L E G A L 1 0 1
Stock Option Plan
1. Establishment.
There is established a stock option plan (called the "plan")
pursuant to which officers and key employees of the corporation and its
subsidiaries who are mainly responsible for its continued growth and
development and future financial success may be granted options to purchase
shares of common stock of the corporation, in order to secure to the
corporation the advantages of the incentive and sense of proprietorship
inherent in stock ownership by these persons.
2. Administration.
The plan shall be administered by a committee (called
"committee") of not less than three directors of the corporation,
none of whom shall be eligible to participate in the plan, who shall be
appointed and serve at the pleasure of the board of directors. A majority of
the committee shall constitute a quorum, and the acts of a majority of the
members present at any meeting at which a quorum is present, or acts approved
in writing by a majority of the committee, shall be deemed the acts of the
committee. Subject to the provisions of the plan and to policies determined by
the board of directors, the committee is authorized to adopt rules and
regulations and to take any action in the administration of the plan as it
shall deem proper.
3. Eligibility.
Officers and key employees of the corporation and its
subsidiaries (including officers and employees who are directors of the
corporation) who, in the opinion of the committee, are mainly responsible for
the continued growth and development and future financial success of the
business shall be eligible to participate in the plan. The committee shall, in
its sole discretion, from time to time, select from these eligible persons
those to whom options shall be granted and determine the number of shares to be
included in the option. No officer or employee shall have any right to receive
an option, except as he or she is selected by the committee.
4. Shares Subject to Plan.
Options may be granted pursuant to the plan to
purchase up to 125,000 shares of common stock (subject to adjustment as
provided in section 6 of this article), which may be authorized and unissued
shares or shares held in the treasury of the corporation. To the extent that
options granted under the plan shall expire or terminate without being
exercised, shares covered shall remain available for purposes of the plan.
5. Terms of Options.
Each option granted under the plan shall be evidenced by a
stock option agreement between the corporation and the person to whom the
option is granted and shall be subject to the following terms and conditions:
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The price at which each share covered by an option may be purchased shall be
determined in each case by the committee but shall be not less than 95 percent
of the fair market value at the time the option is granted.
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The aggregate number of shares covered by any option or options to one
individual shall not exceed 10 percent of the aggregate number of shares
subject to the plan as provided in section 4 of this article, excluding in the
computation of the percentage for any individual the number of shares covered
by any option previously granted to the extent that the option shall have
expired or terminated without being exercised.
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During the lifetime of the optionee, the option may be exercised only by him or
her. The option shall not be transferable by the optionee other than by will or
by the laws of descent and distribution. After the death of the optionee, the
option shall be transferable to the corporation for cancellation, but only upon
the terms and conditions, if any, as the board of directors may determine.
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An option may be exercised in whole at any time, or in part from time to time,
within the period or periods not to exceed 10 years from the granting of the
option as may be determined by the committee and set forth in the stock option
agreement (period or periods referred to as the option period) provided that,
(i).
if the optionee shall cease to be employed by the corporation or any of its
subsidiaries, the option may be exercised only within 3 months after the
termination of employment and within the option period; (ii).
if the optionee shall die, the option may be exercised only within 15 months
after death and within the option period and only by his or her personal
representatives or persons entitled under the will or the laws of descent and
distribution; and (iii).
the option may not be exercised for more shares (subject to adjustment as
provided in section 6 of this article) after the termination of the optionee's
employment or death than the optionee was entitled to purchase at the time of
the termination of employment or death.
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The option price of each share purchased pursuant to an option shall be paid in
full in cash at the time of the exercise of the option. Except in case of the
exercise of an option by an executor or administrator in connection with the
administration of the estate of the optionee, the person exercising the option
shall certify at the time of the exercise that he or she is acquiring the
shares being purchased for investment and not with any intention to resell or
distribute them.
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In consideration for the granting of each option, the optionee shall agree to
remain in the employment of the corporation or one of its subsidiaries, at the
pleasure of the corporation or subsidiary, for at least two years from the date
of the granting of the option or until the January first nearest his or her
65th birthday, whichever may be earlier, at the salary rate in effect at the
time of the granting of the option or at a changed rate as may be fixed from
time to time by the corporation or subsidiary. At the discretion of the
committee, this requirement may be waived in the case of any optionee who
during the two-year period enters the active service of the military forces of
the United States or other United States government service connected with
national defense activities. Nothing contained in the plan nor in any stock
option agreement shall confer upon any optionee any right with respect to the
continuance of employment by the corporation or any of its subsidiaries nor
interfere in any way with the right of the corporation or any subsidiary to
terminate employment or change compensation at any time.
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Any other terms and conditions not inconsistent with the foregoing as the committee
shall approve.
6. Adjustment of Number and Price of Shares.
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In the event that a dividend is declared upon the common stock of the
corporation payable in shares of stock, the number of shares of common stock
covered by each outstanding option and the number of shares available for
issuance pursuant to the plan but not yet covered by an option shall be
adjusted by adding the number of shares which would have been distributable if
the shares had been outstanding on the date fixed for determining the
shareholders entitled to receive the stock dividend.
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In the event that the outstanding shares of common stock of the corporation are
changed into or exchanged for a different number or kind of shares of stock or
other securities of the corporation or of another corporation, whether through
reorganization, recapitalization, stock split-up, combination of shares, merger
or consolidation, then there shall be substituted for the shares of common
stock covered by each outstanding option and for the shares available for
issuance pursuant to the plan but not yet covered by an option, the number and
kind of shares of stock or other securities which would have been substituted
if the shares had been outstanding on the date fixed for determining the
shareholders entitled to receive the changed or substituted stock or other
securities.
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In the event there is any change, other than specified above in this section 6,
in the number or kind of outstanding shares of common stock of the corporation
or of any stock or other securities into which the common stock shall be
changed or for which it shall have been exchanged, then if the board of
directors shall determine, in its discretion, that the change equitably
requires an adjustment in the number or kind of shares covered by outstanding
options or which are available for issuance pursuant to the plan but not yet
covered by an option. The adjustment shall be made by the board of directors
and shall be effective and binding for all purposes of the plan and on each
outstanding stock option agreement.
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No adjustment or substitution provided for in this section 6 shall require the
corporation to issue or to sell a fractional share under any stock option
agreement and the total adjustment or substitution with respect to each stock
option agreement shall be limited accordingly.
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In the case of any adjustment or substitution provided for in this section 6,
the option price per share in each stock option agreement shall be equitably
adjusted by the board of directors to reflect the greater or lesser number of
shares of stock or other securities into which the stock covered by the option
may have been changed.
7. Sales of Stock.
Upon authorization by the board of directors and subject to
the limitations as to amount set forth in section 4 and paragraph (b) of
section 5 of this article, the committee may, from time to time, sell for cash
common stock of the corporation to eligible officers and employees, instead of
granting options to them, upon terms as the committee may determine. The
selling price of the shares sold shall be determined in each case by the
committee but shall be not less than 95 percent of the fair market value at the
time of the sale. The purchaser shall certify that he or she is acquiring the
shares being purchased for investment and not with an intention to resell or
distribute them.
Adapted
from AllAboutLaw.com
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