Exhibit 10.5
FOX FACTORY HOLDING CORP.
2013 Omnibus Plan
Section 1
.
Purpose
.
The purposes of this Fox Factory Holding Corp. 2013 Omnibus Plan are
to promote the interests of Fox Factory Holding Corp. and its stockholders by (i) attracting and retaining employees and directors of, and consultants to, the Company and its Affiliates, as defined below; (ii) motivating such individuals
by means of performance-related incentives to achieve longer-range performance goals; and (iii) enabling such individuals to participate in the long-term growth and financial success of the Company.
Section 2
.
Definitions
.
As used in the Plan, the following terms shall have the meanings
set forth below:
“Affiliate”
shall mean any employer with which the Company would be considered a single
employer under Sections 414(b) and (c) of the Code, applied using 50% as the percentage of ownership required under such Code sections;
provided
,
however
, that the term Affiliate shall be construed in a manner in accordance with
the registration provisions of applicable securities laws.
“Award”
shall mean any Option, Stock Appreciation
Right, Restricted Stock Award, Restricted Stock Unit Award, Unrestricted Stock Award, Performance Award, Other Stock-Based Award, or Performance Compensation Award made or granted from time to time hereunder.
“Award Agreement”
shall mean any written agreement, contract, or other instrument or document evidencing any Award,
which may, but need not, be executed or acknowledged by a Participant.
“Board”
shall mean the Board of
Directors of the Company.
“Cause”
as a reason for a Participant’s termination of employment or service
shall have the meaning assigned such term in the employment, severance, or similar agreement, if any, between the Participant and the Company or an Affiliate. If the Participant is not a party to an employment, severance, or similar agreement with
the Company or an Affiliate in which such term is defined, then unless otherwise defined in the applicable Award Agreement, “Cause” shall mean: the Participant’s (1) breach of any fiduciary duty or legal or material contractual
obligation to the Company or any of its Affiliates; (2) failure to perform satisfactorily such Participant’s material duties to the Company or any of its Affiliates; (3) gross negligence or engagement in insubordination, willful
misconduct, willful violation of any law, fraud, embezzlement, acts of dishonesty or a conflict of interest relating to the affairs of the Company or any of its Affiliates; (4) conviction of or pleading of nolo contendere to any misdemeanor
relating to the affairs of the Company or any of its Affiliates or any felony; or (5) failure to use Participant’s best efforts to promote the interests of the Company or any of its Affiliates or, except as otherwise agreed upon between
the Participant and the Company, to devote Participant’s full business time and efforts to the business and affairs of the Company or any of its Affiliates.
“Change of Control”
shall mean the occurrence of any of the following: (i) the sale, lease, transfer, conveyance or other disposition, in one or a series of related transactions, of
all or substantially all of the assets of the Company to any “person” or “group” (as such terms are used in Sections 13(d)(3) and 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act); or (ii) any person or group, becomes the “beneficial
owner” (as defined in Rules 13d-3 and 13d-5 under the Exchange Act, except that a person shall be deemed to have “beneficial ownership” of all shares that any such person has the right to acquire, whether such right is exercisable
immediately or only after the passage of time), directly or indirectly, of more than fifty percent (50%) of the total voting power of the voting stock of the Company, including by way of merger, consolidation, or otherwise; provided that a
“Change of Control” shall not occur due to beneficial ownership by Compass Group Diversified Holdings LLC (“Compass”) unless both its ownership has previously fallen below fifty percent (50%) of the Company and more than
three consecutive years have passed without any Person employed by, or serving as a partner or manager of, Compass, or Compass Group Management LLC, having served as a Board member.
“Code”
shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time.
1
“Committee”
shall mean
either
(i) a committee of the Board
designated by the Board to administer the Plan and composed of not less than two directors, each of whom is required to be a “Nonemployee Director” (within the meaning of Rule 16b-3) and an “outside director” (within the meaning
of Section 162(m) of the Code) to the extent Rule 16b-3 and Section 162(m) of the Code, respectively, are applicable to the Company and the Plan;
or
(ii) a committee of the Board designated by the Board to administer the Plan
and
, with respect to “applicable employee remuneration” for purposes of Code Section 162(m), a subcommittee designated by the Board composed of not less than two directors, each of whom is required to be a “Nonemployee
Director” and an “outside director” (as such terms are defined above), which subcommittee shall be considered a compensation committee for purposes of Code Section 162(m) and the regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Company”
shall mean Fox Factory Holding Corp., a Delaware corporation, together with any successor thereto.
“
Covered Employee”
shall mean a “covered employee” as defined in Code Section 162(m)(3).
“
Effective Date
” shall have the meaning ascribed to it in Section 16(a).
“Exchange Act”
shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
“Fair Market Value”
shall mean (i) with respect to any property other than Shares, the fair market value of such
property determined by such methods or procedures as shall be established from time to time by the Committee and (ii) with respect to the Shares, as of any date, (1) the closing sale price (excluding any “after hours” trading) of
the Shares as reported on the Nasdaq Stock Market (or on the New York Stock Exchange) for such date (or if not then trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market or the New York Stock Exchange, the closing sale price of the Shares on the stock exchange or
over-the-counter market on which the Shares are principally trading on such date), or, if there were no sales on such date, on the closest preceding date on which there were sales of Shares, or (2) in the event there shall be no public market
for the Shares on such date, the fair market value of the Shares as determined in good faith by the Committee (which determination shall, to the extent applicable, be made in a manner that complies with Section 409A of the Code).
“Final Year”
means the calendar year.
“Good Reason”
as a reason for a Participant’s termination of employment or service shall have the meaning assigned such term in the employment, severance, or similar agreement, if
any, between the Participant and the Company or an Affiliate. If the Participant is not a party to an employment, severance, or similar agreement with the Company or an Affiliate in which such term is defined, then unless otherwise defined in the
applicable Award Agreement, for purposes of this Plan, the Participant shall not be entitled to terminate his or her employment or service for Good Reason.
“Incentive Stock Option”
shall mean a right to purchase Shares from the Company that is granted under Section 6 of the Plan and that is intended to meet the requirements of
Section 422 of the Code or any successor provision thereto. Incentive Stock Options may be granted only to Participants who meet the definition of “employees” under Section 3401(c) of the Code.
“Negative Discretion”
shall mean the discretion authorized by the Plan to be applied by the Committee to eliminate or
reduce the size of a designated Performance Compensation Award;
provided
that the exercise of such discretion would not cause the Performance Compensation Award to fail to qualify as “performance-based compensation” under
Section 162(m) of the Code. By way of example and not by way of limitation, in no event shall any discretionary authority granted to the Committee by the Plan including, but not limited to, Negative Discretion, be used to (a) grant or
provide payment in respect of Performance Compensation Awards for a Performance Period if the Performance Goals for such Performance Period have not been attained, or (b) increase a Performance Compensation Award above the maximum amount
payable under Section 4(a) or Section 11(d)(vi) of the Plan. In no event shall Negative Discretion be exercised by the Committee with respect to any Option or Stock Appreciation Right (other than an Option or Stock Appreciation Right that
is designated in advance, in the applicable Award Agreement, as a Performance Compensation Award under Section 11 of the Plan).
“Nonqualified Stock Option
” shall mean a right to purchase Shares from the Company that is granted under Section 6 of the Plan and that does not qualify as an Incentive Stock Option.
2
“Option”
shall mean an Incentive Stock Option or a Nonqualified Stock
Option.
“Other Stock-Based Award”
shall mean any right granted under Section 10 of the Plan.
“Participant”
shall mean any employee of, or consultant to, the Company or its Affiliates, or nonemployee
director who is a member of the Board or the board of directors of an Affiliate, eligible for an Award under Section 5 of the Plan and selected by the Committee to receive an Award under the Plan.
“Performance Award”
shall mean any right granted under Section 9 of the Plan.
“Performance Compensation Award”
shall mean any Award designated in advance in the applicable Award Agreement by the
Committee as a Performance Compensation Award pursuant to Section 11 of the Plan.
“Performance Criteria”
shall mean the criterion or criteria that the Committee shall select for purposes of establishing the Performance Goal(s) for a Performance Period with respect to any Performance Compensation Award under the Plan. The Performance Criteria that
will be used to establish the Performance Goal(s) shall be based on the attainment of specific levels of performance of the Company (or an Affiliate, division, or operational unit of the Company). The Performance Criteria applicable to any Award
that is intended to qualify for the performance-based exception from the tax deductibility limitations of Section 162(m) of the Code shall be based on one or more of the following criteria: return on net assets, return on stockholders’
equity, return on assets, return on capital, revenue, average revenue, stockholder returns, profit margin, earnings per Share, net earnings, operating earnings, free cash flow, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, cash
flows, growth of business, operating expenses, capital expenses, cost targets, Share price, enterprise value, equity market capitalization, or sales or market share. To the extent required under Section 162(m) of the Code, the Committee shall,
within the first ninety (90) days of a Performance Period (or, if longer, within the maximum period allowed under 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.
“Performance Formula”
shall mean, for a Performance Period, one or more
objective formulas applied against the relevant Performance Goals to determine, with regard to the Performance Compensation Award of a particular Participant, whether all, some portion but less than all, or none of the Performance Compensation Award
has been earned for the Performance Period.
“Performance Goals”
shall mean, for a Performance Period, one or
more goals as may be established in writing by the Committee for the Performance Period based upon the Performance Criteria. The Committee is authorized at any time during the first ninety (90) days of a Performance Period, or at any time
thereafter (but only to the extent the exercise of such authority after the first ninety (90) days of a Performance Period would not cause the Performance Compensation Awards granted to any Participant for the Performance Period to fail to
qualify as “performance-based compensation” under Section 162(m) of the Code), in its sole discretion, to adjust or modify the calculation of a Performance Goal for such Performance Period to the extent permitted under
Section 162(m) of the Code in order to prevent the dilution or enlargement of the rights of Participants, (a) in the event of, or in anticipation of, any unusual or extraordinary corporate item, transaction, event, or development affecting
the Company; or (b) 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. Achievement of Performance Goals may be measured by including or excluding items determined to be extraordinary, unusual in nature, infrequent in occurrence, related to the acquisition or
disposition of a business, or related to a change in accounting principle, in each case based on Opinion No. 30 of the Accounting Principles Board (APB Opinion No. 30), or other applicable accounting rules, or consistent with the
Company’s policies and practices for measuring the achievement of Performance Goals on the date on which the Committee establishes the Performance Goals.
“Performance Period”
shall mean the one or more periods of time of at least one (1) year in duration, 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 Compensation Award.
“Person”
shall mean any individual, corporation, partnership, association, limited liability company, joint-stock company, trust, unincorporated organization, government, or political
subdivision.
3
“Plan”
shall mean this Fox Factory Holding Corp. 2013 Omnibus Plan.
“Restricted Stock”
shall mean any Share granted under Section 8 of the Plan.
“Restricted Stock Unit”
shall mean any unit granted under Section 8 of the Plan.
“Rule 16b-3”
shall mean Rule 16b-3 as promulgated and interpreted by the SEC under the Exchange Act, or any successor
rule or regulation thereto as in effect from time to time.
“SEC”
shall mean the Securities and Exchange
Commission or any successor thereto and shall include the staff thereof.
“Shares”
shall mean the common
stock of the Company, $0.001 par value, or such other securities of the Company (i) into which such common stock shall be changed by reason of a recapitalization, merger, consolidation, split-up, combination, exchange of shares, or other
similar transaction or (ii) as may be determined by the Committee pursuant to Section 4(b) of the Plan;
provided
that such other securities shall, for Options and Stock Appreciation Rights, always constitute “service recipient
stock” within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code.
“Stock Appreciation Right”
shall mean any
right granted under Section 7 of the Plan.
“Substitute Awards”
shall have the meaning specified in
Section 4(c) of the Plan.
“
Ten Percent Shareholder”
shall mean an individual who, at the time an Option
is granted, owns stock possessing more than ten percent (10%) of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or any parent corporation or subsidiary corporation of the Company. An individual shall be considered as
owning the stock owned, directly or indirectly, by or for the individual’s brothers and sisters, spouse, ancestors, and lineal descendants; and stock owned, directly or indirectly, by or for a corporation, partnership, estate, or trust shall be
considered as being owned proportionately by or for its stockholders, partners, or beneficiaries.
“Unrestricted
Stock”
shall mean any Share granted under Section 8 of the Plan without vesting restrictions imposing a forfeiture risk on the Participant.
4
Section 3
.
Administration
.
(a) The Plan
shall be administered by the Committee. Subject to the terms of the Plan and applicable law, and in addition to other express powers and authorizations conferred on the Committee by the Plan, the Committee shall have full power and authority to:
(i) designate Participants; (ii) determine the type or types of Awards to be granted to a Participant and designate those Awards which shall constitute Performance Compensation Awards; (iii) determine the number of Shares to be
covered by, or with respect to which payments, rights, or other matters are to be calculated in connection with, Awards; (iv) determine the terms and conditions of any Award; (v) determine whether, to what extent, and under what
circumstances Awards may be settled or exercised in cash, Shares, other securities, other Awards or other property, or canceled, forfeited, or suspended and the method or methods by which Awards may be settled, exercised, canceled, forfeited, or
suspended; (vi) determine whether, to what extent, and under what circumstances cash, Shares, other securities, other Awards, other property,
and
other amounts payable with respect to an Award (subject to Section 162(m) of the Code
with respect to Performance Compensation Awards) shall be deferred either automatically or at the election of the holder thereof or of the Committee (in each case consistent with Section 409A of the Code); (vii) interpret, administer, or
reconcile any inconsistency, correct any defect, resolve ambiguities and/or supply any omission in the Plan, any Award Agreement, and any other instrument or agreement relating to, or Award made under, the Plan; (viii) establish, amend,
suspend, or waive such rules and regulations and appoint such agents as it shall deem appropriate for the proper administration of the Plan; (ix) establish and administer Performance Goals and certify whether, and to what extent, they have been
attained; (x) to the extent consistent with the purposes of the Plan and without amending the Plan, to modify, to cancel, or to waive the Company’s rights with respect to any Awards, to adjust or to modify Award Agreements for changes in
applicable law, and to recognize differences in foreign law, tax policies, or customs; and (xi) make any other determination and take any other action that the Committee deems necessary or desirable for the administration of the Plan.
(b) Unless otherwise expressly provided in the Plan or limited by Section 409A of the Code, all designations,
determinations, interpretations, and other decisions under or with respect to the Plan or any Award shall be within the sole discretion of the Committee, may be made at any time and shall be final, conclusive, and binding upon all Persons, including
the Company, any Affiliate, any Participant, any holder or beneficiary of any Award, and any stockholder.
(c) The mere fact
that a Committee member shall fail to qualify as a “Nonemployee Director” or “outside director” within the meaning of Rule 16b-3 and Section 162(m) of the Code, respectively, shall not invalidate any Award made by the
Committee which Award is otherwise validly made under the Plan.
(d) No member of the Committee shall be liable to any Person
for any action or determination made in good faith with respect to the Plan or any Award hereunder.
(e) With respect to any
Performance Compensation Award granted to a Covered Employee under the Plan, the Plan shall be interpreted and construed in accordance with Section 162(m) of the Code.
(f) The Committee may delegate to one or more officers of the Company (or, in the case of awards of Shares, the Board may delegate to a committee made up of one or more directors) the authority to grant
Awards to Participants who are not Covered Employees or executive officers or directors of the Company subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act.
Section 4
.
Shares Available for Awards
.
(a)
Shares Available
.
(i) Subject to adjustment as provided in Section 4(b), the aggregate number of Shares with
respect to which Awards may be granted from time to time under the Plan shall in the aggregate not exceed, at any time, 3,631,709, increased by an additional number of Shares equal to any Shares that are subject to outstanding awards under the Fox
Factory Holding Corp. 2008 Stock Option Plan and/or 2008 Non-Statutory Stock Option Plan which either cease for any reason to be subject to such awards or are forfeited, cancelled, or
5
repurchased at their original issue price;
provided
that the aggregate number of Shares with respect to which Incentive Stock Options may be granted under the Plan shall be 3,631,709;
provided, further,
that the aggregate number of Shares with respect to which Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, and Unrestricted Stock may be granted under the Plan shall be 1,815,854. The maximum number of Shares with respect to which
Incentive Stock Options may be granted to any Participant in any fiscal year shall be 907,927. The maximum number of Shares with respect to which Options and Stock Appreciation Rights may be granted to any one Participant in any fiscal year shall be
907,927 and the maximum number of Shares which may be paid to a Participant in the Plan in connection with the settlement of any Award(s) designated as “Performance Compensation Awards” in respect of a single Performance Period shall be
907,927 or, in the event such Performance Compensation Award is paid in cash, the equivalent cash value thereof. The maximum number of Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, and Unrestricted Stock that may be granted to any one Participant in any
fiscal year shall be 907,927, and the maximum number of Shares that may be granted as Other Stock-Based Awards to any one Participant in any fiscal year shall be 907,927.
(ii) Shares covered by an Award granted under the Plan shall not be counted unless and until they are actually issued and delivered to a Participant and, therefore, the total number of Shares available
under the Plan as of a given date shall not be reduced by Shares relating to prior Awards that have expired or have been forfeited or cancelled, and upon payment in cash of the benefit provided by any Award, any Shares that were covered by such
Award will be available for issue hereunder. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein: (A) if Shares are tendered or otherwise used in payment of the exercise price of an Option, the total number of Shares covered by the Option
being exercised shall reduce the aggregate limit described in Section 4(a)(i); (B) Shares withheld by the Company to satisfy a tax withholding obligation shall count against the aggregate limit described in Section 4(a)(i); and
(C) the number of Shares covered by a Stock Appreciation Right, to the extent that it is exercised and settled in Shares, and whether or not Shares are actually issued to the Participant upon exercise of the Stock Appreciation Right, shall be
considered issued or transferred pursuant to the Plan. To the extent that any outstanding Award is settled in cash in lieu of Shares, the Shares allocable to such portion of the Award may again be subject to an Award granted under the Plan.
(b)
Adjustments.
In the event that the Committee determines in its reasonable discretion that any dividend or other
distribution (whether in the form of cash, Shares, other securities, or other property), recapitalization, stock split, reverse stock split, reorganization, merger, consolidation, split-up, spin-off, combination, repurchase, or exchange of Shares or
other securities of the Company, issuance of warrants or other rights to purchase Shares or other securities of the Company, or other corporate transaction or event affects the Shares, such that an adjustment is appropriate in order to prevent
dilution or enlargement of the benefits or potential benefits intended to be made available under the Plan, then the Committee shall equitably adjust any or all of (i) the number of Shares or other securities of the Company (or number and kind
of other securities or property) with respect to which Awards may be granted, (ii) the number of Shares or other securities of the Company (or number and kind of other securities or property) subject to outstanding Awards, and (iii) the
grant or exercise price with respect to any Award or, if deemed appropriate, make provision for a cash payment to the holder of an outstanding Award in consideration for the cancellation of such Award, which, in the case of Options and Stock
Appreciation Rights shall equal the excess, if any, of the Fair Market Value of the Share subject to each such Option or Stock Appreciation Right over the per Share exercise price or grant price of such Option or Stock Appreciation Right.
(c)
Substitute Awards
. Awards may, in the discretion of the Committee, be made under the Plan in assumption of, or in
substitution for, outstanding awards previously granted by the Company or its Affiliates or a company acquired by the Company or with which the Company combines (“Substitute Awards”). The number of Shares underlying any Substitute Awards
shall be counted against the aggregate number of Shares available for Awards under the Plan.
(d)
Sources of Shares
Deliverable under Awards.
Any Shares delivered pursuant to an Award may consist, in whole or in part, of authorized and unissued Shares or of treasury Shares.
6
Section 5
.
Eligibility
. Any employee of, or consultant to,
the Company or any of its Affiliates (including any prospective employee or consultant to whom an offer of employment has been or is being extended, provided that vesting in the Award shall not occur before his/her hire date), or nonemployee
director who is a member of the Board or the board of directors of an Affiliate, shall be eligible to be selected as a Participant.
Section 6
.
Stock Options
.
(a)
Grant.
Subject to the terms of the Plan, the Committee shall have sole authority to determine the
Participants to whom Options shall be granted, the number of Shares to be covered by each Option, the exercise price thereof and the conditions and limitations applicable to the exercise of the Option. The Committee shall have the authority to grant
Incentive Stock Options, or to grant Nonqualified Stock Options, or to grant both types of Options. In the case of Incentive Stock Options, the terms and conditions of such grants shall be subject to and comply with such rules as may be prescribed
by Section 422 of the Code, as from time to time amended, and any regulations implementing such statute. All Options when granted under the Plan are intended to be Nonqualified Stock Options, unless the applicable Award Agreement expressly
states that the Option is intended to be an Incentive Stock Option. If an Option is intended to be an Incentive Stock Option, and if for any reason such Option (or any portion thereof) shall not qualify as an Incentive Stock Option, then, to the
extent of such nonqualification, such Option (or portion thereof) shall be regarded as a Nonqualified Stock Option appropriately granted under the Plan;
provided
that such Option (or portion thereof) otherwise complies with the Plan’s
requirements relating to Nonqualified Stock Options. No Option shall be exercisable more than ten (10) years from the date of grant;
provided, however
, that in the case of a Ten Percent Shareholder, no Incentive Stock Option shall be
exercisable later than the fifth (5
th
) year
anniversary of the date of its grant. No Option shall include any feature for the deferral of income other than the deferral of recognition of income until the later of the exercise or disposition of the Option.
(b)
Exercise Price.
The Committee shall determine and establish the exercise price at the time each Option is granted, which
exercise price shall be set forth in the applicable Award Agreement and which shall not be less than one hundred percent (100%) of the Fair Market Value per Share on the date of grant;
provided, however
, if the Option is an Incentive
Stock Option granted to a Ten Percent Shareholder, the exercise price of the Option must not be less than one hundred ten percent (110%) of the Fair Market Value per Share on the date of the grant of the Option.
(c)
Exercise.
Each Option shall be exercisable at such times and subject to such terms and conditions as the Committee may, in its
sole discretion, specify in the applicable Award Agreement. The Committee may impose such conditions with respect to the exercise of Options, including without limitation, any relating to the application of federal or state securities laws, as it
may deem necessary or advisable.
(d)
Payment.
(i) Subject to Section 6(d)(ii), no Shares shall be delivered
pursuant to any exercise of an Option until payment in full of the aggregate exercise price therefore is received by the Company. Such payment may be made in cash, or its equivalent, or (x) by exchanging Shares owned by the optionee (which are
not the subject of any pledge or other security interest and acquired other than through an Incentive Stock Option), or (y) subject to such rules as may be established by the Committee, through delivery of irrevocable instructions to a broker
to sell the Shares otherwise deliverable upon the exercise of the Option and to deliver promptly to the Company an amount equal to the aggregate exercise price or by a combination of the foregoing,
provided
that the combined value of all cash
and cash equivalents and the Fair Market Value of any such Shares so tendered to the Company as of the date of such tender is at least equal to such aggregate exercise price and the taxes, if any, required to be withheld.
(ii) Wherever in this Plan or any Award Agreement a Participant is permitted to pay the exercise price of an Option or taxes relating to
the exercise of an Option by delivering Shares, the Participant may, subject to procedures satisfactory to the Committee, satisfy such delivery requirement by having the Company withhold from the number of Shares otherwise issuable pursuant to the
exercise of the Option a number of Shares with a Fair Market Value equal to such exercise price, in which case the Company shall treat the Option as exercised without further payment and shall withhold such number of Shares from the Shares acquired
by the exercise of the Option.
7
(e) If there is a blackout period under the Company’s insider trading policy or
applicable law (or a Committee-imposed blackout period) that prohibits the buying or selling of Shares during any part of the ten day period before the expiration of any Option based on the termination of a Participant’s employment or services
for the Company, the period for exercising the Options shall be extended until ten days beyond when such blackout period ends. Notwithstanding any provision hereof or within an Award Agreement, no Option shall ever be exercisable after the
expiration date of its original term as set forth in the Award Agreement.
Section 7.
Stock Appreciation
Rights
.
(a)
Grant.
Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Committee shall have sole authority to determine
the Participants to whom Stock Appreciation Rights shall be granted, the number of Shares to be covered by each Stock Appreciation Right Award, the grant price thereof and the conditions and limitations applicable to the exercise thereof. Stock
Appreciation Rights with a grant price equal to or greater than the Fair Market Value per Share as of the date of grant are intended to qualify as “performance-based compensation” under Section 162(m) of the Code. In the sole
discretion of the Committee, Stock Appreciation Rights may, but need not, be intended to qualify as performance-based compensation in accordance with Section 11 hereof. Stock Appreciation Rights may be granted in tandem with another Award, in
addition to another Award, or freestanding and unrelated to another Award. Stock Appreciation Rights granted in tandem with an Award will be granted at the same time as the Award. No Stock Appreciation Right shall be exercisable more than ten years
from the date of grant.
(b)
Exercise and Payment.
A Stock Appreciation Right shall entitle the Participant to receive
an amount equal to the excess of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of exercise of the Stock Appreciation Right over the grant price thereof (which shall not be less than one hundred percent (100%) of the Fair Market Value on the date
of grant). The Committee shall determine in its sole discretion whether a Stock Appreciation Right shall be settled in cash, Shares, or a combination of cash and Shares.
(c)
Other Terms and Conditions.
Subject to the terms of the Plan and any applicable Award Agreement, the Committee shall determine, at the grant of a Stock Appreciation Right, the term, methods of
exercise, methods and form of settlement, and any other terms and conditions of any Stock Appreciation Right. The Committee may impose such conditions or restrictions on the exercise of any Stock Appreciation Right as it shall deem appropriate;
provided
that the Stock Appreciation Right shall not include any feature for the deferral of income other than the deferral of income until the exercise of the Stock Appreciation Right.
Section 8
.
Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units; Unrestricted Stock
.
(a)
Grant.
Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Committee shall have sole authority to determine, when granting Award
Agreements: (i) the Participants to whom Shares of Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units shall be granted, (ii) the number of Shares of Restricted Stock and/or the number of Restricted Stock Units to be granted to each Participant,
(iii) the duration of the period during which, and the conditions, if any, under which, performance based Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units may be forfeited to the Company, and (iv) the other terms and conditions of such Awards.
In addition, the Committee may grant Awards hereunder in the form of Unrestricted Stock which shall vest in full upon the grant date or such other date as the Committee may determine.
(b)
Transfer Restrictions.
Shares of Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units may not be sold, assigned, transferred, pledged,
or otherwise encumbered, except, in the case of Restricted Stock, as provided in the Plan or the applicable Award Agreements. Unless otherwise directed by the Committee, (i) certificates issued in respect of Shares of Restricted Stock shall be
registered in the name of the Participant and deposited by such Participant, together with a stock power endorsed in blank, with the Company, or (ii) Shares of Restricted Stock shall be held at the Company’s transfer agent in book entry
form with appropriate restrictions relating to the transfer of such Shares of Restricted Stock. Upon the lapse of the restrictions applicable to such Shares of Restricted Stock, the Company shall, as applicable, either deliver such certificates to
the Participant or the Participant’s legal representative, or the transfer agent shall remove the restrictions relating to the transfer of such Shares.
(c)
Payment.
Each Restricted Stock Unit shall have a value equal to the Fair Market Value of a Share. Restricted Stock Units shall be paid in cash, Shares, other securities or other property, as
determined in the sole discretion of the Committee, upon the lapse of the restrictions applicable thereto, or otherwise in accordance with the applicable Award Agreement. Dividends paid on any Shares of Restricted Stock shall be paid directly to the
Participant, withheld by the Company subject to vesting of the Restricted Stock pursuant to
8
the terms of the applicable Award Agreement, or may be reinvested in additional Shares of Restricted Stock, as determined by the Committee and specified in the Award Agreement on the date of
grant. Dividends may be credited on Restricted Stock Units as additional Restricted Stock Units, if so determined by the Committee and specified in the Award Agreement on the date of grant.
Section 9
.
Performance Awards
.
(a)
Grant.
The Committee shall have sole authority to determine the Participants who shall receive a “Performance Award,” which shall consist of a right which is (i) denominated in
cash or Shares; (ii) valued, as determined by the Committee, in accordance with the achievement of such Performance Goals during such Performance Periods as the Committee shall establish; and (iii) payable at such time and in such form as
the Committee shall determine and specify in the Award Agreement on the date of grant.
(b)
Terms and Conditions.
Subject to the terms of the Plan and any applicable Award Agreement, the Committee shall determine the Performance Goals to be achieved during any Performance Period, the length of any Performance Period, the amount of any Performance Award, and
the amount and kind of any payment or transfer to he made pursuant to any Performance Award.
(c)
Payment of Performance
Awards. Performance Awards may be paid in a lump sum or in installments following the close of the Performance Period as set forth in the Award Agreement on the date of grant.
Section 10
.
Other Stock-Based Awards
.
(a)
General
. The Committee shall have authority to grant to Participants an “Other Stock-Based Award,” which shall consist of any right which is (i) not an Award described in
Sections 6 through 9 above and (ii) an Award of Shares or an Award denominated or payable in, valued in whole or in part by reference to, or otherwise based on or related to, Shares (including, without limitation, securities convertible into
Shares), as deemed by the Committee to be consistent with the purposes of the Plan;
provided
that any such rights must comply, to the extent deemed desirable by the Committee, with Rule 16b-3 and applicable law, including Code
Section 409A. Subject to the terms of the Plan and any applicable Award Agreement, the Committee shall determine the terms and conditions of any such Other Stock-Based Award, including the price, if any, at which securities may be purchased
pursuant to any Other Stock-Based Award granted under this Plan.
(b)
Dividend Equivalents.
In the sole discretion of
the Committee, an Award (other than Options or Stock Appreciation Rights), whether made as an Other Stock-Based Award under this Section 10 or as an Award granted pursuant to Sections 6 through 9 hereof, may provide the Participant with
dividends or dividend equivalents, payable in cash, Shares, other securities, or other property on a current or deferred basis consistent with Code Section 409A;
provided,
that in the case of Awards with respect to which any applicable
Performance Criteria have not been achieved, dividend equivalents may be paid only on a deferred basis, to the extent the underlying Award vests.
Section 11.
Performance Compensation Awards
.
(a)
General
. The Committee shall have the authority, at the time of grant of any Award described in Sections 6 through 10 of the Plan (other than Options and Stock Appreciation Rights), to designate such Award, in the applicable Award Agreement,
as a Performance Compensation Award in order to qualify such Award as “performance-based compensation” under Section 162(m) of the Code.
(b)
Eligibility.
The Committee will, in its sole discretion, designate within the first ninety (90) days of a Performance Period (or, if longer, within the maximum period allowed under
Section 162(m) of the Code) which Participants will be eligible to receive Performance Compensation Awards in respect of such Performance Period. Designation of a Participant eligible to receive an Award hereunder for a Performance Period shall
not in any manner entitle the Participant to receive payment in respect of any Performance Compensation Award for such Performance Period. The determination as to whether or not such Participant becomes entitled to payment in respect of any
Performance Compensation Award shall be decided solely in accordance with the provisions of this Section 11. Moreover, designation of a Participant eligible to receive an Award hereunder for a particular Performance Period shall not require
designation of such Participant eligible to
9
receive an Award hereunder in any subsequent Performance Period and designation of one person as a Participant eligible to receive an Award hereunder shall not require designation of any other
person as a Participant eligible to receive an Award hereunder in such period or in any other period.
(c)
Discretion of
Committee with Respect to Performance Compensation Awards.
With regard to a particular Performance Period, the Committee shall have full discretion to select the length of such Performance Period, the type(s) of Performance Compensation Awards
to be issued, the Performance Criteria that will be used to establish the Performance Goal(s), the kind(s) and/or level(s) of the Performance Goal(s) is/are to apply to the Company, and the Performance Formula. Within the first ninety (90) days
of a Performance Period (or, if longer, within the maximum period allowed under Section 162(m) of the Code), the Committee shall, with regard to the Performance Compensation Awards to be issued for such Performance Period, exercise its
discretion with respect to each of the matters enumerated in the immediately preceding sentence of this Section 11(c) and record the same in writing.
(d)
Payment of Performance Compensation Awards.
(i) Unless otherwise provided in the applicable Award Agreement, a Participant must be employed by the Company on the last day of a Performance
Period to be eligible for payment in respect of a Performance Compensation Award for such Performance Period.
(ii)
Limitation.
A Participant shall be eligible to receive payment in respect of a Performance Compensation Award only to the extent that: (1) the Performance Goals for such period are achieved; and (2) the Performance Formula as
applied against such Performance Goals determines that all or some portion of such Participant’s Performance Award has been earned for the Performance Period.
(iii)
Certification
. Following the completion of a Performance Period, the Committee shall meet to review and certify in writing whether, and to what extent, the Performance Goals for the
Performance Period have been achieved and, if so, to calculate and certify in writing that amount of the Performance Compensation Awards earned for the period based upon the Performance Formula. The Committee shall then determine the actual size of
each Participant’s Performance Compensation Award for the Performance Period and, in so doing, may apply Negative Discretion, if and when it deems appropriate.
(iv)
Negative Discretion
. In determining the actual size of an individual Performance Compensation Award, designated as such in the applicable Award Agreement, for a Performance Period, the
Committee may reduce or eliminate the amount of the Performance Compensation Award earned under the Performance Formula in the Performance Period through the use of Negative Discretion if, in its sole judgment, such reduction or elimination is
appropriate.
(v)
Timing of Award Payments.
The Awards granted for a Performance Period shall be paid to Participants
as soon as administratively possible following completion of the certifications required by this Section 11;
provided
that in no event shall any Award granted for a Performance Period be paid later than the fifteenth day of the third
month following the end of the calendar year in which the Award becomes vests (within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code) pursuant to the applicable Award Agreement.
(vi)
Maximum Award Payable.
As provided in Section 4(a)(i) hereof, the maximum Performance Compensation Award payable to any
one Participant under the Plan for a Performance Period is 907,927 Shares or, in the event the Performance Compensation Award is paid in cash, the equivalent cash value thereof on the last day of the Performance Period to which such Award relates.
Furthermore, any Performance Compensation Award that has been deferred shall not (between the date as of which the Award is deferred and the payment date) increase (i) with respect to the Performance Compensation Award that is payable in cash,
by a measuring factor for each fiscal year greater than a reasonable rate of interest set by the Committee
prior to
the applicable fiscal year; or (ii) with respect to a Performance Compensation Award that is payable in Shares, by an
amount greater than the appreciation of a Share from the date such Award is deferred to the payment date.
Section 12
.
Amendment and Termination
.
(a)
Amendments to the Plan
. The Board may amend, alter, suspend, discontinue, or terminate the Plan or any portion thereof at any
time;
provided
that if an amendment to the Plan that (i) would materially increase the benefits accruing to Participants under the Plan; (ii) would materially increase the number of
10
securities which may be issued under the Plan; (iii) would materially modify the requirements for participation in the Plan; or (iv) must otherwise be approved by the stockholders of
the Company in order to comply with applicable law or the rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market, or, if the Shares are not traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market, the principal national securities exchange upon which the Shares are traded or quoted; such
amendment will be subject to stockholder approval and will not be effective unless and until such approval has been obtained;
and provided, further,
that any such amendment, alteration, suspension, discontinuance, or termination that would
impair the rights of any Participant or any holder or beneficiary of any Award previously granted shall not be effective without the written consent of the affected Participant, holder, or beneficiary.
(b)
Amendments to Awards
. The Committee may waive any conditions or rights under, amend any terms of, or alter, suspend,
discontinue, cancel, or terminate, any Award theretofore granted;
provided
that any such waiver, amendment, alteration, suspension, discontinuance, cancellation, or termination that would impair the rights of any Participant or any holder or
beneficiary of any Award previously granted shall not be effective without the written consent of the affected Participant, holder or beneficiary.
(c)
Adjustment of Awards upon the Occurrence of Certain Unusual or Nonrecurring Events.
The Committee is hereby authorized to make equitable adjustments in the terms and conditions of, and the
criteria included in, all outstanding Awards in recognition of unusual or nonrecurring events (including, without limitation, the events described in Section 4(b) hereof) affecting the Company, any Affiliate, or the financial statements of the
Company or any Affiliate, or of changes in applicable laws, regulations, or accounting principles, whenever the Committee determines, after consultation with its advisors, that such adjustments are appropriate in order to prevent dilution or
enlargement of the benefits or potential benefits intended to be made available under the Plan.
(d)
Repricing.
Except
in connection with a corporate transaction or event described in Section 4(b) hereof, the terms of outstanding Awards may not be amended to reduce the exercise price of Options or the grant price of Stock Appreciation Rights, or cancel Options
or Stock Appreciation Rights in exchange for cash, other awards or Options or Stock Appreciation Rights with an exercise price or grant price, as applicable, that is less than the exercise price of the original Options or grant price of the original
Stock Appreciation Rights, as applicable, without stockholder approval.
Section 13
.
Change of
Control
.
(a) Except as otherwise provided in an Award Agreement or by the Committee in a written resolution at the
date of grant, to the extent outstanding Awards granted under this Plan are not assumed, converted, or replaced by the resulting entity in the event of a Change of Control, all outstanding Options and Stock Appreciation Rights shall become fully
exercisable, all restrictions with respect to outstanding Awards shall lapse and such Awards shall become vested and non-forfeitable, and any specified Performance Goals with respect to outstanding Awards shall be deemed to be satisfied at target,
provided
that payment of restricted and Performance Awards or Performance Compensation Awards shall be made in accordance with Section 13(d).
(b) Except as otherwise provided in an Award Agreement or by the Committee in a written resolution at the date of grant or thereafter, to the extent outstanding Awards granted under this Plan are assumed,
converted, or replaced by the resulting entity in the event of a Change of Control, (i) any outstanding Awards that are subject to Performance Goals shall be converted by the resulting entity as if target performance had been achieved as of the
date of the Change of Control; (ii) each Performance Award or Performance Compensation Award with service requirements shall continue to vest with respect to such requirements during the remaining period set forth in the Award Agreement; and
(iii) all other Awards shall continue to vest (and/or the restrictions thereon shall continue to lapse) during the remaining periods set forth in the Award Agreement.
(c) Except as otherwise provided in an Award Agreement or by the Committee in a written resolution at the date of grant or thereafter, to the extent outstanding Awards granted under this Plan are either
assumed, converted, or replaced by the resulting entity in the event of a Change of Control, if a Participant’s employment or service is terminated without Cause by the Company or an Affiliate or a Participant terminates his or her employment
or service with the Company or an Affiliate for Good Reason (if applicable), in either case, during the twenty four (24) month period following a Change of Control, all outstanding Options and Stock Appreciation Rights held by the Participant
shall become fully exercisable and all restrictions with respect to outstanding Awards shall lapse and become vested and non-forfeitable.
11
(d) Notwithstanding anything in this Plan or any Award Agreement to the contrary, to the
extent any provision of this Plan or an Award Agreement would cause a payment of nonqualified deferred compensation that is subject to Section 409A of the Code to be made upon the occurrence of (i) a Change of Control, then such payment
shall not be made unless such Change of Control also constitutes a “change in ownership,” “change in effective control,” or “change in ownership of a substantial portion of the Company’s assets” within the meaning
of Section 409A of the Code or (ii) a termination of employment or service, then such payment shall not be made unless such termination of employment or service also constitutes a “separation from service” within the meaning of
Section 409A of the Code. Any payment that does not comply with the preceding sentence shall be made in accordance with the payment schedule that would have applied in the absence of a Change of Control or termination of employment or service,
but disregarding any performance requirements and substituting the passage of time for any future service requirements and any Performance Periods. If a Change of Control constitutes a “change of control” within the meaning of Code
Section 409A, any required payment shall be made in a lump sum within ten business days of the Change of Control unless the Award Agreement specifies otherwise. If a termination following a Change of Control qualifies as a “separation from
service” within the meaning of Code Section 409A, distribution will be made in a lump sum within sixty (60) days of the separation from service date unless the Award Agreement specifies otherwise.
Section 14
.
General Provisions
.
(a)
Nontransferability
.
(i) Each Award, and each right under any Award,
shall be exercisable only by the Participant during the Participant’s lifetime, or, if permissible under applicable law, by the Participant’s legal guardian or representative.
(ii) No Award may be sold, assigned, alienated, pledged, attached, or otherwise transferred or encumbered by a Participant otherwise than
by will or by the laws of descent and distribution, and any such purported sale, assignment, alienation, pledge, attachment, transfer or encumbrance shall be void and unenforceable against the Company or any Affiliate;
provided
that the
designation of a beneficiary shall not constitute a sale, assignment, alienation, pledge, attachment, transfer or encumbrance.
(b)
No Rights to Awards
.
No Participant or other Person shall have any claim to be granted any Award, and there is no
obligation for uniformity of treatment of Participants, or holders or beneficiaries of Awards. The terms and conditions of Awards and the Committee’s determinations and interpretations with respect thereto need not be the same with respect to
each Participant (whether or not such Participants are similarly situated).
(c)
Share Certificates
. Shares or other
securities of the Company delivered under the Plan pursuant to any Award or the exercise thereof shall be subject to such stop transfer orders and other restrictions as the Committee may deem advisable under the Plan or the rules, regulations, and
other requirements of the SEC, any stock exchange upon which such Shares or other securities are then listed, and any applicable Federal or state laws, and the Committee may cause a legend or legends to be put on any such certificates to make
appropriate reference to such restrictions.
(d)
Withholding.
(i) A Participant may be required to pay to the
Company or any Affiliate, and the Company or any Affiliate shall have the right and is hereby authorized to withhold from any Award, from any payment due, or transfer made under any Award or under the Plan, or from any compensation or other amount
owing to a Participant the amount (in cash, Shares, other securities, other Awards or other property) of any applicable withholding taxes in respect of an Award, its exercise, or any payment, or transfer under an Award or under the Plan and to take
such other action as may be necessary in the opinion of the Company to satisfy all obligations for the payment of such taxes.
(ii) Without limiting the generality of clause (i) above, a Participant may satisfy, in whole or in part, the foregoing withholding
liability by delivery of Shares owned by the Participant (which are not subject to any pledge or other security interest) with a Fair Market Value equal to such withholding liability or by having the Company withhold from the number of Shares
otherwise issuable pursuant to the exercise of the Option a number of Shares with a Fair Market Value equal to such withholding liability.
12
(e)
Award Agreements
. Each Award hereunder shall he evidenced by an Award Agreement
which shall he delivered to the Participant and shall specify the terms and conditions of the Award and any rules applicable thereto, including but not limited to the effect on such Award of the death, disability, or termination of employment or
service of a Participant and the effect, if any, of such other events as may he determined by the Committee.
(f)
No Limit
on Other Compensation Arrangements.
Nothing contained in the Plan shall prevent the Company or any Affiliate from adopting or continuing in effect other compensation arrangements, which may, but need not, provide for the grant of options,
restricted stock, shares and other types of awards provided for hereunder (subject to stockholder approval if such approval is required), and such arrangements may be either generally applicable or applicable only in specific cases.
(g)
No Right to Employment.
The grant of an Award shall not be construed as giving a Participant the right to be retained in the
employ of, or in any consulting relationship to, or as a director on the Board or board of directors, as applicable, of, the Company or any Affiliate. Further, the Company or an Affiliate may at any time dismiss a Participant from employment or
discontinue any consulting relationship, free from any liability or any claim under the Plan, unless otherwise expressly provided in any applicable employment contract or agreement.
(h)
No Rights as Stockholder
. Subject to the provisions of the applicable Award, no Participant or holder or beneficiary of any
Award shall have any rights as a stockholder with respect to any Shares to be distributed under the Plan until he or she has become the holder of such Shares. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in connection with each grant of Restricted Stock
hereunder, the applicable Award shall specify if and to what extent the Participant shall not be entitled to the rights of a stockholder in respect of such Restricted Stock.
(i)
Governing Law
. The validity, construction, and effect of the Plan and any rules and regulations relating to the Plan and any Award Agreement shall be determined in accordance with the laws of
the State of Delaware, applied without giving effect to its conflict of laws principles.
(j)
Severability
. If any
provision of the Plan or any Award is or becomes or is deemed to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable in any jurisdiction or as to any Person or Award, or would disqualify the Plan or any Award under any law deemed applicable by the Committee, such
provision shall be construed or deemed amended to conform to the applicable laws, or if it cannot be construed or deemed amended without, in the determination of the Committee, materially altering the intent of the Plan or the Award, such provision
shall he stricken as to such jurisdiction, Person, or Award and the remainder of the Plan and any such Award shall remain in full force and effect.
(k)
Other Laws
.
The Committee may refuse to issue or transfer any Shares or other consideration under an Award if, acting in its sole discretion, it determines that the issuance or transfer
of such Shares or such other consideration might violate any applicable law or regulation or entitle the Company to recover the same under Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act, and any payment tendered to the Company by a Participant, other
holder, or beneficiary in connection with the exercise of such Award shall be promptly refunded to the relevant Participant, holder, or beneficiary. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, no Award granted hereunder shall be construed as
an offer to sell securities of the Company, and no such offer shall be outstanding, unless and until the Committee in its sole discretion has determined that any such offer, if made, would be in compliance with all applicable requirements of the
U.S. federal securities laws.
(l)
No Trust or Fund Created.
Neither the Plan nor any Award shall create or be
construed to create a trust or separate fund of any kind or a fiduciary relationship between the Company or any Affiliate and a Participant or any other Person. To the extent that any Person acquires a right to receive payments from the Company or
any Affiliate pursuant to an Award, such right shall be no greater than the right of any unsecured general creditor of the Company or any Affiliate.
(m)
No Fractional Shares.
No fractional Shares shall be issued or delivered pursuant to the Plan or any Award, and the Committee shall determine whether cash, other securities, or other property
shall be paid or transferred in lieu of any fractional Shares or whether such fractional Shares or any rights thereto shall he canceled, terminated, or otherwise eliminated.
13
(n)
Deferrals.
In the event the Committee permits a Participant to defer any Award
payable in the form of cash, all such elective deferrals shall be accomplished by the delivery of a written, irrevocable election by the Participant on a form provided by the Company. All deferrals shall be made in accordance with administrative
guidelines established by the Committee to ensure that such deferrals comply with all applicable requirements of Section 409A of the Code.
(o)
Disqualifying Dispositions
. A Participant shall be obligated to give the Company or any Affiliate for which the Participant works notice of any disposition of any Incentive Stock Option prior
to the applicable holding periods.
(p)
Headings
.
Headings are given to the Sections and subsections of the Plan
solely as a convenience to facilitate reference. Such headings shall not be deemed in any way material or relevant to the construction or interpretation of the Plan or any provision thereof.
Section 15
.
Compliance with Section 409A of the Code
.
(a) To the extent applicable, it is intended that this Plan and any grants made hereunder comply with the provisions of Section 409A
of the Code, so that the income inclusion provisions of Section 409A(a)(1) of the Code do not apply to the Participants. This Plan and any grants made hereunder shall be administered in a manner consistent with this intent.
(b) Neither a Participant nor any of a Participant’s creditors or beneficiaries shall have the right to subject any deferred
compensation (within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code) payable under this Plan and grants hereunder to any anticipation, alienation, sale, transfer, assignment, pledge, encumbrance, attachment, or garnishment. Except as permitted under
Section 409A of the Code, any deferred compensation (within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code) payable to a Participant or for a Participant’s benefit under this Plan and grants hereunder may not be reduced by, or offset
against, any amount owing by a Participant to the Company or any of its Affiliates.
(c) If, at the time of a
Participant’s separation from service (within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code), (i) the Participant shall be a specified employee (within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code and using the identification methodology
selected by the Company from time to time) and (ii) the Company shall make a good faith determination that an amount payable hereunder constitutes deferred compensation (within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code) the payment of which
is required to be delayed pursuant to the six- (6-) month delay rule set forth in Section 409A of the Code in order to avoid taxes or penalties under Section 409A of the Code, then the Company shall not pay such amount on the otherwise
scheduled payment date but shall instead pay it, with interest, on the earlier of the first business day of the seventh month following the separation from service date or within 60 days following the date of death.
(d) Notwithstanding any provision of this Plan and grants hereunder to the contrary, in light of the uncertainty
with respect to the proper application of Section 409A of the Code, the Company may unilaterally in its sole discretion amend this Plan and grants hereunder as the Company deems necessary or desirable to avoid the imposition of taxes or
penalties under Section 409A of the Code. In any case, a Participant shall he solely responsible and liable for the satisfaction of all taxes and penalties that may he imposed on a Participant or for a Participant’s account in connection
with this Plan and grants hereunder (
.
including any taxes and
penalties under Section 409A of the Code), and neither the Company nor any of its Affiliates shall have any obligation to indemnify or otherwise hold a Participant harmless from any or all of such taxes or penalties.
Section 16
Term of the Plan
.
(a)
Effective Date.
The Plan shall be effective as of the closing date of the Company’s initial public offering (the “Effective Date”), subject to prior approval of the Plan by both
the Board and the stockholders of the Company.
(b)
Expiration Date.
No grant will be made under this Plan more than
ten (10) years after the date of its approval by the Board (or by the stockholders of the Company, if earlier), but all grants made on or prior to such date will continue in effect thereafter subject to the terms thereof and of this Plan.
* * *
14
