Form: S-4

Registration of securities issued in business combination transactions

August 18, 2023

 

 

Exhibit 10.2 

 

Volato GROUP, Inc.

 

2021 EQUITY INCENTIVE STOCK PLAN

 

(AS ASSUMED BY VOLATO GROUP, INC. AND AMENDED AND RESTATED)

 

EFFECTIVE [________], 2023]

 

(Formerly, the Volato, Inc. 2021 Equity Incentive Plan)

 

1. Purposes of the Plan. The purposes of this 2021 Equity Incentive Stock Plan are to attract and retain the best available personnel for positions of substantial responsibility, to provide additional incentive to Employees and Consultants, and to promote the success of the Company’s business. Options granted under the Plan may be Incentive Stock Options or Nonstatutory Stock Options, as determined by the Administrator at the time of grant of an Option and subject to the applicable provisions of Section 422 of the Code and the regulations promulgated thereunder. Restricted Stock may also be granted under the Plan.

 

2. Definitions. As used herein, the following definitions shall apply:

 

(a) Administrator means the Board or a Committee.

 

(b) Affiliate means (i) an entity other than a Subsidiary which, together with the Company, is under common control of a third person or entity and (ii) an entity other than a Subsidiary in which the Company and /or one or more Subsidiaries own a controlling interest.

 

(c) Applicable Laws means all applicable laws, rules, regulations and requirements, including, but not limited to, all applicable U.S. federal or state laws, any Stock Exchange rules or regulations, and the applicable laws, rules or regulations of any other country or jurisdiction where Options or Restricted Stock are granted under the Plan or Participants reside or provide services, as such laws, rules and regulations shall be in effect from time to time.

 

(d) Award means, individually or collectively, a grant of Options or Restricted Stock under the Plan.

 

(e) Award Agreement means the written or electronic agreement setting forth the terms and provisions applicable to each Award granted under the Plan. The Award Agreement includes any documents attached to or incorporated into such Award Agreement, including, but not limited to, a notice of such Award granted under the Plan and a form of exercise notice. The Award Agreement is subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan.

 

(f) Board means the Board of Directors of the Company. Without limiting the effect of the foregoing, on and after the Merger Effective Time, references to the “Board” shall mean the Board of Directors of Volato Group, Inc.

 

 

 

(g) California Participant means a Participant whose Award is issued in reliance on Section 25102(o) of the California Corporations Code.

 

(h) Cashless Exercise means a program approved by the Administrator in which payment of the Option exercise price or tax withholding obligations or other required deductions may be satisfied, in whole or in part, with Shares subject to the Option, including by delivery of an irrevocable direction to a securities broker (on a form prescribed by the Company) to sell Shares and to deliver all or part of the sale proceeds to the Company in payment of such amount.

 

(i) Cause for termination of a Participant’s Continuous Service Status will exist (unless another definition is provided in an applicable Award Agreement, employment agreement or other applicable written agreement) if the Participant’s Continuous Service Status is terminated for any of the following reasons: (i) any material breach by Participant of any material written agreement between Participant and the Company and Participant’s failure to cure such breach within 30 days after receiving written notice thereof; (ii) any failure by Participant to comply with the Company’s material written policies or rules as they may be in effect from time to time; (iii) neglect or persistent unsatisfactory performance of Participant’s duties and Participant’s failure to cure such condition within 30 days after receiving written notice thereof; (iv) Participant’s repeated failure to follow reasonable and lawful instructions from the Board, Chief Executive Officer or President and Participant’s failure to cure such condition within 30 days after receiving written notice thereof; (v) Participant’s conviction of, or plea of guilty or nolo contendere to, any crime that results in, or is reasonably expected to result in, material harm to the business or reputation of the Company; (vi) Participant’s commission of or participation in an act of fraud against the Company; (vii) Participant’s intentional material damage to the Company’s business, property or reputation; or (viii) Participant’s unauthorized use or disclosure of any proprietary information or trade secrets of the Company or any other party to whom the Participant owes an obligation of nondisclosure as a result of his or her relationship with the Company. For purposes of clarity, a termination without “Cause” does not include any termination that occurs as a result of Participant’s death or Disability. The determination as to whether a Participant’s Continuous Service Status has been terminated for Cause shall be made in good faith by the Company and shall be final and binding on the Participant. The foregoing definition does not in any way limit the Company’s ability to terminate a Participant’s employment or consulting relationship at any time, and the term “Company” will be interpreted to include any Subsidiary, Parent, Affiliate or any successor thereto, if appropriate.

 

(j) Change of Control means (i) a sale of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets other than to an Excluded Entity (as defined below), (ii) a merger, consolidation or other capital reorganization or business combination transaction of the Company with or into another corporation, limited liability company or other entity other than an Excluded Entity, or (iii) the consummation of a transaction, or series of related transactions, in which any “person” (as such term is used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act) becomes the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rule 13d-3 of the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of all of the Company’s then outstanding voting securities.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, a transaction shall not constitute a Change of Control if its purpose is to (A) change the jurisdiction of the Company’s incorporation, (B) create a holding company that will be owned in substantially the same proportions by the persons who hold the Company’s securities immediately before such transaction or (C) obtain funding for the Company in a financing that is approved by the Company’s Board. Additionally, a transaction shall not be deemed a Change of Control unless the transaction qualifies as a change in control event within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code, as it has been and may be amended from time to time, and any proposed or final treasury Regulations and Internal Revenue Service guidance that has been promulgated or may be promulgated thereunder from time to time. An “Excluded Entity” means a corporation or other entity of which the holders of voting capital stock of the Company outstanding immediately prior to such transaction are the direct or indirect holders of voting securities representing at least a majority of the votes entitled to be cast by all of such corporation’s or other entity’s voting securities outstanding immediately after such transaction.

 

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(k) Code means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

 

(l) Committee means one or more committees or subcommittees of the Board consisting of two (2) or more Directors (or such lesser or greater number of Directors as shall constitute the minimum number permitted by Applicable Laws to establish a committee or sub-committee of the Board) appointed by the Board to administer the Plan in accordance with Section 4 below. Notwithstanding the foregoing, on and after the Merger Effective Time, references to the “Committee” shall mean the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of Volato Group, Inc. or other committee of the Board which may be appointed to administer the Plan in accordance with Applicable Laws.

 

(m) Common Stock means (i) prior to the Merger Effective Time, the common stock of Volato, Inc. (also referred to herein as the “Volato Common Stock”), and (ii) on and after the Merger Effective Time, the Class A Common Stock of Volato Group, Inc. (also referred to herein as the Volato Group Common Stock). Without limiting the effect of the foregoing, on and after the Merger Effective Time, references in the Plan to a number of shares of Volato Common Stock will be deemed to refer instead to that number of shares of Volato Group Common Stock, as adjusted by the Merger Exchange Radio, as provided in Section 3 herein.

 

(n) Company means (unless the context otherwise requires, as determined by the Administrator) (i) prior to the Merger Effective Time, Volato, Inc. (formerly Aerago, Inc.), a Georgia corporation (also referred to herein as “Volato”), and (ii) on and after the Merger Effective Time, Volato Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation (also referred to herein as “Volato Group”), the surviving parent corporation in the Merger, or any successor thereto.

 

(o) Consultant means any person or entity, including an advisor but not an Employee, that renders, or has rendered, services to the Company, or any Parent, Subsidiary or Affiliate and is compensated for such services, and any Director whether compensated for such services or not.

 

(p) Continuous Service Status means the absence of any interruption or termination of service as an Employee or Consultant. Continuous Service Status as an Employee or Consultant shall not be considered interrupted or terminated in the case of: (i) Company approved sick leave; (ii) military leave; (iii) any other bona fide leave of absence approved by the Company, provided that, if an Employee is holding an Incentive Stock Option and such leave exceeds three (3) months then, for purposes of Incentive Stock Option status only, such Employee’s service as an Employee shall be deemed terminated on the 1st day following such three (3)-month period and the Incentive Stock Option shall thereafter automatically become a Nonstatutory Stock Option in accordance with Applicable Laws, unless reemployment upon the expiration of such leave is guaranteed by contract or statute, or unless provided otherwise pursuant to a written Company policy. Also, Continuous Service Status as an Employee or Consultant shall not be considered interrupted or terminated in the case of a transfer between locations of the Company or between the Company, its Parents, Subsidiaries or Affiliates, or their respective successors, or a change in status from an Employee to a Consultant or from a Consultant to an Employee.

 

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(q) Directormeans a member of the Board.

 

(r) Disability means “disability” within the meaning of Section 22(e)(3) of the Code.

 

(s) Employee means any person employed by the Company, or any Parent, Subsidiary or Affiliate, with the status of employment determined pursuant to such factors as are deemed appropriate by the Company in its sole discretion, subject to any requirements of Applicable Laws, including the Code. The payment by the Company of a director’s fee shall not be sufficient to constitute “employment” of such director by the Company or any Parent, Subsidiary or Affiliate. With respect to Incentive Options, “Employee” means any person who is considered an employee of the Company or a Subsidiary for purposes of Treas. Reg. Section 1.421-1(h) (or any successor provision related thereto).

 

(t) Exchange Act means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

(u) Fair Market Value means, as of any date, the per share fair market value of the Common Stock, as determined by the Administrator in good faith on such basis as it deems appropriate and applied consistently with respect to Participants. Notwithstanding the foregoing, on and after the Merger Effective Time, the following shall apply: “Fair Market Value” per share of the Common Stock shall be established by the Administrator and, unless otherwise determined by the Administrator, the Fair Market Value shall be determined in accordance with the following provisions: (A) if the shares of Common Stock are listed for trading on The NASDAQ Stock Market (“Nasdaq”), the New York Stock Exchange, Inc. (the “NYSE”) or another national or regional Stock Exchange, the Fair Market Value shall be the closing sales price per share of the shares on Nasdaq, the NYSE or other principal Stock Exchange on which such securities are listed on the date an Award is granted or other determination is made (such date of determination being referred to herein as a “valuation date”), or, if there is no transaction on such date, then on the trading date nearest preceding the valuation date for which closing price information is available, and, provided further, if the shares are not listed for trading on Nasdaq, the NYSE or another Stock Exchange but are regularly quoted on an automated quotation system (including the OTC Bulletin Board) or by a recognized securities dealer, the Fair Market Value shall be the closing sales price for such shares as quoted on such system or by such securities dealer on the valuation date, but if selling prices are not reported, the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock shall be the mean between the high bid and low asked prices for the Common Stock on the valuation date (or, if no such prices were reported on that date, on the last date such prices were reported), as reported in The Wall Street Journal or such other source as the Administrator deems reliable; or (B) if the shares of Common Stock are not listed or reported in any of the foregoing, then the Fair Market Value shall be determined by the Administrator based on such valuation measures or other factors as it deems appropriate. Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) with respect to the grant of Incentive Options, the Fair Market Value shall be determined by the Administrator in accordance with the applicable provisions of Section 20.2031-2 of the Federal Estate Tax Regulations, or in any other manner consistent with Section 422 of the Code; and (ii) Fair Market Value shall be determined in accordance with Section 409A of the Code if and to the extent required.

 

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(v) Family Members means any child, stepchild, grandchild, parent, stepparent, grandparent, spouse, former spouse, sibling, niece, nephew, mother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law (including adoptive relationships) of the Participant, any person sharing the Participant’s household (other than a tenant or employee), a trust in which these persons (or the Participant) have more than 50% of the beneficial interest, a foundation in which these persons (or the Participant) control the management of assets, and any other entity in which these persons (or the Participant) own more than 50% of the voting interests.

 

(w) Incentive Stock Option means an Option intended to, and which does, in fact, qualify as an incentive stock option within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code.

 

(x) [Reserved.]

 

(y) “Listed Security” means any security of the Company that is listed or approved for listing on a national securities exchange or designated or approved for designation as a national market system security on an interdealer quotation system by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (or any successor thereto).

 

(z) Merger means the consummation of the transaction contemplated by the Merger Agreement.

 

(aa) Merger Agreement means that certain Business Combination Agreement by and among PROOF Acquisition Corp I, PACI Merger Sub, Inc. and Volato, dated as of [July 31], 2023, as it may be amended.

 

(bb) Merger Effective Time means the “Merger Effective Time,” as defined in the Merger Agreement.

 

(cc) Merger Exchange Ratio means the “Exchange Ratio,” as defined in the Merger Agreement.

 

(dd) Nonstatutory Stock Option means an Option that is not intended to, or does not in fact qualify as, an Incentive Stock Option.

 

(ee) Option means a stock option granted pursuant to the Plan.

 

(ff) Optioned Stock means Shares that are subject to an Option or that were issued pursuant to the exercise of an Option.

 

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(gg) Optionee means an Employee or Consultant who receives an Option.

 

(hh) Parent means any corporation (other than the Company) in an unbroken chain of corporations ending with the Company if, at the time of grant of the Award, each of the corporations other than the Company 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. A corporation that attains the status of a Parent on a date after the adoption of the Plan shall be considered a Parent commencing as of such date.

 

(ii) Participant means any holder of one or more Awards or Shares issued pursuant to an Award.

 

(jj) Plan means this 2021 Equity Incentive Stock Plan, as amended and restated effective [______ __], 2023 and assumed by Volato Group, and as it may be further amended or restated.

 

(kk) Restricted Stock means Shares acquired pursuant to a right to purchase or receive Common Stock granted pursuant to Section 8 below.

 

(ll) Rule 16b-3 means Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act, as amended from time to time, or any successor provision.

 

(mm) Share means a share of Common Stock, as adjusted in accordance with Section 11 below.

 

(nn) Stock Exchange means any stock exchange or consolidated stock price reporting system on which prices for the Common Stock are quoted at any given time.

 

(oo) Subsidiary means any corporation (other than the Company) in an unbroken chain of corporations beginning with the Company if, at the time of grant of the Award, 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. A corporation that attains the status of a Subsidiary on a date after the adoption of the Plan shall be considered a Subsidiary commencing as of such date.

 

(pp) Successor Plan means the Volato Group, Inc. 2023 Stock Incentive Plan, as adopted by Volato Group and from time to time amended or restated.

 

(qq) Successor Plan Effective Date means the date on which the Successor Plan becomes effective.

 

(rr) Ten Percent Holder means a person who owns stock representing more than 10% of the voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or any Parent or Subsidiary, measured as of an Award’s date of grant.

 

(ss) Volato means Volato, Inc., a Georgia corporation, and any successor thereto.

 

 

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(tt) Volato Group means Volato Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and any successor thereto.

 

3. Stock Subject to the Plan. Subject to the provisions of Section 11 below, the maximum aggregate number of Shares that may be issued under the Plan is 6,275,000 Shares, all of which Shares may be issued under the Plan pursuant to Incentive Stock Options; provided, however, that, as of the Merger Effective Time, all references to such maximum aggregate number of shares of Volato Common Stock shall be deemed modified to refer instead to that number of shares of Volato Group Common Stock as is determined by multiplying the number of referenced shares of Volato Common Stock by the Merger Exchange Ratio and rounding the resulting number down to the nearest whole number of shares of Volato Group Common Stock, or as may otherwise be necessary to comply with Applicable Laws, including applicable Stock Exchange equity compensation rules applicable to mergers and acquisitions. The Shares issued under the Plan may be authorized, but unissued, or reacquired Shares. If an Award should expire or become unexercisable for any reason without having been exercised in full, or, with respect to Restricted Stock, is forfeited or repurchased by the Company due to failure to vest, the unissued Shares that were subject thereto shall, until the Successor Plan Effective Date, continue to be available under the Plan for issuance pursuant to future Awards. In addition, any Shares which are retained by the Company upon exercise of an Award in order to satisfy the exercise or purchase price for such Award or any withholding taxes due with respect to such Award shall be treated as not issued and shall, until the Successor Plan Effective Date, continue to be available under the Plan for issuance pursuant to future Awards. Shares issued under the Plan and later forfeited to the Company due to the failure to vest or repurchased by the Company at the original purchase price paid to the Company for the Shares (including, without limitation, upon forfeiture to or repurchase by the Company in connection with the termination of a Participant’s Continuous Service Status) shall, until the Successor Plan Effective Date, again be available for future grant under the Plan. Notwithstanding the foregoing, subject to the provisions of Section 11 below, in no event shall the maximum aggregate number of Shares that may be issued under the Plan pursuant to Incentive Stock Options exceed the number set forth in the first sentence of this Section 3 plus, to the extent allowable under Section 422 of the Code and the Treasury Regulations promulgated there under, any Shares that again become available for issuance pursuant to the remaining provisions of this Section 3. The Company, during the term of this Plan, will at all times reserve and keep available such number of Shares as will be sufficient to satisfy the requirements of the Plan.

 

4. Administration of the Plan.

 

(a) General. The Plan shall be administered by the Board, a Committee appointed by the Board, or any combination thereof, as determined by the Board. To the extent required under Rule 16b-3, the Committee shall be comprised of two or more “non-employee directors,” as such term is defined in Rule 16b-3, or as may otherwise be permitted under Rule 16b-3. In addition, Committee members shall qualify as “independent directors” under applicable Stock Exchange rules if and to the extent required. The Plan may be administered by different administrative bodies with respect to different classes of Participants and, subject to Applicable Laws, the Board may authorize one or more officers of the Company to make Awards under the Plan to Employees and Consultants (who are not subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act) within parameters specified by the Board.

 

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(b) Committee Composition. If a Committee has been appointed pursuant to this Section 4, such Committee shall continue to serve in its designated capacity until otherwise directed by the Board. From time to time the Board may increase the size of the Committee and appoint additional members thereof, remove members (with or without cause) and appoint new members in substitution therefor, fill vacancies (however caused), create subcommittees and dissolve a Committee and thereafter directly administer the Plan, all to the extent permitted by Applicable Laws and, in the case of a Committee administering the Plan in accordance with the requirements of Rule 16b-3, to the extent permitted or required by such provision.

 

(c) Powers of the Administrator. Subject to the provisions of the Plan and, in the case of a Committee, the specific duties delegated by the Board to such Committee, the Administrator shall have the authority, in its sole discretion:

 

(i) to determine the Fair Market Value in accordance with Section 2(u) above;

 

(ii) to select the Employees and Consultants to whom Awards may from time to time be granted;

 

(iii) to determine the number of Shares to be covered by each Award;

 

(iv) to approve the form(s) of Award Agreements and other related documents used under the Plan;

 

(v) to determine the terms and conditions, not inconsistent with the terms of the Plan, of any Award granted hereunder, which terms and conditions include but are not limited to the exercise or purchase price, the time or times when Awards may vest and/or be exercised (which may be based on performance criteria), the circumstances (if any) when vesting will be accelerated or forfeiture restrictions will be waived, and any restriction or limitation regarding any Award, Optioned Stock or Restricted Stock;

 

(vi) to amend any outstanding Award or agreement related to any Optioned Stock or Restricted Stock, including any amendment adjusting vesting (e.g., in connection with a change in the terms or conditions under which such person is providing services to the Company), provided that no amendment shall be made that would materially and adversely affect the rights of any Participant without his or her consent;

 

(vii) to determine whether and under what circumstances an Option may be settled in cash under Section 7 (c)(ii) below instead of Common Stock;

 

(viii) to approve addenda pursuant to Section 20 below or to grant Awards to, or to modify the terms of, any outstanding Award Agreement or any agreement related to any Award held by Participants who are foreign nationals or employed outside of the United States with such terms and conditions as the Administrator deems necessary or appropriate to accommodate differences in local law, tax policy or custom which deviate from the terms and conditions set forth in this Plan to the extent necessary or appropriate to accommodate such differences; and

 

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(ix) to construe and interpret the terms of the Plan, any Award Agreement, and any agreement related to any Award, which constructions, interpretations and decisions shall be final and binding on all Participants.

 

(d) Indemnification. To the maximum extent permitted by Applicable Laws, each member of the Committee (including officers of the Company, if applicable), or of the Board, as applicable, shall be indemnified and held harmless by the Company against and from (i) any loss, cost, liability or expense that may be imposed upon or reasonably incurred by him or her in connection with or resulting from any claim, action, suit or proceeding to which he or she may be a party or in which he or she may be involved by reason of any action taken or failure to act under the Plan or pursuant to the terms and conditions of any Award except for actions taken in bad faith or failures to act in good faith, and (ii) any and all amounts paid by him or her in settlement thereof, with the Company’s approval, or paid by him or her in satisfaction of any judgment in any such claim, action, suit or proceeding against him or her, provided that such member shall give the Company an opportunity, at its own expense, to handle and defend any such claim, action, suit or proceeding before he or she undertakes to handle and defend it on his or her own behalf. 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 of Incorporation or Bylaws, by contract, as a matter of law, or otherwise, or under any other power that the Company may have to indemnify or hold harmless each such person.

 

5. Eligibility.

 

(a) Recipients of Grants. Nonstatutory Stock Options and Restricted Stock may be granted to Employees and Consultants. Incentive Stock Options may be granted only to Employees of the Company or Subsidiaries. Employees of Affiliates shall not be eligible to receive Incentive Stock Options.

 

(b) Type of Option. Each Option shall be designated in the Award Agreement as either an Incentive Stock Option or a Nonstatutory Stock Option.

 

(c) ISO $100,000 Limitation. Notwithstanding any designation under Section 5(b) above, to the extent that the aggregate Fair Market Value of Shares with respect to which options designated as incentive stock options are exercisable for the first time by any Optionee during any calendar year (under all plans of the Company or any Parent or Subsidiary) exceeds $100,000, such excess options shall be treated as nonstatutory stock options. For purposes of this Section 5(c), incentive stock options shall be taken into account in the order in which they were granted, and the Fair Market Value of the Shares subject to an incentive stock option shall be determined as of the date of the grant of such option.

 

(d) Award Validity. No Award to any Employee or Consultant shall be valid, whether provided for in an offer letter for employment or a consultation agreement or otherwise, if the Employee or Consultant’s relationship with the Company (or any Parent or Subsidiary) has terminated prior to the date of the implementation of the Plan, regardless of the date of the Plan’s adoption.

 

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(e) No Employment Rights. Neither the Plan nor any Award shall confer upon any Employee or Consultant any right with respect to continuation of an employment or consulting relationship with the Company (any Parent, Subsidiary or Affiliate), nor shall it interfere in any way with such Employee’s or Consultant’s right or the Company’s (Parent’s, Subsidiary’s or Affiliate’s) right to terminate his or her employment or consulting relationship at any time, with or without cause.

 

(f) Cessation of Option Grants. No Options may be granted under this Plan on or after the Successor Plan Effective Date. Options granted before that date will continue to be governed by this Plan until their forfeiture, exercise or expiration under the terms of the Plan.

 

6. Term of Plan. The Plan became effective upon its adoption by the Board (August 13, 2021) and shall continue in effect for a term of ten (10) years (such term expiring August 12, 2031), unless sooner terminated under Section 15 below. The Plan was amended and restated effective [_____ __], 2023 in connection with the assumption of the Plan by Volato Group as a result of the Merger.

 

7. Options.

 

(a) Grant of Option. Each Award of an Option will be evidenced by an Award Agreement that will specify the exercise price, the term of the Option, the number of Shares subject to the Option, the exercise restrictions, if any, applicable to the Option and such other terms and conditions as the Administrator, in its sole discretion, will determine.

 

(b) Term of Option. The term of each Option shall be the term stated in the Option Agreement; provided that the term shall be no more than ten (10) years from the date of grant thereof or such shorter term as may be provided in the Award Agreement and provided further that, in the case of an Incentive Stock Option granted to a person who at the time of such grant is a Ten Percent Holder, the term of the Option shall be five (5) years from the date of grant thereof or such shorter term as may be provided in the Award Agreement.

 

(c) Option Exercise Price and Consideration.

 

(i) Exercise Price. The per Share exercise price for the Shares to be issued pursuant to the exercise of an Option shall be such price as is determined by the Administrator and set forth in the Award Agreement, but shall be subject to the following:

 

(1) In the case of an Incentive Stock Option

 

a. granted to an Employee who at the time of grant is a Ten Percent Holder, the per Share exercise price shall be no less than 110% of the Fair Market Value on the date of grant;

 

b. granted to any other Employee, the per Share exercise price shall be no less than 100% of the Fair Market Value on the date of grant;

 

(2) Except as provided in subsection (3) below, in the case of a Nonstatutory Stock Option, the per Share exercise price shall be such price as is determined by the Administrator, provided that, if the per Share exercise price is less than 100% of the Fair Market Value on the date of grant, it shall otherwise comply with all Applicable Laws, including Section 409A of the Code; and

 

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(3) Notwithstanding the foregoing, Options may be granted with a per Share exercise price other than as required above pursuant to a merger or other corporate transaction in a manner intended to comply with Section 424 and/or Section 409A of the Code, as applicable.

 

(ii) Permissible Consideration. The consideration to be paid for the Shares to be issued upon exercise of an Option, including the method of payment, shall be determined by the Administrator (and, in the case of an Incentive Stock Option and to the extent required by Applicable Laws, shall be determined at the time of grant) and may consist entirely of (1) cash; (2) check; (3) to the extent permitted under, and in accordance with, Applicable Laws (including but not limited to Section 402 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002) delivery of a promissory note with such recourse, interest, security and redemption provisions as the Administrator determines to be appropriate; (4) cancellation of indebtedness (to the extent permitted under Applicable Laws); (5) other previously owned Shares that have a Fair Market Value on the date of surrender equal to the aggregate exercise price of the Shares as to which the Option is exercised; (6) a Cashless Exercise; (7) such other consideration and method of payment permitted under Applicable Laws; or (8) any combination of the foregoing methods of payment. In making its determination as to the type of consideration to accept, the Administrator shall consider if acceptance of such consideration may be reasonably expected to benefit the Company and the Administrator may, in its sole discretion, refuse to accept a particular form of consideration at the time of any Option exercise.

 

(d) Exercise of Option.

 

(i) General.

 

(1) Exercisability. Any Option granted hereunder shall be exercisable at such times and under such conditions as determined by the Administrator, consistent with the terms of the Plan and reflected in the Award Agreement, including vesting requirements and/or performance criteria with respect to the Company, and Parent, Subsidiary or Affiliate, and/or the Optionee.

 

(2) Leave of Absence. The Administrator shall have the discretion to determine at any time whether and to what extent the vesting of Options shall be tolled during any leave of absence; provided, however, that in the absence of such determination, vesting of Options shall continue during any paid leave and shall be tolled during any unpaid leave (unless otherwise required by Applicable Laws). Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event of military leave, vesting shall toll during any unpaid portion of such leave, provided that, upon an Optionee’s returning from military leave (under conditions that would entitle him or her to protection upon such return under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994, as amended), he or she shall be given vesting credit with respect to Options to the same extent as would have applied had the Optionee continued to provide services to the Company (or any Parent, Subsidiary or Affiliate, if applicable) throughout the leave on the same terms as he or she was providing services immediately prior to such leave.

 

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(3) Minimum Exercise Requirements. An Option may not be exercised for a fraction of a Share. The Administrator may require that an Option be exercised as to a minimum number of Shares, provided that such requirement shall not prevent an Optionee from exercising the full number of Shares as to which the Option is then exercisable.

 

(4) Procedures for and Results of Exercise. An Option shall be deemed exercised when written notice of such exercise has been received by the Company in accordance with the terms of the Award Agreement by the person entitled to exercise the Option and the Company has received full payment for the Shares with respect to which the Option is exercised and has paid, or made arrangements to satisfy, any applicable taxes, withholding, required deductions or other required payments in accordance with Section 10 below. The exercise of an Option shall result in a decrease in the number of Shares that thereafter may be available, both for purposes of the Plan and for sale under the Option, by the number of Shares as to which the Option is exercised.

 

(5) Rights as Holder of Capital Stock. Until the issuance of the Shares (as evidenced by the appropriate entry on the books of the Company or of a duly authorized transfer agent of the Company), no right to vote or receive dividends or any other rights as a holder of capital stock shall exist with respect to the Optioned Stock, notwithstanding the exercise of the Option. No adjustment will be made for a dividend or other right for which the record date is prior to the date the stock is issued, except as provided in Section 11 below.

 

(ii) Termination of Continuous Service Status. The Administrator shall establish and set forth in the applicable Award Agreement the terms and conditions upon which an Option shall remain exercisable, if at all, following termination of an Optionee’s Continuous Service Status, which provisions may be waived or modified by the Administrator at any time. To the extent that an Award Agreement does not specify the terms and conditions upon which an Option shall terminate upon termination of an Optionee’s Continuous Service Status, the following provisions shall apply:

 

(1) General Provisions. If the Optionee (or other person entitled to exercise the Option) does not exercise the Option to the extent so entitled within the time specified below, the Option shall terminate and the Optioned Stock underlying the unexercised portion of the Option shall revert to the Plan. In no event may any Option be exercised after the expiration of the Option term as set forth in the Award Agreement (and subject to this Section 7).

 

(2) Termination other than Upon Disability or Death or for Cause. In the event of termination of an Optionee’s Continuous Service Status other than under the circumstances set forth in the subsections (3) through (5) below, such Optionee may exercise any outstanding Option at any time within three (3) month(s) following such termination to the extent the Optionee is vested in the Optioned Stock.

 

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(3) Disability of Optionee. In the event of termination of an Optionee’s Continuous Service Status as a result of his or her Disability, such Optionee may exercise any outstanding Option at any time within twelve (12) month(s) following such termination to the extent the Optionee is vested in the Optioned Stock.

 

(4) Death of Optionee. In the event of the death of an Optionee during the period of Continuous Service Status since the date of grant of any outstanding Option, or within three (3) month(s) following termination of the Optionee’s Continuous Service Status, the Option may be exercised by any beneficiaries designated in accordance with Section 17 below, or if there are no such beneficiaries, by the Optionee’s estate, or by a person who acquired the right to exercise the Option by bequest or inheritance, at any time within twelve (12) month(s) following the date the Optionee’s Continuous Service Status terminated, but only to the extent the Optionee is vested in the Optioned Stock.

 

(5) Termination for Cause. In the event of termination of an Optionee’s Continuous Service Status for Cause, any outstanding Option (including any vested portion thereof) held by such Optionee shall immediately terminate in its entirety upon first notification to the Optionee of termination of the Optionee’s Continuous Service Status for Cause. If an Optionee’s Continuous Service Status is suspended pending an investigation of whether the Optionee’s Continuous Service Status will be terminated for Cause, all the Optionee’s rights under any Option, including the right to exercise the Option, shall be suspended during the investigation period. Nothing in this Section 7(c)(ii)(5) shall in any way limit the Company’s right to purchase unvested Shares issued upon exercise of an Option as set forth in the applicable Award Agreement.

 

(iii) Buyout Provisions. The Administrator may at any time offer to buy out for a payment in cash or Shares an Option previously granted under the Plan based on such terms and conditions as the Administrator shall establish and communicate to the Optionee at the time that such offer is made.

 

8. Restricted Stock.

 

(a) Rights to Purchase. When a right to purchase or receive Restricted Stock is granted under the Plan, the Company shall advise the recipient in writing of the terms, conditions and restrictions related to the offer, including the number of Shares that such person shall be entitled to purchase, the price to be paid, if any (which shall be as determined by the Administrator, subject to Applicable Laws, including any applicable securities laws), and the time within which such person must accept such offer. The permissible consideration for Restricted Stock shall be determined by the Administrator and shall be the same as is set forth in Section 7(c)(ii) above with respect to exercise of Options. The offer to purchase Shares shall be accepted by execution of an Award Agreement in the form determined by the Administrator. Unless the Administrator determines otherwise, the Company as escrow agent will hold Shares of Restricted Stock until the restrictions on such Shares have lapsed.

 

(b) Repurchase Option.

 

(i) General. Unless the Administrator determines otherwise, the Restricted Stock Purchase Agreement shall grant the Company a repurchase option exercisable upon the voluntary or involuntary termination of the Participant’s Continuous Service Status for any reason (including death or Disability) at a purchase price for Shares equal to the original purchase price paid by the purchaser to the Company for such Shares and may be paid by cancellation of any indebtedness of the purchaser to the Company. The repurchase option shall lapse at such rate as the Administrator may determine.

 

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(ii) Leave of Absence. The Administrator shall have the discretion to determine at any time whether and to what extent the lapsing of Company repurchase rights shall be tolled during any leave of absence; provided, however, that in the absence of such determination, such lapsing shall continue during any paid leave and shall be tolled during any unpaid leave (unless otherwise required by Applicable Laws). Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event of military leave, the lapsing of Company repurchase rights shall toll during any unpaid portion of such leave, provided that, upon a Participant’s returning from military leave (under conditions that would entitle him or her to protection upon such return under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994, as amended), he or she shall be given vesting credit with respect to Shares purchased pursuant to the Restricted Stock Purchase Agreement to the same extent as would have applied had the Participant continued to provide services to the Company (or any Parent, Subsidiary or Affiliate, if applicable) throughout the leave on the same terms as he or she was providing services immediately prior to such leave.

 

(c) Other Provisions. The Award Agreement shall contain such other terms, provisions and conditions not inconsistent with the Plan as may be determined by the Administrator in its sole discretion. In addition, the provisions of Award Agreements need not be the same with respect to each Participant.

 

(d) Rights as a Holder of Capital Stock. Once the Restricted Stock is granted pursuant to the Award Agreement, the Participant shall have the rights equivalent to those of a holder of capital stock, and shall be a record holder when his or her purchase and the issuance of the Shares is entered upon the records of the duly authorized transfer agent of the Company. No adjustment will be made for a dividend or other right for which the record date is prior to the date the Restricted Stock is purchased, except as provided in Section 11 below.

 

9. Compliance with Section 409A. Awards will be designed and operated in such a manner that they are either exempt from the application of, or comply with, the requirements of Section 409A of the Code, except as otherwise determined in the sole discretion of the Administrator. The Plan and each Award Agreement under the Plan is intended to meet the requirements of Section 409A of the Code and will be construed and interpreted in accordance with such intent, except as otherwise determined in the sole discretion of the Administrator. To the extent that an Award or payment, or the settlement or deferral thereof, is subject to Section 409A of the Code, the Award will be granted, paid, settled or deferred in a manner that will meet the requirements of Section 409A of the Code, such that the grant, payment, settlement or deferral will not be subject to the additional tax or interest applicable under Section 409A of the Code.

 

10. Taxes.

 

(a) As a condition of the grant, vesting and exercise of an Award, the Participant (or in the case of the Participant’s death or a permitted transferee, the person holding or exercising the Award) shall make such arrangements as the Administrator may require for the satisfaction of any applicable U.S. federal, state, local or foreign tax, withholding, and any other required deductions or payments that may arise in connection with such Award. The Company shall not be required to issue any Shares under the Plan until such obligations are satisfied.

 

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(b) The Administrator may, to the extent permitted under Applicable Laws, permit a Participant (or in the case of the Participant’s death or a permitted transferee, the person holding or exercising the Award) to satisfy all or part of his or her tax, withholding or any other required deductions or payments by Cashless Exercise or by surrendering Shares (either directly or by stock attestation) that he or she previously acquired; provided that, unless specifically permitted by the Company, any such Cashless Exercise must be an approved broker-assisted Cashless Exercise or the Shares withheld in the Cashless Exercise must be limited to avoid financial accounting charges under applicable accounting guidance and any such surrendered Shares must have been previously held for any minimum duration required to avoid financial accounting charges under applicable accounting guidance. Any payment of taxes by surrendering Shares to the Company may be subject to restrictions, including, but not limited to, any restrictions required by rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

11. Adjustments Upon Changes in Capitalization, Merger or Certain Other Transactions.

 

(a) Changes in Capitalization. Subject to any action required under Applicable Laws by the holders of capital stock of the Company or as otherwise provided by the Merger Agreement, (i) the numbers and class of Shares or other stock or securities: (x) available for future Awards under Section 3 above and (y) covered by each outstanding Award, (ii) the exercise price per Share of each such outstanding Option, and (iii) any repurchase price per Share applicable to Shares issued pursuant to any Award, shall be automatically proportionately adjusted in the event of a stock split, reverse stock split, stock dividend, combination, consolidation, reclassification of the Shares or subdivision of the Shares. In the event of any increase or decrease in the number of issued Shares effected without receipt of consideration by the Company, a declaration of an extraordinary dividend with respect to the Shares payable in a form other than Shares in an amount that has a material effect on the Fair Market Value, a recapitalization (including a recapitalization through a large nonrecurring cash dividend), a rights offering, a reorganization, merger, a spin-off, split-up, change in corporate structure or a similar occurrence, the Administrator shall make appropriate adjustments, in its discretion, in one or more of (i) the numbers and class of Shares or other stock or securities: (x) available for future Awards under Section 3 above and (y) covered by each outstanding Award, (ii) the exercise price per Share of each outstanding Option and (iii) any repurchase price per Share applicable to Shares issued pursuant to any Award, and any such adjustment by the Administrator shall be made in the Administrator’s sole and absolute discretion and shall be final, binding and conclusive. Except as expressly provided herein, no issuance by the Company of shares of stock of any class, or securities convertible into shares of stock of any class, shall affect, and no adjustment by reason thereof shall be made with respect to, the number or price of Shares subject to an Award. If, by reason of a transaction described in this Section 11(a) or an adjustment pursuant to this Section 11(a), a Participant’s Award Agreement or agreement related to any Award covers additional or different shares of stock or securities, then such additional or different shares, and the Award Agreement or agreement related to the Award in respect thereof, shall be subject to all of the terms, conditions and restrictions which were applicable to the Award, Optioned Stock and Restricted Stock prior to such adjustment.

 

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(b) Dissolution or Liquidation. In the event of the dissolution or liquidation of the Company, each Award will terminate immediately prior to the consummation of such action, unless otherwise determined by the Administrator.

 

(c) Corporate Transactions. Except as otherwise provided by the Merger Agreement, in the event of (i) a transfer of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets, (ii) a merger, consolidation or other capital reorganization or business combination transaction of the Company with or into another corporation, entity or person, or (iii) the consummation of a transaction, or series of related transactions, in which any “person” (as such term is used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act) becomes the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rule 13d-3 of the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of more than 50% of the Company’s then outstanding capital stock (a “Corporate Transaction”), each outstanding Award (vested or unvested) will be treated as the Administrator determines, which determination may be made without the consent of any Participant and need not treat all outstanding Awards (or portion thereof) in an identical manner. Such determination, without the consent of any Participant, may provide (without limitation) for one or more of the following in the event of a Corporate Transaction: (A) the continuation of such outstanding Awards by the Company (if the Company is the surviving corporation); (B) the assumption of such outstanding Awards by the surviving corporation or its parent; (C) the substitution by the surviving corporation or its parent of new options or equity awards for such Awards; (D) the cancellation of such Awards in exchange for a payment to the Participants equal to the excess of (1) the Fair Market Value of the Shares subject to such Awards as of the closing date of such Corporate Transaction over (2) the exercise price or purchase price paid or to be paid for the Shares subject to the Awards; or (E) the cancellation of any outstanding Options or an outstanding right to purchase Restricted Stock, in either case, for no consideration. Notwithstanding anything under this Plan, any Award agreement or otherwise, any escrow, holdback, earn-out or similar provisions agreed to pursuant to, or in connection with, a Corporate Transaction shall, unless otherwise determined by the Board, apply to any payment or other right a Participant may be entitled to under this Plan, if any, to the same extent and in the same manner as such provisions apply generally to the holders of the Company’s Common Stock with respect to the Corporate Transaction, but only to the extent permitted by Applicable Law, including (without limitation), Section 409A of the Code.

 

12. Non-Transferability of Awards.

 

(a) General. Except as set forth in this Section 12, Awards (or any rights of such Awards) may not be sold, pledged, encumbered, assigned, hypothecated or disposed of or otherwise transferred in any manner other than by will or by the laws of descent or distribution. The designation of a beneficiary by a Participant will not constitute a transfer. An Option may be exercised, during the lifetime of the holder of the Option, only by such holder or a transferee permitted by this Section 12.

 

(b) Limited Transferability Rights. Notwithstanding anything else in this Section 12, the Administrator may, in its sole discretion, provide that any Nonstatutory Stock Options may be transferred by instrument to an inter vivos or testamentary trust in which the Options are to be passed to beneficiaries upon the death of the trustor (settlor) or by gift to Family Members. Further, beginning with (i) the period when the Company begins to rely on the exemption described in Rule 12h-1(f)(1) promulgated under the Exchange Act, as determined by the Board in its sole discretion, and (ii) ending on the earlier of (A) the date when the Company ceases to rely on such exemption, as determined by the Board in its sole discretion, or (B) the date when the Company becomes subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, an Option, or prior to exercise, the Shares subject to the Option, may not be pledged, hypothecated or otherwise transferred or disposed of, in any manner, including by entering into any short position, any “put equivalent position” or any “call equivalent position” (as defined in Rule 16a-1(h) and Rule 16a-1(b) of the Exchange Act, respectively), other than to (i) persons who are Family Members through gifts or domestic relations orders, or (ii) to an executor or guardian of the Participant upon the death or disability of the Participant. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, the Board, in its sole discretion, may permit transfers of Nonstatutory Stock Options to the Company or in connection with a Change of Control or other acquisition transactions involving the Company to the extent permitted by Rule 12h-1(f).

 

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13. Non-Transferability of Stock Underlying Awards.

 

(a) General. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, no Participant or other stockholder shall Transfer (as such term is defined below) any Shares (or any rights of or interests in such Shares) acquired pursuant to any Award (including, without limitation, Shares acquired upon exercise of an Option) to any person or entity unless such Transfer is approved by the Company prior to such Transfer, which approval may be granted or withheld in the Company’s sole and absolute discretion. “Transfer” shall mean, with respect to any security, the direct or indirect assignment, sale, transfer, tender, pledge, hypothecation, or the grant, creation or suffrage of a lien or encumbrance in or upon, or the gift, placement in trust, or the Constructive Sale (as such term is defined below) or other disposition of such security (including transfer by testamentary or intestate succession, merger or otherwise by operation of law) or any right, title or interest therein (including, but not limited to, any right or power to vote to which the holder thereof may be entitled, whether such right or power is granted by proxy or otherwise), or the record or beneficial ownership thereof, the offer to make such a sale, transfer, Constructive Sale or other disposition, and each agreement, arrangement or understanding, whether or not in writing, to effect any of the foregoing. “Constructive Sale” shall mean, with respect to any security, a short sale with respect to such security, entering into or acquiring an offsetting derivative contract with respect to such security, entering into or acquiring a futures or forward contract to deliver such security, or entering into any other hedging or other derivative transaction that has the effect of materially changing the economic benefits and risks of ownership. Any purported Transfer effected in violation of this Section 13 shall be null and void and shall have no force or effect and the Company shall not be required (i) to transfer on its books any Shares that have been sold or otherwise transferred in violation of any of the provisions of the Plan or (ii) to treat as owner of such Shares or to accord the right to vote or pay dividends to any purchaser or other transferee to whom such Shares shall have been so transferred. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in accordance with the provisions of the applicable Award Agreement, the provisions of Section 13(a) and Section 13(b) shall no longer apply on or after the Merger Effective Date.

 

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(b) Approval Process. Any Participant or stockholder seeking the approval of the Company to Transfer some or all of its Shares shall give written notice thereof to the Secretary of the Company that shall include: (1) the name of the stockholder; (2) the proposed transferee; (3) the number of shares of the Transfer of which approval is thereby requested; and (4) the purchase price, if any, of the shares proposed for Transfer. The Company may require the Participant to supplement its notice with such additional information as the Company may request or as may otherwise be required by the applicable Award Agreement or other applicable written agreement. In addition such request for Transfer shall be subject to such right of first refusal, transfer provisions and any other terms and conditions as may be set forth in the applicable Award Agreement or other applicable written agreement.

 

14. Time of Granting Awards. The date of grant of an Award shall, for all purposes, be the date on which the Administrator makes the determination granting such Award, or such other date as is determined by the Administrator, subject to Applicable Laws.

 

15. Amendment and Termination of the Plan. The Board may at any time amend or terminate the Plan, but no amendment or termination shall be made that would materially and adversely affect the rights of any Participant under any outstanding Award, without his or her consent. In addition, to the extent necessary and desirable to comply with Applicable Laws, the Company shall obtain the approval of holders of capital stock with respect to any Plan amendment in such a manner and to such a degree as required. Termination of the Plan will not affect the Administrator’s ability to exercise the powers granted to it hereunder with respect to Awards granted under the Plan prior to the date of such termination.

 

16. Conditions Upon Issuance of Shares. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan or any agreement entered into by the Company pursuant to the Plan, the Company shall not be obligated, and shall have no liability for failure, to issue or deliver any Shares under the Plan unless such issuance or delivery would comply with Applicable Laws, with such compliance determined by the Company in consultation with its legal counsel. As a condition to the exercise of any Option or purchase of any Restricted Stock, the Company may require the person exercising the Option or purchasing the Restricted Stock to represent and warrant at the time of any such exercise or purchase that the Shares are being purchased only for investment and without any present intention to sell or distribute such Shares if, in the opinion of counsel for the Company, such a representation is advisable or required by Applicable Laws. Shares issued upon exercise of Options or purchase of Restricted Stock prior to the date, if ever, on which the Common Stock becomes a Listed Security shall be subject to a right of first refusal in favor of the Company pursuant to which the Participant will be required to offer Shares to the Company before selling or transferring them to any third party on such terms and subject to such conditions as is reflected in the applicable Option Agreement or Restricted Stock Purchase Agreement.

 

17. Beneficiaries. If permitted by the Administrator, a Participant may designate one or more beneficiaries with respect to an Award by timely filing the prescribed form with the Company. A beneficiary designation may be changed by filing the prescribed form with the Company at any time before the Participant’s death. Except as otherwise provided in an Award Agreement, if no beneficiary was designated or if no designated beneficiary survives the Participant, then after a Participant’s death any vested Award(s) shall be transferred or distributed to the Participant’s estate or to any person who has the right to acquire the Award by bequest or inheritance.

 

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18. Approval of Holders of Capital Stock. If required by Applicable Laws, continuance of the Plan shall be subject to approval by the holders of capital stock of the Company within twelve (12) months before or after the date the Plan is adopted or, to the extent required by Applicable Laws, any date the Plan is amended. Such approval shall be obtained in the manner and to the degree required under Applicable Laws.

 

19. Inability to Obtain Authority. The inability of the Company to obtain authority from any regulatory body having jurisdiction, which authority is deemed by the Company’s counsel to be necessary to the lawful issuance and sale of any Shares hereunder, will relieve the Company of any liability in respect of the failure to issue or sell such Shares as to which such requisite authority will not have been obtained.

 

20. Addenda. The Administrator may approve such addenda to the Plan as it may consider necessary or appropriate for the purpose of granting Awards to Employees or Consultants, which Awards may contain such terms and conditions as the Administrator deems necessary or appropriate to accommodate differences in local law, tax policy or custom, which may deviate from the terms and conditions set forth in this Plan. The terms of any such addenda shall supersede the terms of the Plan to the extent necessary to accommodate such differences but shall not otherwise affect the terms of the Plan as in effect for any other purpose.

 

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