2015 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended, and forms of award agreements thereunder
Exhibit 10.3
SIERRA ONCOLOGY, INC.
2015 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN
As amended on January 21, 2020
1. PURPOSE. The purpose of this Plan is to provide incentives to attract, retain and motivate eligible persons whose present and potential contributions are important to the success of the Company, and any Parents and Subsidiaries that exist now or in the future, by offering them an opportunity to participate in the Company’s future performance through the grant of Awards. Capitalized terms not defined elsewhere in the text are defined in Section 28.
2. SHARES SUBJECT TO THE PLAN.
2.1. Number of Shares Available. Subject to Sections 2.6 and 21 and any other applicable provisions hereof, the total number of Shares reserved and available for grant and issuance pursuant to this Plan as of the Amendment Effective Date (as defined below) is four million three hundred twelve thousand five hundred (4,312,500) Shares, plus (a) any reserved shares not issued or subject to outstanding grants under the Plan as of immediately prior to the Amendment Effective Date, (b) shares that are subject to stock options or other awards granted under the Company’s 2008 Stock Plan (the “Prior Plan”) on the Amendment Effective Date that cease to be subject to such stock options or other awards by forfeiture or otherwise after the Amendment Effective Date, (c) shares issued under the Prior Plan before or after the Amendment Effective Date pursuant to the exercise of stock options that are, after the Amendment Effective Date, forfeited, (d) shares issued under the Prior Plan that are repurchased by the Company at the original issue price and (e) shares that are subject to stock options or other awards under the Prior Plan that are used to pay the exercise price of an option or withheld to satisfy the tax withholding obligations related to any award.
2.2. Lapsed, Returned Awards. Shares subject to Awards, and Shares issued under the Plan under any Award, will again be available for grant and issuance in connection with subsequent Awards under this Plan to the extent such Shares: (a) are subject to issuance upon exercise of an Option or SAR granted under this Plan but which cease to be subject to the Option or SAR for any reason other than exercise of the Option or SAR; (b) are subject to Awards granted under this Plan that are forfeited or are repurchased by the Company at the original issue price; (c) are subject to Awards granted under this Plan that otherwise terminate without such Shares being issued; or (d) are surrendered pursuant to an Exchange Program. To the extent an Award under the Plan is paid out in cash rather than Shares, such cash payment will not result in reducing the number of Shares available for issuance under the Plan. Shares used to pay the exercise price of an Award or withheld to satisfy the tax withholding obligations related to an Award will become available for future grant or sale under the Plan. For the avoidance of doubt, Shares that otherwise become available for grant and issuance because of the provisions of this Section 2.2 shall not include Shares subject to Awards that initially became available because of the substitution clause in Section 21.2 hereof.
2.3. Minimum Share Reserve. At all times the Company shall reserve and keep available a sufficient number of Shares as shall be required to satisfy the requirements of all outstanding Awards granted under this Plan.
2.4. Automatic Share Reserve Increase. The number of Shares available for grant and issuance under the Plan shall be increased on January 1, of each of the calendar years 2016 through 2025, by the lesser of (a) four (4%) of the number of Shares issued and outstanding on each December 31 immediately prior to the date of increase or (b) such number of Shares determined by the Board.
2.5. Limitations. No more than twelve million five hundred thousand (12,500,000) Shares shall be issued pursuant to the exercise of ISOs.
2.6. Adjustment of Shares. If the number of outstanding Shares is changed by a stock dividend, extraordinary dividends or distributions (whether in cash, shares or other property, other than a regular cash dividend) recapitalization, stock split, reverse stock split, subdivision, combination, reclassification, spin-off or similar change in the capital structure of the Company, without consideration, then (a) the number of Shares reserved for issuance and future grant under the Plan set forth in Section 2.1, including shares reserved under sub-clauses (a)-(e) of Section 2.1, (b) the Exercise Prices of and number of Shares subject to outstanding Options and SARs, (c) the number of Shares subject to other outstanding Awards, and (d) the maximum number of shares that may be issued as ISOs set forth in Section 2.5 shall be proportionately adjusted, subject to any required action by the Board or the stockholders of the Company and in compliance with applicable securities laws; provided that fractions of a Share will not be issued.
3. ELIGIBILITY. ISOs may be granted only to Employees. All other Awards may be granted to Employees, Consultants, Directors and Non-Employee Directors; provided such Consultants, Directors and Non-Employee Directors render bona fide services not in connection with the offer and sale of securities in a capital-raising transaction.
4. ADMINISTRATION.
4.1. Committee Composition; Authority. This Plan will be administered by the Committee or by the Board acting as the Committee. Subject to the general purposes, terms and conditions of this Plan, and to the direction of the Board, the Committee will have full power to implement and carry out this Plan, except, however, the Board shall establish the terms for the grant of an Award to Non-Employee Directors. The Committee will have the authority to:
(a) construe and interpret this Plan, any Award Agreement and any other agreement or document executed pursuant to this Plan;
(b) prescribe, amend and rescind rules and regulations relating to this Plan or any Award;
(c) select persons to receive Awards;
(d) determine the form and terms and conditions, not inconsistent with the terms of the Plan, of any Award granted hereunder. Such terms and conditions include, but are not limited to, the exercise price, the time or times when Awards may vest and be exercised (which may be based on performance criteria) or settled, any vesting acceleration or waiver of forfeiture restrictions, the method to satisfy tax withholding obligations or any other tax liability legally due and any restriction or limitation regarding any Award or the Shares relating thereto, based in each case on such factors as the Committee will determine;
(e) determine the number of Shares or other consideration subject to Awards;
(f) determine the Fair Market Value in good faith and interpret the applicable provisions of this Plan and the definition of Fair Market Value in connection with circumstances that impact the Fair Market Value, if necessary;
(g) determine whether Awards will be granted singly, in combination with, in tandem with, in replacement of, or as alternatives to, other Awards under this Plan or any other incentive or compensation plan of the Company or any Parent or Subsidiary of the Company;
(h) grant waivers of Plan or Award conditions;
(i) determine the vesting, exercisability and payment of Awards;
(j) correct any defect, supply any omission or reconcile any inconsistency in this Plan, any Award or any Award Agreement;
(k) determine whether an Award has been earned;
(l) determine the terms and conditions of any, and to institute any Exchange Program;
(m) reduce or waive any criteria with respect to Performance Factors;
(n) adjust Performance Factors to take into account changes in law and accounting or tax rules as the Committee deems necessary or appropriate to reflect the impact of extraordinary or unusual items, events or circumstances to avoid windfalls or hardships;
(o) adopt terms and conditions, rules and/or procedures (including the adoption of any subplan under this Plan) relating to the operation and administration of the Plan to accommodate requirements of local law and procedures outside of the United States;
(p) make all other determinations necessary or advisable for the administration of this Plan; and
(q) delegate any of the foregoing to a subcommittee consisting of one or more executive officers pursuant to a specific delegation as permitted by applicable law, including Section 157(c) of the Delaware General Corporation Law.
4.2. Committee Interpretation and Discretion. Any determination made by the Committee with respect to any Award shall be made in its sole discretion at the time of grant of the Award or, unless in contravention of any express term of the Plan or Award, at any later time, and such determination shall be final and binding on the Company and all persons having an interest in any Award under the Plan. Any dispute regarding the interpretation of the Plan or any Award Agreement shall be submitted by the Participant or Company to the Committee for review. The resolution of such a dispute by the Committee shall be final and binding on the Company and the Participant. The Committee may delegate to one or more executive
officers the authority to review and resolve disputes with respect to Awards held by Participants who are not Insiders, and such resolution shall be final and binding on the Company and the Participant.
4.3. Section 162(m) of the Code and Section 16 of the Exchange Act. When necessary or desirable for an Award to qualify as “performance-based compensation” under Section 162(m) of the Code the Committee shall include at least two persons who are “outside directors” (as defined under Section 162(m) of the Code) and at least two (or a majority if more than two then serve on the Committee) such “outside directors” shall approve the grant of such Award and timely determine (as applicable) the Performance Period and any Performance Factors upon which vesting or settlement of any portion of such Award is to be subject. When required by Section 162(m) of the Code, prior to settlement of any such Award at least two (or a majority if more than two then serve on the Committee) such “outside directors” then serving on the Committee shall determine and certify in writing the extent to which such Performance Factors have been timely achieved and the extent to which the Shares subject to such Award have thereby been earned. Awards granted to Participants who are subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act must be approved by two or more “non-employee directors” (as defined in the regulations promulgated under Section 16 of the Exchange Act). With respect to Participants whose compensation is subject to Section 162(m) of the Code, and provided that such adjustments are consistent with the regulations promulgated under Section 162(m) of the Code, the Committee may adjust the performance goals to account for changes in law and accounting and to make such adjustments as the Committee deems necessary or appropriate to reflect the impact of extraordinary or unusual items, events or circumstances to avoid windfalls or hardships, including without limitation (a) restructurings, discontinued operations, extraordinary items, and other unusual or non-recurring charges, (b) an event either not directly related to the operations of the Company or not within the reasonable control of the Company’s management, or (c) a change in accounting standards required by generally accepted accounting principles.
4.4. Documentation. The Award Agreement for a given Award, the Plan and any other documents may be delivered to, and accepted by, a Participant or any other person in any manner (including electronic distribution or posting) that meets applicable legal requirements.
4.5. Foreign Award Recipients. Notwithstanding any provision of the Plan to the contrary, in order to comply with the laws and practices in other countries in which the Company and its Subsidiaries operate or have employees or other individuals eligible for Awards, the Committee, in its sole discretion, shall have the power and authority to: (a) determine which Subsidiaries and Affiliates shall be covered by the Plan; (b) determine which individuals outside the United States are eligible to participate in the Plan, which may include individuals who provide services to the Company, Subsidiary or Affiliate under an agreement with a foreign nation or agency; (c) modify the terms and conditions of any Award granted to individuals outside the United States or foreign nationals to comply with applicable foreign laws, policies, customs and practices; (d) establish subplans and modify exercise procedures and other terms and procedures, to the extent the Committee determines such actions to be necessary or advisable (and such subplans and/or modifications shall be attached to this Plan as appendices); provided, however, that no such subplans and/or modifications shall increase the share limitations contained in Section 2.1 hereof; and (e) take any action, before or after an Award is made, that the Committee determines to be necessary or advisable to obtain approval or comply with any local governmental regulatory exemptions or approvals. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Committee may not take any actions hereunder, and no Awards shall be granted, that would violate the Exchange Act or any other applicable United States securities law, the Code, or any other applicable United States governing statute or law.
5. OPTIONS. An Option is the right but not the obligation to purchase a Share, subject to certain conditions, if applicable. The Committee may grant Options to eligible Employees, Consultants and Directors and will determine whether such Options will be Incentive Stock Options within the meaning of the Code (“ISOs”) or Nonqualified Stock Options (“NSOs”), the number of Shares subject to the Option, the Exercise Price of the Option, the period during which the Option may vest and be exercised, and all other terms and conditions of the Option, subject to the following terms of this section.
5.1. Option Grant. Each Option granted under this Plan will identify the Option as an ISO or an NSO. An Option may be, but need not be, awarded upon satisfaction of such Performance Factors during any Performance Period as are set out in advance in the Participant’s individual Award Agreement. If the Option is being earned upon the satisfaction of Performance Factors, then the Committee will: (a) determine the nature, length and starting date of any Performance Period for each Option; and (b) select from among the Performance Factors to be used to measure the performance, if any. Performance Periods may overlap and Participants may participate simultaneously with respect to Options that are subject to different performance goals and other criteria.
5.2. Date of Grant. The date of grant of an Option will be the date on which the Committee makes the determination to grant such Option, or a specified future date. The Award Agreement and a copy of this Plan will be delivered to the Participant within a reasonable time after the granting of the Option.
5.3. Exercise Period. Options may be vested and exercisable within the times or upon the conditions as set forth in the Award Agreement governing such Option; provided, however, that no Option will be exercisable after the expiration of ten (10) years from the date the Option is granted; and provided further that no ISO granted to a person who, at the time the ISO is granted, directly or by attribution owns more than ten percent (10%) of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or of any Parent or Subsidiary of the Company (“Ten Percent Stockholder”) will be exercisable after the expiration of five (5) years from the date the ISO is granted. The Committee also may provide for Options to become exercisable at one time or from time to time, periodically or otherwise, in such number of Shares or percentage of Shares as the Committee determines.
5.4. Exercise Price. The Exercise Price of an Option will be determined by the Committee when the Option is granted; provided that: (a) the Exercise Price of an Option will be not less than one hundred percent (100%) of the Fair Market Value of the Shares on the date of grant and (b) the Exercise Price of any ISO granted to a Ten Percent Stockholder will not be less than one hundred ten percent (110%) of the Fair Market Value of the Shares on the date of grant. Payment for the Shares purchased may be made in accordance with Section 11 and the Award Agreement and in accordance with any procedures established by the Company.
5.5. Method of Exercise. Any Option granted hereunder will be vested and exercisable according to the terms of the Plan and at such times and under such conditions as determined by the Committee and set forth in the Award Agreement. An Option may not be exercised for a fraction of a Share. An Option will be deemed exercised when the Company receives: (a) notice of exercise (in such form as the Committee may specify from time to time) from the person entitled to exercise the Option (and/or via electronic execution through the authorized third-party administrator), and (b) full payment for the Shares with respect to which the Option is exercised (together with applicable withholding taxes). Full payment may consist of any consideration and method of payment authorized by the Committee and permitted by the Award Agreement and the Plan. Shares issued upon exercise of an Option will be issued in the name of the Participant. Until the Shares are issued (as evidenced by the appropriate entry on the books of the Company or of a duly authorized transfer agent of the Company), no right to vote or receive dividends or any other rights as a stockholder will exist with respect to the Shares, notwithstanding the exercise of the Option. The Company will issue (or cause to be issued) such Shares promptly after the Option is exercised. No adjustment will be made for a dividend or other right for which the record date is prior to the date the Shares are issued, except as provided in Section 2.6 of the Plan. Exercising an Option in any manner will decrease the number of Shares thereafter available, both for purposes of the Plan and for sale under the Option, by the number of Shares as to which the Option is exercised.
5.6. Termination of Service. If the Participant’s Service terminates for any reason except for Cause or the Participant’s death or Disability, then the Participant may exercise such Participant’s Options (only to the extent that such Options are exercisable by the Participant on the date Participant’s Service terminates) during the period ending no later than three (3) months after the date Participant’s Service terminates (or such shorter or longer time period as may be determined by the Committee, with any exercise beyond three (3) months after the date Participant’s Service terminates deemed to be the exercise of an NSO), but in any event no later than the expiration date of the Options.
(a) Death. If the Participant’s Service terminates because of the Participant’s death (or the Participant dies within three (3) months after Participant’s Service terminates other than for Cause or because of the Participant’s Disability), then the Participant’s Options may be exercised only to the extent that such Options would have been exercisable by the Participant on the date Participant’s Service terminates and must be exercised by the Participant’s legal representative, or authorized assignee, no later than twelve (12) months after the date Participant’s Service terminates (or such shorter time period or longer time period as may be determined by the Committee), but in any event no later than the expiration date of the Options.
(b) Disability. If the Participant’s Service terminates because of the Participant’s Disability, then the Participant’s Options may be exercised only to the extent that such Options would have been exercisable by the Participant on the date Participant’s Service terminates and must be exercised by the Participant (or the Participant’s legal representative or authorized assignee) no later than twelve (12) months after the date Participant’s Service terminates (or such shorter or longer time period as may be determined by the Committee, with any exercise beyond (a) three (3) months after the date Participant’s Service terminates when the termination of Service is for a Disability that is not a “permanent and total disability” as defined in Section 22(e)(3) of the Code, or (b) twelve (12) months after the date Participant’s Service terminates when the termination of Service is for a Disability that is a “permanent and total disability” as defined in Section 22(e)(3) of the Code, deemed to be exercise of an NSO), but in any event no later than the expiration date of the Options.
(c) Cause. If the Participant is terminated for Cause, then Participant’s Options shall expire on such Participant’s date of termination of Service, or at such later time and on such conditions as are determined by the Committee, but in any no
event later than the expiration date of the Options. Unless otherwise provided in the Award Agreement, Cause shall have the meaning set forth in the Plan.
5.7. Limitations on Exercise. The Committee may specify a minimum number of Shares that may be purchased on any exercise of an Option, provided that such minimum number will not prevent any Participant from exercising the Option for the full number of Shares for which it is then exercisable.
5.8. Limitations on ISOs. With respect to Awards granted as ISOs, to the extent that the aggregate Fair Market Value of the Shares with respect to which such ISOs are exercisable for the first time by the Participant during any calendar year (under all plans of the Company and any Parent or Subsidiary) exceeds one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000), such Options will be treated as NSOs. For purposes of this Section 5.8, ISOs will be taken into account in the order in which they were granted. The Fair Market Value of the Shares will be determined as of the time the Option with respect to such Shares is granted. In the event that the Code or the regulations promulgated thereunder are amended after the Effective Date to provide for a different limit on the Fair Market Value of Shares permitted to be subject to ISOs, such different limit will be automatically incorporated herein and will apply to any Options granted after the effective date of such amendment.
5.9. Modification, Extension or Renewal. The Committee may modify, extend or renew outstanding Options and authorize the grant of new Options in substitution therefor, provided that any such action may not, without the written consent of a Participant, impair any of such Participant’s rights under any Option previously granted. Any outstanding ISO that is modified, extended, renewed or otherwise altered will be treated in accordance with Section 424(h) of the Code. Subject to Section 18 of this Plan, by written notice to affected Participants, the Committee may reduce the Exercise Price of outstanding Options without the consent of such Participants; provided, however, that the Exercise Price may not be reduced below the Fair Market Value on the date the action is taken to reduce the Exercise Price.
5.10. No Disqualification. Notwithstanding any other provision in this Plan, no term of this Plan relating to ISOs will be interpreted, amended or altered, nor will any discretion or authority granted under this Plan be exercised, so as to disqualify this Plan under Section 422 of the Code or, without the consent of the Participant affected, to disqualify any ISO under Section 422 of the Code.
6. RESTRICTED STOCK AWARDS. A Restricted Stock Award is an offer by the Company to sell to an eligible Employee, Consultant, or Director Shares that are subject to restrictions (“Restricted Stock”). The Committee will determine to whom an offer will be made, the number of Shares the Participant may purchase, the Purchase Price, the restrictions under which the Shares will be subject and all other terms and conditions of the Restricted Stock Award, subject to the Plan.
6.1. Restricted Stock Purchase Agreement. All purchases under a Restricted Stock Award will be evidenced by an Award Agreement. Except as may otherwise be provided in an Award Agreement, a Participant accepts a Restricted Stock Award by signing and delivering to the Company an Award Agreement with full payment of the Purchase Price, within thirty (30) days from the date the Award Agreement was delivered to the Participant. If the Participant does not accept such Award within thirty (30) days, then the offer of such Restricted Stock Award will terminate, unless the Committee determines otherwise.
6.2. Purchase Price. The Purchase Price for a Restricted Stock Award will be determined by the Committee and may be less than Fair Market Value on the date the Restricted Stock Award is granted. Payment of the Purchase Price must be made in accordance with Section 11 of the Plan, and the Award Agreement and in accordance with any procedures established by the Company.
6.3. Terms of Restricted Stock Awards. Restricted Stock Awards will be subject to such restrictions as the Committee may impose or are required by law. These restrictions may be based on completion of a specified number of years of service with the Company or upon completion of Performance Factors, if any, during any Performance Period as set out in advance in the Participant’s Award Agreement. Prior to the grant of a Restricted Stock Award, the Committee shall: (a) determine the nature, length and starting date of any Performance Period for the Restricted Stock Award; (b) select from among the Performance Factors to be used to measure performance goals, if any; and (c) determine the number of Shares that may be awarded to the Participant. Performance Periods may overlap and a Participant may participate simultaneously with respect to Restricted Stock Awards that are subject to different Performance Periods and having different performance goals and other criteria.
6.4. Termination of Service. Except as may be set forth in the Participant’s Award Agreement, vesting ceases on such date Participant’s Service terminates (unless determined otherwise by the Committee) and any Shares of Restricted Stock that are unvested as of such date shall be forfeited on such date for no consideration.
7. STOCK BONUS AWARDS. A Stock Bonus Award is an award to an eligible Employee, Consultant, or Director of Shares for Services to be rendered or for past Services already rendered to the Company or any Parent or Subsidiary. All Stock Bonus Awards shall be made pursuant to an Award Agreement. No payment from the Participant will be required for Shares awarded pursuant to a Stock Bonus Award.
7.1. Terms of Stock Bonus Awards. The Committee will determine the number of Shares to be awarded to the Participant under a Stock Bonus Award and any restrictions thereon. These restrictions may be based upon completion of a specified number of years of service with the Company or upon satisfaction of performance goals based on Performance Factors during any Performance Period as set out in advance in the Participant’s Stock Bonus Agreement. Prior to the grant of any Stock Bonus Award the Committee shall, as applicable: (a) determine the nature, length and starting date of any Performance Period for the Stock Bonus Award; (b) select from among the Performance Factors to be used to measure performance goals; and (c) determine the number of Shares that may be awarded to the Participant. Performance Periods may overlap and a Participant may participate simultaneously with respect to Stock Bonus Awards that are subject to different Performance Periods and different performance goals and other criteria.
7.2. Form of Payment to Participant. Payment may be made in the form of cash, whole Shares, or a combination thereof, based on the Fair Market Value of the Shares earned under a Stock Bonus Award on the date of payment, as determined in the sole discretion of the Committee.
7.3. Termination of Service. Except as may be set forth in the Participant’s Award Agreement, vesting ceases on such date Participant’s Service terminates (unless determined otherwise by the Committee) and any unvested portion of the Stock Bonus Award will be forfeited for no consideration on such date.
8. STOCK APPRECIATION RIGHTS. A Stock Appreciation Right (“SAR”) is an award to an eligible Employee, Consultant, or Director that may be settled in cash, or Shares (which may consist of Restricted Stock), having a value equal to (a) the difference between the Fair Market Value on the date of exercise over the Exercise Price multiplied by (b) the number of Shares with respect to which the SAR is being settled (subject to any maximum number of Shares that may be issuable as specified in an Award Agreement). All SARs shall be made pursuant to an Award Agreement.
8.1. Terms of SARs. The Committee will determine the terms of each SAR including, without limitation: (a) the number of Shares subject to the SAR; (b) the Exercise Price and the time or times during which the SAR may be settled; (c) the consideration to be distributed on settlement of the SAR; and (d) the effect of the Participant’s termination of Service on each SAR. The Exercise Price of the SAR will be determined by the Committee when the SAR is granted, and may not be less than Fair Market Value of the Shares on the date of grant. A SAR may be awarded upon satisfaction of Performance Factors, if any, during any Performance Period as are set out in advance in the Participant’s individual Award Agreement. If the SAR is being earned upon the satisfaction of Performance Factors, then the Committee will: (x) determine the nature, length and starting date of any Performance Period for each SAR; and (y) select from among the Performance Factors to be used to measure the performance, if any. Performance Periods may overlap and Participants may participate simultaneously with respect to SARs that are subject to different Performance Factors and other criteria.
8.2. Exercise Period and Expiration Date. A SAR will be exercisable within the times or upon the occurrence of events determined by the Committee and as set forth in the Award Agreement governing such SAR. The SAR Agreement shall set forth the expiration date; provided that no SAR will be exercisable after the expiration of ten (10) years from the date the SAR is granted. The Committee may also provide for SARs to become exercisable at one time or from time to time, periodically or otherwise (including, without limitation, upon the attainment during a Performance Period of performance goals based on Performance Factors), in such number of Shares or percentage of the Shares subject to the SAR as the Committee determines. Except as may be set forth in the Participant’s Award Agreement, vesting ceases on the date Participant’s Service terminates (unless determined otherwise by the Committee). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the rules of Section 5.6 also will apply to SARs.
8.3. Form of Settlement. Upon exercise of a SAR, a Participant will be entitled to receive payment from the Company in an amount determined by multiplying (a) the difference between the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of exercise over the Exercise Price; times (b) the number of Shares with respect to which the SAR is exercised. At the discretion of the Committee, the payment from the Company for the SAR exercise may be in cash, in Shares of equivalent value, or in some combination thereof. The portion of a SAR being settled may be paid currently or on a deferred basis with such interest or dividend equivalent, if any, as the Committee determines, provided that the terms of the SAR and any deferral satisfy the requirements of Section 409A of the Code.
8.4. Termination of Service. Except as may be set forth in the Participant’s Award Agreement, vesting ceases on such date Participant’s Service terminates (unless determined otherwise by the Committee) and any SARs that remain unvested on such date shall be forfeited on such date for no consideration.
9. RESTRICTED STOCK UNITS. A Restricted Stock Unit (“RSU”) is an award to an eligible Employee, Consultant, or Director covering a number of Shares that may be settled in cash, or by issuance of those Shares (which may consist of Restricted Stock). All RSUs shall be made pursuant to an Award Agreement.
9.1. Terms of RSUs. The Committee will determine the terms of an RSU including, without limitation: (a) the number of Shares subject to the RSU; (b) the time or times during which the RSU may be settled; (c) the consideration to be distributed on settlement; and (d) the effect of the Participant’s termination of Service on each RSU. An RSU may be awarded upon satisfaction of such performance goals based on Performance Factors during any Performance Period as are set out in advance in the Participant’s Award Agreement. If the RSU is being earned upon satisfaction of Performance Factors, then the Committee will: (x) determine the nature, length and starting date of any Performance Period for the RSU; (y) select from among the Performance Factors to be used to measure the performance, if any; and (z) determine the number of Shares deemed subject to the RSU. Performance Periods may overlap and participants may participate simultaneously with respect to RSUs that are subject to different Performance Periods and different performance goals and other criteria.
9.2. Form and Timing of Settlement. Payment of earned RSUs shall be made as soon as practicable after the date(s) determined by the Committee and set forth in the Award Agreement. The Committee, in its sole discretion, may settle earned RSUs in cash, Shares, or a combination of both. The Committee may also permit a Participant to defer payment under a RSU to a date or dates after the RSU is earned provided that the terms of the RSU and any deferral satisfy the requirements of Section 409A of the Code.
9.3. Termination of Service. Except as may be set forth in the Participant’s Award Agreement, vesting ceases on such date Participant’s Service terminates (unless determined otherwise by the Committee).
10. PERFORMANCE AWARDS. A “Performance Award” is an award to an eligible Employee, Consultant, or Director of a cash bonus or an award of Performance Shares denominated in Shares that may be settled in cash, or by issuance of those Shares (which may consist of Restricted Stock). Grants of Performance Awards shall be made pursuant to an Award Agreement.
10.1. Terms of Performance Awards. The Committee will determine, and each Award Agreement shall set forth, the terms of each Performance Award including, without limitation: (a) the amount of any cash bonus, (b) the number of Shares deemed subject to an award of Performance Shares; (c) the Performance Factors and Performance Period that shall determine the time and extent to which each Performance Award will be settled or paid (d) the consideration to be distributed on settlement or payment, and (e) the effect of the Participant’s termination of Service on each Performance Award. In establishing Performance Factors and the Performance Period the Committee will: (x) determine the nature, length and starting date of any Performance Period; (y) select from among the Performance Factors to be used; and (z) determine the number of Shares deemed subject to the award of Performance Shares or the cash value of any cash bonus subject to a Performance Award. Prior to settlement the Committee shall determine the extent to which Performance Awards have been earned. Performance Periods may overlap and Participants may participate simultaneously with respect to Performance Awards that are subject to different Performance Periods and different performance goals and other criteria. No Participant will be eligible to receive more than $5,000,000 in cash bonus Performance Awards in any annual Performance Period under this Plan and for any other Performance Period, such amount multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of months in the Performance Period and the denominator of which is twelve (12).
10.2. Value, Earning and Timing of Performance Shares. Each Performance Share will have an initial value equal to the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of grant. After the applicable Performance Period has ended, the holder of Performance Shares will be entitled to receive a payout of the number of Performance Shares earned by the Participant over the Performance Period, to be determined as a function of the extent to which the corresponding Performance Factors or other vesting provisions have been achieved. The Committee, in its sole discretion, may pay earned Performance Shares in the form of cash, in Shares (which have an aggregate Fair Market Value equal to the value of the earned Performance Shares at the close of the applicable Performance Period) or in a combination thereof.
10.3. Termination of Service. Except as may be set forth in the Participant’s Award Agreement, vesting ceases on the date Participant’s Service terminates (unless determined otherwise by the Committee) and any unvested Performance Awards shall be forfeited on such date for no consideration.
11. PAYMENT FOR SHARE PURCHASES. Payment from a Participant for Shares purchased pursuant to this Plan may be made in cash or by check or, where expressly approved for the Participant by the Committee and where permitted by law (and to the extent not otherwise set forth in the applicable Award Agreement):
(a) by cancellation of indebtedness of the Company to the Participant;
(b) by surrender of shares of the Company held by the Participant that have a Fair Market Value on the date of surrender equal to the aggregate exercise price of the Shares as to which said Award will be exercised or settled;
(c) by waiver of compensation due or accrued to the Participant for services rendered or to be rendered to the Company or a Parent or Subsidiary of the Company;
(d) by consideration received by the Company pursuant to a broker-assisted or other form of cashless exercise program implemented by the Company in connection with the Plan;
(e) by any combination of the foregoing; or
(f) by any other method of payment as is permitted by applicable law.
12. GRANTS TO NON-EMPLOYEE DIRECTORS. Non-Employee Directors are eligible to receive any type of Award offered under this Plan except ISOs. No Non-Employee Director may receive Awards under the Plan that, when combined with cash compensation received for service as a Non-Employee Director, exceed eight hundred thousand dollars ($800,000) in value (as described below) in any calendar year. The value of Awards for purposes of complying with this maximum will be determined as follows: (a) for Options and SARs, grant date fair value will be calculated using the Company’s regular valuation methodology for determining the grant date fair value of Options for reporting purposes and (b) for all other Awards other than Options and SARs, grant date fair value will be determined by either (i) calculating the product of the Fair Market Value per Share on the date of grant and the aggregate number of Shares subject to the Award, or (ii) calculating the product using an average of the Fair Market Value over a number of trading days and the aggregate number of Shares subject to the Award as determined by the Committee. Awards granted to an individual while he or she was serving in the capacity as an Employee or while he or she was a Consultant but not a Non-Employee Director will not count for purposes of the limitations set forth in this Section 12. Awards pursuant to this Section 12 may be automatically made pursuant to policy adopted by the Board, or made from time to time as determined in the discretion of the Board.
12.1. Eligibility. Awards pursuant to this Section 12 shall be granted only to Non-Employee Directors. A Non-Employee Director who is elected or re-elected as a member of the Board will be eligible to receive an Award under this Section 12.
12.2. Vesting, Exercisability and Settlement. Except as set forth in Section 21, Awards shall vest, become exercisable and be settled as determined by the Board. With respect to Options and SARs, the exercise price granted to Non-Employee Directors shall not be less than the Fair Market Value of the Shares at the time that such Option or SAR is granted.
12.3. Election to receive Awards in Lieu of Cash. A Non-Employee Director may, if permitted by the Committee in its sole discretion, elect to receive his or her annual retainer payments and/or meeting fees from the Company in the form of cash or Awards or a combination thereof, as determined by the Committee. Such Awards shall be issued under the Plan. An election under this Section 12.3 shall be filed with the Company on the form prescribed by the Company.
13. WITHHOLDING TAXES.
13.1. Withholding Generally. Whenever Shares are to be issued in satisfaction of Awards granted under this Plan or the applicable tax event occurs, the Company may require the Participant to remit to the Company, or to the Parent or Subsidiary employing the Participant, an amount sufficient to satisfy applicable U.S. federal, state, local and international withholding tax requirements or any other tax or social insurance liability legally due from the Participant prior to the delivery of Shares pursuant to exercise or settlement of any Award. Whenever payments in satisfaction of Awards granted under this Plan are to be made in cash, such payment will be net of an amount sufficient to satisfy applicable U.S. federal, state, local and international withholding tax or social insurance requirements or any other tax liability legally due from the Participant. The Fair Market Value of the Shares will be determined as of the date that the taxes are required to be withheld and such Shares will be valued based on the value of the actual trade or, if there is none, the Fair Market Value of the Shares as of the previous trading day.
13.2. Stock Withholding. The Committee, or its delegate(s), as permitted by applicable law, in its sole discretion and pursuant to such procedures as it may specify from time to time and to limitations of local law, may require or permit a Participant to satisfy such tax withholding obligation or any other tax liability legally due from the Participant, in whole or in
part by (without limitation) (a) paying cash, (b) electing to have the Company withhold otherwise deliverable cash or Shares having a Fair Market Value equal to the minimum statutory amount required to be withheld, (c) delivering to the Company already-owned Shares having a Fair Market Value equal to the minimum amount required to be withheld or (d) withholding from the proceeds of the sale of otherwise deliverable Shares acquired pursuant to an Award either through a voluntary sale or through a mandatory sale arranged by the Company.
14. TRANSFERABILITY.
14.1. Transfer Generally. Unless determined otherwise by the Committee or pursuant to Section 14.2, an Award may not be sold, pledged, assigned, hypothecated, transferred, or disposed of in any manner other than by will or by the laws of descent or distribution. If the Committee makes an Award transferable, including, without limitation, by instrument to an inter vivos or testamentary trust in which the Awards are to be passed to beneficiaries upon the death of the trustor (settlor) or by gift or by domestic relations order to a Permitted Transferee, such Award will contain such additional terms and conditions as the Committee deems appropriate. All Awards shall be exercisable: (a) during the Participant’s lifetime only by (i) the Participant, or (ii) the Participant’s guardian or legal representative; (b) after the Participant’s death, by the legal representative of the Participant’s heirs or legatees; and (c) in the case of all awards except ISOs, by a Permitted Transferee.
14.2. Award Transfer Program. Notwithstanding any contrary provision of the Plan, the Committee shall have all discretion and authority to determine and implement the terms and conditions of any Award Transfer Program instituted pursuant to this Section 14.2 and shall have the authority to amend the terms of any Award participating, or otherwise eligible to participate in, any such Award Transfer Program, including (but not limited to) the authority to (a) amend (including to extend) the expiration date, post-termination exercise period and/or forfeiture conditions of any such Award, (b) amend or remove any provisions of the Award relating to the Award holder’s continued service to the Company or its Parent or any Subsidiary, (c) amend the permissible payment methods with respect to the exercise or purchase of any such Award, (d) amend the adjustments to be implemented in the event of changes in the capitalization and other similar events with respect to such Award, and (e) make such other changes to the terms of such Award as the Committee deems necessary or appropriate in its sole discretion.
15. PRIVILEGES OF STOCK OWNERSHIP; RESTRICTIONS ON SHARES.
15.1. Voting and Dividends. No Participant will have any of the rights of a stockholder with respect to any Shares until the Shares are issued to the Participant, except for any Dividend Equivalent Rights permitted by an applicable Award Agreement. Any Dividend Equivalent Rights shall be subject to the same vesting or performance conditions as the underlying Award. In addition, the Committee may provide that any Dividend Equivalent Rights permitted by an applicable Award Agreement shall be deemed to have been reinvested in additional Shares or otherwise reinvested. After Shares are issued to the Participant, the Participant will be a stockholder and have all the rights of a stockholder with respect to such Shares, including the right to vote and receive all dividends or other distributions made or paid with respect to such Shares; provided, that if such Shares are Restricted Stock, then any new, additional or different securities the Participant may become entitled to receive with respect to such Shares by virtue of a stock dividend, stock split or any other change in the corporate or capital structure of the Company will be subject to the same restrictions as the Restricted Stock; provided, further, that the Participant will have no right to retain such stock dividends or stock distributions with respect to Shares that are repurchased at the Participant’s Purchase Price or Exercise Price, as the case may be, pursuant to Section 15.2.
15.2. Restrictions on Shares. At the discretion of the Committee, the Company may reserve to itself and/or its assignee(s) a right to repurchase (a “Right of Repurchase”) a portion of any or all Unvested Shares held by a Participant following such Participant’s termination of Service at any time within ninety (90) days (or such longer or shorter time determined by the Committee) after the later of the date Participant’s Service terminates and the date the Participant purchases Shares under this Plan, for cash and/or cancellation of purchase money indebtedness, at the Participant’s Purchase Price or Exercise Price, as the case may be.
16. CERTIFICATES. All Shares or other securities (whether or not certificated) delivered under this Plan will be subject to such stock transfer orders, legends and other restrictions as the Committee may deem necessary or advisable, including restrictions under any applicable U.S. federal, state or foreign securities law, or any rules, regulations and other requirements of the SEC or any stock exchange or automated quotation system upon which the Shares may be listed or quoted and any non-U.S. exchange controls or securities law restrictions to which the Shares are subject.
17. ESCROW; PLEDGE OF SHARES. To enforce any restrictions on a Participant’s Shares, the Committee may require the Participant to deposit all certificates representing Shares, together with stock powers or other instruments of transfer approved by the Committee, appropriately endorsed in blank, with the Company or an agent designated by the Company to
hold in escrow until such restrictions have lapsed or terminated, and the Committee may cause a legend or legends referencing such restrictions to be placed on the certificates. Any Participant who is permitted to execute a promissory note as partial or full consideration for the purchase of Shares under this Plan will be required to pledge and deposit with the Company all or part of the Shares so purchased as collateral to secure the payment of the Participant’s obligation to the Company under the promissory note; provided, however, that the Committee may require or accept other or additional forms of collateral to secure the payment of such obligation and, in any event, the Company will have full recourse against the Participant under the promissory note notwithstanding any pledge of the Participant’s Shares or other collateral. In connection with any pledge of the Shares, the Participant will be required to execute and deliver a written pledge agreement in such form as the Committee will from time to time approve. The Shares purchased with the promissory note may be released from the pledge on a pro rata basis as the promissory note is paid.
18. REPRICING; EXCHANGE AND BUYOUT OF AWARDS. Without prior stockholder approval the Committee may (a) reprice Options or SARs (and where such repricing is a reduction in the Exercise Price of outstanding Options or SARs, the consent of the affected Participants is not required provided written notice is provided to them, notwithstanding any adverse tax consequences to them arising from the repricing), and (b) with the consent of the respective Participants (unless not required pursuant to Section 5.9 of the Plan), pay cash or issue new Awards in exchange for the surrender and cancellation of any, or all, outstanding Awards.
19. SECURITIES LAW AND OTHER REGULATORY COMPLIANCE. An Award will not be effective unless such Award is in compliance with all applicable U.S. and foreign federal and state securities and exchange control laws, rules and regulations of any governmental body, and the requirements of any stock exchange or automated quotation system upon which the Shares may then be listed or quoted, as they are in effect on the date of grant of the Award and also on the date of exercise or other issuance. Notwithstanding any other provision in this Plan, the Company will have no obligation to issue or deliver certificates for Shares under this Plan prior to: (a) obtaining any approvals from governmental agencies that the Company determines are necessary or advisable; and/or (b) completion of any registration or other qualification of such Shares under any state or federal or foreign law or ruling of any governmental body that the Company determines to be necessary or advisable. The Company will be under no obligation to register the Shares with the SEC or to effect compliance with the registration, qualification or listing requirements of any foreign or state securities laws, exchange control laws, stock exchange or automated quotation system, and the Company will have no liability for any inability or failure to do so.
20. NO OBLIGATION TO EMPLOY. Nothing in this Plan or any Award granted under this Plan will confer or be deemed to confer on any Participant any right to continue in the employ of, or to continue any other relationship with, the Company or any Parent, Subsidiary or Affiliate or limit in any way the right of the Company or any Parent, Subsidiary or Affiliate to terminate Participant’s employment or other relationship at any time.
21. CORPORATE TRANSACTIONS.
21.1. Assumption or Replacement of Awards by Successor. In the event of a Corporate Transaction any or all outstanding Awards may be assumed or replaced by the successor corporation, which assumption or replacement shall be binding on all Participants. In the alternative, the successor corporation may substitute equivalent Awards or provide substantially similar consideration to Participants as was provided to stockholders (after taking into account the existing provisions of the Awards). The successor corporation may also issue, in place of outstanding Shares of the Company held by the Participant, substantially similar shares, cash or other property subject to repurchase restrictions no less favorable to the Participant. In the event such successor or acquiring corporation (if any) refuses to assume, convert, replace or substitute Awards, as provided above, pursuant to a Corporate Transaction, then notwithstanding any other provision in this Plan to the contrary, such Awards shall have their vesting accelerate as to all shares subject to such Award (and any applicable rights of repurchase shall fully lapse) immediately prior to the Corporate Transaction. In addition, in the event such successor or acquiring corporation (if any) refuses to assume, convert, replace or substitute Awards, as provided above, pursuant to a Corporate Transaction, the Committee will (i) notify the Participant in writing or electronically that such Award will, if applicable, be exercisable for a period of time determined by the Committee in its sole discretion, and such Award will terminate upon the earlier of the expiration of such period or immediately prior to the Corporate Transaction or (ii) provide that each Award shall be cancelled immediately upon the occurrence of the Corporate Transaction in exchange for a payment in cash or securities in an amount equal to (A) the excess of the consideration paid per Share in the Corporate Transaction over the exercise price or purchase price (if any) per Share subject to the Award multiplied by (B) the number of Shares subject to the Award. Awards need not be treated similarly in a Corporate Transaction.
21.2. Assumption of Awards by the Company. The Company, from time to time, also may substitute or assume outstanding awards granted by another company, whether in connection with an acquisition of such other company or otherwise, by either; (a) granting an Award under this Plan in substitution of such other company’s award; or (b) assuming
such award as if it had been granted under this Plan if the terms of such assumed award could be applied to an Award granted under this Plan. Such substitution or assumption will be permissible if the holder of the substituted or assumed award would have been eligible to be granted an Award under this Plan if the other company had applied the rules of this Plan to such grant. In the event the Company assumes an award granted by another company, the terms and conditions of such award will remain unchanged (except that the Purchase Price or the Exercise Price, as the case may be, and the number and nature of Shares issuable upon exercise or settlement of any such Award will be adjusted appropriately pursuant to Section 424(a) of the Code). In the event the Company elects to grant a new Option in substitution of rather than assumption of an existing option, such new Option may be granted with a similarly adjusted Exercise Price. Substitute Awards shall not reduce the number of Shares authorized for grant under the Plan or authorized for grant to a Participant in a calendar year.
21.3. Non-Employee Directors’ Awards. Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary herein, in the event of a Corporate Transaction, the vesting of all Awards granted to Non-Employee Directors shall accelerate immediately prior to the consummation of such Corporate Transaction and such Awards shall become exercisable (as applicable) in full prior to the consummation of such event at such times and on such conditions as the Committee determines.
22. ADOPTION AND STOCKHOLDER APPROVAL. This Plan shall be submitted for the approval of the Company’s stockholders, consistent with applicable laws, within twelve (12) months before or after the date this Plan is adopted by the Board.
23. TERM OF PLAN/GOVERNING LAW. Unless earlier terminated as provided herein, this Plan will become effective on the Effective Date and will terminate ten (10) years from the date this Plan is adopted by the Board. This Plan and all Awards granted hereunder shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware (excluding its conflict of law rules).
24. AMENDMENT OR TERMINATION OF PLAN. The Board may at any time terminate or amend this Plan in any respect, including, without limitation, amendment of any form of Award Agreement or instrument to be executed pursuant to this Plan; provided, however, that the Board will not, without the approval of the stockholders of the Company, amend this Plan in any manner that requires such stockholder approval; provided further, that a Participant’s Award shall be governed by the version of this Plan then in effect at the time such Award was granted.
25. NONEXCLUSIVITY OF THE PLAN. Neither the adoption of this Plan by the Board, the submission of this Plan to the stockholders of the Company for approval, nor any provision of this Plan will be construed as creating any limitations on the power of the Board to adopt such additional compensation arrangements as it may deem desirable, including, without limitation, the granting of stock awards and bonuses otherwise than under this Plan, and such arrangements may be either generally applicable or applicable only in specific cases.
26. INSIDER TRADING POLICY. Each Participant who receives an Award shall comply with any policy adopted by the Company from time to time covering transactions in the Company’s securities by Employees, officers and/or directors of the Company.
27. ALL AWARDS SUBJECT TO COMPANY CLAWBACK OR RECOUPMENT POLICY. All Awards, subject to applicable law, shall be subject to clawback or recoupment pursuant to any compensation clawback or recoupment policy adopted by the Board or required by law during the term of Participant’s employment or other service with the Company that is applicable to executive officers, employees, directors or other service providers of the Company, and in addition to any other remedies available under such policy and applicable law, may require the cancellation of outstanding Awards and the recoupment of any gains realized with respect to Awards.
28. DEFINITIONS. As used in this Plan, and except as elsewhere defined herein, the following terms will have the following meanings:
28.1. “Affiliate” means (i) any entity that, directly or indirectly, is controlled by, controls or is under common control with, the Company and (ii) any entity in which the Company has a significant equity interest, in either case as determined by the Committee, whether now or hereafter existing.
28.2. “Amendment Effective Date” means the date on which the amendments to the Plan are approved by the Board and the Company stockholders.
28.3 “Award” means any award under the Plan, including any Option, Restricted Stock, Stock Bonus Award, Stock Appreciation Right, Restricted Stock Unit, Performance Award or award of Performance Shares.
28.4. “Award Agreement” means, with respect to each Award, the written or electronic agreement between the Company and the Participant setting forth the terms and conditions of the Award, and country-specific appendix thereto for grants to non-U.S. Participants, which shall be in substantially a form (which need not be the same for each Participant) that the Committee (or in the case of Award agreements that are not used for Insiders, the Committee’s delegate(s)) has from time to time approved, and will comply with and be subject to the terms and conditions of this Plan.
28.5. “Award Transfer Program” means any program instituted by the Committee which would permit Participants the opportunity to transfer any outstanding Awards to a financial institution or other person or entity approved by the Committee.
28.6. “Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.
28.7. “Cause” means (a) Participant’s conviction (including a guilty plea or plea of nolo contendere) of any felony or any other crime involving fraud, dishonesty or moral turpitude; (b) Participant’s commission or attempted commission of or participation in a fraud or act of dishonesty or misrepresentation against the Company that results (or could reasonably be expected to result) in material harm or injury to the business or reputation of the Company; (c) Participant’s material violation of any contract or agreement between Participant and the Company, or of any Company policy, or of any statutory duty Participant owes to the Company; or (d) Participant’s conduct that constitutes gross insubordination, incompetence or habitual neglect of duties and that results in (or could reasonably be expected to have resulted in) material harm to the business or reputation of the Company. The determination as to whether a Participant is being terminated for Cause shall be made in good faith by the Company and shall be final and binding on the Participant. The foregoing definition does not in any way limit the Company’s ability to terminate a Participant’s employment or consulting relationship at any time as provided in Section 20 above, and the term “Company” will be interpreted to include any Subsidiary or Parent, as appropriate. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the foregoing definition of “Cause” may, in part or in whole, be modified or replaced in each individual employment agreement or Award Agreement with any Participant, provided that such document supersedes the definition provided in this Section 28.6.
28.8. “Code” means the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the regulations promulgated thereunder.
28.9. “Committee” means the Compensation Committee of the Board or those persons to whom administration of the Plan, or part of the Plan, has been delegated as permitted by law.
28.10. “Common Stock” means the common stock of the Company.
28.11. “Company” means Sierra Oncology, Inc., or any successor corporation.
28.12. “Consultant” means any natural person, including an advisor or independent contractor, engaged by the Company or a Parent, Subsidiary or Affiliate to render services to such entity.
28.13. “Corporate Transaction” means the occurrence of any of the following events: (a) any “Person” (as such term is used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act) becomes the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rule 13d-3 of the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing more than fifty percent (50%) of the total voting power represented by the Company’s then-outstanding voting securities; provided, however, that for purposes of this subclause (a) the acquisition of additional securities by any one Person who is considered to own more than fifty percent (50%) of the total voting power of the securities of the Company will not be considered a Corporate Transaction; (b) the consummation of the sale or disposition by the Company of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets; (c) the consummation of a merger or consolidation of the Company with any other corporation, other than a merger or consolidation which would result in the voting securities of the Company outstanding immediately prior thereto continuing to represent (either by remaining outstanding or by being converted into voting securities of the surviving entity or its parent) at least fifty percent (50%) of the total voting power represented by the voting securities of the Company or such surviving entity or its parent outstanding immediately after such merger or consolidation; (d) any other transaction which qualifies as a “corporate transaction” under Section 424(a) of the Code wherein the stockholders of the Company give up all of their equity interest in the Company (except for the acquisition, sale or transfer of all or substantially all of the outstanding shares of the Company) or (e) a change in the effective control of the Company that occurs on the date that a majority of members of the Board are replaced during any twelve (12) month period by members of the Board whose appointment or election is not endorsed by as majority of the members of the Board prior to the date of such appointment or election. For purpose of this subclause (e), if any Person is considered to be in effective control of the Company, the acquisition of additional control of the Company by the same Person will not be considered a Corporate Transaction. For purposes of this definition, Persons will be considered to be acting as a group if they are owners of a corporation that enters into a merger, consolidation, purchase or acquisition of
stock, or similar business transaction with the Company. Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent that any amount constituting deferred compensation (as defined in Section 409A of the Code) would become payable under this Plan by reason of a Corporate Transaction, such amount shall become payable only if the event constituting a Corporate Transaction would also qualify as a change in ownership or effective control of the Company or a change in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets of the Company, each as defined within the meaning of Code Section 409A, as it has been and may be amended from time to time, and any proposed or final Treasury Regulations and IRS guidance that has been promulgated or may be promulgated thereunder from time to time.
28.14. “Director” means a member of the Board.
28.15. “Disability” means in the case of incentive stock options, total and permanent disability as defined in Section 22(e)(3) of the Code and in the case of other Awards, that the Participant is unable 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 can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months.
28.16. “Dividend Equivalent Right” means the right of a Participant, granted at the discretion of the Committee or as otherwise provided by the Plan or an Award Agreement, to receive a credit for the account of such Participant in an amount equal to the cash, stock or other property dividends in amounts equal equivalent to cash, stock or other property dividends for each Share represented by an Award held by such Participant.
28.17. “Effective Date” means the day immediately prior to the date of the underwritten initial public offering of the Company’s Common Stock pursuant to a registration statement that is declared effective by the SEC.
28.18. “Employee” means any person, including Officers and Directors, providing services as an employee to the Company or any Parent, Subsidiary or Affiliate. Neither service as a Director nor payment of a director’s fee by the Company will be sufficient to constitute “employment” by the Company.
28.19. “Exchange Act” means the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
28.20. “Exchange Program” means a program pursuant to which (a) outstanding Awards are surrendered, cancelled or exchanged for cash, the same type of Award or a different Award (or combination thereof) or (b) the exercise price of an outstanding Award is increased or reduced.
28.21. “Exercise Price” means, with respect to an Option, the price at which a holder may purchase the Shares issuable upon exercise of an Option and with respect to a SAR, the price at which the SAR is granted to the holder thereof.
28.22. “Fair Market Value” means, as of any date, the value of a share of the Company’s Common Stock determined as follows:
(a) if such Common Stock is publicly traded and is then listed on a national securities exchange, its closing price on the date of determination on the principal national securities exchange on which the Common Stock is listed or admitted to trading as reported in The Wall Street Journal or such other source as the Committee deems reliable;
(b) if such Common Stock is publicly traded but is neither listed nor admitted to trading on a national securities exchange, the average of the closing bid and asked prices on the date of determination as reported in The Wall Street Journal or such other source as the Committee deems reliable;
(c) in the case of an Option or SAR grant made on the Effective Date, the price per share at which shares of the Company’s Common Stock are initially offered for sale to the public by the Company’s underwriters in the initial public offering of the Company’s Common Stock pursuant to a registration statement filed with the SEC under the Securities Act; or
(d) if none of the foregoing is applicable, by the Board or the Committee in good faith.
28.23. “Insider” means an officer or director of the Company or any other person whose transactions in the Company’s Common Stock are subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act.
28.24. “IRS” means the United States Internal Revenue Service.
28.25. “Non-Employee Director” means a Director who is not an Employee of the Company or any Parent or Subsidiary.
28.26. “Option” means an award of an option to purchase Shares pursuant to Section 5.
28.27. “Parent” means any corporation (other than the Company) in an unbroken chain of corporations ending with the Company if each of such corporations other than the Company owns stock possessing fifty percent (50%) or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock in one of the other corporations in such chain.
28.28. “Participant” means a person who holds an Award under this Plan.
28.29. “Performance Award” means cash or stock granted pursuant to Section 10 of the Plan.
28.30. “Performance Factors” means any of the factors selected by the Committee and specified in an Award Agreement, from among the following objective measures, either individually, alternatively or in any combination, applied to the Company as a whole or any business unit or Subsidiary, either individually, alternatively, or in any combination, on a GAAP or non-GAAP basis, and measured, to the extent applicable on an absolute basis or relative to a pre-established target, to determine whether the performance goals established by the Committee with respect to applicable Awards have been satisfied:
(a) Profit Before Tax;
(b) Billings;
(c) Revenue;
(d) Net revenue;
(e) Earnings (which may include earnings before interest and taxes, earnings before taxes, and net earnings);
(f) Operating income;
(g) Operating margin;
(h) Operating profit;
(i) Controllable operating profit, or net operating profit;
(j) Net Profit;
(k) Gross margin;
(l) Operating expenses or operating expenses as a percentage of revenue;
(m) Net income;
(n) Earnings per share;
(o) Total stockholder return;
(p) Market share;
(q) Return on assets or net assets;
(r) The Company’s stock price;
(s) Growth in stockholder value relative to a pre-determined index;
(t) Return on equity;
(u) Return on invested capital;
(v) Cash Flow (including free cash flow or operating cash flows)
(w) Cash conversion cycle;
(x) Economic value added;
(y) Individual confidential business objectives;
(z) Contract awards or backlog;
(aa) Overhead or other expense reduction;
(bb) Credit rating;
(cc) Strategic plan development and implementation;
(dd) Succession plan development and implementation;
(ee) Improvement in workforce diversity;
(ff) Customer indicators;
(gg) New product invention or innovation;
(hh) Attainment of research and development milestones;
(ii) Improvements in productivity;
(jj) Bookings; and
(kk) Attainment of objective operating goals and employee metrics.
The Committee may, in recognition of unusual or non-recurring items such as acquisition-related activities or changes in applicable accounting rules, provide for one or more equitable adjustments (based on objective standards) to the Performance Factors to preserve the Committee’s original intent regarding the Performance Factors at the time of the initial award grant. It is within the sole discretion of the Committee to make or not make any such equitable adjustments.
28.31. “Performance Period” means the period of service determined by the Committee, not to exceed five (5) years, during which years of service or performance is to be measured for the Award.
28.32. “Performance Share” means an Award granted pursuant to Section 10 of the Plan.
28.33. “Permitted Transferee” means any child, stepchild, grandchild, parent, stepparent, grandparent, spouse, former spouse, sibling, niece, nephew, mother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law (including adoptive relationships) of the Employee, any person sharing the Employee’s household (other than a tenant or employee), a trust in which these persons (or the Employee) have more than 50% of the beneficial interest, a foundation in which these persons (or the Employee) control the management of assets, and any other entity in which these persons (or the Employee) own more than 50% of the voting interests.
28.34. “Plan” means this Sierra Oncology, Inc. 2015 Equity Incentive Plan (formerly called the ProNai Therapeutics, Inc. 2015 Equity Incentive Plan).
28.35. “Purchase Price” means the price to be paid for Shares acquired under the Plan, other than Shares acquired upon exercise of an Option or SAR.
28.36. “Restricted Stock Award” means an award of Shares pursuant to Section 6 of the Plan, or issued pursuant to the early exercise of an Option.
28.37. “Restricted Stock Unit” means an Award granted pursuant to Section 9 of the Plan.
28.38. “SEC” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
28.39. “Securities Act” means the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
28.40. “Service” shall mean service as an Employee, Consultant, Director or Non-Employee Director, to the Company or a Parent, Subsidiary or Affiliate, subject to such further limitations as may be set forth in the Plan or the applicable Award Agreement. An Employee will not be deemed to have ceased to provide Service in the case of (a) sick leave, (b) military leave, or (c) any other leave of absence approved by the Company; provided, that such leave is for a period of not more than 90 days (x) unless reemployment upon the expiration of such leave is guaranteed by contract or statute, or (y) unless provided otherwise pursuant to formal policy adopted from time to time by the Company and issued and promulgated to employees in writing. In the case of any Employee on an approved leave of absence or a reduction in hours worked (for illustrative purposes only, a change in schedule from that of full-time to part-time), the Committee may make such provisions regarding suspension of or modification of vesting of the Award while on leave from the employ of the Company or a Parent, Subsidiary or Affiliate or during such change in working hours as it may deem appropriate, except that in no event may an Award be exercised after the expiration of the term set forth in the applicable Award Agreement. In the event of military leave, if required by applicable laws, vesting shall continue for the longest period that vesting continues under any other statutory or Company approved leave of absence and, upon a Participant’s returning from military leave (under conditions that would entitle him or her to protection upon such return under the Uniform Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act), he or she shall be given vesting credit with respect to Awards to the same extent as would have applied had the Participant continued to provide services to the Company throughout the leave on the same terms as he or she was providing services immediately prior to such leave. Except as set forth in this Section 28.39, an employee shall have terminated employment as of the date he or she ceases provide services (regardless of whether the termination is in breach of local employment laws or is later found to be invalid) and employment shall not be extended by any notice period or garden leave mandated by local law, provided however, that a change in status from an employee to a consultant or advisor shall not terminate the service provider’s Service, unless determined by the Committee, in its discretion. The Committee will have sole discretion to determine whether a Participant has ceased to provide Services and the effective date on which the Participant ceased to provide Services.
28.41. “Shares” means shares of Common Stock and the common stock of any successor entity.
28.42. “Stock Appreciation Right” means an Award granted pursuant to Section 8 of the Plan.
28.43. “Stock Bonus” means an Award granted pursuant to Section 7 of the Plan.
28.44. “Subsidiary” means any corporation (other than the Company) in an unbroken chain of corporations beginning with the Company if each of the corporations other than the last corporation in the unbroken chain owns stock possessing fifty percent (50%) or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock in one of the other corporations in such chain.
28.45. “Treasury Regulations” means regulations promulgated by the United States Treasury Department.
28.46. “Unvested Shares” means Shares that have not yet vested or are subject to a right of repurchase in favor of the Company (or any successor thereto).
SIERRA ONCOLOGY, INC.
(the “Company”)
2015 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN
(the “Plan”)
ADDENDUM FOR CANADIAN PARTICIPANTS
| A. | The Company has adopted the Plan, to be effective on the Effective Date. |
| B. | The Company desires to modify certain terms of the Plan in their application for Directors, Non-Employee Directors and Employees (as those terms are defined in the Plan) who are resident in Canada for purposes of the Income Tax Act (Canada) or otherwise subject to Canadian personal income tax (the “Canadian Participants”). |
| C. | Under the Income Tax Act (Canada), Directors, Non-Employee Directors and Employees who are Canadian Participants are treated as officers and employees for purposes of that Act. |
NOW THEREFORE, the Company does hereby amend certain terms and conditions of the Plan as they apply to the Canadian Participants, as follows.
| 1. | Defined Terms. In this Addendum, all defined terms shall have the respective meanings set forth in the Plan, unless otherwise defined herein. |
| 2. | Effective Date. The effective date of this Addendum is the Effective Date. |
| 3. | Options. |
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| (a) | Options granted to Canadian Participants will be NSOs. |
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| (b) | Notwithstanding section 5.2 of the Plan, the grant date of an Option awarded to a Canadian Participant shall be, in all cases, the date the Option is actually granted to the Canadian Participant, as evidenced by the Award Agreement. |
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| (c) | Notwithstanding section 5.1 of the Plan, satisfaction of Performance Factors, if any, will be treated as a condition subsequent to the grant to a Canadian Participant of an Option giving rise to a risk of forfeiture of the Option and not a condition precedent to the grant of the Option. |
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| (d) | For purposes of section 5.9 of the Plan, Options granted to a Canadian Participant will not be modified or altered, or new options granted in substitution therefor, if such modification, alteration or substitution has a material adverse affect on such Canadian Participant’s tax treatment of such Options, except with such Canadian Participant’s consent. |
| 4. | Stock Bonus Awards. |
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| Section 7.2 of the Plan shall be modified as it applies to Canadian Participants such that the Company is required to issue Shares in payment of a Stock Bonus Award to a Canadian Participant and the Company cannot choose, at its option, to make such payment in cash or a combination of cash and Shares, and section 7.2 shall read as follows: |
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| “7.2. Form of Payment to Canadian Participant. Payment of a Stock Bonus Award to a Canadian Participant shall be settled solely by the issuance of Shares.” |
| 5. | Stock Appreciation Rights. |
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| (a) | Section 8.2 of the Plan shall be modified as it applies to Canadian Participants such that the Committee will provide that a SAR (or a portion thereof) becomes exercisable on the date of vesting of the SAR (or portion thereof), which date will be the date of exercise of the SAR (or portion thereof) for purposes of section 8.3 of the Plan. The relevant SAR (or portion thereof) will be deemed to be exercised on that date and the Canadian Participant will be immediately entitled to receive payment from the Company under section 8.3 of the Plan. |
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| (b) | Section 8.3 of the Plan shall be modified as it applies to Canadian Participants such that each SAR (or portion thereof) that vests and is deemed to be exercised pursuant to section 8.2 of the Plan (as modified by section 4(a) of this Addendum) shall be settled and paid out to the Canadian Participant as soon as practicable after the date of such vesting, and the terms of the SAR shall not, in any circumstances, provide for a deferral of such payment. |
| 6. | Restricted Stock Units. |
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| Section 9.2 of the Plan shall be modified as it applies to Canadian Participants such that the Company agrees to issue only Shares in payment of RSUs to a Canadian Participant and the Company cannot choose, at its option, to make such payment in cash or a combination of cash and Shares, and section 9.2 shall read as follows: |
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| “9.2. Form and Timing of Settlement to Canadian Participants. Payment of earned RSUs of a Canadian Participant shall be made as soon as practicable after the date(s) determined by the Committee and set forth in the Award Agreement. Such earned RSUs shall be settled solely by the issuance of Shares. The Committee may permit a Canadian Participant to defer settlement and the issuance of Shares in payment of an earned RSU to a date that is acceptable to the Committee, provided that the terms of the Award Agreement, the RSUs and any deferral meet the conditions of section 7 of the Income Tax Act (Canada).” |
| 7. | Performance Awards. |
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| (a) | Section 10.1 of the Plan shall be modified as it applies to Canadian Participants and shall read as follows: |
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| “10.1 Terms of Performance Awards. The Committee will determine, and each Award Agreement shall set for the terms of each Performance Award, including, without limitation, the consideration to be distributed on settlement or payment; the Performance Factors and the Performance Period that shall determine the time and extent to which each Performance Award will be settled or paid; and the effect of the Canadian Participant’s termination of Service on each Performance Award. In establishing Performance Factors and the Performance Period the Committee will: (x) determine the nature, length and starting date of any Performance Period; (y) select from among the Performance Factors to be used; and (z) determine the number of Shares deemed subject to the award of Performance Shares or the cash value of any cash bonus subject to a Performance Award. |
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| 10.1.1 If the Performance Award is in the form of a cash bonus, the Committee shall determine, and the Award Agreement shall provide, that the Performance Award must be paid out to the Canadian Participant within three (3) years after the end of the first year in which the services were performed and in respect of which that Performance Award is granted. |
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| 10.1.2 If the Performance Award is in the form of Performance Shares, the Committee shall determine, and the Award Agreement shall set forth, the number of Shares deemed subject to such award of Performance Shares. |
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| 10.1.3 Prior to settlement of any Performance Award the Committee shall determine the extent to which such Performance Award has been earned. Subject to section 10.1.1, Performance Periods may overlap and Participants may participate simultaneously with respect to Performance Awards that are, subject to different Performance Periods and different performance goals and other criteria. No Participant will be eligible to receive more than $5,000,000 in cash bonus Performance Awards in any annual Performance Period under this Plan, and for any other Performance Period, such amount multiplied by a fraction, the number of which is the number of months in the Performance period and the denominator of which is twelve (12).” |
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| (b) | Section 10.2 of the Plan shall be modified as it applies to Canadian Participants in respect of Performance Shares such that the Company agrees to issue only Shares in payment of awards of Performance Shares to a Canadian Participant and neither the Committee nor the Company may choose, at its option, to make such payment in cash or a combination of cash and Shares. |
| 8. | Payment for Share Purchases. |
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| Section 11(b) of the Plan shall be modified as at applies to Canadian Participants with respect to the consideration that may be paid by Canadian Participants for Shares purchased pursuant to the Plan. In no circumstances shall a Canadian Participant be permitted to make, and the Committee shall not approve, a payment by the Canadian Participant by the surrender of any Shares that were acquired at any time by the Canadian Participant on the exercise of any Option. |
| 9. | Withholding Taxes. |
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| (a) | Section 13.1 of the Plan shall be modified as it applies to Canadian Participants and shall read as follows: |
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| “13.1 Withholding for Canadian Participants. The Company or any Affiliate may take such reasonable steps for the deduction and withholding of any taxes and other required source deductions which the Company or Affiliate, as the case may be, is required by law or regulation of any governmental authority whatsoever to remit in connection with the exercise or settlement of any Award granted to a Canadian Participant. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, whenever a settlement or payment is made by the issuance of Shares to a Canadian Participant in satisfaction of Awards granted under this Plan, the Company or Affiliate, as the case may be, may, at its discretion (i) deduct and withhold those amounts it is required to remit from any cash remuneration or other amount payable to the Canadian Participant, whether or not such amount payable is related to the Plan, or the exercise or settlement of any Awards; (ii) permit the Canadian Participant to make a cash payment to the Company or Affiliate, as the case may be, equal to the amount required to be remitted; or (iii) sell, on behalf of the Canadian Participant, that number of Shares to be issued on the exercise or settlement such that the amount of the proceeds of such sale will be sufficient to satisfy any taxes or other source deductions required to be remitted for the account of the Canadian Participant. If the Company or Affiliate, as the case may be, |
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| considers that the foregoing steps undertaken in connection with this section 13.1 result in inadequate withholding or a late remittance of taxes or other source deductions, then the delivery of Shares to be issued on the exercise or settlement of Awards may be made conditional upon the Canadian Participant (or other person) reimbursing or compensating the Company or Affiliate or making arrangements satisfactory to the Company or Affiliate for the payment in a timely manner of all taxes and other source deductions required to be remitted.” |
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| (b) | Section 13.2 of the Plan shall not apply to Canadian Participants. For greater certainty, the Committee shall not approve funding by a Canadian Participant of withholding taxes or other source deductions by the withholding of Shares the Canadian Participant is otherwise entitled to receive or the surrender by the Canadian Participant of any Shares that were acquired at any time by the Canadian Participant on the exercise of any Option. |
NOTICE OF STOCK OPTION GRANT
SIERRA ONCOLOGY, INC. 2015 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN
Unless otherwise defined herein, the terms defined in the Sierra Oncology, Inc. (the “Company”) 2015 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) shall have the same meanings in this Notice of Stock Option Grant (the “Notice of Grant”) and the attached Stock Option Agreement (the “Option Agreement”). You have been granted an Option to purchase shares of Common Stock of the Company under the Plan subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan, this Notice of Grant and the attached Option Agreement.
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| Incentive Stock Option |
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| , 20 ; This Option expires earlier if your Service terminates earlier, as described in the Stock Option Agreement. | |||
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| If this box is checked, the additional terms and conditions set forth on Attachment 1 hereto (as executed by the Company) are applicable and are incorporated herein by reference. No document need be attached as Attachment 1 if the box is not checked. | |||
You understand that your employment or consulting relationship with the Company is for an unspecified duration, can be terminated at any time (i.e., is “at-will”), and that nothing in this Notice, the Option Agreement or the Plan changes the at-will nature of that relationship. By accepting this Option, you and the Company agree that this Option is granted under and governed by the terms and conditions of the Plan, the Notice of Grant and the Option Agreement. By accepting this Option, you consent to electronic delivery as set forth in the Option Agreement.
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1
STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT
SIERRA ONCOLOGY, INC. 2015 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN
You have been granted an Option by Sierra Oncology, Inc. (the “Company”) under the 2015 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) to purchase Shares (the “Option”), subject to the terms, restrictions and conditions of the Plan, the Notice of Stock Option Grant (the “Notice of Grant”) and this Stock Option Agreement (the “Agreement”).
1.Grant of Option. You have been granted an Option for the number of Shares set forth in the Notice of Grant at the exercise price per Share set forth in the Notice of Grant (the “Exercise Price”). In the event of a conflict between the terms and conditions of the Plan and the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the terms and conditions of the Plan shall prevail. If designated in the Notice of Grant as an Incentive Stock Option (“ISO”), this Option is intended to qualify as an Incentive Stock Option under Section 422 of the Code. However, if this Option is intended to be an ISO, to the extent that it exceeds the $100,000 rule of Code Section 422(d) it shall be treated as a Nonqualified Stock Option (“NSO”).
2.Termination Period.
(a)General Rule. If your Service terminates for any reason except death or Disability, and other than for Cause, then this Option will expire at the close of business at Company headquarters on the date three (3) months after your termination of Service (subject to the expiration detailed in Section 6). If your Service is terminated for Cause, this Option will expire upon the date of such termination. The Company determines when your Service terminates for all purposes under this Agreement. You acknowledge and agree that the Vesting Schedule may change prospectively in the event that your service status changes between full and part-time status in accordance with Company policies relating to work schedules and vesting of awards. You acknowledge that the vesting of the Shares pursuant to this Notice is earned only by continuing Service and that any unvested portion of your Option will expire on the termination of your employment for any reason.
(b)Death; Disability. If you die before your Service terminates (or you die within three (3) months of your termination of Service other than for Cause), then this Option will expire at the close of business at Company headquarters on the date twelve (12) months after the date of your death (subject to the expiration detailed in Section 6). If your Service terminates because of your Disability, then this Option will expire at the close of business at Company headquarters on the date twelve (12) months after your termination date (subject to the expiration detailed in Section 6).
(c)Black-Out Period. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if any post-termination exercise period set forth above terminates on a date that falls within a Blackout Period (as defined below) or within ten (10) business days following the expiration of a Blackout Period, such expiration date shall be automatically extended without any further act or formality to that date which is ten (10) business days after the end of such Blackout Period, with such tenth (10th) business day to be considered the expiration date of such Option for all purposes under the Plan, subject to earlier expiration detailed in Section 6. For purposes of this Agreement, “Blackout Period” means the period during which designated directors, officers and employees of the Company cannot trade Shares pursuant to the Company’s policy respecting restrictions on director’, officers’ and employee trading which is in effect at the time.
(d)No Notice. You are responsible for keeping track of these exercise periods following your termination of Service for any reason. The Company will not provide further notice of such periods. In no event shall this Option be exercised later than the Expiration Date set forth in the Notice of Grant.2
3.Exercise of Option.
(a)Right to Exercise. This Option is exercisable during its term in accordance with the Vesting Schedule set forth in the Notice of Grant and the applicable provisions of the Plan and this Agreement. In the event of your death, Disability, or other cessation of Service, the exercisability of the Option is governed by the applicable provisions of the Plan, the Notice of Grant and this Agreement. This Option may not be exercised for a fraction of a Share.
(b)Method of Exercise. This Option is exercisable by delivery of an exercise notice in a form specified by the Company (the “Exercise Notice”), which shall state the election to exercise the Option, the number of Shares in respect of which the Option is being exercised (the “Exercised Shares”), and such other representations and agreements as may be required by the Company pursuant to the provisions of the Plan. The Exercise Notice shall be delivered in person, by mail, via electronic mail or facsimile or by other authorized method to the Secretary of the Company or other person designated by the Company. The Exercise Notice shall be accompanied by payment of the aggregate Exercise Price as to all Exercised Shares. This Option shall be deemed to be exercised upon receipt by the Company of a fully executed Exercise Notice accompanied by the aggregate Exercise Price and any applicable tax withholding due upon exercise of the Option.
(c)Exercise by Another. If another person wants to exercise this Option after it has been transferred to him or her in compliance with this Agreement and the Plan, that person must prove to the Company’s satisfaction that he or she is
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entitled to exercise this Option. That person must also complete the proper Exercise Notice form (as described above) and pay the Exercise Price (as described below) and any applicable tax withholding due upon exercise of the Option (as described below).
4.Method of Payment. Payment of the aggregate Exercise Price shall be by personal check, wire transfer, cashier’s check, or, with the Company’s consent; any of the following, or a combination thereof:
(a)certificates for shares of Company stock that you own, along with any forms needed to effect a transfer of those shares to the Company; the Fair Market Value of the shares, determined as of the effective date of the Option exercise, will be applied to the Option Exercise Price. Instead of surrendering shares of Company stock, you may attest to the ownership of those shares on a form provided by the Company and have the same number of shares subtracted from the Option shares issued to you. However, you may not surrender, or attest to the ownership of, shares of Company stock in payment of the Exercise Price of your Option if your action would cause the Company to recognize compensation expense (or additional compensation expense) with respect to this Option for financial reporting purposes;
(b)cashless exercise through irrevocable directions to a securities broker approved by the Company to sell all or part of the Shares covered by this Option and to deliver to the Company from the sale proceeds an amount sufficient to pay the Option Exercise Price and any withholding taxes. The balance of the sale proceeds, if any, will be delivered to you. The directions must be given by signing a special notice of exercise form provided by the Company; or
(c)other method authorized by the Company.
5.Non-Transferability of Option. In general, except as provided below, only you may exercise this Option prior to your death. You may not transfer or assign this Option, except as provided below. For instance, you may not sell this Option or use it as security for a loan. If you attempt to do any of these things, this Option will immediately become invalid. You may, however, dispose of this Option in your will or in a beneficiary designation. However, if this Option is designated as a NSO in the Notice of Grant, then the Committee (as defined in the Plan) may, in its sole discretion, allow you to transfer this Option as a gift to one or more family members. For purposes of this Agreement, “family member” means a child, stepchild, grandchild, parent, stepparent, grandparent, spouse, former spouse, sibling, niece, nephew, mother-in- law, father-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law or sister-in-law (including adoptive relationships), any individual sharing your household (other than a tenant or employee), a trust in which one or more of these individuals have more than 50% of the beneficial interest, a foundation in which you or one or more of these persons control the management of assets, and any entity in which you or one or more of these persons own more than 50% of the voting interest. In addition, if this Option is designated as a NSO in the Notice of Grant, then the Committee may, in its sole discretion, allow you to transfer this Option to your spouse or former spouse pursuant to a domestic relations order in settlement of marital property rights. The Committee will allow you to transfer this Option only if both you and the transferee(s) execute the forms prescribed by the Committee, which include the consent of the transferee(s) to be bound by this Agreement. This Option may not be transferred in any manner other than by will or by the laws of descent or distribution or court order and may be exercised during the lifetime of you only by you, your guardian, or legal representative, as permitted in the Plan. The terms of the Plan and this Agreement shall be binding upon the executors, administrators, heirs, successors and assigns of you.
6.Term of Option. This Option shall in any event expire on the expiration date set forth in the Notice of Grant, which date is ten (10) years after the grant date (five (5) years after the grant date if this Option is designated as an ISO in the Notice of Grant and Section 5.3 of the Plan applies).
7.Tax Consequences. You should consult a tax adviser for tax consequences relating to this Option in the jurisdiction in which you are subject to tax. YOU SHOULD CONSULT A TAX ADVISER BEFORE EXERCISING THIS OPTION OR DISPOSING OF THE SHARES.
(a)Exercising the Option. You will not be allowed to exercise this Option unless you make arrangements acceptable to the Company to pay any withholding taxes that may be due as a result of the Option exercise.
(b)Notice of Disqualifying Disposition of ISO Shares. If you sell or otherwise dispose of any of the Shares acquired pursuant to an ISO on or before the later of (i) two (2) years after the grant date, or (ii) one year after the exercise date, you shall immediately notify the Company in writing of such disposition. You agree that you may be subject to income tax withholding by the Company on the compensation income recognized from such early disposition of ISO Shares by payment in cash or out of the current compensation paid to you.
8.Withholding Taxes and Stock Withholding. Regardless of any action the Company or your actual employer (the “Employer”) takes with respect to any or all income tax, social insurance, payroll tax, payment on account or other tax-
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related withholding (“Tax-Related Items”), you acknowledge that the ultimate liability for all Tax-Related Items legally due by you is and remains your responsibility and that the Company and/or the Employer (1) make no representations or undertakings regarding the treatment of any Tax-Related Items in connection with any aspect of the Option grant, including the grant, vesting or exercise of the Option, the subsequent sale of Shares acquired pursuant to such exercise and the receipt of any dividends; and (2) do not commit to structure the terms of the grant or any aspect of the Option to reduce or eliminate your liability for Tax-Related Items. You acknowledge that if you are subject to Tax-Related Items in more than one jurisdiction, the Company and/or the Employer may be required to withhold or account for Tax-Related Items in more than one jurisdiction.
Prior to exercise of the Option, you shall pay or make adequate arrangements satisfactory to the Company and/or the Employer to satisfy all withholding and payment on account obligations of the Company and/or the Employer. In this regard, you authorize the Company and/or the Employer to withhold all applicable Tax-Related Items legally payable by you from your wages or other cash compensation paid to you by the Company and/or the Employer. With the Company’s consent, these arrangements may also include, if permissible under local law, (a) withholding Shares that otherwise would be issued to you when you exercise this Option, provided that the Company only withholds the amount of Shares necessary to satisfy the minimum statutory withholding amount, (b) having the Company withhold taxes from the proceeds of the sale of the Shares, either through a voluntary sale or through a mandatory sale arranged by the Company (on your behalf and you hereby authorize such sales by this authorization), (c) your payment of a cash amount, or (d) any other arrangement approved by the Company; all under such rules as may be established by the Committee and in compliance with the any insider trading or 10b-51 trading policies of the Company, if applicable; provided however, that if you are a Section 16 officer of the Company under the Exchange Act, then the Committee (as constituted in accordance with Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act) shall establish the method of withholding from alternatives (a)-(d) above, and the Committee shall establish the method prior to the Tax-Related Items withholding event. The Fair Market Value of these Shares, determined as of the effective date of the Option exercise, will be applied as a credit against the withholding taxes. You shall pay to the Company or the Employer any amount of Tax-Related Items that the Company or the Employer may be required to withhold as a result of your participation in the Plan or your purchase of Shares that cannot be satisfied by the means previously described. Finally, you acknowledge that the Company has no obligation to deliver Shares to you until you have satisfied the obligations in connection with the Tax-Related Items as described in this Section.
9.Acknowledgement. The Company and you agree that the Option is granted under and governed by the Notice of Grant, this Agreement and the provisions of the Plan (incorporated herein by reference). You: (i) acknowledge receipt of a copy of the Plan prospectus, (ii) represent that you have carefully read and are familiar with their provisions, and (iii) hereby accept the Option subject to all of the terms and conditions set forth herein and those set forth in the Plan and the Notice of Grant. You hereby agree to accept as binding, conclusive and final all decisions or interpretations of the Committee upon any questions relating to the Plan, the Notice of Grant and the Agreement.
10.Consent to Electronic Delivery of All Plan Documents and Disclosures. By your acceptance of this Option, you consent to the electronic delivery of the Notice of Grant, this Agreement, account statements, Plan prospectuses required by the Securities and Exchange Commission, U.S. financial reports of the Company, and all other documents that the Company is required to deliver to its security holders (including, without limitation, annual reports and proxy statements) or other communications or information related to the Option. Electronic delivery may include the delivery of a link to a Company intranet or the internet site of a third party involved in administering the Plan, the delivery of the document via e-mail or such other delivery determined at the Company’s discretion. You acknowledge that you may receive from the Company a paper copy of any documents delivered electronically at no cost if you contact the Company by telephone, through a postal service or electronic mail at. You further acknowledge that you will be provided with a paper copy of any documents delivered electronically if electronic delivery fails; similarly, you understand that you must provide on request to the Company or any designated third party a paper copy of any documents delivered electronically if electronic delivery fails. Also, you understand that your consent may be revoked or changed, including any change in the electronic mail address to which documents are delivered (if you have provided an electronic mail address), at any time by notifying the Company of such revised or revoked consent by telephone, postal service or electronic mail at. Finally, you understand that you are not required to consent to electronic delivery.
11.Compliance with Laws and Regulations. The exercise of this Option will be subject to and conditioned upon compliance by the Company and you with all applicable state, federal and foreign laws and regulations and with all applicable requirements of any stock exchange or automated quotation system on which the Company’s Common Stock may be listed or quoted at the time of such issuance or transfer. The Shares issued pursuant to this Agreement shall be endorsed with appropriate legends, if any, determined by the Company.
12.Governing Law; Severability. If one or more provisions of this Agreement are held to be unenforceable under applicable law, the parties agree to renegotiate such provision in good faith. In the event that the parties cannot reach a
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mutually agreeable and enforceable replacement for such provision, then (i) such provision shall be excluded from this Agreement, (ii) the balance of this Agreement shall be interpreted as if such provision were so excluded and (iii) the balance of this Agreement shall be enforceable in accordance with its terms. This Agreement and all acts and transactions pursuant hereto and the rights and obligations of the parties hereto shall be governed, construed and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, without giving effect to principles of conflicts of law. For purposes of litigating any dispute that may arise directly or indirectly from the Plan, the Notice and this Agreement, the parties hereby submit and consent to litigation in the exclusive jurisdiction of the State of Delaware.
13.No Rights as Employee, Director or Consultant. Nothing in this Agreement shall affect in any manner whatsoever the right or power of the Company, or a Parent, Subsidiary or Affiliate of the Company, to terminate your Service, for any reason, with or without Cause.
14.Adjustment. In the event of a stock split, a stock dividend or a similar change in Company stock, the number of Shares covered by this Option and the Exercise Price per Share may be adjusted pursuant to the Plan.
15.Lock-Up Agreement. In connection with the initial public offering of the Company’s securities and upon request of the Company or the underwriters managing any underwritten offering of the Company’s securities, you hereby agree not to sell, make any short sale of, loan, grant any Option for the purchase of, or otherwise dispose of any securities of the Company however and whenever acquired (other than those included in the registration) without the prior written consent of the Company or such underwriters, as the case may be, for such period of time (not to exceed one hundred eighty (180) days) from the effective date of such registration as may be requested by the Company or such managing underwriters and to execute an agreement reflecting the foregoing as may be requested by the underwriters at the time of the public offering; provided however that, if during the last seventeen (17) days of the restricted period the Company issues an earnings release or material news or a material event relating to the Company occurs, or prior to the expiration of the restricted period the Company announces that it will release earnings results during the sixteen (16)-day period beginning on the last day of the restricted period, then, upon the request of the managing underwriter, to the extent required by any FINRA rules, the restrictions imposed by this Section shall continue to apply until the end of the third trading day following the expiration of the fifteen (15)-day period beginning on the issuance of the earnings release or the occurrence of the material news or material event. In no event will the restricted period extend beyond two hundred sixteen (216) days after the effective date of the registration statement.
16.Award Subject to Company Clawback or Recoupment. To the extent permitted by applicable law, the Option shall be subject to clawback or recoupment pursuant to any compensation clawback or recoupment policy adopted by the Board or required by law during the term of your employment or other Service that is applicable to you. In addition to any other remedies available under such policy, applicable law may require the cancellation of your Option (whether vested or unvested) and the recoupment of any gains realized with respect to your Option.
17.Entire Agreement; Enforcement of Rights. This Agreement, the Plan and the Notice constitute the entire agreement and understanding of the parties relating to the subject matter herein and supersede all prior discussions between them. Any prior agreements, commitments or negotiations concerning this Option are superseded. No modification of or amendment to this Agreement, nor any waiver of any rights under this Agreement, shall be effective unless in writing and signed by the parties to this Agreement. The failure by either party to enforce any rights under this Agreement shall not be construed as a waiver of any rights of such party.
BY ACCEPTING THIS OPTION, YOU AGREE TO ALL OF THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS DESCRIBED ABOVE AND IN THE PLAN.
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