As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 20, 2021
Registration No. 333-
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM S-8
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
ARCTURUS THERAPEUTICS HOLDINGS INC.
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
| Delaware | 32-0595345 | |
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number) | |
|
10628 Science Center Drive, Suite 250 San Diego, California |
92121 | |
| (Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip code) |
ARCTURUS THERAPEUTICS HOLDINGS INC. 2021 INDUCEMENT EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN
(Full title of the plan)
Joseph E. Payne
Chief Executive Officer
Arcturus Therapeutics Holdings Inc.
10628 Science Center Drive, Suite 250
San Diego, California 92121
(Name and address of agent for service)
(858) 900-2660
(Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
Copies to:
Dentons US LLP
1221 Avenue of the Americas
New York, New York 10020
Jeffrey A. Baumel, Esq.
Ilan Katz, Esq.
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):
| Large accelerated filer | ☒ | Accelerated filer | ☐ | |||
| Non-accelerated filer | ☐ | Smaller reporting company | ☐ | |||
| Emerging growth company | ☐ | |||||
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act ☐
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
| Title of Securities to be Registered |
Amount to be Registered(1) |
Proposed Maximum Offering Price Per Share |
Proposed Maximum Aggregate Offering Price |
Amount of Registration Fee | ||||
| Common Stock (par value $0.001) reserved for issuance under the Arcturus Therapeutics Holdings Inc. 2021 Inducement Equity Incentive Plan | 1,000,000 | $45.17 (2) | $45,170,000 | $4,187.26 (3) |
| (1) | Pursuant to Rule 416(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), this registration statement (the “Registration Statement”) shall also cover any additional shares of Common Stock of Arcturus Therapeutics Holdings Inc. (the “Registrant”) that become issuable in respect of the securities identified in the above table by reason of any stock dividend, stock split, recapitalization or other similar transaction effected without the receipt of consideration that increases the number of outstanding shares of the Registrant’s Common Stock. |
| (2) | Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee in accordance with Rules 457(c) and 457(h) under the Securities Act on the basis of the average of the reported high and low sales prices for the Registrant’s common stock as reported by the Nasdaq Global Market on October 19, 2021. |
| (3) | The amount of the registration fee is calculated pursuant to Section 6(b) of the Securities Act, which currently provides that the filing fee rate shall be “$92.70 per $1 million” of the maximum aggregate price at which such securities are proposed to be offered. The Registration Fee is therefore calculated by multiplying the Proposed Maximum Aggregate Offering Price by 0.0000927. |
PART I
INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS
Item 1. Plan Information
The documents containing the information specified in this Item 1 will be sent or given to participants as specified by Rule 428(b)(1) under the Securities Act. In accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) and the instructions to Form S-8, such documents are not being filed with the Commission either as part of this Registration Statement or as prospectuses or prospectus supplements pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act.
Item 2. Registration Information and Employee Plan Annual Information
The documents containing the information specified in this Item 2 will be sent or given to participants as specified by Rule 428(b)(1) under the Securities Act. In accordance with the rules and regulations of the Commission and the instructions to Form S-8, such documents are not being filed with the Commission either as part of this Registration Statement or as prospectuses or prospectus supplements pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act. Such documents, together with the documents incorporated by reference herein pursuant to Item 3 of Part II of this Registration Statement on Form S-8, constitute a prospectus that meets the requirements of Section 10(a) of the Securities Act, and are available upon written or oral request to: Arcturus Therapeutics Holdings Inc., Attn: Chief Financial Officer, Arcturus Therapeutics Holdings Inc., 10628 Science Center Drive, Suite 250, San Diego, California 92121, Tel: (858) 900-2660.
PART II
INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT
Item 3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference
The Registrant hereby incorporates by reference into this Registration Statement the following documents previously filed with the Commission (other than information in a report on Form 8-K that is furnished and not filed pursuant to Form 8-K and, except as may be noted in any such Form 8-K, exhibits filed on such form that are related to such information):
(i) The Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, filed with the Commission on March 1, 2021, including the information specifically incorporated by reference therein from our Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A filed with the Commission on April 30, 2021, pursuant to Section 13 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”);
(ii) The Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the periods ended March 31, 2021 and June 30, 2021, filed with the Commission on May 10, 2021 and August 10, 2021;
(iii) The Registrant’s Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the Commission pursuant to Section 13 of the 1934 Act on February 3, 2021, February 22, 2021, March 1, 2021, April 26, 2021, May 10, 2021, June 22, 2021, August 4, 2021, August 9, 2021, August 26, 2021 and October 5, 2021; and
(iii) The description of the Registrant’s common stock set forth in the registration statement on Form 8-A registering the Registrant’s common stock under Section 12 of the Exchange Act, as filed with the SEC on May 17, 2013, including any amendments or reports filed for purposes of updating such description, including the Form 8-K12B filed on June 14, 2019.
All documents filed by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the 1934 Act after the date of this Registration Statement and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered hereby have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement and to be a part hereof from the date of filing of such documents; provided, however, that documents or information deemed to have been furnished and not filed in accordance with the rules of the Commission shall not be deemed incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement. Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement to the extent that a statement contained herein or in any subsequently filed document which also is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this Registration Statement.
Item 4. Description of Securities
Not applicable.
Item 5. Interests of Named Experts and Counsel
Not applicable.
Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers
Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law authorizes a corporation to indemnify its directors and officers against liabilities arising out of actions, suits and proceedings to which they are made or threatened to be made a party by reason of the fact of their prior or current service to the corporation as a director or officer, in accordance with the provisions of Section 145, which are sufficiently broad to permit indemnification under certain circumstances for liabilities arising under the Securities Act. The indemnity may cover expenses (including attorneys’ fees) judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by the director or officer in connection with any such action, suit or proceeding. Section 145 permits corporations to pay expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by directors and officers in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding. In addition, Section 145 provides that a corporation has the power to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of its directors and officers against any liability asserted against them and incurred by them in their capacity as a director or officer, or arising out of their status as such, whether or not the corporation would have the power to indemnify the director or officer against such liability under Section 145.
The Registrant’s amended and restated certificate of incorporation (the “Certificate of Incorporation”), provides that, to the fullest extent permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law, (1) a director shall not be personally liable to the Registrant or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, and (2) the Registrant shall indemnify any director or officer made a party to an action or proceeding, whether criminal, civil, administrative or investigative, by reason of the fact of such person’s current or prior service as a director or officer of the Registrant, any predecessor of the Registrant or any other enterprise per the Registrant’s or any predecessor to the Registrant’s request.
The Registrant’s amended and restated bylaws, as amended (the “Bylaws”), provide that (a) the Registrant shall indemnify its directors and officers to the maximum extent and in the manner permitted by the Delaware General Corporation Law against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines, ERISA excise taxes, settlements and other amounts actually and reasonably incurred in connection with any proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, arising by reason of the fact that such person is or was an agent of the corporation, subject to certain limited exceptions, (b) the Registrant shall advance expenses incurred by any director or officer prior to the final disposition of any proceeding to which the director or officer was or is or is threatened to be made a party promptly following a request therefore, subject to certain limited exceptions, and (c) the rights conferred in the Bylaws are not exclusive.
The Registrant has entered into indemnification agreements with each of its directors and executive officers to give such directors and officers additional contractual assurances regarding the scope of the indemnification set forth in the Certificate of Incorporation and the Bylaws and to provide additional procedural protections. These agreements, among other things, provide that the Registrant will indemnify its directors and executive officers for expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines, penalties and amounts paid in settlement (including all interest, assessments and other charges paid or payable in connection therewith) actually and reasonably incurred by a director or executive officer in connection with any action or proceeding to which such person was, is or is threatened to be made a party, a witness or other participant by reason of such person’s services as a director or executive officer of the Registrant, any of the Registrant’s subsidiaries or any other company or enterprise to which the person provides services at the Registrant’s request, and any federal, state, local or foreign taxes imposed on the director or executive officer as a result of the actual or deemed receipt of any payments under the indemnification agreements.
In addition, the indemnification agreements provide that, upon the request of a director or executive officer, the Registrant shall advance expenses (including attorneys’ fees) to the director or officer. The Registrant intends to enter into indemnification agreements with any new directors and executive officers in the future.
The Registrant has also obtained insurance policies covering its directors and officers with respect to certain liabilities, including liabilities arising under the Securities Act.
Item 7. Exemption from Registration Claimed
Not applicable.
Item 8. Exhibits
Item 9. Undertakings
(a) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:
(1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:
(i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act;
(ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the Registration Statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the Registration Statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective Registration Statement.
(iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the Registration Statement or any material change to such information in the Registration Statement.
Provided, however, that Paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the 1934 Act (15 U.S.C. 78m or 78o(d)) that are incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement.
(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new Registration Statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.
(b) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the Registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the 1934 Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the 1934 Act) that is incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of San Diego, State of California, on October 20, 2021.
| ARCTURUS THERAPEUTICS HOLDINGS INC. | |||
| By: |
/s/ Joseph E. Payne | ||
| Joseph E. Payne | |||
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | ||
We, the undersigned officers and directors of Arcturus Therapeutics Holdings Inc., hereby severally constitute and appoint Joseph E. Payne and Dr. Padmanabh Chivukula, and each of them individually, our true and lawful attorney to sign for us and in our names in the capacities indicated below any and all amendments or supplements, including any post-effective amendments, to this Registration Statement on Form S-8 and to file the same, with exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the SEC, granting unto said attorney full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite or necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming our signatures to said amendments to this Registration Statement signed by our said attorney and all else that said attorney may lawfully do and cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the Company and in the capacities and on the dates indicated:
| Signature | Title | Date | ||
|
/s/ Joseph E. Payne Joseph E. Payne |
President, Chief Executive Officer and Director (Principal Executive Officer) |
October 20, 2021 | ||
|
/s/ Dr. Padmanabh Chivukula Dr. Padmanabh Chivukula |
Chief Scientific Officer Chief Operating Officer and Secretary |
October 20, 2021 | ||
|
/s/ Dr. Peter Farrell Dr. Peter Farrell |
Chairman of the Board | October 20, 2021 | ||
|
/s/ Andy Sassine Andy Sassine |
Director, Chief Financial Officer (principal financial officer) |
October 20, 2021 | ||
|
/s/ Dr. Magda Marquet Dr. Magda Marquet |
Director | October 20, 2021 | ||
|
/s/ James Barlow James Barlow |
Director | October 20, 2021 | ||
|
/s/ Dr. Edward Holmes Dr. Edward Holmes |
Director | October 20, 2021 | ||
|
/s/ Keith C. Kummerfeld Keith C. Kummerfeld |
Vice President of Finance and Corporate Controller (principal accounting officer) |
October 20, 2021 |
EXHIBIT 4.1
ARCTURUS THERAPEUTICS HOLDINGS INC.
2021 INDUCEMENT EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN
ARTICLE 1.
EFFECTIVE DATE, OBJECTIVES AND DURATION
1.1 Effective Date of the Plan. The Board of Directors of Arcturus Therapeutics Holdings Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), has adopted the 2021 Inducement Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) effective as of October 15, 2021 (the “Effective Date”). It is expressly intended that approval of the Company’s stockholders not be required as a condition to the effectiveness of the Plan, and the Plan’s provisions shall be interpreted in a manner consistent with such intent for all purposes.
1.2 Objectives of the Plan. The purpose of the Plan is to advance the interests of the Company’s stockholders by enhancing the Company’s ability to attract, retain and motivate persons who are expected to make important contributions to the Company with an inducement material for such persons to enter into employment with the Company and by providing such persons with equity ownership opportunities and performance-based incentives that are intended to better align the interests of such persons with those of the Company’s stockholders. Except where the context otherwise requires, the term “Company” shall include any of the Company’s present or future parent or subsidiary corporations as defined in Sections 424(e) or (f) of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and any regulations thereunder (the “Code”) and any other business venture (including, without limitation, joint venture or limited liability company) in which the Company has a controlling interest, as determined by the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”).
1.3 Duration of the Plan. The Plan shall commence on the Effective Date and shall remain in effect, subject to the right of the Board to amend or terminate the Plan at any time pursuant to Article 15 hereof, until the earlier of (i)the tenth anniversary of the Effective Date, or the date all Shares subject to the Plan shall have been purchased or acquired and the restrictions on all Restricted Shares granted under the Plan shall have lapsed, according to the Plan’s provisions.
ARTICLE 2.
DEFINITIONS
Whenever used in the Plan, the following terms shall have the meanings set forth below:
2.1 “Affiliate” means any corporation or other entity, including but not limited to partnerships, limited liability companies and joint ventures, with respect to which the Company, directly or indirectly, owns as applicable (a) stock possessing more than fifty percent (50%) of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock entitled to vote, or more than fifty percent (50%) of the total value of all shares of all classes of stock of such corporation, or (b) an aggregate of more than fifty percent (50%) of the profits interest or capital interest of a non-corporate entity.
2.2 “Award” means Options, SARs, Restricted Shares, Performance Units (which may be paid in cash), Performance Shares, Deferred Stock, Restricted Stock Units, Dividend Equivalents, Bonus Shares or Other Stock-Based Awards granted under the Plan.
2.3 “Award Agreement” means either (a) a written agreement entered into by the Company and a Grantee setting forth the terms and provisions applicable to an Award granted under this Plan, or (b) a written statement issued by the Company to a Grantee describing the terms and provisions of such Award, including any amendment or modification thereof. The Committee may provide for the use of electronic, internet or other non-paper Award Agreements and the use of electronic, internet or other non-paper means for the acceptance thereof and actions thereunder by the Grantee.
2.4 “Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.
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2.5 “Bonus Shares” means Shares that are awarded to a Grantee with or without cost and without restrictions either in recognition of past performance (whether determined by reference to another employee benefit plan of the Company or otherwise), as an inducement to become an Eligible Person or, with the consent of the Grantee, as payment in lieu of any cash remuneration otherwise payable to the Grantee.
2.6 “Cause” means, except as otherwise defined in an Award Agreement:
(a) the commission of any act by a Grantee constituting a felony or crime of moral turpitude (or their equivalent in a non-United States jurisdiction);
(b) an act of dishonesty, fraud, intentional misrepresentation, or harassment which, as determined in good faith by the Committee, would: (i) materially adversely affect the business or the reputation of the Company or any of its Affiliates with their respective current or prospective customers, suppliers, lenders and/or other third parties with whom such entity does or might do business; or (ii) expose the Company or any of its Affiliates to a risk of civil or criminal legal damages, liabilities or penalties;
(c) any material misconduct in violation of the Company’s or an Affiliate’s written policies; or
(d) willful and deliberate non-performance of the Grantee’s duties in connection with the business affairs of the Company or its Affiliates;
provided, however, that if the Grantee has a written employment or consulting agreement with the Company or any of its Affiliates or participates in any severance plan established by the Company that includes a definition of “cause,” Cause shall have the meaning set forth in such employment or consulting agreement or severance plan.
2.7 Intentionally Omitted.
2.8 “Change in Control” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 16.4(e).
2.9 “Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time. References to a particular section of the Code include references to regulations and rulings thereunder and to successor provisions.
2.10 “Committee” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.1(a).
2.11 “Compensation Committee” means the compensation committee of the Board.
2.12 “Common Stock” means the common stock, $0.001 par value, of the Company.
2.13 “Corporate Transaction” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4.2(b).
2.14 “Deferred Stock” means a right, granted under Article 10, to receive Shares at the end of a specified deferral period.
2.15 “Disability” or “Disabled” means, unless otherwise defined in an Award Agreement, or as otherwise determined under procedures established by the Committee for purposes of the Plan:
(a) Except as provided in (b) below, a disability within the meaning of Section 22(e)(3) of the Code; and
(b) In the case of any Award that constitutes deferred compensation within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code, a disability as defined in regulations under Code Section 409A. For purpose of Code Section 409A, a Grantee will be considered Disabled if:
(i) the Grantee is unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than twelve (12) months, or
(ii) the Grantee is, by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than twelve (12) months, receiving income replacement benefits for a period of not less than three (3) months under an accident and health plan covering employees of the Grantee’s employer.
2.16 “Dividend Equivalent” means a right to receive payments equal to dividends or property, if and when paid or distributed, on a specified number of Shares.
2.17 “Effective Date” has the meaning set forth in Section 1.1.
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2.18 “Eligible Person” means any individual who (a) was not previously an employee or director of the Company or (b) is commencing employment with the Company following a bona fide period of non-employment, in either case as an inducement material to the individual’s entering into employment with the and in accordance with the requirements of Nasdaq Stock Market Rule 5635(c)(4). For the avoidance of doubt, neither consultants nor advisors shall be eligible to participate in the Plan. Notwithstanding the foregoing, an Eligible Person shall also include an individual who is expected to become an employee of the Company or any Affiliate within a reasonable period of time after the grant of an Award; provided that any Award granted to any such individual shall be automatically terminated and cancelled without consideration if the individual does not begin performing services for the Company or any Affiliate within twelve (12) months after the Grant Date.
2.19 “Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended from time to time. References to a particular section of the Exchange Act include references to successor provisions.
2.20 “Exercise Price” means (a) with respect to an Option, the price at which a Share may be purchased by a Grantee pursuant to such Option or (b) with respect to an SAR, the price established at the time an SAR is granted pursuant to Article 7, which is used to determine the amount, if any, of the payment due to a Grantee upon exercise of the SAR.
2.21 “Fair Market Value” of a Share means a price that is based on the opening, closing, actual, high, low, or the arithmetic mean of selling prices of a Share reported on an established stock exchange which is the principal exchange upon which the Shares are traded on the applicable date or the preceding trading day. Unless the Committee determines otherwise, if the Shares are traded over the counter at the time a determination of its Fair Market Value is required to be made hereunder, Fair Market Value shall be deemed to be equal to the arithmetic mean between the reported high and low or closing bid and asked prices of a Share on the applicable date, or if no such trades were made that day then the most recent date on which Shares were publicly traded. In the event Shares are not publicly traded at the time a determination of their value is required to be made hereunder, the determination of their Fair Market Value shall be made by the Committee in such manner as it deems appropriate provided such manner is consistent with Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(b)(5)(iv)(B).
2.22 “Grant Date” means the date on which an Award is granted or such later date as specified in advance by the Committee.
2.23 “Grantee” or “Participant” means a person who has been granted an Award.
2.24 Intentionally Omitted
2.25 “Including” or “includes” means “including, without limitation,” or “includes, without limitation,” respectively.
2.26 Intentionally Omitted.
2.27 Intentionally Omitted
2.28 “Option” means an option granted under Article 6 of the Plan.
2.29 “Other Stock-Based Award” means a right, granted under Article 13 hereof, that relates to or is valued by reference to Shares or other Awards relating to Shares.
2.30 “Performance Period” means, with respect to an Award of Performance Shares or Performance Units, the period of time during which the performance vesting conditions applicable to such Award must be satisfied.
2.31 “Performance Share” and “Performance Unit” have the respective meanings set forth in Article 9.
2.32 “Period of Restriction” means the period during which Restricted Shares are subject to forfeiture if the conditions specified in the Award Agreement are not satisfied.
2.33 “Person” means any individual, sole proprietorship, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company, trust, unincorporated organization, association, corporation, institution, public benefit corporation, entity or government instrumentality, division, agency, body or department.
2.34 “Restricted Shares” means Shares, granted under Article 8, that are both subject to forfeiture and are nontransferable if the Grantee does not satisfy the conditions specified in the Award Agreement applicable to such Shares.
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2.35 “Restricted Stock Units” are rights, granted under Article 10, to receive Shares (or cash in lieu thereof) if the Grantee satisfies the conditions specified in the Award Agreement applicable to such rights.
2.36 “Rule 16b-3” means Rule 16b-3 promulgated by the SEC under the Exchange Act, as amended from time to time, together with any successor rule.
2.37 “SEC” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, or any successor thereto.
2.38 Intentionally Omitted.
2.39 “Section 16 Person” means a person who is subject to potential liability under Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act with respect to transactions involving equity securities of the Company.
2.40 “Separation from Service” means, with respect to any Award that constitutes deferred compensation within the meaning of Code Section 409A, a “separation from service” as defined in Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(h). For this purpose, a “separation from service” is deemed to occur on the date that the Company and the Grantee reasonably anticipate that the level of bona fide services the Grantee would perform for the Company and/or any Affiliates after that date would permanently decrease to a level that, based on the facts and circumstances, would constitute a separation from service; provided that a decrease to a level that is 50% or more of the average level of bona fide services provided over the prior 36 months shall not be a separation from service, and a decrease to a level that is 20% or less of the average level of such bona fide services shall be a separation from service. The Committee retains the right and discretion to specify, and may specify, whether a separation from service occurs with respect to those individuals who are performing services for the Company or an Affiliate immediately prior to an asset purchase transaction in which the Company or an Affiliate is the seller and who continue to perform services for the buyer (or an affiliate thereof) immediately following such asset purchase transaction; provided, such specification is made in accordance with the requirements of Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(h)(4).
2.41 “Share” means a share of Common Stock, and such other securities of the Company, as may be substituted or resubstituted for Shares pursuant to Section 4.2 hereof.
2.42 “Stock Appreciation Right” or “SAR” means an Award granted under Article 7 of the Plan.
2.43 “Subsidiary Corporation” means a corporation other than the Company in an unbroken chain of corporations beginning with the Company if, at the time of granting the Option, each of the corporations other than the last corporation in the unbroken chain owns stock possessing 50% or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock in one of the other corporations in such chain.
2.44 “Surviving Company” means (a) the surviving corporation in any merger, consolidation or similar transaction, involving the Company (including the Company if the Company is the surviving corporation), (b) or the direct or indirect parent company of such surviving corporation or (c) the direct or indirect parent company of the Company following a sale of substantially all of the outstanding stock of the Company.
2.45 “Term” of any Option or SAR means the period beginning on the Grant Date of an Option or SAR and ending on the date such Option or SAR expires, terminates or is cancelled. No Option or SAR granted under this Plan shall have a Term exceeding 10 years.
2.46 “Termination of Affiliation” occurs on the first day on which an individual is for any reason no longer performing services for the Company or any Affiliate in the capacity of an employee of the Company or any Affiliate or with respect to an individual who is an employee of Affiliate, the first day on which such entity ceases to be an Affiliate of the Company unless such individual continues serve as an employee for the Company or another Affiliate without interruption after such entity ceases to be an Affiliate. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if an Award constitutes deferred compensation within the meaning of Code Section 409A, Termination of Affiliation with respect to such Award shall mean the Grantee’s Separation from Service.
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ARTICLE 3.
ADMINISTRATION
3.1 Committee.
(a) Subject to Article 14, and to Section 3.2, the Plan shall be administered by a Committee (the “Committee”) of directors of the Company appointed by the Board from time to time. Notwithstanding the foregoing, either the Board or the Compensation Committee may at any time and in one or more instances reserve administrative powers to itself as the Committee or exercise any of the administrative powers of the Committee. The number of members of the Committee may from time to time be increased or decreased as the Board or Compensation Committee deems appropriate.
(b) Intentionally Omitted
(c) Unless the context requires otherwise, any references herein to “Committee” include references to the Board or the Compensation Committee to the extent the Board or the Compensation Committee, as applicable, has assumed or exercises administrative powers itself as the Committee pursuant to subsection.
(d) ) Notwithstanding the foregoing or anything in the Plan to the contrary, the grant of any Award under the Plan must be approved by the Company’s independent compensation committee or a majority of the Company’s independent directors (as defined in Nasdaq Stock Market Rule 5605(a)(2)) in order to comply with the exemption from the stockholder approval requirement for “inducement grants” provided under Nasdaq Stock Market Rule 5635(c)(4).
3.2 Powers of Committee. Subject to and consistent with the provisions of the Plan, the Committee has full and final authority and sole discretion as follows:
(a) to determine when, to whom and in what types and amounts Awards should be granted;
(b) to grant Awards to Eligible Persons in any number and to determine the terms and conditions applicable to each Award (including the number of Shares or the amount of cash or other property to which an Award will relate, any Exercise Price or purchase price, any limitation or restriction, any schedule for or performance conditions relating to the earning of the Award or the lapse of limitations, forfeiture restrictions, restrictions on exercisability or transferability, any performance goals including those relating to the Company and/or an Affiliate and/or any division thereof and/or an individual, and/or vesting based on the passage of time, based in each case on such considerations as the Committee shall determine);
(c) to determine the benefit payable under any Performance Unit, Performance Share, Dividend Equivalent, Other Stock-Based Award or Cash Incentive Award and to determine whether any performance or vesting conditions have been satisfied;
(d) to determine whether or not specific Awards shall be granted in connection with other specific Awards, and if so, whether they shall be exercisable cumulatively with, or alternatively to, such other specific Awards and all other matters to be determined in connection with an Award;
(e) to determine the Term of any Option or SAR;
(f) to determine the amount, if any, that a Grantee shall pay for Restricted Shares, whether to permit or require the payment of cash dividends thereon to be deferred and the terms related thereto, when Restricted Shares (including Restricted Shares acquired upon the exercise of an Option) shall be forfeited and whether such shares shall be held in escrow;
(g) to determine whether, to what extent and under what circumstances an Award may be settled in, or the exercise price of an Award may be paid in, cash, Shares, other Awards or other property, or an Award may be accelerated, vested, canceled, forfeited or surrendered or any terms of the Award may be waived, and to accelerate the exercisability of, and to accelerate or waive any or all of the terms and conditions applicable to, any Award or any group of Awards for any reason and at any time;
(h) to determine with respect to Awards granted to Eligible Persons whether, to what extent and under what circumstances cash, Shares, other Awards, other property and other amounts payable with respect to an Award will be deferred, either at the election of the Grantee or automatically pursuant to the terms of the Award Agreement;
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(i) to offer to exchange or buy out any previously granted Award for a payment in cash, Shares or other Award;
(j) to construe and interpret the Plan and to make all determinations, including factual determinations, necessary or advisable for the administration of the Plan;
(k) to make, amend, suspend, waive and rescind rules and regulations relating to the Plan;
(l) to appoint such agents as the Committee may deem necessary or advisable to administer the Plan;
(m) to determine the terms and conditions of all Award Agreements applicable to Eligible Persons (which need not be identical) and, with the consent of the Grantee, to amend any such Award Agreement at any time, among other things, to permit transfers of such Awards to the extent permitted by the Plan; provided that the consent of the Grantee shall not be required for any amendment (i) which does not adversely affect the rights of the Grantee, or (ii) which is necessary or advisable (as determined by the Committee) to carry out the purpose of the Award as a result of any new applicable law or change in an existing applicable law, or (iii) to the extent the Award Agreement specifically permits amendment without consent;
(n) to cancel, with the consent of the Grantee, outstanding Awards and to grant new Awards in substitution therefor;
(o) to impose such additional terms and conditions upon the grant, exercise or retention of Awards as the Committee may, before or concurrently with the grant thereof, deem appropriate, including limiting the percentage of Awards which may from time to time be exercised by a Grantee;
(p) to make adjustments in the terms and conditions of, and the criteria in, Awards in recognition of unusual or nonrecurring events (including events described in Section 4.2) affecting the Company or an Affiliate or the financial statements of the Company or an Affiliate, or in response to changes in applicable laws, regulations or accounting principles;
(q) to correct any defect or supply any omission or reconcile any inconsistency, and to construe and interpret the Plan, the rules and regulations, and Award Agreement or any other instrument entered into or relating to an Award under the Plan; and
(r) to take any other action with respect to any matters relating to the Plan for which it is responsible and to make all other decisions and determinations as may be required under the terms of the Plan or as the Committee may deem necessary or advisable for the administration of the Plan.
Any action of the Committee with respect to the Plan shall be final, conclusive and binding on all persons, including the Company, its Affiliates, any Grantee, any person claiming any rights under the Plan from or through any Grantee, and stockholders, except to the extent the Committee may subsequently modify, or take further action not consistent with, its prior action. If not specified in the Plan, the time at which the Committee must or may make any determination shall be determined by the Committee, and any such determination may thereafter be modified by the Committee. The express grant of any specific power to the Committee, and the taking of any action by the Committee, shall not be construed as limiting any power or authority of the Committee. Subject to Section 3.1(b), the Committee may delegate to officers of the Company or any Affiliate the authority, subject to such terms as the Committee shall determine, to perform specified functions under the Plan.
3.3 No Repricings. Notwithstanding any provision in Section 3.2 to the contrary, the terms of any outstanding Option or SAR may not be amended: (i) to reduce the Exercise Price of such Option or SAR, (ii) cancel any outstanding Option or SAR in exchange for other Options or SARs with an Exercise Price that is less than the Exercise Price of the cancelled Option or SAR or for any cash payment (or Shares having with a Fair Market Value) in an amount that exceeds the excess of the Fair Market Value of the Shares underlying such cancelled Option or SAR over the aggregate Exercise Price of such Option or SAR or for any other Award, or (iii) take any other action with respect to an Option or SAR that would be treated as a repricing under the rules and regulations on the principal securities exchange on which the Shares are traded, in each case without stockholder approval; provided, however, that the restrictions set forth in this Section 3.3, shall not apply (i) unless the Company has a class of stock that is registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act or (ii) to any adjustment allowed under Section 4.2.
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ARTICLE 4.
SHARES SUBJECT TO THE PLAN
4.1 Number of Shares Available for Grants. Subject to adjustment as provided in Section 4.2 and the share counting provisions in this Section 4.1, and except as provided in Section 5.6(b), as of the Effective Date, the maximum number of Shares hereby reserved for delivery pursuant to Awards granted under the Plan shall be 1,000,000 Shares.
If any Shares subject to an Award granted hereunder (other than a Substitute Award granted pursuant to Section 5.6(b)) are forfeited or such Award otherwise terminates without payment or delivery of all or a portion of such Shares (including on payment in Shares on exercise of a SAR), the Shares subject to such Award, to the extent of any such forfeiture or termination, shall again be available for grant under the Plan. In the event that any Shares subject to an Award granted hereunder are withheld or applied as payment (either actually or by attestation) in connection with the exercise of an Award or the withholding or payment of taxes related thereto (“Returned Shares”), such Returned Shares will not be treated as having been delivered for purposes of determining the maximum number of Shares available for grant under the Plan and shall again be treated as available for grant under the Plan.
Shares delivered pursuant to the Plan may be, in whole or in part, authorized and unissued Shares, or treasury Shares, including Shares repurchased by the Company for purposes of the Plan.
4.2 Adjustments in Authorized Shares and Awards; Corporate Transaction, Liquidation or Dissolution.
(a) Adjustment in Authorized Shares and Awards. In the event that the Committee determines that any dividend or other distribution (whether in the form of cash, Shares, or other property), recapitalization, forward or reverse stock split, subdivision, consolidation or reduction of capital, reorganization, merger, consolidation, scheme of arrangement, split-up, spin-off or combination involving the Company or repurchase or exchange of Shares or other securities of the Company or other rights to purchase Shares or other securities of the Company, or other similar corporate transaction or event affects the Shares such that any adjustment is determined by the Committee to be appropriate in order to prevent dilution or enlargement of the benefits or potential benefits intended to be made available under the Plan, then the Committee shall, in such manner as it may deem equitable, adjust any or all of (i) the number and type of Shares (or other securities or property) with respect to which Awards may be granted, (ii) the number and type of Shares (or other securities or property) subject to outstanding Awards, (iii) the Exercise Price with respect to any Option or SAR or, if deemed appropriate, make provision for a cash payment to the holder of an outstanding Award, and (iv) the number and kind of Shares of outstanding Restricted Shares, or the Shares underlying any other form of Award. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no such adjustment shall be authorized with respect to any Options or SARs to the extent that such adjustment would cause the Option or SAR to violate Section 424(a) of the Code or otherwise subject any Grantee to taxation under Section 409A of the Code; and provided further that the number of Shares subject to any Award denominated in Shares shall always be a whole number.
(b) Merger, Consolidation or Similar Corporate Transaction. In the event of a merger or consolidation of the Company with or into another corporation or a sale of substantially all of the stock of the Company (a “Corporate Transaction”), unless an outstanding Award is assumed by the Surviving Company or replaced with an equivalent Award granted by the Surviving Company in substitution for such outstanding Award, the Committee shall cancel any outstanding Awards that are not vested and nonforfeitable as of the consummation of such Corporate Transaction (unless the Committee accelerates the vesting of any such Awards) and with respect to any vested and nonforfeitable Awards, the Committee may either (i) allow all Grantees to exercise such Awards of Options and SARs within a reasonable period prior to the consummation of the Corporate Transaction and cancel any outstanding Options or SARs that remain unexercised upon consummation of the Corporate Transaction, or (ii) cancel any or all of such outstanding Awards in exchange for a payment (in cash, or in securities or other property) in an amount equal to the amount that the Grantee would have received (net of the Exercise Price with respect to any Options or SARs) if such vested Awards were settled or distributed or such vested Options and SARs were exercised immediately prior to the consummation of the Corporate Transaction. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if an Option or SAR is not assumed by the Surviving Company or replaced with an equivalent Award issued by the Surviving Company and the Exercise Price with respect to any outstanding Option or SAR exceeds the Fair Market Value of the Shares immediately prior to the consummation of the Corporation Transaction, such Awards shall be cancelled without any payment to the Grantee.
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(c) Liquidation or Dissolution of the Company. In the event of the proposed dissolution or liquidation of the Company, each Award will terminate immediately prior to the consummation of such proposed action, unless otherwise provided by the Committee. Additionally, the Committee may, in the exercise of its sole discretion, cause Awards to be vested and non-forfeitable and cause any conditions on any such Award to lapse, as to all or any part of such Award, including Shares as to which the Award would not otherwise be exercisable or non-forfeitable and allow all Grantees to exercise such Awards of Options and SARs within a reasonable period prior to the consummation of such proposed action. Any Awards that remain unexercised upon consummation of such proposed action shall be cancelled.
(d) Deferred Compensation. Notwithstanding the forgoing provisions of this Section 4.2, if an Award constitutes deferred compensation within the meaning of Code Section 409A, no payment or settlement of such Award shall be made pursuant to Section 4.2(b) or (c), unless the Corporate Transaction or the dissolution or liquidation of the Company, as applicable, constitutes a Change in Control.
ARTICLE 5.
ELIGIBILITY AND GENERAL CONDITIONS OF AWARDS
5.1 Eligibility. The Committee may in its discretion grant Awards to any Eligible Person.
5.2 Award Agreement. To the extent not set forth in the Plan, the terms and conditions of each Award shall be set forth in an Award Agreement.
5.3 General Terms and Termination of Affiliation; Press Release.
(a) The Committee may impose on any Award or the exercise or settlement thereof, at the date of grant or, subject to the provisions of Section 15, thereafter, such additional terms and conditions not inconsistent with the provisions of the Plan as the Committee shall determine, including terms requiring forfeiture, acceleration or pro-rata acceleration of Awards in the event of a Termination of Affiliation by the Grantee. Except as may be required under the Delaware General Corporation Law, Awards may be granted for no consideration other than future services. Except as set forth in an Award Agreement or as otherwise determined by the Committee, (a) all Options and SARs that are not vested and exercisable at the time of a Grantee’s Termination of Affiliation, and any other Awards that remain subject to a risk of forfeiture or which are not otherwise vested at the time of the Grantee’s Termination of Affiliation shall be forfeited to the Company and (b) all outstanding Options and SARs not previously exercised shall expire three months after the Grantee’s Termination of Affiliation.
(b) Each Award shall be evidenced in such form (written, electronic or otherwise) as the Board shall determine. Each Award may contain terms and conditions in addition to those set forth in the Plan. Promptly following the grant of an Award hereunder, the Company must disclose in a press release the material terms of the grant, the number of shares involved, and, if required by law or Nasdaq listing rules, the identity of the Participant and each Participant, by accepting the Award, consents to the foregoing.
5.4 Nontransferability of Awards.
(a) Each Award and each right under any Award shall be exercisable only by the Grantee during the Grantee’s lifetime, or, if permissible under applicable law, by the Grantee’s guardian or legal representative or by a transferee receiving such Award pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order (a “QDRO”) as defined in the Code or Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, or the rules thereunder.
(b) No Award (prior to the time, if applicable, Shares are delivered in respect of such Award), and no right under any Award, may be assigned, alienated, pledged, attached, sold or otherwise transferred or encumbered by a Grantee otherwise than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution (or in the case of Restricted Shares, to the Company) or pursuant to a QDRO, 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 to receive benefits in the event of the Grantee’s death shall not constitute an assignment, alienation, pledge, attachment, sale, transfer or encumbrance.
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(c) Notwithstanding subsections (a) and (b) above, to the extent provided in the Award Agreement or as otherwise approved by the Committee, Options and Restricted Shares, may be transferred, without consideration, to a Permitted Transferee. For this purpose, a “Permitted Transferee” in respect of any Grantee means any member of the Immediate Family of such Grantee, any trust of which all of the primary beneficiaries are such Grantee or members of his or her Immediate Family, or any partnership (including limited liability companies and similar entities) of which all of the partners or members are such Grantee or members of his or her Immediate Family; and the “Immediate Family” of a Grantee means the Grantee’s spouse, children, stepchildren, grandchildren, parents, stepparents, siblings, grandparents, nieces and nephews. Such Option may be exercised by such transferee in accordance with the terms of the Award Agreement. If so determined by the Committee, a Grantee may, in the manner established by the Committee, designate a beneficiary or beneficiaries to exercise the rights of the Grantee, and to receive any distribution with respect to any Award upon the death of the Grantee. A transferee, beneficiary, guardian, legal representative or other person claiming any rights under the Plan from or through any Grantee shall be subject to and consistent with the provisions of the Plan and any applicable Award Agreement, except to the extent the Plan and Award Agreement otherwise provide with respect to such persons, and to any additional restrictions or limitations deemed necessary or appropriate by the Committee.
(d) Nothing herein shall be construed as requiring the Committee to honor a QDRO except to the extent required under applicable law.
5.5 Cancellation and Rescission of Awards. Unless the Award Agreement specifies otherwise, the Committee may cancel, rescind, suspend, withhold, or otherwise limit or restrict any unexercised Award at any time if the Grantee is not in compliance with all applicable provisions of the Award Agreement and the Plan or if the Grantee has a Termination of Affiliation.
5.6 Stand-Alone, Tandem and Substitute Awards.
(a) Awards granted under the Plan may, in the discretion of the Committee, be granted either alone or in addition to, in tandem with, or in substitution for, any other Award granted under the Plan unless such tandem or substitution Award would subject the Grantee to tax penalties imposed under Section 409A of the Code. If an Award is granted in substitution for another Award or any non-Plan award or benefit, the Committee shall require the surrender of such other Award or non-Plan award or benefit in consideration for the grant of the new Award. Awards granted in addition to or in tandem with other Awards or non-Plan awards or benefits may be granted either at the same time as or at a different time from the grant of such other Awards or non-Plan awards or benefits.
(b) To the extent approval of the stockholders of the Company would not be required therefor under the rules of the Nasdaq, the Committee may, in its discretion and on such terms and conditions as the Committee considers appropriate in the circumstances, grant Awards under the Plan (“Substitute Awards”) in substitution for stock and stock-based awards (“Acquired Entity Awards”) held by current or former employees or non-employee directors of, or consultants to, another corporation or entity who become Eligible Persons as the result of a merger or consolidation of the employing corporation or other entity (the “Acquired Entity”) with the Company or an Affiliate or the acquisition by the Company or an Affiliate of property or stock of the Acquired Entity immediately prior to such merger, consolidation or acquisition in order to preserve for the Grantee the economic value of all or a portion of such Acquired Entity Award at such price as the Committee determines necessary to achieve preservation of economic value. The limitations in Section 4.1 on the number of Shares reserved or available for grants shall not apply to Substitute Awards granted under this Section 5.6(b).
5.7 Compliance with Rule 16b-3.
(a) Six-Month Holding Period Advice. Unless a Grantee could otherwise dispose of or exercise a derivative security or dispose of Shares delivered under the Plan without incurring liability under Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act, the Committee may advise or require a Grantee to comply with the following in order to avoid incurring liability under Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act: (i) at least six months must elapse from the date of acquisition of a derivative security under the Plan to the date of disposition of the derivative security (other than upon exercise or conversion) or its underlying equity security, and (ii) Shares granted or awarded under the Plan other than upon exercise or conversion of a derivative security must be held for at least six months from the date of grant of an Award.
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(b) Reformation to Comply with Exchange Act Rules. To the extent the Committee determines that a grant or other transaction by a Section 16 Person should comply with applicable provisions of Rule 16b-3 (except for transactions exempted under alternative Exchange Act rules), the Committee shall take such actions as necessary to make such grant or other transaction so comply, and if any provision of this Plan or any Award Agreement relating to a given Award does not comply with the requirements of Rule 16b-3 as then applicable to any such grant or transaction, such provision will be construed or deemed amended, if the Committee so determines, to the extent necessary to conform to the then applicable requirements of Rule 16b-3.
(c) Rule 16b-3 Administration. Any function relating to a Section 16 Person shall be performed solely by the Committee or the Board if necessary to ensure compliance with applicable requirements of Rule 16b-3, to the extent the Committee determines that such compliance is desired. Each member of the Committee or person acting on behalf of the Committee shall be entitled to, in good faith, rely or act upon any report or other information furnished to him by any officer, manager or other employee of the Company or any Affiliate, the Company’s independent certified public accountants or any executive compensation consultant or attorney or other professional retained by the Company to assist in the administration of the Plan.
5.8 Deferral of Award Payouts. The Committee may permit a Grantee to defer, or if and to the extent specified in an Award Agreement require the Grantee to defer, receipt of the payment of cash or the delivery of Shares that would otherwise be due by virtue of the lapse or waiver of restrictions with respect to Restricted Stock Units, the satisfaction of any requirements or goals with respect to Performance Units or Performance Shares, the lapse or waiver of the deferral period for Deferred Stock, or the lapse or waiver of restrictions with respect to Other Stock-Based Awards or Cash Incentive Awards. If the Committee permits such deferrals, the Committee shall establish rules and procedures for making such deferral elections and for the payment of such deferrals, which shall conform in form and substance with applicable regulations promulgated under Section 409A of the Code and Article 16 to ensure that the Grantee is not subjected to tax penalties under Section 409A of the Code with respect to such deferrals. Except as otherwise provided in an Award Agreement, any payment or any Shares that are subject to such deferral shall be made or delivered to the Grantee as specified in the Award Agreement or pursuant to the Grantee’s deferral election.
ARTICLE 6.
STOCK OPTIONS
6.1 Grant of Options. Subject to and consistent with the provisions of the Plan, Options may be granted to any Eligible Person in such number, and upon such terms, and at any time and from time to time as shall be determined by the Committee. For avoidance of doubt, no Option granted under this Plan shall constitute an incentive stock option, as defined in Section 422 of the Code.
6.2 Award Agreement. Each Option grant shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement that shall specify the Exercise Price, the Term of the Option, the number of Shares to which the Option pertains, the time or times at which such Option shall be exercisable and such other provisions as the Committee shall determine.
6.3 Option Exercise Price. The Exercise Price of an Option under this Plan shall be determined in the sole discretion of the Committee but may not be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the Grant Date.
6.4 Option Term. The term of an Option under this Plan shall not exceed ten (10) years from the Grant Date.
6.5 Payment of Exercise Price. Except as otherwise provided in an Award Agreement, Options shall be exercised by the delivery of a written notice of exercise to the Company, setting forth the number of Shares with respect to which the Option is to be exercised, accompanied by full payment for the Shares made by any one or more of the following means:
(a) cash, personal check or wire transfer;
(b) with the approval of the Committee, delivery of Common Stock owned by the Grantee prior to exercise, valued at Fair Market Value on the date of exercise;
(c) with the approval of the Committee, Shares acquired upon the exercise of such Option, such Shares valued at Fair Market Value on the date of exercise;
(d) with the approval of the Committee, Restricted Shares held by the Grantee prior to the exercise of the Option, valued at Fair Market Value on the date of exercise; or
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(e) subject to applicable law (including the prohibited loan provisions of Section 402 of the Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002), through the sale of the Shares acquired on exercise of the Option through a broker-dealer to whom the Grantee has submitted an irrevocable notice of exercise and irrevocable instructions to deliver promptly to the Company the amount of sale proceeds sufficient to pay for such Shares, together with, if requested by the Company, the amount of federal, state, local or foreign withholding taxes payable by Grantee by reason of such exercise.
The Committee may in its discretion specify that, if any Restricted Shares (“Tendered Restricted Shares”) are used to pay the Exercise Price, (x) all the Shares acquired on exercise of the Option shall be subject to the same restrictions as the Tendered Restricted Shares, determined as of the date of exercise of the Option, or (y) a number of Shares acquired on exercise of the Option equal to the number of Tendered Restricted Shares shall be subject to the same restrictions as the Tendered Restricted Shares, determined as of the date of exercise of the Option.
ARTICLE 7.
STOCK APPRECIATION RIGHTS
7.1 Issuance. Subject to and consistent with the provisions of the Plan, the Committee, at any time and from time to time, may grant SARs to any Eligible Person either alone or in addition to other Awards granted under the Plan. Such SARs may, but need not, be granted in connection with a specific Option granted under Article 6. The Committee may impose such conditions or restrictions on the exercise of any SAR as it shall deem appropriate.
7.2 Award Agreements. Each SAR grant shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement in such form as the Committee may approve and shall contain such terms and conditions not inconsistent with other provisions of the Plan as shall be determined from time to time by the Committee.
7.3 SAR Exercise Price. The Exercise Price of a SAR shall be determined by the Committee in its sole discretion; provided that the Exercise Price shall not be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of the grant of the SAR (other than in the case of Substitute Awards).
7.4 Exercise and Payment. Upon the exercise of an SAR, a Grantee shall be entitled to receive payment from the Company in an amount determined by multiplying:
(a) The excess of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of exercise over the Exercise Price; by
(b) The number of Shares with respect to which the SAR is exercised.
SARs shall be deemed exercised on the date written notice of exercise in a form acceptable to the Committee is received by the Secretary of the Company. The Company shall make payment in respect of any SAR within five (5) days of the date the SAR is exercised. Any payment by the Company in respect of a SAR may be made in cash, Shares, other property, or any combination thereof, as the Committee, in its sole discretion, shall determine or, to the extent permitted under the terms of the applicable Award Agreement, at the election of the Grantee.
ARTICLE 8.
RESTRICTED SHARES
8.1 Grant of Restricted Shares. Subject to and consistent with the provisions of the Plan, the Committee, at any time and from time to time, may grant Restricted Shares to any Eligible Person in such amounts as the Committee shall determine.
8.2 Award Agreement. Each grant of Restricted Shares shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement that shall specify the Period(s) of Restriction, the number of Restricted Shares granted, and such other provisions as the Committee shall determine. The Committee may impose such conditions and/or restrictions on any Restricted Shares granted pursuant to the Plan as it may deem advisable, including restrictions based upon the achievement of specific performance goals, time-based restrictions on vesting following the attainment of the performance goals, and/or restrictions under applicable securities laws; provided that such conditions and/or restrictions may lapse, if so determined by the Committee, in the event of the Grantee’s Termination of Affiliation due to death, Disability, or involuntary termination by the Company or an Affiliate without Cause.
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8.3 Consideration for Restricted Shares. The Committee shall determine the amount, if any, that a Grantee shall pay for Restricted Shares.
8.4 Effect of Forfeiture. If Restricted Shares are forfeited, and if the Grantee was required to pay for such shares or acquired such Restricted Shares upon the exercise of an Option, the Grantee shall be deemed to have resold such Restricted Shares to the Company at a price equal to the lesser of (x) the amount paid by the Grantee for such Restricted Shares, or (y) the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of such forfeiture. The Company shall pay to the Grantee the deemed sale price as soon as is administratively practical. Such Restricted Shares shall cease to be outstanding and shall no longer confer on the Grantee thereof any rights as a stockholder of the Company, from and after the date of the event causing the forfeiture, whether or not the Grantee accepts the Company’s tender of payment for such Restricted Shares.
8.5 Escrow; Legends. The Committee may provide that the certificates for any Restricted Shares (x) shall be held (together with a stock power executed in blank by the Grantee) in escrow by the Secretary of the Company until such Restricted Shares become nonforfeitable or are forfeited and/or (y) shall bear an appropriate legend restricting the transfer of such Restricted Shares under the Plan. If any Restricted Shares become nonforfeitable, the Company shall cause certificates for such shares to be delivered without such legend.
ARTICLE 9.
PERFORMANCE UNITS AND PERFORMANCE SHARES
9.1 Grant of Performance Units and Performance Shares. Subject to and consistent with the provisions of the Plan, Performance Units or Performance Shares may be granted to any Eligible Person in such amounts and upon such terms, and at any time and from time to time, as shall be determined by the Committee.
9.2 Value/Performance Goals. The Committee shall set performance goals in its discretion which, depending on the extent to which they are met, will determine the number or value of Performance Units or Performance Shares that will be paid to the Grantee.
(a) Performance Unit. Each Performance Unit shall have an initial value that is established by the Committee at the time of grant.
(b) Performance Share. Each Performance Share shall have an initial value equal to the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of grant.
9.3 Earning of Performance Units and Performance Shares. After the applicable Performance Period has ended, the holder of Performance Units or Performance Shares shall be entitled to payment based on the level of achievement of performance goals set by the Committee. At the discretion of the Committee, the settlement of Performance Units or Performance Shares may be in cash, Shares of equivalent value, or in some combination thereof, as set forth in the Award Agreement.
If a Grantee is promoted, demoted or transferred to a different business unit of the Company during a Performance Period, then, to the extent the Committee determines that the Award, the performance goals, or the Performance Period are no longer appropriate, the Committee may adjust, change, eliminate or cancel the Award, the performance goals, or the applicable Performance Period, as it deems appropriate in order to make them appropriate and comparable to the initial Award, the performance goals, or the Performance Period.
Subject to Article 11 and Section 18.6, at the discretion of the Committee, a Grantee may be entitled to receive any dividends or Dividend Equivalents declared with respect to Shares deliverable in connection with vested Performance Shares which have been earned, but not yet delivered to the Grantee.
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ARTICLE 10.
DEFERRED STOCK AND RESTRICTED STOCK UNITS
10.1 Grant of Deferred Stock and Restricted Stock Units. Subject to and consistent with the provisions of the Plan, the Committee, at any time and from time to time, may grant Deferred Stock and/or Restricted Stock Units to any Eligible Person, in such amount and upon such terms as the Committee shall determine. Deferred Stock must conform in form and substance with applicable regulations promulgated under Section 409A of the Code and with Article 16 to ensure that the Grantee is not subjected to tax penalties under Section 409A of the Code with respect to such Deferred Stock.
10.2 Vesting and Delivery.
(a) Delivery with Respect to Deferred Stock. Delivery of Shares subject to a Deferred Stock grant will occur upon expiration of the deferral period or upon the occurrence of one or more of the distribution events described in Section 409A(a)(2) of the Code as specified by the Committee in the Grantee’s Award Agreement for the Award of Deferred Stock. An Award of Deferred Stock may be subject to such substantial risk of forfeiture conditions as the Committee may impose, which conditions may lapse at such times or upon the achievement of such objectives as the Committee shall determine at the time of grant or thereafter. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, to the extent that the Grantee has a Termination of Affiliation while the Deferred Stock remains subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture, such Deferred Shares shall be forfeited, unless the Committee determines that such substantial risk of forfeiture shall lapse in the event of the Grantee’s Termination of Affiliation due to death, Disability, or involuntary termination by the Company or an Affiliate without “cause.”
(b) Delivery with Respect to Restricted Stock Units. Delivery of Shares subject to a grant of Restricted Stock Units shall occur no later than the 15th day of the third month following the end of the taxable year of the Grantee or the fiscal year of the Company in which the Grantee’s rights under such Restricted Stock Units are no longer subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture as defined in final regulations under Section 409A of the Code. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, to the extent that the Grantee has a Termination of Affiliation while the Restricted Stock Units remains subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture, such Restricted Stock Units shall be forfeited, unless the Committee determines that such substantial risk of forfeiture shall lapse in the event of the Grantee’s Termination of Affiliation due to death, Disability, or involuntary termination by the Company or an Affiliate without “cause.”
10.3 Voting and Dividend Equivalent Rights Attributable to Deferred Stock and Restricted Stock Units. A Grantee awarded Deferred Stock or Restricted Stock Units will have no voting rights with respect to such Deferred Stock or Restricted Stock Units prior to the delivery of Shares in settlement of such Deferred Stock and/or Restricted Stock Units. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, a Grantee will have the rights to receive Dividend Equivalents in respect of Deferred Stock and/or Restricted Stock Units, which Dividend Equivalents shall be deemed reinvested in additional Shares of Deferred Stock or Restricted Stock Units, as applicable, which shall remain subject to the same forfeiture conditions applicable to the Deferred Stock or Restricted Stock Units to which such Dividend Equivalents relate.
ARTICLE 11.
DIVIDEND EQUIVALENTS
The Committee is authorized to grant Awards of Dividend Equivalents alone or in conjunction with other Awards. The Committee may provide that Dividend Equivalents shall be paid or distributed when accrued or shall be deemed to have been reinvested in additional Shares or additional Awards or otherwise reinvested subject to distribution at the same time and subject to the same conditions as the Award to which it relates; provided, however, that any Dividend Equivalents granted in conjunction with any Award that is subject to forfeiture conditions shall remain subject to the same forfeiture conditions applicable to the Award to which such Dividend Equivalents relate and no Dividend Equivalents shall be granted in conjunction with any Options or SARs. The timing of payment or distribution of Dividend Equivalents must comply with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code.
ARTICLE 12.
BONUS SHARES
Subject to the terms of the Plan, the Committee may grant Bonus Shares to any Eligible Person, in such amount and upon such terms and at any time and from time to time as shall be determined by the Committee.
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ARTICLE 13.
OTHER STOCK-BASED AWARDS
The Committee is authorized, subject to limitations under applicable law, to grant such other Awards that are denominated or payable in, valued in whole or in part by reference to, or otherwise based on, or related to, Shares, as deemed by the Committee to be consistent with the purposes of the Plan, including Shares awarded which are not subject to any restrictions or conditions, convertible or exchangeable debt securities or other rights convertible or exchangeable into Shares, and Awards valued by reference to the value of securities of or the performance of specified Affiliates. Subject to and consistent with the provisions of the Plan, the Committee shall determine the terms and conditions of such Awards. Except as provided by the Committee, Shares delivered pursuant to a purchase right granted under this Article 13 shall be purchased for such consideration, paid for by such methods and in such forms, including cash, Shares, outstanding Awards or other property, as the Committee shall determine.
ARTICLE 14.
Intentionally Omitted
ARTICLE 15.
AMENDMENT, MODIFICATION, AND TERMINATION
Except as otherwise provided in Section 3.3 with respect to repricings, the Board may amend, modify or terminate any outstanding Award, including but not limited to, substituting therefor another Award of the same or a different type and changing the date of exercise or realization; provided that no amendment that would require stockholder approval under the rules of Nasdaq may be made effective unless and until the Company’s stockholders approve such amendment. The Participant’s consent to such action shall be required unless (i) the Board determines that the action, taking into account any related action, does not materially and adversely affect the Participant’s rights under the Plan or (ii) the change is permitted under Section 4.2.
ARTICLE 16.
COMPLIANCE WITH CODE SECTION 409A
16.1 Awards Subject to Code Section 409A. The provisions of this Article 16 shall apply to any Award or portion thereof that is or becomes deferred compensation subject to Code Section 409A (a “409A Award”), notwithstanding any provision to the contrary contained in the Plan or the Award Agreement applicable to such Award.
16.2 Deferral and/or Distribution Elections. Except as otherwise permitted or required by Code Section 409A, the following rules shall apply to any deferral and/or elections as to the form or timing of distributions (each, an “Election”) that may be permitted or required by the Committee with respect to a 409A Award:
(a) Any Election must be in writing and specify the amount being deferred, and the time and form of distribution (i.e., lump sum or installments) as permitted by this Plan. An Election may but need not specify whether payment will be made in cash, Shares or other property.
(b) Any Election shall become irrevocable as of the deadline specified by the Committee, which shall not be later than December 31 of the year preceding the year in which services relating to the Award commence; provided, however, that if the Award qualifies as “performance-based compensation” for purposes of Code Section 409A and is based on services performed over a period of at least twelve (12) months, then the deadline may be no later than six (6) months prior to the end of such Performance Period.
(c) Unless otherwise provided by the Committee, an Election shall continue in effect until a written election to revoke or change such Election is received by the Committee, prior to the last day for making an Election for the subsequent year.
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16.3 Subsequent Elections. Except as otherwise permitted or required by Code Section 409A, any 409A Award which permits a subsequent Election to further defer the distribution or change the form of distribution shall comply with the following requirements:
(a) No subsequent Election may take effect until at least twelve (12) months after the date on which the subsequent Election is made;
(b) Each subsequent Election related to a distribution upon separation from service, a specified time, or a Change in Control must result in a delay of the distribution for a period of not less than five (5) years from the date such distribution would otherwise have been made; and
(c) No subsequent Election related to a distribution to be made at a specified time or pursuant to a fixed schedule shall be made less than twelve (12) months prior to the date the first scheduled payment would otherwise be made.
16.4 Distributions Pursuant to Deferral Elections. Except as otherwise permitted or required by Code Section 409A, no distribution in settlement of a 409A Award may commence earlier than:
(a) Separation from Service;
(b) The date the Participant becomes Disabled (as defined in Section 2.15(b);
(c) The Participant’s death;
(d) A specified time (or pursuant to a fixed schedule) that is either (i) specified by the Committee upon the grant of the Award and set forth in the Award Agreement or (ii) specified by the Grantee in an Election complying with the requirements of Section 16.2 and/or 16.3, as applicable; or
(e) A change in ownership of the Company or a substantial portion of its assets within the meaning of Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-3(i)(5)(v) or (vii) or a change in effective control of the Company within the meaning of Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-3(i)(5)(vi) (a “Change in Control”).
16.5 Six Month Delay. Notwithstanding anything herein or in any Award Agreement or Election to the contrary, to the extent that distribution of a 409A Award is triggered by a Grantee’s Separation from Service, if the Grantee is then a “specified employee” (as defined in Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(i)), no distribution may be made before the date which is six (6) months after such Grantee’s Separation from Service, or, if earlier, the date of the Grantee’s death.
16.6 Death or Disability. Unless the Award Agreement otherwise provides, if a Grantee dies or becomes Disabled before complete distribution of amounts payable upon settlement of a 409A Award, such undistributed amounts, to the extent vested, shall be distributed as provided in the Participants Election. If the Participant has made no Election with respect to distributions upon death or Disability, all such distributions shall be paid in a lump sum within 90 days following the date of the Participant’s death or Disability.
16.7 No Acceleration of Distributions. This Plan does not permit the acceleration of the time or schedule of any distribution under a 409A Award, except as provided by Code Section 409A and/or applicable regulations or rulings issued thereunder.
ARTICLE 17.
WITHHOLDING
17.1 Required Withholding.
(a) The Committee in its sole discretion may provide that when taxes are to be withheld in connection with the exercise of an Option or SAR, or upon the lapse of restrictions on Restricted Shares, or upon the transfer of Shares, or upon payment of any other benefit or right under this Plan (the date on which such exercise occurs or such restrictions lapse or such payment of any other benefit or right occurs hereinafter referred to as the “Tax Date”), the Grantee may elect to make payment for the withholding of federal, state and local taxes, including Social Security and Medicare (“FICA”) taxes by one or a combination of the following methods:
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(i) payment of an amount in cash equal to the amount to be withheld (including cash obtained through the sale of the Shares acquired on exercise of an Option or SAR, upon the lapse of restrictions on Restricted Shares, or upon the transfer of Shares, through a broker-dealer to whom the Grantee has submitted an irrevocable instructions to deliver promptly to the Company, the amount to be withheld);
(ii) delivering part or all of the amount to be withheld in the form of Common Stock valued at its Fair Market Value on the Tax Date;
(iii) requesting the Company to withhold from those Shares that would otherwise be received upon exercise of the Option or SAR, upon the lapse of restrictions on Restricted Stock, or upon the transfer of Shares, a number of Shares having a Fair Market Value on the Tax Date equal to the amount to be withheld; or
(iv) withholding from any compensation otherwise due to the Grantee.
The Committee in its sole discretion may provide that the maximum amount of tax withholding upon exercise of an Option or SARs, upon the lapse of restrictions on Restricted Shares, or upon the transfer of Shares, to be satisfied by withholding Shares upon exercise of such Option or SAR, upon the lapse of restrictions on Restricted Shares, or upon the transfer of Shares, pursuant to clause (iii) above shall not exceed the minimum amount of taxes, including FICA taxes, required to be withheld under federal, state and local law. An election by Grantee under this subsection is irrevocable. Any fractional share amount and any additional withholding not paid by the withholding or surrender of Shares must be paid in cash. If no timely election is made, the Grantee must deliver cash to satisfy all tax withholding requirements.
(b) Any Grantee who makes an election under Section 83(b) of the Code shall remit to the Company an amount sufficient to satisfy all resulting tax withholding requirements in the same manner as set forth in subsection (a).
17.2 Notification under Code Section 83(b). If the Grantee, in connection with the exercise of any Option, or the grant of Restricted Shares, makes the election permitted under Section 83(b) of the Code to include in such Grantee’s gross income in the year of transfer the amounts specified in Section 83(b) of the Code, then such Grantee shall notify the Company of such election within 10 days of filing the notice of the election with the Internal Revenue Service, in addition to any filing and notification required pursuant to regulations issued under Section 83(b) of the Code. The Committee may, in connection with the grant of an Award or at any time thereafter, prohibit a Grantee from making the election described above.
ARTICLE 18.
ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS
18.1 Successors. Subject to Section 4.2(b), all obligations of the Company under the Plan with respect to Awards granted hereunder shall be binding on any successor to the Company, whether the existence of such successor is the result of a direct or indirect purchase, merger, consolidation, or otherwise of all or substantially all of the business and/or assets of the Company.
18.2 Severability. If any part of the Plan is declared by any court or governmental authority to be unlawful or invalid, such unlawfulness or invalidity shall not invalidate any other part of the Plan. Any Section or part of a Section so declared to be unlawful or invalid shall, if possible, be construed in a manner which will give effect to the terms of such Section or part of a Section to the fullest extent possible while remaining lawful and valid.
18.3 Requirements of Law. The granting of Awards and the delivery of Shares under the Plan shall be subject to all applicable laws, rules, and regulations, and to such approvals by any governmental agencies or national securities exchanges as may be required. Notwithstanding any provision of the Plan or any Award, Grantees shall not be entitled to exercise, or receive benefits under, any Award, and the Company (and any Affiliate) shall not be obligated to deliver any Shares or deliver benefits to a Grantee, if such exercise or delivery would constitute a violation by the Grantee or the Company of any applicable law or regulation.
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18.4 Securities Law Compliance.
(a) If the Committee deems it necessary to comply with any applicable securities law, or the requirements of any stock exchange upon which Shares may be listed, the Committee may impose any restriction on Awards or Shares acquired pursuant to Awards under the Plan as it may deem advisable. In addition, if requested by the Company and any underwriter engaged by the Company, Shares acquired pursuant to Awards may not be sold or otherwise transferred or disposed of for such period following the effective date of any registration statement of the Company filed under the Securities Act as the Company or such underwriter shall specify reasonably and in good faith, not to exceed 180 days in the case of the Company’s initial public offering or 90 days in the case of any other public offering. All certificates for Shares delivered under the Plan pursuant to any Award or the exercise thereof shall be subject to such stop transfer orders and other restrictions as the Committee may deem advisable under the rules, regulations and other requirements of the SEC, any stock exchange upon which Shares are then listed, any applicable securities law, and the Committee may cause a legend or legends to be put on any such certificates to make appropriate reference to such restrictions. If so requested by the Company, the Grantee shall make a written representation to the Company that he or she will not sell or offer to sell any Shares unless a registration statement shall be in effect with respect to such Shares under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and any applicable state securities law or unless he or she shall have furnished to the Company, in form and substance satisfactory to the Company, that such registration is not required.
(b) If the Committee determines that the exercise or nonforfeitability of, or delivery of benefits pursuant to, any Award would violate any applicable provision of securities laws or the listing requirements of any national securities exchange or national market system on which are listed any of the Company’s equity securities, then the Committee may postpone any such exercise, nonforfeitability or delivery, as applicable, but the Company shall use all reasonable efforts to cause such exercise, nonforfeitability or delivery to comply with all such provisions at the earliest practicable date.
18.5 Forfeiture Events. Notwithstanding any provisions herein to the contrary, the Committee shall have the authority to determine (and may so provide in any Award Agreement) that a Grantee’s (including his or her estate’s, beneficiary’s or transferee’s) rights (including the right to exercise any Option or SAR), payments and benefits with respect to any Award shall be subject to reduction, cancellation, forfeiture or recoupment (to the extent permitted by applicable law) in the event of the Participant’s termination for Cause; serious misconduct; violation of the Company’s or an Affiliate’s policies; breach of fiduciary duty; unauthorized disclosure of any trade secret or confidential information of the Company or an Affiliate; breach of applicable noncompetition, nonsolicitation, confidentiality or other restrictive covenants; or other conduct or activity that is in competition with the business of the Company or an Affiliate, or otherwise detrimental to the business, reputation or interests of the Company and/or an Affiliate; or upon the occurrence of certain events specified in the applicable Award Agreement. The determination of whether a Grantee’s conduct, activities or circumstances are described in the immediately preceding sentence shall be made by the Committee in its discretion, and pending any such determination, the Committee shall have the authority to suspend the exercise, payment, delivery or settlement of all or any portion of such Grantee’s outstanding Awards pending any investigation of the matter.
18.6 No Rights as a Stockholder. No Grantee shall have any rights as a stockholder of the Company with respect to the Shares (other than Restricted Shares) which may be deliverable upon exercise or payment of such Award until such Shares have been delivered to him or her. Restricted Shares, whether held by a Grantee or in escrow by the Secretary of the Company, shall confer on the Grantee all rights of a stockholder of the Company, except as otherwise provided in the Plan or Award Agreement. At the time of a grant of Restricted Shares, the Committee may require the payment of cash dividends thereon to be deferred and, if the Committee so determines, reinvested in additional Restricted Shares. Stock dividends and deferred cash dividends issued with respect to Restricted Shares shall be subject to the same restrictions and other terms as apply to the Restricted Shares with respect to which such dividends are issued. The Committee may in its discretion provide for payment of interest on deferred cash dividends.
18.7 Nature of Payments. Unless otherwise specified in the Award Agreement, Awards shall be special incentive payments to the Grantee and shall not be taken into account in computing the amount of salary or compensation of the Grantee for purposes of determining any pension, retirement, death or other benefit under (a) any pension, retirement, profit sharing, bonus, insurance or other employee benefit plan of the Company or any Affiliate, except as such plan shall otherwise expressly provide, or (b) any agreement between (i) the Company or any Affiliate and (ii) the Grantee, except as such agreement shall otherwise expressly provide.
18.8 Non-Exclusivity of Plan. The adoption of the Plan by the Board shall not be construed as creating any limitations on the power of the Board to adopt such other compensatory arrangements for employees as it may deem desirable.
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18.9 Governing Law. The Plan, and all agreements hereunder, shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, other than its laws respecting choice or conflicts of law rule or principles that might otherwise refer construction or interpretation of the Plan to the substantive law of another jurisdiction. Unless otherwise provided in the Award Agreement, Participants are deemed to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the federal or state courts of the State of Delaware, to resolve any and all issues that may arise out of or relate to the Plan or any related Award Agreement.
18.10 Unfunded Status of Awards; Creation of Trusts. The Plan is intended to constitute an “unfunded” plan for incentive and deferred compensation. With respect to any payments not yet made to a Grantee pursuant to an Award, nothing contained in the Plan or any Award Agreement shall give any such Grantee any rights that are greater than those of a general creditor of the Company; provided, however, that the Committee may authorize the creation of trusts or make other arrangements to meet the Company’s obligations under the Plan to deliver cash, Shares or other property pursuant to any Award which trusts or other arrangements shall be consistent with the “unfunded” status of the Plan unless the Committee otherwise determines.
18.11 Affiliation. Nothing in the Plan or an Award Agreement shall interfere with or limit in any way the right of the Company or any Affiliate to terminate any Grantee’s employment or consulting contract at any time, nor confer upon any Grantee the right to continue in the employ of or as an officer of the Company or any Affiliate.
18.12 Participation. No employee or officer shall have the right to be selected to receive an Award under this Plan or, having been so selected, to be selected to receive a future Award.
18.13 Military Service. Awards shall be administered in accordance with Section 414(u) of the Code and the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994.
18.14 Construction. The following rules of construction will apply to the Plan: (a) the word “or” is disjunctive but not necessarily exclusive, and (b) words in the singular include the plural, words in the plural include the singular, and words in the neuter gender include the masculine and feminine genders and words in the masculine or feminine gender include the other neuter genders.
18.15 Headings. The headings of articles and sections are included solely for convenience of reference, and if there is any conflict between such headings and the text of this Plan, the text shall control.
18.16 Obligations. Unless otherwise specified in the Award Agreement, the obligation to deliver, pay or transfer any amount of money or other property pursuant to Awards under this Plan shall be the sole obligation of a Grantee’s employer; provided that the obligation to deliver or transfer any Shares pursuant to Awards under this Plan shall be the sole obligation of the Company.
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Exhibit 5.1
 |
Dentons US LLP 1221 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 10020-1089 United States |
大成 Salans FMC SNR Denton McKenna Long
dentons.com
October 20, 2021
Arcturus Therapeutics Holdings Inc.
10628 Science Center Drive, Suite 250
San Diego, CA 92121
Re: Arcturus Therapeutics Holdings Inc. Registration Statement on Form S-8
Ladies and Gentlemen:
In our capacity as counsel to Arcturus Therapeutics Holdings Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), we have been asked to render this opinion in connection with a registration statement on Form S-8 (the “Registration Statement”), being filed contemporaneously herewith by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), covering an aggregate of 1,000,000 shares (the “Shares”) of common stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Company issuable pursuant to the terms of the Company’s 2021 Inducement Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”).
In connection with rendering this opinion, we have examined (i) the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, (ii) the Company’s By-Laws, (iii) the Plan, (iv) the Registration Statement, (v) corporate proceedings of the Company relating to the Plan, and (vi) such other instruments and documents as we have deemed relevant under the circumstances.
In making the aforesaid examinations, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the authority of the persons who executed such documents, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to the original documents of all documents submitted to us as copies, and the due execution and delivery of all documents by any persons or entities where due execution and delivery by such persons or entities is a prerequisite to the effectiveness of such documents. As to various factual matters that are material to this opinion, we have relied upon certificates of public officials and certificates, resolutions, documents, statements and other information of the Company or its representatives. In addition, for purposes of this opinion, we have assumed that a sufficient number of authorized but unissued shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share, will be available for issuance when the Shares are issued. We have not independently verified or investigated, nor do we assume any responsibility for, the factual accuracy or completeness of such factual statements. We have also assumed that the corporate records furnished to us by the Company include all corporate proceedings taken by the Company to date.
Based upon the foregoing and subject to the assumptions and qualifications set forth herein, we are of the opinion that the Shares have been duly and validly authorized and, when issued and paid for in accordance with the terms of the Plan, will be duly and validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.
The foregoing opinion is limited to the laws of the United States of America and Delaware corporate law (which includes the Delaware General Corporation Law and applicable provisions of the Delaware constitution, as well as reported judicial opinions interpreting same), as now in effect and that, in the exercise of reasonable professional judgment, are normally considered in transactions such as the issuance of the Shares, and the foregoing opinion does not purport to express any opinion on the laws of any other jurisdiction. This opinion is provided for use solely in connection with the sale of the Shares, and except for its use in connection with such sale, may not be furnished to, quoted from or relied upon by any other person, firm, or corporation without our express written consent. No opinion may be implied or inferred beyond the opinion expressly stated in the paragraph immediately above. The opinion expressed herein is as of the date hereof, and we undertake no obligation to advise you of any changes in applicable law or any other matters that may come to our attention after the date hereof that may affect our opinions expressed herein.
We hereby consent to the use of our opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. In giving such consent, we do not hereby admit that we come within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Act, or the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder.
| Very truly yours | |
| /s/ Dentons US LLP | |
| Dentons US LLP |
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
We consent to the incorporation by reference in the Registration Statement (Form S-8) pertaining to the Arcturus Therapeutics Holdings Inc. 2021 Inducement Equity Incentive Plan of our reports dated March 1, 2021, with respect to the consolidated financial statements of Arcturus Therapeutics Holdings Inc. and its Subsidiaries and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting of Arcturus Therapeutics Holdings Inc. and its Subsidiaries included in its Annual Report (Form 10-K) for the year ended December 31, 2020, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
| /s/ Ernst & Young LLP |
San Diego, California
October 20, 2021