but shall in no event be less than the Fair Market Value of a share of Company Stock on the date the Option is granted, except as permitted in connection with the issuance of Options in a transaction to which Section 424(a) of the Code applies.
(c) Term and Exercise of Options
(1) An Option shall become exercisable in accordance with the terms in the applicable Award Agreement; provided, however, that Options may not vest, in whole or in part, prior to the one (1) year anniversary of the date of grant except in connection with acceleration due to a Change of Control or death or Disability. Notwithstanding the foregoing, with respect to Options and SARs, up to 5% of the aggregate number of shares authorized for issuance under this Plan (as described in Section 3(a)) may be issued pursuant to Incentive Awards subject to any, or no, vesting conditions, as the administrator determines appropriate. By way of example and not by way of limitation, the Committee may require, as a condition to the vesting of any Option, that the Participant or the Company achieves such Performance Goals as the Committee may specify. The Committee shall determine the expiration date of each Option; provided, however, that each Option shall be subject to earlier termination, expiration or cancellation as provided in the Plan, and further provided that no Option shall be exercisable more than ten (10) years after the date of grant.
(2) An Option may be exercised for all or any portion of the shares as to which it is exercisable; provided, that no partial exercise of an Option shall be for an aggregate exercise price of less than $1,000 unless such partial exercise represents the entire unexercised portion of the Option or the entire portion of the Option that is then exercisable. The partial exercise of an Option shall not cause the expiration, termination or cancellation of the remaining portion thereof.
(3) An Option shall be exercised by delivering notice to the Company’s principal office, to the attention of its Secretary (or the Secretary’s designee), no less than one business day in advance of the effective date of the proposed exercise. Such notice shall be accompanied by the applicable Award Agreement, shall specify the number of shares of Company Stock with respect to which the Option is being exercised and the effective date of the proposed exercise and shall be signed by the Participant or other person then having the right to exercise the Option in a manner determined by the Committee. Such notice may be withdrawn at any time prior to the close of business on the business day immediately preceding the effective date of the proposed exercise. Payment for shares of Company Stock purchased upon the exercise of an Option shall be made on the effective date of such exercise by one or a combination of the following means:
(i) in cash, by certified check, bank cashier’s check or wire transfer;
(ii) through a broker-assisted transaction whereby a broker selected and engaged by the Participant sells shares of Company Stock in an open market transaction and remits to the Company from the sales proceeds on behalf of the Participant the Option exercise price and the required tax withholding amounts;
(iii) subject to the approval of the Committee, and at the direction of the Participant, through shares retained by the Company in an amount whose aggregate Fair Market Value is equal on the date of exercise to the exercise price, thereby surrendering as payment the portion of the Option that covers the retained shares;
(iv) subject to the approval of the Committee, in shares of Company Stock owned by the Participant and valued at their Fair Market Value on the effective date of such exercise; or
(v) subject to the approval of the Committee, by such other provision as the Committee may from time to time authorize.
(4) Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case of an Incentive Stock Option exercised pursuant to (3)(iii) above, the number of shares deemed to be used to satisfy the exercise price will not be treated as having been purchased through the exercise of an Incentive Stock Option.
(5) No shares of Company Stock will be issued until full payment has been made. Any payment in shares of Company Stock shall be effected by the delivery of such shares to the Secretary (or the Secretary’s designee) of the
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