Legal Proceedings

EX-10.10 6 f77805ex10-10.txt EXHIBIT 10.10 Exhibit 10.10 CADENCE DESIGN SYSTEMS, INC. 1993 NONSTATUTORY STOCK OPTION PLAN ADOPTED SEPTEMBER 17, 1993 AMENDED JULY 27, 1995 AMENDED MAY 3, 1996 AMENDED AND RESTATED MAY 15, 2000 STOCKHOLDER APPROVAL NOT REQUIRED TERMINATION DATE: NONE 1. PURPOSES. (a) AMENDMENT AND RESTATEMENT. The Plan initially was established as the 1993 Non-Statutory Stock Option Plan, effective as of September 17, 1993 (the "Initial Plan"). The Initial Plan hereby is amended and restated in its entirety, effective upon adoption. (b) SPECIFIC PURPOSE. The purpose of the Plan is to provide a means by which eligible recipients of Options may be given an opportunity to benefit from increases in value of the Common Stock through the granting of Options. (c) GENERAL PURPOSE. The Company, by means of the Plan, seeks to retain the services of the group of persons eligible to receive Options, to secure and retain the services of new members of this group and to provide incentives for such persons to exert maximum efforts for the success of the Company and its Affiliates. 2. DEFINITIONS. (a) "AFFILIATE" means any parent corporation or subsidiary corporation of the Company, whether now or hereafter existing, as those terms are defined in Sections 424(e) and (f), respectively, of the Code. (b) "BOARD" means the Board of Directors of the Company. (c) "CODE" means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. (d) "COMMITTEE" means a committee of one or more members of the Board appointed by the Board in accordance with subsection 3(c). (e) "COMMON STOCK" means the common stock of the Company. (f) "COMPANY" means Cadence Design Systems, Inc., a Delaware corporation. (g) "CONSULTANT" means any person, including an advisor, engaged by the Company or an Affiliate to render consulting or advisory services and who is compensated for such 1 services. However, the term "Consultant" shall not include Directors or members of the Board of Directors of an Affiliate. (h) "CONTINUOUS SERVICE" means that the Optionholder's service with the Company or an Affiliate is not interrupted or terminated. The Optionholder's Continuous Service shall not be deemed to have terminated merely because of a change in the capacity in which the Optionholder renders service to the Company or an Affiliate, provided that there is no interruption or termination of the Optionholder's Continuous Service. For example, a change in status from an Employee of the Company to a Consultant of the Company will not constitute an interruption of Continuous Service. The Board or the chief executive officer of the Company, in that party's sole discretion, may determine whether Continuous Service shall be considered interrupted in the case of (i) any leave of absence approved by that party, including sick leave, military leave or any other personal leave or (ii) transfers between the Company, Affiliates or their successors. (i) "DIRECTOR" means a member of the Board of Directors of the Company. (j) "EMPLOYEE" means any person employed by the Company or an Affiliate. (k) "EXCHANGE ACT" means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. (l) "FAIR MARKET VALUE" means, as of any date, the average of the high and low prices of the Common Stock, as reported on the New York Stock Exchange. In the absence of such market for the Common Stock, the Fair Market Value shall be determined in good faith by the Board. (m) "OPTION" means a nonstatutory stock option granted pursuant to the Plan not intended to qualify as an incentive stock option within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code and the regulations promulgated thereunder. (n) "OPTION AGREEMENT" means a written agreement between the Company and an Optionholder evidencing the terms and conditions of an individual Option grant. Each Option Agreement shall be subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan. (o) "OPTIONHOLDER" means a person to whom an Option is granted pursuant to the Plan or, if applicable, such other person who holds an outstanding Option. (p) "PLAN" means this Cadence Design Systems, Inc. 1993 Nonstatutory Stock Option Plan. (q) "SECURITIES ACT" means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. 3. ADMINISTRATION. (a) ADMINISTRATION BY BOARD. The Board shall administer the Plan unless and until the Board delegates administration to a Committee, as provided in subsection 3(c). 2 (b) POWERS OF BOARD. The Board shall have the power, subject to, and within the limitations of, the express provisions of the Plan: (i) To determine from time to time which of the persons eligible under the Plan shall be granted Options; when and how each Option shall be granted; what type or combination of types of Option shall be granted; the provisions of each Option granted (which need not be identical), including the time or times when a person shall be permitted to receive Common Stock pursuant to an Option; and the number of shares of Common Stock with respect to which an Option shall be granted to each such person. (ii) To construe and interpret the Plan and Options granted under it, and to establish, amend and revoke rules and regulations for its administration. The Board, in the exercise of this power, may correct any defect, omission or inconsistency in the Plan or in any Option Agreement, in a manner and to the extent it shall deem necessary or expedient to make the Plan fully effective. (iii) To amend the Plan or an Option as provided in Section 11. (iv) Generally, to exercise such powers and to perform such acts as the Board deems necessary or expedient to promote the best interests of the Company that are not in conflict with the provisions of the Plan. (c) DELEGATION TO COMMITTEE. (i) GENERAL. The Board may delegate administration of the Plan to a Committee or Committees of one (1) or more members of the Board, and the term "Committee" shall apply to any person or persons to whom such authority has been delegated. If administration is delegated to a Committee, the Committee shall have, in connection with the administration of the Plan, the powers theretofore possessed by the Board, including the power to delegate to a subcommittee any of the administrative powers the Committee is authorized to exercise (and references in this Plan to the Board shall thereafter be to the Committee or subcommittee), subject, however, to such resolutions, not inconsistent with the provisions of the Plan, as may be adopted from time to time by the Board. The Board may abolish the Committee at any time and revest in the Board the administration of the Plan. (d) EFFECT OF BOARD'S DECISION. All determinations, interpretations and constructions made by the Board in good faith shall not be subject to review by any person and shall be final, binding and conclusive on all persons. 4. SHARES SUBJECT TO THE PLAN. (a) SHARE RESERVE. Subject to the provisions of Section 10 relating to adjustments upon changes in Common Stock, the Common Stock that may be issued pursuant to Options shall not exceed in the aggregate Twenty-Four Million Seven Hundred Fifty Thousand (24,750,000) shares of Common Stock. 3 (b) REVERSION OF SHARES TO THE SHARE RESERVE. If any Option shall for any reason expire or otherwise terminate, in whole or in part, without having been exercised in full, the shares of Common Stock not acquired under such Option shall revert to and again become available for issuance under the Plan. If the Company repurchases any unvested shares of Common Stock acquired pursuant to an Award, such repurchased shares of Common Stock shall revert to and again become available for issuance under the Plan. (c) SOURCE OF SHARES. The shares of Common Stock subject to the Plan may be unissued shares or reacquired shares, bought on the market or otherwise. 5. ELIGIBILITY. (a) ELIGIBILITY FOR OPTIONS. The Board may grant Options only to Employees or Consultants as defined in Section 2 hereof. The Board may grant an additional Option or Options to an Employee or a Consultant who has been granted an Option if he or she is otherwise eligible. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board may not grant an Option to an Employee or Consultant who is an executive officer of the Company within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act, who is a Director or who beneficially owns ten percent (10%) or more of the Company's Common Stock unless the Option will be granted to a person not previously employed by the Company as a material inducement to such person's entering into an employment contract with the Company. (b) CONSULTANTS. (i) A Consultant shall not be eligible for the grant of an Option if, at the time of grant, a Form S-8 Registration Statement under the Securities Act ("Form S-8") is not available to register either the offer or the sale of the Company's securities to such Consultant because of the nature of the services that the Consultant is providing to the Company, or because the Consultant is not a natural person, or as otherwise provided by the rules governing the use of Form S-8, unless the Company determines both (i) that such grant (A) shall be registered in another manner under the Securities Act (e.g., on a Form S-3 Registration Statement) or (B) does not require registration under the Securities Act in order to comply with the requirements of the Securities Act, if applicable, and (ii) that such grant complies with the securities laws of all other relevant jurisdictions. (ii) Form S-8 generally is available to consultants and advisors only if (i) they are natural persons; (ii) they provide bona fide services to the issuer, its parents, its majority-owned subsidiaries or majority-owned subsidiaries of the issuer's parent; and (iii) the services are not in connection with the offer or sale of securities in a capital-raising transaction, and do not directly or indirectly promote or maintain a market for the issuer's securities. 6. OPTION PROVISIONS. Each Option shall be in such form and shall contain such terms and conditions as the Board shall deem appropriate. The provisions of separate Options need not be identical, but each Option shall include (through incorporation of provisions hereof by reference in the Option or otherwise) the substance of each of the following provisions: 4 (a) TERM. The Board shall determine the term of each Option. (b) EXERCISE PRICE. The exercise price of each Option shall be not less than one hundred percent (100%) of the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock subject to the Option on the date the Option is granted. Notwithstanding the foregoing, an Option may be granted with an exercise price lower than that set forth in the preceding sentence if such Option is granted pursuant to an assumption or substitution for another option in a manner satisfying the provisions of Section 424(a) of the Code. (c) CONSIDERATION. The purchase price of Common Stock acquired pursuant to an Option shall be paid, to the extent permitted by applicable statutes and regulations, either (i) in cash at the time the Option is exercised or (ii) at the discretion of the Board at the time of the grant of the Option or subsequently (1) by delivery to the Company of other Common Stock, (2) according to a deferred payment or other similar arrangement with the Optionholder or (3) in any other form of legal consideration that may be acceptable to the Board. Unless otherwise specifically provided in the Option, the purchase price of Common Stock acquired pursuant to an Option that is paid by delivery to the Company of other Common Stock acquired, directly or indirectly from the Company, shall be paid only by shares of the Common Stock of the Company that have been held for more than six (6) months (or such longer or shorter period of time required to avoid a charge to earnings for financial accounting purposes). At any time that the Company is incorporated in Delaware, payment of the Common Stock's "par value," as defined in the Delaware General Corporation Law, shall not be made by deferred payment. In making its determination as to the type of consideration to accept, the Board shall consider if acceptance of such consideration may be reasonably expected to benefit the Company. In the case of any deferred payment arrangement, interest shall be compounded at least annually and shall be charged at the minimum rate of interest necessary to avoid the treatment as interest, under any applicable provisions of the Code, of any amounts other than amounts stated to be interest under the deferred payment arrangement. (d) TRANSFERABILITY. An Option shall be transferable to the extent provided in the Option Agreement. If the Option does not provide for transferability, then the Option shall not be transferable except by will or by the laws of descent and distribution and shall be exercisable during the lifetime of the Optionholder only by the Optionholder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Optionholder may, by delivering written notice to the Company, in a form satisfactory to the Company, designate a third party who, in the event of the death of the Optionholder, shall thereafter be entitled to exercise the Option. (e) VESTING GENERALLY. The total number of shares of Common Stock subject to an Option may, but need not, vest and therefore become exercisable in periodic installments that may, but need not, be equal. The Option may be subject to such other terms and conditions on the time or times when it may be exercised (which may be based on performance or other criteria) as the Board may deem appropriate. The vesting provisions of individual Options may vary. The provisions of this subsection 6(e) are subject to any Option provisions governing the minimum number of shares of Common Stock as to which an Option may be exercised. 5 (f) TERMINATION OF CONTINUOUS SERVICE. In the event an Optionholder's Continuous Service terminates (other than upon the Optionholder's death or disability), the Optionholder may exercise his or her Option (to the extent that the Optionholder was entitled to exercise such Option as of the date of termination) but only within such period of time ending on the earlier of (i) the date three (3) months following the termination of the Optionholder's Continuous Service (or such longer or shorter period specified in the Option Agreement), or (ii) the expiration of the term of the Option as set forth in the Option Agreement. If, after termination, the Optionholder does not exercise his or her Option within the time specified in the Option Agreement, the Option shall terminate. (g) EXTENSION OF TERMINATION DATE. An Optionholder's Option Agreement may also provide that if the exercise of the Option following the termination of the Optionholder's Continuous Service (other than upon the Optionholder's death or disability) would be prohibited at any time solely because the issuance of shares of Common Stock would violate the registration requirements under the Securities Act, then the Option shall terminate on the expiration of a period of three (3) months after the termination of the Optionholder's Continuous Service during which the exercise of the Option would not be in violation of such registration requirements. (h) DISABILITY OF OPTIONHOLDER. In the event that an Optionholder's Continuous Service terminates as a result of the Optionholder's disability, the Optionholder may exercise his or her Option (to the extent that the Optionholder was entitled to exercise such Option as of the date of termination), but only within such period of time ending on the earlier of (i) the date twelve (12) months following such termination (or such longer or shorter period specified in the Option Agreement) or (ii) the expiration of the term of the Option as set forth in the Option Agreement. If, after termination, the Optionholder does not exercise his or her Option within the time specified herein, the Option shall terminate. (i) DEATH OF OPTIONHOLDER. In the event (i) an Optionholder's Continuous Service terminates as a result of the Optionholder's death or (ii) the Optionholder dies within the period (if any) specified in the Option Agreement after the termination of the Optionholder's Continuous Service for a reason other than death, then the Option may be exercised (to the extent the Optionholder was entitled to exercise such Option as of the date of death) by the Optionholder's estate, by a person who acquired the right to exercise the Option by bequest or inheritance or by a person designated to exercise the Option upon the Optionholder's death, but only within the period ending on the earlier of (1) the date twelve (12) months following the date of death (or such longer or shorter period specified in the Option Agreement) or (2) the expiration of the term of such Option as set forth in the Option Agreement. If, after death, the Option is not exercised within the time specified herein, the Option shall terminate. (j) EARLY EXERCISE. The Option may, but need not, include a provision whereby the Optionholder may elect at any time before the Optionholder's Continuous Service terminates to exercise the Option as to any part or all of the shares of Common Stock subject to the Option prior to the full vesting of the Option. Any unvested shares of Common Stock so purchased may be subject to a repurchase option in favor of the Company or to any other restriction the Board determines to be appropriate. 6 (k) RE-LOAD OPTIONS. (i) Without in any way limiting the authority of the Board to make or not to make grants of Options hereunder, the Board shall have the authority (but not an obligation) to include as part of any Option Agreement a provision entitling the Optionholder to a further Option (a "Re-Load Option") in the event the Optionholder exercises the Option evidenced by the Option Agreement, in whole or in part, by surrendering other shares of Common Stock in accordance with this Plan and the terms and conditions of the Option Agreement. Unless otherwise specifically provided in the Option, the Optionholder shall not surrender shares of Common Stock acquired, directly or indirectly from the Company, unless such shares have been held for more than six (6) months (or such longer or shorter period of time required to avoid a charge to earnings for financial accounting purposes). (ii) Any such Re-Load Option shall (1) provide for a number of shares of Common Stock equal to the number of shares of Common Stock surrendered as part or all of the exercise price of such Option; (2) have an expiration date which is the same as the expiration date of the Option the exercise of which gave rise to such Re-Load Option; and (3) have an exercise price which is equal to one hundred percent (100%) of the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock subject to the Re-Load Option on the date of exercise of the original Option. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a Re-Load Option shall be subject to the same exercise price and term provisions heretofore described for Options under the Plan. (iii) There shall be no Re-Load Options on a Re-Load Option. Any such Re-Load Option shall be subject to the availability of sufficient shares of Common Stock under subsection 4(a) and shall be subject to such other terms and conditions as the Board may determine which are not inconsistent with the express provisions of the Plan regarding the terms of Options. 7. COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY. (a) AVAILABILITY OF SHARES. During the terms of the Options, the Company shall keep available at all times the number of shares of Common Stock required to satisfy such Options. (b) SECURITIES LAW COMPLIANCE. The Company shall seek to obtain from each regulatory commission or agency having jurisdiction over the Plan such authority as may be required to grant Options and to issue and sell shares of Common Stock upon exercise of the Options; provided, however, that this undertaking shall not require the Company to register under the Securities Act the Plan, any Option or any Common Stock issued or issuable pursuant to any such Option. If, after reasonable efforts, the Company is unable to obtain from any such regulatory commission or agency the authority which counsel for the Company deems necessary for the lawful issuance and sale of Common Stock under the Plan, the Company shall be relieved from any liability for failure to issue and sell Common Stock upon exercise of such Options unless and until such authority is obtained. 7 8. USE OF PROCEEDS FROM STOCK. Proceeds from the sale of Common Stock pursuant to Options shall constitute general funds of the Company. 9. MISCELLANEOUS. (a) ACCELERATION OF EXERCISABILITY AND VESTING. The Board shall have the power to accelerate the time at which an Option may first be exercised or the time during which an Option or any part thereof will vest in accordance with the Plan, notwithstanding the provisions in the Option stating the time at which it may first be exercised or the time during which it will vest. (b) STOCKHOLDER RIGHTS. No Optionholder shall be deemed to be the holder of, or to have any of the rights of a holder with respect to, any shares of Common Stock subject to such Option unless and until such Optionholder has satisfied all requirements for exercise of the Option pursuant to its terms. (c) NO EMPLOYMENT OR OTHER SERVICE RIGHTS. Nothing in the Plan or any instrument executed or Option granted pursuant thereto shall confer upon any Optionholder any right to continue to serve the Company or an Affiliate in the capacity in effect at the time the Option was granted or shall affect the right of the Company or an Affiliate to terminate (i) the employment of an Employee with or without notice and with or without cause, or (ii) the service of a Consultant pursuant to the terms of such Consultant's agreement with the Company or an Affiliate. (d) INVESTMENT ASSURANCES. The Company may require an Optionholder, as a condition of exercising or acquiring Common Stock under any Option, (i) to give written assurances satisfactory to the Company as to the Optionholder's knowledge and experience in financial and business matters and/or to employ a purchaser representative reasonably satisfactory to the Company who is knowledgeable and experienced in financial and business matters and that he or she is capable of evaluating, alone or together with the purchaser representative, the merits and risks of exercising the Option; and (ii) to give written assurances satisfactory to the Company stating that the Optionholder is acquiring Common Stock subject to the Option for the Optionholder's own account and not with any present intention of selling or otherwise distributing the Common Stock. The foregoing requirements, and any assurances given pursuant to such requirements, shall be inoperative if (1) the issuance of the shares of Common Stock upon the exercise or acquisition of Common Stock under the Option has been registered under a then currently effective registration statement under the Securities Act or (2) as to any particular requirement, a determination is made by counsel for the Company that such requirement need not be met in the circumstances under the then applicable securities laws. The Company may, upon advice of counsel to the Company, place legends on stock certificates issued under the Plan as such counsel deems necessary or appropriate in order to comply with applicable securities laws, including, but not limited to, legends restricting the transfer of the Common Stock. (e) WITHHOLDING OBLIGATIONS. To the extent provided by the terms of an Option Agreement, the Optionholder may satisfy any federal, state or local tax withholding obligation 8 relating to the exercise or acquisition of Common Stock under an Option by any of the following means (in addition to the Company's right to withhold from any compensation paid to the Optionholder by the Company) or by a combination of such means: (i) tendering a cash payment; (ii) authorizing the Company to withhold shares of Common Stock from the shares of Common Stock otherwise issuable to the Optionholder as a result of the exercise or acquisition of Common Stock under the Option, provided, however, that no shares of Common Stock are withheld with a value exceeding the minimum amount of tax required to be withheld by law; or (iii) delivering to the Company owned and unencumbered shares of Common Stock. 10. ADJUSTMENTS UPON CHANGES IN STOCK. (a) CAPITALIZATION ADJUSTMENTS. If any change is made in the Common Stock subject to the Plan, or subject to any Option, without the receipt of consideration by the Company (through merger, consolidation, reorganization, recapitalization, reincorporation, stock dividend, dividend in property other than cash, stock split, liquidating dividend, combination of shares, exchange of shares, change in corporate structure or other transaction not involving the receipt of consideration by the Company), the Plan will be appropriately adjusted in the class(es) and maximum number of securities subject to the Plan pursuant to subsection 4(a), and outstanding Options will be appropriately adjusted in the class(es) and number of securities and price per share of Common Stock subject to such outstanding Options. The Board shall make such adjustments, and its determination shall be final, binding and conclusive. (The conversion of any convertible securities of the Company shall not be treated as a transaction "without receipt of consideration" by the Company.) (b) CHANGE IN CONTROL. (i) A "Change in Control" shall be deemed to occur upon the consummation of any one of the following events: (a) a sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company; (b) a merger or consolidation in which the Company is not the surviving corporation (other than a transaction the principal purpose of which is to change the state of the Company's incorporation or a transaction in which the voting securities of the Company are exchanged for beneficial ownership of at least fifty percent (50%) of the voting securities of the controlling acquiring corporation); (c) a merger or consolidation in which the Company is the surviving corporation and less than fifty percent (50%) of the voting securities of the Company that are outstanding immediately after the consummation of such transaction are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by the persons who owned such voting securities immediately prior to such transaction; (d) any transaction or series of related transactions after which any person (as such term is used in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act), other than any employee benefit plan (or related trust) sponsored or maintained by the Company or any Affiliate, becomes the beneficial owner of voting securities of the Company representing forty percent (40%) or more of the combined voting power of all of the voting securities of the Company; (e) during any period of two consecutive years, individuals who at the beginning of such period constitute the membership of the Company's Board of Directors ("Incumbent Directors") cease for any reason to have authority to cast at least a majority of the votes which all Directors are entitled to cast, unless the election, or the nomination for election by the Company's stockholders, of a new Director was approved by a vote of at least two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast by the 9 Incumbent Directors, in which case such director shall also be treated as an Incumbent Director in the future; or (f) the liquidation or dissolution of the Company. (ii) In the event of a Change in Control, then: (a) any surviving or acquiring corporation shall assume Options outstanding under the Plan or shall substitute similar Options (including an option to acquire the same consideration paid to stockholders in the transaction described in this subsection 10(b) for those outstanding under the Plan), or (b) in the event any surviving or acquiring corporation refuses to assume such Options or to substitute similar Options for those outstanding under the Plan, (i) with respect to Options held by persons whose Continuous Service has not terminated, the vesting both of such Options and of any shares of Common Stock acquired pursuant to an Option as well as the time during which such Options may be exercised shall be accelerated prior to such event and the Options terminated if not exercised after such acceleration and at or prior to such event, and (ii) with respect to any other Options outstanding under the Plan, if there is a successor corporation, such Options shall be terminated if not exercised prior to such event. 11. AMENDMENT OF THE PLAN AND OPTIONS. (a) AMENDMENT OF PLAN. The Board at any time, and from time to time, may amend the Plan. (b) NO IMPAIRMENT OF RIGHTS. Rights under any Option granted before amendment of the Plan shall not be impaired by any amendment of the Plan unless (i) the Company requests the consent of the Optionholder and (ii) the Optionholder consents in writing. (c) AMENDMENT OF OPTIONS. The Board at any time, and from time to time, may amend the terms of any one or more Options; provided, however, that the rights under any Option shall not be impaired by any such amendment unless (i) the Company requests the consent of the Optionholder and (ii) the Optionholder consents in writing. 12. TERMINATION OR SUSPENSION OF THE PLAN. (a) PLAN TERM. The Board may suspend or terminate the Plan at any time. (b) NO IMPAIRMENT OF RIGHTS. Suspension or termination of the Plan shall not impair rights and obligations under any Option granted while the Plan is in effect except with the written consent of the Optionholder. 13. EFFECTIVE DATE OF PLAN. The Plan shall become effective upon adoption. 14. CHOICE OF LAW. The law of the State of Delaware shall govern all questions concerning the construction, validity and interpretation of this Plan, without regard to such state's conflict of laws rules. 10