As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 18, 2011

 

Registration No. 333-           

 

 

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 


 

FORM S-8

 

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 


 

PROBE MANUFACTURING, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Nevada

 

20-2675800

(State or other jurisdiction of

 

(I.R.S. Employer

incorporation or organization)

 

Identification No.)

 

17475 Gillette Blvd.

Irvine, California 92614

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)(Zip Code) 

 

Probe Manufacturing, Inc. 2006 Employee Incentive Stock Option Plan

Probe Manufacturing, Inc. 2011 Consultant Stock Plan

 (Full titles of the plans)


 

Kambiz Mahdi

Chief Executive Officer

Probe Manufacturing, Inc.

17475 Gillette Blvd.

Irvine, California 92614

(Name and address of agent for service)

 

(858) 812-7300

(Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

 


 

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



 

Large accelerated filer   o

 

Accelerated filer   o

 

 

 

Non-accelerated filer     o

(Do not check if a smaller reporting company)

 

Smaller reporting company   x

 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

 

Title of securities to be
registered

 

Amount to
be registered (1)

 

Proposed maximum
offering price
per share(4)

 

Proposed maximum
aggregate offering
price

 

Amount of
registration fee

 

2006 Employee Incentive Stock Option Plan (“2006 Plan”)

Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share

 

3,692,766(2)

 

$

0.01

 

$

46,159.85

 

$

4.29

 

2011 Omnibus Incentive Plan (“2011 Plan”)

Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share

 

7,500,000(3)

 

$

0.01

 

$

100,00.00

 

$

8.71

 


(1)

Pursuant to Rule 416(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “ Securities Act ”), this Registration Statement shall also cover any additional shares of the Registrant’s Common Stock that may be offered or issued in connection with any stock dividend, stock split, recapitalization or other similar transaction effected without receipt of consideration that increases the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock.

(2)

Represents the total amount of shares issuable upon exercise of options granted under the 2006 Plan.

(3)

Represents half of the total amount of shares issuable under the 2011 Plan. As of April 11, 2011, there are no outstanding awards, option or other grants of shares issuable pursuant to the 2011 Plan.

(4)

Estimated pursuant to Rule 457(c) and (h) under the Securities Act, solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee based on the average of the high and low price per share of the Common Stock reported on the Pink Sheets OTCQX Capital Market on April 7, 2011.

 

 


  PART I
INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

          The information specified in Item 1 and Item 2 of Part I of this Registration Statement on Form S-8 (the “Registration Statement”) is omitted from this filing in accordance with the provisions of Rule 428 under the Securities Act and the introductory note to Part I of the Registration Statement. The documents containing the information specified in Part I will be delivered to the participants in the plans covered by this Registration Statement as required by Rule 428(b)(1).

PART II
INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

          The following documents filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) by Probe Manufacturing, Inc. (the “Company”) pursuant to the Securities Act and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), are hereby incorporated by reference in this registration statement:

 

 

 

 

(a)

The Company’s annual report filed on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010 filed on March 29, 2011.

 

 

 

 

(b)

The description of the Registrant’s Common Stock contained in the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form SB-2 (Registration No. 333-125678) filed under the Securities Act on June 9, 2005, including any subsequent amendment or report filed for the purpose of amending such description.

          All documents that the Company subsequently files pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the date of this Registration Statement and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement indicating that all securities offered have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement and to be a part hereof from the date of filing of such documents.

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

Item 4. Description of Securities.

          Not applicable.

Item 5. Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

          Not applicable.

Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

Nevada Revised Statutes

 

Pursuant to the provisions of Section 78.7502 of the Nevada Revised Statutes (the “NRS”), every Nevada corporation has authority to indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, except an action by or in the right of the corporation, by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses, including attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred in connection with the action, suit or proceeding if such person acted in good faith and in a manner which such person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause or belief his conduct was unlawful.

 

Pursuant to the provisions of Section 78.7502, every Nevada corporation also has the authority to indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action or suit by or in the right of the corporation to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against expenses including amounts paid in settlement and attorneys’ fees actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with the defense or settlement of the action or suit if such person acted in good faith and in a manner which such person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation.  No indemnification shall be made, however, for any claim, issue or matter as to which a person has been adjudged by a court of competent jurisdiction to be liable to the corporation or for amounts paid in settlement to the corporation, unless and only to the extent that the court determines that in view of all the circumstances, the person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses as the court deems proper.

 

To the extent any person referred to in the two immediately preceding paragraphs is successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any action, suit or proceeding, the NRS provides that such person must be



indemnified by the corporation against expenses including attorneys’ fees, actually and reasonably incurred by him in connection with the defense.

 

Articles of Incorporation

 

The Company’s articles of incorporation provide that to the fullest extent permitted by the Nevada General Corporation Law as the same exists or may hereafter be amended, a director of our corporation shall not be liable to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director.

 

Bylaws

 

The Company’s bylaws provide that the Company may indemnify its directors, officers, employees and other agents to the fullest extent permitted under the Nevada General Corporation Law.  The Company has obtained liability insurance for our officers and directors.


Plan


Each person who is or shall have been a member of the Board or the Committee, or an officer or employee of the Company to whom authority was delegated in accordance with the Plan shall be indemnified and held harmless by the Company against and from any loss, cost, liability, or expense that may be imposed upon or reasonably incurred by such individual in connection with or resulting from any claim, action, suit, or proceeding to which he or she may be a party or in which he or she may be involved by reason of any action taken or failure to act under the Plan and against and from any and all amounts paid by him or her in settlement thereof, with the Company’s approval, or paid by him or her in satisfaction of any judgment in any such action, suit, or proceeding against him or her, provided he or she shall give the Company an opportunity, at its own expense, to handle and defend the same before he or she undertakes to handle and defend it on his or her own behalf; provided, however, that the foregoing indemnification shall not apply to any loss, cost, liability, or expense that is a result of his or her own willful misconduct.  The foregoing right of indemnification shall not be exclusive of any other rights of indemnification to which such persons may be entitled under the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws, conferred in a separate agreement with the Company, as a matter of law, or otherwise, or any power that the Company may have to indemnify them or hold them harmless.


Commission Position on Certain Indemnification

 

The Company’s articles of incorporation obligate the Company to indemnify its directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted under Nevada law. Chapter 78 of the Nevada Revised Statutes, or NRS, provides for indemnification by a corporation of costs incurred by directors, employees, and agents in connection with an action, suit, or proceeding brought by reason of their position as a director, employee, or agent. The person being indemnified must have acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation.

 

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), may be permitted to the Company’s directors, officers or persons controlling the Company pursuant to the provisions contained in the Company’s articles of incorporation, bylaws, Nevada law or otherwise, the Company has been informed that, in the opinion of the SEC, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.  If a claim for indemnification against such liabilities, other than the payment by the Company of expenses incurred or paid by one of its directors, officers or controlling persons in the successful defense of any action, suit, or proceeding, is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person, the Company will, unless in the opinion of our counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by the Company is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of this issue.


 



The foregoing summaries are necessarily subject to the complete text of the statutes, the Company’s articles of incorporation and bylaws, and the arrangements referred to above and are qualified in their entirety by reference thereto.

 

Item 7.        Exemption From Registration Claimed.

 

Not applicable.

 

Item 8.        Exhibits.

 

The following is a list of exhibits filed as part of this Registration Statement, which are incorporated herein:


EXHIBIT

NUMBER            DESCRIPTION

________

_______________________________________________________________________________


3.1

Articles of Incorporation (included as Exhibit 3.1 to the Form SB-2 filed on June 9, 2005 and incorporated herein by reference).

3.2

Bylaws (included as Exhibit 3.2 to the Form SB-2 filed on June 9, 2005 and incorporated herein by reference).

4.1

Probe Manufacturing, Inc. 2006 Employee Incentive Stock Option Plan (included as Exhibit 10.14 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed on August 23, 2006 and incorporated herein by reference).

4.2*

Probe Manufacturing, Inc. 2011 Omnibus Incentive Plan.

5.1*

Opinion of Law Offices of Jeffrey S. Conrad.

23.1*

 Consent of Law Offices of Jeffrey S. Conrad (contained in Exhibit 5.1 to this Registration Statement).


23.2 *

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, W. T. Uniack & Co. CPA’s P.C.

_________________


*

Filed herewith.


Item 9.        Undertakings.

 

(a)           The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

 

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

 

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

 

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

 



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

 

Provided, however , that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not apply if the Registration Statement is on Form S-8, and the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement.


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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 




SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Irvine, State of California, on this 18th day of April, 2011.

 

 

 

PROBE MANUFACTURING, INC.

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Kambiz Mahdi

 

 

Kambiz Mahdi

 

 

Chief Executive Officer

 

 

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

 


Signatures                  

 Title                                   

 


/s/ Kambiz Mahdi

 

Chief Executive Officer and Chairman

_______________________

(principal executive officer)

By: Kambiz Mahdi


Date: April 18, 2011


/s/ John Bennett

Chief Financial Officer and Director

_______________________

(principal financial officer)

By: John Bennett


Date: April 18, 2011


/s/ Shervin Talieh

Director

_______________________

By: Shervin Talieh


Date: April 18, 2011




PROBE MANUFACTURING, INC.

2011 OMNIBUS INCENTIVE PLAN


ARTICLE I


PURPOSE AND ADOPTION OF THE PLAN


1.01.      Purpose .  The purpose of the Probe Manufacturing, Inc. 2011 Omnibus Incentive Plan (as amended from time to time, the "Plan") is to assist in attracting and retaining highly competent employees, directors and consultants to act as an incentive in motivating selected employees, directors and consultants of the Company   and its Subsidiaries to achieve long-term corporate objectives and to enable stock-based and cash-based incentive awards to qualify as performance-based compensation for purposes of the tax deduction limitations under Section 162(m) of the Code.


1.02.      Adoption and Term .  The Plan has been approved by the Board to be effective as of April 7, 2011, subject to the approval by a majority of the stockholders of the Company, which also occurred on April 7, 2011 (the “Effective Date”).  The Plan shall remain in effect until the tenth (10 th ) anniversary of the Effective Date, or until terminated by action of the Board, whichever occurs sooner.


ARTICLE II


DEFINITIONS


For the purpose of this Plan, capitalized terms shall have the following meanings:


2.01.      Affiliate means an entity in which, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, the Company has at least a fifty percent (50%) ownership interest or, where permissible under Section 409A of the Code, at least a twenty percent (20%) ownership interest; provided , however , for purposes of any grant of an Incentive Stock Option, “Affiliate” means a corporation which, for purposes of Section 424 of the Code, is a parent or subsidiary of the Company, directly or indirectly.


2.02.     Award means any one or a combination of Non-Qualified Stock Options or Incentive Stock Options described in Article VI, Stock Appreciation Rights described in Article VI, Restricted Shares and Restricted Stock Units described in Article VII, Performance Awards described in Article VIII, other stock-based Awards described in Article IX, short-term cash incentive Awards described in Article X or any other Award made under the terms of the Plan.


2.03.     Award Agreement means a written agreement between the Company and a Participant or a written acknowledgment from the Company to a Participant specifically setting forth the terms and conditions of an Award granted under the Plan.


 

2.04.      Award Period means, with respect to an Award, the period of time, if any, set forth in the Award Agreement during which specified target performance goals must be achieved or other conditions set forth in the Award Agreement must be satisfied.




1



2.05.      Beneficiary means an individual, trust or estate who or which, by a written designation of the Participant filed with the Company, or if no such written designation is filed, by operation of law, succeeds to the rights and obligations of the Participant under the Plan and the Award Agreement upon the Participant's death.


2.06.      Board means the Board of Directors of the Company.


2.07.      Change in Control means, and shall be deemed to have occurred upon the occurrence of, any one of the following events:


(a)      The acquisition in one or more transactions, other than from the Company, by any individual, entity or group (within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) or 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act), other than the Company, an Affiliate or any employee benefit plan (or related trust) sponsored or maintained by the Company or an Affiliate, of beneficial ownership (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act) of a number of Company Voting Securities in excess of 50% of the Company Voting Securities unless such acquisition has been approved by the Board;


(b)      Any election has occurred of persons to the Board that causes two-thirds of the Board to consist of persons other than (i) persons who were members of the Board on the effective date of the Plan and (ii) persons who were nominated for elections as members of the Board at a time when two-thirds of the Board consisted of persons who were members of the Board on the effective date of the Plan, provided, however, that any person nominated for election by a Board at least two-thirds of whom constituted persons described in clauses (i) and/or (ii) or by persons who were themselves nominated by such Board shall, for this purpose, be deemed to have been nominated by a Board composed of persons described in clause (i);


(c)      The consummation ( i.e. closing) of a reorganization, merger or consolidation involving the Company, unless, following such reorganization, merger or consolidation, all or substantially all of the individuals and entities who were the respective beneficial owners of the Outstanding Common Stock and Company Voting Securities immediately prior to such reorganization, merger or consolidation, following such reorganization, merger or consolidation beneficially own, directly or indirectly, more than 75% of, respectively, the then outstanding shares of common stock and the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors or trustees, as the case may be, of the entity resulting from such reorganization, merger or consolidation in substantially the same proportion as their ownership of the Outstanding Common Stock and Company Voting Securities immediately prior to such reorganization, merger or consolidation, as the case may be;

  


(d)      The consummation ( i.e. closing) of a sale or other disposition of all or substantially all the assets of the Company, unless, following such sale or disposition, all or substantially all of the individuals and entities who were the respective beneficial owners of the Outstanding Common Stock and Company Voting Securities immediately prior to such sale or disposition, following such sale or disposition beneficially own, directly or indirectly, more than 75% of, respectively, the then outstanding shares of common stock and the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors or trustees, as the case may be, of the entity purchasing such assets in substantially the same proportion as their ownership of the Outstanding Common Stock and Company Voting Securities immediately prior to such sale or disposition, as the case may be; or



2




(e)      a complete liquidation or dissolution of the Company.


2.08.      Code means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. References to a section of the Code shall include that section and any comparable section or sections of any future legislation that amends, supplements or supersedes said section.


2.09.      Committee means the Compensation Committee of the Board or in the event that there is no standing Compensation Committee then it shall mean the Board of Directors as defined herein.


2.10.      Common Stock means the common stock of the Company, par value $0.001 per share.


2.11.      Company means Probe Manufacturing, Inc., a Nevada corporation, and its successors.


2.12.      Company Voting Securities means the combined voting power of all outstanding voting securities of the Company entitled to vote generally in the election of directors to the Board.


2.13.      Date of Grant means the date designated by the Committee as the date as of which it grants an Award, which shall not be earlier than the date on which the Committee approves the granting of such Award.


2.14.      Dividend Equivalent Account means a bookkeeping account in accordance with under Section 11.17 and related to an Award that is credited with the amount of any cash dividends or stock distributions that would be payable with respect to the shares of Common Stock subject to such Awards had such shares been outstanding shares of Common Stock.


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


2.16.       Exercise Price means, with respect to a Stock Appreciation Right, the amount established by the Committee in the Award Agreement which is to be subtracted from the Fair Market Value on the date of exercise in order to determine the amount of the payment to be made to the Participant, as further described in Section 6.02(b).

 

2.17.      Fair Market Value means, as of any applicable date:  the closing market price per share of the Common Stock as quoted on the Pink Sheets OTCQX Capital Market or any other exchange the Company’s Common Stock becomes listed on.


2.18.      Incentive Stock Option means a stock option within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code.


2.19.      Merger means any merger, reorganization, consolidation, exchange, transfer of assets or other transaction having similar effect involving the Company.


2.20.      Non-Qualified Stock Option means a stock option which is not an Incentive Stock Option.




3



2.21      Non-Vested Share means shares of the Company Common Stock issued to a Participant in respect of the non-vested portion of an Option in the event of the early exercise of such Participant’s Options pursuant to such Participant’s Award Agreement, as permitted in Section 6.06 below.


2.22.      Options means all Non-Qualified Stock Options and Incentive Stock Options granted at any time under the Plan.


2.23.      Outstanding Common Stock means, at any time, the issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock.


2.24.      Participant means a person designated to receive an Award under the Plan in accordance with Section 5.01.


2.25.      Performance Awards means Awards granted in accordance with Article VIII.


2.26.      Performance Goals means net sales, units sold or growth in units sold, return on stockholders' equity, customer satisfaction or retention, return on investment or working capital, operating income, economic value added (the amount, if any, by which net operating income after tax exceeds a reference cost of capital), EBITDA (as net income (loss) before net interest expense, provision (benefit) for income taxes, and depreciation and amortization), expense targets, net income, earnings per share, share price, reductions in inventory, inventory turns, on-time delivery performance, operating efficiency, productivity ratios, market share or change in market share, any one of which may be measured with respect to the Company or any one or more of its Subsidiaries and divisions and either in absolute terms or as compared to another company or companies, and quantifiable, objective measures of individual performance relevant to the particular individual's job responsibilities.


  

2.27.      Plan has the meaning given to such term in Section 1.01.


2.28.       Purchase Price , with respect to Options, shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6.01(b).


2.29.       Restricted Shares means Common Stock subject to restrictions imposed in connection with Awards granted under Article VII.


2.30.       Restricted Stock Unit   means a unit representing the right to receive Common Stock or the value thereof in the future subject to restrictions imposed in connection with Awards granted under Article VII.


2.31.       Rule 16b-3 means Rule 16b-3 promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission under Section 16 of the Exchange Act, as the same may be amended from time to time, and any successor rule.


2.32.       Stock Appreciation Rights means awards granted in accordance with Article VI.


2.33        Termination of Service means the voluntary or involuntary termination of a Participant’s service as an employee, director or consultant with the Company or an Affiliate for any reason, including death, disability, retirement or as the result of the divestiture of the



4



Participant's employer or any similar transaction in which the Participant's employer ceases to be the Company or one of its Subsidiaries.  Whether entering military or other government service shall constitute Termination of Service, or whether and when a Termination of Service shall occur as a result of disability, shall be determined in each case by the Committee in its sole discretion.


ARTICLE III


ADMINISTRATION


3.01.       Committee .


(a)      Duties and Authority .  The Plan shall be administered by the Committee and the Committee shall have exclusive and final authority in each determination, interpretation or other action affecting the Plan and its Participants.  The Committee shall have the sole discretionary authority to interpret the Plan, to establish and modify administrative rules for the Plan, to impose such conditions and restrictions on Awards as it determines appropriate, and to make all factual determinations with respect to and take such steps in connection with the Plan and Awards granted hereunder as it may deem necessary or advisable.  The Committee shall not, however, have or exercise any discretion that would disqualify amounts payable under Article X as performance-based compensation for purposes of Section 162(m) of the Code.  The Committee may delegate such of its powers and authority under the Plan as it deems appropriate to a subcommittee of the Committee or designated officers or employees of the Company.  In addition, the full Board may exercise any of the powers and authority of the Committee under the Plan. In the event of such delegation of authority or exercise of authority by the Board, references in the Plan to the Committee shall be deemed to refer, as appropriate, to the delegate of the Committee or the Board.  Actions taken by the Committee or any subcommittee thereof, and any delegation by the Committee to designated officers or employees, under this Section 3.01 shall comply with Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act, the performance-based provisions of Section 162(m) of the Code, and the regulations promulgated under each of such statutory provisions, or the respective successors to such statutory provisions or regulations, as in effect from time to time, to the extent applicable.

  


(b)      Indemnification .  Each person who is or shall have been a member of the Board or the Committee, or an officer or employee of the Company to whom authority was delegated in accordance with the Plan shall be indemnified and held harmless by the Company against and from any loss, cost, liability, or expense that may be imposed upon or reasonably incurred by such individual in connection with or resulting from any claim, action, suit, or proceeding to which he or she may be a party or in which he or she may be involved by reason of any action taken or failure to act under the Plan and against and from any and all amounts paid by him or her in settlement thereof, with the Company’s approval, or paid by him or her in satisfaction of any judgment in any such action, suit, or proceeding against him or her, provided he or she shall give the Company an opportunity, at its own expense, to handle and defend the same before he or she undertakes to handle and defend it on his or her own behalf; provided, however, that the foregoing indemnification shall not apply to any loss, cost, liability, or expense that is a result of his or her own willful misconduct.  The foregoing right of indemnification shall not be exclusive of any other rights of indemnification to which such persons may be entitled under the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws, conferred in a separate agreement with the Company, as a matter of law, or otherwise, or any power that the Company may have to indemnify them or hold them harmless.



5




ARTICLE IV


SHARES


4.01.      Number of Shares Issuable .  The total number of shares initially authorized to be issued under the Plan shall be Fifteen Million (15,000,000)   shares of   Common Stock.  The foregoing share limit shall be subject to adjustment in accordance with Section 11.07.  The shares to be offered under the Plan shall be authorized and unissued Common Stock, or issued Common Stock that shall have been reacquired by the Company.


4.02.      Shares Subject to Terminated Awards .  Common Stock covered by any unexercised portions of terminated or forfeited Options (including canceled Options) granted under Article VI, Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units forfeited as provided in Article VII, other stock-based Awards terminated or forfeited as provided under the Plan, and Common Stock subject to any Awards that are otherwise surrendered by the Participant may again be subject to new Awards under the Plan.  Shares of Common Stock surrendered to or withheld by the Company in payment or satisfaction of the Purchase Price of an Option or tax withholding obligation with respect to an Award shall be available for the grant of new Awards under the Plan.  In the event of the exercise of Stock Appreciation Rights, whether or not granted in tandem with Options, only the number of shares of Common Stock actually issued in payment of such Stock Appreciation Rights shall be charged against the number of shares of Common Stock available for the grant of Awards hereunder.


  

ARTICLE V


PARTICIPATION


5.01.      Eligible Participants .  Participants in the Plan shall be such employees, directors and consultants of the Company and its Subsidiaries as the Committee, in its sole discretion, may designate from time to time.  The Committee's designation of a Participant in any year shall not require the Committee to designate such person to receive Awards or grants in any other year.  The designation of a Participant to receive Awards or grants under one portion of the Plan does not require the Committee to include such Participant under other portions of the Plan.  The Committee shall consider such factors as it deems pertinent in selecting Participants and in determining the type and amount of their respective Awards.  Subject to adjustment in accordance with Section 11.07, in any calendar year, no Participant shall be granted Awards in respect of more than 1.0 million shares of Common Stock (whether through grants of Options or Stock Appreciation Rights or other Awards of Common Stock or rights with respect thereto) or cash-based Awards for more than $1 million.


ARTICLE VI


STOCK OPTIONS AND STOCK APPRECIATION RIGHTS


6.01.      Option Awards .


(a)      Grant of Options .  The Committee may grant, to such Participants as the Committee may select, Options entitling the Participant to purchase shares of Common Stock



6



from the Company in such number, at such price, and on such terms and subject to such conditions, not inconsistent with the terms of this Plan, as may be established by the Committee.  The terms of any Option granted under this Plan shall be set forth in an Award Agreement.


(b)      Purchase Price of Options .  Subject to the requirements applicable to Incentive Stock Options under Section 6.01(d), the Purchase Price of each share of Common Stock which may be purchased upon exercise of any Option granted under the Plan shall be determined by the Committee; provided, however, that in no event shall the Purchase Price be less than the Fair Market Value on the Date of Grant.


(c)      Designation of Options .  The Committee shall designate, at the time of the grant of each Option, the Option as an Incentive Stock Option or a Non-Qualified Stock Option; provided, however, that an Option may be designated as an Incentive Stock Option only if the applicable Participant is an employee of the Company on the Date of Grant.

 

(d)      Special Incentive Stock Option Rules .  No Participant may be granted Incentive Stock Options under the Incentive Plan (or any other plans of the Company) that would result in Incentive Stock Options to purchase shares of Common Stock with an aggregate Fair Market Value (measured on the Date of Grant) of more than $100,000 first becoming exercisable by the Participant in any one calendar year.  Notwithstanding any other provision of the Incentive Plan to the contrary, the Exercise Price of each Incentive Stock Option shall be equal to or greater than the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock subject to the Incentive Stock Option as of the Date of Grant of the Incentive Stock Option; provided , however , that no Incentive Stock Option shall be granted to any person who, at the time the Option is granted, owns stock (including stock owned by application of the constructive ownership rules in Section 424(d) of the Code) possessing more than ten percent (10%) of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company, unless at the time the Incentive Stock Option is granted the price of the Option is at least one hundred ten percent (110%) of the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock subject to the Incentive Stock Option and the Incentive Stock Option by its terms is not exercisable for more than five years from the Date of Grant.


(e)      Rights As a Stockholder .  A Participant or a transferee of an Option pursuant to Section 11.04 shall have no rights as a stockholder with respect to Common Stock covered by an Option until the Participant or transferee shall have become the holder of record of any such shares, and no adjustment shall be made for dividends in cash or other property or distributions or other rights with respect to any such Common Stock for which the record date is prior to the date on which the Participant or a transferee of the Option shall have become the holder of record of any such shares covered by the Option; provided, however, that Participants are entitled to share adjustments to reflect capital changes under Section 11.07.


6.02.       Stock Appreciation Rights .


(a)      Stock Appreciation Right Awards .  The Committee is authorized to grant to any Participant one or more Stock Appreciation Rights.  Such Stock Appreciation Rights may be granted either independent of or in tandem with Options granted to the same Participant. Stock Appreciation Rights granted in tandem with Options may be granted simultaneously with, or, in the case of Non-Qualified Stock Options, subsequent to, the grant to such Participant of the related Option; provided however, that: (i) any Option covering any share of Common Stock shall expire and not be exercisable upon the exercise of any Stock Appreciation Right with respect to the same



7



share, (ii) any Stock Appreciation Right covering any share of Common Stock shall expire and not be exercisable upon the exercise of any related Option with respect to the same share, and (iii) an Option and Stock Appreciation Right covering the same share of Common Stock may not be exercised simultaneously.  Upon exercise of a Stock Appreciation Right with respect to a share of Common Stock, the Participant shall be entitled to receive an amount equal to the excess, if any, of (A) the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock on the date of exercise over (B) the Exercise Price of such Stock Appreciation Right established in the Award Agreement, which amount shall be payable as provided in Section 6.02(c).


(b)      Exercise Price . The Exercise Price established under any Stock Appreciation Right granted under this Plan shall be determined by the Committee, but in the case of Stock Appreciation Rights granted in tandem with Options shall not be less than the Purchase Price of the related Option; provided, however, that in no event shall the Exercise Price be less than the Fair Market Value on the Date of Grant.  Upon exercise of Stock Appreciation Rights granted in tandem with options, the number of shares subject to exercise under any related Option shall automatically be reduced by the number of shares of Common Stock represented by the Option or portion thereof which are surrendered as a result of the exercise of such Stock Appreciation Rights.

   


(c)      Payment of Incremental Value .  Any payment which may become due from the Company by reason of a Participant's exercise of a Stock Appreciation Right may be paid to the Participant as determined by the Committee (i) all in cash, (ii) all in Common Stock, or (iii) in any combination of cash and Common Stock.  In the event that all or a portion of the payment is made in Common Stock, the number of shares of Common Stock delivered in satisfaction of such payment shall be determined by dividing the amount of such payment or portion thereof by the Fair Market Value on the Exercise Date.  No fractional share of Common Stock shall be issued to make any payment in respect of Stock Appreciation Rights; if any fractional share would be issuable, the combination of cash and Common Stock payable to the Participant shall be adjusted as directed by the Committee to avoid the issuance of any fractional share.


6.03.       Terms of Stock Options and Stock Appreciation Rights .


(a)      Conditions on Exercise .  An Award Agreement with respect to Options or Stock Appreciation Rights may contain such waiting periods, exercise dates and restrictions on exercise (including, but not limited to, periodic installments) as may be determined by the Committee at the time of grant.  In the event the Committee grants an Option or Stock Appreciation Right that would be subject to Section 409A of the Code, the Committee may include such additional terms, conditions and restrictions on the exercise of such Option or Stock Appreciation Right as the Committee deems necessary or advisable in order to comply with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code.


(b)      Duration of Options and Stock Appreciation Rights .  Options and Stock Appreciation Rights shall terminate upon the first to occur of the following events:


(i)      Expiration of the Option or Stock Appreciation Right as provided in the Award Agreement; or


(ii)     Termination of the Award in the event of a Participant's disability, Retirement, death or other Termination of Service as provided in the Award Agreement; or



8




(iii)     In the case of an Incentive Stock Option, ten years from the Date of Grant (five years in certain cases, as described in Section 6.01(d)); or


(iv)     Solely in the case of a Stock Appreciation Right granted in tandem with an Option, upon the expiration of the related Option.

  


(c)       Acceleration or Extension of Exercise Time .  The Committee, in its sole discretion, shall have the right (but shall not be obligated), exercisable on or at any time after the Date of Grant, to permit the exercise of an Option or Stock Appreciation Right (i) prior to the time such Option or Stock Appreciation Right would become exercisable under the terms of the Award Agreement, (ii) after the termination of the Option or Stock Appreciation Right under the terms of the Award Agreement, or (iii) after the expiration of the Option or Stock Appreciation Right.


6.04.       Exercise Procedures .  Each Option and Stock Appreciation Right granted under the Plan shall be exercised under such procedures and by such methods as the Board may establish or approve from time to time.  The Purchase Price of shares purchased upon exercise of an Option granted under the Plan shall be paid in full in cash by the Participant pursuant to the Award Agreement; provided, however, that the Committee may (but shall not be required to) permit payment to be made (a) by delivery to the Company of shares of Common Stock held by the Participant, (b) by a “net exercise” method under which the Company reduces the number of shares of Common Stock issued upon exercise by the largest whole number of shares with a Fair Market Value that does not exceed the aggregate Exercise Price, or (c) such other consideration as the Committee deems appropriate and in compliance with applicable law (including payment under an arrangement constituting a brokerage transaction as permitted under the provisions of Regulation T applicable to cashless exercises promulgated by the Federal Reserve Board, unless prohibited by Section 402 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002).  In the event that any Common Stock shall be transferred to the Company to satisfy all or any part of the Purchase Price, the part of the Purchase Price deemed to have been satisfied by such transfer of Common Stock shall be equal to the product derived by multiplying the Fair Market Value as of the date of exercise times the number of shares of Common Stock transferred to the Company.  The Participant may not transfer to the Company in satisfaction of the Purchase Price any fractional share of Common Stock.  Any part of the Purchase Price paid in cash upon the exercise of any Option shall be added to the general funds of the Company and may be used for any proper corporate purpose.  Unless the Committee shall otherwise determine, any Common Stock transferred to the Company as payment of all or part of the Purchase Price upon the exercise of any Option shall be held as treasury shares.


6.05.      Change in Control .  Unless otherwise provided by the Committee in the applicable Award Agreement, in the event of a Change in Control, no accelerated vesting of any Options or Stock Appreciation Rights outstanding on the date of such Change in Control shall occur.


6.06        Early Exercise.   An Option may, but need not, include a provision by which the Participant may elect to exercise the Option in whole or in part prior to the date the Option is fully vested.  The provision may be included in the Award Agreement at the time of grant of the Option or may be added to the Award Agreement by amendment at a later time.  In the event of an early exercise of an Option, any shares of Common Stock received shall be subject to a special repurchase right in favor of the Company with terms established by the Board.  The Board shall determine the time and/or the event that causes the repurchase right to terminate and fully vest the Common Stock in



9



the Participant.  Alternatively, in the sole discretion of the Board, one or more Participants may be granted stock purchase rights allowing them to purchase shares of Common Stock outright, subject to conditions and restrictions as the Board may determine.


  


  


ARTICLE VII


RESTRICTED SHARES AND RESTRICTED STOCK UNITS


7.01.       Award of Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units .   The Committee may grant to any Participant an Award of Restricted Shares consisting of a specified number of shares of Common Stock issued to the Participant subject to such terms, conditions and forfeiture and transfer restrictions, whether based on performance standards, periods of service, retention by the Participant of ownership of specified shares of Common Stock or other criteria, as the Committee shall establish.  The Committee may also grant Restricted Stock Units representing the right to receive shares of Common Stock in the future subject to such terms, conditions and restrictions, whether based on performance standards, periods of service, retention by the Participant of ownership of specified shares of Common Stock or other criteria, as the Committee shall establish.  With respect to performance-based Awards of Restricted Shares or Restricted Stock Units intended to qualify as "performance-based" compensation for purposes of Section 162(m) of the Code, performance targets will consist of specified levels of one or more of the Performance Goals.  The terms of any Restricted Share and Restricted Stock Unit Awards granted under this Plan shall be set forth in an Award Agreement which shall contain provisions determined by the Committee and not inconsistent with this Plan.


7.02        Restricted Shares .


(a)       Issuance of Restricted Shares .  As soon as practicable after the Date of Grant of a Restricted Share Award by the Committee, the Company shall cause to be transferred on the books of the Company, or its agent, Common Stock, registered on behalf of the Participant, evidencing the Restricted Shares covered by the Award, but subject to forfeiture to the Company as of the Date of Grant if an Award Agreement with respect to the Restricted Shares covered by the Award is not duly executed by the Participant and timely returned to the Company.  All Common Stock covered by Awards under this Article VII shall be subject to the restrictions, terms and conditions contained in the Plan and the Award Agreement entered into by the Participant.  Until the lapse or release of all restrictions applicable to an Award of Restricted Shares, the share certificates representing such Restricted Shares may be held in custody by the Company, its designee, or, if the certificates bear a restrictive legend, by the Participant.  Upon the lapse or release of all restrictions with respect to an Award as described in Section 7.02(d), one or more share certificates, registered in the name of the Participant, for an appropriate number of shares as provided in Section 7.02(d), free of any restrictions set forth in the Plan and the Award Agreement shall be delivered to the Participant.


(b)       Stockholder Rights .  Beginning on the Date of Grant of the Restricted Share Award and subject to execution of the Award Agreement as provided in Section 7.02(a), the Participant shall become a stockholder of the Company with respect to all shares subject to the Award Agreement and shall have all of the rights of a stockholder, including, but not limited to, the right to vote such



10



shares and the right to receive dividends; provided, however, that any Common Stock distributed as a dividend or otherwise with respect to any Restricted Shares as to which the restrictions have not yet lapsed, shall be subject to the same restrictions as such Restricted Shares and held or restricted as provided in Section 7.02(a).

  


(c)      Restriction on Transferability .  None of the Restricted Shares may be assigned or transferred (other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution, or to an inter vivos trust with respect to which the Participant is treated as the owner under Sections 671 through 677 of the Code, except to the extent that Section 16 of the Exchange Act limits a Participant's right to make such transfers), pledged or sold prior to lapse of the restrictions applicable thereto.


(d)      Delivery of Shares Upon Vesting .  Upon expiration or earlier termination of the forfeiture period without a forfeiture and the satisfaction of or release from any other conditions prescribed by the Committee, or at such earlier time as provided under the provisions of Section 7.04, the restrictions applicable to the Restricted Shares shall lapse.  As promptly as administratively feasible thereafter, subject to the requirements of Section 11.05, the Company shall deliver to the Participant or, in case of the Participant's death, to the Participant's Beneficiary, one or more share certificates for the appropriate number of shares of Common Stock, free of all such restrictions, except for any restrictions that may be imposed by law.


(e)      Forfeiture of Restricted Shares .  Subject to Sections 7.02(f) and 7.04, all Restricted Shares shall be forfeited and returned to the Company and all rights of the Participant with respect to such Restricted Shares shall terminate unless the Participant continues in the service of the Company or an Affiliate as an employee until the expiration of the forfeiture period for such Restricted Shares and satisfies any and all other conditions set forth in the Award Agreement.  The Committee shall determine the forfeiture period (which may, but need not, lapse in installments) and any other terms and conditions applicable with respect to any Restricted Share Award.


(f)      Waiver of Forfeiture Period .  Notwithstanding anything contained in this Article VII to the contrary, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, waive the forfeiture period and any other conditions set forth in any Award Agreement under appropriate circumstances (including the death, disability or Retirement of the Participant or a material change in circumstances arising after the date of an Award) and subject to such terms and conditions (including forfeiture of a proportionate number of the Restricted Shares) as the Committee shall deem appropriate.


7.03.       Restricted Stock Units .  


(a)      Settlement of Restricted Stock Units .  Payments shall be made to Participants with respect to their Restricted Stock Units as soon as practicable after the Committee has determined that the terms and conditions applicable to such Award have been satisfied or at a later date if distribution has been deferred.  Payments to Participants with respect to Restricted Stock Units shall be made in the form of Common Stock, or cash or a combination of both, as the Committee may determine.  The amount of any cash to be paid in lieu of Common Stock shall be determined on the basis of the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock on the date any such payment is processed.  As to shares of Common Stock which constitute all or any part of such payment, the Committee may impose such restrictions concerning their transferability and/or their forfeiture as may be provided in the applicable Award Agreement or as the Committee may



11



otherwise determine, provided such determination is made on or before the date certificates for such shares are first delivered to the applicable Participant.

  


(b)       Shareholder Rights .  Until the lapse or release of all restrictions applicable to an Award of Restricted Stock Units, no shares of Common Stock shall be issued in respect of such Awards and no Participant shall have any rights as a shareholder of the Company with respect to the shares of Common Stock covered by such Award of Restricted Stock Units.


(c)       Waiver of Forfeiture Period .  Notwithstanding anything contained in this Section 7.03 to the contrary, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, waive the forfeiture period and any other conditions set forth in any Award Agreement under appropriate circumstances (including the death, disability or retirement of the Participant or a material change in circumstances arising after the date of an Award) and subject to such terms and conditions (including forfeiture of a proportionate number of shares issuable upon settlement of the Restricted Stock Units constituting an Award) as the Committee shall deem appropriate.


(d)       Deferral of Payment .  If approved by the Committee and set forth in the applicable Award Agreement, a Participant may elect to defer the amount payable with respect to the Participant’s Restricted Stock Units in accordance with such terms as may be established by the Committee, subject to the requirements of Section 409A of the Code.


7.04        Change in Control .  Unless otherwise provided by the Committee in the applicable Award Agreement, no acceleration of the termination of any of the restrictions applicable to Restricted Shares and Restricted Stock Unit Awards shall occur in the event of a Change in Control.


ARTICLE VIII


PERFORMANCE AWARDS


8.01.       Performance Awards .


(a)      Award Periods and Calculations of Potential Incentive Amounts .  The Committee may grant Performance Awards to Participants.  A Performance Award shall consist of the right to receive a payment (measured by the Fair Market Value of a specified number of shares of Common Stock, increases in such Fair Market Value during the Award Period and/or a fixed cash amount) contingent upon the extent to which certain predetermined performance targets have been met during an Award Period.  The Award Period shall be two or more fiscal or calendar years as determined by the Committee.  The Committee, in its discretion and under such terms as it deems appropriate, may permit newly eligible Participants, such as those who are promoted or newly hired, to receive Performance Awards after an Award Period has commenced.    


(b)       Performance Targets .  Subject to Section 11.18, the performance targets applicable to a Performance Award may include such goals related to the performance of the Company or, where relevant, any one or more of its Subsidiaries or divisions and/or the performance of a Participant as may be established by the Committee in its discretion.  In the case of Performance Awards to "covered employees" (as defined in Section 162(m) of the Code), the targets will be limited to specified levels of one or more of the Performance Goals.  The



12



performance targets established by the Committee may vary for different Award Periods and need not be the same for each Participant receiving a Performance Award in an Award Period.


(c)       Earning Performance Awards .  The Committee, at or as soon as practicable after the Date of Grant, shall prescribe a formula to determine the percentage of the Performance Award to be earned based upon the degree of attainment of the applicable performance targets.


(d)       Payment of Earned Performance Awards .  Subject to the requirements of Section 11.05, payments of earned Performance Awards shall be made in cash or Common Stock, or a combination of cash and Common Stock, in the discretion of the Committee.  The Committee, in its sole discretion, may define, and set forth in the applicable Award Agreement, such terms and conditions with respect to the payment of earned Performance Awards as it may deem desirable.


8.02.       Termination of Service .  In the event of a Participant’s Termination of Service during an Award Period, the Participant’s Performance Awards shall be forfeited except as may otherwise be provided in the applicable Award Agreement.


8.03.       Change in Control .  Unless otherwise provided by the Committee in the applicable Award Agreement, in the event of a Change in Control, no accelerated vesting of any Performance Awards outstanding on the date of such Change in Control shall occur.


ARTICLE IX


OTHER STOCK-BASED AWARDS


9.01.       Grant of Other Stock-Based Awards .  Other stock-based awards, consisting of stock purchase rights (with or without loans to Participants by the Company containing such terms as the Committee shall determine), Awards of Common Stock, or Awards valued in whole or in part by reference to, or otherwise based on, Common Stock, may be granted either alone or in addition to or in conjunction with other Awards under the Plan. Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Committee shall have sole and complete authority to determine the persons to whom and the time or times at which such Awards shall be made, the number of shares of Common Stock to be granted pursuant to such Awards, and all other conditions of the Awards.  Any such Award shall be confirmed by an Award Agreement executed by the Committee and the Participant, which Award Agreement shall contain such provisions as the Committee determines to be necessary or appropriate to carry out the intent of this Plan with respect to such Award.


9.02.       Terms of Other Stock-Based Awards .  In addition to the terms and conditions specified in the Award Agreement, Awards made pursuant to this Article IX shall be subject to the following:


  

(a)      Any Common Stock subject to Awards made under this Article IX may not be sold, assigned, transferred, pledged or otherwise encumbered prior to the date on which the shares are issued, or, if later, the date on which any applicable restriction, performance or deferral period lapses; and


(b)      If specified by the Committee in the Award Agreement, the recipient of an Award under this Article IX shall be entitled to receive, currently or on a deferred basis, interest or



13



dividends or dividend equivalents with respect to the Common Stock or other securities covered by the Award; and


(c)      The Award Agreement with respect to any Award shall contain provisions dealing with the disposition of such Award in the event of a Termination of Service prior to the exercise, payment or other settlement of such Award, whether such termination occurs because of Retirement, disability, death or other reason, with such provisions to take account of the specific nature and purpose of the Award.


ARTICLE X


SHORT-TERM CASH INCENTIVE AWARDS


10.01.     Eligibility .  Executive officers of the Company who are from time to time determined by the Committee to be "covered employees" for purposes of Section 162(m) of the Code will be eligible to receive short-term cash incentive awards under this Article X.


10.02.     Awards .


(a)       Performance Targets .  The Committee shall establish objective performance targets based on specified levels of one or more of the Performance Goals.  Such performance targets shall be established by the Committee on a timely basis to ensure that the targets are considered "preestablished" for purposes of Section 162(m) of the Code.


(b)       Amounts of Awards .  In conjunction with the establishment of performance targets for a fiscal year or such other short-term performance period established by the Committee, the Committee shall adopt an objective formula (on the basis of percentages of Participants' salaries, shares in a bonus pool or otherwise) for computing the respective amounts payable under the Plan to Participants if and to the extent that the performance targets are attained.  Such formula shall comply with the requirements applicable to performance-based compensation plans under Section 162(m) of the Code and, to the extent based on percentages of a bonus pool, such percentages shall not exceed 100% in the aggregate.


(c)       Payment of Awards .  Awards will be payable to Participants in cash each year upon prior written certification by the Committee of attainment of the specified performance targets for the preceding fiscal year or other applicable performance period.


  


(d)       Negative Discretion .  Notwithstanding the attainment by the Company of the specified performance targets, the Committee shall have the discretion, which need not be exercised uniformly among the Participants, to reduce or eliminate the award that would be otherwise paid.


(e)       Guidelines .  The Committee may adopt from time to time written policies for its implementation of this Article X.  Such guidelines shall reflect the intention of the Company that all payments hereunder qualify as performance-based compensation under Section 162(m) of the Code.




14



(f)        Non-Exclusive Arrangement .  The adoption and operation of this Article X shall not preclude the Board or the Committee from approving other short-term incentive compensation arrangements for the benefit of individuals who are Participants hereunder as the Board or Committee, as the case may be, deems appropriate and in the best of the Company.


ARTICLE XI


TERMS APPLICABLE GENERALLY TO AWARDS

GRANTED UNDER THE PLAN


11.01.     Plan Provisions Control Award Terms .  Except as provided in Section 11.16, the terms of the Plan shall govern all Awards granted under the Plan, and in no event shall the Committee have the power to grant any Award under the Plan which is contrary to any of the provisions of the Plan.  In the event any provision of any Award granted under the Plan shall conflict with any term in the Plan as constituted on the Date of Grant of such Award, the term in the Plan as constituted on the Date of Grant of such Award shall control.  Except as provided in Section 11.03 and Section 11.07, the terms of any Award granted under the Plan may not be changed after the Date of Grant of such Award so as to materially decrease the value of the Award without the express written approval of the holder.


11.02.     Award Agreement .  No person shall have any rights under any Award granted under the Plan unless and until the Company and the Participant to whom such Award shall have been granted shall have executed and delivered an Award Agreement or received any other Award acknowledgment authorized by the Committee expressly granting the Award to such person and containing provisions setting forth the terms of the Award.


11.03.     Modification of Award After Grant .  No Award granted under the Plan to a Participant may be modified (unless such modification does not materially decrease the value of the Award) after the Date of Grant except by express written agreement between the Company and the Participant, provided that any such change (a) shall not be inconsistent with the terms of the Plan, and (b) shall be approved by the Committee.



11.04.     Limitation on Transfer .  Except as provided in Section 7.01(c) in the case of Restricted Shares, a Participant's rights and interest under the Plan may not be assigned or transferred other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution, and during the lifetime of a Participant, only the Participant personally (or the Participant's personal representative) may exercise rights under the Plan.  The Participant's Beneficiary may exercise the Participant's rights to the extent they are exercisable under the Plan following the death of the Participant. Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent permitted under Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act with respect to Participants subject to such Section, the Committee may grant Non-Qualified Stock Options that are transferable, without payment of consideration, to immediate family members of the Participant or to trusts or partnerships for such family members, and the Committee may also amend outstanding Non-Qualified Stock Options to provide for such transferability.


11.05.     Taxes .  The Company shall be entitled, if the Committee deems it necessary or desirable, to withhold (or secure payment from the Participant in lieu of withholding) the amount of any withholding or other tax required by law to be withheld or paid by the Company with respect to any amount payable and/or shares issuable under such Participant's Award, or with



15



respect to any income recognized upon a disqualifying disposition of shares received pursuant to the exercise of an Incentive Stock Option, and the Company may defer payment or issuance of the cash or shares upon exercise or vesting of an Award unless indemnified to its satisfaction against any liability for any such tax. The amount of such withholding or tax payment shall be determined by the Committee and shall be payable by the Participant at such time as the Committee determines in accordance with the following rules:


(a)      The Participant shall have the right to elect to meet his or her withholding requirement (i) by having withheld from such Award at the appropriate time that number of shares of Common Stock, rounded down to the nearest whole share, whose Fair Market Value is equal to the amount of withholding taxes due, (ii) by direct payment to the Company in cash of the amount of any taxes required to be withheld with respect to such Award or (iii) by a combination of shares and cash.


(b)      In the case of Participants who are subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act, the Committee may impose such limitations and restrictions as it deems necessary or appropriate with respect to the delivery or withholding of shares of Common Stock to meet tax withholding obligations.


11.06.     Surrender of Awards; Authorization of Repricing .  Any Award granted under the Plan may be surrendered to the Company for cancellation on such terms as the Committee and the holder approve.  Without requiring shareholder approval, the Committee may substitute a new Award under this Plan in connection with the surrender by the Participant of an equity compensation award previously granted under this Plan or any other plan sponsored by the Company, including the substitution or grant of (i) an Option or Stock Appreciation Right with a lower exercise price than the Option or Stock Appreciation Right being surrendered, (ii) a different type of Award upon the surrender or cancellation of an Option or Stock Appreciation Right with an exercise price above the Fair Market Value of the underlying Common Stock on the date of such substitution or grant, or (iii) any other Award constituting a repricing of an Option or Stock Appreciation Right.


  

11.07.     Adjustments to Reflect Capital Changes .


(a)       Recapitalization .  In the event of any corporate event or transaction (including, but not limited to, a change in the Common Stock or the capitalization of the Company) such as a merger, consolidation, reorganization, recapitalization, separation, partial or complete liquidation, stock dividend, stock split, reverse stock split, split up, spin-off, or other distribution of stock or property of the Company, a combination or exchange of Common Stock, dividend in kind, or other like change in capital structure, number of outstanding shares of Common Stock, distribution (other than normal cash dividends) to shareholders of the Company, or any similar corporate event or transaction, the Committee, in order to prevent dilution or enlargement of Participants’ rights under this Plan, shall make equitable and appropriate adjustments and substitutions, as applicable, to or of the number and kind of shares subject to outstanding Awards, the Purchase Price or Exercise Price for such shares, the number and kind of shares available for future issuance under the Plan and the maximum number of shares in respect of which Awards can be made to any Participant in any calendar year, and other determinations applicable to outstanding Awards.  The Committee shall have the power and sole discretion to determine the amount of the adjustment to be made in each case.




16



(b)       Merger .  In the event that the Company is a party to a Merger, outstanding Awards shall be subject to the agreement of merger or reorganization.  Such agreement may provide, without limitation, for the continuation of outstanding Awards by the Company (if the Company is a surviving corporation), for their assumption by the surviving corporation or its parent or subsidiary, for the substitution by the surviving corporation or its parent or subsidiary of its own awards for such Awards, for accelerated vesting and accelerated expiration, or for settlement in cash or cash equivalents.


(c)       Options to Purchase Shares or Stock of Acquired Companies .  After any Merger in which the Company or an Affiliate shall be a surviving corporation, the Committee may grant substituted options under the provisions of the Plan, pursuant to Section 424 of the Code, replacing old options granted under a plan of another party to the Merger whose shares or stock subject to the old options may no longer be issued following the Merger.  The foregoing adjustments and manner of application of the foregoing provisions shall be determined by the Committee in its sole discretion.  Any such adjustments may provide for the elimination of any fractional shares which might otherwise become subject to any Options.


11.08.     No Right to Continued Service .  No person shall have any claim of right to be granted an Award under this Plan. Neither the Plan nor any action taken hereunder shall be construed as giving any Participant any right to be retained in the service of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.


11.09.     Awards Not Includable for Benefit Purposes .  Payments received by a Participant pursuant to the provisions of the Plan shall not be included in the determination of benefits under any pension, group insurance or other benefit plan applicable to the Participant which is maintained by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, except as may be provided under the terms of such plans or determined by the Board.

    

11.10.     Governing Law .  All determinations made and actions taken pursuant to the Plan shall be governed by the laws of California   and construed in accordance therewith.


11.11.     No Strict Construction .  No rule of strict construction shall be implied against the Company, the Committee, or any other person in the interpretation of any of the terms of the Plan, any Award granted under the Plan or any rule or procedure established by the Committee.


11.12.     Compliance with Rule 16b-3 .  It is intended that, unless the Committee determines otherwise, Awards under the Plan be eligible for exemption under Rule 16b-3.  The Board is authorized to amend the Plan and to make any such modifications to Award Agreements to comply with Rule 16b-3, as it may be amended from time to time, and to make any other such amendments or modifications as it deems necessary or appropriate to better accomplish the purposes of the Plan in light of any amendments made to Rule 16b-3.


11.13.     Captions .  The captions (i.e., all Section headings) used in the Plan are for convenience only, do not constitute a part of the Plan, and shall not be deemed to limit, characterize or affect in any way any provisions of the Plan, and all provisions of the Plan shall be construed as if no captions have been used in the Plan.


11.14.     Severability .  Whenever possible, each provision in the Plan and every Award at any time granted under the Plan shall be interpreted in such manner as to be effective and valid



17



under applicable law, but if any provision of the Plan or any Award at any time granted under the Plan shall be held to be prohibited by or invalid under applicable law, then (a) such provision shall be deemed amended to accomplish the objectives of the provision as originally written to the fullest extent permitted by law and (b) all other provisions of the Plan and every other Award at any time granted under the Plan shall remain in full force and effect.


11.15.     Amendment and Termination .


(a)       Amendment .  The Board shall have complete power and authority to amend the Plan at any time; provided, however, that the Board shall not, without the requisite affirmative approval of stockholders of the Company, make any amendment which requires stockholder approval under the Code or under any other applicable law or rule of any stock exchange which lists Common Stock or Company Voting Securities.  No termination or amendment of the Plan may, without the consent of the Participant to whom any Award shall theretofore have been granted under the Plan, adversely affect the right of such individual under such Award.


(b)       Termination .  The Board shall have the right and the power to terminate the Plan at any time. No Award shall be granted under the Plan after the termination of the Plan, but the termination of the Plan shall not have any other effect and any Award outstanding at the time of the termination of the Plan may be exercised after termination of the Plan at any time prior to the expiration date of such Award to the same extent such Award would have been exercisable had the Plan not terminated.


  

11.16.     Foreign Qualified Awards .  Awards under the Plan may be granted to such employees of the Company and its Subsidiaries who are residing in foreign jurisdictions as the Committee in its sole discretion may determine from time to time. The Committee may adopt such supplements to the Plan as may be necessary or appropriate to comply with the applicable laws of such foreign jurisdictions and to afford Participants favorable treatment under such laws; provided, however, that no Award shall be granted under any such supplement with terms or conditions inconsistent with the provision set forth in the Plan.


11.17.     Dividend Equivalents .  For any Award granted under the Plan, the Committee shall have the discretion, upon the Date of Grant or thereafter, to establish a Dividend Equivalent Account with respect to the Award, and the applicable Award Agreement or an amendment thereto shall confirm such establishment.  If a Dividend Equivalent Account is established, the following terms shall apply:


(a)       Terms and Conditions .  Dividend Equivalent Accounts shall be subject to such terms and conditions as the Committee shall determine and as shall be set forth in the applicable Award Agreement.  Such terms and conditions may include, without limitation, for the Participant’s Account to be credited as of the record date of each cash dividend on the Common Stock with an amount equal to the cash dividends which would be paid with respect to the number of shares of Common Stock then covered by the related Award if such shares of Common Stock had been owned of record by the Participant on such record date.


(b)       Unfunded Obligation .  Dividend Equivalent Accounts shall be established and maintained only on the books and records of the Company and no assets or funds of the Company shall be set aside, placed in trust, removed from the claims of the Company's general



18



creditors, or otherwise made available until such amounts are actually payable as provided hereunder.


11.18      Adjustment of Performance Goals and Targets.   Notwithstanding any provision of the Plan to the contrary, the Committee shall have the authority to adjust any Performance Goal, performance target or other performance-based criteria established with respect to any Award under the Plan if circumstances occur (including, but not limited to, unusual or nonrecurring events, changes in tax laws or accounting principles or practices or changed business or economic conditions) that cause any such Performance Goal, performance target or performance-based criteria to be inappropriate in the judgment of the Committee; provided, that with respect to any Award that is intended to qualify for the "performance-based compensation" exception under Section 162(m) of the Code and the regulations thereunder, any adjustment by the Committee shall be consistent with the requirements of Section 162(m) and the regulations thereunder.


11.19      Legality of Issuance.   Notwithstanding any provision of this Plan or any applicable Award Agreement to the contrary, the Committee shall have the sole discretion to impose such conditions, restrictions and limitations (including suspending exercises of Options or Stock Appreciation Rights and the tolling of any applicable exercise period during such suspension) on the issuance of Common Stock with respect to any Award unless and until the Committee determines that such issuance complies with (i) any applicable registration requirements under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Committee has determined that an exemption therefrom is available, (ii) any applicable listing requirement of any stock exchange on which the Common Stock is listed, (iii) any applicable Company policy or administrative rules, and (iv) any other applicable provision of state, federal or foreign law, including foreign securities laws where applicable.


  

11.20      Restrictions on Transfer.   Regardless of whether the offering and sale of Common Stock under the Plan have been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or have been registered or qualified under the securities laws of any state, the Company may impose restrictions upon the sale, pledge, or other transfer of such Common Stock (including the placement of appropriate legends on stock certificates) if, in the judgment of the Company and its counsel, such restrictions are necessary or desirable to achieve compliance with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the securities laws of any state, the United States or any other applicable foreign law.


11.21      Further Assurances.   As a condition to receipt of any Award under the Plan, a Participant shall agree, upon demand of the Company, to do all acts and execute, deliver and perform all additional documents, instruments and agreements which may be reasonably required by the Company, to implement the provisions and purposes of the Plan.




19



Exhibit 5.1




[Law offices of Jeffrey S. Conrad]

 

April 14, 2011

 

Probe Manufacturing, Inc.

17475 Gillette Blvd.

Irvine, California 92614

 

Re:          Registration Statement on Form S-8

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

We have acted as counsel to Probe Manufacturing, Inc. (the “Company”) in connection with its Registration Statement on Form S-8, as may be amended in connection with the registration by the Company of 3,692,766 shares (the “Shares”) of common stock, $0.001 par value per share (the “Common Stock”), of the Company issuable under the Company’s 2006 Employee Incentive Stock Option Plan and 7,500,000 shares issuable under the Company’s 2011 Omnibus Incentive Plan.

 

For purposes of rendering this opinion, we have examined originals or copies of such documents and records as we have deemed appropriate.  In conducting such examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures and the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals and conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as copies.

 

Based upon and subject to the foregoing and the effect, if any, of the matters discussed below, after having given due regard to such issues of law as we deemed relevant, we are of the opinion that the Shares, when issued, delivered and paid for in accordance with the relevant plan and the terms of the individual option agreements and stock agreements, as applicable, will be legally issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

 

We are furnishing this opinion to the Company solely in connection with the Registration Statement. This opinion may not be relied on by, nor copies delivered to, any other person or entity without our prior written consent.  Notwithstanding the preceding sentence we hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and to its use as part of the Registration Statement.

 

 

Very truly yours,

 

 

 

/s/ Jeffrey S. Conrad, Esq.

Law Offices of Jeffrey S. Conrad




EXHIBIT 23.2


CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

We consent to the incorporation by reference in the Registration Statement on Form S-8 pertaining to the 2006 Employee Stock Incentive Option Plan and the 2011 Omnibus Incentive Plan of our report dated March 30, 2011 with respect to the financial statements of probe Manufacturing, Inc., included in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

/s/  W. T. Uniack & Co. CPA’s P.C.

Certified Public Accountants

Woodstock, Georgia


April 14, 2011