Attached files
| file | filename |
|---|---|
| EX-31.1 - EXHIBIT 31.1 - Pangaea Logistics Solutions Ltd. | panl-6302015xex311.htm |
| EX-31.2 - EXHIBIT 31.2 - Pangaea Logistics Solutions Ltd. | panl-6302015xex312.htm |
| EX-32.2 - EXHIBIT 32.2 - Pangaea Logistics Solutions Ltd. | panl-6302015xex322.htm |
| EX-32.1 - EXHIBIT 32.1 - Pangaea Logistics Solutions Ltd. | panl-6302015xex321.htm |
| 10-Q - 10-Q - Pangaea Logistics Solutions Ltd. | panl-6302015x10q.htm |
14712427.3
PANGAEA LOGISTICS SOLUTIONS LTD. 2014 SHARE INCENTIVE PLAN
(as amended and restated by the Board of Directors on August 7, 2015)
1. | Purpose. |
The purpose of the Plan is to assist the Company in attracting, retaining, motivating, and rewarding certain key employees, officers, directors, and consultants of the Company and its Affiliates and promoting the creation of long-term value for shareholders of the Company by closely aligning the interests of such individuals with those of such shareholders. The Plan authorizes the award of Share-based incentives to Eligible Persons to encourage such persons to expend maximum effort in the creation of shareholder value.
2. | Definitions. |
For purposes of the Plan, the following terms shall be defined as set forth below:
“Affiliate” means, with respect to any Person, any other Person that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, such Person.
“Award” means any Option, Restricted Share, Restricted Share Unit, Share Appreciation Right, Performance Award, or other Share-based or cash-based award granted under the Plan.
“Award Agreement” means an Option Agreement, a Restricted Share Agreement, an RSU Agreement, an SAR Agreement, a Performance Award Agreement, or an agreement governing the grant of any other Share-based or cash-based Award granted under the Plan.
“Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.
“Cause” means, in the absence of an Award Agreement or Employment Agreement otherwise defining Cause, (1) the Participant’s plea of nolo contendere, conviction of or indictment for any crime (whether or not involving the Company or its Affiliates) (i) constituting a felony or (ii) that has, or could reasonably be expected to result in, an adverse impact on the performance of the Participant’s duties to the Service Recipient, or otherwise has, or could reasonably be expected to result in, an adverse impact on the business or reputation of the Company or its Affiliates, (2) conduct of the Participant, in connection with his employment or service, that has resulted, or could reasonably be expected to result, in material injury to the business or reputation of the Company or its Affiliates, (3) any material violation of the policies of the Company or its Affiliates, including but not limited to those relating to sexual harassment or the disclosure or misuse of confidential information, or those set forth in the manuals or statements of policy of the Company or its Affiliates, or (4) willful neglect in the performance of the Participant’s duties for the Service Recipient or willful or repeated failure or refusal to perform such duties. In the event that there is an Award Agreement or Employment Agreement defining Cause, “Cause” shall have
the meaning provided in such agreement, and a Termination by the Service Recipient for Cause hereunder shall not be deemed to have occurred unless all applicable notice and cure periods in such Award Agreement or Employment Agreement are complied with.
“Change in Control” means the first of the following to occur after the Effective Date:
(1)a change in ownership or control of the Company effected through a transaction or series of transactions (other than an offering of Shares to the general public through a registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission or pursuant to a Non-Control Transaction) whereby any “person” (as defined in Section 3(a)(9) of the Exchange Act) or any two or more persons deemed to be one “person” (as used in Sections 13(d)(3) and 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act), other than the Company or any of its Affiliates, an employee benefit plan sponsored or maintained by the Company or any of its Affiliates (or its related trust), or any underwriter temporarily holding securities pursuant to an offering of such securities, directly or indirectly acquire “beneficial ownership” (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) of securities of the Company possessing more than fifty percent (50%) of the total combined voting power of the Company’s securities eligible to vote in the election of the Board (the “Company Voting Securities”);
(2)the date, within any consecutive twenty-four (24) month period commencing on or after the Effective Date, upon which individuals who constitute the Board as of the Effective Date (the “Incumbent Board”) cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the Board; provided, however, that any individual who becomes a director subsequent to the Effective Date whose election or nomination for election by the Company’s shareholders was approved by a vote of at least a majority of the directors then constituting the Incumbent Board (either by a specific vote or by approval of the proxy statement of the Company in which such individual is named as a nominee for director, without objection to such nomination) shall be considered as though such individual were a member of the Incumbent Board, but excluding, for this purpose, any such individual whose initial assumption of office occurs as a result of an actual or threatened election contest (including but not limited to a consent solicitation) with respect to the election or removal of directors or other actual or threatened solicitation of proxies or consents by or on behalf of a person other than the Board; or
(3)the consummation of a merger, consolidation, share exchange, or similar form of corporate transaction involving the Company or any of its Affiliates that requires the approval of the Company’s shareholders (whether for such transaction or the issuance of securities in the transaction or otherwise) (a “Reorganization”), unless immediately following such Reorganization (i) more than fifty percent (50%) of the total voting power of (A) the corporation resulting from such Reorganization (the “Surviving Company”) or (B) if applicable, the ultimate parent corporation that has, directly or indirectly, beneficial ownership of one hundred percent (100%) of the voting securities of the Surviving Company (the “Parent Company”), is represented by Company Voting Securities that were outstanding immediately prior to such Reorganization (or, if applicable, is represented by shares into which such Company Voting Securities were converted pursuant to such Reorganization), and such voting power among the holders thereof is in substantially the same proportion as the voting power of such Company Voting Securities among holders thereof immediately prior to the Reorganization, (ii) no person, other than an employee benefit plan sponsored or maintained by the Surviving Company or the Parent Company (or its related trust), is or becomes the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of fifty percent (50%) or more of the total voting power of the outstanding voting securities eligible to elect directors of the
Parent Company, or if there is no Parent Company, the Surviving Company, and (iii) at least a majority of the members of the board of directors of the Parent Company, or if there is no Parent Company, the Surviving Company, following the consummation of the Reorganization are members of the Incumbent Board at the time of the Board’s approval of the execution of the initial agreement providing for such Reorganization (any Reorganization which satisfies all of the criteria specified in (i), (ii), and (iii) above shall be a “Non-Control Transaction”);
(4)the sale or disposition, in one or a series of related transactions, of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company to any “person” (as defined in Section 3(a)(9) of the Exchange Act) or to any two or more persons deemed to be one “person” (as used in Sections 13(d)(3) and 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act) other than the Company’s Affiliates.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, (x) a Change in Control shall not be deemed to occur solely because any person acquires beneficial ownership of fifty percent (50%) or more of the Company Voting Securities as a result of an acquisition of Company Voting Securities by the Company that reduces the number of Company Voting Securities outstanding; provided that if after such acquisition by the Company such person becomes the beneficial owner of additional Company Voting Securities that increases the percentage of outstanding Company Voting Securities beneficially owned by such person, a Change in Control shall then occur, and (y) with respect to the payment of any amount that constitutes a deferral of compensation subject to Section 409A of the Code payable upon a Change in Control, a Change in Control shall not be deemed to have occurred unless the Change in Control constitutes a change in the ownership or effective control of the Company or in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets of the Company under Section 409A(a)(2)(A)(v) of the Code.
“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time, including regulations thereunder and successor provisions and regulations thereto.
“Committee” means the Board or such other committee consisting of two or more individuals appointed by the Board to administer the Plan and each other individual or committee of individuals designated to exercise authority under the Plan.
“Company” means Pangaea Logistics Solutions Ltd., a limited liability company organized under the laws of Bermuda, and its successors by operation of law; provided that, prior to the Effective Date, “Company” means Quartet Holdco Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Quartet Merger Corp.
“Company Voting Securities” has the meaning set forth within the definition of “Change in Control.”
“Corporate Event” has the meaning set forth in Section 11(b) below.
“Data” has the meaning set forth in Section 21(c) below.
“Disability” means, in the absence of an Award Agreement or Employment Agreement otherwise defining Disability, the permanent and total disability of such Participant within the meaning of Section 22(e)(3) of the Code. In the event that there is an Award Agreement or Employment Agreement defining Disability, “Disability” shall have the meaning provided in such Award Agreement or Employment Agreement.
“Disqualifying Disposition” means any disposition (including any sale) of Shares acquired upon the exercise of an Incentive Stock Option made within the period that ends either (i) two years after the date on which the Participant was granted the Incentive Stock Option or (ii) one year after the date upon which the Participant acquired the Shares.
“Effective Date” means the effective date of the mergers contemplated by the Agreement and Plan of Reorganization, dated as of April 30, 2014, by and among Quartet Merger Corp., a Delaware corporation, Quartet Holdco Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Quartet Merger Corp., Quartet Merger Sub, Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Quartet Holdco Ltd., and Pangaea Logistics Solutions Ltd. (“Pangaea”) and the security holders of Pangaea.
“Eligible Person” means (1) each employee and officer of the Company or of any of its Affiliates, including each such employee and officer who may also be a director of the Company or any of its Affiliates, (2) each non-employee director of the Company or any of its Affiliates, (3) each other natural person who provides substantial services to the Company or any of its Affiliates as a consultant or advisor and who is designated as eligible by the Committee, and (4) each natural person who has been offered employment by the Company or any of its Affiliates; provided that such prospective employee may not receive any payment or exercise any right relating to an Award until such person has commenced employment or service with the Company or its Affiliates; provided further, however, that (i) with respect to any Award that is intended to qualify as a “stock right” that does not provide for a “deferral of compensation” within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code, the term Affiliate for this purpose shall include only those corporations or other entities in the unbroken chain of corporations or other entities beginning with the Company where each of the corporations in the unbroken chain other than the last corporation owns stock possessing at least fifty percent (50%) or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock in one of the other corporations in the chain, and (ii) with respect to any Award that is intended to qualify as an Incentive Stock Option, the term “Affiliate” as used for this purpose shall include only those entities that qualify as a “subsidiary corporation” with respect to the Company within the meaning of Code Section 424(f). An employee on an approved leave of absence may be considered as still in the employ of the Company or any of its Affiliates for purposes of eligibility for participation in the Plan.
“Employment Agreement” means an employment or other services agreement between a Participant and the Service Recipient that describes the terms and conditions of such Participant’s employment or service with the Service Recipient and is effective as of the date of determination.
“Exchange Act” means the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended from time to time, including rules and regulations thereunder and successor provisions and rules and regulations thereto.
“Expiration Date” means the date upon which the term of an Option or Share Appreciation Right expires, as determined under Section 5(b) or 8(b) hereof, as applicable.
“Fair Market Value” means, as of any date when the Shares are listed on Nasdaq Capital Market or an other national securities exchange, the closing price reported on the principal national securities exchange on which such Shares are listed and traded on the date of determination, or if the closing price is not reported on such date of determination, the closing price on the most recent date on which such closing price is reported. If the Shares are not listed on a national securities exchange, the Fair Market Value shall mean the amount determined by the Board in good faith, and in a manner consistent with Section 409A of the Code, to be the fair market value per Share.
“Incentive Stock Option” means an Option intended to qualify as an incentive stock option within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code.
“Incumbent Board” shall have the meaning set forth within the definition of “Change in Control.”
“Non-Control Transaction” has the meaning set forth within the definition of “Change in Control.”
“Nonqualified Stock Option” means an Option not intended to qualify as an Incentive Stock Option.
“Option” means a conditional right, granted to a Participant under Section 5 hereof, to purchase Shares at a specified price during a specified time period.
“Option Agreement” means a written agreement (including an electronic writing to the extent permitted by applicable law) between the Company and a Participant evidencing the terms and conditions of an individual Option grant.
“Parent Company” has the meaning set forth within the definition of “Change in Control.”
“Participant” means an Eligible Person who has been granted an Award under the Plan, or if applicable, such other Person who holds an Award.
“Performance Award” means an Award granted to a Participant under Section 9 hereof, which Award is subject to the achievement of Performance Objectives during a Performance Period. A Performance Award shall be designated as a “Performance Share” or a “Performance Unit” at the time of grant.
“Performance Award Agreement” means a written agreement (including an electronic writing to the extent permitted by applicable law) between the Company and a Participant evidencing the terms and conditions of an individual Performance Award grant.
“Performance Objectives” means the performance objectives established pursuant to this Plan for Participants who have received Performance Awards.
“Performance Period” means the period designated for the achievement of Performance Objectives.
“Person” means any individual, corporation, partnership, firm, joint venture, association, joint-stock company, trust, unincorporated organization, or other entity.
“Plan” means this Pangaea Logistics Solutions Ltd. 2014 Stock Incentive Plan, as amended from time to time.
“Qualified Member” means a member of the Committee who is a “Non-Employee Director” within the meaning of Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act and an “outside director” within the meaning of Treasury Regulation 1.162-27(e)(3) under Section 162(m) of the Code.
“Qualified Performance-Based Award” means an Option, Share Appreciation Right, or Performance Award that is intended to qualify as “qualified performance-based compensation” within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Code.
“Qualifying Committee” has the meaning set forth in Section 3(b) hereof.
“Reorganization” has the meaning set forth within the definition of “Change in Control.”
“Restricted Share” means a Share granted to a Participant under Section 6 hereof that is subject to certain restrictions and to a risk of forfeiture.
“Restricted Share Agreement” means a written agreement (including an electronic writing to the extent permitted by applicable law) between the Company and a Participant evidencing the terms and conditions of an individual Restricted Share grant.
“Restricted Share Unit” means a notional unit representing the right to receive one Share (or the cash value of one Share, if so determined by the Committee) on a specified settlement date.
“RSU Agreement” means a written agreement (including an electronic writing to the extent permitted by applicable law) between the Company and a Participant evidencing the terms and conditions of an individual grant of Restricted Share Units.
“SAR Agreement” means a written agreement (including an electronic writing to the extent permitted by applicable law) between the Company and a Participant evidencing the terms and conditions of an individual grant of Share Appreciation Rights.
“Securities Act” means the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended from time to time, including rules and regulations thereunder and successor provisions and rules and regulations thereto.
“Service Recipient” means, with respect to a Participant holding a given Award, either the Company or an Affiliate of the Company by which the original recipient of such Award is, or following a Termination was most recently, principally employed or to which such original recipient provides, or following a Termination was most recently providing, services, as applicable.
“Shares” means the Company’s common shares, par value $.0001, and such other securities as may be substituted for such shares pursuant to Section 11 hereof.
“Share Appreciation Right” means a conditional right to receive an amount equal to the value of the appreciation in the Shares over a specified period. Except in the event of extraordinary circumstances, as determined in the sole discretion of the Committee, or pursuant to Section 11(b) below, Share Appreciation Rights shall be settled in Shares.
“Surviving Company” has the meaning set forth within the definition of “Change in Control.”
“Termination” means the termination of a Participant’s employment or service, as applicable, with the Service Recipient; provided, however, that, if so determined by the Committee at the time of any change in status in relation to the Service Recipient (e.g., a Participant ceases to be an employee and begins providing services as a consultant, or vice versa), such change in status will not be deemed a Termination hereunder. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, in the event that any Service Recipient ceases to be an Affiliate of the Company (by reason of sale, divestiture, spin-off, or other similar transaction), unless a Participant’s employment or service is transferred to another entity that would constitute a Service Recipient immediately following such transaction, such Participant shall be deemed to have suffered a Termination hereunder as of the date of the consummation of such transaction. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, a Participant’s change in status in relation to the Service Recipient (for example, a change from employee to consultant) shall not be deemed a Termination hereunder with respect to any Awards
constituting nonqualified deferred compensation subject to Section 409A of the Code that are payable upon a Termination unless such change in status constitutes a “separation from service” within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code. Any payments in respect of an Award constituting nonqualified deferred compensation subject to Section 409A of the Code that are payable upon a Termination shall be delayed for such period as may be necessary to meet the requirements of Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) of the Code. On the first business day following the expiration of such period, the Participant shall be paid, in a single lump sum without interest, an amount equal to the aggregate amount of all payments delayed pursuant to the preceding sentence, and any remaining payments not so delayed shall continue to be paid pursuant to the payment schedule applicable to such Award.
3. | Administration. |
(a)Authority of the Committee. Except as otherwise provided below, the Plan shall be administered by the Committee. The Committee shall have full and final authority, in each case subject to and consistent with the provisions of the Plan, to (1) select Eligible Persons to become Participants, (2) grant Awards, (3) determine the type, number of Shares subject to, other terms and conditions of, and all other matters relating to, Awards, (4) prescribe Award Agreements (which need not be identical for each Participant) and rules and regulations for the administration of the Plan, (5) construe and interpret the Plan and Award Agreements and correct defects, supply omissions, and reconcile inconsistencies therein, (6) suspend the right to exercise Awards during any period that the Committee deems appropriate to comply with applicable securities laws, and thereafter extend the exercise period of an Award by an equivalent period of time, and (7) make all other decisions and determinations as the Committee may deem necessary or advisable for the administration of the Plan. Any action of the Committee shall be final, conclusive, and binding on all persons, including, without limitation, the Company, its Affiliates, Eligible Persons, Participants, and beneficiaries of Participants. For the avoidance of doubt, the Board shall have the authority to take all actions under the Plan that the Committee is permitted to take.
(b)Manner of Exercise of Committee Authority. At any time that a member of the Committee is not a Qualified Member, any action of the Committee relating to a Qualified Performance-Based Award or relating to an Award granted or to be granted to a Participant who is then subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act in respect of the Company must be taken by a subcommittee, designated by the Committee or the Board, composed solely of two or more Qualified Members (a “Qualifying Committee”). Any action authorized by such a Qualifying Committee shall be deemed the action of the Committee for purposes of the Plan. 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.
(c)Delegation. To the extent permitted by applicable law, the Committee may delegate to officers or employees of the Company or any of its Affiliates, or committees thereof, the authority, subject to such terms as the Committee shall determine, to perform such functions under the Plan, including, but not limited to, administrative functions, as the Committee may determine appropriate. The Committee may appoint agents to assist it in administering the Plan. Notwithstanding the foregoing or any other provision of the Plan to the contrary, any Award granted under the Plan to any Eligible Person who is not an employee of the Company or any of its Affiliates (including any non-employee director of the Company or any Affiliate) or to any Eligible Person who is subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act must be expressly approved by the Committee or Qualifying Committee in accordance with subsection (b) above.
(d)Section 409A. All Awards made under the Plan that are intended to be “deferred compensation” subject to Section 409A of the Code shall be interpreted, administered and construed to comply with Section 409A, and all Awards made under the Plan that are intended to be exempt from Section 409A shall be interpreted, administered and construed to comply with and preserve such exemption. The Committee shall have full authority to give effect to the intent of the foregoing sentence. To the extent necessary to give effect to this intent, in the case of any conflict or potential inconsistency between the Plan and a provision of any Award or Award Agreement with respect to an Award, the Plan shall govern. Notwithstanding the foregoing, neither the Company nor the Committee shall have any liability to any person in the event Section 409A applies to any Award in a manner that results in adverse tax consequences for the Participant or any of his beneficiaries or transferees.
4.Shares Available Under the Plan.
(a)Number of Shares Available for Delivery. Subject to adjustment as provided in Section 11 hereof, the total number of Shares reserved and available for delivery in connection with Awards under the Plan shall equal 1,500,000. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the number of Shares available for issuance hereunder shall not be reduced by Shares issued pursuant to Awards issued or assumed in connection with a merger or acquisition as contemplated by, as applicable, NASDAQ Listing Rule 5635(c) and IM-5635-1, NYSE Listed Company Manual Section 303A.08, AMEX Company Guide Section 711, or other applicable stock exchange rules, and their respective successor rules and listing exchange promulgations.
(b)Share Counting Rules. The Committee may adopt reasonable counting procedures to ensure appropriate counting, avoid double-counting (as, for example, in the case of tandem or substitute awards) and make adjustments if the number of Shares actually delivered differs from the number of Shares previously counted in connection with an Award. To the extent that an Award expires or is canceled, forfeited, settled in cash, or otherwise terminated without a delivery to the Participant of the full number of Shares to which the Award related, the undelivered Shares will again be available for grant. Shares withheld in payment of the exercise price or taxes relating to an Award and Shares equal to the number surrendered in payment of any exercise price or taxes relating to an Award shall be deemed to constitute shares not delivered to the Participant and shall be deemed to again be available for Awards under the Plan.
(c)162(m) Limitation. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, during any time that the Company is subject to Section 162(m) of the Code, the maximum number of Shares with respect to which Options, Share Appreciation Rights, and Performance Awards, in each case to the extent intended to qualify as a Qualified Performance-Based Award, may be granted to any individual in any one calendar year shall not exceed 200,000. The maximum value of the aggregate payment that any individual may receive with respect to a Qualified Performance-Based Award that is valued in dollars in respect of any annual Performance Period is $1,000,000, and for any Performance Period in excess of one (1) year, such amount multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of months in the Performance Period and the denominator of which is twelve (12). No Qualified Performance-Based Awards may be granted hereunder following the first (1st) meeting of the Company’s shareholders that occurs in the fifth (5th) year following the year in which the Company’s shareholders most recently approved the terms of the Plan for purposes of satisfying the “qualified performance-based compensation” exemption under Section 162(m)(4)(C) of the Code.
(d)Incentive Stock Options. All Shares reserved for issuance hereunder may be issued or transferred upon exercise or settlement of Incentive Stock Options.
(e)Limitation on Awards to Non-Employee Directors. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, the maximum value of Awards that may be granted to any non-employee director of the Company in any one calendar year shall not exceed $150,000 (calculating the value of any Award based in Shares based on the grant date fair value of such Awards for financial reporting purposes and excluding, for this purpose, the value of any dividend equivalent payments paid pursuant to any Award granted in a previous year) (subject to adjustment as provided in Section 11 hereof).
5.Options.
(a)General. Certain Options granted under the Plan are intended to qualify as Incentive Stock Options. Options may be granted to Eligible Persons in such form and having such terms and conditions as the Committee shall deem appropriate; provided, however, that Incentive Stock Options may be granted only to Eligible Persons who are employees of the Company or an Affiliate of the Company. The provisions of separate Options shall be set forth in separate Option Agreements, which agreements need not be identical.
(b)Term. The term of each Option shall be set by the Committee at the time of grant; provided, however, that no Option granted hereunder shall be exercisable after the expiration of ten (10) years from the date it was granted.
(c)Exercise Price. The exercise price per Share for each Option shall be set by the Committee at the time of grant; provided, however, that if an Option is intended to qualify as either (1) a “stock right” that does not provide for a “deferral of compensation” within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code, (2) a Qualified Performance-Based Award, or (3) an Incentive Stock Option, then in each case the applicable exercise price shall not be less than the Fair Market Value on the date of grant, subject to subsection (g) below in the case of any Incentive Stock Option.
(d)Payment for Shares. Payment for Shares acquired pursuant to Options granted hereunder shall be made in full upon exercise of an Option in immediately available funds in United States dollars or by certified or bank cashier’s check, or if approved by the Committee (1) by delivery of Shares having a value equal to the exercise price, (2) by a broker-assisted cashless exercise in accordance with procedures approved by the Committee, whereby payment of the Option exercise price or tax withholding obligations may be satisfied, in whole or in part, with Shares subject to the Option by delivery of an irrevocable direction to a securities broker (on a form prescribed by the Committee) to sell Shares and to deliver all or part of the sale proceeds to the Company in payment of the aggregate exercise price and, if applicable, the amount necessary to satisfy the Company’s withholding obligations, or (3) by any other means approved by the Committee (including, by delivery of a notice of “net exercise” to the Company, pursuant to which the Participant shall receive the number of Shares underlying the Option so exercised reduced by the number of Shares equal to the aggregate exercise price of the Option divided by the Fair Market Value on the date of exercise). Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, if the Committee determines that any form of payment available hereunder would be in violation of Section 402 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, such form of payment shall not be available.
(e)Vesting. Options shall vest and become exercisable in such manner, on such date or dates, or upon the achievement of performance or other conditions, in each case as may be determined by the Committee and set forth in an Option Agreement; provided, however, that notwithstanding any such vesting dates, but in all cases subject to Section 11 below, the Committee may in its sole discretion accelerate the vesting of any Option at any time and for any reason. Unless otherwise specifically determined by the Committee, the vesting of an Option shall occur only while the Participant is employed
by or rendering services to the Service Recipient, and all vesting shall cease upon a Participant’s Termination for any reason. If an Option is exercisable in installments, such installments or portions thereof that become exercisable shall remain exercisable until the Option expires.
(f)Termination of Employment or Service. Except as provided by the Committee in an Option Agreement or otherwise:
(1)In the event of a Participant’s Termination for any reason other than (i) by the Service Recipient for Cause, or (ii) by reason of the Participant’s death or Disability, (A) all vesting with respect to such Participant’s outstanding Options shall cease, (B) each of such Participant’s outstanding unvested Options shall expire as of the date of such Termination, and (C) each of such Participant’s outstanding vested Options shall remain exercisable until the earlier of the applicable Expiration Date and the date that is ninety (90) days after the date of such Termination.
(2)In the event of a Participant’s Termination by reason of such Participant’s death or Disability, (i) all vesting with respect to such Participant’s outstanding Options shall cease, (ii) each of such Participant’s outstanding unvested Options shall expire as of the date of such Termination, and (iii) each of such Participant’s outstanding vested Options shall remain exercisable until the earlier of the applicable Expiration Date and the date that is twelve (12) months after the date of such Termination. In the event of a Participant’s death, such Participant’s Options shall remain exercisable by the person or persons to whom a Participant’s rights under the Options pass by will or by the applicable laws of descent and distribution until their expiration, but only to the extent that the Options were vested by such Participant at the time of such Termination.
(3)In the event of a Participant’s Termination by the Service Recipient for Cause, all of such Participant’s outstanding Options (whether or not vested) shall immediately expire as of the date of such Termination.
(g)Special Provisions Applicable to Incentive Stock Options.
(1)No Incentive Stock Option may be granted to any Eligible Person who, at the time the Option is granted, owns directly, or indirectly within the meaning of Section 424(d) of the Code, stock possessing more than ten percent (10%) of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or of any parent or subsidiary thereof, unless such Incentive Stock Option (i) has an exercise price of at least one hundred ten percent (110%) of the Fair Market Value on the date of the grant of such Option and (ii) cannot be exercised more than five (5) years after the date it is granted.
(2)To the extent that the aggregate Fair Market Value (determined as of the date of grant) of Shares for which Incentive Stock Options are exercisable for the first time by any Participant during any calendar year (under all plans of the Company and its Affiliates) exceeds $100,000, such excess Incentive Stock Options shall be treated as Nonqualified Stock Options.
(3)Each Participant who receives an Incentive Stock Option must agree to notify the Company in writing immediately after the Participant makes a Disqualifying Disposition of any Shares acquired pursuant to the exercise of an Incentive Stock Option.
6. | Restricted Shares. |
(a)General. Restricted Shares may be granted to Eligible Persons in such form and having such terms and conditions as the Committee shall deem appropriate. The provisions of separate Awards of Restricted Shares shall be set forth in separate Restricted Share Agreements, which agreements need not be identical. Subject to the restrictions set forth in Section 6(b), and except as otherwise set forth in the applicable Restricted Share Agreement, the Participant shall generally have the rights and privileges of a shareholder as to such Restricted Shares, including the right to vote such Restricted Shares. Unless otherwise set forth in a Participant’s Restricted Shares Agreement, cash dividends and stock dividends, if any, with respect to the Restricted Shares shall be withheld by the Company for the Participant’s account, and shall be subject to forfeiture to the same degree as the Restricted Shares to which such dividends relate. Except as otherwise determined by the Committee, no interest will accrue or be paid on the amount of any cash dividends withheld.
(b)Vesting and Restrictions on Transfer. Restricted Shares shall vest in such manner, on such date or dates, or upon the achievement of performance or other conditions, in each case as may be determined by the Committee and set forth in a Restricted Share Agreement; provided, however, that notwithstanding any such vesting dates, but in all cases subject to Section 11 below, the Committee may in its sole discretion accelerate the vesting of any Award of Restricted Shares at any time and for any reason. Unless otherwise specifically determined by the Committee, the vesting of an Award of Restricted Shares shall occur only while the Participant is employed by or rendering services to the Service Recipient, and all vesting shall cease upon a Participant’s Termination for any reason. In addition to any other restrictions set forth in a Participant’s Restricted Share Agreement, until such time as the Restricted Shares has vested pursuant to the terms of the Restricted Share Agreement, the Participant shall not be permitted to sell, transfer, pledge, or otherwise encumber the Restricted Shares.
(c)Termination of Employment or Service. Except as provided by the Committee in a Restricted Share Agreement, Employment Agreement or otherwise, in the event of a Participant’s Termination for any reason prior to the time that such Participant’s Restricted Shares have vested, all vesting with respect to such Participant’s Restricted Shares shall cease and all of Participant’s unvested Restricted Shares shall be immediately forfeited to the Company by the Participant for no consideration as of the date of such Termination.
7.Restricted Share Units.
(a)General. Restricted Share Units may be granted to Eligible Persons in such form and having such terms and conditions as the Committee shall deem appropriate. The provisions of separate Restricted Share Units shall be set forth in separate RSU Agreements, which agreements need not be identical.
(b)Vesting. Restricted Share Units shall vest in such manner, on such date or dates, or upon the achievement of performance or other conditions, in each case as may be determined by the Committee and set forth in an RSU Agreement; provided, however, that notwithstanding any such vesting dates, but in all cases subject to Section 11 below, the Committee may in its sole discretion accelerate the vesting of any Restricted Share Unit at any time and for any reason. Unless otherwise specifically determined by the Committee, the vesting of a Restricted Share Unit shall occur only while the Participant is employed by or rendering services to the Service Recipient, and all vesting shall cease upon a Participant’s Termination for any reason.
(c)Settlement. Restricted Share Units shall be settled in Shares, cash, or property, as determined by the Committee, in its sole discretion, on the date or dates determined by the Committee and set forth in an RSU Agreement. Unless otherwise set forth in a Participant’s RSU Agreement, a Participant shall not be entitled to dividends, if any, with respect to Restricted Share Units prior to the actual delivery of Shares.
(d)Termination of Employment or Service. Except as provided by the Committee in an RSU Agreement, Employment Agreement or otherwise, in the event of a Participant’s Termination for any reason prior to the time that such Participant’s Restricted Share Units have been settled, (1) all vesting with respect to such Participant’s Restricted Share Units shall cease, (2) each of such Participant’s outstanding unvested Restricted Share Units shall be immediately forfeited for no consideration as of the date of such Termination, and (3) any shares remaining undelivered with respect to vested Restricted Share Units then held by such Participant shall be delivered on the delivery date or dates specified in the RSU Agreement.
8.Share Appreciation Rights.
(a)General. Share Appreciation Rights may be granted to Eligible Persons in such form and having such terms and conditions as the Committee shall deem appropriate. The provisions of separate Share Appreciation Rights shall be set forth in separate SAR Agreements, which agreements need not be identical.
(b)Term. The term of each Share Appreciation Right shall be set by the Committee at the time of grant; provided, however, that no Share Appreciation Right granted hereunder shall be exercisable after the expiration of ten (10) years from the date it was granted.
(c)Base Price. The base price per Share for each Share Appreciation Right shall be set by the Committee at the time of grant; provided, however, that if a Share Appreciation Right is intended to qualify as either (1) a “stock right” that does not provide for a “deferral of compensation” within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code or (2) a Qualified Performance-Based Award, then in each case the applicable base price shall not be less than the Fair Market Value on the date of grant.
(d)Vesting. Share Appreciation Rights shall vest and become exercisable in such manner, on such date or dates, or upon the achievement of performance or other conditions, in each case as may be determined by the Committee and set forth in a SAR Agreement; provided, however, that notwithstanding any such vesting dates, but in all cases subject to Section 11 below, the Committee may in its sole discretion accelerate the vesting of any Share Appreciation Right at any time and for any reason. Unless otherwise specifically determined by the Committee is employed by or rendering services to the Service Recipient, and all vesting shall cease upon a Participant’s Termination for any reason. If a Share Appreciation Right is exercisable in installments, such installments or portions thereof that become exercisable shall remain exercisable until the Share Appreciation Right expires.
(e)Payment upon Exercise. Payment upon exercise of a Share Appreciation Right may be made in cash, Shares, or property as specified in the SAR Agreement or determined by the Committee, in each case having a value in respect of each Shares underlying the portion of the Share Appreciation Right so exercised, equal to the difference between the base price of such Share Appreciation Right and the Fair Market Value of one (1) Share on the exercise date. For purposes of clarity, each Share to be issued in settlement of a Share Appreciation Right is deemed to have a value equal to the Fair Market Value of one (1) Share on the exercise date. In no event shall fractional shares be issuable upon the
exercise of a Share Appreciation Right, and in the event that fractional shares would otherwise be issuable, the number of shares issuable will be rounded down to the next lower whole number of shares, and the Participant will be entitled to receive a cash payment equal to the value of such fractional share.
(f)Termination of Employment or Service. Except as provided by the Committee in a SAR Agreement, Employment Agreement or otherwise:
(4)In the event of a Participant’s Termination for any reason other than (i) by the Service Recipient for Cause, or (ii) by reason of the Participant’s death or Disability, (A) all vesting with respect to such Participant’s outstanding Share Appreciation Rights shall cease, (B) each of such Participant’s outstanding unvested Share Appreciation Rights shall expire as of the date of such Termination, and (C) each of such Participant’s outstanding vested Share Appreciation Rights shall remain exercisable until the earlier of the applicable Expiration Date and the date that is ninety (90) days after the date of such Termination.
(5)In the event of a Participant’s Termination by reason of such Participant’s death or Disability, (i) all vesting with respect to such Participant’s outstanding Share Appreciation Rights shall cease, (ii) each of such Participant’s outstanding unvested Share Appreciation Rights shall expire as of the date of such Termination, and (iii) each of such Participant’s outstanding vested Share Appreciation Rights shall remain exercisable until the earlier of the applicable Expiration Date and the date that is twelve (12) months after the date of such Termination. In the event of a Participant’s death, such Participant’s Share Appreciation Rights shall remain exercisable by the person or persons to whom a Participant’s rights under the Share Appreciation Rights pass by will or by the applicable laws of descent and distribution until their expiration, but only to the extent that the Share Appreciation Rights were vested by such Participant at the time of such Termination.
(6)In the event of a Participant’s Termination by the Service Recipient for Cause, all of such Participant’s outstanding Share Appreciation Rights (whether or not vested) shall immediately expire as of the date of such Termination.
9. | Performance Awards. |
(a)General. Performance Awards may be granted to Eligible Persons in such form and having such terms and conditions as the Committee shall deem appropriate. The provisions of separate Performance Awards, including the determination of the Committee with respect to the form of payout of Performance Awards, shall be set forth in separate Performance Award Agreements, which agreements need not be identical.
(b)Value of Performance Units and Performance Shares. Each Performance Unit shall have an initial value that is established by the Committee at the time of grant. Each Performance Share shall have an initial value equal to the Fair Market Value of the Shares on the date of grant. In addition to any other non-performance terms included in the Performance Award Agreement, the Committee shall set the applicable Performance Objectives in its discretion, which objectives, depending on the extent to which they are met, will determine the value and number of Performance Units or Performance Shares, as the case may be, that will be paid out to the Participant. With respect to Qualified Performance-Based Awards, the Committee shall establish the applicable Performance Objectives in writing not later than ninety (90) days after the commencement of the Performance Period or, if earlier, the date as of which twenty-five percent (25%) of the Performance Period has elapsed.
(c)Earning of Performance Units and Performance Shares. Upon the expiration of the applicable Performance Period or other non-performance-based vesting period, if longer, the holder of Performance Units or Performance Shares, as the case may be, shall be entitled to receive payout on the value and number of the applicable Performance Units or Performance Shares earned by the Participant over the Performance Period, to be determined as a function of the extent to which the corresponding Performance Objectives have been achieved and any other non-performance-based terms met. No payment shall be made with respect to a Qualified Performance-Based Award prior to certification by the Committee that the Performance Objectives have been attained.
(d)Form and Timing of Payment of Performance Units and Performance Shares. Payment of earned Performance Units and Performance Shares shall be as determined by the Committee and as evidenced in the Performance Award Agreement. Subject to the terms of the Plan, the Committee, in its sole discretion, may pay earned Performance Units and Performance Shares in the form of cash, Shares, or other Awards (or in a combination thereof) equal to the value of the earned Performance Units or Performance Shares, as the case may be, at the close of the applicable Performance Period, or as soon as practicable after the end of the Performance Period. Any cash, Shares, or other Awards issued in connection with a Performance Award may be issued subject to any restrictions deemed appropriate by the Committee.
(e)Termination of Employment or Service. Except as provided by the Committee in a Performance Award Agreement, Employment Agreement or otherwise, if, prior to the time that the applicable Performance Period has expired, a Participant undergoes a Termination for any reason, all of such Participant’s Performance Awards shall be immediately forfeited by the Participant to the Company for no consideration.
(f)Performance Objectives.
(1)Each Performance Award shall specify the Performance Objectives that must be achieved before such Award shall become earned. The Company may also specify a minimum acceptable level of achievement below which no payment will be made and may set forth a formula for determining the amount of any payment to be made if performance is at or above such minimum acceptable level but falls short of the maximum achievement of the specified Performance Objectives.
(2)Performance Objectives may be described in terms of Company-wide objectives or objectives that are related to the performance of an individual Participant, the specific Service Recipient, or a division, department, or function within the Company or the Service Recipient. Performance Objectives may be measured on an absolute or relative basis. Relative performance may be measured by comparison to a group of peer companies or to a financial market index. With respect to Qualified Performance-Based Awards, Performance Objectives shall be limited to specified levels of or increases in one or more of the following: (i) earnings, including net earnings, total earnings, operating earnings, earnings growth, operating income, earnings before or after taxes, earnings before or after interest, depreciation, amortization, or extraordinary or special items or book value per share (which may exclude nonrecurring items); (ii) pre-tax income or after-tax income; (iii) earnings per share (basic or diluted); (iv) operating profit; (v) revenue, revenue growth, or rate of revenue growth; (vi) return on assets (gross or net), return on investment, return on capital, return on equity, financial return ratios, or internal rates of return; (vii) returns on sales or revenues; (viii) operating expenses; (ix) share price appreciation; (x) cash flow (including, but not limited to, operating cash flow and free cash flow), cash flow
return on investment (discounted or otherwise), net cash provided by operations or cash flow in excess of cost of capital, working capital turnover; (xi) implementation or completion of critical projects or processes; (xii) economic value created; (xiii) balance sheet measurements (including, but not limited to, receivable turnover); (xiv) cumulative earnings per share growth; (xv) operating margin, profit margin, or gross margin; (xvi) share price or total shareholder return; (xvii) cost or expense targets, reductions and savings, productivity and efficiencies; (xviii) sales or sales growth; (xix) strategic business criteria, consisting of one or more objectives based on meeting specified market penetration, market share, geographic business expansion, customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction, human resources management, supervision of litigation, information technology, and goals relating to acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, and similar transactions, and budget comparisons; and (xx) personal professional objectives, including any of the foregoing performance goals, the implementation of policies and plans, the negotiation of transactions, the development of long term business goals, the formation of joint ventures, research or development collaborations, and the completion of other corporate transactions. NTD: Performance objectives to be reviewed by client.
(3)Each of the Committee and the Board may, in its independent judgment, adjust Performance Objectives and the related minimum acceptable level of achievement if events or transactions have occurred after the applicable date of grant of a Performance Award that are unrelated to the performance of the Company or Participant and result in a distortion of the Performance Objectives or the related minimum acceptable level of achievement. In the event of any conflict between the Committee’s adjustment and the Board’s adjustment, the Board’s adjustments shall control. Potential transactions or events giving rise to adjustment include, but are not limited to, (i) restructurings, discontinued operations, extraordinary items or events, and other unusual or nonrecurring charges; (ii) an event either not directly related to the operations of the Company or not within the reasonable control of the Company’s management; and (iii) a change in tax law or accounting standards required by generally accepted accounting principles. Notwithstanding the foregoing, except as otherwise determined by the Committee, no adjustment shall be made if the effect would be to cause a Qualified Performance-Based Award to fail to qualify as “qualified performance-based compensation” within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Code. In addition, with respect to Qualified Performance-Based Awards, the Committee may, in its discretion, reduce or eliminate the amount payable to any Participant pursuant thereto, in each case based upon such factors as the Committee may deem relevant, but shall not increase the amount payable to any Participant pursuant thereto for any Performance Period.
10.Other Share-Based or Cash-Based Awards.
The Committee is authorized, subject to limitations under applicable law, to grant to Participants such other equity-based or cash-based Awards that may be denominated or payable in, valued in whole or in part by reference to, or otherwise based upon or related to Shares, as deemed by the Committee to be consistent with the purposes of the Plan. The Committee may also grant Shares as a bonus (whether or not subject to any vesting requirements or other restrictions on transfer) and may grant other awards in lieu of obligations of the Company or an Affiliate to pay cash or deliver other property under this Plan or under other plans or compensatory arrangements, subject to such terms as shall be determined by the Committee. The terms and conditions applicable to such Awards shall be determined by the Committee and evidenced by Award Agreements, which agreements need not be identical.
11. | Adjustment for Recapitalization, Merger, etc. |
(a)Capitalization Adjustments. The aggregate number of Shares that may be granted or purchased pursuant to Awards (as set forth in Section 4 hereof), the numerical share limits in Section 4, the number of Shares covered by each outstanding Award, and the price per Share underlying each such Award shall be equitably and proportionally adjusted or substituted, as determined by the Committee, as to the number, price, or kind of a Share or other consideration subject to such Awards (1) in the event of changes in the outstanding Shares or in the capital structure of the Company by reason of stock dividends, extraordinary cash dividends, stock splits, reverse stock splits, recapitalizations, reorganizations, mergers, amalgamations, consolidations, combinations, exchanges, or other relevant changes in capitalization occurring after the date of grant of any such Award (including any Corporate Event); (2) in connection with any extraordinary dividend declared and paid in respect of Shares, whether payable in the form of cash, stock, or any other form of consideration; or (3) in the event of any change in applicable laws or circumstances that results in or could result in, in either case, as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion, any substantial dilution or enlargement of the rights intended to be granted to, or available for, Participants in the Plan.
(b)Corporate Events. Notwithstanding the foregoing, except as provided by the Committee in an Award Agreement or otherwise, in connection with (i) a merger, amalgamation, or consolidation involving the Company in which the Company is not the surviving corporation, (ii) a merger, amalgamation, or consolidation involving the Company in which the Company is the surviving corporation but the holders of Shares receive securities of another corporation or other property or cash, (iii) a Change in Control, or (iv) the reorganization, dissolution or liquidation of the Company (each, a “Corporate Event”), the Committee may, in its discretion, provide for any one or more of the following:
1.The assumption or substitution of any or all Awards in connection with such Corporate Event, in which case the Awards shall be subject to the adjustment set forth in subsection (a) above, and to the extent that such Awards are Performance Awards or other Awards that vest subject to the achievement of Performance Objectives or similar performance criteria, such Performance Objectives or similar performance criteria shall be adjusted appropriately to reflect the Corporate Event;
2.The acceleration of vesting of any or all Awards, subject to the consummation of such Corporate Event, with any Performance Awards or other Awards that vest subject to the achievement of Performance Objectives or similar performance criteria deemed earned (i) based on actual performance through the date of the Corporate Event, or (ii) at the target level (or if no target is specified, the maximum level), in the event actual performance cannot be measured through the date of the Corporate Event, in each case, with respect to all unexpired Performance Periods;
3.The cancellation of any or all Awards (whether vested or unvested) as of the consummation of such Corporate Event, together with the payment to the Participants holding vested Awards (including any Awards that would vest upon the Corporate Event but for such cancellation) so canceled of an amount in respect of cancellation based upon the per-share consideration being paid for the Shares in connection with such Corporate Event, less, in the case of Options, Share Appreciation Rights, and other Awards subject to exercise, the applicable exercise or base price; provided, however, that holders of Options, Share Appreciation Rights, and other Awards subject to exercise shall be entitled to consideration in respect of cancellation of such Awards only if the per-share consideration less the applicable exercise or base price is greater than zero dollars ($0), and to the extent that the per-share consideration is less than or equal to the applicable exercise or base price, such Awards shall be canceled for no consideration; and
4.The replacement of any or all Awards (other than Awards that are intended to qualify as “stock rights” that do not provide for a “deferral of compensation” within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code) with a cash incentive program that preserves the value of the Awards so replaced (determined as of the consummation of the Corporate Event), with subsequent payment of cash incentives subject to the same vesting conditions as applicable to the Awards so replaced and payment to be made within thirty (30) days of the applicable vesting date.
Payments to holders pursuant to paragraph (3) above shall be made in cash or, in the sole discretion of the Committee, in the form of such other consideration necessary for a Participant to receive property, cash, or securities (or a combination thereof) as such Participant would have been entitled to receive upon the occurrence of the transaction if the Participant had been, immediately prior to such transaction, the holder of the number of Shares covered by the Award at such time (less any applicable exercise or base price). In addition, in connection with any Corporate Event, prior to any payment or adjustment contemplated under this subsection (b), the Committee may require a Participant to (A) represent and warrant as to the unencumbered title to his Awards, (B) bear such Participant’s pro-rata share of any post-closing indemnity obligations, and be subject to the same post-closing purchase price adjustments, escrow terms, offset rights, holdback terms, and similar conditions as the other holders of Shares, and (C) deliver customary transfer documentation as reasonably determined by the Committee.
(c)Fractional Shares. Any adjustment provided under this Section 11 may, in the Committee’s discretion, provide for the elimination of any fractional share that might otherwise become subject to an Award.
12.Use of Proceeds.
The proceeds received from the sale of Shares pursuant to the Plan shall be used for general corporate purposes.
13. | Rights and Privileges as a Shareholder. |
Except as otherwise specifically provided in the Plan, no person shall be entitled to the rights and privileges of Share ownership in respect of Shares that are subject to Awards hereunder until such shares have been issued to that person.
14. | Transferability of Awards. |
Awards may not be sold, transferred, pledged, assigned, or otherwise alienated or hypothecated, other than by will or by the applicable laws of descent and distribution, and to the extent subject to exercise, Awards may not be exercised during the lifetime of the grantee other than by the grantee. Notwithstanding the foregoing, except with respect to Incentive Stock Options, Awards and a Participant’s rights under the Plan shall be transferable for no value to the extent provided in an Award Agreement or otherwise determined at any time by the Committee.
15. | Employment or Service Rights. |
No individual shall have any claim or right to be granted an Award under the Plan or, having been selected for the grant of an Award, to be selected for the grant of any other Award. Neither the Plan nor any action taken hereunder shall be construed as giving any individual any right to be retained in the employ or service of the Company or an Affiliate of the Company.
16. | Compliance with Laws. |
The obligation of the Company to deliver Shares upon vesting, exercise, or settlement of any Award shall be subject to all applicable laws, rules, and regulations, and to such approvals by governmental agencies as may be required. Notwithstanding any terms or conditions of any Award to the contrary, the Company shall be under no obligation to offer to sell or to sell, and shall be prohibited from offering to sell or selling, any Shares pursuant to an Award unless such shares have been properly registered for sale with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to the Securities Act or unless the Company has received an opinion of counsel, satisfactory to the Company, that such shares may be offered or sold without such registration pursuant to an available exemption therefrom and the terms and conditions of such exemption have been fully complied with. The Company shall be under no obligation to register for sale or resale under the Securities Act any of the Shares to be offered or sold under the Plan or any Shares to be issued upon exercise or settlement of Awards. If the Shares offered for sale or sold under the Plan are offered or sold pursuant to an exemption from registration under the Securities Act, the Company may restrict the transfer of such shares and may legend the Share certificates representing such shares in such manner as it deems advisable to ensure the availability of any such exemption.
17. | Withholding Obligations. |
As a condition to the vesting, exercise, or settlement of any Award (or upon the making of an election under Section 83(b) of the Code), the Committee may require that a Participant satisfy, through deduction or withholding from any payment of any kind otherwise due to the Participant, or through such other arrangements as are satisfactory to the Committee, the minimum amount of all federal, state, and local income and other taxes of any kind required or permitted to be withheld in connection with such vesting, exercise, or settlement (or election). The Committee, in its discretion, may permit Shares to be used to satisfy tax withholding requirements, and such shares shall be valued at their Fair Market Value as of the vesting, exercise, or settlement date of the Award, as applicable; provided, however, that the aggregate Fair Market Value of the number of Shares that may be used to satisfy tax withholding requirements may not exceed the minimum statutorily required withholding amount with respect to such Award.
18. | Amendment of the Plan or Awards. |
(a)Amendment of Plan. The Board or the Committee may amend the Plan at any time and from time to time.
(b)Amendment of Awards. The Board or the Committee may amend the terms of any one or more Awards at any time and from time to time.
(c)Shareholder Approval; No Material Impairment. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, no amendment to the Plan or any Award shall be effective without shareholder approval to the extent that such approval is required pursuant to applicable law or the applicable rules of each national securities exchange on which the Shares are listed. No amendment to the Plan or any Award shall materially impair a Participant’s rights under any Award unless the Participant consents in writing (it being understood that no action taken by the Board or the Committee that is expressly permitted under the Plan, including, without limitation, any actions described in Section 11 hereof, shall constitute an amendment to the Plan or an Award for such purpose). Notwithstanding the foregoing, subject to the limitations of applicable law, if any, and without an affected Participant’s consent, the Board or the Committee may amend the terms of the Plan or any one or more Awards from time to time as necessary to
bring such Awards into compliance with applicable law, including, without limitation, Section 409A of the Code.
(d)No Repricing of Awards Without Shareholder Approval. Notwithstanding subsection (a) or (b) above, or any other provision of the Plan, the repricing of Awards shall not be permitted without shareholder approval. For this purpose, a “repricing” means any of the following (or any other action that has the same effect as any of the following): (1) changing the terms of an Award to lower its exercise or base price (other than on account of capital adjustments resulting from share splits, etc., as described in Section 11(a)), (2) any other action that is treated as a repricing under generally accepted accounting principles, and (3) repurchasing for cash or canceling an Award in exchange for another Award at a time when its exercise or base price is greater than the Fair Market Value of the underlying Shares, unless the cancellation and exchange occurs in connection with an event set forth in Section 11(b).
19.Termination or Suspension of the Plan.
The Board or the Committee may suspend or terminate the Plan at any time. Unless sooner terminated, the Plan shall terminate on the day before the tenth (10th) anniversary of the Effective Date. No Awards may be granted under the Plan while the Plan is suspended or after it is terminated; provided, however, that following any suspension or termination of the Plan, the Plan shall remain in effect for the purpose of governing all Awards then outstanding hereunder until such time as all Awards under the Plan have been terminated, forfeited, or otherwise canceled, or earned, exercised, settled, or otherwise paid out, in accordance with their terms.
20. | Effective Date of the Plan. |
The Plan is effective as of the Effective Date, subject to shareholder approval.
21. | Miscellaneous. |
(a)Certificates. Shares acquired pursuant to Awards granted under the Plan may be evidenced in such a manner as the Committee shall determine. If certificates representing Shares are registered in the name of the Participant, the Committee may require that (1) such certificates bear an appropriate legend referring to the terms, conditions, and restrictions applicable to such Shares, (2) the Company retain physical possession of the certificates, and (3) the Participant deliver a stock power to the Company, endorsed in blank, relating to the Shares. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Committee may determine, in its sole discretion, that the Shares shall be held in book-entry form rather than delivered to the Participant pending the release of any applicable restrictions.
(b)Clawback/Recoupment Policy. Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, all Awards granted under the Plan shall be and remain subject to any incentive compensation clawback or recoupment policy currently in effect or as may be adopted by the Board (or a committee or subcommittee of the Board) and, in each case, as may be amended from time to time. No such policy adoption or amendment shall in any event require the prior consent of any Participant.
(c)Data Privacy. As a condition of receipt of any Award, each Participant explicitly and unambiguously consents to the collection, use, and transfer, in electronic or other form, of personal data as described in this section by and among, as applicable, the Company and its Affiliates for the exclusive purpose of implementing, administering, and managing the Plan and Awards and the Participant’s participation in the Plan. In furtherance of such implementation, administration, and management, the
Company and its Affiliates may hold certain personal information about a Participant, including, but not limited to, the Participant’s name, home address, telephone number, date of birth, social security or insurance number or other identification number, salary, nationality, job title(s), information regarding any securities of the Company or any of its Affiliates, and details of all Awards (the “Data”). In addition to transferring the Data amongst themselves as necessary for the purpose of implementation, administration, and management of the Plan and Awards and the Participant’s participation in the Plan, the Company and its Affiliates may each transfer the Data to any third parties assisting the Company in the implementation, administration, and management of the Plan and Awards and the Participant’s participation in the Plan. Recipients of the Data may be located in the Participant’s country or elsewhere, and the Participant’s country and any given recipient’s country may have different data privacy laws and protections. By accepting an Award, each Participant authorizes such recipients to receive, possess, use, retain, and transfer the Data, in electronic or other form, for the purposes of assisting the Company in the implementation, administration, and management of the Plan and Awards and the Participant’s participation in the Plan, including any requisite transfer of such Data as may be required to a broker or other third party with whom the Company or the Participant may elect to deposit any Shares. The Data related to a Participant will be held only as long as is necessary to implement, administer, and manage the Plan and Awards and the Participant’s participation in the Plan. A Participant may, at any time, view the Data held by the Company with respect to such Participant, request additional information about the storage and processing of the Data with respect to such Participant, recommend any necessary corrections to the Data with respect to the Participant, or refuse or withdraw the consents herein in writing, in any case without cost, by contacting his local human resources representative. The Company may cancel the Participant’s eligibility to participate in the Plan, and in the Committee’s discretion, the Participant may forfeit any outstanding Awards if the Participant refuses or withdraws the consents described herein. For more information on the consequences of refusal to consent or withdrawal of consent, Participants may contact their local human resources representative.
(d)Participants Outside of the United States. The Committee may modify the terms of any Award under the Plan made to or held by a Participant who is then a resident, or is primarily employed or providing services, outside of the United States in any manner deemed by the Committee to be necessary or appropriate in order that such Award shall conform to laws, regulations, and customs of the country in which the Participant is then a resident or primarily employed or providing services, or so that the value and other benefits of the Award to the Participant, as affected by non-United States tax laws and other restrictions applicable as a result of the Participant’s residence, employment, or providing services abroad, shall be comparable to the value of such Award to a Participant who is a resident, or is primarily employed or providing services, in the United States. An Award may be modified under this Section 21(d) in a manner that is inconsistent with the express terms of the Plan, so long as such modifications will not contravene any applicable law or regulation or result in actual liability under Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act for the Participant whose Award is modified. Additionally, the Committee may adopt such procedures and sub-plans as are necessary or appropriate to permit participation in the Plan by Eligible Persons who are non-United States nationals or are primarily employed or providing services outside the United States.
(e)No Liability of Committee Members. Neither any member of the Committee nor any of the Committee’s permitted delegates shall be liable personally by reason of any contract or other instrument executed by such member or on his behalf in his capacity as a member of the Committee or for any mistake of judgment made in good faith, and the Company shall indemnify and hold harmless each member of the Committee and each other employee, officer, or director of the Company to whom any duty or power relating to the administration or interpretation of the Plan may be allocated or delegated, against all costs and expenses (including counsel fees) and liabilities (including sums paid in settlement of
a claim) arising out of any act or omission to act in connection with the Plan, unless arising out of such person’s own fraud or willful misconduct; provided, however, that approval of the Board shall be required for the payment of any amount in settlement of a claim against any such person. The foregoing right of indemnification shall not be exclusive of any other rights of indemnification to which such persons may be entitled under the Company’s certificate or articles of incorporation or byelaws, each as may be amended from time to time, as a matter of law, or otherwise, or any power that the Company may have to indemnify them or hold them harmless.
(f)Payments Following Accidents or Illness. If the Committee shall find that any person to whom any amount is payable under the Plan is unable to care for his affairs because of illness or accident, or is a minor, or has died, then any payment due to such person or his estate (unless a prior claim therefor has been made by a duly appointed legal representative) may, if the Committee so directs the Company, be paid to his spouse, child, relative, an institution maintaining or having custody of such person, or any other person deemed by the Committee to be a proper recipient on behalf of such person otherwise entitled to payment. Any such payment shall be a complete discharge of the liability of the Committee and the Company therefor.
(g)Governing Law. The Plan shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of Bermuda without reference to the principles of conflicts of laws thereof.
(h)Funding. No provision of the Plan shall require the Company, for the purpose of satisfying any obligations under the Plan, to purchase assets or place any assets in a trust or other entity to which contributions are made or otherwise to segregate any assets, nor shall the Company be required to maintain separate bank accounts, books, records, or other evidence of the existence of a segregated or separately maintained or administered fund for such purposes. Participants shall have no rights under the Plan other than as unsecured general creditors of the Company, except that insofar as they may have become entitled to payment of additional compensation by performance of services, they shall have the same rights as other employees and service providers under general law.
(i)Reliance on Reports. Each member of the Committee and each member of the Board shall be fully justified in relying, acting, or failing to act, and shall not be liable for having so relied, acted, or failed to act in good faith, upon any report made by the independent public accountant of the Company and its Affiliates and upon any other information furnished in connection with the Plan by any Person or Persons other than such member.
(j)Titles and Headings. The titles and headings of the sections in the Plan are for convenience of reference only, and in the event of any conflict, the text of the Plan, rather than such titles or headings, shall control.