THE ACTIVE NETWORK, INC. STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT

Contract Categories: Business Finance - Stock Agreements
EX-10.26 25 dex1026.htm FORM OF STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT Form of Stock Option Agreement

EXHIBIT 10.26

THE ACTIVE NETWORK, INC.

STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT

A. The Board has adopted the Plan for the purpose of retaining the services of selected Employees, members of the Board or the board of directors of any Parent or Subsidiary and independent contractors in the service of the Corporation (or any Parent or Subsidiary).

B. Optionee is to render valuable services to the Corporation (or a Parent or Subsidiary), and this Agreement is executed pursuant to, and is intended to carry out the purposes of, the Plan in connection with the Corporation’s grant of an option to Optionee.

C. All capitalized terms in this Agreement shall have the meaning assigned to them in the attached Appendix.

NOW, THEREFORE, it is hereby agreed as follows:

1. Grant of Option. The Corporation hereby grants to Optionee, as of the Grant Date, an option to purchase the number of Option Shares specified in the Grant Notice. The Option Shares shall be purchasable from time to time during the option term specified in Paragraph 2 at the Exercise Price.

2. Option Term. This option shall expire on the Expiration Date, unless sooner terminated in accordance with this Agreement.

3. Limited Transferability.

(a) This option shall be neither transferable nor assignable by Optionee other than by will or the laws of inheritance following Optionee’s death and may be exercised, during Optionee’s lifetime, only by Optionee. However, Optionee may designate one or more persons as the beneficiary or beneficiaries of this option, so that, if Optionee is holding this outstanding option at the time of his or her death, this option shall, in accordance with such designation, automatically be transferred to such beneficiary or beneficiaries upon Optionee’s death. Such beneficiary or beneficiaries shall take the transferred option subject to all the terms and conditions of this Agreement, including (without limitation) the limited time period during which this option may, pursuant to Paragraph 5, be exercised following Optionee’s death.

(b) If this option is designated a Non-Statutory Option in the Grant Notice, then this option may be assigned in whole or in part during Optionee’s lifetime to one or more members of Optionee’s family or to a trust established for the benefit of one or more such family members or to Optionee’s former spouse, to the extent such assignment is in connection with Optionee’s estate plan or pursuant to a domestic relations order. The assigned portion shall be exercisable only by the person or persons who acquire a proprietary interest in the option pursuant to such assignment. The terms applicable to the assigned portion shall be the same as those in effect for this option immediately prior to such assignment.


4. Dates of Exercise. This option shall become exercisable for the Option Shares as specified in the Grant Notice. If the option is exercisable in installments, then as the option becomes exercisable for such installments, those installments shall accumulate, and the option shall remain exercisable for the accumulated installments until the Expiration Date or sooner termination of the option under this Agreement.

5. Cessation of Service. The option term specified in Paragraph 2 shall terminate (and this option shall cease to be outstanding) prior to the Expiration Date should any of the following provisions become applicable:

(a) Should Optionee cease to remain in Service for any reason (other than death, Disability or Misconduct), then this option shall be exercisable for the number of Option Shares which were Vested Shares at the time of Optionee’s cessation of Service and shall remain exercisable until the earlier of (i) the close of business on the three month anniversary of the date Optionee’s Service ceases or (ii) the Expiration Date.

(b) Should Optionee cease to remain in Service by reason of death or Disability, then this option shall be exercisable for the number of Option Shares which were Vested Shares at the time of Optionee’s cessation of Service and shall remain exercisable until the earlier of (i) the close of business on the twelve month anniversary of the date Optionee’s Service ceases or (ii) the Expiration Date.

(c) No additional vesting will occur after the date Optionee’s Service ceases, and this option shall immediately terminate with respect to the Unvested Shares. Upon the expiration of any post-Service exercise period or (if earlier) upon the Expiration Date, this option shall terminate with respect to the Vested Shares.

(d) Should Optionee’s Service be terminated for Misconduct or should Optionee otherwise engage in Misconduct while this option is outstanding, then this option shall terminate immediately with respect to all Option Shares.

6. Accelerated Vesting.

(a) Immediately prior to the effective date of the Change in Control, the Unvested Shares subject to this option shall automatically become Vested Shares, and this option shall become exercisable for all of the Option Shares. However, the Unvested Shares shall not vest on such an accelerated basis if and to the extent: (i) this option will be assumed by the successor corporation (or parent thereof) or otherwise continued in effect pursuant to the terms of the Change in Control transaction or (ii) this option is to be replaced with a cash incentive program of the successor corporation which preserves the spread existing on the Unvested Shares at the time of the Change in Control (the excess of the Fair Market Value of those Unvested Shares over the Exercise Price payable for such shares) and provides for subsequent payout of that spread no later than the time Optionee would otherwise vest in the Option Shares as set forth in the Grant Notice.

 

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(b) Immediately following the Change in Control, this option shall terminate and cease to be outstanding, except to the extent assumed by the successor corporation (or parent thereof) or otherwise continued in effect pursuant to the terms of the Change in Control transaction.

(c) If this option is assumed in connection with a Change in Control or otherwise continued in effect, then this option shall be appropriately adjusted, upon such Change in Control, to apply to the number and class of securities which would have been issuable to Optionee in consummation of such Change in Control had the option been exercised immediately prior to such Change in Control, and appropriate adjustments shall also be made to the Exercise Price, provided the aggregate Exercise Price shall remain the same. To the extent that the holders of Common Stock receive cash consideration for their Common Stock in consummation of the Change in Control, the successor corporation (or its parent) may, in connection with the assumption of this option, substitute one or more shares of its own common stock with a fair market value equivalent to the cash consideration paid per share of Common Stock in such Change in Control.

(d) This Agreement shall not in any way affect the right of the Corporation to adjust, reclassify, reorganize or otherwise change its capital or business structure or to merge, consolidate, dissolve, liquidate or sell or transfer all or any part of its business or assets.

7. Adjustment in Option Shares. Should any change be made to the Common Stock by reason of any stock split, stock dividend, recapitalization, combination of shares, exchange of shares or other change affecting the outstanding Common Stock as a class without the Corporation’s receipt of consideration, appropriate adjustments shall be made to (a) the total number and/or class of securities subject to this option and (b) the Exercise Price in order to reflect such change and thereby preclude a dilution or enlargement of benefits hereunder.

8. Stockholder Rights. The holder of this option shall not have any stockholder rights with respect to the Option Shares until such person shall have exercised the option, paid the Exercise Price and become the record holder of the purchased Option Shares.

9. Manner of Exercising Option.

(a) In order to exercise this option with respect to all or any part of the Option Shares for which this option is at the time exercisable, Optionee (or any other person or persons permitted to exercise the option) must take the following actions:

(i) Execute and deliver to the Corporation a Purchase Agreement for the Option Shares for which the option is exercised;

(ii) Pay the aggregate Exercise Price for the purchased shares in one or more of the following forms:

 

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(A) cash or check made payable to the Corporation; or

(B) a promissory note payable to the Corporation, but only to the extent authorized by the Plan Administrator in accordance with Paragraph 14.

Should the Common Stock be registered under Section 12 of the 1934 Act at the time the option is exercised, then the Exercise Price may also be paid as follows:

(C) in shares of Common Stock (1) held by Optionee (or any other person or persons exercising the option) for the requisite period necessary to avoid a charge to the Corporation’s earnings for financial reporting purposes and (2) valued at Fair Market Value on the Exercise Date; or

(D) to the extent the option is exercised for Vested Shares, through a special sale and remittance procedure pursuant to which Optionee (or any other person or persons exercising the option) shall concurrently provide irrevocable instructions (1) to a Corporation-designated brokerage firm to effect the immediate sale of the purchased shares and remit to the Corporation, out of the sale proceeds available on the settlement date, sufficient funds to cover the aggregate Exercise Price payable for the purchased shares plus all applicable income and employment taxes required to be withheld by the Corporation by reason of such exercise and (2) to the Corporation to deliver the certificates for the purchased shares directly to such brokerage firm in order to complete the sale;

Except to the extent the sale and remittance procedure is utilized in connection with the option exercise, payment of the Exercise Price must accompany the Purchase Agreement delivered to the Corporation in connection with the option exercise.

(iii) Furnish to the Corporation appropriate documentation that the person or persons exercising the option (if other than Optionee) have the right to exercise this option;

(iv) Execute and deliver to the Corporation such written representations as may be requested by the Corporation in order for it to comply with the applicable requirements of applicable securities laws; and

(v) Make appropriate arrangements with the Corporation (or Parent or Subsidiary employing or retaining Optionee) for the satisfaction of all applicable income and employment tax withholding requirements applicable to the option exercise.

 

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(b) As soon as practical after the Exercise Date, the Corporation shall issue to or on behalf of Optionee (or any other person or persons exercising this option) a certificate for the purchased Option Shares, with the appropriate legends affixed thereto.

(c) In no event may this option be exercised for any fractional shares.

10. REPURCHASE RIGHTS. ALL OPTION SHARES ACQUIRED UPON THE EXERCISE OF THIS OPTION SHALL BE SUBJECT TO CERTAIN RIGHTS OF THE CORPORATION AND ITS ASSIGNS TO REPURCHASE THOSE SHARES IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TERMS SPECIFIED IN THE STOCK PURCHASE AGREEMENT.

11. Compliance with Laws and Regulations.

(a) The exercise of this option and the issuance of the Option Shares upon such exercise shall be subject to compliance by the Corporation and Optionee with all applicable requirements of law relating thereto and with all applicable regulations of any applicable stock exchange or quotation system on which the Common Stock may be traded at the time of such exercise and issuance.

(b) The inability of the Corporation to obtain approval from any regulatory body having authority deemed by the Corporation to be necessary to the lawful issuance and sale of any Common Stock pursuant to this option shall relieve the Corporation of any liability with respect to the non-issuance or sale of the Common Stock as to which such approval shall not have been obtained.

12. Successors and Assigns. Except to the extent otherwise provided in Paragraphs 3 and 6, the provisions of this Agreement shall inure to the benefit of, and be binding upon, the Corporation and its successors and assigns and Optionee, Optionee’s permitted assigns and the legal representatives, heirs and legatees of Optionee’s estate, whether or not any such person shall have become a party to this Agreement or has agreed in writing to join herein and be bound by the terms hereof.

13. Notices. Any notice required to be given or delivered to the Corporation under the terms of this Agreement shall be in writing and addressed to the Corporation at its principal corporate offices. Any notice required to be given or delivered to Optionee shall be in writing and addressed to Optionee at the address indicated below Optionee’s signature line on the Grant Notice. All notices shall be deemed effective upon personal delivery or on the third day following deposit in the U.S. mail, postage prepaid and properly addressed to the party to be notified.

14. Financing. The Plan Administrator may, in its absolute discretion and without any obligation to do so, permit Optionee to pay the Exercise Price for the purchased Option Shares (to the extent such Exercise Price is in excess of the par value of those shares) by delivering a full-recourse, interest-bearing promissory note secured by those Option Shares. The

 

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payment schedule and other terms of any such promissory note shall be established by the Plan Administrator in its sole discretion.

15. Construction. This Agreement and the option evidenced hereby are made and granted pursuant to the Plan, which is incorporated herein by reference. In the event of a conflict between the terms and conditions of the Plan and the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the terms and conditions of this Agreement shall prevail. All decisions of the Plan Administrator with respect to any question or issue arising under the Plan or this Agreement shall be conclusive and binding on all persons having an interest in this option.

16. Governing Law. The interpretation, performance and enforcement of this Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of Delaware without giving effect to that State’s choice of law or conflict-of-laws rules.

17. Stockholder Approval. If the Option Shares covered by this Agreement exceed, as of the Grant Date, the number of shares of Common Stock which may be issued under the Plan as last approved by the stockholders, then this option shall be void with respect to such excess shares, unless stockholder approval of an amendment sufficiently increasing the number of shares of Common Stock issuable under the Plan is obtained in accordance with the provisions of the Plan. The inability of the Corporation to obtain stockholder approval shall relieve the Corporation of any liability with respect to the non-issuance or sale of the Common Stock as to which such approval shall not have been obtained.

18. At Will Employment. Nothing in this Agreement or in the Plan shall confer upon Optionee any right to continue in Service for any period of specific duration or interfere with or otherwise restrict in any way the rights of the Corporation (or any Parent or Subsidiary employing or retaining Optionee) or of Optionee, which rights are hereby expressly reserved by each, to terminate Optionee’s Service at any time for any reason, with or without cause.

19. Additional Terms Applicable to an Incentive Option. In the event this option is designated an Incentive Option in the Grant Notice, the following terms and conditions shall also apply to the grant:

(a) This option shall cease to qualify for favorable tax treatment as an Incentive Option if (and to the extent) this option is exercised for one or more Option Shares: (i) more than three months after the date Optionee ceases to be an Employee for any reason other than death or Disability or (ii) more than twelve months after the date Optionee ceases to be an Employee by reason of Disability.

(b) This option shall not become exercisable in the calendar year in which granted if (and to the extent) the aggregate Fair Market Value (determined at the Grant Date) of the Common Stock for which this option would otherwise first become exercisable in such calendar year would, when added to the aggregate value (determined as of the respective date or dates of grant) of the Common Stock and any other securities for which one or more other Incentive Options granted to Optionee prior to the Grant Date (whether under the Plan or

 

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any other option plan of the Corporation or any Parent or Subsidiary) first become exercisable during the same calendar year, exceed $100,000 in the aggregate. To the extent the exercisability of this option is deferred by reason of the foregoing limitation, the deferred portion shall become exercisable in the first calendar year or years thereafter in which the $100,000 limitation of this Paragraph 19(b) would not be contravened, but such deferral shall in all events end immediately prior to the effective date of a Change in Control in which this option is not to be assumed or otherwise continued in effect, whereupon the option shall become immediately exercisable as a Non-Statutory Option for the deferred portion of the Option Shares.

(c) Should Optionee hold, in addition to this option, one or more other options to purchase Common Stock which become exercisable for the first time in the same calendar year as this option, then the foregoing limitations on the exercisability of such options as Incentive Options shall be applied to the option granted second.

 

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APPENDIX

The following definitions shall be in effect under the Agreement:

A. Agreement shall mean this Stock Option Agreement.

B. Board shall mean the Corporation’s Board of Directors.

C. Change in Control shall mean a change in ownership or control of the Corporation effected through any of the following transactions:

(i) a stockholder-approved merger, consolidation or other reorganization in which securities representing more than 50% of the total combined voting power of the Corporation’s outstanding securities are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by a person or persons different from the person or persons who beneficially owned those securities immediately prior to such transaction;

(ii) a stockholder-approved sale, transfer or other disposition of all or substantially all of the Corporation’s assets; or

(iii) the acquisition, directly or indirectly, by any person or related group of persons (other than the Corporation or a person that directly or indirectly controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, the Corporation), of beneficial ownership (within the meaning of Rule 13-d3 of the 1934 Act) of securities possessing more than 50% of the total combined voting power of the Corporation’s outstanding securities from a person or persons other than the Corporation.

In no event shall any public offering of the Corporation’s securities be deemed to constitute a Change in Control.

D. Code shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

E. Common Stock shall mean the common stock of the Corporation.

F. Corporation shall mean The Active Network, Inc., a Delaware corporation, or any successor corporation to all or substantially all of the assets or the voting stock of The Active Network, Inc. that has assumed this option.

G. Disability shall mean the inability of Optionee to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment that is expected to result in death or has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of twelve months or more.

 

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H. Employee shall mean an individual who is in the employ of the Corporation (or any Parent or Subsidiary), subject to the control and direction of the employer entity as to both the work to be performed and the manner and method of performance.

I. Exercise Date shall mean the date on which the option shall have been exercised in accordance with this Agreement.

J. Exercise Price shall mean the exercise price payable per Option Share as specified in the Grant Notice.

K. Expiration Date shall mean the close of business on the date on which the option expires as specified in the Grant Notice.

L. Fair Market Value per share of Common Stock on any relevant date shall be determined in accordance with the following provisions:

(i) If the Common Stock is at the time listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market, then the Fair Market Value shall be the closing selling price per share of Common Stock on the date in question, as the price is reported by the National Association of Securities Dealers on the Nasdaq Stock Market and published in The Wall Street Journal. If there is no closing selling price for the Common Stock on the date in question, then the Fair Market Value shall be the closing selling price on the last preceding date for which such quotation exists.

(ii) If the Common Stock is at the time listed on any stock exchange, then the Fair Market Value shall be the closing selling price per share of Common Stock on the date in question on the stock exchange determined by the Plan Administrator to be the primary market for the Common Stock, as such price is officially quoted in the composite tape of transactions on such exchange and published in The Wall Street Journal. If there is no closing selling price for the Common Stock on the date in question, then the Fair Market Value shall be the closing selling price on the last preceding date for which such quotation exists.

(iii) If the Common Stock is at the time neither listed on any stock exchange or the Nasdaq Stock Market, then the Fair Market Value shall be determined by the Plan Administrator after taking into account such factors as the Plan Administrator shall deem appropriate.

M. Grant Date shall mean the date of grant of the option as specified in the Grant Notice.

N. Grant Notice shall mean the Notice of Grant of Stock Option accompanying this Agreement, pursuant to which Optionee has been informed of the basic terms of the option evidenced hereby.

 

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O. Incentive Option shall mean an option that satisfies the requirements of Code Section 422.

P. Misconduct shall mean (i) the commission of any act of fraud, embezzlement or dishonesty by Optionee, (ii) any unauthorized use or disclosure by Optionee of confidential information or trade secrets of the Corporation (or any Parent or Subsidiary), (iii) or any other intentional misconduct by Optionee adversely affecting the business or affairs of the Corporation (or any Parent or Subsidiary) in a material manner; provided, however, that if the term or concept has been defined in an employment agreement between the Corporation and Optionee, then Misconduct shall have the definition set forth in such employment agreement. The foregoing definition shall not in any way preclude or restrict the right of the Corporation (or any Parent or Subsidiary) to discharge or dismiss any Optionee or other person in the Service of the Corporation (or any Parent or Subsidiary) for any other acts or omissions, but such other acts or omissions shall not be deemed, for purposes of the Plan or this Agreement, to constitute grounds for termination for Misconduct.

Q. 1934 Act shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

R. Non-Statutory Option shall mean an option that is not intended to satisfy the requirements of Code Section 422.

S. Option Shares shall mean the shares of Common Stock subject to the option.

T. Optionee shall mean the person to whom the option is granted as specified in the Grant Notice.

U. Parent shall mean any corporation (other than the Corporation) in an unbroken chain of corporations ending with the Corporation, provided each corporation in the unbroken chain (other than the Corporation) owns, at the time of the determination, stock possessing 50% or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock in one of the other corporations in such chain.

V. Plan shall mean The Active Network, Inc. 2002 Stock Option/Stock Issuance Plan.

W. Plan Administrator shall mean either the Board or a committee of the Board acting in its capacity as administrator of the Plan.

X. Purchase Agreement shall mean the stock purchase agreement in substantially the form of Exhibit B to the Grant Notice.

Y. Service shall mean Optionee’s performance of services for the Corporation (or any Parent or Subsidiary) in the capacity of an Employee, a member of the board of directors or an independent contractor.

 

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Z. Subsidiary shall mean any corporation (other than the Corporation) in an unbroken chain of corporations beginning with the Corporation, provided each corporation (other than the last corporation) in the unbroken chain owns, at the time of the determination, stock possessing 50% or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock in one of the other corporations in such chain.

AA. Unvested Shares shall mean the Option Shares which have not vested in accordance with the Vesting Schedule applicable to those shares or any special vesting acceleration provisions and which are subject to the Corporation’s right to repurchase those shares upon termination of Service.

BB. Vested Shares shall mean the Option Shares which have vested in accordance with the Vesting Schedule applicable to those shares or any special vesting acceleration provisions and which are no longer subject to the Corporation’s right to repurchase those shares upon termination of Service.

CC. Vesting Schedule shall mean the vesting schedule specified in the Grant Notice.

 

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