Specialists On Call, Inc. 2014 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended, and related form of option agreement

EX-10.11 9 ea129227ex10-11_soctelemed.htm SPECIALISTS ON CALL, INC. 2014 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN, AS AMENDED, AND RELATED FORM OF OPTION AGREEMENT

Exhibit 10.11

 

Specialists on Call, Inc.
2014 Equity Incentive Plan
(as amended February 20, 2019)

 

Adopted by the Board of Directors: January 21, 2014
Termination Date: January 21, 2024

 

1. General.

 

(a) Eligible Award Recipients. Employees, Directors and Consultants are eligible to receive Awards.

 

(b) Available Awards. The Plan provides for the grant of the following types of Awards: (i) Incentive Stock Options, (ii) Nonstatutory Stock Options, (iii) Stock Appreciation Rights (iv) Restricted Stock Awards, (v) Restricted Stock Unit Awards, and (vi) Other Awards.

 

(c) Purpose. The Plan, through the granting of Awards, is intended to help the Company secure and retain the services of eligible award recipients, provide incentives for such persons to exert maximum efforts for the success of the Company and any Affiliate and provide a means by which the eligible recipients may benefit from increases in value of the Common Stock.

 

2. Administration.

 

(a) Administration by Board. The Board will administer the Plan. The Board may delegate administration of the Plan to a Committee or Committees, as provided in Section 2(c).

 

(b) Powers of Board. The Board will have the power, subject to, and within the limitations of, the express provisions of the Plan:

 

(i) To determine (A) who will be granted Awards; (B) when and how each Award will be granted; (C) what type of Award will be granted; (D) the provisions of each Award (which need not be identical), including when a person will be permitted to exercise or otherwise receive cash or Common Stock under the Award; (E) the number of shares of Common Stock subject to, or the cash value of, an Award; and (F) the Fair Market Value applicable to an Award.

 

(ii) To construe and interpret the Plan and Awards granted under it, and to establish, amend and revoke rules and regulations for its administration of the Plan and Awards. The Board, in the exercise of these powers, may correct any defect, omission or inconsistency in the Plan or in any Award Agreement in a manner and to the extent it will deem necessary or expedient to make the Plan or Award fully effective.

 

(iii) To settle all controversies regarding the Plan and Awards granted under it.

 

(iv) To accelerate, in whole or in part, the time at which an Award may be exercised or vest (or at which cash or shares of Common Stock may be issued).

 

(v) To suspend or terminate the Plan at any time.

 

(vi) To amend the Plan in any respect the Board deems necessary or advisable, including, without limitation, by adopting amendments relating to Incentive Stock Options and certain nonqualified deferred compensation under Section 409A and/or to make the Plan or Awards granted under the Plan exempt from or compliant therewith, subject to the limitations, if any, of applicable law.

 

 

(vii) To submit any amendment to the Plan for stockholder approval, including, but not limited to, amendments to the Plan intended to satisfy the requirements of Section 422 of the Code regarding incentive stock options.

 

(viii) To approve forms of Award Agreements for use under the Plan and to amend the terms of any one or more Awards, including, but not limited to, amendments to provide terms more favorable to the Participant than previously provided in the Award Agreement, subject to any specified limits in the Plan that are not subject to Board discretion; provided however, that a Participant’s rights under any Award will not be impaired by any such amendment unless the Company requests the consent of the affected Participant, and such Participant consents in writing. Notwithstanding the foregoing, (A) a Participant’s rights will not be deemed to have been impaired by any such amendment if the Board, in its sole discretion, determines that the amendment, taken as a whole, does not materially impair the Participant’s rights, and (B) subject to the limitations of applicable law, if any, the Board may amend the terms of any one or more Awards without the affected Participant’s consent (1) to maintain the qualified status of the Award as an Incentive Stock Option under Section 422 of the Code; (2) to change the terms of an Incentive Stock Option, if such change results in impairment of the Award solely because it impairs the qualified status of the Award as an Incentive Stock Option under Section 422 of the Code; (3) to clarify the manner of exemption from, or to bring the Award into compliance with Section 409A; (4) to correct clerical or typographical errors; or (5) to comply with other applicable laws or listing requirements.

 

(ix) 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 and that are not in conflict with the provisions of the Plan or Awards.

 

(x) To adopt such procedures and sub-plans as are necessary or appropriate to permit participation in the Plan by Employees, Directors or Consultants who are foreign nationals or employed outside the United States.

 

(xi) To effect, with the consent of any adversely affected Participant, (A) the reduction of the exercise, purchase or strike price of any outstanding Award; (B) the cancellation of any outstanding Award and the grant in substitution therefor of a new (1) Option or SAR, (2) Restricted Stock Award, (3) Restricted Stock Unit Award, (4) Other Award, (5) cash and/or (6) other valuable consideration determined by the Board, in its sole discretion, with any such substituted award (x) covering the same or a different number of shares of Common Stock as the cancelled Award and (y) granted under the Plan or another equity or compensatory plan of the Company; or (C) any other action that is treated as a repricing under generally accepted accounting principles.

 

(c) Delegation to Committee. The Board may delegate some or all of the administration of the Plan to a Committee or Committees. If administration of the Plan is delegated to a Committee, the Committee will have, in connection with the administration of the Plan, the powers theretofore possessed by the Board that have been delegated to the Committee. Any delegation of administrative powers will be reflected in resolutions, not inconsistent with the provisions of the Plan, as may be adopted from time to time by the Board or Committee (as applicable). The Board may retain the authority to concurrently administer the Plan with the Committee and may, at any time, revest in the Board some or all of the powers previously delegated.

 

 

(d) Delegation to an Officer. To the extent permitted by law, the Board may delegate to one (1) or more Officers the authority to do one or both of the following (i) designate Employees who are not Officers to be recipients of Options and SARs (and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, other Awards) and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, the terms of such Awards, and (ii) determine the number of shares of Common Stock to be subject to such Awards granted to such Employees. The Board resolutions regarding such delegation will specify the total number of shares of Common Stock that may be subject to the Awards granted by such Officer and that such Officer may not grant an Award to himself or herself. Any such Awards will be granted on the form of Award Agreement most recently approved for use by the Committee or the Board, unless otherwise provided in the resolutions approving the delegation authority. Unless permitted by applicable law, the Board may not delegate authority to an Officer who is acting solely in the capacity of an Officer (and not also as a Director) to determine the Fair Market Value pursuant to Section 13(u)(ii) below (that is, in the absence of a compliant Section 409A valuation).

 

(e) Effect of Board’s Decision. All determinations, interpretations and constructions made by the Board in good faith will not be subject to review by any person and will be final, binding and conclusive on all persons.

 

3. Shares Subject to the Plan.

 

(a) Subject to Section 9(a) relating to Capitalization Adjustments, the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock reserved under the Plan will be 22,798,185 shares (the “Share Reserve”), which is the sum of (i) the initial share reserve of 760,000 shares of Common Stock as of January 21, 2014 (that is, the Effective Date), (ii) an additional 18,477,474 shares of Common Stock added in January 2016, (iii) an additional 620,711 shares of Common Stock added in February 2019 and (iv) up to all of the 2,940,000 shares that were reserved under the Company’s 2004 Stock Option and Incentive Plan (the “2004 Plan”) as of the Effective Date, but only if, as and when those shares that were reserved under the 2004 Plan would otherwise be available for grant (e.g., shares subject to awards granted under the 2004 Plan that expire or terminate for any reason prior to exercise or settlement, are forfeited because of the failure to vest in those shares, or are otherwise reacquired or withheld to satisfy a tax withholding obligation). For clarity, (x) if shares are fully and finally issued in respect of awards granted under the 2004 Plan, those shares will not be available for grant under this Plan, and (y) the Share Reserve is a limitation on the number of shares of Common Stock that may be issued pursuant to the Plan. Accordingly, the Share Reserve does not limit the granting of Awards except as provided in Section 7(a).

 

(b) Reversion of Shares to the Share Reserve.

 

(i) If an Award or any portion thereof (A) expires or otherwise terminates without all of the shares covered by such Award having been issued or (B) is settled in cash (i.e., the Participant receives cash rather than stock), such expiration, termination or settlement will not reduce (or otherwise offset) the number of shares of Common Stock that may be available for issuance under the Plan.

 

(ii) If any shares of Common Stock issued pursuant to an Award are forfeited back to or repurchased by the Company because of the failure to meet a contingency or condition required to vest such shares in the Participant, then the shares that are forfeited or repurchased will revert to and again become available for issuance under the Plan.

 

(iii) Any shares reacquired by the Company in satisfaction of tax withholding obligations on an Award or as consideration for the exercise or purchase price of an Award will again become available for issuance under the Plan.

 

(c) Incentive Stock Option Limit. Subject to Section 9(a) relating to Capitalization Adjustments, the aggregate maximum number of shares of Common Stock that may be issued pursuant to the exercise of Incentive Stock Options will be equal to 22,798,185 shares (including shares previously issued under the 2004 Plan).

 

(d) Source of Shares. The stock issuable under the Plan will be shares of authorized but unissued or reacquired Common Stock, including shares repurchased by the Company on the open market or otherwise.

 

 

4. Eligibility.

 

(a) Eligibility for Specific Awards. Incentive Stock Options may be granted only to employees of the Company, or a “parent corporation” or “subsidiary corporation” thereof (as such terms are defined in Sections 424(e) and 424(f) of the Code). Awards other than Incentive Stock Options may be granted to Employees, Directors and Consultants; provided, however, that Awards may not be granted to Employees, Directors and Consultants who are providing Continuous Service only to any “parent” of the Company, as such term is defined in Rule 405, unless (i) the stock underlying such Awards is treated as “service recipient stock” under Section 409A (for example, because the Awards are granted pursuant to a corporate transaction, such as a spin off transaction) or (ii) the Company, in consultation with its legal counsel, has determined that such Awards are otherwise exempt from or alternatively comply with the distribution requirements of Section 409A.

 

(b) Ten Percent Stockholders. A Ten Percent Stockholder will not be granted an Incentive Stock Option unless the exercise price of such Option is at least one hundred ten percent (110%) of the Fair Market Value on the date of grant, and the Option is not exercisable after the expiration of five (5) years from the date of grant.

 

5. Provisions Relating to Options and Stock Appreciation Rights.

 

Each Option or SAR will be in such form and will contain such terms and conditions as the Board deems appropriate. All Options will be separately designated Incentive Stock Options or Nonstatutory Stock Options at the time of grant, and, if certificates are issued, a separate certificate or certificates will be issued for shares of Common Stock purchased on the exercise of each type of Option. If an Option is not specifically designated as an Incentive Stock Option, or if an Option is designated as an Incentive Stock Option but some portion or all of the Option fails to qualify as an Incentive Stock Option under the applicable rules, then the Option (or portion thereof) will be a Nonstatutory Stock Option. The provisions of separate Options or SARs need not be identical. However, each Award Agreement will conform to (through incorporation of provisions hereof by reference in the applicable Award Agreement or otherwise) the substance of each of the following provisions:

 

(a) Term. Subject to the provisions of Section 4(b) regarding Ten Percent Stockholders, no Option or SAR will be exercisable after the expiration of ten (10) years from the date of its grant or such shorter period specified in the Award Agreement.

 

(b) Exercise Price. Subject to the provisions of Section 4(b) regarding Ten Percent Stockholders, the exercise or strike price of each Option or SAR will be not less than one hundred percent (100%) of the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock subject to the Option or SAR on the date the Award is granted. Notwithstanding the foregoing, an Option or SAR may be granted with an exercise price (or strike price) lower than one hundred percent (100%) of the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock subject to the Award if such Award is granted pursuant to an assumption of or substitution for another option or stock appreciation right pursuant to a Change in Control and in a manner consistent with the provisions of Section 409A and, if applicable, Section 424(a) of the Code. Each SAR will be denominated in shares of Common Stock equivalents.

 

(c) Purchase Price for Options. The purchase price of Common Stock acquired pursuant to the exercise of an Option may be paid, to the extent permitted by applicable law and as determined by the Board in its sole discretion, by any combination of the methods of payment set forth below. The Board will have the authority to grant Options that do not permit all of the following methods of payment (or otherwise restrict the ability to use certain methods) and to grant Options that require the consent of the Company to use a particular method of payment. The permitted methods of payment are as follows:

 

(i) by cash, check, bank draft, electronic funds, wire transfer, or money order payable to the Company;

 

 

(ii) pursuant to a program developed under Regulation T as promulgated by the Federal Reserve Board that, prior to the issuance of the stock subject to the Option, results in either the receipt of cash (or check) by the Company or the receipt of irrevocable instructions to pay the aggregate exercise price to the Company from the sales proceeds;

 

(iii) by delivery to the Company (either by actual delivery or attestation) of shares of Common Stock;

 

(iv) if an Option is a Nonstatutory Stock Option, by a “net exercise” arrangement pursuant to which the Company will reduce the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise by the largest whole number of shares with a Fair Market Value that does not exceed the aggregate exercise price; provided, however, the Company will accept a cash or other payment from the Participant to the extent of any remaining balance of the aggregate exercise price not satisfied by such reduction in the number of whole shares to be issued; shares of Common Stock will no longer be subject to an Option and will not be exercisable thereafter under such Option to the extent that (A) shares issuable upon exercise are used to pay the exercise price pursuant to the “net exercise,” (B) shares are delivered to the Participant as a result of such exercise, and (C) shares are withheld to satisfy tax withholding obligations – and all of the shares under each of (A) through (C) will be deemed to have been exercised and issued, and, as applicable, reacquired by the Company;

 

(v) according to a deferred payment or similar arrangement with the Participant; provided, however, that interest will compound at least annually and will be charged at the minimum rate of interest necessary to avoid (A) the imputation of interest income to the Company and compensation income to the Participant under any applicable provisions of the Code, and (B) the classification of the Award as a liability for financial accounting purposes; or

 

(vi) in any other form of legal consideration that may be acceptable to the Board and specified in the applicable Award Agreement.

 

(d) Exercise and Payment of a SAR. To exercise any outstanding SAR, the Participant must provide written notice of exercise to the Company in compliance with the provisions of the Stock Appreciation Right Agreement evidencing such SAR. The appreciation distribution payable on the exercise of a SAR will be not greater than an amount equal to the excess of (i) the aggregate Fair Market Value (on the date of the exercise of the SAR) of a number of shares of Common Stock equal to the number of Common Stock equivalents in which the Participant is vested under such SAR, and with respect to which the Participant is exercising the SAR on such date, over (ii) the strike price that will be determined by the Board at the time of grant of the Stock Appreciation Right. The appreciation distribution in respect to a Stock Appreciation Right may be paid in Common Stock, in cash, in any combination of the two or in any other form of consideration, as determined by the Board and contained in the Award Agreement evidencing such SAR.

 

(e) Transferability of Options and SARs. The Board may, in its sole discretion, impose such limitations on the transferability of Options and SARs as the Board will determine. In the absence of such a determination by the Board to the contrary, the following restrictions on the transferability of Options and SARs will apply:

 

(i) Restrictions on Transfer. An Option or SAR will not be transferable except by will or by the laws of descent and distribution (or pursuant to subsections (ii) and (iii) below) and will be exercisable during the lifetime of the Participant only by the Participant. The Board may permit transfer of the Option or SAR in a manner that is not prohibited by applicable tax and securities laws. Except as explicitly provided herein, neither an Option nor a SAR may be transferred for consideration.

 

 

(ii) Domestic Relations Orders. Subject to the approval of the Board or a duly authorized Officer, an Option or SAR may be transferred pursuant to the terms of a domestic relations order, official marital settlement agreement or other divorce or separation instrument as permitted by Treasury Regulation 1.421-l(b)(2). If an Option is an Incentive Stock Option, such Option may be deemed to be a Nonstatutory Stock Option as a result of such transfer.

 

(iii) Beneficiary Designation. Subject to the approval of the Board or a duly authorized Officer, a Participant may, by delivering written notice to the Company, in a form approved by the Company (or the designated broker), designate a third party who, on the death of the Participant, will thereafter be entitled to exercise the Option or SAR and receive the Common Stock or other consideration resulting from such exercise. In the absence of such a designation, the executor or administrator of the Participant’s estate will be entitled to exercise the Option or SAR and receive the Common Stock or other consideration resulting from such exercise. However, the Company may prohibit designation of a beneficiary at any time, including due to any conclusion by the Company that such designation would be inconsistent with the provisions of applicable laws.

 

(f) Vesting Generally. The total number of shares of Common Stock subject to an Option or SAR may vest and therefore become exercisable in periodic installments that may or may not be equal. The Option or SAR may be subject to such other terms and conditions on the time or times when it may or may not be exercised (which may be based on the satisfaction of performance goals or other criteria) as the Board may deem appropriate. The vesting provisions of individual Options or SARs may vary. The provisions of this Section 5(f) are subject to any Option or SAR provisions governing the minimum number of shares of Common Stock as to which an Option or SAR may be exercised.

 

(g) Termination of Continuous Service. Except as otherwise provided below or in the applicable Award Agreement or other agreement between the Participant and the Company, if a Participant’s Continuous Service terminates (other than for Cause and other than upon the Participant’s death or Disability), the Participant may exercise his or her Option or SAR (to the extent that the Participant was entitled to exercise such Award as of the date of termination of Continuous Service) within the period of time ending on the earlier of (i) the date three (3) months following the termination of the Participant’s Continuous Service (or such longer or shorter period specified in the applicable Award Agreement), and (ii) the expiration of the term of the Option or SAR as set forth in the Award Agreement. If, after termination of Continuous Service, the Participant does not exercise his or her Option or SAR within the applicable time frame, the Option or SAR will terminate.

 

(h) Extension of Termination Date. Except as otherwise provided in the applicable Award Agreement or other agreement between the Participant and the Company, if the exercise of an Option or SAR following the termination of the Participant’s Continuous Service (other than for Cause and other than upon the Participant’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 or SAR will terminate on the earlier of (i) the expiration of a total period of three (3) months (that need not be consecutive) after the termination of the Participant’s Continuous Service during which the exercise of the Option or SAR would not be in violation of such registration requirements, or (ii) the expiration of the term of the Option or SAR as set forth in the applicable Award Agreement.

 

(i) Disability of Participant. Except as otherwise provided in the applicable Award Agreement or other agreement between the Participant and the Company, if a Participant’s Continuous Service terminates as a result of the Participant’s Disability, the Participant may exercise his or her Option or SAR (to the extent that the Participant was entitled to exercise such Option or SAR as of the date of termination of Continuous Service), but only within such period of time ending on the earlier of (i) the date that is twelve (12) months following such termination of Continuous Service, and (ii) the expiration of the term of the Option or SAR as set forth in the Award Agreement. If, after termination of Continuous Service, the Participant does not exercise his or her Option or SAR within the applicable time frame, the Option or SAR (as applicable) will terminate.

 

 

(j) Death of Participant. Except as otherwise provided in the applicable Award Agreement or other agreement between the Participant and the Company, if (i) a Participant’s Continuous Service terminates as a result of the Participant’s death, or (ii) the Participant dies within three (3) months after the termination of the Participant’s Continuous Service (for a reason other than death or Cause), then the Option or SAR may be exercised (to the extent the Participant was entitled to exercise such Option or SAR as of the date of death) by the Participant’s estate, by a person who acquired the right to exercise the Option or SAR by bequest or inheritance or by a person designated to exercise the Option or SAR upon the Participant’s death, but only within the period ending on the earlier of (A) the date that is twelve (12) months following the date of death, and (B) the expiration of the term of such Option or SAR as set forth in the Award Agreement. If, after the Participant’s death, the Option or SAR is not exercised within the applicable time frame, the Option or SAR will terminate.

 

(k) Termination for Cause. Except as explicitly provided otherwise in a Participant’s Award Agreement or other individual written agreement between the Company or any Affiliate and the Participant, if a Participant’s Continuous Service is terminated for Cause, the Option or SAR will terminate immediately upon such Participant’s termination of Continuous Service, and the Participant will be prohibited from exercising his or her Option or SAR from and after the time of such termination of Continuous Service.

 

(l) Non-Exempt Employees. If an Option or SAR is granted to an Employee who is a non-exempt employee for purposes of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, as amended, the Option or SAR will not be first exercisable for any shares of Common Stock until at least six (6) months following the date of grant of the Option or SAR (although the Award may vest prior to such date). The vested portion of any Options and SARs may be exercised earlier than six (6) months following the date of grant (i) if such non-exempt Employee dies or suffers a Disability, (ii) upon a Change in Control or (iii) upon the Participant’s retirement (as such term may be defined in the Participant’s Award Agreement in another agreement between the Participant and the Company, or, if no such definition, in accordance with the Company’s then current employment policies and guidelines). The foregoing provision is intended to operate so that any income derived by a non-exempt employee in connection with the exercise or vesting of an Option or SAR will be exempt from his or her regular rate of pay and expressly override any stated right to “early exercise” an Option or SAR as contained in the applicable Award Agreement. To the extent permitted and/or required for compliance with the Worker Economic Opportunity Act to ensure that any income derived by a non-exempt employee in connection with the exercise, vesting or issuance of any shares under any other Award will be exempt from the employee’s regular rate of pay, the provisions of this Section 5(l) will apply to all Awards and are hereby incorporated by reference into such Award Agreements.

 

(m) Early Exercise. An Option may, but need not, include a provision whereby the Participant may elect before the Participant’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, except as would be inconsistent with Section 5(l). Subject to the repurchase limitation in Section 8(l), 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. Provided that the repurchase limitation in Section 8(l) is not violated, the Company shall not be required to exercise its repurchase option until at least six (6) months (or such longer or shorter period of time required to avoid classification of the Option as a liability for financial accounting purposes) have elapsed following exercise of the Option unless the Board otherwise specifically provides in the Option Agreement.

 

 

6. Provisions of Awards Other than Options and SARs.

 

(a) Restricted Stock Awards. Each Award Agreement will be in such form and will contain such terms and conditions as the Board will deem appropriate. To the extent consistent with the Company’s bylaws, at the Board’s election, shares of Common Stock may be (i) held in book entry form subject to the Company’s instructions until any restrictions relating to the Restricted Stock Award lapse; or (ii) evidenced by a certificate, which certificate will be held in such form and manner as determined by the Board. The terms and conditions of Award Agreements may change from time to time, and the terms and conditions of separate Award Agreements need not be identical. Each Award Agreement will conform to (through incorporation of the provisions hereof by reference in the agreement or otherwise) the substance of each of the following provisions:

 

(i) Consideration. A Restricted Stock Award may be awarded in consideration for (A) cash, check, bank draft, electronic funds, wire transfer or money order payable to the Company, (B) past services to the Company or an Affiliate, or (C) any other form of legal consideration that may be acceptable to the Board, in its sole discretion, and permissible under applicable law.

 

(ii) Vesting. Shares of Common Stock awarded under the Award Agreement may be subject to forfeiture to the Company in accordance with a vesting schedule (also referred to as a schedule for lapsing of the Company’s unvested share repurchase rights) to be determined by the Board.

 

(iii) Termination of Participant’s Continuous Service. If a Participant’s Continuous Service terminates, the Company may receive through a forfeiture condition or a repurchase right any or all of the shares of Common Stock held by the Participant that have not vested as of the date of termination of Continuous Service under the terms of the Award Agreement.

 

(iv) Transferability. Rights to acquire shares of Common Stock under the Award Agreement will be transferable by the Participant only upon such terms and conditions as are set forth in the Award Agreement, as the Board will determine in its sole discretion.

 

(v) Dividends. An Award Agreement may provide that any dividends paid on Restricted Stock will be subject to the same vesting and forfeiture restrictions as apply to the shares subject to the Restricted Stock Award to which they relate.

 

(b) Restricted Stock Unit Awards. Each Award Agreement will be in such form and will contain such terms and conditions as the Board deems appropriate. The terms and conditions of Award Agreements may change from time to time, and the terms and conditions of separate Award Agreements need not be identical. Each Award Agreement will conform to (through incorporation of the provisions hereof by reference in the agreement or otherwise) the substance of each of the following provisions:

 

(i) Consideration. At the time of grant of a Restricted Stock Unit Award, the Board will determine the consideration, if any, to be paid by the Participant upon delivery of each share of Common Stock subject to the Restricted Stock Unit Award. The consideration to be paid (if any) by the Participant for each share of Common Stock subject to a Restricted Stock Unit Award may be paid in any form of legal consideration that may be acceptable to the Board, in its sole discretion, and permissible under applicable law.

 

(ii) Vesting. At the time of the grant of a Restricted Stock Unit Award, the Board may impose such restrictions on or conditions to the vesting of the Restricted Stock Unit Award as it, in its sole discretion, deems appropriate.

 

(iii) Payment. A Restricted Stock Unit Award may be settled by the delivery of shares of Common Stock, their cash equivalent, any combination thereof or in any other form of consideration, as determined by the Board and contained in the Award Agreement.

 

 

(iv) Additional Restrictions. At the time of the grant of a Restricted Stock Unit Award, the Board, as it deems appropriate, may impose such restrictions or conditions that delay the delivery of the shares of Common Stock (or their cash equivalent) subject to a Restricted Stock Unit Award to a time after the vesting of such Restricted Stock Unit Award.

 

(v) Dividend Equivalents. Dividend equivalents may be credited in respect of shares of Common Stock covered by a Restricted Stock Unit Award, as determined by the Board and contained in the Award Agreement. At the sole discretion of the Board, such dividend equivalents may be converted into additional shares of Common Stock covered by the Restricted Stock Unit Award in such manner as determined by the Board. Any additional shares covered by the Restricted Stock Unit Award credited by reason of such dividend equivalents will be subject to all of the same terms and conditions of the underlying Award Agreement to which they relate.

 

(vi) Termination of Participant’s Continuous Service. Except as otherwise provided in the applicable Award Agreement, such portion of the Restricted Stock Unit Award that has not vested will be forfeited upon the Participant’s termination of Continuous Service.

 

(c) Other Awards. Other forms of Awards valued in whole or in part by reference to, or otherwise based on, Common Stock may be granted either alone or in addition to Awards provided for under Section 5 and the preceding provisions of this Section 6. Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Board will have sole and complete authority to determine the persons to whom and the time or times at which such Other Awards will be granted, the number of shares of Common Stock (or the cash equivalent thereof) to be granted pursuant to such Other Awards and all other terms and conditions of such Other Awards.

 

7. Covenants of the Company.

 

(a) Availability of Shares. The Company will keep available at all times the number of shares of Common Stock reasonably required to satisfy then-outstanding Awards.

 

(b) Compliance with Laws. The Company will use reasonable efforts to seek to obtain from each regulatory commission or agency having jurisdiction over the Plan such authority as may be required to grant Awards and to issue and sell shares of Common Stock upon exercise of the Awards; provided,however, that this undertaking will not require the Company to register under the Securities Act the Plan, any Award or any Common Stock issued or issuable pursuant to any such Award. If, after reasonable efforts and at a reasonable cost, the Company is unable to obtain from any such regulatory commission or agency the authority that counsel for the Company deems necessary for the lawful issuance and sale of Common Stock under the Plan, the Company will be relieved from any liability for failure to issue and sell Common Stock upon exercise of such Awards unless and until such authority is obtained. A Participant will not be eligible for the grant of an Award or the subsequent issuance of cash or Common Stock pursuant to the Award if such grant or issuance would be in violation of any applicable law.

 

(c) No Obligation to Notify or Minimize Taxes. The Company will have no duty or obligation to any Participant to advise such holder as to the time or manner of exercising such Award. Furthermore, the Company will have no duty or obligation to warn or otherwise advise such holder of a pending termination or expiration of an Award or a possible period in which the Award may not be exercised. The Company has no duty or obligation to minimize the tax consequences of an Award to the holder of such Award.

 

8. Miscellaneous.

 

(a) Use of Proceeds from Sales of Common Stock. Proceeds from the sale of shares of Common Stock pursuant to Awards will constitute general funds of the Company.

 

 

(b) Corporate Action Constituting Grant of Awards. Corporate action constituting a grant by the Company of an Award to any Participant will be deemed completed as of the date of such corporate action, unless otherwise determined by the Board, regardless of when the instrument, certificate, or letter evidencing the Award is communicated to, or actually received or accepted by, the Participant. In the event that the corporate records (e.g., Board consents, resolutions or minutes) documenting the corporate action constituting the grant contain terms (e.g., exercise price, vesting schedule or number of shares) that are inconsistent with those in the Award Agreement as a result of a clerical error in the papering of the Award Agreement, the corporate records will control and the Participant will have no legally binding right to the incorrect term in the Award Agreement.

 

(c) Stockholder Rights. No Participant will 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 Award unless and until (i) such Participant has satisfied all requirements for exercise of or the issuance of shares of Common Stock under, the Award pursuant to its terms, if applicable, and (ii) the issuance of the Common Stock subject to such Award has been entered into the books and records of the Company.

 

(d) No Employment or Other Service Rights. Nothing in the Plan, any Award Agreement or any other instrument executed thereunder or in connection with any Award granted pursuant thereto will confer upon any Participant any right to continue to serve the Company or an Affiliate in the capacity in effect at the time the Award was granted or will 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, (ii) the service of a Consultant pursuant to the terms of such Consultant’s agreement with the Company or an Affiliate, or (iii) the service of a Director pursuant to the bylaws of the Company or an Affiliate, and any applicable provisions of the corporate law of the state in which the Company or the Affiliate is incorporated, as the case may be.

 

(e) Change in Time Commitment. In the event a Participant’s regular level of time commitment in the performance of his or her services for the Company and any Affiliates is reduced (for example, and without limitation, if the Participant is an Employee of the Company and the Employee has a change in status from a full-time Employee to a part-time Employee) after the date of grant of any Award to the Participant, the Board has the right in its sole discretion (and without the need to seek or obtain the consent of the affected Participant) to (i) make a corresponding reduction in the number of shares or cash amount subject to any portion of such Award that is scheduled to vest or become payable after the date of such change in time commitment, and (ii) in lieu of or in combination with such a reduction, extend the vesting or payment schedule applicable to such Award. In the event of any such reduction, the Participant will have no right with respect to any portion of the Award that is so reduced or extended.

 

(f) Incentive Stock Option Limitations. To the extent that the aggregate Fair Market Value (determined at the time of grant) of Common Stock with respect to which Incentive Stock Options are exercisable for the first time by any Participant during any calendar year (under all plans of the Company and any Affiliates) exceeds $100,000 or such other limit established in the Code) or otherwise does not comply with the rules governing Incentive Stock Options, the Options or portions thereof that exceed such limit (according to the order in which they were granted) or otherwise do not comply with such rules will be treated as Nonstatutory Stock Options, notwithstanding any contrary provision of the applicable Option Agreement(s).

 

 

(g) Investment Assurances. The Company may require a Participant, as a condition of exercising or acquiring Common Stock under any Award, (i) to give written assurances satisfactory to the Company as to the Participant’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 Award; and (ii) to give written assurances satisfactory to the Company stating that the Participant is acquiring Common Stock subject to the Award for the Participant’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, will be inoperative if (A) the issuance of the shares upon the exercise or acquisition of Common Stock under the Award has been registered under a then currently effective registration statement under the Securities Act, or (B) 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 to comply with applicable securities laws, including, but not limited to, legends restricting the transfer of the Common Stock.

 

(h) Withholding Obligations. The Company may, in its sole discretion, satisfy any federal, state or local tax or social insurance withholding obligation relating to an Award by any of the following means (in addition to the Company’s right to withhold from any compensation paid to the Participant by the Company) or by a combination of such means: (i) causing the Participant to tender a cash payment; (ii) withholding shares of Common Stock from the shares of Common Stock issued or otherwise issuable to the Participant in connection with the Award; 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 such lesser amount as may be necessary to avoid classification of the Award as a liability for financial accounting purposes); (iii) withholding cash from an Award settled in cash; (iv) withholding payment from any amounts otherwise payable to the Participant; or (v) by such other method as may be set forth in the Award Agreement.

 

(i) Electronic Delivery. Any reference herein to a “written” agreement or document will include any agreement or document delivered electronically, filed publicly at www.sec.gov or any successor website thereto) or posted on the Company’s intranet (or other shared electronic medium controlled by the Company to which the Participant has access).

 

(j) Deferrals. To the extent permitted by applicable law, the Board, in its sole discretion, may determine that the delivery of Common Stock or the payment of cash, upon the exercise, vesting or settlement of all or a portion of any Award may be deferred and may establish programs and procedures for deferral elections to be made by Participants. Deferrals by Participants will be made in accordance with Section 409A. Consistent with Section 409A, the Board may provide for distributions while a Participant is still an employee or otherwise providing services to the Company. The Board is authorized to make deferrals of Awards and determine when, and in what annual percentages, Participants may receive payments, including lump sum payments, following the Participant’s termination of Continuous Service, and implement such other terms and conditions consistent with the provisions of the Plan and in accordance with applicable law.

 

(k) Compliance with Section 409A. Unless otherwise expressly provided for in an Award Agreement, the Plan and Award Agreements will be interpreted to the greatest extent possible in a manner that makes the Plan and the Awards granted hereunder exempt from Section 409A, and, to the extent not so exempt, in compliance with the requirements of Section 409A. The Plan and Award Agreements will be interpreted in accordance with Section 409A and Department of Treasury regulations and other interpretive guidance issued thereunder, including without limitation any such regulations or other guidance that may be issued or amended after the Effective Date.

 

(l) Right of Repurchase. An Award may include a provision whereby the Company may elect to repurchase all or any part of the shares of Common Stock acquired by the Participant. The terms of any repurchase option shall be specified in the Award Agreement. Unless otherwise determined by the Board and subject to compliance with applicable laws, the repurchase price for vested shares of Common Stock will be the Fair Market Value of the shares of Common Stock on the date of repurchase and the repurchase price for unvested shares of Common Stock will be the lower of (i) the Fair Market Value of the shares of Common Stock on the date of repurchase or (ii) their original purchase price. The Company will not exercise its repurchase option until at least six (6) months (or such longer or shorter period of time necessary to avoid classification of the Award as a liability for financial accounting purposes) have elapsed following delivery of shares of Common Stock subject to the Award, unless otherwise specifically provided by the Board. The Board reserves the right to assign the Company’s right of repurchase.

 

 

(m) Right of First Refusal An Award may also include a provision whereby the Company may elect to exercise a right of first refusal following receipt of notice from the Participant of the intent to transfer all or any part of the shares of Common Stock received under the Award. Except as expressly provided in this paragraph or in the Award Agreement, such right of first refusal shall otherwise comply with any applicable provisions of the bylaws of the Company. The Board reserves the right to assign the Company’s right of first refusal.

 

(n) Compliance with Exemption from Registration. Unless otherwise determined by the Board, during any period in which the Company does not have a class of its securities registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act and is not required to file reports under Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act, Awards, the shares of Common Stock issued under Awards may not be transferred until the Company is no longer relying on the exemption provided by Rule 12h-1(f) promulgated under the Exchange Act, except: (i) as permitted by Rule 701(c) promulgated under the Securities Act, (ii) to a guardian upon the disability of the Participant, or (iii) to an executor upon the death of the Participant (collectively, the “Permitted Transferees”). In addition, the Board may permit transfers by the Participant to the Company, and transfers in connection with a change in control or other acquisition involving the Company. Any Permitted Transferees may not further transfer the Awards. Except as otherwise expressly permitted in this paragraph, Awards and shares of Common Stock issued under Awards are restricted as to any pledge, hypothecation, or other transfer, including any short position, any “put equivalent position” as defined by Rule 16a-1(h) promulgated under the Exchange Act, or any “call equivalent position” as defined by Rule 16a-1(b) promulgated under the Exchange Act by the Participant if doing so would require the Company to register a class of its securities under Section 12 of the Exchange Act or to file reports under Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act. To the extent required by law, including to maintain an exemption from registration under Section 12 of the Exchange Act, the Company shall deliver to Participants (whether by physical or electronic delivery or written notice of the availability of the information on an internet site) the information required by Rule 701(e)(3), (4), and (5) promulgated under the Securities Act every six (6) months, including financial statements that are not more than one hundred eighty (180) days old; provided, however, that the Company may condition the delivery of such information upon the Participant’s agreement to maintain its confidentiality.

 

(o) Non U.S. Participants. To facilitate the making of any grant or combination of grants under this Plan, the Board may provide for such special terms or procedures for awards to Participants who are foreign nationals or who are employed by the Company or any Affiliate outside of the United States of America or who provide services to the Company under an agreement with a foreign nation or agency, as the Board may consider necessary or appropriate to accommodate differences in local law, tax policy, custom securities or exchange control laws. Moreover, the Board may approve such supplements to or amendments of this Plan (including without limitation, sub-plans) as it may consider necessary or appropriate for such purposes, without thereby affecting the terms of this Plan as in effect for any other purpose, and the Secretary or other appropriate officer of the Company may certify any such document as having been approved and adopted in the same manner as this Plan. No such special terms, supplements, amendments or restatements, however, will include any provisions that are inconsistent with the terms of this Plan as then in effect unless this Plan could have been amended to eliminate such inconsistency without further approval by the stockholders of the Company.

 

 

9. Adjustments upon Changes in Common Stock; Other Corporate Events.

 

(a) Capitalization Adjustments. In the event of a Capitalization Adjustment, the Board will appropriately and proportionately adjust: (i) the class(es) and maximum number of securities subject to the Plan as the Share Reserve, (ii) the class(es) and maximum number of securities that may be issued pursuant to the exercise of Incentive Stock Options pursuant to Section 3(c), and (iii) the class(es) and number of securities and price per share subject to outstanding Awards. The Board will make such adjustments, and its determination will be final, binding and conclusive.

 

(b) Dissolution or Liquidation. Except as otherwise provided in the Award Agreement, in the event of a dissolution or liquidation of the Company, all outstanding Awards (other than Awards consisting of vested and outstanding shares of Common Stock not subject to a forfeiture condition or the Company’s right of repurchase) will terminate immediately prior to the completion of such dissolution or liquidation, and the shares of Common Stock subject to the Company’s repurchase rights or subject to a forfeiture condition may be repurchased or reacquired by the Company notwithstanding the fact that the holder of such Award is providing Continuous Service, provided, however, that the Board may, in its sole discretion, cause some or all Awards to become fully vested, exercisable and/or no longer subject to repurchase or forfeiture (to the extent such Awards have not previously expired or terminated) before the dissolution or liquidation is completed but contingent on its completion.

 

(c) Change in Control. The following provisions will apply to Awards in the event of a Change in Control unless otherwise provided in the instrument evidencing the Award or any other written agreement between the Company or any Affiliate and the Participant or unless otherwise expressly provided by the Board at the time of grant of an Award. In the event of a Change in Control, and notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, the Board may take one or more of the following actions with respect to Awards, contingent upon the closing or completion of the Change in Control:

 

(i) arrange for the surviving corporation or acquiring corporation (or the surviving or acquiring corporation’s parent company) to assume or continue the Award or to substitute a similar stock award for the Award (including, but not limited to, an award to acquire the same consideration paid to the stockholders of the Company pursuant to the Change in Control);

 

(ii) arrange for the assignment of any reacquisition or repurchase rights held by the Company in respect of Common Stock issued pursuant to the Award to the surviving corporation or acquiring corporation (or the surviving or acquiring corporation’s parent company);

 

(iii) accelerate the vesting, in whole or in part, of the Award (and, if applicable, the time at which the Award may be exercised) to a date prior to the effective time of such Change in Control as the Board determines (or, if the Board does not determine such a date, to the date that is five (5) days prior to the effective date of the Change in Control), with such Award terminating if not exercised (if applicable) immediately prior to the effective time of the Change in Control;

 

(iv) arrange for the lapse, in whole or in part, of any reacquisition or repurchase rights held by the Company with respect to the Award;

 

(v) cancel or arrange for the cancellation of the Award, to the extent not vested or not exercised prior to the effective time of the Change in Control, in exchange for such cash consideration, if any, as the Board, in its sole discretion, may consider appropriate; and

 

(vi) make a payment, in such form as may be determined by the Board equal to the excess, if any, of (A) the value of the property the Participant would have received upon the exercise of the Award immediately prior to the effective time of the Change in Control, over (B) any exercise price payable by such holder in connection with such exercise, in consideration for the termination of such Award at or immediately prior to the closing. For clarity, this payment may be zero if the fair market value of the property is equal to or less than the exercise price.

 

 

The Board need not take the same action or actions with respect to all Awards or portions thereof or with respect to all Participants. The Board may take different actions with respect to the vested and unvested portions of an Award. Only to the extent permitted under Code Section 409A, the Board may provide that payments under this provision may be delayed to the same extent that payment of consideration to the holders of the Company’s Common Stock in connection with the Change in Control is delayed as a result of escrows, earn outs, holdbacks or other contingencies. An Award may be subject to additional acceleration of vesting and exercisability in connection with a Change in Control as may be provided in the Award Agreement for such Award or as may be provided in any other written agreement between the Company or any Affiliate and the Participant, but in the absence of such provision, no such acceleration will occur.

 

10. Term, Termination and Suspension of the Plan.

 

The Board may suspend or terminate the Plan at any time. This Plan will terminate, and no Incentive Stock Option will be granted after January 21, 2024, that is, the tenth (10^th) anniversary of the Effective Date. No Awards may be granted under the Plan while the Plan is suspended or after it is terminated. Suspension or termination of the Plan will not materially impair rights and obligations under any Award granted while the Plan is in effect except with the written consent of the affected Participant or as otherwise permitted in the Plan.

 

11. Effective Date of the Plan.

This Plan became effective on January 21, 2014 – that is, the Effective Date. 12. Choice of Law.

 

The laws of the State of Delaware will govern all questions concerning the construction, validity and interpretation of this Plan, without regard to that state’s conflict of laws rules.

 

13. Definitions. As used in the Plan, the following definitions will apply to the capitalized terms indicated below:

 

(a) “Affiliate” means, at the time of determination, any “parent” or “subsidiary” of the Company as such terms are defined in Rule 405. The Board will have the authority to determine the time or times at which “parent” or “subsidiary” status is determined within the foregoing definition.

 

(b) “Award” means (i) Incentive Stock Options, (ii) Nonstatutory Stock Options, (iii) Stock Appreciation Rights (iv) Restricted Stock Awards, (v) Restricted Stock Unit Awards, and (vi) Other Awards.

 

(c) “Award Agreement” means a written agreement between the Company and a Participant evidencing the terms and conditions of an Award.

 

(d) “Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.

 

(e) “Capitalization Adjustment” means any change that is made in, or other events that occur with respect to, the Common Stock subject to the Plan or subject to any Award after the Effective Date without the receipt of consideration by the Company through merger, consolidation, reorganization, recapitalization, reincorporation, stock dividend, dividend in property other than cash, large nonrecurring cash dividend, stock split, reverse stock split, liquidating dividend, combination of shares, exchange of shares, change in corporate structure or any similar equity restructuring transaction, as that term is used in Statement of Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Topic 718 (or any successor thereto). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the conversion of any convertible securities of the Company will not be treated as a Capitalization Adjustment.

 

 

(f) “Cause” will have the meaning ascribed to such term in any written agreement between the Participant and the Company defining such term as applicable to an Award and, in the absence of such agreement, such terms means, with respect to a Participant, the occurrence of any of the following events: (i) such Participant’s commission of any felony, (ii) such Participant’s commission of a crime involving fraud, dishonesty or moral turpitude under the laws of the United States or any state thereof that is reasonably likely to result in material adverse effects on the Company or commission of any “bad actor” action under Rule 506(d) of the Securities Act; (iii) such Participant’s intentional, material violation of any corporate policy, or any contract or agreement between the Participant and the Company or of any statutory duty owed to the Company; (iv) such Participant’s unauthorized use or disclosure of the Company’s confidential information or trade secrets; or (v) such Participant’s gross misconduct that is reasonably likely to result in adverse effects on the Company. The determination that a termination of the Participant’s Continuous Service is either for Cause or without Cause will be made by the Board, in its sole discretion. Any determination by the Board that the Continuous Service of a Participant was terminated with or without Cause for the purposes of outstanding Awards held by such Participant will have no effect upon any determination of the rights or obligations of the Company or such Participant for any other purpose.

 

(g) “Change in Control” means the occurrence, in a single transaction or in a series of related transactions, of any one or more of the following events:

 

(i) Any Exchange Act Person becomes the Owner, directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing more than fifty percent (50%) of the combined voting power of the Company’s then outstanding securities other than by virtue of a merger, consolidation or similar transaction. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a Change in Control will not be deemed to occur (A) on account of the acquisition of securities of the Company directly from the Company or its authorized underwriter or broker, (B) on account of the acquisition of securities of the Company by an investor, any affiliate thereof or any other Exchange Act Person that acquires the Company’s securities in a transaction or series of related transactions the primary purpose of which is to obtain financing for the Company through the issuance of equity securities, or (C) solely because the level of Ownership held by any Exchange Act Person (the “Subject Person”) exceeds the designated percentage threshold of the outstanding voting securities as a result of a repurchase or other acquisition of voting securities by the Company reducing the number of shares outstanding, provided, however, that if a Change in Control would occur (but for the operation of this sentence) as a result of the acquisition of voting securities by the Company, and after such share acquisition, the Subject Person becomes the Owner of any additional voting securities that, assuming the repurchase or other acquisition had not occurred, increases the percentage of the then outstanding voting securities Owned by the Subject Person over the designated percentage threshold, then a Change in Control will be deemed to occur;

 

(ii) there is consummated a merger, consolidation or similar transaction involving (directly or indirectly) the Company and, immediately after the consummation of such merger, consolidation or similar transaction, the stockholders of the Company immediately prior thereto do not Own, directly or indirectly, either (A) outstanding voting securities representing more than fifty percent (50%) of the combined outstanding voting power of the surviving Entity in such merger, consolidation or similar transaction or (B) more than fifty percent (50%) of the combined outstanding voting power of the parent of the surviving Entity in such merger, consolidation or similar transaction, in each case in substantially the same proportions as their Ownership of the outstanding voting securities of the Company immediately prior to such transaction; or

 

(iii) there is consummated a sale, lease, exclusive license or other disposition of all or substantially all of the consolidated assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries, other than a sale, lease, license or other disposition of all or substantially all of the consolidated assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries to an Entity, more than fifty percent (50%) of the combined voting power of the voting securities of which are Owned by stockholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their Ownership of the outstanding voting securities of the Company immediately prior to such sale, lease, license or other disposition.

 

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing definition or any other provision of this Plan, (A) the term Change in Control will not include a sale of assets, merger or other transaction effected exclusively for the purpose of changing the domicile of the Company, and (B) the definition of Change in Control (or any analogous term) in an individual written agreement between the Company or any Affiliate and the Participant will supersede the foregoing definition with respect to Awards subject to such agreement. To the extent necessary for compliance with Code Section 409A, no transaction will be a Change in Control unless it is also a change in the ownership or effective control of the Company, or in the ownership of a substantial portion of the Company’s assets, as provided in Section 409A(a)(2)(A)(v) of the Code and Treasury Regulations Section 1.409A-3(i)(5).

 

(h) “Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, including any applicable regulations and guidance thereunder.

 

(i) “Committee” means a committee of one (1) or more Directors to whom authority has been delegated by the Board in accordance with Section 2(c).

 

(j) “Common Stock” means the common stock of the Company.

 

(k) “Company” means Specialists on Call, Inc., a Delaware corporation.

 

(l) “Consultant” means any person, including an advisor, who is (i) engaged by the Company or an Affiliate to render consulting or advisory services and is compensated for such services, or (ii) serving as a member of the board of directors of an Affiliate and is compensated for such services, in either case, only if such person satisfies the requirements to be a consultant for purposes of Rule 701.

 

(m) “Continuous Service” means that the Participant’s service with the Company or an Affiliate, whether as an Employee, Director or Consultant, is not interrupted or terminated. A change in the capacity in which the Participant renders service to the Company or an Affiliate as an Employee, Consultant or Director or a change in the Entity for which the Participant renders such service, provided that there is no interruption or termination of the Participant’s service with the Company or an Affiliate, will not terminate a Participant’s Continuous Service. If the Entity for which a Participant is rendering services ceases to qualify as an Affiliate, as determined by the Board, in its sole discretion, such Participant’s Continuous Service will be considered to have terminated on the date such Entity ceases to qualify as an Affiliate. To the extent permitted by law, the Board or the chief executive officer of the Company, in that party’s sole discretion, may determine whether Continuous Service will be considered interrupted in the case of (i) any leave of absence approved by the Board or chief executive officer of the Company, including sick leave, military leave or any other personal leave, or (ii) transfers between the Company, an Affiliate, or their successors. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a leave of absence will be treated as Continuous Service for purposes of vesting in an Award only to such extent as may be provided in the Company’s leave of absence policy, in the written terms of any leave of absence agreement or policy applicable to the Participant, or as otherwise required by law.

 

(n) “Director” means a member of the Board.

 

(o) “Disability” means, with respect to a Participant, the inability of such Participant to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment that can be expected to result in death or that has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than twelve (12) months, as provided in Sections 22(e)(3) and 409A(a)(2)(c)(i) of the Code, and will be determined by the Board on the basis of such medical evidence as the Board deems warranted under the circumstances.

 

 

(p) “Effective Date” means the effective date of this Plan, which is the earlier of (i) the date that this Plan is first approved by the Company’s stockholders and (ii) the date this Plan is adopted by the Board.

 

(q) “Employee” means any person employed by the Company or an Affiliate. However, service solely as a Director, or payment of a fee for such services, will not cause a Director to be considered an “Employee” for purposes of the Plan.

 

(r) “Entity” means a corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other entity.

 

(s) “Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

(t) “Exchange Act Person” means any natural person, Entity or “group” (within the meaning of Section 13(d) or 14(d) of the Exchange Act), except that “Exchange Act Person” will not include (i) the Company or any Subsidiary, (ii) any employee benefit plan of the Company or any Subsidiary or any trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under an employee benefit plan of the Company or any Subsidiary, (iii) an underwriter temporarily holding securities pursuant to an offering of such securities, (iv) an Entity Owned, directly or indirectly, by the stockholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their Ownership of stock of the Company; or (v) any natural person, Entity or “group” (within the meaning of Section 13(d) or 14(d) of the Exchange Act) that, as of the date of determination, is the Owner, directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing more than fifty percent (50%) of the combined voting power of the Company’s then outstanding securities.

 

(u) “Fair Market Value” means, as of any date, the value of the Common Stock determined as follows:

 

(i) If the Common Stock is listed on any established stock exchange or traded on any established market, the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock will be, unless otherwise determined by the Board, the closing sales price for such stock as quoted on such exchange or market (or the exchange or market with the greatest volume of trading in the Common Stock) on the date of determination, as reported in a source the Board deems reliable, or, if there is no closing sales price for the Common Stock on the date of determination, then the Fair Market Value will be the closing selling price on the last preceding date for which such quotation exists.

 

(ii) In the absence of such markets for the Common Stock, the Fair Market Value will be determined by the Board in good faith and in a manner that complies with Sections 409A and 422 of the Code.

 

(v) “Good Reason” will have the meaning ascribed to such term in any written agreement between the Participant and the Company defining such term as applicable to an Award and, in the absence of such agreement, such terms means, with respect to a Participant, the Participant’s resignation from all positions he or she then-holds with the Company following: (i) a reduction in the Participant’s base salary of more than 10%, which is a material reduction in base salary or (ii) the required relocation of Participant’s primary work location to a facility that increases his or her one-way commute by more than 40 miles, which is a material adverse change in geographic location, but, in either case, only if (x) Participant provides written notice to the Company’s Chief Executive Officer within 30 days following such event identifying the nature of the event, (y) the Company fails to cure such event within 30 days following receipt of such written notice, and (z) Participant’s resignation is effective not later than 30 days thereafter.

 

(w) “Incentive Stock Option” means an option granted under the Plan that is intended to be, and that qualifies as, an “incentive stock option” within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code.

 

 

(x) “Nonstatutory Stock Option” means any option granted under the Plan that does not qualify as an Incentive Stock Option.

 

(y) “Officer” means a person who is an officer of the Company within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act.

 

(z) “Option” means an Incentive Stock Option or a Nonstatutory Stock Option to purchase shares of Common Stock granted pursuant to the Plan.

 

(aa) “Other Award” means an award based in whole or in part by reference to the Common Stock which is granted pursuant to the terms and conditions of Section 6(c).

 

(bb) “Own,” “Owned,” “Owner,” “Ownership” means a person or Entity will be deemed to “Own,” to have “Owned,” to be the “Owner” of, or to have acquired “Ownership” of securities if such person or Entity, directly or indirectly, through any contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship or otherwise, has or shares voting power, which includes the power to vote or to direct the voting, with respect to such securities.

 

(cc) “Participant” means a person to whom an Award is granted pursuant to the Plan or, if applicable, such other person who holds an outstanding Award.

 

(dd) “Plan” means this Specialists on Call, Inc. 2014 Equity Incentive Plan.

 

(ee) “Restricted Stock Award” means an award of shares of Common Stock which is granted pursuant to the terms and conditions of Section 6(a).

 

(ff) “Restricted Stock Unit Award” means a right to receive shares of Common Stock which is granted pursuant to the terms and conditions of Section 6(b).

(gg) “Rule 405” means Rule 405 promulgated under the Securities Act. (hh) “Rule 701” means Rule 701 promulgated under the Securities Act.

 

(ii) “Section 409A” means Section 409A of the Code and the regulations and other guidance thereunder and any state law of similar effect.

 

(jj) “Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

(kk) “Stock Appreciation Right” or “SAR” means a right to receive the appreciation on Common Stock that is granted pursuant to the terms and conditions of Section 5.

 

(ll) “Subsidiary” means, with respect to the Company, (i) any corporation of which more than fifty percent (50%) of the outstanding capital stock having ordinary voting power to elect a majority of the board of directors of such corporation (irrespective of whether, at the time, stock of any other class or classes of such corporation will have or might have voting power by reason of the happening of any contingency) is at the time, directly or indirectly, Owned by the Company, and (ii) any partnership, limited liability company or other entity in which the Company has a direct or indirect interest (whether in the form of voting or participation in profits or capital contribution) of more than fifty percent (50%).

 

(mm) “Ten Percent Stockholder” means a person who Owns (or is deemed to Own pursuant to Section 424(d) of the Code) stock possessing more than ten percent (10%) of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or any Affiliate.

 

(nn) “Treasury Regulations” means the final or temporary regulations that have been issued by the U.S. Department of Treasury pursuant to its authority under the Code, and any successor regulations.

 

 

Specialists on Call, Inc.
Option Agreement

 

Pursuant to your Stock Option Grant Notice (the “Grant Notice”) and this Option Agreement (this “Option Agreement”), Specialists on Call, Inc. (the “Company”) has granted you an option (the “Option”) under its 2014 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) to purchase the number of shares of the Company’s Common Stock indicated in your Grant Notice at the exercise price indicated in your Grant Notice.

 

1. Vesting. The Option will vest as provided in your Grant Notice. Vesting will cease, in all events, on the termination of your Continuous Service after taking into account any acceleration that occurs on your termination.

 

2. Number of Shares and Exercise Price. The number of shares of Common Stock subject to the Option and the exercise price per share in your Grant Notice will be adjusted for Capitalization Adjustments as provided in the Plan.

 

3. Exercise Restriction for Non-Exempt Employees. If you are an Employee eligible for overtime compensation under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, as amended (that is, a “Non-Exempt Employee”), and except as otherwise provided in the Plan, you may not exercise your Option until you have completed at least six (6) months of Continuous Service measured from the Date of Grant, even if you have already been an employee for more than six (6) months. Consistent with the provisions of the Worker Economic Opportunity Act, you may exercise the Option as to any vested portion prior to such six (6) month anniversary in the case of (i) your death or Disability or (ii) a Change in Control.

 

4. Exercise prior to Vesting (“Early Exercise”). If permitted in your Grant Notice (i.e., the “Exercise Schedule” indicates “Early Exercise Permitted”), you may elect at any time that is both during the period of your Continuous Service and during the term of your Option, to exercise all or part of your Option, including the unvested portion of your Option; provided, however, that:

 

(a) if the exercise restriction for Non-Exempt Employees applies, this Option may not be exercised until such restriction lapses;

 

(b) this Early Exercise feature will expire immediately on your termination of Continuous Service, immediately prior to the effectiveness of the Company’s initial public offering of the Common Stock and upon the closing of any Change in Control;

 

(c) a partial exercise of your Option will be deemed to cover first vested shares of Common Stock and then the earliest vesting installments of unvested shares of Common Stock; and

 

(d) any shares of Common Stock so purchased from installments that have not vested as of the date of exercise will be subject to the purchase option in favor of the Company as described in the Company’s form of Early Exercise Stock Purchase Agreement that will result in the same vesting as if no early exercise had occurred.

 

 

5. Method of Payment. You must pay the full amount of the exercise price for the shares of Common Stock subject to the Option that you wish to exercise. If permitted in your grant notice, you may pay the exercise price through one or more of the following:

 

(a) Provided that at the time of exercise the Common Stock is publicly traded, pursuant to a program developed under Regulation T, as promulgated by the Federal Reserve Board that, prior to the issuance of Common Stock, results in either the receipt of cash (or check) by the Company or the receipt of irrevocable instructions to pay the aggregate exercise price to the Company from the sales proceeds. This manner of payment is also known as a “broker-assisted exercise,” “same day sale” or “sell to cover.”

 

(b) If the Option is a Nonstatutory Stock Option, by a “net exercise” arrangement pursuant to which the Company will reduce the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise by the largest whole number of shares with a Fair Market Value that does not exceed the aggregate exercise price. You must submit an additional payment to the extent of any remaining balance of the aggregate exercise price not satisfied by such reduction in the number of whole shares to be issued.

 

(c) If permitted by the Board at the time of exercise, by delivery to the Company (either by actual delivery or attestation) of already-owned shares of Common Stock that are owned free and clear of any liens, claims, encumbrances or security interests, and that are valued at Fair Market Value on the date of exercise. “Delivery” for these purposes, in the sole discretion of the Company at the time you exercise the Option (or any vested portion thereof), will include delivery to the Company of your attestation of ownership of such shares of Common Stock in a form approved by the Company. You may not exercise the Option (or any exercisable portion thereof) by delivery to the Company of Common Stock if doing so would violate the provisions of any law, regulation or agreement restricting the redemption of the Company’s stock.

 

6. Whole Shares. You may exercise the Option (or any vested portion thereof) only for whole shares of Common Stock.

 

7. Compliance with Laws. In no event may you exercise the Option (or any vested portion thereof) unless the shares of Common Stock issuable on exercise are then registered under the Securities Act or, if not registered, the Company has determined that your exercise and the issuance of the shares would be exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and compliant with all applicable laws, including the documentation requirements of Rule 701(e) of the Securities Act. The exercise of the Option (or any vested portion thereof) also must comply with all other applicable laws and regulations governing the Option. You may not exercise the Option (or any vested portion thereof) if the Company determines that such exercise would not be in material compliance with such laws and regulations (including any restrictions on exercise required for compliance with Treasury Regulations Section 1.40l(k)-1(d)(3), if applicable).

 

8. Term. You may not exercise the Option before the Date of Grant or after the expiration of the term of the Option. The term of the Option expires, subject to the provisions of the Plan, on the earliest of the following:

 

(a)

immediately on the termination of your Continuous Service for Cause;

 

 

(b) three (3) months after the termination of your Continuous Service for any reason other than for Cause, your Disability or your death (except as otherwise provided in Section 9(d) below); provided, however, that if during any part of such three (3) month period the Option is not exercisable solely because doing so would violate the registration requirements under the Securities Act, the Option will not expire until the earlier of the Expiration Date or until it has been exercisable for an aggregate period of three (3) months after the termination of your Continuous Service; provided further, that if (i) you are a Non-Exempt Employee, (ii) your Continuous Service terminates within six (6) months after the Date of Grant, and (iii) you have vested in a portion of the Option at the time of your termination of Continuous Service, the Option will not expire until the earlier of (A) the later of (1) the date that is seven (7) months after the Date of Grant, and (2) the date that is three (3) months after the termination of your Continuous Service, and (B) the Expiration Date;

 

(c) twelve (12) months after the termination of your Continuous Service due to your Disability (except as otherwise provided in Section 9(d) below);

 

(d) twelve (12) months after your death if you die either during your Continuous Service or within three (3) months after your Continuous Service terminates for any reason other than Cause;

 

(e) the Expiration Date indicated in your Grant Notice; or

 

(f) the day before the tenth (10th) anniversary of the Date of Grant.

 

If the Option is an Incentive Stock Option, note that to obtain the federal income tax advantages associated with an Incentive Stock Option, the Code requires that at all times beginning on the Date of Grant and ending on the date that is three (3) months before the date of the Option’s exercise, you must be an employee of the Company or an Affiliate, except in the event of your death or Disability. The Company has provided for extended exercisability of the Option under certain circumstances for your benefit but cannot guarantee that the Option will necessarily be treated as an Incentive Stock Option if you continue to provide services to the Company or an Affiliate as a Consultant or Director after your employment terminates or if you exercise the Option more than three (3) months after the date your employment with the Company or an Affiliate terminates.

 

9. Exercise.

 

(a) You may exercise the vested portion of the Option during its term by (i) delivering a Notice of Exercise (in a form designated by the Company), or making the required electronic election with the Company’s electronic platform (e.g., Equity Edge) or designated broker (e.g., E*Trade), and (ii) paying the exercise price and any applicable withholding taxes to the Company’s stock plan administrator, or to such other person as the Company may designate, together with such additional documents as the Company may then require.

 

(b) By exercising the Option you agree that, as a condition to any exercise of the Option, you must enter into an arrangement providing for the payment by you to the Company of any tax withholding obligation of the Company arising by reason of (i) the exercise of the Option, (ii) the lapse of any substantial risk of forfeiture to which the shares of Common Stock are subject at the time of exercise, or (iii) the disposition of shares of Common Stock acquired on such exercise.

 

 

(c) If the Option is an Incentive Stock Option, by exercising the Option you agree that you will notify the Company in writing within fifteen (15) days after the date of any disposition of any of the shares of the Common Stock issued on exercise of the Option that occurs within two (2) years after the Date of Grant or within one (1) year after such shares of Common Stock are transferred on exercise of the Option.

 

10. Transferability. Except as otherwise provided in this Section 10, the Option is not transferable, except by will or by the laws of descent and distribution, and is exercisable during your life only by you.

 

(a) Certain Trusts. Upon receiving written permission from the Board or its duly authorized designee, and only if doing so does not violate Code Section 409A, the incentive stock option rules (if applicable) and applicable securities laws, you may transfer the Option to a trust if you are considered to be the sole beneficial owner (determined under Section 671 of the Code and applicable state law) while the Option is held in the trust. You and the trustee must enter into transfer and other agreements required by the Company.

 

(b) Domestic Relations Orders. Upon receiving written permission from the Board or its duly authorized designee, and only if doing so does not violate Code Section 409A, the incentive stock option rules (if applicable) and applicable securities laws, and provided that you and the designated transferee enter into transfer and other agreements required by the Company, you may transfer the Option pursuant to the terms of a court approved domestic relations order, official marital settlement agreement or other divorce or separation instrument as permitted by Treasury Regulations Section 1.421-l(b)(2) that contains the information required by the Company to effectuate the transfer. You are encouraged to contact the Company’s Corporate Secretary regarding the proposed terms of any division of the Option prior to finalizing the domestic relations order or marital settlement agreement to help ensure the required information is contained within the domestic relations order or marital settlement agreement. If the Option is an Incentive Stock Option, the Option may be deemed to be a Nonstatutory Stock Option as a result of such transfer.

 

(c) Beneficiary Designation. Upon receiving written permission from the Board or its duly authorized designee, you may, by delivering written notice to the Company, in a form approved by the Company and any broker designated by the Company to handle option exercises, designate a third party who, on your death, will thereafter be entitled to exercise the Option and receive the Common Stock or other consideration resulting from such exercise. In the absence of such a designation, your executor or administrator of your estate will be entitled to exercise the Option and receive, on behalf of your estate, the Common Stock or other consideration resulting from such exercise.

 

11. Right of First Refusal and Other Prohibition on Transfer. Before any shares of Common Stock held by you or any transferee (either being sometimes referred to herein as the “Holder”) may be sold or otherwise transferred (including transfer by gift or operation of law), the Company must consent as set forth below and the Company or its assignee(s) shall have a right of first refusal to purchase such shares on the terms and conditions set forth in this Section 11 (the “Right of First Refusal”).

 

 

(a) Notice of Proposed Transfer. The Holder of the shares shall deliver to the Company a written notice (the “Notice”) stating: (i) the Holder’s bona fide intention to sell or otherwise transfer such shares; (ii) the name of each proposed purchaser or other transferee (“Proposed Transferee”); (iii) the number of shares to be transferred to each Proposed Transferee; (iv) the bona fide cash price or other consideration for which the Holder proposes to transfer the shares (the “Offered Price”), and (v) that the Holder shall offer to sell the shares to the Company and/or its assignee(s) at the Offered Price.

 

(b) Exercise of Right of First Refusal. At any time within thirty (30) days after receipt of the Notice, the Company and/or its assignee(s) may, by giving written notice to the Holder, elect to purchase any or all of the shares proposed to be transferred to any one or more of the Proposed Transferees, at the purchase price determined in accordance with subsection (c) below.

 

(c) Purchase Price. The purchase price (“Purchase Price”) for the shares purchased by the Company or its assignee(s) shall be the Offered Price. If the Offered Price includes consideration other than cash, the cash equivalent value of the non-cash consideration shall be determined by the Board of the Company in good faith.

 

(d) Payment. Payment of the Purchase Price shall be made, at the option of the Company or its assignee(s), in cash (by check), by cancellation of all or a portion of any outstanding indebtedness of the Holder to the Company (or, in the case of repurchase by an assignee, to the assignee), or by any combination thereof.

 

(e) Holder’s Right to Transfer. If all of the shares proposed in the Notice to be transferred to a given Proposed Transferee are not purchased by the Company and/or its assignee(s) as provided in this Section, then the Holder may sell or otherwise transfer such shares to that Proposed Transferee at the Offered Price or at a higher price, provided that (i) such sale or other transfer is consummated within one hundred and twenty (120) days after the date of the Notice, (ii) any such sale or other transfer is effected in accordance with any applicable securities laws and if requested by the Company, the Holder shall have delivered an opinion of counsel acceptable to the Company to that effect and (iii) the Proposed Transferee agrees in writing that the provisions of this Section shall continue to apply to the shares in the hands of such Proposed Transferee. If the shares described in the Notice are not transferred to the Proposed Transferee within such 120-day period, a new Notice shall be given to the Company, and the Company and/or its assignees shall again be offered the Right of First Refusal before any Shares held by the Holder may be sold or otherwise transferred.

 

(f) Exempt Transfers. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 4, the following transfers of vested Shares shall be exempt from the Right of First Refusal: (i) the transfer of any or all of the Shares on your death by will or intestacy to the your “immediate family” (as defined below) but only if each such transferee or other recipient agrees in a writing satisfactory to the Company that the Right of First Refusal (and all other restrictions on transfer set forth in this Agreement) shall continue to apply to the transferred Shares in the hands of such transferee or other recipient; (ii) any transfer of Shares made pursuant to a statutory merger or statutory consolidation of the Company with or into another corporation or corporations (except that the Right of First Refusal shall continue to apply thereafter to such Shares, in which case the surviving corporation of such merger or consolidation shall succeed to the rights or the Company unless the agreement of merger or consolidation expressly otherwise provides); or (iii) any transfer of Shares pursuant to the winding up, liquidation or dissolution of the Company. As used herein, the term “immediate family” shall mean the your spouse, lineal descendant or antecedent, brother or sister, adopted child or grandchild, or the spouse of any child, adopted child, grandchild or adopted grandchild of yours.

 

 

(g) Termination of Right of First Refusal and Prohibition on Transfer. The Right of First Refusal and the prohibition on transfer set forth above shall terminate as to all shares issued upon exercise of your Option upon the earlier of (i) first sale of Common Stock of the Company by the Company to the general public pursuant to a registration statement filed with, and declared effective by, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act, or (ii) a Change in Control in which the successor corporation has equity securities that are publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange or the Nasdaq Global Market or any other exchange designated by the Board from time to time.

 

12. Option not a Service Contract. The Option is not an employment or service contract, and nothing in the Option, the Grant Notice, this Option Agreement or the Plan will be deemed to create in any way whatsoever any obligation on your part to continue in the employ of the Company or an Affiliate, or of the Company or an Affiliate to continue your employment. In addition, nothing in the Option, the Grant Notice, this Option Agreement or the Plan will obligate the Company or an Affiliate, their respective stockholders, boards of directors, officers or employees to continue any relationship that you might have as a Director or Consultant for the Company or an Affiliate.

 

13. Withholding Obligations.

 

(a) At the time you exercise the Option, in whole or in part, and at any time thereafter as the Company requests, you hereby authorize withholding from payroll and any other amounts payable to you, and otherwise agree to make adequate provision for (including by means of a “same day sale” pursuant to a program developed under Regulation T as promulgated by the Federal Reserve Board to the extent permitted by the Company), any sums required to satisfy the federal, state, local and foreign tax withholding obligations of the Company or any Affiliate that arise in connection with the exercise of the Option.

 

(b) You may not exercise the Option unless the tax withholding obligations of the Company and any Affiliate are satisfied. Accordingly, you may not be able to exercise the Option when desired even though the Option is vested, and the Company will have no obligation to issue a certificate for shares of Common Stock unless such obligations are satisfied.

 

14. Tax Consequences.

 

(a) No Obligation to Minimize Taxes. You hereby agree that the Company does not have a duty to design or administer the Plan or its other compensation programs in a manner that minimizes your tax liabilities. You will not make any claim against the Company, or any of its Officers, Directors, Employees or Affiliates related to tax liabilities arising from the Option or your other compensation. In particular, you acknowledge that the Option is exempt from Section 409A only if the exercise price per share specified in the Grant Notice is at least equal to the “fair market value” per share of the Common Stock on the Date of Grant and there is no other impermissible deferral of compensation associated with the Option. Because the Common Stock is not traded on an established securities market, the Fair Market Value is determined by the Board, which may or may not have been in consultation with an independent valuation firm retained by the Company. You acknowledge that there is no guarantee that the Internal Revenue Service will agree with the valuation as determined by the Board, and you shall not make any claim against the Company, or any of its Officers, Directors, Employees or Affiliates in the event that the Internal Revenue Service asserts that the valuation determined by the Board is less than the “fair market value” as subsequently determined by the Internal Revenue Service.

 

 

(b) Early Exercise – 83(b) Election. You also agree that if you are permitted to exercise this Option prior to vesting, and in connection with that exercise, you wish to file an “83(b) election”, it is entirely your responsibility to timely file that election with the applicable taxing authority.

 

(c) Golden Parachute Taxes. You also agree that if the benefits provided for in connection with this Option or otherwise payable to you by the Company or any successor thereto (i) constitute “parachute payments” within the meaning of Section 280G of the Code, and (ii) would be subject to the excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code (the “Excise Tax”), then your benefits will be either (1) delivered in full or (2) delivered to such lesser extent as would result in no portion of such benefits being subject to the Excise Tax, whichever of the foregoing amounts, taking into account the applicable federal, state and local income taxes and the Excise Tax, results in the receipt by you on an after-tax basis, of the greatest amount of benefits, notwithstanding that all or some of such benefits may be taxable under Section 4999 of the Code. On the reasonable request of the Company, you agree to execute a waiver of your right to receive that portion of any benefits provided hereunder or otherwise, in a manner that satisfies the stockholder approval requirements under Section 280G(b)(5)(B) of the Code, so that no payment or benefit provided hereunder or otherwise to you will be a “parachute payment” under Section 280G(b) of the Code.

 

15. Notices. Any notices provided for in the Option, this Option Agreement, the Grant Notice or the Plan will be given in writing and will be deemed effectively given on receipt or, in the case of notices delivered by mail by the Company to you, five (5) days after deposit in the U.S. mail, postage prepaid, addressed to you at the last address you provided to the Company. The Company may, in its sole discretion, decide to deliver any documents related to participation in the Plan and the Option by electronic means or to request your consent to participate in the Plan by electronic means. By accepting the Option, you consent to receive such documents by electronic delivery and to participate in the Plan through an on-line or electronic system established and maintained by the Company or another third party designated by the Company.

 

16. Governing Plan Document. The Option is subject to all the provisions of the Plan, the provisions of which are hereby made a part of the Option, and is further subject to all interpretations, amendments, rules and regulations, which may from time to time be promulgated and adopted pursuant to the Plan. In addition, the Option (and any compensation paid or shares issued under the Option) is subject to recoupment in accordance with The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and any implementing regulations thereunder, any clawback policy adopted by the Company and any compensation recovery policy otherwise required by applicable law. No recovery of compensation under such a clawback policy will be an event giving rise to a right to resign for “good reason” or for a “constructive termination” (or similar term) under any agreement with the Company.

 

 

17. Effect on Other Employee Benefit Plans. The value of the Option will not be included as compensation, earnings, salaries, or other similar terms used when calculating your benefits under any employee benefit plan sponsored by the Company or any Affiliate, except as such plan otherwise expressly provides. The Company expressly reserves its rights to amend, modify or terminate any of the Company’s or any Affiliate’s employee benefit plans.

 

18. Voting Rights. You will not have voting or any other rights as a stockholder of the Company with respect to the shares to be issued pursuant to the Option until such shares are issued to you. Upon such issuance, you will obtain full voting and other rights as a stockholder of the Company. Nothing contained in the Option, and no action taken pursuant to its provisions, will create or be construed to create a trust of any kind or a fiduciary relationship between you and the Company or any other person.

 

19. Severability. If all or any part of this Option Agreement or the Plan is declared by any court or governmental authority to be unlawful or invalid, such unlawfulness or invalidity will not invalidate any portion of this Option Agreement or the Plan not declared to be unlawful or invalid. Any Section of this Option Agreement (or part of such a Section) so declared to be unlawful or invalid will, if possible, be construed in a manner which will give effect to the terms of such Section or part of a Section to the fullest extent possible while remaining lawful and valid.

 

20. Miscellaneous.

 

(a) The rights and obligations of the Company under the Option will be transferable to any one or more persons or entities, and all covenants and agreements hereunder will inure to the benefit of, and be enforceable by the Company’s successors and assigns.

 

(b) You agree on request to execute any further documents or instruments necessary or desirable in the sole determination of the Company to carry out the purposes or intent of the Option.

 

* * *

 

This Option Agreement, together with any appendix attached hereto that addresses local or foreign legal requirements, will be deemed to be signed by you on the signing by you of the Grant Notice to which it is attached.

 

 

Attachment: Foreign Laws
(if applicable)

 

Nature of Grant. In accepting this Option, you acknowledge that:

 

1.

The Plan is established voluntarily by the Company, it is discretionary in nature and it may be modified, amended, suspended or terminated by the Company at any time, unless otherwise provided in the Plan and this Option Agreement.

 

2.

The grant of the Option is voluntary and occasional and does not create any contractual or other right to receive future grants of options, or benefits in lieu of options, even if options have been granted repeatedly in the past.

 

3.

All decisions with respect to future option grants, if any, will be at the sole discretion of the Company.

 

4.

Your participation in the Plan does not create a right to further employment with your employer or additional time in service with the Company or any of its affiliates, and shall not interfere with the ability of your employer to terminate your employment relationship (or the ability of the Company or its affiliates to terminate any other service relationship) at any time with or without cause. The Option will not be interpreted to form an employment contract or relationship with the Company, your employer, or any subsidiary or affiliate of the Company.

 

5.

You are voluntarily participating in the Plan.

 

6.

The Option is an extraordinary item that does not constitute compensation of any kind for services of any kind rendered to the Company or your employer, and is outside the scope of your employment or service contract, if any. The Option is not part of your normal or expected compensation or salary for any purpose, including, but not limited to, calculating any severance, resignation, termination, redundancy, end of service payments, bonuses, long service awards, pension or retirement benefits or similar payments and in no event should be considered as compensation for, or relating in any way to, past services for the Company or your employer.

 

7.

The future value of the underlying shares of Common Stock is unknown and cannot be predicted with certainty. If the underlying shares of Common Stock do not increase in value, the Option will have no value. If you purchase the shares of Common Stock subject to this Option, the value of those shares of Common Stock may increase or decrease.

 

8.

In consideration of the grant of the Option, no claim or entitlement to compensation or damages shall arise from termination of the Option or diminution in value of the Option or shares of Common Stock purchased through exercise of the Option resulting from termination of Optionee’s employment or other service with the Company or the Employer (for any reason whatsoever) and Optionee irrevocably releases the Company and the Employer from any such claim that may arise; if, notwithstanding the foregoing, any such claim is found by a court of competent jurisdiction to have arisen, then, by signing this Option Agreement, Optionee shall be deemed irrevocably to have waived Optionee’s entitlement to pursue such claim.

 

 

9.

On the termination of your employment or service, your right to vest in the Option will terminate effective as of the date that you are no longer actively employed or otherwise providing service and will not be extended by any notice period mandated under the local law (e.g., active employment would not include a period of “garden leave” or similar period pursuant to local law). Furthermore, on the termination of employment or service, your right to exercise the Option, if any, will be measured by the date of termination of your active employment or service and will not be extended by any notice period mandated under local law. The Company shall have the exclusive discretion to determine when you are no longer actively employed or rendering services for purposes of this Option.

 

Data Privacy. In accepting this Option:

 

1.

You hereby explicitly and unambiguously consent to the collection, use and transfer, in electronic or other form, of your personal data as described in this document by and among, as applicable, you employer, the Company and its subsidiaries and affiliates for the purpose of implementing, administering and managing your participation in the Plan, as well as for the purpose of the Company’s compliance with Section 953(b) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, which requires certain public companies to calculate and disclose on an annual basis the ratio of the median of the annual total compensation of all employees of an issuer as compared to the annual total compensation of its chief executive officer (the “CEO Pay Ratio”).

 

2.

You understand that the Company and your employer may hold certain personal information about you, including, but not limited to, your name, home address and telephone number, date of birth, social insurance number or other identification number, salary, nationality, job title, any shares of stock or directorships held in the Company, details of all options or any other entitlement to shares of stock awarded, canceled, exercised, vested, unvested or outstanding in your favor, for the purpose of implementing, administering and managing the Plan and complying with the CEO Pay Ratio (“Data”).

 

3.

You understand that the recipients of the Data may be located in the United States or elsewhere, and that the recipients’ country (e.g., the United States) may have different data privacy laws and protections than your country. You understand that you may request a list with the names and addresses of any potential recipients of the Data by contacting your local human resources representative. You authorize the Company and any other possible recipients which may assist the Company (presently or in the future) with implementing, administering and managing the Plan to receive, possess, use, retain and transfer the Data, in electronic or other form, for the purpose of implementing, administering and managing your participation in the Plan and for compliance with the CEO Pay Ratio. You understand that Data will be held only as long as is necessary to implement, administer and manage your participation in the Plan and as is necessary for compliance with the CEO Pay Ratio. You understand that you may, at any time, view the Data, request additional information about the storage processing of the Data, require any necessary amendments to Data or refuse or withdraw the consents herein, in any case without cost, by contacting in writing your local human resources representative. You understand, however, that refusing or withdrawing your consent may affect your ability to participate in the Plan. For more information on the consequences of your refusal to consent or withdrawal of consent, you understand that you may contact your local human resources representative.

 

Language. If you have received this Agreement or any other document related to the Plan translated into a language other than English and if the translated version is different than the English version, the English version will control.

 

Rules for Your Specific Country of Residence.

 

 

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