EMPLOYEE STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT 1994 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN, AS AMENDED
Exhibit 10.10
EMPLOYEE STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT
1994 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN, AS AMENDED
MERIX CORPORATION, an Oregon corporation (the Company), grants an option to (the Optionee), pursuant to the Companys 1994 Stock Incentive Plan, as amended (the Plan) subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement.
1. The Company hereby grants to the Optionee on the terms and conditions of this Agreement the right and option (the Option) to purchase all or any part of shares of the Companys Common Stock at a purchase price of per share. The Option is not intended to be an Incentive Stock Option, as defined in Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code) and therefore is a Nonqualified Stock Option.
2. The terms and conditions set forth in the attached Exhibit A are hereby incorporated into and made a part of this Agreement.
3. The Grant Date of this Option is . The Option shall continue in effect until (the Expiration Date) unless earlier terminated as provided in paragraphs 2 or 5 of Exhibit A.
4. All capitalized terms used in this Agreement and not defined herein shall have the meanings assigned to such terms in the Plan.
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EXHIBIT A TO EMPLOYEE STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT
1. | Time of Exercise of Option |
Until it expires or is terminated as provided in paragraphs 2 or 5, this Option may be exercised .
2. | Termination of Employment |
2.1 If the Optionees employment by the Company or any parent or subsidiary of the Company terminates for any reason other than death or total disability, the Option may be exercised at any time prior to the earlier of (a) the Expiration Date or (b) the expiration of 90 days after the date of the termination, but only if and to the extent the Optionee was entitled under paragraph 1 to exercise the Option on the date of termination.
2.2 If the Optionees employment by the Company or any parent or subsidiary of the Company is terminated because of death or total disability, the Option may be exercised at any time prior to the Expiration Date or the expiration of 12 months after the date of termination, whichever is the shorter period, but only if and to the extent the Optionee was entitled under paragraph 1 to exercise the Option on the date of termination. The term total disability means a mental or physical impairment which is expected to result in death or which has lasted or is expected to last for a continuous period of 12 months or more and which causes the Optionee to be unable, in the opinion of the Company, to perform his or her duties as an employee, director, officer or consultant of the Company and to be engaged in any substantial gainful activity. Total disability shall be deemed to have occurred on the first day after the Company has furnished its opinion of total disability to the Company. If the Optionees employment is terminated by death, the Option shall be exercisable only by the person or persons to whom the Optionees rights under the Option pass by the Optionees will or by the laws of descent and distribution of the state or country of the Optionees domicile at the time of death.
3. | Vesting Schedule Subject to Acceleration |
The vesting schedule of this Option is subject to acceleration pursuant to the terms of an Executive Severance Agreement dated between Optionee and the Company.
4. | Method of Exercise of Option |
4.1 The Option may be exercised only by notice in writing from the Optionee to the Company of the Optionees intention to exercise, specifying the number of shares the Optionee desires to purchase and the date on which the Optionee desires to complete the transaction and, if required to comply with the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, containing a representation that it is the Optionees intention to acquire the shares for investment and not with a view to distribution. On or before the date specified for completion of the purchase, the Optionee must have paid the Company the full purchase price in cash, including cash that may be the proceeds of a loan from the Company, or in shares of Common Stock previously acquired by the Optionee and held for at least six months, valued at the closing price as reported in The Wall Street Journal on the trading day preceding the date the option is exercised. No shares shall be issued until full payment therefore has been made.
4.2 Upon notification of the amount due, if any, and prior to or concurrently with delivery of the certificates representing the shares for which the option was exercised, the Optionee shall pay to the Company amounts necessary to satisfy any applicable federal, state, and local withholding tax requirements. If additional withholding becomes required beyond any amount deposited before delivery of the certificates, the Optionee shall pay such amount to the Company on demand. If the Optionee fails to pay the amount demanded, the Company shall have the right to withhold that amount from other amounts payable by the Company to the Optionee, including salary, subject to applicable law.
5. | Nontransferability of Option |
The Option may not be assigned or transferred by the Optionee except by will, by the laws of descent and distribution of the state or country of his or her domicile at the time of death or pursuant to a qualified
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domestic relations order as defined under the Code or Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, and during the Optionees lifetime the Option may be exercised only by the Optionee.
6. | Changes in Capital Structure |
6.1 If during the term of the Option the outstanding shares of Common Stock are increased or decreased or changed into or exchanged for a different number or kind of shares or other securities of the Company or of another corporation, by reason of any reorganization, merger, consolidation, plan of exchange, recapitalization, reclassification, stock split-up, combination of shares, or dividend payable in shares, appropriate adjustment shall be made by the Committee in the number and kind of shares subject to the Option, or the unexercised portion thereof. Such adjustments shall be made without change in the total price applicable to the unexercised portion of the Option and with a corresponding adjustment in the option price per share. Any such adjustment made by the Committee shall be conclusive.
6.2 In the event of dissolution of the Company or a merger, consolidation, or plan of exchange affecting the Company, in lieu of making any adjustments that may be provided for above in this paragraph 5 or in lieu of having the Option continue unchanged, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, provide a 30-day period prior to such event during which the Option will be exercisable for 100 percent of the shares subject to the Option and after which the Option will terminate.
7. | Conditions on Obligations |
The Company shall not be obligated to issue shares upon exercise of the Option if the Company is advised by its legal counsel that such issuance would violate applicable state or federal laws, including securities laws. The Company will use its best efforts to take any steps required by state or federal law or applicable regulations in connection with issuance of shares upon exercise of the Option.
8. | No Right to Employment |
Nothing in the Plan or this Agreement shall confer upon the Optionee any right to be continued in the employment of the Company or any subsidiary of the Company, or to interfere in any way with the right of the Company or any subsidiary by whom the Optionee is employed to terminate the Optionees employment at any time, for any reason, with or without cause, or to decrease the Optionees compensation or benefits.
9. | Successors of Company |
This Agreement shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of any successor or successors of the Company but except as provided herein the Option may not be assigned or otherwise disposed of by the Optionee.
10. | Notices |
Any notices under this Agreement must be in writing and will be effective when actually delivered or, if mailed, when deposited into the United States mails, postage prepaid. Mail shall be directed to the address stated in this Agreement or to such address as a party may certify by notice to the other party.
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