UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 

FORM 6-K

 

REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER

PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-16 OR 15d-16 OF THE

SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

For the month of, January 2022

 

Commission File Number 001-40848

 

GUARDFORCE AI CO., LIMITED

(Translation of registrant’s name into English)

 

10 Anson Road, #28-01 International Plaza

Singapore 079903

 (Address of principal executive offices)

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F: Form 20-F ☒ Form 40-F ☐

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1): ☐

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7): ☐

 

 

 

 

 

 

2022 Equity Incentive Plan

 

On January 25, 2022, the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Guardforce AI Co., Limited (the “Company”) approved the Guardforce AI Co., Limited 2022 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”). The adoption of the Plan does not require shareholder approval as the Company is relying on the home country practice in lieu of the shareholder approval requirement under the Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c).

 

The Plan provides for an aggregate of 3,180,000 ordinary shares, in the form of incentive share options, non-qualified share options, restricted shares, restricted share units, share appreciation rights, performance share awards and performance compensation awards to employees, directors, and consultants of the Company or any affiliates of the Company.

 

The purposes of the Plan are to (a) promote the long-term growth and profitability of the Company, and any affiliate to attract and retain the types of employees, consultants and directors who will contribute to the Company’s long-term success; (b) provide incentives that align the interests of employees, consultants and directors with those of the shareholders of the Company; and (c) promote the success of the Company’s business.

 

The following is a summarized description of the Plan. Capitalized terms not defined herein shall have the meaning given to them in the Plan.

 

Administration of the Plan: The Plan is currently administered by compensation committee of the Board, or the Committee. Among other things, the Committee has the authority to construe and interpret the Plan, to select persons who will receive awards, to determine the types of awards and the number of shares to be covered by awards, and to establish the terms, conditions, performance criteria, restrictions and other provisions of awards.

 

Participant: Persons eligible to receive awards under the Plan will be those employees, consultants, and directors of the Company and its affiliates who are selected by the Committee. 

 

Share Options:

 

General. Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Committee has the authority to determine all grants of share options. That determination will include: (i) the number of shares subject to any option; (ii) the exercise price per share; (iii) the expiration date of the option; (iv) the manner, time and date of permitted exercise; (v) other restrictions, if any, on the option or the shares underlying the option; and (vi) any other terms and conditions as the Committee may determine. No fractional ordinary shares shall be issued or delivered pursuant to the Plan.

 

Option Price. The exercise price for share options will be determined at the time of grant. The exercise price will not be less than the fair market value on the date of grant. The exercise price for any incentive share option award may not be less than the fair market value of the shares on the date of grant. A ten percent shareholder shall not be granted an incentive share option unless the option exercise price is at least 110% of the fair market value of the ordinary share at the grant date and the option is not exercisable after the expiration of five years from the grant date.

 

Exercise of Options. An option may be exercised only in accordance with the terms and conditions for the option agreement as established by the Committee at the time of the grant. The option must be exercised by notice to the Company, accompanied by payment of the exercise price. Payments may be made in cash or, at the option of the Committee, by actual or constructive delivery of ordinary shares to the holder of the option based upon the fair market value of the shares on the date of exercise.

 

Expiration of Options. If not previously exercised, an option will expire on the expiration date established by the Committee at the time of grant. The term of a non-qualified share option granted under the Plan shall be determined by the Committee; provided, however, no non-qualified share option shall be exercisable after the expiration of 10 years from the grant date.

  

Vesting Schedule. Awards shall vest as determined by the Committee.

 

Incentive and Non-Qualified Options.  As described elsewhere in this summary, an incentive share option is an option that is intended to qualify under certain provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or the Code, for more favorable tax treatment than applies to non-qualified share options. Any option that does not qualify as an incentive share option will be a non-qualified share option. Under the Code, certain restrictions apply to incentive share options. For example, the exercise price for incentive share options may not be less than the fair market value of the shares on the grant date and the term of the option may not exceed ten years. In addition, an incentive share option may not be transferred, other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution, and is exercisable during the holder’s lifetime only by the holder. In addition, no incentive share options may be granted to a holder that is first exercisable in a single year if that option, together with all incentive share options previously granted to the holder that also first become exercisable in that year, relate to shares having an aggregate fair market value in excess of $100,000, measured at the grant date.

 

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Share Appreciation Rights: Share appreciation rights, or SARs, may be granted alone or in tandem with share options. A SAR is a right to receive a payment in ordinary shares or cash (as determined by the Committee) equal in value to the excess of the fair market value of one share of ordinary share on the date of exercise over the exercise price per share established in connection with the grant of the SAR. The exercise price per share of ordinary share subject to a SAR may not be less than fair market value at the time of grant.

 

Restricted Awards:    Restricted awards are awards of ordinary shares or hypothetical ordinary shares units having a value equal to the fair market value of an identical number of ordinary shares. Restricted awards are forfeitable and non-transferable until the awards vest. The vesting date or dates and other conditions for vesting are established when the shares are awarded. Restricted share holders generally have the rights of a shareholder with respect to the shares, including the right to receive dividends, the right to vote the shares of restricted share and, conditioned upon full vesting of shares of restricted share, the right to tender such shares, subject to the conditions and restrictions generally applicable to restricted share or specifically set forth in the recipient’s restricted share agreement. The Committee may determine at the time of award that the payment of dividends, if any, will be deferred until the expiration of the applicable restriction period. Restricted share unit holders will have no voting rights with respect to any restricted share units. Restricted share units may also be granted with a deferral feature, whereby settlement is deferred beyond the vesting date until the occurrence of a future payment date or event set forth in the award agreement. The Committee may provide that the restricted share units will be credited with cash and share dividends paid by the Company in respect of one share of ordinary shares, or Dividend Equivalents. Dividend Equivalents will be deferred until the expiration of the applicable restriction period.

 

Performance Compensation Awards: The Plan also provides for performance compensation awards, representing the right to receive a payment, which may be in the form of cash, ordinary shares, or a combination, based on the attainment of pre-established goals set forth in the applicable award agreement. Performance compensation awards that become vested following the achievement of the performance goals will be paid to participants as soon as administratively practicable following completion of the certification of the achievement of the performance goals by the Committee but in no event later than 2 1/2 months following the end of the fiscal year during which the performance period is completed.

 

Performance Criteria.   Under the Plan, one or more performance criteria will be used by the Committee in establishing performance goals. Any one or more of the performance criteria may be used on an absolute or relative basis to measure the performance, as the Administrator may deem appropriate, or as compared to the performance of a group of comparable companies, or published or special index that the Committee deems appropriate. In determining the actual size of an individual performance compensation award, the Committee may reduce or eliminate the amount of the award through the use of negative discretion if, in its sole judgment, such reduction or elimination is appropriate. The Committee will not have the discretion to grant or provide payment in respect of performance compensation awards if the performance goals have not been attained.

 

Governing Law. The Plan, all award agreements, the grant and exercise of awards thereunder, and the sale, issuance and delivery of ordinary shares thereunder upon exercise of awards are governed by the laws of Cayman Islands.

 

Other Material Provisions. Awards will be evidenced by a written agreement, in such form as may be approved by the Committee. In the event of various changes to Company capitalization, such as stock splits, stock dividends and similar re-capitalizations, an appropriate adjustment will be made by the Committee to the number of shares covered by outstanding awards or to the exercise price of such awards. The Committee is also permitted to include in the written agreement provisions that provide for certain changes in the award in the event of a change of control of the Company, including acceleration of vesting. Except as otherwise determined by the Committee at the date of grant, awards will not be transferable, other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution. The Committee also has the authority to alter or amend the Plan or any outstanding award or may terminate the Plan as to further grants, provided that no amendment will, to the extent that such approval is required by law or the rules of an applicable exchange, increase the number of shares available under the Plan, change the persons eligible for awards under the Plan, extend the time within which awards may be made, or amend the provisions of the Plan related to amendments. The Plan will terminate automatically on January 25, 2032. No amendment that would adversely affect any outstanding award made under the Plan can be made without the consent of the holder of such award.

 

The foregoing description of the Plan is qualified in its entirety by reference to the text of the Plan, a copy of which is incorporated by reference as Exhibit 4.1 hereto. The form of share option agreement, the form of restricted share award agreement and the form of restricted share units award agreement approved by the Board are also attached as Exhibits 10.1, 10.2 and 10.3 hereto, respectively.

 

On January 25, 2022, pursuant to the Plan the Committee approved the issuance of 260,000 restricted ordinary shares to certain directors, officers and employees. Such granted restricted ordinary shares have vested upon issuance.

 

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EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit No.     Description
4.1   Guardforce AI Co., Limited 2022 Equity Incentive Plan
10.1   Form of Share Option Agreement
10.2   Form of Restricted Share Award Agreement
10.3   Form of Restricted Share Units Award Agreement

 

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SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

 

Date: January 27, 2022 Guardforce AI Co., Limited
     
  By: /s/ Lei Wang
  Lei Wang
  Chief Executive Officer

 

 

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Exhibit 4.1

 

GUARDFORCE AI CO., LIMITED

 

2022 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN

 

1. Purpose; Eligibility.

 

1.1. General Purpose. The name of this plan is the Guardforce AI Co., Limited 2022 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”). The purposes of the Plan are to (a) promote the long-term growth and profitability of Guardforce AI Co., Limited, an exempted company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands (the “Company”), and any Affiliate to attract and retain the types of Employees, Consultants and Directors who will contribute to the Company’s long-term success; (b) provide incentives that align the interests of Employees, Consultants and Directors with those of the shareholders of the Company; and (c) promote the success of the Company’s business.

 

1.2. Eligible Award Recipients. The persons eligible to receive Awards are the Employees, Consultants and Directors of the Company and its Affiliates and such other individuals designated by the Committee who are reasonably expected to become Employees, Consultants and Directors after the receipt of Awards.

 

1.3. Available Awards. Awards that may be granted under the Plan include: (a) Incentive Share Options, (b) Non-qualified Share Options, (c) Share Appreciation Rights, (d) Restricted Awards, (e) Performance Share Awards, (f) Performance Compensation Awards, and other share-based Awards as the Committee may determine.

 

2. Definitions.

 

Affiliate” means a corporation or other entity that, directly or through one or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by or is under common control with, the Company, including, without limitation, any corporation that is a “parent corporation” or a “subsidiary corporation” with respect to the Company within the meaning of Section 424(e) or (f) of the Code, and any other non-corporate entity that would be such a subsidiary corporation if such entity were a corporation.

 

Applicable Laws” means (i) laws of Cayman Islands as they relate to the Company and its Ordinary Shares, (ii) the legal requirements relating to the Plan and the Awards under applicable provisions of the corporate, securities, tax and other laws, rules, regulations and government orders; and (iii) the rules of any applicable stock exchange, of any jurisdiction applicable to Awards granted to residents therein.

 

Award” means any right granted under the Plan, including an Incentive Share Option, a Non- qualified Share Option, a Share Appreciation Right, a Restricted Award, a Performance Share Award or a Performance Compensation Award.

 

Award Agreement” means a written agreement, contract, certificate or other instrument or document evidencing the terms and conditions of an individual Award granted under the Plan which may, in the discretion of the Company, be transmitted electronically to any Participant. Each Award Agreement shall be subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan.

 

Beneficial Owner” has the meaning assigned to such term in Rule 13d-3 and Rule 13d-5 under the Exchange Act, except that in calculating the beneficial ownership of any particular “person” (as that term is used in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act), such “person” shall be deemed to have beneficial ownership of all securities that such “person” has the right to acquire by conversion or exercise of other securities, whether such right is currently exercisable or is exercisable only after the passage of time. The terms “Beneficially Owns” and “Beneficially Owned” have a corresponding meaning.

 

 

 

 

Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company, as constituted at any time.

 

Cause” means:

 

 With respect to any Employee or Consultant: (a) if the Employee or Consultant is a party to an employment or service agreement with the Company or its Affiliates and such agreement provides for a definition of Cause, the definition contained therein; or (b) if no such agreement exists, or if such agreement does not define Cause: (i) the commission of, or plea of guilty or no contest to, a felony or a crime involving moral turpitude or the commission of any other act involving willful malfeasance or material fiduciary breach with respect to the Company or an Affiliate; (ii) conduct that results in or is reasonably likely to result in harm to the reputation or business of the Company or any of its Affiliates; (iii) gross negligence or willful misconduct with respect to the Company or an Affiliate; or (iv) material violation of state or federal securities laws.

 

With respect to any Director, a determination by a majority of the disinterested Board members that the Director has engaged in any of the following: (a) malfeasance in office; (b) gross misconduct or neglect; (c) false or fraudulent misrepresentation inducing the director’s appointment; (d) willful conversion of corporate funds; or (e) repeated failure to participate in Board meetings on a regular basis despite having received proper notice of the meetings in advance.

 

The Committee, in its absolute discretion, shall determine the effect of all matters and questions relating to whether a Participant has been discharged for Cause.

 

Change in Control” means (a) the direct or indirect sale, transfer, conveyance or other disposition (other than by way of merger or consolidation), in one or a series of related transactions, of all or substantially all of the properties or assets of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, to any Person that is not a subsidiary of the Company; (b) the Incumbent Directors cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the Board; (c) the date which is 10 business days prior to the consummation of a complete liquidation or dissolution of the Company; (d) the acquisition by any person of beneficial ownership of more than 50% (on a fully diluted basis) of the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities of the Company entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, taking into account as outstanding for this purpose Ordinary Shares issuable upon the exercise of options or warrants, the conversion of convertible share or debt, and the exercise of any similar right to acquire Ordinary Shares (the “Outstanding Company Voting Securities”); provided, however, that for purposes of this Plan, the following acquisitions shall not constitute a Change in Control: (A) any acquisition by the Company or any Affiliate, (B) any acquisition by any employee benefit plan sponsored or maintained by the Company or any subsidiary, (C) any acquisition which complies with clauses, (i), (ii) and (iii) of subsection (e) of this definition or (D) in respect of an Award held by a particular Participant, any acquisition by the Participant or any group of persons including the Participant (or any entity controlled by the Participant or any group of persons including the Participant); or (e) the consummation of a reorganization, merger, consolidation, statutory share exchange or similar form of corporate transaction involving the Company that requires the approval of the Company’s shareholders, whether for such transaction or the issuance of securities in the transaction (a “Business Combination”), unless immediately following such Business Combination: (i) more than 50% of the total voting power of (A) the entity resulting from such Business Combination (the “Surviving Company”), or (B) if applicable, the ultimate parent entity that directly or indirectly has beneficial ownership of sufficient voting securities eligible to elect a majority of the members of the board of directors (or the analogous governing body) of the Surviving Company (the “Parent Company”), is represented by the Outstanding Company Voting Securities that were outstanding immediately prior to such Business Combination (or, if applicable, is represented by shares into which the Outstanding Company Voting Securities were converted pursuant to such Business Combination), and such voting power among the holders thereof is in substantially the same proportion as the voting power of the Outstanding Company Voting Securities among the holders thereof immediately prior to the Business Combination; (ii) no Person (other than any employee benefit plan sponsored or maintained by the Surviving Company or the Parent Company) is or becomes the Beneficial Owner, directly or indirectly, of 50% or more of the total voting power of the outstanding voting securities eligible to elect members of the board of directors of the Parent Company (or the analogous governing body) (or, if there is no Parent Company, the Surviving Company); and (iii) at least a majority of the members of the board of directors (or the analogous governing body) of the Parent Company (or, if there is no Parent Company, the Surviving Company) following the consummation of the Business Combination were Board members at the time of the Board’s approval of the execution of the initial agreement providing for such Business Combination. The foregoing notwithstanding, if the Award constitutes non-qualified deferred compensation under Section 409A of the Code, in no event shall a Change in Control be deemed to have occurred unless such change shall satisfy the definition of a change in control under Section 409A of the Code.

 

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Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and any successor thereto. References in this Plan to any section of the Code shall be deemed to include any regulations or other interpretative guidance under such section, and any amendments or successor provisions to such section, regulations or guidance.

 

Committee” means the compensation committee of the Board, or if no such committee has been established, the full Board, or a committee of one or more members appointed to administer the Plan in accordance with Section 3.3 and Section 3.4.

 

Consultant” means any individual who is engaged by the Company or any Affiliate to render consulting or advisory services.

 

Continuous Service” means that the Participant’s service with the Company or an Affiliate, whether as an Employee, Consultant or Director, is not interrupted or terminated. The Participant’s Continuous Service shall not be deemed to have terminated merely because of a change in the capacity in which the Participant renders service to the Company or an Affiliate as an Employee, Consultant or Director or a change in the entity for which the Participant renders such service, provided that there is no interruption or termination of the Participant’s Continuous Service; provided further that if any Award is subject to Section 409A of the Code, this sentence shall only be given effect to the extent consistent with Section 409A of the Code. For example, a change in status from an Employee of the Company to a Director of an Affiliate will not constitute an interruption of Continuous Service unless otherwise required by Section 409A of the Code. The Committee or its delegate, in its sole discretion, may determine whether Continuous Service shall be considered interrupted in the case of any leave of absence approved by that party, including sick leave, military leave or any other personal or family leave of absence.

 

Director” means a member of the Board.

 

Disability” means that the Participant is unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment; provided, however, for purposes of determining the term of an Incentive Share Option pursuant to Section 6.10 hereof, the term Disability shall have the meaning ascribed to it under Section 22(e)(3) of the Code. The determination of whether an individual has a Disability shall be determined under procedures established by the Committee. Except in situations where the Committee is determining Disability for purposes of the term of an Incentive Share Option pursuant to Section 6.10 hereof within the meaning of Section 22(e)(3) of the Code, the Committee may rely on any determination that a Participant is disabled for purposes of benefits under any long-term disability plan maintained by the Company or any Affiliate in which a Participant participates. The foregoing notwithstanding, if the Award is subject to Section 409A of the Code, in no event shall a Disability be deemed to have occurred unless such disability satisfies the requirements of Section 409A of the Code.

 

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Effective Date” shall mean January 25, 2022.

 

Employee” means any person, including an Officer or Director, employed by the Company or an Affiliate; provided, that, for purposes of determining eligibility to receive Incentive Share Options, an Employee shall mean an employee of the Company or a parent or subsidiary corporation within the meaning of Section 424 of the Code. Mere service as a Director or payment of a director’s fee by the Company or an Affiliate shall not be sufficient to constitute “employment” by the Company or an Affiliate.

 

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

 

Fair Market Value” means, as of any date, the value of the Ordinary Share as determined below:

 

(i) If the Ordinary Share is listed on any established stock exchange or a national market system, including without limitation, the Nasdaq Capital Market, its Fair Market Value will be the closing sales price for such share (or the closing bid, if no sales were reported) as quoted on such exchange or system for the last market trading day on or prior to the date of determination, as reported in The Wall Street Journal or such other source as the Committee deems reliable;

 

(ii) If the Ordinary Share is regularly quoted by a recognized securities dealer but selling prices are not reported, the Fair Market Value of one Ordinary Share will be the mean between the high bid and low asked prices for the Ordinary Share for the last market trading day on or prior to the date of determination, as reported in The Wall Street Journal or such other source as the Committee deems reliable; or

 

(iii) In the absence of an established market for the Ordinary Share, the Fair Market Value shall be determined in good faith by the Committee and such determination shall be conclusive and binding on all persons; provided that if an Award is subject to Section 409A of the Code, then the Fair Market Value shall be determined in accordance with Section 409A of the Code.

 

Notwithstanding the preceding, for federal, state, and local income tax reporting purposes and for such other purposes as the Committee deems appropriate, the Fair Market Value shall be determined by the Committee in accordance with uniform and nondiscriminatory standards adopted by it from time to time.

 

Grant Date” means the date on which the Board adopts a resolution, or takes other appropriate action, expressly granting an Award to a Participant that specifies the key terms and conditions of the Award or, if a later date is set forth in such resolution, then such date as is set forth in such resolution.

 

Incentive Share Option” means an Option that is designated by the Committee as an Incentive Share Option as described in Section 422 of the Code and otherwise meets the requirements set forth in this Plan.

 

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Incumbent Directors” means individuals who, on the Effective Date, constitute the Board, provided that any individual becoming a Director subsequent to the Effective Date whose election or nomination for election to the Board was approved by a vote of at least two-thirds of the Incumbent Directors then on the Board (either by a specific vote or by approval of the proxy statement of the Company in which such person is named as a nominee for Director without objection to such nomination) shall be an Incumbent Director. No individual initially elected or nominated as a director of the Company as a result of an actual or threatened election contest with respect to Directors or as a result of any other actual or threatened solicitation of proxies by or on behalf of any person other than the Board shall be an Incumbent Director.

 

Non-qualified Share Option” means an Option that by its terms does not qualify or is not intended to qualify as an Incentive Share Option.

 

Officer” means a person who is an officer of the Company within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

Option” means an Incentive Share Option or a Non-qualified Share Option granted pursuant to the Plan.

 

Optionholder” means a person to whom an Option is granted pursuant to the Plan or, if applicable, such other person who holds an outstanding Option.

 

Ordinary Share” means the Ordinary Share, $0.003 par value per share, of the Company (and any shares or other securities into which such Ordinary Shares may be converted or into which they may be exchanged).

 

Option Exercise Price” means the price at which one Ordinary Share may be purchased upon the exercise of an Option.

 

Participant” means an eligible person to whom an Award is granted pursuant to the Plan or, if applicable, such other person who holds an outstanding Award.

 

Performance Compensation Award” means any Award designated by the Committee as a Performance Compensation Award pursuant to Section 7.4 of the Plan.

 

Performance Criteria” means 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 Affiliate, division, business unit or operational unit of the Company) and may include the following: (a) net earnings or net income (before or after taxes); (b) basic or diluted earnings per share (before or after taxes); (c) net revenue or net revenue growth; (d) gross revenue; (e) gross profit or gross profit growth; (f) net operating profit (before or after taxes); (g) return on assets, capital, invested capital, equity, or sales; (h) cash flow (including, but not limited to, operating cash flow, free cash flow, and cash flow return on capital); (i) earnings before or after taxes, interest, depreciation and/or amortization; (j) gross or operating margins; (k) improvements in capital structure; (l) budget and expense management; (m) productivity ratios; (n) economic value added or other value added measurements; (o) share price (including, but not limited to, growth measures and total shareholder return); (p) expense targets; (q) margins; (r) operating efficiency; (s) working capital targets; (t) enterprise value; (u) safety record; (v) completion of acquisitions or business expansion; (w) achieving research and development goals and milestones; (x) achieving product commercialization goals; and (y) other criteria as may be set by the Committee from time to time.

 

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Any one or more of the Performance Criteria may be used on an absolute or relative basis to measure the performance of the Company and/or an Affiliate as a whole or any division, business unit or operational unit of the Company and/or an Affiliate or any combination thereof, as the Committee may deem appropriate, or as compared to the performance of a group of comparable companies, or published or special index that the Committee, in its sole discretion, deems appropriate, or the Committee may select Performance Criterion (o) above as compared to various stock market indices. The Committee also has the authority to provide for accelerated vesting of any Award based on the achievement of Performance Goals pursuant to the Performance Criteria specified in this paragraph, provided that if the Award is subject to Section 409A of the Code, such accelerated vesting does not violate the rules of Code Section 409A. The Committee shall, within the first 90 days of a Performance Period (or, such longer or shorter time period as the Committee shall determine) define in an objective fashion the manner of calculating the Performance Criteria it selects to use for such Performance Period. In the event that applicable tax and/or securities laws change to permit the Committee discretion to alter the governing Performance Criteria without obtaining shareholder approval of such changes, the Committee shall have sole discretion to make such changes without obtaining shareholder approval.

 

Performance Formula” means, for a Performance Period, the one or more objective formulas applied against the relevant Performance Goal 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” means, for a Performance Period, the one or more goals established by the Committee for the Performance Period based upon the Performance Criteria. The Committee is authorized at any time during the first 90 days of a Performance Period (or such longer or shorter time period as the Committee shall determine) or at any time thereafter, in its sole and absolute discretion, to adjust or modify the calculation of a Performance Goal for such Performance Period in order to prevent the dilution or enlargement of the rights of Participants based on the following events: (a) asset write-downs; (b) litigation or claim judgments or settlements; (c) the effect of changes in tax laws, accounting principles, or other laws or regulatory rules affecting reported results; (d) any reorganization and restructuring programs; (e) extraordinary nonrecurring items as described in Accounting Principles Board Opinion No. 30 (or any successor or pronouncement thereto) and/or in management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations appearing in the Company’s annual report to shareholders for the applicable year; (f) acquisitions or divestitures; (g) any other specific unusual or nonrecurring events, or objectively determinable category thereof; (h) foreign exchange gains and losses; and (i) a change in the Company’s fiscal year.

 

Performance Period” means the one or more periods of time not less than one fiscal quarter 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.

 

Performance Share” means the grant of a right to receive a number of actual Ordinary Shares or share units based upon the performance of the Company during a Performance Period, as determined by the Committee.

 

Permitted Transferee” means: (a) a member of the Optionholder’s immediate family (child, stepchild, grandchild, parent, stepparent, grandparent, spouse, former spouse, sibling, niece, nephew, mother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law, including adoptive relationships), any person sharing the Optionholder’s household (other than a tenant or employee), a trust in which these persons have more than 50% of the beneficial interest, a foundation in which these persons (or the Optionholder) control the management of assets, and any other entity in which these persons (or the Optionholder) own more than 50% of the voting interests; (b) third parties designated by the Committee in connection with a program established and approved by the Committee pursuant to which Participants may receive a cash payment or other consideration in consideration for the transfer of a Non- qualified Share Option; and (c) such other transferees as may be permitted by the Committee in its sole discretion.

 

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Restricted Award” means any Award granted pursuant to Section 7.2(a).

 

Rule 16b-3” means Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act or any successor to Rule 16b-3, as in effect from time to time.

 

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

 

Share Appreciation Right” means the right pursuant to an Award granted under Section 7.1 to receive, upon exercise, an amount payable in cash or shares equal to the number of shares subject to the Share Appreciation Right that is being exercised multiplied by the excess of (a) the Fair Market Value of Ordinary Shares on the date the Award is exercised, over (b) the exercise price specified in the Share Appreciation Right Award Agreement.

 

Ten Percent Shareholder” means a person who owns (or is deemed to own pursuant to Section 424(d) of the Code) shares possessing more than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of shares of the Company or of any of its Affiliates.

 

3. Administration.

 

3.1. Authority of Committee. The Plan shall be administered by the Committee or, in the Board’s sole discretion, by the Board. Subject to the terms of the Plan and the provisions of Section 409A of the Code (if applicable), the Committee’s charter and Applicable Laws, and in addition to other express powers and authorization conferred by the Plan, the Committee (or, failing whom, the Board) shall have the authority:

 

(a) to construe and interpret the Plan and apply its provisions;

 

(b) to promulgate, amend, and rescind rules and regulations relating to the administration of the Plan;

 

(c) to authorize any person to execute, on behalf of the Company, any instrument required to carry out the purposes of the Plan;

 

(d) to delegate its authority to one or more Officers of the Company with respect to Awards that do not involve “insiders” within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act;

 

(e) to determine when Awards are to be granted under the Plan and the applicable Grant Date;

 

(f) from time to time to select, subject to the limitations set forth in this Plan, those Participants to whom Awards shall be granted;

 

(g) to determine the number of Ordinary Shares to be made subject to each Award;

 

(h) to determine whether each Option is to be an Incentive Share Option or a Non-qualified Share Option;

 

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(i) to prescribe the terms and conditions of each Award, including, without limitation, the exercise price and medium of payment and vesting provisions, and to specify the provisions of the Award Agreement relating to such grant;

 

(j) to determine the target number of Performance Shares to be granted pursuant to a Performance Share Award, the performance measures that will be used to establish the performance goals, the performance period(s) and the number of Performance Shares earned by a Participant;

 

(k) to designate an Award (including a cash bonus) as a Performance Compensation Award and to select the Performance Criteria that will be used to establish the Performance Goals;

 

(l) to amend any outstanding Awards, including for the purpose of modifying the time or manner of vesting, or the term of any outstanding Award; provided, however, that if any such amendment impairs a Participant’s rights or increases a Participant’s obligations under his or her Award or creates or increases a Participant’s federal income tax liability with respect to an Award, such amendment shall also be subject to the Participant’s consent;

 

(m) to determine the duration and purpose of leaves of absences which may be granted to a Participant without constituting termination of their employment for purposes of the Plan, which periods shall be no shorter than the periods generally applicable to Employees under the Company’s employment policies;

 

(n) to make decisions with respect to outstanding Awards that may become necessary upon a change in corporate control or an event that triggers anti-dilution adjustments;

 

(o) to interpret, administer, reconcile any inconsistency in, correct any defect in and/or supply any omission in the Plan and any instrument or agreement relating to, or Award granted under, the Plan; and

 

(p) to exercise discretion to make any and all other determinations which it determines to be necessary or advisable for the administration of the Plan.

 

The Committee also may modify the purchase price or the exercise price of any outstanding Award, provided that if the modification effects a repricing, shareholder approval shall be required before the repricing is effective.

 

3.2. Committee Decisions Final. All decisions made by the Committee pursuant to the provisions of the Plan shall be final and binding on the Company and the Participants, unless such decisions are determined by a court having jurisdiction to be arbitrary and capricious.

 

3.3. Delegation. The Committee may delegate administration of the Plan to a subcommittee or subcommittees of one or more members of the Committee, and the term “Committee” shall apply to any person or persons to whom such authority has been delegated. The Committee shall have the power to delegate to a subcommittee any of the administrative powers the Committee is authorized to exercise (and references in this Plan to the Board or the Committee shall thereafter be to the committee or subcommittee), subject, however, to such resolutions, not inconsistent with the provisions of the Plan, as may be adopted from time to time by the Board. The Board may abolish the Committee at any time and re-vest in the Board the administration of the Plan. The members of the Committee shall be appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the Board. From time to time, the Board may increase or decrease the size of the Committee, add additional members to, remove members (with or without cause) from, appoint new members in substitution therefor, and fill vacancies, however caused, in the Committee. The Committee shall act pursuant to a vote of the majority of its members or, in the case of a Committee comprised of only two members, the unanimous consent of its members, whether present or not, or by the written consent of the majority of its members and minutes shall be kept of all of its meetings and copies thereof shall be provided to the Board. Subject to the limitations prescribed by the Plan and the Board, the Committee may establish and follow such rules and regulations for the conduct of its business as it may determine to be advisable.

 

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3.4. Committee Composition. Except as otherwise determined by the Board, the Committee shall consist solely of two or more Non-Employee Directors. The Board shall have discretion to determine whether or not it intends to comply with the exemption requirements of Rule 16b-3. However, if the Board intends to satisfy such exemption requirements, with respect to Awards to any insider subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act, the Committee shall be a compensation committee of the Board that at all times consists solely of two or more Non-Employee Directors. Within the scope of such authority, the Board or the Committee may delegate to a committee of one or more members of the Board who are not Non-Employee Directors the authority to grant Awards to eligible persons who are not then subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act. Nothing herein shall create an inference that an Award is not validly granted under the Plan in the event Awards are granted under the Plan by a compensation committee of the Board that does not at all times consist solely of two or more Non-Employee Directors.

 

3.5. Indemnification. In addition to such other rights of indemnification as they may have as Directors or members of the Committee, and to the extent allowed by Applicable Laws, the Committee shall be indemnified by the Company against the reasonable expenses, including attorney’s fees, actually incurred in connection with any action, suit or proceeding or in connection with any appeal therein, to which the Committee may be party by reason of any action taken or failure to act under or in connection with the Plan or any Award granted under the Plan, and against all amounts paid by the Committee in settlement thereof (provided, however, that the settlement has been approved by the Company, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld) or paid by the Committee in satisfaction of a judgment in any such action, suit or proceeding, except in relation to matters as to which it shall be adjudged in such action, suit or proceeding that such Committee did not act in good faith and in a manner which such person reasonably believed to be in the best interests of the Company, or in the case of a criminal proceeding, had no reason to believe that the conduct complained of was unlawful; provided, however, that within 60 days after institution of any such action, suit or proceeding, such Committee shall, in writing, offer the Company the opportunity at its own expense to handle and defend such action, suit or proceeding.

 

4. Shares Subject to the Plan.

 

4.1. Subject to adjustment in accordance with Section 11, a total of 3,180,000 Ordinary Share shall be available for the grant of Awards under the Plan. Ordinary Shares granted in connection with all Awards under the Plan shall be counted against this limit as one (1) Ordinary Share for every one (1) Ordinary Share granted in connection with such Award. During the terms of the Awards, the Company shall keep available at all times the number of Ordinary Shares required to satisfy such Awards.

 

4.2. Ordinary Shares available for distribution under the Plan may consist, in whole or in part, of authorized and unissued shares, treasury shares or shares reacquired by the Company in any manner.

 

4.3. Any Ordinary Shares subject to an Award that is canceled, forfeited or expires prior to exercise or realization, either in full or in part, shall again become available for issuance under the Plan. Any Ordinary Shares that again become available for future grants pursuant to this Section 4.3 shall be added back as one (1) share. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein: shares subject to an Award under the Plan shall not again be made available for issuance or delivery under the Plan if such shares are (a) shares tendered in payment of an Option, (b) shares delivered or withheld by the Company to satisfy any tax withholding obligation, or (c) shares covered by a share-settled Share Appreciation Right or other Awards that were not issued upon the settlement of the Award.

 

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5. Eligibility.

 

5.1. Eligibility for Specific Awards. Incentive Share Options may be granted only to Employees. Awards other than Incentive Share Options may be granted to Employees, Consultants and Directors and those individuals whom the Committee determines are reasonably expected to become Employees, Consultants and Directors following the Grant Date.

 

5.2. Ten Percent Shareholders. A Ten Percent Shareholder shall not be granted an Incentive Share Option unless the Option Exercise Price is at least 110% of the Fair Market Value of the Ordinary Share at the Grant Date and the Option is not exercisable after the expiration of five years from the Grant Date.

 

6. Option Provisions. Each Option granted under the Plan shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement. Each Option so granted shall be subject to the conditions set forth in this Section 6, and to such other conditions not inconsistent with the Plan as may be reflected in the applicable Award Agreement. All Options shall be separately designated Incentive Share Options or Non-qualified Share Options at the time of grant, and, if certificates are issued, a separate certificate or certificates will be issued for Ordinary Shares purchased on exercise of each type of Option. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall have no liability to any Participant or any other person if an Option designated as an Incentive Share Option fails to qualify as such at any time or if an Option is determined to constitute “nonqualified deferred compensation” within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code and the terms of such Option do not satisfy the requirements of Section 409A of the Code. The provisions of separate Options need not be identical, but each Option shall include (through incorporation of provisions hereof by reference in the Option or otherwise) the substance of each of the following provisions:

 

6.1. Term. Subject to the provisions of Section 5.2 regarding Ten Percent Shareholders, no Incentive Share Option shall be exercisable after the expiration of 10 years from the Grant Date. The term of a Non-qualified Share Option granted under the Plan shall be determined by the Committee; provided, however, no Non-qualified Share Option shall be exercisable after the expiration of 10 years from the Grant Date.

 

6.2. Exercise Price of An Incentive Share Option. Subject to the provisions of Section 5.2 regarding Ten Percent Shareholders, the Option Exercise Price of each Incentive Share Option shall be not less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of the Ordinary Share subject to the Option on the Grant Date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, an Incentive Share Option may be granted with an Option Exercise Price lower than that set forth in the preceding sentence if such Option is granted pursuant to an assumption or substitution for another option in a manner satisfying the provisions of Section 424(a) of the Code. In no event may the Option Exercise Price of an Incentive Share Option be less than the par value of any Ordinary Share.

 

6.3. Exercise Price of a Non-qualified Share Option. The Option Exercise Price of each Non-qualified Share Option shall be not less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of the Ordinary Share subject to the Option on the Grant Date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a Non-qualified Share Option may be granted with an Option Exercise Price lower than that set forth in the preceding sentence if such Option is granted pursuant to an assumption or substitution for another option in a manner satisfying the provisions of Section 409A of the Code. In no event may the Option Exercise Price of a Non-qualified Share Option be less than the par value of any Ordinary Share.

 

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6.4. Consideration. The Option Exercise Price of Ordinary Share acquired pursuant to an Option shall be paid, to the extent permitted by applicable statutes and regulations, either (a) in cash or by certified or bank check at the time the Option is exercised or (b) in the discretion of the Committee, upon such terms as the Committee shall approve, the Option Exercise Price may be paid: (i) by delivery to the Company of other Ordinary Share, duly endorsed for transfer to the Company, with a Fair Market Value on the date of delivery equal to the Option Exercise Price (or portion thereof) due for the number of shares being acquired, or by means of attestation whereby the Participant identifies for delivery specific Ordinary Shares that have an aggregate Fair Market Value on the date of attestation equal to the Option Exercise Price (or portion thereof) and receives a number of Ordinary Shares equal to the difference between the number of shares thereby purchased and the number of identified attestation Ordinary Shares (a “Stock for Stock Exchange”); (ii) a “cashless” exercise program established with a broker; (iii) by reduction in the number of Ordinary Shares otherwise deliverable upon exercise of such Option with a Fair Market Value equal to the aggregate Option Exercise Price at the time of exercise; (iv) any combination of the foregoing methods; or (v) in any other form of legal consideration that may be acceptable to the Committee. Unless otherwise specifically provided in the Option, the exercise price of Ordinary Share acquired pursuant to an Option that is paid by delivery (or attestation) to the Company of other Ordinary Share acquired, directly or indirectly from the Company, shall be paid only by shares of the Ordinary Share of the Company that have been held for more than six months (or such longer or shorter period of time required to avoid a charge to earnings for financial accounting purposes). Notwithstanding the foregoing, during any period for which the Ordinary Share is publicly traded (i.e., the Ordinary Share is listed on any established stock exchange or a national market system) an exercise by a Director or Officer that involves or may involve a direct or indirect extension of credit or arrangement of an extension of credit by the Company, directly or indirectly, in violation of Section 402(a) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 shall be prohibited with respect to any Award under this Plan.

 

6.5. Transferability of An Incentive Share Option. An Incentive Share Option shall not be transferable except by will or by the laws of descent and distribution and shall be exercisable during the lifetime of the Optionholder only by the Optionholder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Optionholder may, by delivering written notice to the Company, in a form satisfactory to the Company, designate a third party who, in the event of the death of the Optionholder, shall thereafter be entitled to exercise the Option.

 

6.6. Transferability of a Non-qualified Share Option. A Non-qualified Share Option may, in the sole discretion of the Committee, be transferable to a Permitted Transferee, upon written approval by the Committee to the extent provided in the Award Agreement. If the Non-qualified Share Option does not provide for transferability, then the Non-qualified Share Option shall not be transferable except by will or by the laws of descent and distribution and shall be exercisable during the lifetime of the Optionholder only by the Optionholder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Optionholder may, by delivering written notice to the Company, in a form satisfactory to the Company, designate a third party who, in the event of the death of the Optionholder, shall thereafter be entitled to exercise the Option.

 

6.7. Vesting of Options. Each Option may, but need not, vest and therefore become exercisable in periodic installments that may, but need not, be equal. The Option may be subject to such other terms and conditions on the time or times when it may be exercised (which may be based on performance or other criteria) as the Committee may deem appropriate. The vesting provisions of individual Options may vary. No Option may be exercised for a fraction of a share of Ordinary Share. The Committee may, but shall not be required to, provide for an acceleration of vesting and exercisability in the terms of any Award Agreement upon the occurrence of a specified event, provided that if such Award is subject to Section 409A of the Code, such acceleration of vesting and exercisability complies with the provisions of Section 409A of the Code.

 

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6.8. Termination of Continuous Service. Unless otherwise provided in an Award Agreement or in an employment agreement the terms of which have been approved by the Committee, in the event an Optionholder’s Continuous Service terminates (other than upon the Optionholder’s death or Disability), the Optionholder may exercise his or her Option (to the extent that the Optionholder was entitled to exercise such Option as of the date of termination) but only within such period of time ending on the earlier of (a) the date three months following the termination of the Optionholder’s Continuous Service or (b) the expiration of the term of the Option as set forth in the Award Agreement; provided that, if the termination of Continuous Service is by the Company for Cause, all outstanding Options (whether or not vested) shall immediately terminate and cease to be exercisable. If, after termination, the Optionholder does not exercise his or her Option within the time specified in the Award Agreement, the Option shall terminate.

 

6.9. Extension of Termination Date. An Optionholder’s Award Agreement may also provide that if the exercise of the Option following the termination of the Optionholder’s Continuous Service for any reason would be prohibited at any time because the issuance of Ordinary Shares would violate the registration requirements under the Securities Act or any other state or federal securities law or the rules of any securities exchange or interdealer quotation system, then the Option shall terminate on the earlier of (a) the expiration of the term of the Option in accordance with Section 6.1 or (b) the expiration of a period after termination of the Participant’s Continuous Service that is three months after the end of the period during which the exercise of the Option would be in violation of such registration or other securities law requirements.

 

6.10. Disability of Optionholder. Unless otherwise provided in an Award Agreement, in the event that an Optionholder’s Continuous Service terminates as a result of the Optionholder’s Disability, the Optionholder may exercise his or her Option (to the extent that the Optionholder was entitled to exercise such Option as of the date of termination), but only within such period of time ending on the earlier of (a) the date 12 months following such termination or (b) the expiration of the term of the Option as set forth in the Award Agreement. If, after termination, the Optionholder does not exercise his or her Option within the time specified herein or in the Award Agreement, the Option shall terminate.

 

6.11. Death of Optionholder. Unless otherwise provided in an Award Agreement, in the event an Optionholder’s Continuous Service terminates as a result of the Optionholder’s death, then the Option may be exercised (to the extent the Optionholder was entitled to exercise such Option as of the date of death) by the Optionholder’s estate, by a person who acquired the right to exercise the Option by bequest or inheritance or by a person designated to exercise the Option upon the Optionholder’s death, but only within the period ending on the earlier of (a) the date 12 months following the date of death or (b) the expiration of the term of such Option as set forth in the Award Agreement. If, after the Optionholder’s death, the Option is not exercised within the time specified herein or in the Award Agreement, the Option shall terminate.

 

6.12. Incentive Share Option $100,000 Limitation. To the extent that the aggregate Fair Market Value (determined at the time of grant) of Ordinary Share with respect to which Incentive Share Options are exercisable for the first time by any Optionholder during any calendar year (under all plans of the Company and its Affiliates) exceeds $100,000, the Options or portions thereof which exceed such limit (according to the order in which they were granted) shall be treated as Non-qualified Share Options.

 

7. Provisions of Awards Other Than Options.

 

7.1. Share Appreciation Rights.  

 

(a) General. Each Share Appreciation Right granted under the Plan shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement. Each Share Appreciation Right so granted shall be subject to the conditions set forth in this Section 7.1, and to such other conditions not inconsistent with the Plan as may be reflected in the applicable Award Agreement. Share Appreciation Rights may be granted alone (“Free Standing Rights”) or in tandem with an Option granted under the Plan (“Related Rights”). All such grants shall be exempt from, or comply with, the provisions of Section 409A of the Code.

 

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(b) Grant Requirements. Any Related Right that relates to a Non-qualified Share Option may be granted at the same time the Option is granted or at any time thereafter but before the exercise or expiration of the Option. Any Related Right that relates to an Incentive Share Option must be granted at the same time the Incentive Share Option is granted.

 

(c) Term of Share Appreciation Rights. The term of a Share Appreciation Right granted under the Plan shall be determined by the Committee; provided, however, no Share Appreciation Right shall be exercisable later than the tenth anniversary of the Grant Date.

 

(d) Vesting of Share Appreciation Rights. Each Share Appreciation Right may, but need not, vest and therefore become exercisable in periodic installments that may, but need not, be equal. The Share Appreciation Right may be subject to such other terms and conditions on the time or times when it may be exercised as the Committee may deem appropriate. The vesting provisions of individual Share Appreciation Rights may vary. No Share Appreciation Right may be exercised for a fraction of a share of Ordinary Share. The Committee may, but shall not be required to, provide for an acceleration of vesting and exercisability in the terms of any Share Appreciation Right upon the occurrence of a specified event, provided that if such Award is subject to Section 409A of the Code, such acceleration of vesting and exercisability complies with the provisions of Section 409A of the Code.

 

(e) Exercise and Payment. Upon exercise of a Share Appreciation Right, the holder shall be entitled to receive from the Company an amount equal to the number of Ordinary Share subject to the Share Appreciation Right that is being exercised multiplied by the excess of (i) the Fair Market Value of one Ordinary Share on the date the Award is exercised, over (ii) the exercise price specified in the Share Appreciation Right or related Option. Payment with respect to the exercise of a Share Appreciation Right shall be made on the date of exercise. Payment shall be made in the form of Ordinary Shares (with or without restrictions as to substantial risk of forfeiture and transferability, as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion), cash or a combination thereof, as determined by the Committee.

 

(f) Exercise Price. The exercise price of a Free Standing Share Appreciation Right shall be determined by the Committee, but shall not be less than the greater of (i) 100% of the Fair Market Value of one Ordinary Share on the Grant Date of such Share Appreciation Right or (ii) the par value of any Ordinary Share. A Related Right granted simultaneously with or subsequent to the grant of an Option and in conjunction therewith or in the alternative thereto shall have the same exercise price as the related Option, shall be transferable only upon the same terms and conditions as the related Option, and shall be exercisable only to the same extent as the related Option; provided, however, that a Share Appreciation Right, by its terms, shall be exercisable only when the Fair Market Value per share of Ordinary Share subject to the Share Appreciation Right and related Option exceeds the exercise price per share thereof and no Share Appreciation Rights may be granted in tandem with an Option unless the Committee determines that the requirements of Section 7.1(b) are satisfied.

 

(g) Reduction in the Underlying Option Shares. Upon any exercise of a Related Right, the number of Ordinary Shares for which any related Option shall be exercisable shall be reduced by the number of shares for which the Share Appreciation Right has been exercised. The number of Ordinary Shares for which a Related Right shall be exercisable shall be reduced upon any exercise of any related Option by the number of Ordinary Shares for which such Option has been exercised.

 

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7.2. Restricted Awards.  

 

(a) General. A Restricted Award is an Award of actual Ordinary Shares (“Restricted Share”) or hypothetical Ordinary Share units (“Restricted Share Units”) having a value equal to the Fair Market Value of an identical number of Ordinary Shares, which may, but need not, provide that such Restricted Award may not be sold, assigned, transferred or otherwise disposed of, pledged or hypothecated as collateral for a loan or as security for the performance of any obligation or for any other purpose for such period (the “Restricted Period”) as the Committee shall determine. Each Restricted Award granted under the Plan shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement. Each Restricted Award so granted shall be subject to the conditions set forth in this Section 7.2, and to such other conditions not inconsistent with the Plan as may be reflected in the applicable Award Agreement.

 

(b) Restricted Share and Restricted Share Units.

 

(i) Each Participant granted Restricted Share shall execute and deliver to the Company an Award Agreement with respect to the Restricted Share setting forth the restrictions and other terms and conditions applicable to such Restricted Share. If the Committee determines that the Restricted Share shall be held by the Company or in escrow rather than delivered to the Participant pending the release of the applicable restrictions, the Committee may require the Participant to additionally execute and deliver to the Company (A) an escrow agreement satisfactory to the Committee, if applicable and (B) the appropriate blank instrument of transfer with respect to the Restricted Share covered by such agreement. If a Participant fails to execute an agreement evidencing an Award of Restricted Share and, if applicable, an escrow agreement and instrument of transfer, the Award shall be null and void. Subject to the restrictions set forth in the Award, the Participant generally shall have the rights and privileges of a shareholder as to such Restricted Share, including the right to vote such Restricted Share and the right to receive dividends; provided that, any cash dividends and share dividends with respect to the Restricted Share shall similarly be held in escrow by the Company for the Participant’s account, and interest may be credited on the amount of the cash dividends so placed in escrow at a rate and subject to such terms as determined by the Committee. The cash dividends or share dividends so placed in escrow by the Committee and attributable to any particular share of Restricted Share (and earnings thereon, if applicable) shall be distributed to the Participant in cash or, at the discretion of the Committee, in Ordinary Shares having a Fair Market Value equal to the amount of such dividends, if applicable, upon the release of restrictions on such share and, if such share is forfeited, the Participant shall have no right to such dividends.

 

(ii) The terms and conditions of a grant of Restricted Share Units shall be reflected in an Award Agreement. No Ordinary Shares shall be issued at the time a Restricted Share Unit is granted, and the Company will not be required to set aside a fund for the payment of any such Award. A Participant shall have no voting rights with respect to any Restricted Share Units granted hereunder. The Committee may also grant Restricted Share Units with a deferral feature, if permitted in Section 409A of the Code, whereby settlement is deferred beyond the vesting date until the occurrence of a future payment date or event set forth in an Award Agreement (“Deferred Share Units”). At the discretion of the Committee, each Restricted Share Unit or Deferred Share Unit (representing one Ordinary Share) may be credited with cash and share dividends paid by the Company in respect of one Ordinary Share (“Dividend Equivalents”). Dividend Equivalents shall not be paid but shall be credited to the Participant’s account, and interest may be credited on the amount of cash Dividend Equivalents credited to the Participant’s account at a rate and subject to such terms as determined by the Committee. Dividend Equivalents credited to a Participant’s account and attributable to any particular Restricted Share Unit or Deferred Share Unit (and earnings thereon, if applicable) shall be distributed in cash or, at the discretion of the Committee, in Ordinary Shares having a Fair Market Value equal to the amount of such Dividend Equivalents and earnings, if applicable, to the Participant upon settlement of such Restricted Share Unit or Deferred Share Unit and, if such Restricted Share Unit or Deferred Share Unit is forfeited, the Participant shall have no right to such Dividend Equivalents.

 

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(c) Restrictions.

 

(i) Restricted Share awarded to a Participant shall be subject to the following restrictions until the expiration of the Restricted Period, and to such other terms and conditions as may be set forth in the applicable Award Agreement: (A) if an escrow arrangement is used, the Participant shall not be entitled to delivery of the share certificate; (B) the shares shall be subject to the restrictions on transferability set forth in the Award Agreement; (C) the shares shall be subject to forfeiture to the extent provided in the applicable Award Agreement; and (D) to the extent such shares are forfeited, the register of members shall be written up to reflect such forfeiture, the share certificates shall be returned to the Company, and all rights of the Participant to such shares and as a shareholder with respect to such shares shall terminate without further obligation on the part of the Company.

 

(ii) Restricted Share Units and Deferred Share Units awarded to any Participant shall be subject to (A) forfeiture until the expiration of the Restricted Period, and satisfaction of any applicable Performance Goals during such period, to the extent provided in the applicable Award Agreement, and to the extent such Restricted Share Units or Deferred Share Units are forfeited, all rights of the Participant to such Restricted Share Units or Deferred Share Units shall terminate without further obligation on the part of the Company and (B) such other terms and conditions as may be set forth in the applicable Award Agreement.

 

(iii) The Committee shall have the authority to remove any or all of the restrictions on the Restricted Share, Restricted Share Units and Deferred Share Units whenever it may determine that, by reason of changes in Applicable Laws or other changes in circumstances arising after the date the Restricted Share or Restricted Share Units or Deferred Share Units are granted, such action is appropriate.

 

(d) Restricted Period. With respect to Restricted Awards, the Restricted Period shall commence on the Grant Date and end at the time or times set forth on a schedule established by the Committee in the applicable Award Agreement. No Restricted Award may be granted or settled for a fraction of a share of Ordinary Share. The Committee may, but shall not be required to, provide for an acceleration of vesting in the terms of any Award Agreement upon the occurrence of a specified event, provided that if such Award is subject to Section 409A of the Code, such acceleration is consistent with the provisions of Section 409A of the Code.

 

(e) Delivery of Restricted Share and Settlement of Restricted Share Units. Upon the expiration of the Restricted Period with respect to any shares of Restricted Share, the restrictions set forth in Section 7.2(c) and the applicable Award Agreement shall be of no further force or effect with respect to such shares, except as set forth in the applicable Award Agreement. If an escrow arrangement is used, upon such expiration, the Company shall deliver to the Participant, or his or her beneficiary, without charge, the share certificate evidencing the shares of Restricted Share which have not then been forfeited and with respect to which the Restricted Period has expired (to the nearest full share) and any cash dividends or share dividends credited to the Participant’s account with respect to such Restricted Share and the interest thereon, if any. Upon the expiration of the Restricted Period with respect to any outstanding Restricted Share Units, or at the expiration of the deferral period with respect to any outstanding Deferred Share Units, the Company shall deliver to the Participant, or his or her beneficiary, without charge, one Ordinary Share for each such outstanding vested Restricted Share Unit or Deferred Share Unit (“Vested Unit”) and cash equal to any Dividend Equivalents credited with respect to each such Vested Unit in accordance with Section 7.2(b)(ii) hereof and the interest thereon or, at the discretion of the Committee, in Ordinary Shares having a Fair Market Value equal to such Dividend Equivalents and the interest thereon, if any; provided, however, that, if explicitly provided in the applicable Award Agreement, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, elect to pay cash or part cash and part Ordinary Share in lieu of delivering only Ordinary Shares for Vested Units. If a cash payment is made in lieu of delivering Ordinary Shares, the amount of such payment shall be equal to the Fair Market Value of the Ordinary Share as of the date on which the Restricted Period lapsed in the case of Restricted Share Units, or the delivery date in the case of Deferred Share Units, with respect to each Vested Unit.

 

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(f) Share Restrictions. Each certificate representing Restricted Share awarded under the Plan shall bear a legend in such form as the Company deems appropriate.

 

7.3. Performance Share Awards.  

 

(a) Grant of Performance Share Awards. Each Performance Share Award granted under the Plan shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement. Each Performance Share Award so granted shall be subject to the conditions set forth in this Section 7.3, and to such other conditions not inconsistent with the Plan as may be reflected in the applicable Award Agreement. The Committee shall have the discretion to determine: (i) the number of Ordinary Shares or share-denominated units subject to a Performance Share Award granted to any Participant; (ii) the performance period applicable to any Award; (iii) the conditions that must be satisfied for a Participant to earn an Award; and (iv) the other terms, conditions and restrictions of the Award.

 

(b) Earning Performance Share Awards. The number of Performance Shares earned by a Participant will depend on the extent to which the performance goals established by the Committee are attained within the applicable Performance Period, as determined by the Committee. No payout shall be made with respect to any Performance Share Award except upon written certification by the Committee that the minimum threshold performance goal(s) have been achieved.

 

7.4. Performance Compensation Awards.  

 

(a) General. The Committee shall have the authority, at the time of grant of any Award described in this Plan (other than Options and Share Appreciation Rights granted with an exercise price equal to or greater than the Fair Market Value per share of Ordinary Share on the Grant Date), to designate such Award as a Performance Compensation Award. In addition, the Committee shall have the authority to make an Award of a cash bonus to any Participant and designate such Award as a Performance Compensation Award.

 

(b) Eligibility. The Committee will, in its sole discretion, designate within the first 90 days of a Performance Period (or such shorter or longer time period as the Committee shall determine) which Participants will be eligible to receive Performance Compensation Awards in respect of such Performance Period. However, 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 7.4. 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 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.

 

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(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 (provided any such Performance Period shall be not less than one fiscal quarter in duration), 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) that is (are) to apply to the Company and the Performance Formula. Within the first 90 days of a Performance Period (or such shorter or longer time period as the Committee shall determine), 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 7.4(c) and record the same in writing.

 

(d) Payment of Performance Compensation Awards.

 

(i) Condition to Receipt of Payment. 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: (A) the Performance Goals for such period are achieved; and (B) the Performance Formula as applied against such Performance Goals determines that all or some portion of such Participant’s Performance Compensation Award has been earned for the Performance Period.

 

(iii) Certification. Following the completion of a Performance Period, the Committee shall review and certify in writing whether, and to what extent, the Performance Goals for the Performance Period have been achieved and, if so, calculate and certify in writing the amount of the 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.

 

(iv) Use of Discretion. The Committee shall not have the discretion to 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.

 

(v) Timing of Award Payments. Performance Compensation Awards granted for a Performance Period shall be paid to Participants as soon as administratively practicable following completion of the certifications required by this Section 7.4 but in no event later than 2 1/2 months following the end of the fiscal year during which the Performance Period is completed.

 

8. Securities Law Compliance. Each Award Agreement shall provide that no Ordinary Shares shall be purchased or sold thereunder unless and until (a) any then applicable requirements of state or federal laws and regulatory agencies have been fully complied with to the satisfaction of the Company and its counsel and (b) if required to do so by the Company, the Participant has executed and delivered to the Company a letter of investment intent in such form and containing such provisions as the Committee may require. The Company shall use reasonable efforts to seek to obtain from each regulatory commission or agency having jurisdiction over the Plan such authority as may be required to grant Awards and to issue and sell Ordinary Shares upon exercise of the Awards; provided, however, that this undertaking shall not require the Company to register under the Securities Act the Plan, any Award or any Ordinary Share issued or issuable pursuant to any such Award. If, after reasonable efforts, the Company is unable to obtain from any such regulatory commission or agency the authority which counsel for the Company deems necessary for the lawful issuance and sale of Ordinary Share under the Plan, the Company shall be relieved from any liability for failure to issue and sell Ordinary Share upon exercise of such Awards unless and until such authority is obtained.

 

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9. Use of Proceeds. Proceeds from the sale of Ordinary Share pursuant to Awards, or upon exercise thereof, shall constitute general funds of the Company.

 

10. Miscellaneous.

 

10.1. Acceleration of Exercisability and Vesting. The Committee shall have the power to accelerate the time at which an Award may first be exercised or the time during which an Award or any part thereof will vest in accordance with the Plan, notwithstanding the provisions in the Award stating the time at which it may first be exercised or the time during which it will vest, provided that if such Award is subject to Section 409A of the Code, any such acceleration or exercisability or vesting is in compliance with the provisions of Section 409A of the Code.

 

10.2. Shareholder Rights. Except as provided in the Plan or an Award Agreement, no Participant shall be deemed to be the holder of, or to have any of the rights of a holder with respect to, any Ordinary Shares subject to such Award unless and until such Participant has satisfied all requirements for exercise of the Award pursuant to its terms and no adjustment shall be made for dividends (ordinary or extraordinary, whether in cash, securities or other property) or distributions of other rights for which the record date is prior to the date such Ordinary Share certificate is issued, except as provided in Section 11 hereof.

 

10.3. No Employment or Other Service Rights. Nothing in the Plan or any instrument executed or Award granted pursuant thereto shall confer upon any Participant any right to continue to serve the Company or an Affiliate in the capacity in effect at the time the Award was granted or shall affect the right of the Company or an Affiliate to terminate (a) the employment of an Employee with or without notice and with or without Cause or (b) the service of a Director pursuant to the By-laws of the Company or an Affiliate, and any applicable provisions of the corporate law of the state in which the Company or the Affiliate is incorporated, as the case may be.

 

10.4. Transfer; Approved Leave of Absence. For purposes of the Plan, no termination of employment by an Employee shall be deemed to result from either (a) a transfer of employment to the Company from an Affiliate or from the Company to an Affiliate, or from one Affiliate to another, or (b) an approved leave of absence for military service or sickness, or for any other purpose approved by the Company, if the Employee’s right to reemployment is guaranteed either by a statute or by contract or under the policy pursuant to which the leave of absence was granted or if the Committee otherwise so provides in writing, in either case, except to the extent inconsistent with Section 409A of the Code if the applicable Award is subject thereto.

 

10.5. Withholding Obligations. To the extent provided by the terms of an Award Agreement and subject to the discretion of the Committee, the Participant may satisfy any federal, state or local tax withholding obligation relating to the exercise or acquisition of Ordinary Share under an Award by any of the following means (in addition to the Company’s right to withhold from any compensation paid to the Participant by the Company) or by a combination of such means: (a) tendering a cash payment; (b) authorizing the Company to withhold Ordinary Shares from the Ordinary Shares otherwise issuable to the Participant as a result of the exercise or acquisition of Ordinary Share under the Award, provided, however, that no Ordinary Shares are withheld with a value exceeding the minimum amount of tax required to be withheld by law; or (c) delivering to the Company previously owned and unencumbered Ordinary Shares of the Company.

 

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11. Adjustments Upon Changes in Share Capital. In the event of changes in the outstanding Ordinary Share or in the capital structure of the Company by reason of any share or extraordinary cash dividend, share split, reverse share split, an extraordinary corporate transaction such as any recapitalization, reorganization, merger, consolidation, combination, exchange, or other relevant change in capitalization occurring after the Grant Date of any Award, Awards granted under the Plan and any Award Agreements, the exercise price of Options and Share Appreciation Rights, the maximum number of Ordinary Shares subject to all Awards stated in Section 4 and the maximum number of Ordinary Shares with respect to which any one person may be granted Awards during any period stated in Section 4 will be equitably adjusted or substituted, as to the number, price or kind of a share of Ordinary Share or other consideration subject to such Awards to the extent necessary to preserve the economic intent of such Award. In the case of adjustments made pursuant to this Section 11, unless the Committee specifically determines that such adjustment is in the best interests of the Company or its Affiliates, the Committee shall, in the case of Incentive Share Options, ensure that any adjustments under this Section 11 will not constitute a modification, extension or renewal of the Incentive Share Options within the meaning of Section 424(h)(3) of the Code and in the case of Non-qualified Share Options, ensure that any adjustments under this Section 11 will not constitute a modification of such Non-qualified Share Options within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code. Any adjustments made under this Section 11 shall be made in a manner which does not adversely affect the exemption provided pursuant to Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act. The Company shall give each Participant notice of an adjustment hereunder and, upon notice, such adjustment shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes.

 

12. Effect of Change in Control.

 

12.1. In the discretion of the Board and the Committee, any Award Agreement may provide, or the Board or the Committee may provide by amendment of any Award Agreement or otherwise, notwithstanding any provision of the Plan to the contrary, that in the event of a Change in Control, Options and/or Share Appreciation Rights shall become immediately exercisable with respect to all or a specified portion of the shares subject to such Options or Share Appreciation Rights, and/or the Restricted Period shall expire immediately with respect to all or a specified portion of the shares of Restricted Share or Restricted Share Units.

 

12.2. In addition, in the event of a Change in Control, the Committee may in its discretion and upon at least 10 days’ advance notice to the affected persons, cancel any outstanding Awards and pay to the holders thereof, in cash or shares, or any combination thereof, the value of such Awards based upon the price per share of Ordinary Share received or to be received by other shareholders of the Company in the event. In the case of any Option or Share Appreciation Right with an exercise price that equals or exceeds the price paid for a share of Ordinary Share in connection with the Change in Control, the Committee may cancel the Option or Share Appreciation Right without the payment of consideration therefor.

 

12.3. The obligations of the Company under the Plan shall be binding upon any successor corporation or organization resulting from the merger, consolidation or other reorganization of the Company, or upon any successor corporation or organization succeeding to all or substantially all of the assets and business of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole.

 

13. Amendment of the Plan and Awards.

 

13.1. Amendment of Plan. The Board may amend, alter, suspend, discontinue, or terminate this Plan or any portion thereof at any time; provided that (a) no amendment to the persons eligible to receive Awards set forth in Section 1.2 or to the maximum number of shares as to which Awards may be granted set forth in Section 4.1 (except for adjustments pursuant to Section 11), shall be made without shareholder approval, and (b) no such amendment, alteration, suspension, discontinuation or termination shall be made without shareholder approval if such approval is necessary to comply with any Applicable Laws (including, without limitation, as necessary to comply with any tax or regulatory requirement applicable to this Plan or to prevent the Company from being denied a tax deduction under Section 162(m) of the Code); and provided further, that any such amendment, alteration, suspension, discontinuance or termination that would materially and adversely affect the rights of any Participant or any holder or beneficiary of any Award theretofore granted shall not to that extent be effective without the prior written consent of the affected Participant, holder or beneficiary.

 

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13.2. Contemplated Amendments. It is expressly contemplated that the Board may amend the Plan in any respect the Board deems necessary or advisable to provide eligible Employees, Consultants and Directors with the maximum benefits provided or to be provided under the provisions of the Code and the regulations promulgated thereunder relating to Incentive Share Options or to the nonqualified deferred compensation provisions of Section 409A of the Code and/or to bring the Plan and/or Awards granted under it into compliance therewith.

 

13.3. No Impairment of Rights. Rights under any Award granted before amendment of the Plan shall not be impaired by any amendment of the Plan unless (a) the Company requests the consent of the Participant and (b) the Participant consents in writing.

 

13.4. Amendment of Awards. The Committee may, to the extent consistent with the terms of any applicable Award Agreement, waive any conditions or rights under, amend any terms of, or alter, suspend, discontinue, cancel or terminate, any Award theretofore granted or the associated Award Agreement, prospectively or retroactively; provided, however that any such waiver, amendment, alteration, suspension, discontinuance, cancellation or termination that would materially and adversely affect the rights of any Participant with respect to any Award theretofore granted shall not to that extent be effective without the consent of the affected Participant.

 

14. General Provisions.

 

14.1. Forfeiture Events. The Committee may specify in an Award Agreement that the Participant’s rights, payments and benefits with respect to an Award shall be subject to reduction, cancellation, forfeiture or recoupment upon the occurrence of certain events, in addition to applicable vesting conditions of an Award. Such events may include, without limitation, breach of non-competition, non-solicitation, confidentiality, or other restrictive covenants that are contained in the Award Agreement or otherwise applicable to the Participant, a termination of the Participant’s Continuous Service for Cause, or other conduct by the Participant that is detrimental to the business or reputation of the Company and/or its Affiliates.

 

14.2. Clawback. Notwithstanding any other provisions in this Plan, any Award which is subject to recovery under any law, government regulation or stock exchange listing requirement, will be subject to such deductions and clawback as may be required to be made pursuant to such law, government regulation or stock exchange listing requirement (or any policy adopted by the Company pursuant to any such law, government regulation or stock exchange listing requirement).

 

14.3. Other Compensation Arrangements. Nothing contained in this Plan shall prevent the Board from adopting other or additional compensation arrangements, subject to shareholder approval if such approval is required; and such arrangements may be either generally applicable or applicable only in specific cases.

 

14.4. Sub-plans. The Committee may from time to time establish sub-plans under the Plan for purposes of satisfying blue sky, securities, tax or other laws of various jurisdictions in which the Company intends to grant Awards. Any sub-plans shall contain such limitations and other terms and conditions as the Committee determines are necessary or desirable. All sub-plans shall be deemed a part of the Plan, but each sub-plan shall apply only to the Participants in the jurisdiction for which the sub-plan was designed.

 

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14.5. Deferral of Awards. The Committee may establish one or more programs under the Plan to permit selected Participants the opportunity to elect to defer receipt of consideration upon exercise of an Award, satisfaction of performance criteria, or other event that absent the election would entitle the Participant to payment or receipt of Ordinary Shares or other consideration under an Award. The Committee may establish the election procedures, the timing of such elections, the mechanisms for payments of, and accrual of interest or other earnings, if any, on amounts, shares or other consideration so deferred, and such other terms, conditions, rules and procedures that the Committee deems advisable for the administration of any such deferral program. All of such programs and procedures shall be consistent with the rules of Section 409A of the Code.

 

14.6. Unfunded Plan. The Plan shall be unfunded. Neither the Company, the Board nor the Committee shall be required to establish any special or separate fund or to segregate any assets to assure the performance of its obligations under the Plan.

 

14.7. Recapitalizations. Each Award Agreement shall contain provisions required to reflect the provisions of Section 11.

 

14.8. Delivery. Upon exercise of a right granted under this Plan, the Company shall issue Ordinary Share or pay any amounts due within a reasonable period of time thereafter. Subject to any statutory or regulatory obligations the Company may otherwise have, for purposes of this Plan, thirty (30) days shall be considered a reasonable period of time.

 

14.9. No Fractional Shares. No fractional Ordinary Shares shall be issued or delivered pursuant to the Plan. The Committee shall determine whether cash, additional Awards or other securities or property shall be issued or paid in lieu of fractional Ordinary Shares or whether any fractional shares should be rounded, forfeited or otherwise eliminated.

 

14.10. Other Provisions. The Award Agreements authorized under the Plan may contain such other provisions not inconsistent with this Plan, including, without limitation, restrictions upon the exercise of the Awards, as the Committee may deem advisable.

 

14.11. Section 409A. The Plan and all Awards granted under the Plan are intended to comply with Section 409A of the Code to the extent subject thereto, and, accordingly, to the maximum extent permitted, the Plan and all Awards Agreements shall be interpreted and administered to be in compliance therewith. Any payments described in the Plan that are due within the “short-term deferral period” as defined in Section 409A of the Code shall not be treated as deferred compensation unless Applicable Laws require otherwise. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Plan or any Award Agreement, to the extent required to avoid accelerated taxation and tax penalties under Section 409A of the Code, amounts that would otherwise be payable and benefits that would otherwise be provided pursuant to the Plan or Award Agreement during the six (6) month period immediately following the Participant’s termination of Continuous Service shall instead be paid on the first payroll date after the six-month anniversary of the Participant’s separation from service (or the Participant’s death, if earlier). Notwithstanding the foregoing, neither the Company nor the Committee shall have any obligation to take any action to prevent the assessment of any excise tax or penalty on any Participant under Section 409A of the Code and neither the Company nor the Committee will have any liability to any Participant for such tax or penalty.

 

14.12. Disqualifying Dispositions. Any Participant who shall make a “disposition” (as defined in Section 424 of the Code) of all or any portion of Ordinary Shares acquired upon exercise of an Incentive Share Option within two years from the Grant Date of such Incentive Share Option or within one year after the issuance of the Ordinary Shares acquired upon exercise of such Incentive Share Option (a “Disqualifying Disposition”) shall be required to immediately advise the Company in writing as to the occurrence of the sale and the price realized upon the sale of such Ordinary Shares.

 

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14.13. Section 16. It is the intent of the Company that the Plan satisfy, and be interpreted in a manner that satisfies, the applicable requirements of Rule 16b-3 as promulgated under Section 16 of the Exchange Act so that Participants will be entitled to the benefit of Rule 16b-3, or any other rule promulgated under Section 16 of the Exchange Act, and will not be subject to short-swing liability under Section 16 of the Exchange Act. Accordingly, if the operation of any provision of the Plan would conflict with the intent expressed in this Section 14.13, such provision to the extent possible shall be interpreted and/or deemed amended so as to avoid such conflict.

 

14.14. Beneficiary Designation. Each Participant under the Plan may from time to time name any beneficiary or beneficiaries by whom any right under the Plan is to be exercised in case of such Participant’s death. Each designation will revoke all prior designations by the same Participant, shall be in a form reasonably prescribed by the Committee and shall be effective only when filed by the Participant in writing with the Company during the Participant’s lifetime.

 

14.15. Expenses. The costs of administering the Plan shall be paid by the Company.

 

14.16. Severability. If any of the provisions of the Plan or any Award Agreement is held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, whether in whole or in part, such provision shall be deemed modified to the extent, but only to the extent, of such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability and the remaining provisions shall not be affected thereby.

 

14.17. Plan Headings. The headings in the Plan are for purposes of convenience only and are not intended to define or limit the construction of the provisions hereof.

 

14.18. Non-Uniform Treatment. The Committee’s determinations under the Plan need not be uniform and may be made by it selectively among persons who are eligible to receive, or actually receive, Awards. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Committee shall be entitled to make non-uniform and selective determinations, amendments and adjustments, and to enter into non-uniform and selective Award Agreements.

 

15. Effective Date of Plan. The Plan shall become effective as of the Effective Date, but no Award shall be exercised (or, in the case of a share Award, shall be granted) unless and until the Plan has been approved by the shareholders of the Company, which approval shall be within twelve (12) months before or after the date the Plan is adopted by the Board.

 

16. Termination or Suspension of the Plan. The Plan shall terminate automatically on January 25, 2032. No Award shall be granted pursuant to the Plan after such date, but Awards theretofore granted may extend beyond that date. The Board may suspend or terminate the Plan at any earlier date pursuant to Section 13.1 hereof, provided any such suspension or termination is consistent with the provisions of Section 409A of the Code. No Awards may be granted under the Plan while the Plan is suspended or after it is terminated.

 

17. Choice of Law. Except to the extent governed by Federal law, the Plan and all Award Agreements shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the laws of the Cayman Islands.

 

As adopted by the Board of Directors of the Company on January 25, 2022.

 

This Plan does not need to be approved by the shareholders of the Company under the laws of the Cayman Islands.

 

 

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Exhibit 10.1

 

SHARE OPTION AGREEMENT

 

This Share Option Agreement (this “Agreement”) is made and entered into as of the Grant Date specified below by and between Guardforce AI Co., Limited, an exempted company formed under the laws of the Cayman Islands (the “Company”), and the participant named below (the “Participant”).

 

Name of Participant:

 
Grant Date:  
Expiration Date:  
Exercise Price:  
Number of Option Shares:  
Type of Option:  
Vesting Start Date:  
Vesting Schedule:  

 

1. Grant of Option.

 

1.1. Grant. The Company hereby grants to the Participant an option (the “Option”) to purchase the total number of Ordinary Shares of the Company equal to the number of Option Shares set forth above, at the Exercise Price set forth above. The Option is being granted pursuant to the terms of the Company’s 2022 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”). Capitalized terms used but not defined herein will have the meanings ascribed to them in the Plan.

 

1.2. Type of Option. The Option is intended to be either a Non-qualified Share Option (i.e., not an Incentive Share Option) or an Incentive Share Option within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code, as indicated above, although the Company makes no representation or guarantee that the Option will qualify as an Incentive Share Option. To the extent that the aggregate Fair Market Value (determined on the Grant Date) of the Ordinary Shares with respect to which Incentive Share Options are exercisable for the first time by the Participant during any calendar year (under all plans of the Company and its Affiliates) exceeds $100,000, the Options or portions thereof which exceed such limit (according to the order in which they were granted) shall be treated as Non-qualified Share Options.

 

1.3. Consideration. The grant of the Option is made in consideration of the services to be rendered by the Participant to the Company and is subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan.

 

2. Exercise Period; Vesting.

 

2.1. Vesting Schedule. The Option will become vested and exercisable in accordance with the Vesting Schedule specified above until the Option is 100% vested. The unvested portion of the Option will not be exercisable on or after the Participant’s termination of Continuous Service.

 

2.2. Expiration. The Option will expire on the Expiration Date set forth above, or earlier as provided in this Agreement or the Plan.

 

3. Termination of Continuous Service.

 

3.1. Termination for Reasons Other Than Cause, Death or Disability. If the Participant’s Continuous Service is terminated for any reason other than Cause, death or Disability, the Participant may exercise the vested portion of the Option, but only within such period of time ending on the earlier of (a) the date that is three months following the termination of the Participant’s Continuous Service or (b) the Expiration Date.

 

 

 

 

3.2. Termination for Cause. If the Participant’s Continuous Service is terminated for Cause, the Option (whether vested or unvested) shall immediately terminate and cease to be exercisable.

 

3.3. Termination Due to Disability. If the Participant’s Continuous Service terminates as a result of the Participant’s Disability, the Participant may exercise the vested portion of the Option, but only within such period of time ending on the earlier of (a) the date that is 12 months following the Participant’s termination of Continuous Service or (b) the Expiration Date.

 

3.4. Termination Due to Death. If the Participant’s Continuous Service terminates as a result of the Participant’s death, or the Participant dies within a period following termination of the Participant’s Continuous Service during which the vested portion of the Option remains exercisable, the vested portion of the Option may be exercised by the Participant’s estate, by a person who acquired the right to exercise the Option by bequest or inheritance or by the person designated to exercise the Option upon the Participant’s death, but only within the time period ending on the earlier of (a) the date that is 12 months following the Participant’s death or (b) the Expiration Date.

 

3.5. Extension of Termination Date. If following the Participant’s termination of Continuous Service for any reason the exercise of the Option is prohibited because the exercise of the Option would violate the registration requirements under the Securities Act or any other state or federal securities law or the rules of any securities exchange or interdealer quotation system, then the expiration of the Option shall be tolled until the date that is thirty (30) days after the end of the period during which the exercise of the Option would be in violation of such registration or other securities requirements.

 

4. Manner of Exercise.

 

4.1. Election to Exercise. To exercise the Option, the Participant (or in the case of exercise after the Participant’s death or incapacity, the Participant’s executor, administrator, heir or legatee, as the case may be) must deliver to the Company an executed share option exercise agreement in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A, or as is approved by the Committee from time to time (the “Exercise Agreement”), which shall set forth, inter alia: (a) the Participant’s election to exercise the Option; (b) the number of Ordinary Shares being purchased; (c) any restrictions imposed on the shares; and (d) any representations, warranties and agreements regarding the Participant’s investment intent and access to information as may be required by the Company to comply with applicable securities laws. If someone other than the Participant exercises the Option, then such person must submit documentation reasonably acceptable to the Company verifying that such person has the legal right to exercise the Option.

 

4.2. Payment of Exercise Price. The entire Exercise Price of the Option shall be payable in full at the time of exercise to the extent permitted by applicable statutes and regulations, either: (a) in cash or by certified or bank check at the time the Option is exercised; (b) by delivery to the Company of other Ordinary Shares, together with an instrument of transfer in favour of the Company, with a Fair Market Value on the date of delivery equal to the Exercise Price (or portion thereof) due for the number of shares being acquired, or by means of attestation whereby the Participant identifies for delivery specific shares that have a Fair Market Value on the date of attestation equal to the Exercise Price (or portion thereof) and receives a number of shares equal to the difference between the number of shares thereby purchased and the number of identified attestation shares (a “Stock for Stock Exchange”); (c) through a “cashless exercise program” established with a broker; (d) by reduction in the number of shares otherwise deliverable upon exercise of such Option with a Fair Market Value equal to the aggregate Exercise Price at the time of exercise; (e) by any combination of the foregoing methods; or (f) in any other form of legal consideration that may be acceptable to the Committee.

 

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4.3. Withholding. Prior to the issuance of shares upon the exercise of the Option, the Participant must make arrangements satisfactory to the Company to pay or provide for any applicable federal, state and local withholding obligations of the Company. The Participant may satisfy any federal, state or local tax withholding obligation relating to the exercise of the Option by any of the following means: (a) tendering a cash payment; (b) authorizing the Company to withhold Ordinary Shares from the Ordinary Shares otherwise issuable to the Participant as a result of the exercise of the Option; provided, however, that no Ordinary Shares are withheld with a value exceeding the minimum amount of tax required to be withheld by law; or (c) delivering to the Company previously owned and unencumbered Ordinary Shares. The Company has the right to withhold from any compensation paid to a Participant.

 

4.4. Issuance of Shares. Provided that the Exercise Agreement and payment are in form and substance satisfactory to the Company, the Company shall issue the Ordinary Shares registered in the name of the Participant, the Participant’s authorized assignee, or the Participant’s legal representative which shall be evidenced by entry in the register of members of the Company and share certificates representing the shares with the appropriate legends affixed thereto, appropriate entry on the books of the Company or of a duly authorized transfer agent, or other appropriate means as determined by the Company.

 

5. No Right to Continued Service; No Rights as Shareholder. Neither the Plan nor this Agreement shall confer upon the Participant any right to be retained in any position, as an Employee, Consultant or Director of the Company. Further, nothing in the Plan or this Agreement shall be construed to limit the discretion of the Company to terminate the Participant’s Continuous Service at any time, with or without Cause. The Participant shall not have any rights as a shareholder with respect to any Ordinary Shares subject to the Option prior to the date of exercise of the Option.

 

6. Transferability. The Option is not transferable by the Participant other than to a designated beneficiary upon the Participant’s death or by will or the laws of descent and distribution, and is exercisable during the Participant’s lifetime only by him or her. No assignment or transfer of the Option, or the rights represented thereby, whether voluntary or involuntary, by operation of law or otherwise (except to a designated beneficiary upon death by will or the laws of descent or distribution) will vest in the assignee or transferee any interest or right herein whatsoever, but immediately upon such assignment or transfer the Option will terminate and become of no further effect.

 

7. Change in Control. In the event of a Change in Control, the Committee may, in its discretion and upon at least ten (10) days’ advance notice to the Participant, cancel the Option and pay to the Participant the value of the Option based upon the price per share of Ordinary Share received or to be received by other shareholders of the Company in the event. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if at the time of a Change in Control the Exercise Price of the Option equals or exceeds the price paid for a share of Ordinary Share in connection with the Change in Control, the Committee may cancel the Option without the payment of consideration therefor.

 

8. Adjustments. The Ordinary Shares subject to the Option may be adjusted or terminated in any manner as contemplated by Section 11 of the Plan.

 

9. Tax Liability and Withholding. Notwithstanding any action the Company takes with respect to any or all income tax, social insurance, payroll tax, or other tax-related withholding (“Tax-Related Items”), the ultimate liability for all Tax-Related Items is and remains the Participant’s responsibility and the Company (a) makes no representations or undertakings regarding the treatment of any Tax-Related Items in connection with the grant, vesting, or exercise of the Option or the subsequent sale of any shares acquired on exercise; and (b) does not commit to structure the Option to reduce or eliminate the Participant’s liability for Tax-Related Items.

 

10. Qualification as an Incentive Share Option. If this Option is an Incentive Share Option, the Participant understands that in order to obtain the benefits of an Incentive Share Option, no sale or other disposition may be made of shares for which Incentive Share Option treatment is desired within one (1) year following the date of exercise of the Option or within two (2) years from the Grant Date. The Participant understands and agrees that the Company shall not be liable or responsible for any additional tax liability the Participant incurs in the event that the Internal Revenue Service for any reason determines that this Option does not qualify as an Incentive Share Option within the meaning of the Code.

 

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11. Disqualifying Disposition. If this Option is an Incentive Share Option and the Participant disposes of the Ordinary Shares prior to the expiration of either two (2) years from the Grant Date or one (1) year from the date the shares are transferred to the Participant pursuant to the exercise of the Option, the Participant shall notify the Company in writing within thirty (30) days after such disposition of the date and terms of such disposition. The Participant also agrees to provide the Company with any information concerning any such dispositions as the Company requires for tax purposes.

 

12. Non-competition and Non-solicitation.

 

12.1. Non-competition and Non-solicitation Restrictions. In consideration of the Option, the Participant agrees and covenants not to:

 

(a) contribute his or her knowledge, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, as an employee, officer, owner, manager, advisor, consultant, agent, partner, director, shareholder, volunteer, intern or in any other similar capacity to an entity engaged in the same or similar business as the Company and its Affiliates for a period of one year following the Participant’s termination of Continuous Service;

 

(b) directly or indirectly, solicit, hire, recruit, attempt to hire or recruit, or induce the termination of employment of any employee of the Company or its Affiliates for one year following the Participant’s termination of Continuous Service; or

 

(c) directly or indirectly, solicit, contact (including, but not limited to, e-mail, regular mail, express mail, telephone, fax, and instant message), attempt to contact or meet with the current, former or prospective customers of the Company or any of its Affiliates for purposes of offering or accepting goods or services similar to or competitive with those offered by the Company or any of its Affiliates for a period of one year following the Participant’s termination of Continuous Service.

 

12.2. Enforcement of Non-competition and Non-solicitation Restrictions. In the event of a breach or threatened breach of any of the covenants contained in Section 12.1:

 

(a) any unvested portion of the Option shall be forfeited effective as of the date of such breach, unless sooner terminated by operation of another term or condition of this Agreement or the Plan;

 

(b) any vested, but unexercised, portion of the Option that vested upon the termination of the Participant’s Continuous Service or that vested within the one year period prior to the earlier of (i) the time the Participant first breached any of the covenants contained in Section 12.1 and (ii) the time of the Participant’s termination of Continuous Service, shall be forfeited as of the date of such breach, unless sooner terminated by operation of another term or condition of this Agreement or the Plan;

 

(c) the Company shall have the right, but not the obligation, during the one year period following the termination of the Participant’s Continuous Service to acquire any shares issued upon exercise of the Option during the one year period preceding the termination of the Participant’s Continuous Service that continue to be held by the Participant at the Exercise Price paid by the Participant, if any, for such shares; and

 

(d) the Participant hereby consents and agrees that the Company shall be entitled to seek, in addition to other available remedies, a temporary or permanent injunction or other equitable relief against such breach or threatened breach from any court of competent jurisdiction, without the necessity of showing any actual damages or that money damages would not afford an adequate remedy, and without the necessity of posting any bond or other security. The aforementioned equitable relief shall be in addition to, not in lieu of, legal remedies, monetary damages or other available forms of relief.

 

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13. Compliance with Law. The exercise of the Option and the issuance and transfer of Ordinary Shares shall be subject to compliance by the Company and the Participant with laws of Cayman Islands as they relate to the Company and its Ordinary Shares, all applicable requirements of federal and state securities laws and with all applicable requirements of any stock exchange on which the Company’s Ordinary Shares may be listed. No Ordinary Shares shall be issued pursuant to this Option unless and until any then applicable requirements of Cayman Islands laws, state or federal laws and regulatory agencies have been fully complied with to the satisfaction of the Company and its counsel. The Participant understands that the Company is under no obligation to register the Ordinary Shares with the Securities and Exchange Commission, any state securities commission or any stock exchange to effect such compliance.

 

14. Notices. Any notice required to be delivered to the Company under this Agreement shall be in writing and addressed to the Konki Lo of the Company at the Company’s principal corporate offices. Any notice required to be delivered to the Participant under this Agreement shall be in writing and addressed to the Participant at the Participant’s address as shown in the records of the Company. Either party may designate another address in writing (or by such other method approved by the Company) from time to time.

 

15. Governing Law. This Agreement will be construed and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the Cayman Islands without regard to conflict of law principles.

 

16. Interpretation. Any dispute regarding the interpretation of this Agreement shall be submitted by the Participant or the Company to the Committee for review. The resolution of such dispute by the Committee shall be final and binding on the Participant and the Company.

 

17. Options Subject to Plan. This Agreement is subject to the Plan and is not required to be approved by the Company’s shareholders. The terms and provisions of the Plan as it may be amended from time to time are hereby incorporated herein by reference. In the event of a conflict between any term or provision contained herein and a term or provision of the Plan, the applicable terms and provisions of the Plan will govern and prevail.

 

18. Successors and Assigns. The Company may assign any of its rights under this Agreement. This Agreement will be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the successors and assigns of the Company. Subject to the restrictions on transfer set forth herein, this Agreement will be binding upon the Participant and the Participant’s beneficiaries, executors, administrators and the person(s) to whom the Option may be transferred by will or the laws of descent or distribution.

 

19. Severability. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of the Plan or this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision of the Plan or this Agreement, and each provision of the Plan and this Agreement shall be severable and enforceable to the extent permitted by law.

 

20. Discretionary Nature of Plan. The Plan is discretionary and may be amended, cancelled or terminated by the Company at any time, in its discretion. The grant of the Option in this Agreement does not create any contractual right or other right to receive any Options or other Awards in the future. Future Awards, if any, will be at the sole discretion of the Company. Any amendment, modification, or termination of the Plan shall not constitute a change or impairment of the terms and conditions of the Participant’s employment with the Company.

 

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21. Amendment. The Committee has the right to amend, alter, suspend, discontinue or cancel the Option, prospectively or retroactively; provided, that, no such amendment shall adversely affect the Participant’s material rights under this Agreement without the Participant’s consent.

 

22. No Impact on Other Benefits. The value of the Participant’s Option is not part of his or her normal or expected compensation for purposes of calculating any severance, retirement, welfare, insurance or similar employee benefit.

 

23. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original but all of which together will constitute one and the same instrument. Counterpart signature pages to this Agreement transmitted by facsimile transmission, by electronic mail in portable document format (.pdf), or by any other electronic means intended to preserve the original graphic and pictorial appearance of a document, will have the same effect as physical delivery of the paper document bearing an original signature.

 

24. Acceptance. The Participant hereby acknowledges receipt of a copy of the Plan and this Agreement. The Participant has read and understands the terms and provisions thereof, and accepts the Option subject to all of the terms and conditions of the Plan and this Agreement. The Participant acknowledges that there may be adverse tax consequences upon exercise of the Option or disposition of the underlying shares and that the Participant should consult a tax advisor prior to such exercise or disposition.

 

[SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the Grant Date set forth above.

 

  COMPANY:
   
 

GUARDFORCE AI CO., LIMITED

   
  By:  
    Name:  Lei Wang
    Title: Chief Executive officer

 

  Address: 10 Anson Road
    #28-01 International Plaza
    Singapore 079903
     
  PARTICIPANT:
   
   
  (Signature)
   
   
  (Name)
   
  Address:  
     
     

 

 

 

 

Exhibit A

 

SHARE OPTION EXERCISE AGREEMENT

 

This Share Option Exercise Agreement (this “Exercise Agreement”) is made and entered into as of _______________ by and between Guardforce AI Co., Limited, an exempted company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands (the “Company”), and the purchaser named below (the “Purchaser”). Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Guardforce AI Co., Limited 2022 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”).

 

  Purchaser Name:  

 

  Address:  

 

  Social Security Number:  

 

1. Option. The Purchaser was granted an option (the “Option”) to purchase Ordinary Shares pursuant to the terms of the Plan and the Share Option Agreement between the Company and the Purchaser dated ________________, as follows:

 

Type of Option (check one):

 

____ Incentive Share Option

 

____ Non-qualified Share Option

 

  Grant Date:  

 

  Number of Option shares:  

 

  Exercise Price per share:  

 

  Expiration Date:  

 

 

2. Exercise of Option. The Purchaser hereby elects to exercise the Option to purchase __________ Ordinary Shares (“Shares”), all of which are vested pursuant to the terms of the Share Option Agreement. The total Exercise Price for all of the Shares is ________ (Total Shares times Exercise Price per Share).

 

3. Payment of the Exercise Price; Delivery of Required Documents. The Purchaser encloses payment in full of the total Exercise Price for the Shares in the following form(s), as authorized by the Share Option Agreement (check and complete as appropriate):

 

____ In cash (by certified or bank check) in the amount of $_____, receipt of which is acknowledged by the Company.

 

____ By delivery of ______ previously acquired Ordinary Shares together with a duly executed instrument of transfer for transfer to the Company.

 

____ Through a Stock for Stock Exchange (Contact Company CFO).

 

____ By a broker-assisted cashless exercise (Contact Company CFO).

 

 

 

 

____ By reduction in the number of Shares otherwise deliverable upon exercise with a Fair Market Value equal to the total Exercise Price (Contact Company CFO).

 

The Purchaser will deliver any other documents that the Company requires.

 

4. Tax Withholding. The Purchaser authorizes payroll withholding and will make arrangements satisfactory to the Company to pay or provide for any applicable federal, state and local withholding obligations of the Company. The Purchaser may satisfy any federal, state or local tax withholding obligation relating to the exercise of the Option by any of the methods set forth in the Plan or Share Option Agreement. The Purchaser understands that ownership of the Shares will not be transferred to the Purchaser until the total Exercise Price and all applicable withholding taxes have been paid.

 

5. Notice of Disqualifying Disposition. If the Option is an Incentive Share Option, the Purchaser agrees to promptly notify Konki Lo at the Company if he or she transfers any of the Shares purchased pursuant to this Exercise Agreement within one (1) year from the date of exercise of the Option or within two (2) years from the Grant Date.

 

6. Tax Consequences. The Purchaser understands that there may be adverse federal or state tax consequences as a result of his or her purchase or disposition of the Shares. The Purchaser also acknowledges that he or she has been advised to consult with a tax advisor in connection with the purchase or disposition of the Shares. The Purchaser is not relying on the Company for tax advice.

 

7. Compliance with Law. The issuance and transfer of the Shares will be subject to, and conditioned upon compliance by the Company and the Purchaser with, all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations and all applicable requirements of any stock exchange or automated quotation system on which the Shares may be listed or quoted at the time of such issuance or transfer.

 

8. Successors and Assigns; Binding Effect. The Company may assign any of its rights under this Exercise Agreement. This Exercise Agreement will be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the successors and assigns of the Company. This Exercise Agreement will be binding upon the Purchaser and the Purchaser's heirs, executors, legal representatives, successors and assigns.

 

9. Governing Law. This Exercise Agreement will be construed and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the Cayman Islands without regard to conflict of law principles.

 

10. Severability. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of this Exercise Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision, and each provision of this Exercise Agreement shall be severable and enforceable to the extent permitted by law.

 

11. Counterparts. This Exercise Agreement may be executed in counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original but all of which together will constitute one and the same instrument.

 

12. Notice. Any notice required to be delivered to the Company under this Exercise Agreement shall be in writing and addressed to Konki Lo of the Company at the Company's principal corporate offices. Any notice required to be delivered to the Purchaser under this Exercise Agreement shall be in writing and addressed to the Purchaser at the Purchaser's address as set forth above. Either party may designate another address in writing (or by such other method approved by the Company) from time to time.

 

13. Acknowledgement. The Purchaser understands that he or she is purchasing the Shares pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Plan and the Share Option Agreement, copies of which the Purchaser has read and understands.

 

 

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Exercise Agreement as of the date first above written.

 

  COMPANY:
   
  GUARDFORCE AI CO., LIMITED
     
  By:  
  Name: Lei Wang
  Title: Chief Executive Officer
     
  PURCHASER:
     
   
  [Name]  

 

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.2

 

GUARDFORCE AI CO., LIMITED

 

2022 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN

 

NOTICE OF RESTRICTED SHARE AWARD

 

Capitalized but otherwise undefined terms in this Notice of Restricted Share Award and the attached Restricted Share Award Agreement shall have the same defined meanings as in the Guardforce AI Co., Limited 2022 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”).

 

Grantee Name: ___________________________     Address: ___________________________ 

 

You have been granted Restricted Shares subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan and the attached Restricted Share Award Agreement, as follows:

 

  Date of Grant:   _________________________
       
  Vesting Commencement Date    
  (if different from Date of Grant):   _________________________
       
  Purchase Price per Share:   _________________________
       
  Total Number of Shares Granted:   _________________________
       
  Agreement Date:   _________________________
       
  Vesting Schedule:   _________________________

 

 

 

 

RESTRICTED SHARE AWARD AGREEMENT

 

This Restricted Share Award Agreement (this “Agreement”) is made and entered into as of _______________ (the “Grant Date”) by and between Guardforce AI Co., Limited, an exempted company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands (the “Company”), and ______________ (the “Grantee”).

 

WHEREAS, the Company has adopted the Guardforce AI Co., Limited 2022 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) pursuant to which awards of Restricted Share may be granted; and

 

WHEREAS, the Committee has determined that it is in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders to grant the award of Restricted Share provided for herein.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, the parties hereto, intending to be legally bound, agree as follows:

 

1. Grant of Restricted Shares. Pursuant to Section 7.2 of the Plan, the Company hereby issues to the Grantee on the Grant Date a Restricted Share Award consisting of, in the aggregate, _________ Ordinary Shares of the Company (the “Restricted Shares”), on the terms and conditions and subject to the restrictions set forth in this Agreement and the Plan. Capitalized terms that are used but not defined herein have the meaning ascribed to them in the Plan.

 

2. Consideration. The grant of the Restricted Shares is made in consideration of the services to be rendered by the Grantee to the Company.

 

3. Restricted Period; Vesting.

 

3.1. Except as otherwise provided herein, provided that the Grantee remains in Continuous Service through the applicable vesting date, and further provided that any additional conditions and performance goals set forth in Schedule I have been satisfied, the Restricted Shares will vest in accordance with the following schedule:

 

Vesting Date   Restricted Shares
[VESTING DATE]   [NUMBER OR PERCENTAGE OF SHARES THAT VEST ON THE VESTING DATE]
[VESTING DATE]   [NUMBER OR PERCENTAGE OF SHARES THAT VEST ON THE VESTING DATE]

 

The period over which the Restricted Share vests is referred to as the “Restricted Period”.

 

3.2. The foregoing vesting schedule notwithstanding, if the Grantee’s Continuous Service terminates for any reason at any time before all of his or her Restricted Shares have vested other than death or retirement (in the case of a Director), termination of the Grantee’s Continuous Service is terminated by the Company or an Affiliate for Disability, the Grantee’s unvested Restricted Shares shall be automatically forfeited upon such termination of Continuous Service and neither the Company nor any Affiliate shall have any further obligations to the Grantee under this Agreement.

 

3.3. The foregoing vesting schedule notwithstanding, in the event of the Grantee’s death or if the Grantee’s Continuous Service is terminated by the Company or an Affiliate for Disability, 100% of the unvested Restricted Shares shall vest as of the date of such termination.

 

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3.4. The foregoing vesting schedule notwithstanding, if the Grantee is an Outside Director, 100% of the unvested Restricted Shares shall vest on the Grantee’s attainment of mandatory retirement age for members of the Board, if any.

 

4. Restrictions. Subject to any exceptions set forth in this Agreement or the Plan, during the Restricted Period, the Restricted Shares or the rights relating thereto may not be assigned, alienated, pledged, attached, sold or otherwise transferred or encumbered by the Grantee. Any attempt to assign, alienate, pledge, attach, sell or otherwise transfer or encumber the Restricted Shares or the rights relating thereto during the Restricted Period shall be wholly ineffective and, if any such attempt is made, the Restricted Shares will be forfeited by the Grantee and all of the Grantee’s rights to such shares shall immediately terminate without any payment or consideration by the Company.

 

5. Rights as Shareholder; Dividends.

 

5.1. The Grantee shall be the record owner of the Restricted Shares until the Ordinary Shares are sold or otherwise disposed of, and shall be entitled to all of the rights of a shareholder of the Company including, without limitation, the right to vote such shares and receive all dividends or other distributions paid with respect to such shares. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any dividends or other distributions shall be subject to the same restrictions on transferability as the Restricted Shares with respect to which they were paid.

 

5.2. The Company may issue share certificates or evidence the Grantee’s interest by using a restricted book entry account with the Company’s transfer agent. Physical possession or custody of any share certificates that are issued may be retained by the Company until such time as the Restricted Shares vest.

 

5.3. If the Grantee forfeits any rights he or she has under this Agreement in accordance with Section 3, the Grantee shall, on the date of such forfeiture, no longer have any rights as a shareholder with respect to the Restricted Shares and shall no longer be entitled to vote or receive dividends on such shares.

 

6. Grantee Representations.

 

Grantee represents to the Company the following:

 

6.1. Acknowledgement of Terms. Grantee acknowledges that Grantee has received, read and understood the Plan and the Agreement and agrees to abide by and be bound by their terms and conditions.

 

6.2. Reliance on Exemptions. The Grantee understands that the Restricted Shares are being offered and sold to it in reliance upon specific exemptions from the registration requirements of United States federal and state securities laws and that the Company is relying upon the truth and accuracy of, and the Grantee’s compliance with, the representations, warranties, agreements, acknowledgments and understandings of the Grantee set forth herein in order to determine the availability of such exemptions and the eligibility of the Grantee to receive the Restricted Shares. All of the information which the Grantee has provided to the Company is true, correct and complete as of the date this Agreement is signed.

 

6.3. Restrictions on Transfer. If, at the time of grant of the Restricted Shares, there does not exist a registration statement under the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), which registration statement shall have become effective and is current with respect to the Restricted Shares Grantee acknowledges that the Restricted Shares to be issued to Grantee must be held indefinitely unless subsequently registered and qualified under the Securities Act, or unless an exemption from registration and qualification is otherwise available.

 

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Grantee acknowledges that the Restricted Shares may be subject to such restrictions, conditions or limitations as the Company determines appropriate as to the timing and manner of any resales by Grantee or other subsequent transfers by Grantee of any Restricted Shares, including without limitation (a) restrictions under an insider trading policy, (b) restrictions designed to delay and/or coordinate the timing and manner of sales by Grantee, and (c) restrictions as to the use of a specified brokerage firm for such resales or other transfers.

 

6.4. Grantee Status.

 

6.4.1. U.S. Investor Investment Representations. If such Grantee is a U.S. Person, at the time such Grantee was offered the Restricted Shares, she/he was, and at the date hereof is, an “accredited investor” as defined in Rule 501(a) under the Securities Act, and has initialed the category of Accredited Investor applicable to Grantee on the Grantee Questionnaire attached as Exhibit A to the Agreement. Grantee is purchasing the Restricted Shares for Grantee’s own account and not with a view to the resale or distribution thereof. At no time was Grantee presented with or solicited by any publicly issued or circulated newspaper, mail, radio, television or other form of general advertising or solicitation in connection with the offer, sale and issue of the Restricted Shares. Grantee is not required to be registered as a broker-dealer under Section 15 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and is not affiliated with any broker-dealer registered under Section 15 of the Exchange Act.

 

6.4.2 Non-U.S. Investor Investment Representations. If such Grantee is not a U.S. Person (as such term is defined in Rule 902(k) of Regulation S), such Grantee shall initial the category for foreign persons on the Grantee Questionnaire attached as Exhibit A to the Agreement and such Grantee

 

(i) acknowledges that the certificate(s) or book entry account representing or evidencing the Restricted Shares contain a customary restrictive legend restricting the offer, sale or transfer of any Restricted Shares except in accordance with the provisions of Regulation S, pursuant to registration under the Securities Act, or pursuant to an available exemption from registration,

 

(ii) is purchasing the Restricted Shares for Grantee’s own account and not with a view to the resale or distribution thereof,

 

(iii) at no time was presented with or solicited by any publicly issued or circulated newspaper, mail, radio, television or other form of general advertising or solicitation in connection with the offer, sale and issue of the Restricted Shares,

 

(iv) is not required to be registered as a broker-dealer under Section 15 of the Exchange Act, and is not affiliated with any broker-dealer registered under Section 15 of the Exchange Act,

 

(v) agrees that any subsequent offer for sale or sale of any such Restricted Shares shall be made pursuant to either (a) a registration statement under the Securities Act, which registration statement shall have become effective and shall be current with respect to the Restricted Shares being offered and sold, or (b) an exemption from the registration statement requirements of the Securities Act, including the provisions of Regulation S promulgated under the Act (“Regulation S”), provided that Grantee is not a U.S. person (as defined in Regulation S), is not acquiring the Restricted Shares for the account or benefit of a U.S. person, is the sole beneficial owner of the Restricted Shares and has not pre-arranged any sale with an investor in the United States, will resell the Restricted Shares only in accordance with the provisions of Regulation S and will not engage in any hedging transactions with regard to the Restricted Shares unless in compliance with the Act, but in claiming the exemption in (b), Grantee shall, prior to any offer for sale or sale of such Restricted Shares, obtain a favorable written opinion from counsel for or reasonably approved by the Company as to the applicability of such exemption, and the certificate evidencing such Restricted Shares shall bear an additional legend to the effect of the foregoing substantially as follows:

 

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“THESE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 (THE “SECURITIES ACT”) OR UNDER APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS AND MAY NOT BE SOLD, TRANSFERRED OR OTHERWISE DISPOSED OF OTHER THAN IN COMPLIANCE WITH AN AVAILABLE EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT, INCLUDING THE PROVISIONS OF REGULATION S PROMULGATED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, UNLESS REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT AND ANY APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS, PROVIDED THAT THE SELLER DELIVERS TO THE COMPANY AN OPINION OF COUNSEL (WHICH OPINION IS REASONABLY SATISFACTORY TO THE COMPANY) CONFIRMING THE AVAILABILITY OF SUCH EXEMPTION. THESE SECURITIES MAY BE PLEDGED IN CONNECTION WITH A BONA FIDE MARGIN ACCOUNT SECURED BY SUCH SECURITIES TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE FEDERAL AND STATE SECURITIES LAWS.”

 

(vi) represents that the offer to purchase the Restricted Shares was made to such Grantee outside of the United States, and such Grantee was, at the time of the offer and will be, at the time of the sale and is now, outside the United States, (a) has not engaged in or directed any unsolicited offers to purchase Restricted Shares in the United States, (b) is neither a U.S. Person nor a Distributor (as such terms are defined in Rule 902(k) and 902(d), respectively, of Regulation S), and

 

(vii) is familiar with and understands the terms and conditions and requirements contained in Regulation S, specifically, without limitation, the Grantee understands that the statutory basis for the exemption claimed for the sale of the Restricted Shares would not be present if the sale, although in technical compliance with Regulation S, is part of a plan or scheme to evade the registration provisions of the Securities Act.

 

7. Exemption from Registration. Subject to the accuracy of Grantee’s representations and warranties set forth in the Section 6, the issuance of Restricted Shares by the Company to the Grantee will not require registration under the Securities Act. The Company is issuing Restricted Shares in accordance with and in reliance upon the exemption from securities registration afforded, inter alia, by Rule 506 under Regulation D or Rule 902 under Regulation S as promulgated by the Commission under the Securities Act.

 

8. No Right to Continued Service. Neither the Plan nor this Agreement shall confer upon the Grantee any right to be retained in any position, as an Employee, Consultant or Director of the Company. Further, nothing in the Plan or this Agreement shall be construed to limit the discretion of the Company to terminate the Grantee’s Continuous Service at any time, with or without Cause.

 

9. Adjustments. If any change is made to the outstanding Ordinary Shares or the capital structure of the Company, if required, the Ordinary Shares shall be adjusted or terminated in any manner as contemplated by Section 11 of the Plan.

 

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10. Tax Liability and Withholding.

 

10.1. The Grantee shall be required to pay to the Company, and the Company shall have the right to deduct from any compensation paid to the Grantee pursuant to the Plan, the amount of any required withholding taxes in respect of the Restricted Shares and to take all such other action as the Committee deems necessary to satisfy all obligations for the payment of such withholding taxes. The Committee may permit the Grantee to satisfy any federal, state or local tax withholding obligation by any of the following means, or by a combination of such means: (a) tendering a cash payment; (b) authorizing the Company to withhold Ordinary Shares from the Ordinary Shares otherwise issuable or deliverable to the Grantee as a result of the vesting of the Restricted Shares; provided, however, that no Ordinary Shares shall be withheld with a value exceeding the minimum amount of tax required to be withheld by law; or (c) delivering to the Company previously owned and unencumbered Ordinary Shares.

 

10.2. Notwithstanding any action the Company takes with respect to any or all income tax, social insurance, payroll tax, or other tax-related withholding (“Tax-Related Items”), the ultimate liability for all Tax-Related Items is and remains the Grantee’s responsibility and the Company (a) makes no representation or undertakings regarding the treatment of any Tax-Related Items in connection with the grant or vesting of the Restricted Shares or the subsequent sale of any shares; and (b) does not commit to structure the Restricted Shares to reduce or eliminate the Grantee’s liability for Tax-Related Items.

 

11. Section 83(b) Election. The Grantee may make an election under Code Section 83(b) (a “Section 83(b) Election”) with respect to the Restricted Shares. Any such election must be made within thirty (30) days after the Grant Date. If the Grantee elects to make a Section 83(b) Election, the Grantee shall provide the Company with a copy of an executed version and satisfactory evidence of the filing of the executed Section 83(b) Election with the US Internal Revenue Service. The Grantee agrees to assume full responsibility for ensuring that the Section 83(b) Election is actually and timely filed with the US Internal Revenue Service and for all tax consequences resulting from the Section 83(b) Election.

 

12. Non-competition and Non-solicitation.

 

12.1. In consideration of the Restricted Shares, the Grantee agrees and covenants not to:

 

(a) contribute his or her knowledge, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, as an employee, officer, owner, manager, advisor, consultant, agent, partner, director, shareholder, volunteer, intern or in any other similar capacity to an entity engaged in the same or similar business as the Company and its Affiliates for a period of one year following the Grantee’s termination of Continuous Service;

 

(b) directly or indirectly, solicit, hire, recruit, attempt to hire or recruit, or induce the termination of employment of any employee of the Company or its Affiliates for one year following the Grantee’s termination of Continuous Service; or

 

(c) directly or indirectly, solicit, contact (including, but not limited to, e-mail, regular mail, express mail, telephone, fax, and instant message), attempt to contact or meet with the current, former or prospective customers of the Company or any of its Affiliates for purposes of offering or accepting goods or services similar to or competitive with those offered by the Company or any of its Affiliates for a period of one year following the Grantee’s termination of Continuous Service.

 

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12.2. If the Grantee breaches any of the covenants set forth in Section 10.1:

 

(a) all unvested Restricted Shares shall be immediately forfeited; and

 

(b) the Company shall have the right, but not the obligation, during the one-year period following the termination of the Participant’s Continuous Service to acquire any vested Restricted Shares that vested during the one-year period preceding the termination of the Participant’s Continuous Service that continue to be held by the Participant at the purchase price, if any, paid by the Participant for such vested Restricted Shares; and

 

(c) the Grantee hereby consents and agrees that the Company shall be entitled to seek, in addition to other available remedies, a temporary or permanent injunction or other equitable relief against such breach or threatened breach from any court of competent jurisdiction, without the necessity of showing any actual damages or that money damages would not afford an adequate remedy, and without the necessity of posting any bond or other security. The aforementioned equitable relief shall be in addition to, not in lieu of, legal remedies, monetary damages or other available forms of relief.

 

13. Compliance with Law. The issuance and transfer of Ordinary Shares shall be subject to compliance by the Company and the Grantee with laws of Cayman Islands as they relate to the Company and its Ordinary Shares, with all applicable requirements of federal and state securities laws and with all applicable requirements of any stock exchange on which the Company’s Ordinary Shares may be listed. No Ordinary Shares shall be issued or transferred unless and until any then applicable requirements of Cayman Islands laws, state and federal laws and regulatory agencies have been fully complied with to the satisfaction of the Company and its counsel. The Grantee understands that the Company is under no obligation to register the Ordinary Shares with the Securities and Exchange Commission, any state securities commission or any stock exchange to effect such compliance.

 

14. Legends. A legend may be placed on any certificate(s) or other document(s) delivered to the Grantee indicating restrictions on transferability of the Restricted Shares pursuant to this Agreement or any other restrictions that the Committee may deem advisable under the rules, regulations and other requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission, any applicable federal or state securities laws or any stock exchange on which the Ordinary Shares are then listed or quoted.

 

15. Notices. Any notice required to be delivered to the Company under this Agreement shall be in writing and addressed to Konki Lo of the Company at the Company’s principal corporate offices. Any notice required to be delivered to the Grantee under this Agreement shall be in writing and addressed to the Grantee at the Grantee’s address as shown in the records of the Company. Either party may designate another address in writing (or by such other method approved by the Company) from time to time.

 

16. Governing Law. This Agreement will be construed and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the Cayman Islands without regard to conflict of law principles.

 

17. Interpretation. Any dispute regarding the interpretation of this Agreement shall be submitted by the Grantee or the Company to the Committee for review. The resolution of such dispute by the Committee shall be final and binding on the Grantee and the Company.

 

18. Restricted Shares Subject to Plan. This Agreement is subject to the Plan and is not required to be approved by the Company’s shareholders. The terms and provisions of the Plan as it may be amended from time to time are hereby incorporated herein by reference. In the event of a conflict between any term or provision contained herein and a term or provision of the Plan, the applicable terms and provisions of the Plan will govern and prevail.

 

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19. Successors and Assigns. The Company may assign any of its rights under this Agreement. This Agreement will be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the successors and assigns of the Company. Subject to the restrictions on transfer set forth herein, this Agreement will be binding upon the Grantee and the Grantee’s beneficiaries, executors, administrators and the person(s) to whom the Restricted Shares may be transferred by will or the laws of descent or distribution.

 

20. Severability. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of the Plan or this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision of the Plan or this Agreement, and each provision of the Plan and this Agreement shall be severable and enforceable to the extent permitted by law.

 

21. Discretionary Nature of Plan. The Plan is discretionary and may be amended, cancelled or terminated by the Company at any time, in its discretion. The grant of the Restricted Shares in this Agreement does not create any contractual right or other right to receive any Restricted Shares or other Awards in the future. Future Awards, if any, will be at the sole discretion of the Company. Any amendment, modification, or termination of the Plan shall not constitute a change or impairment of the terms and conditions of the Grantee’s employment with the Company.

 

22. Amendment. The Committee has the right to amend, alter, suspend, discontinue or cancel the Restricted Shares, prospectively or retroactively; provided, that, no such amendment shall adversely affect the Grantee’s material rights under this Agreement without the Grantee’s consent.

 

23. No Impact on Other Benefits. The value of the Grantee’s Restricted Shares is not part of his normal or expected compensation for purposes of calculating any severance, retirement, welfare, insurance or similar employee benefit.

 

24. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original but all of which together will constitute one and the same instrument. Counterpart signature pages to this Agreement transmitted by facsimile transmission, by electronic mail in portable document format (.pdf), or by any other electronic means intended to preserve the original graphic and pictorial appearance of a document, will have the same effect as physical delivery of the paper document bearing an original signature.

 

25. Acceptance. The Grantee hereby acknowledges receipt of a copy of the Plan and this Agreement. The Grantee has read and understands the terms and provisions thereof, and accepts the Restricted Shares subject to all of the terms and conditions of the Plan and this Agreement. The Grantee acknowledges that there may be adverse tax consequences upon the grant or vesting of the Restricted Shares or disposition of the shares and that the Grantee has been advised to consult a tax advisor prior to such grant, vesting or disposition.

 

[SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the date first above written.

 

  COMPANY:
     
  GUARDFORCE AI CO., LIMITED
     
  By:              
    Name:   Lei Wang
    Title: Chief Executive Officer

 

  Address:  
     
     
     
  GRANTEE:  
     
   
  (Signature)
   
   
  (Name)
   
  Address:  
     
     
     
  SSN:  

 

 

 

 

Exhibit A

 

GRANTEE Questionnaire

 

Non-U.S. Persons:

(A) ____ I hereby represent and warrant that I AM NOT a U.S. domestic Person.

 

U.S. Persons:

(B) ____ I hereby represent and warrant that I AM a U.S. domestic Person. (Please also

indicate below which category of Accredited Investor is applicable)

 

 

 

[To be completed below ONLY IF you ARE a U.S. Person]

 

The purpose of this Questionnaire is to determine whether you are an “accredited investor” as that term is defined in Rule 501(a) of Regulation D promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), in connection with your Restricted Share Award (“Award”) from Guardforce AI Co., Limited (the “Company”).

 

Your answers to the questions contained herein must be true and correct in all respects, and a false representation by you may constitute a violation of law. All information supplied will be treated in strict confidence. This Questionnaire may be provided to such parties as deemed appropriate by the Company to establish the availability of an exemption from registration under the Securities Act and under state securities laws.

 

A. GENERAL INFORMATION

 

PLEASE ANSWER EACH QUESTION. (Please print or type.) If the answer to any question is “None” or “Not Applicable,” please so state.

 

1. Name:  
     
2. Address:  
    Number and street (no p.o. boxes)
     
    City, state and zip code
     
3. Telephone: Home   Work  
           
4. Fax (if any): Home   Work  
     
5. Email address:  
             
6. Send mail to: (check one):   Home   Office  
             
      Other: (address)  
         
     
7. Social Security Number (or, if entity, EIN):  
     
8. Date of Birth:  
     
9. Account Registration Type (check one):  
 

 

☐  Individual Account
 Joint Account
 Individual Retirement Account
 Corporation/Partnership/Other
 Trust

 

 

                   

 

 

 

B. ACCREDITED INVESTOR QUALIFICATION

 

The undersigned understands that the representations contained below are made for the purpose of qualifying him or her as an “accredited investor” as that term is defined in Regulation D of the General Rules and Regulations promulgated under the Securities Act and for the purpose of inducing a sale of the securities to him or her. The undersigned hereby represents that the statement or statements initialed below are true and correct in all respects. The undersigned understands that a false representation may constitute a violation of law, and that any person who suffers damage as a result of a false representation may have a claim against the undersigned for damages.

 

The undersigned certifies that he or she is an “accredited investor” by virtue of being at least one of the following (CHECK ALL THAT ARE APPLICABLE):

 

____(1) I had individual income in excess of $200,000 in each of the two most recent years or joint income with my or spousal equivalent in excess of $300,000 in each of those years and have a reasonable expectation of reaching the same income level in the current year.

 

____(2) My individual net worth, or joint net worth with my spouse or spousal equivalent, exceeds $1,000,000. For purposes of calculating net worth under this paragraph my primary residence is not included as an asset; indebtedness that is secured by my primary residence, up to the estimated fair market value of the primary residence at the time of the purchase of securities, is not included as a liability (except that if the amount of such indebtedness outstanding at the time of purchase of securities exceeds the amount outstanding 60 days before such time, other than as a result of the acquisition of the primary residence, the amount of such excess is included as a liability); and indebtedness that is secured by my primary residence in excess of the estimated fair market value of the primary residence at the time of the purchase of securities is included as a liability.

 

____(3) I am a director or executive officer of the Company.

 

____(4) I hold one of the following licenses in good standing: General Securities Representative license (Series 7), the Private Securities Offerings Representative license (Series 82), or the Investment Adviser Representative license (Series 65).

 

The undersigned is not an “accredited investor”.

 

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C. REPRESENTATIONS AND SIGNATURE

 

The undersigned hereby represents that all the information supplied herein is true, correct and complete as of the date hereof. The undersigned understands that the answers to the questions submitted will be relied on by the Company in connection with the Award. The undersigned agrees to notify the Company immediately of any change in the foregoing answers.

 

   
  Print Name
     
  By:  
    Signature of Authorized Signatory

 

 

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Exhibit 10.3

 

RESTRICTED SHARE UNIT AWARD AGREEMENT

 

This Restricted Share Unit Award Agreement (this “Agreement”) is made and entered into as of _______________ (the “Grant Date”), by and between Guardforce AI Co., Limited, an exempted company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands (the “Company”), and ______________ (the “Grantee”).

 

WHEREAS, the Company has adopted the Guardforce AI Co., Limited 2022 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) pursuant to which awards of Restricted Share Units may be granted; and

 

WHEREAS, the Committee has determined that it is in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders to grant the award of Restricted Share Units provided for herein.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, the parties hereto, intending to be legally bound, agree as follows:

 

1. Grant of Restricted Share Units. Pursuant to Section 7.2 of the Plan, the Company hereby issues to the Grantee on the Grant Date _______________ Restricted Share Units (the “Restricted Share Units”). Each Restricted Share Unit represents an unfunded, unsecured right to receive one Ordinary Share of the Company on the Payment Date(s) specified in Section 3.4, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and the Plan. Capitalized terms that are used but not defined herein have the meaning ascribed to them in the Plan.

 

2. Consideration. The grant of the Restricted Share Units is made in consideration of the services to be rendered by the Grantee to the Company.

 

3. Vesting; Payment.

 

3.1. Except as otherwise provided herein, provided that the Grantee remains in Continuous Service through the applicable vesting date, the Restricted Share Units will vest in accordance with the following schedule (each, a “Vesting Date”):

 

Vesting Date   Restricted Share Units
     
[VESTING DATE]   [NUMBER OR PERCENTAGE OF SHARES THAT VEST ON THE VESTING DATE]
     
[VESTING DATE]   [NUMBER OR PERCENTAGE OF SHARES THAT VEST ON THE VESTING DATE]

 

3.2. The foregoing vesting schedule notwithstanding, if the Grantee’s Continuous Service terminates for any reason at any time before all of his or her Restricted Share Units have vested, the Grantee’s unvested Restricted Share Units shall be automatically forfeited upon such termination of Continuous Service and neither the Company nor any Affiliate shall have any further obligations to the Grantee under this Agreement.

 

3.3. The foregoing vesting schedule notwithstanding, in the event of the Grantee’s death or if the Grantee’s Continuous Service is terminated by the Company or an Affiliate due to the Grantee’s Disability, 100% of the unvested Restricted Share Units shall vest as of the date of such termination.

 

 

 

 

3.4. The Company shall, as soon as reasonably, practicable following a Vesting Date (and in no event later than March 15th of the calendar year following the calendar year in which the Applicable Vesting Date occurs) (each a “Payment Date”), deliver (or cause to be delivered) to the Participant one Ordinary Share with respect to each vested Restricted Share Unit, as settlement of such Restricted Share Unit and each such Restricted Share Unit shall thereafter be cancelled.

 

4. Restricted Share Unit Transfer Restrictions. Subject to any exceptions set forth in this Agreement or the Plan, the Restricted Share Units may not be assigned, alienated, pledged, attached, sold or otherwise transferred or encumbered by the Grantee. Any attempt to assign, alienate, pledge, attach, sell or otherwise transfer or encumber the Restricted Share Units or the rights relating thereto shall be wholly ineffective and, if any such attempt is made, the Restricted Share Units shall be forfeited by the Grantee and all of the Grantee’s rights to such Restricted Share Units shall immediately terminate without any payment or consideration by the Company.

 

5. Rights as Shareholder; Dividend Equivalents.

 

5.1. The Grantee shall have no rights as a shareholder of the Company with respect to Ordinary Shares covered by the Restricted Share Units.

 

5.2. With respect to ordinary cash dividends in respect of Ordinary Shares covered by any outstanding Restricted Share Units, the Grantee shall have the right to receive an amount in cash equal to (i) the amount of any ordinary cash dividend paid with respect to one Ordinary Share, multiplied by (ii) the number of Ordinary Shares covered by such Restricted Share Units (a “Dividend Equivalent”). A Dividend Equivalent shall be subject to the same vesting restrictions as the Restricted Share Units to which such Dividend Equivalent relates, as set forth in Section 3.1. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, Dividend Equivalents shall be held, without interest thereon, until delivered to the Grantee within 30 days after the date the Restricted Share Units to which such Dividend Equivalents related vest, in each case, subject to Section 8. Any Dividend Equivalents in respect of Restricted Share Units that do not vest, shall be forfeited and retained by the Company. In no event shall a Dividend Equivalent be paid that would result in the Grantee receiving both the Dividend Equivalent and the actual dividend with respect to a Restricted Share Unit and the corresponding Ordinary Share.

 

6. No Right to Continued Service. Neither the Plan nor this Agreement shall confer upon the Grantee any right to be retained in any position, as an Employee, Consultant or Director of the Company. Further, nothing in the Plan or this Agreement shall be construed to limit the discretion of the Company to terminate the Grantee’s Continuous Service at any time, with or without Cause.

 

7. Adjustments. If any change is made to the outstanding Ordinary Shares or the capital structure of the Company, if required, the Ordinary Shares underlying the Restricted Share Units shall be adjusted or terminated in any manner as contemplated by Section 11 of the Plan.

 

8. Tax Liability and Withholding.

 

8.1. Solely to the extent applicable, the Grantee shall be required to pay to the Company, and the Company shall have the right to deduct from any compensation paid to the Grantee pursuant to the Plan, the amount of any required withholding taxes in respect of the Restricted Share Units and to take all such other action as the Committee deems necessary to satisfy all obligations for the payment of such withholding taxes. The Committee may permit the Grantee to satisfy any federal, state or local tax withholding obligation by any of the following means, or by a combination of such means: (a) tendering a cash payment; (b) authorizing the Company to withhold Ordinary Shares from the Ordinary Shares otherwise issuable or deliverable to the Grantee as a result of the settlement of the Restricted Stock Units; provided, however, that no Ordinary Shares shall be withheld with a value exceeding the minimum amount of tax required to be withheld by law; or (c) delivering to the Company previously owned and unencumbered Ordinary Shares. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company’s Ordinary Shares are publicly-traded, in the event a taxable event with respect to this Agreement occurs during a “blackout” period (whether scheduled or unscheduled) during which Participants in the Plan, including the Grantee, are prohibited by Company policy from selling Ordinary Shares, the Grantee’s statutorily required withholding obligation will be satisfied by the Company automatically withholding from the Ordinary Shares otherwise deliverable to the Grantee a number of Ordinary Shares having an aggregate Fair Market Value equal to the Grantee’s statutorily required withholding obligation (with any fraction of one Ordinary Share required to satisfy such obligation being disregarded and the amount due paid instead in cash by the Participant); provided, however, the Grantee may elect, by written notice to the Committee during an open trading window, to satisfy his or her applicable federal, state or local tax withholding obligation, in which case the Grantee shall be required, prior to any applicable taxable event, to remit to the Company an amount in cash sufficient to satisfy his or her applicable federal, state or local tax withholding obligations in connection with such taxable event.

 

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8.2. Notwithstanding any action the Company takes with respect to any or all income tax, social insurance, payroll tax, or other tax-related withholding (“Tax-Related Items”), the ultimate liability for all Tax-Related Items is and remains the Grantee’s responsibility and the Company (a) makes no representation or undertakings regarding the treatment of any Tax-Related Items in connection with the grant, vesting, or settlement of the Restricted Share Units or the subsequent sale of any shares; and (b) does not commit to structure the Restricted Share Units to reduce or eliminate the Grantee’s liability for Tax-Related Items.

 

9. Non-competition and Non-solicitation.

 

9.1. During the Grantee’s Continuous Service, in consideration of the Restricted Share Units, the Grantee agrees and covenants not to:

 

(a) contribute his or her knowledge, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, as an employee, officer, owner, manager, advisor, consultant, agent, partner, director, shareholder, volunteer, intern or in any other similar capacity to an entity engaged in the same or similar business as the Company and its Affiliates;

 

(b) directly or indirectly, solicit, hire, recruit, attempt to hire or recruit, or induce the termination of employment of any employee of the Company or its Affiliates; or

 

(c) directly or indirectly, solicit, contact (including, but not limited to, e-mail, regular mail, express mail, telephone, fax, and instant message), attempt to contact or meet with the current, former or prospective customers of the Company or any of its Affiliates for purposes of offering or accepting goods or services similar to or competitive with those offered by the Company or any of its Affiliates.

 

9.2. If the Grantee breaches any of the covenants set forth in Section 9.1:

 

(a) all unvested Restricted Share Units or vested Restricted Share Units that have not been settled shall be immediately forfeited; and

 

(b) the Grantee hereby consents and agrees that the Company shall be entitled to seek, in addition to other available remedies, a temporary or permanent injunction or other equitable relief against such breach or threatened breach from any court of competent jurisdiction, without the necessity of showing any actual damages or that money damages would not afford an adequate remedy, and without the necessity of posting any bond or other security. The aforementioned equitable relief shall be in addition to, not in lieu of, legal remedies, monetary damages or other available forms of relief.

 

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10. Compliance with Law. The granting of the Restricted Share Units and the issuance and transfer of Ordinary Shares shall be subject to compliance by the Company and the Grantee with laws of Cayman Islands as they relate to the Company and its Ordinary Shares, with all applicable requirements of federal and state securities laws and with all applicable requirements of any stock exchange on which the Company’s Ordinary Shares may be listed. No Restricted Share Units shall be granted and no Ordinary Shares shall be issued or transferred unless and until any then applicable requirements of Cayman Islands laws, state and federal laws and regulatory agencies have been fully complied with to the satisfaction of the Company and its counsel. The Grantee understands that the Company is under no obligation to register the Ordinary Shares with the Securities and Exchange Commission, any state securities commission or any stock exchange to effect such compliance.

 

11. Notices. Any notice required to be delivered to the Company under this Agreement shall be in writing and addressed to the Konki Lo of the Company at the Company’s principal corporate offices. Any notice required to be delivered to the Grantee under this Agreement shall be in writing and addressed to the Grantee at the Grantee’s address as shown in the records of the Company. Either party may designate another address in writing (or by such other method approved by the Company) from time to time.

 

12. Governing Law. This Agreement will be construed and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the Cayman Islands without regard to conflict of law principles.

 

13. Section 409A. Although the Company makes no guarantee with respect to the tax treatment of the Restricted Share Units, the award of Restricted Share Units and Dividend Equivalents pursuant to this Agreement is intended to comply with, or to be exempt from, Section 409A of the Code and shall be limited, construed and interpreted in accordance with such intent. The Restricted Share Units and Dividend Equivalents shall be limited, construed and interpreted in accordance with such intent; provided that the Company does not guarantee to the Grantee any particular tax treatment of the Restricted Share Units or Dividend Equivalents. In no event whatsoever shall the Company or its Affiliates be liable for any additional tax, interest or penalties that may be imposed on the Grantee by Section 409A of the Code or any damages for failing to comply with Section 409A of the Code. Dividend Equivalents shall be treated separately from the Restricted Share Units and the rights arising in connection therewith for purposes of the designation of time and form of payments required by Section 409A of the Code. Each payment under this Agreement shall be treated as a separate payment for purposes of Section 409A of the Code. In no event may the Grantee, directly or indirectly, designate the calendar year of any payment to be made under this Agreement.

 

14. Interpretation. Any dispute regarding the interpretation of this Agreement shall be submitted by the Grantee or the Company to the Committee for review. The resolution of such dispute by the Committee shall be final and binding on the Grantee and the Company.

 

15. Restricted Share Units Subject to Plan. This Agreement is subject to the Plan as approved by the Company’s shareholders. The terms and provisions of the Plan as it may be amended from time to time are hereby incorporated herein by reference. In the event of a conflict between any term or provision contained herein and a term or provision of the Plan, the applicable terms and provisions of the Plan shall govern and prevail.

 

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16. Successors and Assigns. The Company may assign any of its rights under this Agreement. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the successors and assigns of the Company. Subject to the restrictions on transfer set forth herein, this Agreement shall be binding upon the Grantee and the Grantee’s beneficiaries, executors, administrators and the person(s) to whom the Restricted Share Units may be transferred by will or the laws of descent or distribution.

 

17. Severability. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of the Plan or this Agreement shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision of the Plan or this Agreement, and each provision of the Plan and this Agreement shall be severable and enforceable to the extent permitted by law.

 

18. Discretionary Nature of Plan. The Plan is discretionary and may be amended, cancelled or terminated by the Company at any time, in its discretion. The grant of the Restricted Share Units in this Agreement does not create any contractual right or other right to receive any Restricted Share Units or other Awards in the future. Future Awards, if any, shall be at the sole discretion of the Company. Any amendment, modification, or termination of the Plan shall not constitute a change or impairment of the terms and conditions of the Grantee’s employment with the Company.

 

19. Amendment. The Committee has the right to amend, alter, suspend, discontinue or cancel the Restricted Stock Units, prospectively or retroactively; provided, that, no such amendment shall adversely affect the Grantee’s material rights under this Agreement without the Grantee’s consent.

 

20. No Impact on Other Benefits. The value of the Grantee’s Restricted Share Units is not part of his normal or expected compensation for purposes of calculating any severance, retirement, welfare, insurance or similar employee benefit.

 

21. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. Counterpart signature pages to this Agreement transmitted by facsimile transmission, by electronic mail in portable document format (.pdf), or by any other electronic means intended to preserve the original graphic and pictorial appearance of a document, shall have the same effect as physical delivery of the paper document bearing an original signature.

 

22. Acceptance. The Grantee hereby acknowledges receipt of a copy of the Plan and this Agreement. The Grantee has read and understands the terms and provisions thereof, and accepts the Restricted Share Units subject to all of the terms and conditions of the Plan and this Agreement. The Grantee acknowledges that there may be adverse tax consequences upon the grant, vesting, or settlement of the Restricted Share Units or disposition of the shares and that the Grantee has been advised to consult a tax advisor prior to such grant, vesting or disposition.

 

[SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS]

 

5

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the date first above written.

 

  COMPANY:
   
  GUARDFORCE AI CO., LIMITED
   
  By:              
    Name:  Lei Wang
    Title: Chief Executive Officer

 

  Address:  
      
     
     
  GRANTEE:
   
   
  (Signature)
   
   
  (Name)
   
  Address:  
     
     
     
  SSN: