In millions, except par value data
EX-10.1 2 f31042exv10w1.htm EXHIBIT 10.1 exv10w1
Exhibit 10.1
ELECTRONIC ARTS INC.
2000 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN
As Amended by the Stockholders on July 26, 2007
1. PURPOSE. The purpose of this Plan is to provide incentives to attract, retain and motivate eligible persons whose present and potential contributions are important to the success of the Company, its Parent and Subsidiaries by offering them an opportunity to participate in the Companys future performance through awards of Options, Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units, and Stock Appreciation Rights. Capitalized terms not defined in the text are defined in Section 24.
2. SHARES SUBJECT TO THE PLAN.
2.1 Number of Shares. Subject to Sections 2.2, 2.3 and 19, the aggregate number of Shares that have been reserved pursuant to this Plan is 76,400,000 Shares. Shares that are: (a) subject to issuance upon exercise of an Award but cease to be subject to such Award for any reason other than exercise of such Award; (b) subject to an Award granted hereunder but are forfeited; or (c) subject to an Award that otherwise terminates or is settled without Shares being issued shall revert to and again become available for issuance under the Plan. The following Shares shall not again become available for issuance under the Plan: (x) Shares that are not issued or delivered as a result of the net settlement of an Option or Stock Appreciation Right; (y) Shares that are used to pay the exercise price or withholding taxes related to an Award; or (z) Shares that are repurchased by the Company with the proceeds of an Option exercise. At all times the Company shall reserve and keep available a sufficient number of Shares as shall be required to satisfy the requirements of all outstanding Options and Stock Appreciation Rights granted under this Plan and all other outstanding but unvested Awards granted under this Plan.
2.2 Limitation on Number of Shares Subject to Restricted Stock Awards and Restricted Stock Unit Awards. The number of Shares that may be issued under Sections 6 and 7 of this Plan shall not exceed 11,000,000 in the aggregate.
2.3 Adjustment of Shares. In the event that the number of outstanding shares is changed by a stock dividend, recapitalization, stock split, reverse stock split, subdivision, combination, reclassification or similar change in the capital structure of the Company without consideration, then (a) the number of Shares reserved for issuance under this Plan, (b) the Exercise Prices of and number of Shares subject to outstanding Awards, and (c) the number of Shares associated with other outstanding Awards, will be proportionately adjusted, subject to any required action by the Board or the stockholders of the Company and compliance with applicable securities laws; provided, however, that fractions of a Share will not be issued but will either be replaced by a cash payment equal to the Fair Market Value of such fraction of a Share or will be rounded up to the nearest whole Share, as determined by the Committee.
3. ELIGIBILITY. ISOs (as defined in Section 5 below) may be granted only to employees (including officers and directors who are also employees) of the Company or of a Parent or Subsidiary of the Company. All other Awards may be granted to employees and directors of the Company or any Parent or Subsidiary of the Company. No person will be eligible to receive Awards covering more than 1,400,000 Shares in any calendar year under this Plan, of which no more than 400,000 Shares shall be covered by Awards of Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units, other than new employees of the Company or of a Parent or Subsidiary of the Company (including new employees who are also officers and directors of the Company or any Parent or Subsidiary of the Company), who are eligible to receive Awards covering up to a maximum of 2,800,000 Shares in the calendar year in which they commence their employment, of which no more than 800,000 Shares shall be covered by Awards of Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units. For purposes of these limits, each Restricted Stock Unit settled in Shares (but not those settled in cash), shall be deemed to cover one Share. A person may be granted more than one Award under this Plan.
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4. ADMINISTRATION.
4.1 Committee Authority. This Plan will be administered by the Committee or by the Board acting as the Committee. Except for automatic grants to Outside Directors pursuant to Section 10 hereof, and subject to the general purposes, terms and conditions of this Plan, and to the direction of the Board, the Committee will have full power to implement and carry out this Plan. Except for automatic grants to Outside Directors pursuant to Section 10 hereof, the Committee will have the authority to:
(a) | construe and interpret this Plan, any Award Agreement and any other agreement or document executed pursuant to this Plan; | ||
(b) | prescribe, amend and rescind rules and regulations relating to this Plan or any Award; | ||
(c) | select persons to receive Awards; | ||
(d) | determine the form and terms of Awards; | ||
(e) | determine the number of Shares or other consideration subject to Awards; | ||
(f) | determine whether Awards will be granted singly, in combination with, in tandem with, in replacement of, or as alternatives to, other Awards under this Plan or any other incentive or compensation plan of the Company or any Parent or Subsidiary of the Company; | ||
(g) | grant waivers of Plan or Award conditions; | ||
(h) | determine the vesting, exercisability and payment of Awards; | ||
(i) | correct any defect, supply any omission or reconcile any inconsistency in this Plan, any Award or any Award Agreement; | ||
(j) | determine whether an Award has been earned; and | ||
(k) | make all other determinations necessary or advisable for the administration of this Plan. |
4.2 Committee Discretion. Except for automatic grants to Outside Directors pursuant to Section 10 hereof, any determination made by the Committee with respect to any Award will be made in its sole discretion at the time of grant of the Award or, unless in contravention of any express term of this Plan or Award, at any later time, and such determination will be final and binding on the Company and on all persons having an interest in any Award under this Plan. The Committee may delegate to one or more officers of the Company the authority to (i) construe and interpret this Plan, any Award Agreement and any other agreement or document executed pursuant to this Plan, and (ii) grant an Award under this Plan to Participants who are not Insiders of the Company.
4.3 Section 162(m). To the extent that Awards are granted hereunder as performance-based compensation within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Code, the Plan shall be administered by a committee, which may be the Committee, of two or more outside directors within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Code. For purposes of qualifying grants of Awards as performance-based compensation under Section 162(m) of the Code, the committee, in its discretion, may set restrictions based upon the achievement of performance goals. The performance goals shall be set by the committee on or before the latest date permissible to enable the Awards to qualify as performance-based compensation under Section 162(m) of the Code. In granting Awards that are intended to qualify under
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Section 162(m) of the Code, the committee shall follow any procedures determined by it from time to time to be necessary or appropriate to ensure qualification of the Awards under Section 162(m) of the Code (e.g., in determining the performance goals).
5. OPTIONS. The Committee may grant Options to eligible persons and will determine whether such Options will be Incentive Stock Options within the meaning of the Code (ISO) or Nonqualified Stock Options (NQSOs), the number of Shares subject to the Option, the Exercise Price of the Option, the period during which the Option may be exercised, and all other terms and conditions of the Option, subject to the following:
5.1 Form of Option Grant. Each Option granted under this Plan will be evidenced by an Award Agreement which will expressly identify the Option as an ISO or an NQSO (Stock Option Agreement), and, except as otherwise required by the terms of Section 10 hereof, will be in such form and contain such provisions (which need not be the same for each Participant) as the Committee may from time to time approve, and which will comply with and be subject to the terms and conditions of this Plan.
5.2 Date of Grant. The date of grant of an Option will be the date on which the Committee makes the determination to grant such Option, unless otherwise specified by the Committee. The Stock Option Agreement and a copy of this Plan will be delivered to the Participant within a reasonable time after the granting of the Option.
5.3 Exercise Period; Performance Goals.
(a) Options may be exercisable within the times or upon the events determined by the Committee as set forth in the Stock Option Agreement governing such Option; provided, however, that no Option will be exercisable after the expiration of ten (10) years from the date the Option is granted; and provided, further, that no ISO granted to a person who directly or by attribution owns more than ten percent (10%) of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or of any Parent or Subsidiary of the Company (Ten Percent Stockholder) will be exercisable after the expiration of five (5) years from the date the ISO is granted. The Committee also may provide for Options to become exercisable at one time or from time to time, periodically or otherwise, in such number of Shares or percentage of Shares as the Committee determines.
(b) Participants ability to exercise Options shall be subject to such restrictions, if any, as the Committee may impose. These restrictions may be based upon completion of a specified number of years of service with the Company or a Subsidiary or upon completion of the performance goals as set out in advance in the Participants individual Stock Option Agreement. Options may vary from Participant to Participant and between groups of Participants. Should the Committee elect to impose restrictions on an Option, the Committee shall: (a) determine the nature, length and starting date of any Performance Period for the Option; (b) select from among the Performance Factors to be used to measure performance goals, if any; and (c) determine the number of Shares subject to such Option. Prior to such Option becoming exercisable, the Committee shall determine the extent to which such Performance Factors have been met. Performance Periods may overlap and Participants may participate simultaneously with respect to Options that are subject to different Performance Periods and have different performance goals and other criteria.
5.4 Exercise Price. The Exercise Price of an Option will be determined by the Committee when the Option is granted and may be not less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of the Shares on the date of grant; provided that the Exercise Price of any ISO granted to a Ten Percent Stockholder will not be less than 110% of the Fair Market Value of the Shares on the date of grant. Payment for the Shares purchased may be made in accordance with Section 9 of this Plan.
5.5 Method of Exercise. Options may be exercised only by delivery to the Company of a written stock option exercise agreement (the Exercise Agreement) in a form approved by the Committee (which need not be the same for each Participant), stating the number of Shares being purchased, the restrictions imposed on the Shares purchased under such Exercise Agreement, if any, and
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such representations and agreements regarding Participants investment intent and access to information and other matters, if any, as may be required or desirable by the Company to comply with applicable securities laws, together with payment in full of the Exercise Price for the number of Shares being purchased.
5.6 Termination. Notwithstanding the exercise periods set forth in the Stock Option Agreement, exercise of an Option will always be subject to the following:
(a) | If the Participant is Terminated for any reason except death or Disability, then the Participant may exercise such Participants Options only to the extent that such Options would have been exercisable upon the Termination Date no later than three (3) months after the Termination Date (or such shorter or longer time period not exceeding five (5) years as may be determined by the Committee, with any exercise beyond three (3) months after the Termination Date deemed to be an NQSO), but in any event, no later than the expiration date of the Options. | ||
(b) | If the Participant is Terminated because of Participants death or Disability (or the Participant dies within three (3) months after a Termination other than for Cause or because of Participants Disability), then Participants Options may be exercised only to the extent that such Options would have been exercisable by Participant on the Termination Date and must be exercised by Participant (or Participants legal representative or authorized assignee) no later than twelve (12) months after the Termination Date (or such shorter or longer time period not exceeding five (5) years as may be determined by the Committee, with any such exercise beyond (a) three (3) months after the Termination Date when the Termination is for any reason other than the Participants death or Disability, or (b) twelve (12) months after the Termination Date when the Termination is for Participants death or Disability, deemed to be an NQSO), but in any event no later than the expiration date of the Options. | ||
(c) | Notwithstanding the provisions in paragraph 5.6(a) above, if a Participant is terminated for Cause, neither the Participant, the Participants estate nor such other person who may then hold the Option shall be entitled to exercise any Option with respect to any Shares whatsoever, after termination of service, whether or not after termination of service the Participant may receive payment from the Company or Subsidiary for vacation pay, for services rendered prior to termination, for services rendered for the day on which termination occurs, for salary in lieu of notice, or for any other benefits. In the event that the Committee has delegated to one or more officers of the Company the authority set forth in Section 4.2 above and Participant has been notified that such officer or officers has made a determination that Participant has been terminated for Cause, Participant shall have five (5) business days (measured from the date he or she was first notified of such determination) to appeal such determination to the Committee. If Participant appeals to the Committee in a timely manner, the Committee shall give the Participant an opportunity to present to the Committee evidence on his or her behalf. If the Committee has not delegated to one or more officers of the Company the authority set forth in Section 4.2, and the Committee makes such Cause determination itself, such decision shall be deemed final and unappealable. For the purpose of this paragraph, termination of service |
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shall be deemed to occur on the date when the Company or Subsidary dispatches notice or advice to the Participant that his service is terminated. |
5.7 Limitations on Exercise. The Committee may specify a reasonable minimum number of Shares that may be purchased on any exercise of an Option, provided that such minimum number will not prevent Participant from exercising the Option for the full number of Shares for which it is then exercisable.
5.8 Limitations on ISO. The aggregate Fair Market Value (determined as of the date of grant) of Shares with respect to which ISO are exercisable for the first time by a Participant during any calendar year (under this Plan or under any other incentive stock option plan of the Company, Parent or Subsidiary of the Company) will not exceed $100,000. If the Fair Market Value of Shares on the date of grant with respect to which ISO are exercisable for the first time by a Participant during any calendar year exceeds $100,000, then the Options for the first $100,000 worth of Shares to become exercisable in such calendar year will be ISO and the Options for the amount in excess of $100,000 that become exercisable in that calendar year will be NQSOs. In the event that the Code or the regulations promulgated thereunder are amended after the Effective Date of this Plan to provide for a different limit on the Fair Market Value of Shares permitted to be subject to ISO, such different limit will be automatically incorporated herein and will apply to any Options granted after the effective date of such amendment.
5.9 Modification, Extension or Renewal. The Committee may modify, extend or renew outstanding Options and authorize the grant of new Options, provided however, that (i) any such action may not, without the written consent of a Participant, impair any of such Participants rights under any Option previously granted, (ii) any such action shall not extend the exercise period of the Option to a date later than the later of (a) the fifteenth day of the third month following the date on which the Option otherwise would have expired or (b) December 31 of the calendar year in which the Option would have otherwise expired, and (iii) the Committee may not reduce the Exercise Price of outstanding Options without the approval of the stockholders. Any outstanding ISO that is modified, extended, renewed or otherwise altered will be treated in accordance with Section 424(h) of the Code.
5.10 No Disqualification. Notwithstanding any other provision in this Plan, no term of this Plan relating to ISO will be interpreted, amended or altered, nor will any discretion or authority granted under this Plan be exercised, so as to disqualify this Plan under Section 422 of the Code or, without the consent of the Participant affected, to disqualify any ISO under Section 422 of the Code.
6. RESTRICTED STOCK. A Restricted Stock Award is an offer by the Company to grant or to sell to an eligible person Shares that are subject to restrictions. The Committee will determine to whom an offer will be made, the number of Shares the person may purchase, the price to be paid (the Purchase Price), if any, the restrictions to which the Shares will be subject, and all other terms and conditions of the Restricted Stock Award, subject to the following:
6.1 Form of Restricted Stock Award. All grants or purchases under a Restricted Stock Award made pursuant to this Plan will be evidenced by an Award Agreement (Restricted Stock Purchase Agreement) that will be in such form (which need not be the same for each Participant) as the Committee will from time to time approve, and will comply with and be subject to the terms and conditions of this Plan. The offer of Restricted Stock will be accepted by the Participants execution and delivery of the Restricted Stock Purchase Agreement and full payment, if any, for the Shares to the Company within thirty (30) days, or such other date as may be set forth in the Restricted Stock Purchase Agreement, from the date the Restricted Stock Purchase Agreement is delivered to the person. If such person does not execute and deliver the Restricted Stock Purchase Agreement along with full payment, if any, for the Shares to the Company within thirty (30) days, or such other date as may be set forth in the Restricted Stock Purchase Agreement, then the offer will terminate, unless otherwise determined by the Committee.
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6.2 Purchase Price. The Purchase Price of Shares sold pursuant to a Restricted Stock Award, if any, will be determined by the Committee on the date the Restricted Stock Award is granted. At the Committees discretion, consideration for the Restricted Stock Award may be in the form of continued service to the Company or a Subsidiary. Payment of the Purchase Price may be made in accordance with Section 9 of this Plan.
6.3 Terms of Restricted Stock Awards. Restricted Stock Awards shall be subject to such restrictions as the Committee may impose. These restrictions may be based upon completion of a specified number of years of service with the Company or a Subsidiary or upon completion of the performance goals as set out in advance in the Participants individual Restricted Stock Purchase Agreement. Restricted Stock Awards may vary from Participant to Participant and between groups of Participants. Prior to the grant of a Restricted Stock Award, the Committee shall: (a) determine the nature, length and starting date of any Performance Period for the Restricted Stock Award; (b) select from among the Performance Factors to be used to measure performance goals, if any; and (c) determine the number of Shares that may be awarded to the Participant. Prior to the payment of any Restricted Stock Award, the Committee shall determine the extent to which such Restricted Stock Award has been earned. Performance Periods may overlap and Participants may participate simultaneously with respect to Restricted Stock Awards that are subject to different Performance Periods and having different performance goals and other criteria.
6.4 Termination During Performance Period. If a Participant is Terminated during a Performance Period for any reason, then such Participant will be entitled to payment (whether in Shares, cash or otherwise) with respect to the Restricted Stock Award only to the extent earned as of the date of Termination in accordance with the Restricted Stock Purchase Agreement, unless the Committee determines otherwise in the case of a Participant who is not a covered employee for purposes of Section 162(m) of the Code in the year of Termination.
7. RESTRICTED STOCK UNITS. Each Restricted Stock Unit shall have a value equal to the Fair Market Value of a share of the Companys Common Stock. A Restricted Stock Unit does not constitute a share of, nor represent any ownership interest in, the Company. The Committee will determine the number of Restricted Stock Units granted to any eligible person; whether the Restricted Stock Units will be settled in Shares, in cash, or in a combination of the two; the price to be paid (the Purchase Price), if any, for any Shares issued pursuant to a Restricted Stock Unit; the restrictions to which the Restricted Stock Units will be subject, and all other terms and conditions of the Restricted Stock Units, subject to the following:
7.1 Form of Restricted Stock Unit Award. All Restricted Stock Units granted pursuant to this Plan will be evidenced by an Award Agreement (Restricted Stock Unit Agreement) that will be in such form (which need not be the same for each Participant) as the Committee will from time to time approve, and will comply with and be subject to the terms and conditions of this Plan. The offer of Restricted Stock Units will be accepted by the Participants execution and delivery of the Restricted Stock Unit Agreement within thirty (30) days, or such other date as may be set forth in the Restricted Stock Unit Agreement, from the date the Restricted Stock Unit Agreement is delivered to the person. If such person does not execute and deliver the Restricted Stock Unit Agreement within thirty (30) days, or such other date as may be set forth in the Restricted Stock Unit Agreement, then the offer will terminate, unless otherwise determined by the Committee.
7.2 Purchase Price. The Purchase Price of Shares sold pursuant to a Restricted Stock Unit, if any, will be determined by the Committee on the date the Restricted Stock Unit is granted. At the Committees discretion, consideration for the Restricted Stock Unit may be in the form of continued service to the Company or a Subsidiary. Payment of the Purchase Price, if any, shall be made in accordance with Section 9 of this Plan when the Shares are issued.
7.3 Terms of Restricted Stock Units. Restricted Stock Units shall be subject to such restrictions as the Committee may impose. These restrictions may be based upon completion of a specified number of years of service with the Company or a Subsidiary or upon completion of the performance goals as set out in advance in the Participants individual Restricted Stock Unit Agreement. Restricted Stock
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Units may vary from Participant to Participant and between groups of Participants. Prior to the grant of Restricted Stock Units, the Committee shall: (a) determine the nature, length and starting date of any Performance Period for the Restricted Stock Unit; (b) select from among the Performance Factors to be used to measure performance goals, if any; and (c) determine the number of Restricted Stock Units that will be awarded to the Participant. Prior to the payment (whether in Shares, cash or otherwise) of any Restricted Stock Units, the Committee shall determine the extent to which such Restricted Stock Units have been earned. Performance Periods may overlap and Participants may participate simultaneously with respect to Restricted Stock Units that are subject to different Performance Periods and have different performance goals and other criteria.
7.4 Termination During Performance Period. If a Participant is Terminated during a Performance Period for any reason, then such Participant will be entitled to payment (whether in Shares, cash or otherwise) with respect to the Restricted Stock Units only to the extent earned as of the date of Termination in accordance with the Restricted Stock Unit Agreement, unless the Committee determines otherwise in the case of a Participant who is not a covered employee for purposes of Section 162(m) of the Code in the year of Termination.
7.5 Payment When Restrictions Lapse. The cash or Shares that a Participant is entitled to receive pursuant to a Restricted Stock Unit shall be paid or issued to the Participant when all applicable restrictions and other conditions applicable to the Restricted Stock Unit have lapsed or have been satisfied, unless the Restricted Stock Unit Agreement provides for a later settlement date in compliance with Section 409A of the Code.
8. STOCK APPRECIATION RIGHTS. The Committee may grant Stock Appreciation Rights or SARs to eligible persons and will determine the number of Shares subject to the SARs, the Exercise Price of the SARs, the period during which the SARs may be exercised, and all other terms and conditions of the SARs, subject to the following:
8.1 Form of SAR Grant. SARs granted under this Plan will be evidenced by an Award Agreement that will expressly identify the SARs as freestanding SARs (SARs granted independent of any other Option), tandem SARs (SARs granted in connection with an Option, or any portion thereof), or any combination thereof (SAR Agreement), and will be in such form and contain such provisions (which need not be the same for each Participant) as the Committee may from time to time approve, and which will comply with and be subject to the terms and conditions of this Plan.
8.2 Date of Grant. The date of grant of a SAR will be the date on which the Committee makes the determination to grant such SAR, unless otherwise specified by the Committee. The SAR Agreement and a copy of this Plan will be delivered to the Participant within a reasonable time after the granting of the SAR.
8.3 Exercise Price and Other Terms.
(a) The Committee, subject to the provisions of the Plan, shall have complete discretion to determine the terms and conditions of SARs granted under the Plan; provided, however, that no SAR will be exercisable after the expiration of ten (10) years from the date the SAR is granted; provided, further, that the Exercise Price for freestanding SARs shall be not less than one hundred percent (100%) of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the grant date. The Exercise Price for tandem SARs shall equal the Exercise Price of the related Option.
(b) Participants ability to exercise SARs shall be subject to such restrictions, if any, as the Committee may impose. These restrictions may be based upon completion of a specified number of years of service with the Company or a Subsidiary or upon completion of the performance goals as set out in advance in the Participants individual SAR Agreement. SARs may vary from Participant to Participant and between groups of Participants. Should the Committee elect to impose restrictions on a SAR, the Committee shall: (a) determine the nature, length and starting date of any Performance Period for the SAR; (b) select from among the Performance Factors to be used to measure performance goals, if any; and (c)
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determine the number of Shares subject to such SAR. Prior to such SAR becoming exercisable, the Committee shall determine the extent to which such Performance Factors have been met. Performance Periods may overlap and Participants may participate simultaneously with respect to SAR that are subject to different Performance Periods and have different performance goals and other criteria.
8.4 Exercise of Tandem SARs. Tandem SARs may be exercised for all or part of the Shares subject to the related Option upon the surrender of the right to exercise the equivalent portion of the related Option. Tandem SARs may be exercised only with respect to the Shares for which the related Option is then exercisable. With respect to tandem SARs granted in connection with an Option: (a) the tandem SARs shall expire no later than the expiration of the underlying Option; (b) the value of the payout with respect to the tandem SARs shall be for no more than one hundred percent (100%) of the difference between the Exercise Price of the underlying Option and the Fair Market Value of the Shares subject to the underlying Option at the time the tandem SARs are exercised; and (c) the tandem SARs shall be exercisable only when the Fair Market Value of the Shares subject to the underlying Option exceeds the Exercise Price of the Option.
8.5 Exercise of Freestanding SARs. Freestanding SARs shall be exercisable on such terms and conditions as the Committee, in its sole discretion, shall determine.
8.6 Payment of SAR Amount. Upon exercise of a SAR, a Participant shall be entitled to receive payment from the Company in an amount determined by multiplying:
(a) | The difference between (i) the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of exercise (or such other date as may be determined by the Committee and set forth in the Participants SAR Agreement) and (ii) the Exercise Price; times | ||
(b) | The number of Shares with respect to which the SAR is exercised. |
At the discretion of the Committee, the payment upon exercise of the SAR may be in cash, in Shares of equivalent value, or in some combination thereof.
8.7 Termination. Notwithstanding the exercise periods set forth in the SAR Agreement, exercise of a SAR will always be subject to the following:
(a) | If the Participant is Terminated for any reason except death or Disability, then the Participant may exercise such Participants SAR only to the extent that such SAR would have been exercisable upon the Termination Date no later than three (3) months after the Termination Date (or such shorter or longer time period not exceeding five (5) years as may be determined by the Committee), but in any event, no later than the expiration date of the SAR. | ||
(b) | If the Participant is Terminated because of Participants death or Disability (or the Participant dies within three (3) months after a Termination other than for Cause or because of Participants Disability), then Participants SAR may be exercised only to the extent that such SAR would have been exercisable by Participant on the Termination Date and must be exercised by Participant (or Participants legal representative or authorized assignee) no later than twelve (12) months after the Termination Date, but in any event no later than the expiration date of the SAR. | ||
(c) | Notwithstanding the provisions in paragraph 8.7(a) above, if a Participant is terminated for Cause, neither the Participant, the |
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Participants estate nor such other person who may then hold the SAR shall be entitled to exercise any SAR with respect to any Shares whatsoever, after termination of service, whether or not after termination of service the Participant may receive payment from the Company or Subsidiary for vacation pay, for services rendered prior to termination, for services rendered for the day on which Termination occurs, for salary in lieu of notice, or for any other benefits. In the event that the Committee has delegated to one or more officers of the Company the authority set forth in Section 4.2 above and Participant has been notified that such officer or officers has made a determination that Participant has been terminated for Cause, Participant shall have five (5) business days (measured from the date he or she was first notified of such determination) to appeal such determination to the Committee. If Participant appeals to the Committee in a timely manner, the Committee shall give the Participant an opportunity to present to the Committee evidence on his or her behalf. If the Committee has not delegated to one or more officers of the Company the authority set forth in Section 4.2, and the Committee makes such Cause determination itself, such decision shall be deemed final and unappealable. For the purpose of this paragraph, termination of service shall be deemed to occur on the date when the Company or Subsidiary dispatches notice or advice to the Participant that his service is terminated. |
8.8 Modification, Extension or Renewal. The Committee may modify, extend or renew outstanding SARs and authorize the grant of new SARs, provided however, that (i) any such action may not, without the written consent of a Participant, impair any of such Participants rights under any SAR previously granted, (ii) any such action shall not extend the exercise period of the SAR to a date later than the later of (a) the fifteenth day of the third month following the date on which the SAR otherwise would have expired or (b) December 31 of the calendar year in which the Option would have otherwise expired, and (iii) the Committee may not reduce the Exercise Price of outstanding SARs without the approval of the stockholders.
9. PAYMENT FOR SHARE PURCHASES. Where expressly approved for the Participant by the Committee and where permitted by law, payment for Shares purchased pursuant to this Plan may:
(a) | be made in cash (by check); | ||
(b) | by cancellation of indebtedness of the Company to the Participant; | ||
(c) | by surrender of shares that either: (1) have been owned by Participant for more than six (6) months and have been paid for within the meaning of SEC Rule 144 (and, if such shares were purchased from the Company by use of a promissory note, such note has been fully paid with respect to such shares); or (2) were obtained by Participant in the public market; | ||
(d) | by waiver of compensation due or accrued to the Participant for services rendered; | ||
(e) | with respect only to purchases upon exercise of an Option, and provided that a public market for the Companys stock exists: |
(1) | through a same day sale commitment from the Participant and a broker-dealer that is a member of the National Association of Securities Dealers (an NASD Dealer) |
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whereby the Participant irrevocably elects to exercise the Option and to sell a portion of the Shares so purchased to pay for the Exercise Price, and whereby the NASD Dealer irrevocably commits upon receipt of such Shares to forward the Exercise Price directly to the Company; or |
(2) | through a margin commitment from the Participant and a NASD Dealer whereby the Participant irrevocably elects to exercise the Option and to pledge the Shares so purchased to the NASD Dealer in a margin account as security for a loan from the NASD Dealer in the amount of the Exercise Price, and whereby the NASD Dealer irrevocably commits upon receipt of such Shares to forward the Exercise Price directly to the Company; or |
(f) | by withholding from the Shares to be issued upon exercise of an Award that number of Shares having a Fair Market Value equal to the minimum amount required to satisfy the Exercise Price or Purchase Price (the Fair Market Value of the Shares to be withheld shall be determined on the date that the Award is exercised by the Participant); or | ||
(g) | by any combination of the foregoing; or | ||
(h) | such other consideration and method of payment for issuance of Shares to the extent permitted by applicable laws. |
10. AUTOMATIC GRANTS TO OUTSIDE DIRECTORS.
10.1 Types of Awards and Shares. Awards granted under this Plan and subject to this Section 10 may, at the discretion of the Committee, be NQSOs, SARs, or Restricted Stock Units; provided, however, that any payment upon exercise of SARs granted pursuant to this section 10 shall be in Shares of equivalent value.
10.2 Eligibility. Awards subject to this Section 10 shall be granted only to Outside Directors. Outside Directors shall also be eligible to receive Awards granted pursuant to sections 5, 6, 7 and 8 hereof at such times and on such conditions as determined by the Committee.
10.3 Initial Grant. Each Outside Director who first becomes a member of the Board on or after the Effective Date will automatically be granted (a) an Option or SAR, as determined by the Committee, for 17,500 Shares and (b) 2,500 Restricted Stock Units (together, an Initial Grant) on the date such Outside Director first becomes a member of the Board.
10.4 Succeeding Grants. Upon re-election to the Board at each Annual Meeting of Stockholders, each Outside Director will automatically be granted (a) an Option or SAR, as determined by the Committee, for 8,400 Shares and (b) 1,200 Restricted Stock Units (together, a Succeeding Grant); provided, however, that any such Outside Director who received an Initial Grant since the last Annual Meeting of Stockholders will receive a prorated Succeeding Grant consisting of (x) an Option or SAR, as determined by the Committee, to purchase a number of Shares equal to 8,400 multiplied by a fraction whose numerator is the number of calendar months or portions thereof that the Outside Director has served since the date of the Initial Grant and whose denominator is twelve, and (y) a grant of Restricted Stock Units equal to 1,200 multiplied by a fraction whose numerator is the number of calendar months or portions thereof that the Outside Director has served since the date of the Initial Grant and whose denominator is twelve.
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10.5 Vesting.
(a) The date an Outside Director receives an Initial Grant or a Succeeding Grant is referred to in this Plan as the Start Date for such Award. Each Initial Grant will vest (a) with respect to Options or SARs, as to 2% of the Shares on the Start Date for such Initial Grant, and as to an additional 2% of the Shares on the first day of each calendar month after the Start Date, so long as the Outside Director continuously remains a director of the Company, and (b) with respect to Restricted Stock Units, in accordance with the Restricted Stock Unit Agreement. Succeeding Grants will vest in accordance with each Stock Option, SAR or Restricted Stock Unit Agreement, as the case may be.
(b) Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary, in the event of a corporate transaction described in Section 19.1, the vesting of all Awards granted to Outside Directors pursuant to this Section 10 will accelerate and such Awards will become exercisable in full prior to the consummation of such event at such times and on such conditions as the Committee determines, and must be exercised, if at all, within three months of the consummation of said event. Any Awards not exercised within such three-month period shall expire.
10.6 Exercise Price. The exercise price of an Award pursuant to an Initial Grant or Succeeding Grant shall be the Fair Market Value of the Shares at the time that the Award is granted.
10.7 Shares in Lieu of Cash Compensation. Each Outside Director may elect to reduce all or part of the cash compensation otherwise payable for services to be rendered by him as a director (including the annual retainer and any fees payable for serving on the Board or a Committee of the Board) and to receive in lieu thereof Shares. Any such election shall be in writing and must be made before the services are rendered giving rise to such compensation, and may not be revoked or changed thereafter during the Outside Directors term. On such election, the cash compensation otherwise payable will be increased by 10% for purposes of determining the number of Shares to be credited to such Outside Director. If an Outside Director so elects to receive Shares in lieu of cash, there shall be credited to such Outside Director a number of Shares equal to the amount of the cash compensation so reduced (increased by 10% as described in the preceding sentence) divided by the Fair Market Value on the day in which the compensation would have been paid in the absence of such election.
11. WITHHOLDING TAXES.
11.1 Withholding Generally. Whenever Shares are to be issued in satisfaction of Awards granted under this Plan, the Company may require the Participant to remit to the Company an amount sufficient to satisfy federal, state and local withholding tax and social security requirements prior to the delivery of any certificate or certificates for such Shares. Whenever, under this Plan, payments in satisfaction of Awards are to be made in cash, such payment will be net of an amount sufficient to satisfy federal, state, and local withholding tax and social security requirements.
11.2 Stock Withholding. When, under applicable tax or social security laws, a Participant incurs tax or social security liability in connection with the exercise or vesting of any Award that is subject to tax or social security withholding and the Participant is obligated to pay the Company the amount required to be withheld, the Committee may in its sole discretion allow the Participant to satisfy the minimum tax or social security withholding obligation by electing to have the Company withhold from the Shares to be issued that number of Shares having a Fair Market Value equal to the minimum amount required to be withheld, determined on the date that the amount of tax to be withheld is to be determined. All elections by a Participant to have Shares withheld for this purpose will be made in accordance with the requirements established by the Committee and be in writing in a form acceptable to the Committee.
12. TRANSFERABILITY.
12.1 Except as otherwise provided in this Section 12, Awards granted under this Plan, and any interest therein, will not be transferable or assignable by Participant, and may not be made subject
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to execution, attachment or similar process, otherwise than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution or as determined by the Committee and set forth in the Award Agreement with respect to Awards that are not ISOs.
12.2 All Awards other than NQSOs and SARs. All Awards other than NQSOs and SARs shall be exercisable: (i) during the Participants lifetime, only by (A) the Participant, or (B) the Participants guardian or legal representative; and (ii) after Participants death, by the legal representative of the Participants heirs or legatees.
12.3 NQSOs and SARs. Unless otherwise restricted by the Committee, a NQSO and SAR shall be exercisable: (i) during the Participants lifetime only by (A) the Participant, (B) the Participants guardian or legal representative, (C) a Family Member of the Participant who has acquired the NQSO or SAR by permitted transfer; and (ii) after Participants death, by the legal representative of the Participants heirs or legatees. Permitted transfer means, as authorized by this Plan and the Committee in a Stock Option Agreement or SAR Agreement, any transfer effected by the Participant during the Participants lifetime of an interest in such NQSO and SAR but only such transfers which are by gift or domestic relations order. A permitted transfer does not include any transfer for value and neither of the following are transfers for value: (a) a transfer under a domestic relations order in settlement of marital property rights or (b) a transfer to an entity in which more than fifty percent of the voting interests are owned by Family Members or the Participant in exchange for an interest in that entity.
13. PRIVILEGES OF STOCK OWNERSHIP; RESTRICTIONS ON SHARES.
13.1 Voting and Dividends. No Participant will have any of the rights of a stockholder with respect to any Shares until the Shares are issued to the Participant. After Shares are issued to the Participant, the Participant will be a stockholder and have all the rights of a stockholder with respect to such Shares, including the right to vote and receive all dividends or other distributions made or paid with respect to such Shares; provided, that if such Shares are Restricted Stock, then any new, additional or different securities the Participant may become entitled to receive with respect to such Shares by virtue of a stock dividend, stock split or any other change in the corporate or capital structure of the Company will be subject to the same restrictions as the Restricted Stock; provided, further, that the Participant will have no right to retain such stock dividends or stock distributions with respect to Shares that are repurchased at the Participants Purchase Price or Exercise Price pursuant to Section 13.2.
13.2 Restrictions on Shares. At the discretion of the Committee, the Company may reserve to itself and/or its assignee(s) in the Award Agreement a right to repurchase a portion of or all Unvested Shares held by a Participant following such Participants Termination at any time within ninety (90) days after the later of Participants Termination Date and the date Participant purchases Shares under this Plan, for cash and/or cancellation of purchase money indebtedness, at the Participants Exercise Price or Purchase Price, as the case may be.
14. CERTIFICATES. All certificates for Shares or other securities delivered under this Plan will be subject to such stock transfer orders, legends and other restrictions as the Committee may deem necessary or advisable, including restrictions under any applicable federal, state or foreign securities law, or any rules, regulations and other requirements of the SEC or any stock exchange or automated quotation system upon which the Shares may be listed or quoted.
15. ESCROW; PLEDGE OF SHARES. To enforce any restrictions on a Participants Shares, the Committee may require the Participant to deposit all certificates representing Shares, together with stock powers or other instruments of transfer approved by the Committee, appropriately endorsed in blank, with the Company or an agent designated by the Company to hold in escrow until such restrictions have lapsed or terminated, and the Committee may cause a legend or legends referencing such restrictions to be placed on the certificates. Any Participant who is permitted to execute a promissory note as partial or full consideration for the purchase of Shares under this Plan will be required to pledge and deposit with the Company all or part of the Shares so purchased as collateral to secure the payment of Participants obligation to the Company under the promissory note; provided, however, that the Committee may require
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or accept other or additional forms of collateral to secure the payment of such obligation and, in any event, the Company will have full recourse against the Participant under the promissory note notwithstanding any pledge of the Participants Shares or other collateral. In connection with any pledge of the Shares, Participant will be required to execute and deliver a written pledge agreement in such form as the Committee will from time to time approve. The Shares purchased with the promissory note may be released from the pledge on a pro rata basis as the promissory note is paid.
16. EXCHANGE AND BUYOUT OF AWARDS. The Committee may, at any time or from time to time, authorize the Company, with the consent of the respective Participants, to issue new Awards in exchange for the surrender and cancellation of any or all outstanding Awards; provided, however, that no such exchange program may, without the approval of the Companys stockholders, allow for the cancellation of an outstanding Option followed by its immediate replacement with a new Option having a lower Exercise Price. The Committee may, subject to approval by the Companys stockholders, at any time buy from a Participant an Award previously granted with payment in cash, Shares (including Restricted Stock) or other consideration, based on such terms and conditions as the Committee and the Participant may agree.
17. SECURITIES LAW AND OTHER REGULATORY COMPLIANCE. An Award will not be effective unless such Award is in compliance with all applicable federal and state securities laws, rules and regulations of any governmental body, and the requirements of any stock exchange or automated quotation system upon which the Shares may then be listed or quoted, as they are in effect on the date of grant of the Award and also on the date of exercise or other issuance. Notwithstanding any other provision in this Plan, the Company will have no obligation to issue or deliver certificates for Shares under this Plan prior to: (a) obtaining any approvals from governmental agencies that the Company determines are necessary or advisable; and/or (b) completion of any registration or other qualification of such Shares under any state or federal law or ruling of any governmental body that the Company determines to be necessary or advisable. The Company will be under no obligation to register the Shares with the SEC or to effect compliance with the registration, qualification or listing requirements of any state securities laws, stock exchange or automated quotation system, and the Company will have no liability for any inability or failure to do so.
18. NO OBLIGATION TO EMPLOY. Nothing in this Plan or any Award granted under this Plan will confer or be deemed to confer on any Participant any right to continue in the employ of, or to continue any other relationship with, the Company or any Parent or Subsidiary of the Company or limit in any way the right of the Company or any Parent or Subsidiary of the Company to terminate Participants employment or other relationship at any time, with or without cause.
19. CORPORATE TRANSACTIONS.
19.1 Assumption or Replacement of Awards by Successor. Except for automatic grants to Outside Directors pursuant to Section 10 hereof, in the event of (a) a dissolution or liquidation of the Company, (b) a merger or consolidation in which the Company is not the surviving corporation (other than a merger or consolidation with a wholly-owned subsidiary, a reincorporation of the Company in a different jurisdiction, or other transaction in which there is no substantial change in the stockholders of the Company or their relative stock holdings and the Awards granted under this Plan are assumed, converted or replaced by the successor corporation, which assumption will be binding on all Participants), (c) a merger in which the Company is the surviving corporation but after which the stockholders of the Company immediately prior to such merger (other than any stockholder that merges, or which owns or controls another corporation that merges, with the Company in such merger) cease to own their shares or other equity interest in the Company, (d) the sale of substantially all of the assets of the Company, or (e) the acquisition, sale, or transfer of more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Company by tender offer or similar transaction, any or all outstanding Awards may be assumed, converted or replaced by the successor corporation (if any), which assumption, conversion or replacement will be binding on all Participants. In the alternative, the successor corporation may substitute equivalent Awards or provide substantially similar consideration to Participants as was provided to stockholders (after taking into account the existing provisions of the Awards). The successor corporation may also issue, in place of outstanding Shares of the Company held by the Participants, substantially similar shares or other property subject to repurchase
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restrictions no less favorable to the Participant. In the event such successor corporation (if any) refuses to assume or substitute Awards, as provided above, pursuant to a transaction described in this Section 19.1, such Awards will accelerate and will become exercisable in full prior to the consummation of such transaction at such time and on such conditions as the Committee will determine, and if such Awards are not exercised prior to the consummation of the corporate transaction, they shall terminate at such time as determined by the Committee.
19.2 Other Treatment of Awards. Subject to any greater rights granted to Participants under the foregoing provisions of this Section 19, in the event of the occurrence of any transaction described in Section 19.1, any outstanding Awards will be treated as provided in the applicable agreement or plan of merger, consolidation, dissolution, liquidation, or sale of assets.
19.3 Assumption of Awards by the Company. The Company, from time to time, also may substitute or assume outstanding awards granted by another company, whether in connection with an acquisition of such other company or otherwise, by either; (a) granting an Award under this Plan in substitution of such other companys award; or (b) assuming such award as if it had been granted under this Plan if the terms of such assumed award could be applied to an Award granted under this Plan. Such substitution or assumption will be permissible if the holder of the substituted or assumed award would have been eligible to be granted an Award under this Plan if the other company had applied the rules of this Plan to such grant. In the event the Company assumes an award granted by another company, the terms and conditions of such award will remain unchanged (except that the exercise price and the number and nature of Shares issuable upon exercise of any such option will be adjusted appropriately pursuant to Sections 409A and 424(a) of the Code). In the event the Company elects to grant a new Option or SAR rather than assuming an existing option, such new Option or SAR may be granted with a similarly adjusted Exercise Price.
20. ADOPTION AND STOCKHOLDER APPROVAL. This Plan will become effective on the date that it is adopted by the Board (the Effective Date). This Plan shall be approved by the stockholders of the Company (excluding Shares issued pursuant to this Plan), consistent with applicable laws, within twelve (12) months before or after the date this Plan is adopted by the Board. Upon the Effective Date, the Committee may grant Awards pursuant to this Plan; provided, however, that: (a) no Option or SAR may be exercised prior to initial stockholder approval of this Plan; (b) no Option or SAR granted pursuant to an increase in the number of Shares subject to this Plan approved by the Board will be exercised prior to the time such increase has been approved by the stockholders of the Company; (c) in the event that initial stockholder approval is not obtained within the time period provided herein, all Awards granted hereunder shall be cancelled, any Shares issued pursuant to any Awards shall be cancelled and any purchase of Shares issued hereunder shall be rescinded; and (d) in the event that stockholder approval of such increase is not obtained within the time period provided herein, all Awards granted pursuant to such increase will be cancelled, any Shares issued pursuant to any Award granted pursuant to such increase will be cancelled, and any purchase of Shares pursuant to such increase will be rescinded.
21. TERM OF PLAN/GOVERNING LAW. Unless earlier terminated as provided herein, this Plan will terminate ten (10) years from the date this Plan is adopted by the Board or, if earlier, the date of stockholder approval. This Plan and all agreements thereunder shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California.
22. AMENDMENT OR TERMINATION OF PLAN. The Board may at any time terminate or amend this Plan in any respect, including without limitation amendment of any form of Award Agreement or instrument to be executed pursuant to this Plan; provided, however, that the Board will not, without the approval of the stockholders of the Company, amend this Plan in any manner that requires such stockholder approval.
23. NONEXCLUSIVITY OF THE PLAN. Neither the adoption of this Plan by the Board, the submission of this Plan to the stockholders of the Company for approval, nor any provision of this Plan will be construed as creating any limitations on the power of the Board to adopt such additional compensation arrangements as it may deem desirable, including, without limitation, the granting of stock options and
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bonuses otherwise than under this Plan, and such arrangements may be either generally applicable or applicable only in specific cases.
24. DEFINITIONS. As used in this Plan, the following terms will have the following meanings:
25.
Award means any award under this Plan, including any Option, Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Unit or Stock Appreciation Right.
Award Agreement means, with respect to each Award, the signed written agreement between the Company and the Participant setting forth the terms and conditions of the Award.
Board means the Board of Directors of the Company.
Cause means the commission of an act of theft, embezzlement, fraud, dishonesty, other acts constituting gross misconduct, or a breach of fiduciary duty to the Company or a Parent or Subsidiary of the Company.
Code means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
Committee means the Compensation Committee of the Board.
Company means Electronic Arts Inc. or any successor corporation.
Disability means a disability, whether temporary or permanent, partial or total, as determined by the Committee.
Exchange Act means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
Exercise Price means the price at which a holder of an Option or a SAR, as the case may be, may purchase the Shares issuable upon exercise of such Option or SAR.
Fair Market Value means, as of any date, the value of a share of the Companys Common Stock determined as follows:
(a) | if such Common Stock is then quoted on the Nasdaq National Market, its closing price on the Nasdaq National Market on the date of determination as reported in The Wall Street Journal; | ||
(b) | if such Common Stock is publicly traded and is then listed on a national securities exchange, its closing price on the date of determination on the principal national securities exchange on which the Common Stock is listed or admitted to trading as reported in The Wall Street Journal; | ||
(c) | if such Common Stock is publicly traded but is not quoted on the Nasdaq National Market nor listed or admitted to trading on a national securities exchange, the average of the closing bid and asked prices on the date of determination as reported in The Wall Street Journal; or | ||
(d) | if none of the foregoing is applicable, by the Committee in good faith. |
Family Member includes any of the following:
(a) | child, stepchild, grandchild, parent, stepparent, grandparent, spouse, former spouse, sibling, niece, nephew, mother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law of the |
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Participant, including any such person with such relationship to the Participant by adoption; | |||
(b) | any person (other than a tenant or employee) sharing the Participants household; | ||
(c) | a trust in which the persons in (a) and (b) have more than fifty percent of the beneficial interest; | ||
(d) | a foundation in which the persons in (a) and (b) or the Participant control the management of assets; or | ||
(e) | any other entity in which the persons in (a) and (b) or the Participant own more than fifty percent of the voting interest. |
Insider means an officer or director of the Company or any other person whose transactions in the Companys Common Stock are subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act.
Option means an award of an option to purchase Shares pursuant to Section 5.
Outside Director means a member of the Board who is not an employee of the Company or any Parent or Subsidiary of the Company.
Parent means any corporation (other than the Company) in an unbroken chain of corporations ending with the Company if each of such corporations other than the Company owns 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.
Participant means a person who receives an Award under this Plan.
Performance Factors means any of the factors selected by the Committee and specified in an Award Agreement, from among the following objective measures, either individually, alternatively or in any combination, applied to the Company as a whole or any business unit or Subsidiary, either individually, alternatively, or in any combination, and measured, to the extent applicable on an absolute basis or relative to a pre-established target, to determine whether the performance goals established by the Committee with respect to applicable Awards have been satisfied:
(a) | Net revenue; | ||
(b) | Earnings before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization; | ||
(c) | Operating income; | ||
(d) | Operating margin; | ||
(e) | Net income; | ||
(f) | Earnings per share; | ||
(g) | Total stockholder return; | ||
(h) | The Companys stock price; | ||
(i) | Growth in stockholder value relative to a pre-determined index; | ||
(j) | Return on equity; |
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(k) | Return on invested capital; | ||
(l) | Operating cash flow; | ||
(m) | Free cash flow; | ||
(n) | Economic value added; and | ||
(o) | Individual confidential business objectives. |
The Committee may, in recognition of unusual or non-recurring items such as acquisition-related activities or changes in applicable accounting rules, provide for one or more equitable adjustments (based on objective standards) to the Performance Factors to preserve the Committees original intent regarding the Performance Factors at the time of the initial award grant. It is within the sole discretion of the Committee to make or not make any such equitable adjustments.
Performance Period means the period of service determined by the Committee, which shall be no less than one calendar quarter nor more than five years (unless tied to a specific and objective milestone or event), during which time of service or performance is to be measured for Awards.
Plan means this EA 2000 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended from time to time.
Restricted Stock Award means an award of Shares that are subject to restrictions pursuant to Section 6.
Restricted Stock Unit means an award of the right to receive, in cash or Shares, the value of a share of the Companys Common Stock pursuant to Section 7.
SEC means the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Securities Act means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
Shares means shares of the Companys Common Stock reserved for issuance under this Plan, as adjusted pursuant to Sections 2 and 19, and any successor security.
Stock Appreciation Right or SAR means an Award, granted alone or in tandem with a related Option that pursuant to Section 8 is designated as a SAR.
Subsidiary means any corporation (other than the Company) in an unbroken chain of corporations beginning with the Company if each of the corporations other than the last corporation in the unbroken chain owns 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.
Termination or Terminated means, for purposes of this Plan with respect to a Participant, that the Participant has for any reason ceased to provide services as an employee, officer, director, consultant, independent contractor, or advisor to the Company or a Parent or Subsidiary of the Company. An employee will not be deemed to have ceased to provide services in the case of (i) sick leave, (ii) military leave, or (iii) any other leave of absence approved by the Committee, provided, that such leave is for a period of not more than 90 days, unless reemployment upon the expiration of such leave is guaranteed by contract or statute or unless provided otherwise pursuant to formal policy adopted from time to time by the Company and issued and promulgated to employees in writing. In the case of any employee on an approved leave of absence, the Committee may make such provisions respecting suspension of vesting of the Award while on leave from the employ of the Company or a Subsidiary as it may deem appropriate, except that in no event may an Option be exercised after the expiration of the term set forth in the Option agreement. The Committee will have sole discretion to determine whether a Participant has ceased to provide services and the effective date on which the Participant ceased to provide services (the Termination Date).
Unvested Shares means Unvested Shares as defined in the Award Agreement.
Vested Shares means Vested Shares as defined in the Award Agreement.
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