IT IS UNLAWFUL TO CONSUMMATE A SALE OR TRANSFER OF THIS SECURITY, OR ANY INTEREST THEREIN, OR TO RECEIVE ANY CONSIDERATION THEREFORE,WITHOUT THE PRIOR WRITTEN CONSENT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF CORPORATIONS OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, EXCEPT AS PERMITTED IN THE COMMISSIONERS RULES. VIRGIN AMERICA INC. AMENDED ANDRESTATED 2005 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN NONQUALIFIED STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT

EX-10.17 6 d761206dex1017.htm EX-10.17 EX-10.17

Exhibit 10.17

IT IS UNLAWFUL TO CONSUMMATE A SALE OR TRANSFER OF THIS SECURITY, OR ANY INTEREST THEREIN, OR TO RECEIVE ANY CONSIDERATION THEREFORE, WITHOUT THE PRIOR WRITTEN CONSENT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF CORPORATIONS OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, EXCEPT AS PERMITTED IN THE COMMISSIONER’S RULES.

VIRGIN AMERICA INC.

AMENDED AND RESTATED 2005 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN

NONQUALIFIED STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT

THIS AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”), is made effective as of the day of , 20 , (hereinafter called the “Date of Grant”), between Virgin America Inc., a Delaware corporation (hereinafter called the “Company”), and (hereinafter called the “Participant”):

R E C I T A L S:

WHEREAS, the Company adopted the Amended and Restated 2005 Virgin America Inc. Stock Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) on January 9, 2010, which Plan is incorporated herein by reference and made a part of this Agreement. Capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the same meanings as in the Plan; and

WHEREAS, the Committee has determined that it would be in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders to grant the option provided for herein (the “Option”) to the Participant pursuant to the Plan and the terms set forth herein.

NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants hereinafter set forth, the parties agree as follows:

1. Grant of the Option. The Company hereby grants to the Participant the right and option (the “Option”) to purchase, on the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth, all or any part of an aggregate of Shares of Class G Common Stock, subject to adjustment as set forth in the Plan. The purchase price of the Shares subject to the Option shall be $ per Share (the “Option Price”). The Option is intended to be a non-qualified stock option, and is not intended to be treated as an option that complies with Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

2. Vesting.

(a) [Subject to the Participant’s continued Employment with the Company, the Option shall vest and become exercisable with respect to the Plan.] twenty-five percent (25%) of the Shares initially covered by the Option on each of the first, second, third and fourth anniversaries of the date of hire. At any time, the portion of the Option which has become vested and exercisable as described above (or pursuant to Section 2(c) below) is hereinafter referred to as the “Vested Portion”.]

(b) If the Participant’s Employment with the Company is terminated (or Constructively Terminated) without Cause within one (1) year of a Change in Control, then fifty percent (50%) of the portion of the Option that has not become vested and exercisable on the termination date (or Constructive Termination date) shall become vested and exercisable immediately. For purposes hereof, the Participant shall be deemed to be “Constructively Terminated” if there is a material reduction in the Participant’s rate of compensation or a material reduction in the Participant’s responsibilities, authority, title or duties, and “Constructive Termination” shall have the corresponding meaning.

(c) If the Participant’s Employment with the Company is terminated for any reason, the Option shall, to the extent not then vested, be canceled by the Company without consideration and the Vested Portion of the Option shall remain exercisable for the period set forth in Section 3(a).

3. Exercise of Option.

(a) Period of Exercise. Subject to the provisions of the Plan and this Agreement, the Participant may exercise all or any part of the Vested Portion of the Option at any time prior to the earliest to occur of:

(i) the tenth anniversary of the Date of Grant;

(ii) one year following the date of the Participant’s termination of Employment due to death or “Disability”;

(iii) the later of (x) six months following the date of the Participant’s termination of Employment by the Company without “Cause” or (y) 7 days following the expiration of any underwriter’s lock-up period imposed as part of Virgin’s IPO (but in no event shall Clause (y) of this subparagraph (iii) apply later than 270 days after Virgin’s IPO);

(iv) five days following the date of the Participant’s termination of Employment by the Company for “Cause” and;

(v) thirty days following the date of the termination of Employment by the Participant for any reason.

For purposes of this agreement:

“Cause” shall mean “Cause” as defined in any employment agreement then in effect between the Participant and the Company or if not defined therein or, if there shall be no such agreement, (i) Participant’s engagement in misconduct which is materially injurious to the Company or its affiliates, (ii) Participant’s continued failure to substantially perform his duties to the Company, (iii) Participant’s repeated dishonesty in the performance of his duties to the Company, (iv) Participant’s commission of an act or acts constituting any (x) fraud against, or misappropriation or embezzlement from the Company or any of its affiliates, (y) crime involving moral turpitude, or (z) offense that

could result in a jail sentence of at least 30 days or (v) Participant’s material breach of any confidentiality or non-competition covenant entered into between the Participant and the Company. The determination of the existence of Cause shall be made by the Committee in good faith, which determination shall be conclusive for purposes of this Agreement; and

“Disability” shall mean “disability” as defined in any employment agreement then in effect between the Participant and the Company or if not defined therein or if there shall be no such agreement, as defined in the Company’s long-term disability plan as in effect from time to time, or if there shall be no plan or if not defined therein, the Participant’s becoming physically or mentally incapacitated and consequent inability for a period of six (6) months in any twelve (12) consecutive month period to perform his duties to the Company.

(b) Method of Exercise.

(i) Subject to Section 3(a), the Vested Portion of the Option may be exercised by delivering to the Company at its principal office written notice of intent to so exercise; provided that, the Option may be exercised with respect to whole Shares only. Such notice shall specify the number of Shares for which the Option is being exercised and shall be accompanied by payment in full of the Option Price. The payment of the Option Price may be made at the election of the Participant (i) in cash or its equivalent (e.g., by check), (ii) to the extent permitted by the Committee, in Shares having a Fair Market Value equal to the aggregate Option Price for the Shares being purchased and satisfying such other requirements as may be imposed by the Committee; (iii) partly in cash and, to the extent permitted by the Committee, partly in such Shares or (iv) if there is a public market for the Shares at such time, through the delivery of irrevocable instructions to a broker to sell Shares obtained upon the exercise of the Option and to deliver promptly to the Company an amount out of the proceeds of such Sale equal to the aggregate option price for the Shares being purchased. No Participant shall have any rights to dividends or other rights of a stockholder with respect to Shares subject to an Option until the Participant has given written notice of exercise of the Option, paid in full for such Shares and, if applicable, has satisfied any other conditions imposed by the Committee pursuant to the Plan.

(ii) Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan or this Agreement to the contrary, the Option may not be exercised prior to the completion of any registration or qualification of the Option or the Shares under applicable state and federal securities or other laws, or under any ruling or regulation of any governmental body or national securities exchange, that the Committee shall in its sole discretion determine to be necessary or advisable.

(iii) Upon the Company’s determination that the Option has been validly exercised as to any of the Shares, the Company shall issue certificates in the Participant’s name for such Shares. However, the Company shall not be liable to the Participant for damages relating to any delays in issuing the certificates to him, any loss of the certificates, or any mistakes or errors in the issuance of the certificates or in the certificates themselves.

(iv) In the event of the Participant’s death, the Vested Portion of the Option shall remain exercisable by the Participant’s executor or administrator, or the person or persons to whom the Participant’s rights under this Agreement shall pass by will or by the laws of descent and distribution as the case may be, to the extent set forth in Section 3(a). Any heir or legatee of the Participant shall take rights herein granted subject to the terms and conditions hereof.

4. No Right to Continued Employment. The granting of the Option evidenced hereby and this Agreement shall impose no obligation on the Company or any Affiliate to continue the Employment of the Participant and shall not lessen or affect the Company’s or its Affiliate’s right to terminate the Employment of such Participant.

5. Legend on Certificates. The certificates representing the Shares purchased by exercise of the Option shall be subject to such stop transfer orders and other restrictions as the Committee may deem advisable under the Plan or the rules, regulations, and other requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission, any stock exchange upon which such Shares are listed, and any applicable Federal or state laws, and the Committee may cause a legend or legends to be put on any such certificates to make appropriate reference to such restrictions. The California Commissioner of Corporations may require that the following legend also be placed upon the share certificate(s) evidencing ownership of the Shares: IT IS UNLAWFUL TO CONSUMMATE A SALE OR TRANSFER OF THIS SECURITY, OR ANY INTEREST THEREIN, OR TO RECEIVE ANY CONSIDERATION THEREFOR, WITHOUT THE PRIOR WRITTEN CONSENT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF CORPORATIONS OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, EXCEPT AS PERMITTED IN THE COMMISSIONER’S RULES.

6. Transferability. The Option may not be assigned, alienated, pledged, attached, sold or otherwise transferred or encumbered by the Participant otherwise than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution, and any such purported assignment, alienation, pledge, attachment, sale, transfer or encumbrance shall be void and unenforceable against the Company or any Affiliate; provided that the designation of a beneficiary shall not constitute an assignment, alienation, pledge, attachment, sale, transfer or encumbrance. No such permitted transfer of the Option to heirs or legatees of the Participant shall be effective to bind the Company unless the Committee shall have been furnished with written notice thereof and a copy of such evidence as the Committee may deem necessary to establish the validity of the transfer and the acceptance by the transferee or transferees of the terms and conditions hereof. During the Participant’s lifetime, the Option is exercisable only by the Participant.

7. Withholding. The Participant may be required to pay to the Company or any Affiliate and the Company shall have the right and is hereby authorized to withhold, any applicable withholding taxes in respect of the Option, its exercise or any payment or transfer under or with respect to the Option and to take such other action as may be necessary in the opinion of the Committee to

satisfy all obligations for the payment of such withholding taxes. When a Participant who incurs income or social security tax liability in connection with the grant, exercise, vesting or payment of any Award that is subject to income or social security tax withholding and the Participant is obligated to pay the Company the amount required to be withheld, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, allow the Participant to satisfy the minimum withholding tax obligation by electing to have the Company withhold from the Shares to be issued that number of whole Shares having a Fair Market Value equal to the minimum amount required to be withheld, determined on the date that the amount of tax to be withheld is to be determined.

8. Securities Laws. Upon the acquisition of any Shares pursuant to the exercise of the Option, the Participant will make or enter into such written representations, warranties and agreements as the Committee may reasonably request in order to comply with applicable securities laws or with this Agreement.

9. Notices. Any notice necessary under this Agreement shall be addressed to the Company in care of its Secretary at the principal executive office of the Company and to the Participant at the address appearing in the personnel records of the Company for the Participant or to either party at such other address as either party hereto may hereafter designate in writing to the other. Any such notice shall be deemed effective upon receipt thereof by the addressee.

10. Choice of Law. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE WITHOUT REGARD TO CONFLICTS OF LAWS

11. Option Subject to Plan and Stockholders Agreement. By entering into this Agreement the Participant agrees and acknowledges that the Participant has received and read a copy of the Plan and the Stockholders Agreement. By entering into this Agreement, the Participant acknowledges that the Participant has become a party to the Stockholders Agreement (or shall, as a condition to retaining this Award, promptly become a party to the Stockholders Agreement). The Option is subject to the Plan, including but not limited to the provisions of Section 13 relating to “Cancellation and Recission of Awards”, and the Stockholders Agreement. The terms and provisions of the Plan and the Stockholders Agreement as it may be amended from time to time are hereby incorporated herein by reference. In the event of a conflict between any term or provision contained herein and a term or provision of the Plan or the Stockholders Agreement, the applicable terms and provisions of the Plan or the Stockholders Agreement, as applicable will govern and prevail. In the event of a conflict between any term or provision of the Plan and any term or provision of the Stockholders Agreement, the applicable terms and provisions of the Stockholders Agreement will govern and prevail.

12. Signature in Counterparts. This Agreement may be signed in counterparts, each of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement.


VIRGIN AMERICA INC.

By:

Agreed and acknowledged as

of the date first above written:

California Commissioner Rule 260.141.11

(a)

The issuer of any security upon which a restriction on transfer has been imposed pursuant to Sections 260.102.6, 260.141.10 or 260.534 shall cause a copy of this section to be delivered to each issuee or transferee of such security at the time the certificate evidencing the security is delivered to the issuee or transferee.

(b)	It is unlawful for the holder of any such security to consummate a sale or transfer of such security, or any interest therein, without the prior written consent of the Commissioner (until this condition is removed pursuant to Section 260.141.12 of these rules), except:

(1)

to the issuer;

(2)

pursuant to the order or process of any court;

(3)

to any person described in Subdivision (i) of Section 25102 of the Code or Section 260.105.14 of these rules:

(4)

to the transferor’s ancestors, descendants or spouse, or any custodian or trustee for the account of the transferor or the transferor’s ancestors, descendants, or spouse; or to a transferee by a trustee or custodian for the account of the transferee or the transferee’s ancestors, descendants or spouse;

(5)

to holders of securities of the same class of the same issuer;

(6)

by way of gift or donation intervivos or on death;

(7)

by or through a broker-dealer licensed under the Code (either acting as such or as a finder) to a resident of a foreign state, territory or country who is neither domiciled in this state to the knowledge of the broker-dealer, nor actually present in this state if the sale of such securities is not in violation of any securities law of the foreign state, territory or country concerned;

(8)

to a broker-dealer licensed under the Code in a principal transaction, or as an underwriter or member of an underwriting syndicate or selling group;

(9)

if the interest sold or transferred is a pledge or other lien given by the purchaser to the seller upon a sale of the security for which the Commissioner’s written consent is obtained or under this rule not required;

(10)

by way of a sale qualified under Section 25111, 25112, 25113, or 25121 of the Code, of the securities to be transferred, provided that no order under Section 25140 or subdivision (a) of Section 25143 is in effect with respect to such qualification;

(11)

by a corporation to a wholly owned subsidiary of such corporation, or by a wholly owned subsidiary of a corporation to such corporation;

(12)

by way of an exchange qualified under Section 25111, 25112 or 25113 of the Code, provided that no order under Section 25140 or subdivision (a) of Section 25143 is in effect with respect to such qualification;

(13)

between residents of foreign states, territories or countries who are neither domiciled nor actually present in this state;

(14)

to the State Controller pursuant to the Unclaimed Property Law or the administrator of the unclaimed property law of another state; or

(15)

by the State Controller pursuant to the Unclaimed Property Law or by the administrator of the unclaimed property law of another state if, in either such case, such person (i) discloses to potential purchasers at the sale that transfer of the securities is restricted under this rule, (ii) delivers to each purchaser a copy of this rule, and (iii) advises the Commissioner of the name of each purchaser;

(16)

by a trustee to a successor trustee when such transfer does not involve a change in the beneficial ownership of the securities;

(17)

by way of an offer and sale of outstanding securities in an issuer transaction that is subject to the qualification requirements of Section 25110 of the Code but exempt from that qualification requirement by subdivision (f) of Section 25102;

provided that any such transfer is on the condition that any certificate evidencing the security issued to such transferee shall contain the legend required by this section.

(c)	The certificates representing all such securities subject to such a restriction on transfer, whether upon initial issuance or upon any transfer thereof, shall bear on their face a legend, prominently stamped or printed thereon in capital letters of not less than 10-point size, reading as follows: