Ex-10.08 1997 Non-Employee-Director Stock Option Plan

EX-10.08 4 b53041ccexv10w08.txt EX-10.08 1997 NON-EMPLOYEE-DIRECTOR STOCK OPTION PLAN EXHIBIT 10.08 CONCORD COMMUNICATIONS, INC. 1997 NON-EMPLOYEE DIRECTOR STOCK OPTION PLAN (AS AMENDED MARCH 12, 1998, MARCH 8, 2000, APRIL 25, 2001, FEBRUARY 6, 2002, AUGUST 20, 2004) 1. Purpose. This Non-Qualified Stock Option Plan, to be known as the 1997 Non-Employee Director Stock Option Plan (hereinafter, this "Plan") is intended to promote the interests of CONCORD COMMUNICATIONS, INC. (hereinafter, the "Company") by providing an inducement to obtain and retain the services of qualified persons who are not employees or officers of the Company to serve as members of its Board of Directors (the "Board"). 2. Available Shares. The total number of shares of Common Stock, par value $.01 per share, of the Company (the "Common Stock") for which options may be granted under this Plan shall not exceed three hundred thirty thousand (330,000) shares, subject to adjustment in accordance with Section 10 of this Plan; provided, however, that such number of shares shall not be subject to adjustment by reason of the stock split in the form of a stock dividend declared by the Board of the Directors of the Company on August 7, 1997. Shares subject to this Plan are authorized but unissued shares or shares that were once issued and subsequently reacquired by the Company. If any options granted under this Plan are surrendered before exercise or lapse without exercise, in whole or in part, the shares reserved therefor shall continue to be available under this Plan. 3. Administration. This Plan shall be administered by the Board or by a committee appointed by the Board (the "Committee"). In the event the Board fails to appoint or refrains from appointing a Committee, the Board shall have all power and authority to administer this Plan. In such event, the word "Committee" wherever used herein shall be deemed to mean the Board. The Committee shall, subject to the provisions of the Plan, have the power to construe this Plan, to determine all questions hereunder, and to adopt and amend such rules and regulations for the administration of this Plan as it may deem desirable. No member of the Board or the Committee shall be liable for any action or determination made in good faith with respect to this Plan or any option granted under it. 4. Automatic Grant of Options. Subject to the availability of shares under this Plan, (a) each person who becomes a member of the Board on or after October 16, 1997 and who is not an employee or officer of the Company during the term of the Plan (a "Non-Employee Director"), shall be granted on the date such person is first elected to the Board, without further action by the Board, an option to purchase 25,000 shares of Common Stock, and (b) each person who is a Non-Employee Director immediately following the final adjournment of each Annual Meeting of Stockholders of the Company during the term of this Plan shall be automatically granted on each such date an option to purchase 10,000 shares of Common Stock. The options to be granted under this Section 4 shall be the only options ever to be granted at any time to such member under this Plan. The number of shares covered by options granted under this Section 4 shall be subject to adjustment in accordance with the provisions of Section 10 of this Plan. -2- 5. Option Price. The purchase price of the stock covered by an option granted pursuant to this Plan shall be 100% of the fair market value of such shares on the day the option is granted. The option price will be subject to adjustment in accordance with the provisions of Section 10 of this Plan. For purposes of this Plan, if, at the time an option is granted under the Plan, the Company's Common Stock is publicly traded, "fair market value" shall be determined as of the last business day for which the prices or quotes discussed in this sentence are available prior to the date such option is granted and shall mean (i) the average (on that date) of the high and low prices of the Common Stock on the principal national securities exchange on which the Common Stock is traded, if the Common Stock is then traded on a national securities exchange; or (ii) the last reported sale price (on that date) of the Common Stock on the Nasdaq National Market, if the Common Stock is not then traded on a national securities exchange; or (iii) the closing bid price (or average of bid prices) last quoted (on that date) by an established quotation service for over-the-counter securities, if the Common Stock is not reported on the Nasdaq National Market List. However, if the Common Stock is not publicly traded at the time an option is granted under the Plan, "fair market value" shall be deemed to be the fair value of the Common Stock as determined by the Committee after taking into consideration all factors which it deems appropriate, including, without limitation, recent sale and offer prices of the Common Stock in private transactions negotiated at arm's length. 6. Period of Option. Unless sooner terminated in accordance with the provisions of Section 8 of this Plan, an option granted hereunder shall expire on the date which is ten (10) years after the date of grant of the option. 7. (a) Vesting of Shares and Non-Transferability of Options. Options granted under this Plan shall not be exercisable until they become vested. Options granted under this Plan shall vest in the optionee and thus become exercisable, in accordance with the following schedule, provided that the optionee has continuously served as a member of the Board through such vesting date: Percentage of Option Shares for which Option Will be Exercisable Date of Vesting 25% one year from the date of grant 6.25% per quarter on the last day of the quarter beginning the quarter ending immediately following the date to occur which is one year from the date of grant The number of shares as to which options may be exercised shall be cumulative, so that once the option shall become exercisable as to any shares it shall continue to be exercisable as to said shares, until expiration or termination of the option as provided in this Plan. -3- (b) Non-transferability. Any option granted pursuant to this Plan shall not be assignable or transferable other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution or pursuant to a domestic relations order and shall be exercisable during the optionee's lifetime only by him or her. 8. Termination of Option Rights. (a) In the event an optionee ceases to be a member of the Board for any reason other than death or permanent disability, any then unexercised portion of options granted to such optionee shall, to the extent not then vested, immediately terminate and become void; any portion of an option which is then vested but has not been exercised at the time the optionee so ceases to be a member of the Board may be exercised, to the extent it is then vested, by the optionee within 60 days of the date the optionee ceased to be a member of the Board; and all options shall terminate after such 60 days have expired. (b) In the event that an optionee ceases to be a member of the Board by reason of his or her death or permanent disability, any option granted to such optionee may be exercised, to the extent of the number of shares with respect to which he or she could have exercised it on the date of death or permanent disability, by the optionee (or by the optionee's personal representative, heir or legatee, in the event of death) until the scheduled expiration date of the option. 9. Exercise of Options and Resale Restrictions. (a) Exercise of Option. Subject to the terms and conditions of this Plan and the option agreements, an option granted hereunder shall, to the extent then exercisable, be exercisable in whole or in part by giving written notice to the Company by mail or in person addressed to the Chief Financial Officer at 600 Nickerson Road, Marlboro, Massachusetts 01752, its principal executive offices, stating the number of shares with respect to which the option is being exercised, accompanied by payment in full for such shares. Payment may be (a) in United States dollars in cash or by check, (b) in whole or in part in shares of the Common Stock of the Company already owned by the person or persons exercising the option or shares subject to the option being exercised (subject to such restrictions and guidelines as the Board may adopt from time to time), valued at fair market value determined in accordance with the provisions of Section 5 or (c) consistent with applicable law, through the delivery of an assignment to the Company of a sufficient amount of the proceeds from the sale of the Common Stock acquired upon exercise of the option and an authorization to the broker or selling agent to pay that amount to the Company, which sale shall be at the participant's direction at the time of exercise; provided, however, that there shall be no such exercise at any one time as to fewer than one hundred (100) shares or all of the remaining shares then purchasable by the person or persons exercising the option, if fewer than one hundred (100) shares. The Company's transfer agent shall, on behalf of the Company, prepare a certificate or certificates representing such shares acquired pursuant to exercise of the option, shall register the optionee as the owner of such shares on the books of the Company and shall cause the fully executed certificate(s) representing such shares to be delivered to the optionee as soon as practicable after payment of the option price in -4- full. The holder of an option shall not have any rights of a stockholder with respect to the shares covered by the option, except to the extent that one or more certificates for such shares shall be delivered to him or her upon the due exercise of the option. (b) Resale Restrictions. Under no circumstances may shares acquired pursuant to the exercise of options granted pursuant to this Plan be disposed of on or prior to the date that is six months after the date such options were granted. 10. Adjustments Upon Changes in Capitalization and Other Events. Upon the occurrence of any of the following events, an optionee's rights with respect to options granted to him or her hereunder shall be adjusted as hereinafter provided: (a) Stock Dividends and Stock Splits. If the shares of Common Stock shall be subdivided or combined into a greater or smaller number of shares or if the Company shall issue any shares of Common Stock as a stock dividend on its outstanding Common Stock, the number of shares of Common Stock deliverable upon the exercise of options shall be appropriately increased or decreased proportionately, and appropriate adjustments shall be made in the purchase price per share to reflect such subdivision, combination or stock dividend. (b) Recapitalization Adjustments. In the event of a reorganization, recapitalization, merger, consolidation, or any other change in the corporate structure or shares of the Company, to the extent permitted by Rule 16b-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, adjustments in the number and kind of shares authorized by this Plan and in the number and kind of shares covered by, and in the option price of outstanding options under this Plan necessary to maintain the proportionate interest of the optionee and preserve, without exceeding, the value of such option, shall be made. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no such adjustment shall be made which would, within the meaning of any applicable provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, constitute a modification, extension or renewal of any Option or a grant of additional benefits to the holder of an Option. (c) Issuances of Securities. Except as expressly provided herein, no issuance by the Company of shares of stock of any class, or securities convertible into shares of stock of any class, shall affect, and no adjustment by reason thereof shall be made with respect to, the number or price of shares subject to options. No adjustments shall be made for dividends paid in cash or in property other than securities of the Company. (d) Adjustments. Upon the happening of any of the foregoing events, the class and aggregate number of shares set forth in Sections 2 and 4 of this Plan that are subject to options which previously have been or subsequently may be granted under this Plan shall also be appropriately adjusted to reflect such events. The Board shall determine the specific adjustments to be made under this Section 10 and its determination shall be conclusive. (e) Consolidations or Mergers. If the Company is to be consolidated with or acquired by another entity in a merger or other reorganization in which the holders of the outstanding voting stock of the Company immediately preceding the consummation of such -5- event, shall, immediately following such event, hold, as a group, less than a majority of the voting securities of the surviving or successor entity, or in the event of a sale of all or substantially all of the Company's assets or otherwise (each, an "Acquisition"), the vesting of all outstanding options issued pursuant hereto will be accelerated so that all outstanding options are vested and exercisable in full prior to the consummation of any such Acquisition. If such options are not exercised prior to the consummation of such Acquisition, and are not assumed or replaced by the successor entity, such options will terminate. 11. Restrictions on Issuance of Shares. Notwithstanding the provisions of Sections 4 and 9 of this Plan, the Company shall have no obligation to deliver any certificate or certificates upon exercise of an option until one of the following conditions shall be satisfied: (i) The issuance of shares with respect to which the option has been exercised is at the time of the issue of such shares effectively registered under applicable Federal and state securities laws as now in force or hereafter amended; or (ii) Counsel for the Company shall have given an opinion that the issuance of such shares is exempt from registration under Federal and state securities laws as now in force or hereafter amended; and the Company has complied with all applicable laws and regulations with respect thereto, including without limitation all regulations required by any stock exchange upon which the Company's outstanding Common Stock is then listed. 12. Legend on Certificates. The certificates representing shares issued pursuant to the exercise of an option granted hereunder shall carry such appropriate legend, and such written instructions shall be given to the Company's transfer agent, as may be deemed necessary or advisable by counsel to the Company in order to comply with the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 or any state securities laws. 13. Representation of Optionee. If requested by the Company, the optionee shall deliver to the Company written representations and warranties upon exercise of the option that are necessary to show compliance with Federal and state securities laws, including representations and warranties to the effect that a purchase of shares under the option is made for investment and not with a view to their distribution (as that term is used in the Securities Act of 1933). 14. Option Agreement. Each option granted under the provisions of this Plan shall be evidenced by an option agreement, which agreement shall be duly executed and delivered on behalf of the Company and by the optionee to whom such option is granted. The option agreement shall contain such terms, provisions and conditions not inconsistent with this Plan as may be determined by the officer executing it. 15. Termination and Amendment of Plan. Options may no longer be granted under this Plan ten (10) years after the Approval Date, and this Plan shall terminate when all options granted or to be granted hereunder are no longer outstanding. The Board may at any time terminate this Plan or make such modification or amendment thereof as it deems advisable; -6- provided, however, that the Board may not, without approval of the stockholders, modify or amend this Plan, if such approval is required by the Federal securities laws or applicable regulatory authorities (at the time of any such modification or amendment). Termination or any modification or amendment of this Plan shall not, without consent of a participant, affect his or her rights under an option previously granted to him or her. The Plan was adopted by the Board of Directors in July 1997 and by the stockholders of the Company on September 9, 1997. The Plan was amended on March 12, 1998 by the Board of Directors to increase the number of option shares granted to Directors on the date such person is first elected to the Board from 7,500 shares to 20,000 shares and to increase the number of option shares automatically granted to Directors immediately following the final adjournment of each Annual Meeting of Stockholders from 1,875 shares to 5,000 shares. The Plan was further amended on March 8, 2000 by the Board of Directors to increase the number of shares authorized for issuance under the Plan by 35,000 subject to approval of the amendment of the Plan by the stockholders of the Company at the next meeting of stockholders. The stockholders of the Company approved such amendment on April 25, 2000. The Plan was further amended on April 25, 2001 to increase the number of option shares automatically granted to Directors immediately following the final adjournment of each Annual Meeting of Stockholders from 5,000 shares to 7,500 shares. The Plan was further amended on February 6, 2002 by the Board of Directors to increase the number of shares authorized for issuance under the Plan by 200,000 subject to approval of the amendment of the Plan by the stockholders of the Company at the next meeting of stockholders. The stockholders of the Company approved such amendment on April 24, 2002. The Plan was further amended by the Board of Directors on August 20, 2004 to increase the number of option shares automatically granted to Directors on the date such person is first elected to the Board from 20,000 shares to 25,000 shares and to increase the number of option shares automatically granted to Directors immediately following the final adjournment of each Annual Meeting of Stockholders from 7,500 to 10,000 shares. 16. Withholding of Income Taxes. Upon the exercise of an option, the Company, in accordance with Section 3402(a) of the Internal Revenue Code, may require the optionee to pay withholding taxes in respect of amounts considered to be compensation includible in the optionee's gross income. 17. Compliance with Regulations. It is the Company's intent that the Plan comply in all respects with Rule 16b-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (or any successor or amended provision thereof) and any applicable Securities and Exchange Commission interpretations thereof. If any provision of this Plan is deemed not to be in compliance with Rule 16b-3, the provision shall be null and void. 18. Governing Law. The validity and construction of this Plan and the instruments evidencing options shall be governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, without giving effect to the principles of conflicts of law thereof.