deems necessary or advisable to administer the Plan; and

 

(l)           Retain counsel, accountants and other consultants to aid in exercising its powers and carrying out its duties under the Plan.

 

4.2            DECISIONS BINDING . The Board’s interpretation of the Plan, any Awards granted under the Plan, any Award Agreement and all decisions and determinations by the Board with respect to the Plan shall be final, binding, and conclusive on all parties and any other persons claiming an interest in any Award or under the Plan.

 

ARTICLE 5
SHARES SUBJECT TO THE PLAN

 

5.1            NUMBER OF SHARES . Four hundred thousand (400,000) shares of Stock shall be available for Awards on and after the Effective Date; provided, however, each Award shall be conditioned upon the approval of the Plan by the stockholders of the Company. The number of shares set forth in this Section 5.1 shall be subject to adjustment as provided in Section 11.1.

 

5.2            LAPSED AWARDS . To the extent that an Award terminates, is cancelled, expires, lapses or is forfeited for any reason, any shares of Stock subject to the Award will again be available for the grant of an Award under the Plan.

 

5.3            STOCK DISTRIBUTED . Any Stock distributed pursuant to an Award may consist, in whole or in part, of authorized and unissued Stock, treasury Stock or Stock purchased on the open market.

 

ARTICLE 6
ELIGIBILITY AND PARTICIPATION

 

6.1            ELIGIBILITY . Persons eligible to participate in this Plan include all Eligible Directors.

 

6.2            ACTUAL PARTICIPATION . Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Board may, from time to time, select from among all eligible individuals those to whom Awards shall be granted and shall determine the nature and amount of each Award. No individual shall have any right to be granted an Award under this Plan.

 

ARTICLE 7
STOCK OPTIONS

 

7.1            GENERAL . The Board is authorized to grant Options to Participants on the following terms and conditions:

 

(a)          EXERCISE PRICE. The exercise price per share of Stock under an Option shall be not less than the Fair Market Value as of the date of grant.

 

(b)          TERM OF OPTION. No Option shall be exercisable after the date that is 10 years from the date it is granted.

 

(c)          TIME AND CONDITIONS OF EXERCISE. Except as provided herein, the Board shall determine the time or times at which an Option may be exercised in whole or in part. The Board shall also determine the performance or other conditions, if any, that must be satisfied before all or part of an Option may be exercised.

 

  3  

 

 

(d)          PAYMENT. An Option shall be exercised by giving a written notice to the Company stating the number of shares of Stock with respect to which the Option is being exercised and containing such other information as the Board may require and by tendering payment therefore with a cashier's check or certified check. In addition, if the Award Agreement with respect to an Option so provides, or upon exercise of discretion by the Board in accordance with the terms of the Award Agreement, the Participant may pay the exercise price by (i) to the extent permitted by applicable law, delivering the Participant’s note payable to the Company over such period of time, at such rate of interest and in form and substance satisfactory to the Board, (ii) transferring shares of Stock previously acquired by the Participant, (iii) directing the Company to withhold that number of shares of Stock acquired upon exercise having an aggregate Fair Market Value as of the date of exercise equal to the Option’s exercise price, or the applicable portion of the Option’s exercise price if the Option is not exercised in full, (iv) an open market broker-assisted sale transaction pursuant to which the Company is promptly delivered the amount of proceeds necessary to satisfy the exercise price, (v) a combination of the methods described above, or (vi) such other method as may be approved by the Board and set forth in the Award Agreement.

 

(e)          EVIDENCE OF GRANT. All Options shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement. The Award Agreement shall include such additional provisions as may be specified by the Board.

 

ARTICLE 8
STOCK APPRECIATION RIGHTS

 

8.1            GRANT OF SARs . The Board is authorized to grant SARs to Participants on the following terms and conditions:

 

(a)          RIGHT TO PAYMENT. Upon the exercise of a Stock Appreciation Right, the Participant to whom it is granted has the right to receive the excess, if any, of:

 

(1)         The Fair Market Value of a share of Stock on the date of exercise; over

 

(2)         The grant price of the Stock Appreciation Right as determined by the Board, which shall not be less than the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock on the date of grant.

 

(b)          OTHER TERMS. All such Awards shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement. The terms, methods of exercise, methods of settlement, form of consideration payable in settlement, and any other terms and conditions of any Stock Appreciation Right shall be determined by the Board at the time of the grant of the Award and shall be reflected in the Award Agreement.

 

ARTICLE 9
STOCK AWARDS

 

9.1            GRANT OF STOCK . The Board is authorized to grant Unrestricted Stock Awards and Restricted Stock Awards to Participants in such amounts and subject to such terms and conditions as determined by the Board. All such Awards shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement.

 

9.2            ISSUANCE AND RESTRICTIONS . An Unrestricted Stock Award may provide for a transfer of shares of Stock to a Participant at the time the Award is granted, or it may provide for a deferred transfer of shares of Stock subject to conditions prescribed by the Board. Restricted Stock Awards shall be subject to such restrictions on transferability and risks of forfeiture as the Board may impose. These restrictions and risks may lapse separately or in combination at such times, under such circumstances, in such installments, or otherwise, as the Board determines at the time of the grant of the Award or thereafter.

 

9.3            FORFEITURE . Except as otherwise determined by the Board at the time of the grant of the Award or thereafter, upon termination of service as a Member of the Board during the applicable restriction period, Stock subject to a Restricted Stock Award that is at that time subject to restrictions shall be forfeited, provided, however, that the Board may provide in any Restricted Stock Award that restrictions or forfeiture conditions relating to the Stock will be waived in whole or in part in the event of terminations resulting from specified causes, and the Board may in other cases waive in whole or in part restrictions or forfeiture conditions relating to the Stock.

 

  4  

 

 

9.4            CERTIFICATES FOR RESTRICTED STOCK . Restricted Stock Awards granted under the Plan may be evidenced in such manner as the Board shall determine. If certificates representing shares of Stock subject to Restricted Stock Awards are registered in the name of the Participant, certificates must bear an appropriate legend referring to the terms, conditions, and restrictions applicable to such shares, and the Company may, at its discretion, retain physical possession of the certificate until such time as all applicable restrictions lapse.

 

ARTICLE 10
PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO ALL AWARDS

 

10.1          STAND-ALONE AND TANDEM AWARDS . Awards granted under the Plan may, in the discretion of the Board, be granted either alone, in addition to, or in tandem with, any other Award granted under the Plan. Awards granted in addition to or in tandem with other Awards may be granted either at the same time as or at a different time from the grant of such other Awards.

 

10.2          EXCHANGE PROVISIONS . The Board may at any time offer to exchange or buy out any previously granted Award for a payment in cash, Stock, or another Award, based on the terms and conditions the Board determines and communicates to the Participant at the time the offer is made.

 

10.3          TERM OF AWARD . The term of each Award shall be for the period as determined by the Board.

 

10.4          LIMITS ON TRANSFER . No right or interest of a Participant in any Award may be pledged, encumbered, or hypothecated to or in favor of any party other than the Company, or shall be subject to any lien, obligation, or liability of such Participant to any other party other than the Company; provided, however, that the foregoing shall not be deemed to imply any obligation of the Company to lend against or accept a lien or pledge of any Award for any reason. No Award shall be assignable or transferable by a Participant other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution, except that the Board, in its discretion, may permit a Participant to make a gratuitous transfer of an Award to his or her spouse, lineal descendants, lineal ascendants, or a duly established trust for the benefit of one or more of these individuals. Awards so transferred may thereafter be transferred only to the Participant who originally received the Award or to an individual or trust to whom the Participant could have initially transferred the Award pursuant to this Section 10.4.

 

10.5          BENEFICIARIES . Notwithstanding Section 10.4, a Participant may, if and to the extent, and in such manner as may be determined by the Board from time to time, designate a beneficiary to exercise the rights of the Participant and to receive any distribution with respect to any Award upon the Participant’s death. A beneficiary, legal guardian, legal representative, or other person claiming any rights under the Plan is subject to all terms and conditions of the Plan and any Award applicable to the Participant, except to the extent the Plan and Award otherwise provide, and to any additional restrictions deemed necessary or appropriate by the Board. If no beneficiary has been designated or survives the Participant, payment shall be made to the Participant’s estate. Subject to the foregoing, if a Participant is entitled to designate a beneficiary, a beneficiary designation may be changed or revoked by a Participant at any time in accordance with any procedures or conditions established by the Board from time to time, provided the change or revocation is filed with the Board.

 

10.6          STOCK CERTIFICATES . Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Company shall not be required to issue or deliver any certificates evidencing shares of Stock pursuant to the exercise or vesting of any Awards, as the case may be, unless and until the Board has determined, with advice of counsel, that the issuance and delivery of such certificates is in compliance with all applicable laws, regulations of governmental authorities and, if applicable, the requirements of any exchange on which the shares of Stock are listed or traded as well as the terms of this Plan and any other terms, conditions or restrictions that may be applicable. All Stock certificates delivered under the Plan are subject to any stop-transfer orders and other restrictions as the Board deems necessary or advisable to comply with Federal, state, or foreign jurisdiction, securities or other laws, rules and regulations and the rules of any national securities exchange or automated quotation system on which the Stock is listed, quoted, or traded. The Board may place legends on any Stock certificate to reference restrictions applicable to the Stock. In addition to the terms and conditions provided herein, the Board may require that a Participant make such reasonable covenants, agreements, and representations as the Board, in its discretion, deems advisable in order to comply with any such laws, regulations, or requirements.

 

  5  

 

 

10.7          COMPLIANCE WITH SECTION 409A . The terms of all Awards granted under the Plan shall comply with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code, to the extent subject to Section 409A.

 

10.8          ClawbackS .    Notwithstanding anything to the contrary under the Plan, any Award and any Stock or other consideration granted pursuant to any Award under the Plan shall be subject to the Company’s ability to recoup or recover any such Award, Stock or other consideration previously granted pursuant to (i) any compensation recovery or recoupment policy (i.e., clawback policy) to be adopted by the Company from time to time in the future (regardless of whether adopted pursuant to Section 954 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act or otherwise), or (ii) any other applicable law, regulation or stock exchange rule, including without limitation, Section 304 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.   

 

ARTICLE 11
CHANGES IN CAPITAL STRUCTURE

 

11.1          GENERAL .

 

(a)          SHARES AVAILABLE FOR GRANT. In the event of any change in the number of shares of Stock outstanding by reason of any stock dividend or split, recapitalization, merger, consolidation, combination or exchange of shares or similar corporate change, the maximum aggregate number of shares of Stock with respect to which the Board may grant Awards shall be appropriately adjusted. In the event of any change in the number of shares of Stock outstanding by reason of any other event or transaction, the Board may, but need not, make such adjustments in the number and class of shares of Stock with respect to which Awards may be granted as the Board may deem appropriate.

 

(b)          OUTSTANDING AWARDS – INCREASE OR DECREASE IN ISSUED SHARES WITHOUT CONSIDERATION. Subject to any required action by the stockholders of the Company, in the event of any increase or decrease in the number of issued shares of Stock resulting from a subdivision or consolidation of shares of Stock or the payment of a stock dividend (but only on the shares of Stock), or any other increase or decrease in the number of such shares effected without receipt or payment of consideration by the Company, the Board shall proportionally adjust the number of shares of Stock subject to each outstanding Award and the exercise price per share of Stock of each such Award.

 

(c)          OUTSTANDING AWARDS – CERTAIN MERGERS. Subject to any required action by the stockholders of the Company, in the event that the Company shall be the surviving corporation in any merger or consolidation (except a merger or consolidation as a result of which the holders of shares of Stock receive securities of another corporation), each Award outstanding on the date of such merger or consolidation shall pertain to and apply to the securities which a holder of the number of shares of Stock subject to such Award would have received in such merger or consolidation.

 

(d)          OUTSTANDING AWARDS – CERTAIN OTHER TRANSACTIONS. In the event of (i) a dissolution or liquidation of the Company, (ii) a sale of all or substantially all of the Company's assets, (iii) a merger or consolidation involving the Company in which the Company is not the surviving corporation or (iv) a merger or consolidation involving the Company in which the Company is the surviving corporation but the holders of shares of Stock receive securities of another corporation and/or other property, including cash, the Board shall, in its absolute discretion, have the power to cancel, effective immediately prior to the occurrence of such event, each Award outstanding immediately prior to such event (whether or not then exercisable), and, in full consideration of such cancellation, pay to the Participant to whom such Award was granted an amount in cash, for each share of Stock subject to such Award, respectively, equal to the excess of (A) the value, as determined by the Board in its absolute discretion, of the property (including cash) received by the holder of a share of Stock as a result of such event over (B) the exercise price (if any) of such Award.

 

  6  

 

 

(e)          OUTSTANDING AWARDS – OTHER CHANGES. In the event of any other change in the capitalization of the Company or corporate change other than those specifically referred to in this Article, the Board may, in its absolute discretion, make such adjustments in the number and class of shares subject to Awards outstanding on the date on which such change occurs and in the per share exercise price of each Award as the Board may consider appropriate to prevent dilution or enlargement of rights.

 

(f)          NO ADDITIONAL STOCKHOLDER APPROVAL REQUIRED IN CERTAIN CASES. Except to the extent required by applicable law or stock exchange rules, no adjustment in the number of shares subject to outstanding Awards, and no adjustment in the number of shares available for grant under this Plan, shall require additional stockholder approval, and all such future adjustments shall be deemed approved by the approval of this Plan, to the extent that such adjustment, whether automatic or discretionary, is proportional to and accompanies an equivalent adjustment in the number of shares held by the Company’s stockholders.

 

(g)          NO OTHER RIGHTS. Except as expressly provided in the Plan, no Participant shall have any rights by reason of any subdivision or consolidation of shares of stock of any class, the payment of any dividend, any increase or decrease in the number of shares of stock of any class or any dissolution, liquidation, merger, or consolidation of the Company or any other corporation. Except as expressly provided in the Plan, no issuance by the Company of shares of stock of any class, or securities convertible into shares of stock of any class, shall affect, and no adjustment by reason thereof shall be made with respect to, the number of shares of Stock subject to an Award or the exercise price of any Award.

 

ARTICLE 12
AMENDMENT, MODIFICATION, AND TERMINATION

 

12.1          AMENDMENT, MODIFICATION, AND TERMINATION . At any time and from time to time, the Board may terminate, amend or modify the Plan; provided, however, that the Board shall not, without the approval of stockholders, make any amendment which would (i) increase the maximum number of shares of Stock for which Awards may be granted under the Plan, (ii) extend the term of the Plan, or (iii) amend the requirements as to the employees eligible to receive Awards; and further provided that no other amendment shall be made without stockholder approval to the extent stockholder approval is necessary to comply with any applicable law, regulations or stock exchange rule.

 

12.2          AWARDS PREVIOUSLY GRANTED . Except as otherwise provided in the Plan, including without limitation, the provisions of Section 10.8 and Article 11, no termination, amendment, or modification of the Plan shall adversely affect in any material way any Award previously granted under the Plan, without the written consent of the Participant.

 

ARTICLE 13
GENERAL PROVISIONS

 

13.1          NO RIGHTS TO AWARDS . No employee or other person shall have any claim to be granted any Award under the Plan, and neither the Company nor the Board is obligated to treat Participants and other persons uniformly.

 

13.2          NO STOCKHOLDERS RIGHTS . No Award gives the Participant any of the rights of a stockholder of the Company unless and until shares of Stock are in fact issued to such person in connection with such Award. If stockholder approval of the Plan (or an amendment to the Plan) is required by applicable law, regulation or stock exchange rule, Awards may be granted under the Plan prior to such stockholder approval, provided these Awards are subject to the Company receiving the requisite stockholder approval and no shares of Stock can be issued under these Awards (e.g., a Participant cannot exercise an Option) until after the requisite stockholder approval has been obtained.

 

  7  

 

 

13.3          WITHHOLDING . The Company shall have the authority and the right to deduct or withhold, or require a Participant to remit to the Company, an amount sufficient to satisfy Federal, state, and local taxes required by law to be withheld with respect to any taxable event arising as a result of this Plan. A Participant may elect to have the Company withhold from those shares of Stock that would otherwise be received upon the settlement of any Award, a number of shares having a Fair Market Value equal to the minimum statutory amount necessary to satisfy the Company’s applicable federal, state, local and foreign income and employment tax withholding obligations.

 

13.4          NO RIGHT TO DIRECTOR STATUS . Neither the Plan, nor the granting of an Award hereunder, nor any other action taken pursuant to the Plan, shall constitute or be evidence of any agreement or undertaking, express or implied, that the Company retain an Eligible Director for any period of time, or at any particular rate of compensation, or with any other benefits whatsoever.

 

13.5          INDEMNIFICATION . To the extent allowable under applicable law, each member of the Board shall be indemnified and held harmless by the Company from any loss, cost, liability, or expense that may be imposed upon or reasonably incurred by such member in connection with or resulting from any claim, action, suit, or proceeding to which he or she may be a party or in which he or she may be involved by reason of any action or failure to act under the Plan and against and from any and all amounts paid by him or her in satisfaction of judgment in such action, suit, or proceeding against him or her provided he or she gives the Company an opportunity, at its own expense, to handle and defend the same before he or she undertakes to handle and defend it on his or her own behalf. The foregoing right of indemnification shall not be exclusive of any other rights of indemnification to which such persons may be entitled under the Company’s Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws, as a matter of law, or otherwise, or any power that the Company may have to indemnify them or hold them harmless.

 

13.6          FRACTIONAL SHARES . No fractional shares of stock shall be issued and the Board shall determine, in its discretion, whether cash shall be given in lieu of fractional shares or whether such fractional shares shall be eliminated by rounding up or down as appropriate.

 

13.7          GOVERNMENT AND OTHER REGULATIONS . The obligation of the Company to make payment of awards in Stock or otherwise shall be subject to all applicable laws, rules, and regulations, and to such approvals by government agencies as may be required. The Company shall be under no obligation to register under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, any of the shares of Stock paid under the Plan. If the shares paid under the Plan may in certain circumstances be exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Company may restrict the transfer of such shares in such manner as it deems advisable to ensure the availability of any such exemption.

 

13.8          REPRICINGS . Notwithstanding anything in the Plan to the contrary, the Board may not reprice Options, nor may the Board amend the Plan to permit repricing of Options, unless the stockholders of the Company provide prior approval for such repricing. The term “repricing” shall have the meaning given that term in Section 303A(8) of the New York Stock Exchange Listed Company Manual, as in effect from time to time.

 

13.9          GOVERNING LAW . The Plan and the terms of all Awards shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the laws of the State of New Jersey without regard to rules of choice of law or conflict of laws, except to the extent such laws may be pre-empted by the federal laws of the United States of America.

 

  8  

 

Exhibit 5.1

 

Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP
 
1250 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 500
 
Washington, DC 20036-2652
 
Telephone 202.822.9611
 
Fax 202.822.0140
 
www.stradley.com
 

August 25, 2016

 

Blonder Tongue Laboratories, Inc.

One Jake Brown Road

Old Bridge, New Jersey 08857

 

Re:          Registration Statement on Form S-8

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

We have acted as counsel to and for Blonder Tongue Laboratories, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the preparation and filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) by the Company of a registration statement on Form S-8 (the “Registration Statement”) for the purpose of registering under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, 1,400,000 shares of the Company’s Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Shares”), that are issuable under the Company’s 2016 Employee Equity Incentive Plan (the “Employee Plan”) and the Company’s 2016 Director Equity Incentive Plan (the “Director Plan,” and together with the Employee Plan, the “Plans”). Awards made under the Plans will also be subject, in some circumstances, to the terms and conditions contained in an award agreement, option grant agreement or similar agreement (an “Award Agreement”).

 

We have examined copies of (i) the Registration Statement, including the Section 10(a) prospectus constituting a part of the Registration Statement, (ii) the Plans, (iii) the Company’s Restated Certificate of Incorporation, included as Exhibit 3.1 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 initially filed with the Commission on October 12, 1995 (and incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement), (iv) the Company’s Restated Bylaws, included as Exhibit 3.2 to the Company’s amended Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the period ending December 31, 2007, filed May 9, 2008 (and incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement), (v) the resolutions of the Company’s board of directors adopting and authorizing the Plans, including the issuance of Shares pursuant to the Plans and (vi) such other records, documents and statutes as we have deemed necessary for purposes of this opinion letter.

 

In rendering this opinion, we have assumed and relied upon, without independent investigation, (i) the authenticity, completeness, truth and due authorization and execution of all documents submitted to us as originals, (ii) the genuineness of all signatures on all documents submitted to us as originals, and (iii) the conformity to the originals of all documents submitted to us as certified, electronic or photostatic copies.

 

The law covered by the opinions expressed herein is limited to the federal statutes, judicial decisions and rules and regulations of the governmental agencies of the United States of America and the statutes, judicial and administrative decisions and rules and regulations of the governmental agencies of the State of Delaware. We are not rendering any opinion as to compliance with any federal or state law, rule, or regulation relating to securities, or to the sale or issuance thereof. This opinion letter is being furnished in connection with the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of the Commission’s Regulation S-K, and we express no opinion as to any matter pertaining to the contents of the Registration Statement or the Section 10(a) prospectus constituting a part of the Registration Statement, other than as expressly stated herein with respect to the issuance of the Shares.

 

In addition, our opinions are limited and qualified in all respects by the effects of (i) general principles of equity and limitations on availability of equitable relief, including specific performance, whether applied by a court of law or equity, and (ii) bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, arrangement, fraudulent conveyance or fraudulent transfer, receivership, and other laws now or hereafter in force affecting the rights and remedies of creditors generally (not just creditors of specific types of debtors) and other laws now or hereafter in force affecting generally only creditors of specific types of debtors.

 

 

 

 

Blonder Tongue Laboratories, Inc.

August 25, 2016

Page 2

 

This opinion letter is given only with respect to laws and regulations presently in effect. We assume no obligation to advise you of any changes in law or regulation which may hereafter occur, whether the same are retroactively or prospectively applied, or to update or supplement this letter in any fashion to reflect any facts or circumstances which hereafter come to our attention.

 

Based upon, and subject to, the foregoing, and subject to the qualifications, assumptions and limitations herein stated, we are of the opinion that when the Shares have been issued and delivered pursuant to and in accordance with the relevant Plan and the applicable Award Agreement (if any), including receipt by the Company of the consideration provided therein, the Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

 

This opinion is to be used only in connection with the Registration Statement and the offering of the Shares described herein. This opinion is for your benefit and may be relied upon by you and by persons entitled to rely upon it pursuant to the applicable provisions of the Securities Act.

 

We hereby consent to your filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and we further consent to the reference to our firm under the caption “Legal Matters” in the Registration Statement. In giving such consent, we do not hereby admit that we are “experts” within the meaning of the Securities Act, or the Rules and Regulations of the Commission issued thereunder, with respect to any part of the Registration Statement, including this exhibit.

 

  Very truly yours,
   
  /s/ STRADLEY RONON STEVENS & YOUNG, LLP
   
  STRADLEY RONON STEVENS & YOUNG, LLP

 

 

 

Exhibit 23.1

   

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm’s Consent

 

We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement of Blonder Tongue Laboratories, Inc. on Form S-8 of our report dated March 30, 2016, which includes an explanatory paragraph as to the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern, with respect to our audits of the consolidated financial statements of Blonder Tongue Laboratories, Inc. as of December 31, 2015 and 2014 and for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 appearing in the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Blonder Tongue Laboratories, Inc. for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014.

 

/s/ Marcum llp

 

Marcum llp

New York, NY

August 25, 2016