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Exhibit 4.3
APEX SILVER MINES LIMITED
1. Purposes.
- (a)
- Background. This Plan was adopted on April 22, 2004, and approved by shareholders effective May 27, 2004.
- (b)
- Eligible Share Award Recipients. The persons eligible to receive Share Awards are the Employees, Directors and Consultants of the Company and its Affiliates.
- (c)
- Available Share Awards. The purpose of the Plan is to provide a means by which eligible recipients may be given an opportunity to benefit from increases in value of the Ordinary Shares through the granting of the following: (i) Incentive Share Options, (ii) Nonqualified Share Options, (iii) rights to acquire restricted shares, and (iv) share appreciation rights.
- (d)
- General Purpose. The Company, by means of the Plan, seeks to retain the services of the group of persons eligible to receive Share Awards, to secure and retain the services of new members of this group and to provide incentives for such persons to exert maximum efforts for the success of the Company and its Affiliates.
2. Definitions.
- (a)
- "Affiliate" means any entity that controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with the Company.
- (b)
- "Board" means the Board of Directors of the Company.
- (c)
- "Code" means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
- (d)
- "Committee" means a pre-existing or newly formed committee of members of the Board appointed by the Board in accordance with subsection 3(c).
- (e)
- "Company" means Apex Silver Mines Limited, a Cayman Islands company.
- (f)
- "Consultant" means any person, including an advisor, (i) engaged by the Company or an Affiliate to render consulting or advisory services and who is compensated for such services or (ii) who is a member of the Board of Directors of an Affiliate.
- (g)
- "Continuous Service" means that the Participant's service with the Company or an Affiliate, whether as an Employee, Director or Consultant, is not interrupted or terminated. Unless otherwise provided in a Share Award Agreement or Option Agreement, as applicable, the Participant's Continuous Service shall not be deemed to have terminated merely because of a change in the capacity in which the Participant renders service to the Company or an Affiliate as an Employee, Consultant or Director or a change in the entity for which the Participant renders such service, provided that there is no interruption or termination of the Participant's service to the Company or an Affiliate as an Employee, Director or Consultant. For example, a change in status from an Employee of the Company to a Consultant of an Affiliate may not constitute an interruption of Continuous Service. The Board, in its sole discretion, may determine whether Continuous Service shall be considered interrupted in the case of any leave of absence, including sick leave, military leave or any other personal leave.
- (h)
- "Covered Employee" means the Company's chief executive officer and the four (4) other highest compensated officers of the Company for whom total compensation is required to be reported to shareholders under the Exchange Act, as determined for purposes of Section 162(m) of the Code.
- (i)
- "Director" means a member of the Board of Directors of the Company.
- (j)
- "Disability" means the Participant's inability, due to illness, accident, injury, physical or mental incapacity or other disability, to carry out effectively the duties and obligations to the Company and its Affiliates performed by such person immediately prior to such disability for a period of at least six (6) months, as determined in the good faith judgment of the Board.
- (k)
- "Dollars" or"$" or"US$" means United States dollars.
- (l)
- "Employee" means any person employed by the Company or an Affiliate. Service as a Director or payment of a director's fee by the Company or an Affiliate alone shall not be sufficient to constitute "employment" by the Company or an Affiliate.
- (m)
- "Exchange Act" means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
- (n)
- "Fair Market Value" means, as of any date, the value of the Ordinary Shares determined as follows:
- (i)
- If the Ordinary Shares are listed on any established share exchange, or traded on the Nasdaq National Market or the Nasdaq SmallCap Market, the Fair Market Value of Ordinary Shares shall be the closing sales price for such share (or the closing bid, if no sales were reported) as quoted on such exchange or market (or the exchange or market with the greatest volume of trading in Ordinary Shares if such shares are traded on more than one such exchange or market) on the last market trading day prior to the day of determination, as reported by such exchange or market or such other source as the Board reasonably deems reliable.
- (ii)
- In the absence of such markets for the Ordinary Shares, the Fair Market Value shall be determined in good faith by the Board.
- (o)
- "Incentive Share Option" means an Option designated as an incentive share option in an Option Agreement and that is granted in accordance with the requirements of, and that conforms to the applicable provisions of, Section 422 of the Code.
- (p)
- "Independent Director" means (i) a Director who satisfies the definition of Independent Director or similar definition under the applicable share exchange or Nasdaq rules and regulations upon which the Ordinary Shares are traded from time to time and (ii) a Director who either (A) is not a current employee of the Company or an "affiliated corporation" (within the meaning of Treasury Regulations promulgated under Section 162(m) of the Code), is not a former employee of the Company or an "affiliated corporation" receiving compensation for prior services (other than benefits under a tax qualified pension plan), was not an officer of the Company or an "affiliated corporation" at any time and is not currently receiving direct or indirect remuneration from the Company or an "affiliated corporation" for services in any capacity other than as a Director or (B) is otherwise considered an "outside director" for purposes of Section 162(m) of the Code.
- (q)
- "Nonqualified Share Option" means an Option that is not designated in an Option Agreement as an Incentive Share Option or was not granted in accordance with the requirements of, and does not conform to the applicable provisions of, Section 422 of the Code.
- (r)
- "Officer" means a person who is an officer of the Company within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
- (s)
- "Option" means an Incentive Share Option or a Nonqualified Share Option granted pursuant to the Plan.
- (t)
- "Option Agreement" means a written agreement between the Company and an Optionholder evidencing the terms and conditions of an individual Option grant.
- (u)
- "Optionholder" means a person to whom an Option is granted pursuant to the Plan or, if applicable, such other person who holds an outstanding Option.
- (v)
- "Ordinary Shares" means the Company's ordinary shares par value US$0.01 and other rights with respect to such shares.
- (w)
- "Participant" means a person to whom a Share Award is granted pursuant to the Plan or, if applicable, such other person who holds an outstanding Share Award.
- (x)
- "Plan" means this Apex Silver Mines Limited 2004 Equity Incentive Plan.
- (y)
- "Retirement" means an Employee's retirement from the Company or an Affilitate, (i) on or after attaining age 55 and completing at least ten (10) years of service; or (ii) on or after attaining age 65.
- (z)
- "Rule 16b-3" means Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act or any successor to Rule 16b-3, as in effect from time to time.
- (aa)
- "Securities Act" means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
- (bb)
- "Share Award" means any right granted under the Plan, including an Option, a right to acquire restricted Ordinary Shares, and a share appreciation right.
- (cc)
- "Share Award Agreement" means a written agreement between the Company and a holder of a Share Award (other than an Option) evidencing the terms and conditions of an individual Share Award grant.
- (dd)
- "Ten Percent Shareholder" means a person who owns (or is deemed to own pursuant to Section 424(d) of the Code) shares possessing more than ten percent (10%) of the total combined voting power of all classes of shares of the Company or any parent corporation or any subsidiary corporation, both as defined in Section 424 of the Code.
3. Administration.
- (a)
- Administration by Board. The Board shall administer the Plan unless and until the Board delegates administration to a Committee, as provided in subsection 3(c). The Board may, at any time and for any reason in its sole discretion, rescind some or all of such delegation.
- (b)
- Powers of Board. The Board shall have the power, subject to, and within the limitations of, the express provisions of the Plan:
- (i)
- To determine from time to time which of the persons eligible under the Plan shall be granted Share Awards; when and how each Share Award shall be granted; what type or combination of types of Share Award shall be granted; the provisions of each Share Award granted (which need not be identical), including the time or times when a person shall be permitted to receive Ordinary Shares pursuant to a Share Award; and the number of Ordinary Shares with respect to which a Share Award shall be granted to each such person.
- (ii)
- To construe and interpret the Plan, Share Awards granted under it, Option Agreements and Share Award Agreements, and to establish, amend and revoke rules and regulations for their administration. The Board, in the exercise of this power, may correct any defect, omission or inconsistency in the Plan or in any Option Agreement or Share Award Agreement, in a manner and to the extent it shall deem necessary or expedient to make the Plan fully effective.
- (iii)
- To amend the Plan, a Share Award, a Share Award Agreement or an Option Agreement as provided in Section 12.
- (iv)
- Generally, to exercise such powers and to perform such acts as the Board deems necessary or expedient to promote the best interests of the Company which are not in conflict with the provisions of the Plan.
(c) Delegation to Committee.
- (i)
- General. The Board may delegate administration of the Plan and its powers and duties thereunder to a Committee or Committees, and the term "Committee" shall apply to any person or persons to whom such authority has been delegated. Upon such delegation, the Committee shall have the powers theretofore possessed by the Board, including the power to delegate to a subcommittee any of the administrative powers the Committee is authorized to exercise (and references in this Plan to the Board shall thereafter be deemed to include the Committee or subcommittee), subject, however, to such resolutions, not inconsistent with the provisions of the Plan, as may be adopted from time to time by the Board. In its absolute discretion, the Board may at any time and from time to time exercise any and all rights and duties of the Committee under this Plan, except respecting matters under Rule 16b-3 of the Exchange Act or Section 162(m) of the Code, or any rules or regulations issued thereunder, which are required to be determined in the sole discretion of the Committee.
- (ii)
- Committee Composition. A Committee shall consist solely of two or more Independent Directors. Within the scope of its authority, the Board or the Committee may (1) delegate to a committee of one or more members of the Board who are not Independent Directors the authority to grant Share Awards to eligible persons who are either (a) not then Covered Employees and are not expected to be Covered Employees at the time of recognition of income resulting from such Share Award or (b) not persons with respect to whom the Company wishes to comply with Section 162(m) of the Code, and/or (2) delegate to a committee of one or more members of the Board who are not Independent Directors or to the Company's Chief Executive Officer the authority to grant Share Awards to eligible persons who are not then subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act.
- (d)
- Effect of Board's Decision; No Liability. All determinations, interpretations and constructions made by the Board in good faith shall not be subject to review by any person and shall be final, binding and conclusive on all persons. No member of the Board or the Committee or any person to whom duties hereunder have been delegated shall be liable for any action, interpretation or determination made in good faith, and such persons shall be entitled to full indemnification and reimbursement consistent with applicable law and in the manner provided in the Company's Memorandum and Articles of Association, as the same may be amended from time to time, or as otherwise provided in any agreement between any such member and the Company.
4. Shares Subject to the Plan.
- (a)
- Share Reserve. Subject to the provisions of Section 11 relating to adjustments upon changes in Ordinary Shares, the Ordinary Shares that may be issued pursuant to Share Awards shall not exceed in the aggregate Two Million (2,000,000) Ordinary Shares. Share appreciation rights provided for in Section 7(b) hereof that are payable only in cash will not reduce the number of Ordinary Shares available for Share Awards granted under the Plan.
- (b)
- Reversion of Shares to the Share Reserve. If any Share Award shall for any reason expire or otherwise terminate, in whole or in part, without having been exercised in full, the Ordinary Shares not acquired under such Share Award shall revert to and again become available for issuance under the Plan.
- (c)
- Source of Shares. The Ordinary Shares subject to the Plan may be unissued shares or reacquired shares, bought on the market or otherwise.
5. Eligibility.
- (a)
- Eligibility for Specific Share Awards. Incentive Share Options may be granted only to Employees. Share Awards other than Incentive Share Options may be granted to Employees, Directors and Consultants.
- (b)
- Ten Percent Shareholders. A Ten Percent Shareholder shall not be granted an Incentive Share Option unless the exercise price of such Option is at least one hundred ten percent (110%) of the Fair Market Value of the Ordinary Shares at the date of grant and the Option is not exercisable after the expiration of five (5) years from the date of grant.
- (c)
- Limitations on Share Awards. No Participant shall be eligible to be granted Share Awards covering more than 150,000 Ordinary Shares during any calendar year.
- (d)
- Consultants.
- (i)
- A Consultant shall not be eligible for the grant of a Share Award if, at the time of grant, a Form S-8 Registration Statement under the Securities Act ("Form S-8") is not available to register a resale of the Company's securities issued to such Consultant because of the nature of the services that the Consultant is providing to the Company, or because the Consultant is not a natural person, or as otherwise provided by the rules governing the use of Form S-8, unless the Board determines both (i) that such grant (A) shall be registered in another manner under the Securities Act (e.g., on a Form S-3 Registration Statement) or (B) does not require registration under the Securities Act in order to comply with the requirements of the Securities Act, if applicable, and (ii) that such grant complies with the securities laws of all other relevant jurisdictions.
- (ii)
- Form S-8 generally is available to consultants and advisors only if (i) they are natural persons; (ii) they provide bona fide services to the issuer, its parents, its majority-owned subsidiaries or majority-owned subsidiaries of the issuer's parent; and (iii) the services are not in connection with the offer or sale of securities in a capital-raising transaction, and do not directly or indirectly promote or maintain a market for the issuer's securities.
6. Option Provisions.
Each Option Agreement shall be subject to the terms and conditions of this Plan. Each Option and Option Agreement shall be in such form and shall contain such terms and conditions as the Board shall deem appropriate. All Options shall be separately designated Incentive Share Options or Nonqualified Share Options at the time of grant, and, if certificates are issued, a separate certificate or certificates will be issued for Ordinary Shares purchased on exercise of each type of Option. The provisions of separate Options need not be identical.
- (a)
- Provisions Applicable to All Options.
- (i)
- Consideration. The purchase price of Ordinary Shares acquired pursuant to an Option shall be paid in cash in Dollars at the time the Option is exercised.
- (ii)
- Vesting Generally. The total number of Ordinary Shares subject to an Option may (A) vest, and therefore become exercisable, in periodic installments that may, but need not, be equal, or (B) be fully vested at the time of grant. The Option may be subject to such other terms and conditions on the time or times when it may be exercised (which may be based on performance or other criteria) as the Board may deem appropriate. The vesting provisions, if any, of individual Options may vary. The provisions of this subsection 6(a)(ii) are subject to any Option Agreement provisions governing the minimum number of Ordinary Shares as to which an Option may be exercised.
- (iii)
- Termination of Continuous Service. Unless otherwise provided in the Option Agreement, in the event an Optionholder's Continuous Service terminates (other than upon the Optionholder's death, Disability, Retirement or as a result of a Change of Control), all
- (iv)
- Disability or Death of Optionholder. Unless otherwise provided in the Option Agreement, in the event that an Optionholder's Disability or death, all unvested Options shall immediately terminate, and all vested Options held by such person shall continue to be exercisable until 12 months after the date of such Disability or death. All such vested Option not exercised within such 12-month period shall terminate.
- (v)
- Retirement. Unless otherwise provided in the Option Agreement, in the event of the Optionholder's Retirement, all unvested Options shall automatically vest on the date of such Retirement and all Options shall be exercisable until the earlier of 24 months after such Retirement date or the expiration date of such Options. All such Options not exercised within the period described in the preceding sentence shall terminate.
- (b)
- Provisions Applicable to Incentive Share Options.
- (i)
- Term. Subject to the provisions of subsection 5(b) regarding Ten Percent Shareholders, no Incentive Share Option shall be exercisable after the expiration of ten (10) years from the date it was granted. Further, no grant of an Incentive Share Option shall be made under this Plan more than ten (10) years after the date the Plan is approved by the shareholders of the Company.
- (ii)
- Exercise Price of an Incentive Share Option. Subject to the provisions of subsection 5(b) regarding Ten Percent Shareholders, the exercise price of each Incentive Share Option shall be not less than one hundred percent (100%) of the Fair Market Value of the Ordinary Shares subject to the Option on the date the Option is granted.
- (iii)
- Transferability of an Incentive Share Option. An Incentive Share Option shall not be transferable except by will or by the laws of descent and distribution and shall be exercisable during the lifetime of the Optionholder only by the Optionholder.
- (iv)
- Incentive Share Option $100,000 Limitation. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan or an Option Agreement, the aggregate Fair Market Value of the Ordinary Shares with respect to which Incentive Share Options are exercisable for the first time by an Optionholder in any calendar year, under the Plan or any other option plan of the Company or its Affiliates, shall not exceed $100,000. For this purpose, the Fair Market Value of the Ordinary Shares shall be determined as of the time an Option is granted. The Options or portions thereof which exceed such limit (according to the order in which they were granted) shall be treated as Nonqualified Share Options.
- (c)
- Provisions Applicable to Nonqualified Share Options.
- (i)
- Exercise Price of a Nonqualified Share Option. To assure sufficient Board discretion, the exercise price of each Nonqualified Share Option shall be not less than eighty-five percent (85%) of the Fair Market Value of the Ordinary Shares subject to the Option on the date the Option is granted, provided, however, that the exercise price of each Nonqualified Share Option granted to a Covered Employee shall not be less than one hundred percent (100%) of the Fair Market Value of the Ordinary Shares subject to the Option on the date the Option is granted. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a Nonqualified Share Option may be granted with an exercise price lower than that set forth in the preceding sentence if such Option is granted pursuant to an assumption or substitution for another option in a manner satisfying the provisions of Section 424(a) of the Code.
Options held by the Optionholder shall immediately terminate; provided, however, if an Optionholder's Continuous Service is terminated for reasons other than for cause, all vested Options held by such person shall continue to be exercisable until the earlier of the expiration date of such Option or 180 days after the date of such termination. All such vested Options not exercised within the period described in the preceding sentence shall terminate.
- (ii)
- Transferability of a Nonqualified Share Option. A Nonqualified Share Option shall be transferable, if at all, to the extent provided in the Option Agreement. If the Option Agreement does not provide for transferability, then the Nonqualified Share Option shall not be transferable except by will or by the laws of descent and distribution and shall be exercisable during the lifetime of the Optionholder only by the Optionholder.
7. Provisions of Share Awards other than Options.
- (a)
- Restricted Share Awards. Each restricted share award agreement shall be in such form and shall contain such restrictions, terms and conditions, if any, as the Board shall deem appropriate and shall be subject to the terms and conditions of this Plan. The terms and conditions of restricted share award agreements may change from time to time, and the terms and conditions of separate restricted share award agreements need not be identical, but each restricted share award agreement shall include (through incorporation of provisions hereof by reference in the agreement or otherwise) the substance of each of the following provisions:
- (i)
- Consideration. A restricted share award may be awarded in consideration for past services actually rendered, or for future services to be rendered, to the Company or an Affiliate for its benefit.
- (ii)
- Vesting. Ordinary Shares awarded under the restricted share award agreement may (A) be subject to a vesting schedule to be determined by the Board, or (B) be fully vested at the time of grant.
- (iii)
- Termination of Participant's Continuous Service. Unless otherwise provided in the restricted share award agreement, in the event a Participant's Continuous Service terminates prior to a vesting date set forth in the restricted share award agreement, any unvested restricted share award shall be forfeited and automatically transferred to and reacquired by the Company at no cost to the Company, and neither the Participant nor his or her heirs, executors, administrators or successors shall have any right or interest in the restricted share award. Notwithstanding the foregoing, unless otherwise provided in the restricted share award agreement, in the event a Participant's Continuous Service terminates as a result of (A) being terminated by the Company for reasons other than for cause, (B) death, (C) Disability, (D) Retirement, or (E) a Change of Control (subject to the provisions of Section 11(c) hereof), then any unvested restricted share award shall vest immediately upon such date.
- (iv)
- Transferability. Rights to acquire Ordinary Shares under the restricted share award agreement shall be transferable by the Participant only upon such terms and conditions as are set forth in the restricted share award agreement, as the Board shall determine in its discretion, so long as Ordinary Shares awarded under the restricted share award agreement remain subject to the terms of the restricted share award agreement.
- (b)
- Grant of Share Appreciation Rights. Share appreciation rights to receive in cash (or its equivalent in Ordinary Shares) the excess of the Fair Market Value of Ordinary Shares on the date the rights are surrendered over the Fair Market Value of Ordinary Shares on the date of grant may be granted to any Employee, Director or Consultant selected by the Board. A share appreciation right may be granted (i) in connection and simultaneously with the grant of another Share Award, (ii) with respect to a previously granted Share Award, or (iii) independent of another Share Award. A share appreciation right shall be subject to such terms and conditions not inconsistent with this Plan as the Board shall impose and shall be evidenced by a written share appreciation right agreement, which shall be executed by the Participant and an authorized officer of the Company. The Board, in its discretion, may determine whether a share appreciation right is to qualify as performance-based compensation as described in Section 162(m)(4)(C) of the Code and share appreciation right agreements evidencing share appreciation rights intended to so qualify shall contain such terms and
conditions as may be necessary to meet the applicable provisions of Section 162(m) of the Code. The Board may, in its discretion and on such terms as it deems appropriate, require as a condition of the grant of a share appreciation right that the Participant surrender for cancellation some or all of the Share Awards previously granted to such person under this Plan or otherwise. A share appreciation right, the grant of which is conditioned upon such surrender, may have an exercise price lower (or higher) than the exercise price of the surrendered Share Award, may contain such other terms as the Board deems appropriate, and shall be exercisable in accordance with its terms, without regard to the number of shares, price, exercise period or any other term or condition of such surrendered Share Award.
- 8.
- Availability of Shares. During the terms of the Share Awards, the Company shall keep available at all times the number of Ordinary Shares required to satisfy such Share Awards.
9. Use of Proceeds from Share.
Proceeds from the sale of Ordinary Shares pursuant to Share Awards shall constitute general funds of the Company.
10. Miscellaneous.
- (a)
- Exercise of Awards. Share Awards shall be exercisable at such times, or upon the occurrence of such event or events as the Board shall determine at or subsequent to grant. Share Awards may be exercised in whole or in part. Ordinary Shares purchased upon the exercise of a Share Award shall be paid for in full at the time of such purchase.
- (b)
- Acceleration of Exercisability and Vesting. The Board shall have the power to accelerate the time at which a Share Award may first be exercised or the time during which a Share Award or any part thereof will vest in accordance with the Plan, notwithstanding the provisions in the Share Award stating the time at which it may first be exercised or the time during which it will vest.
- (c)
- Shareholder Rights.
- (i)
- Options. Unless otherwise provided in and upon the terms and conditions in the Option Agreement, no Participant shall be deemed to be the holder of, or to have any of the rights of a holder with respect to, any Ordinary Shares subject to an Option unless and until such Participant has satisfied all requirements for exercise of, and has exercised, the Option pursuant to its terms.
- (ii)
- Restricted Shares. Unless otherwise provided in and upon the terms and conditions in the restricted share award agreement, a Participant shall have the right to receive all dividends and other distributions paid or made respecting such restricted shares, provided, however, no unvested restricted shares shall have any voting rights of a shareholder respecting such unvested restricted shares unless and until such unvested restricted shares become vested.
- (d)
- No Employment or other Service Rights. Nothing in the Plan or any instrument executed or Share Award granted pursuant thereto shall confer upon any Participant any right to continue to serve the Company or an Affiliate in the capacity in effect at the time the Share Award was granted, or any other capacity, or shall affect the right of the Company or an Affiliate to terminate with or without notice and with or without cause (i) the employment of an Employee, (ii) the service of a Consultant to the Company or an Affiliate or (iii) the service of a Director of the Company or an Affiliate.
- (e)
- Withholding Obligations. If the Company has or will have a legal obligation to withhold the taxes related to the grant, vesting or exercise of the Share Award, such Award may not be granted, vested or exercised in whole or in part, unless such tax obligation is first satisfied in a
- (f)
- Listing and Qualification of Shares. This Plan and grant and exercise of Share Awards hereunder, and the obligation of the Company to sell and deliver Ordinary Shares under such Share Awards, shall be subject to all applicable United States federal and state laws, rules and regulations and to such approvals by any government or regulatory agency as may be required. The Company, in its discretion, may postpone the issuance or delivery of Ordinary Shares upon any exercise of a Share Award until completion of any stock exchange listing, or other qualification of such Ordinary Shares under any United States federal or state law rule or regulation as the Company may consider appropriate, and may require any individual to whom a Share Award is granted, such individual's beneficiary or legal representative, as applicable, to make such representations and furnish such information as the Board may consider necessary, desirable or advisable in connection with the issuance or delivery of the Ordinary Shares in compliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations.
- (g)
- Non-Uniform Determinations. The Board's determinations under this Plan (including, without limitation, determinations of the persons to receive Share Awards, the form, term, provisions, amount and timing of the grant of such Share Awards and of the agreements evidencing the same) need not be uniform and may be made by it selectively among persons who receive, or are eligible to receive, Share Awards under this Plan, whether or not such persons are similarly situated.
manner satisfactory to the Company. To the extent provided by the terms of a Share Award Agreement or Option Agreement, the Participant may satisfy any federal, state or local tax withholding obligation relating to the exercise or acquisition of Ordinary Shares under a Share Award by any of the following means (in addition to the Company's right to withhold from any compensation paid to the Participant by the Company) or by a combination of such means: (i) tendering a cash payment in Dollars; (ii) authorizing the Company to withhold Ordinary Shares from the Ordinary Shares otherwise issuable to the Participant as a result of the exercise or acquisition of Ordinary Shares under the Share Award, provided, however, that no Ordinary Shares are withheld with a value exceeding the minimum amount of tax required to be withheld by law; or (iii) delivering to the Company owned and unencumbered Ordinary Shares.
11. Adjustments upon Changes in Share.
- (a)
- Capitalization Adjustments. If any change is made in the Ordinary Shares subject to the Plan, or subject to any Share Award, without the receipt of consideration by the Company (through merger, consolidation, reorganization, recapitalization, reincorporation, share dividend, dividend in property other than cash, share split, liquidating dividend, combination of shares, exchange of shares, change in corporate structure or other transaction), the Plan will be appropriately adjusted in the class(es) and maximum number of securities subject to the Plan pursuant to subsection 4(a) and the maximum number of securities subject to award to any person pursuant to subsection 5(c), and the outstanding Share Awards will be appropriately adjusted in the class(es) and number of securities and price per share of Ordinary Shares subject to such outstanding Share Awards. The Board shall make such adjustments, and its determination shall be final, binding and conclusive. (The conversion of any convertible securities of the Company shall not be treated as a transaction "without receipt of consideration" by the Company.)
- (b)
- Dissolution or Liquidation. In the event of a dissolution or liquidation of the Company, then all outstanding Share Awards shall terminate immediately prior to such event.
- (c)
- Asset Sale, Merger, Consolidation or Reverse Merger. In the event of (i) a sale, lease or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, (ii) a merger or consolidation of the Company with or into any other corporation or entity or person, or any other corporate reorganization, in which the shareholders of the Company immediately prior to such consolidation, merger or reorganization, own less than 50% of the Company's
outstanding voting power of the surviving entity (or its parent) following the consolidation, merger, or reorganization or (iii) any transaction (or series of related transactions involving a person or entity, or a group of affiliated persons or entities) in which in excess of fifty percent (50%) of the Company's outstanding voting power is transferred (individually, a "Change of Control"), then any unvested Share Awards shall vest immediately prior to the closing of the Change of Control, and the Board shall have the power and discretion to provide for the Participant's election alternatives regarding the terms and conditions for the exercise of, or modification of, any outstanding Share Awards granted hereunder, provided, however, such alternatives shall not affect the then current exercise provisions without such Participant's consent. The Board may provide that Share Awards granted hereunder must be exercised in connection with the closing of such transaction, and that if not so exercised such Share Awards will expire. Any such determinations by the Board may be made generally with respect to all Participants, or may be made on a case-by-case basis with respect to particular Participants. The provisions of this Section 11(c) shall not apply to any transaction undertaken for the purpose of reincorporating the Company under the laws of another jurisdiction, if such transaction does not materially affect the beneficial ownership of the Company's capital stock.
12. Amendment of the Plan and Share Awards.
- (a)
- Amendment of Plan. The Board at any time, and from time to time, may amend the Plan. However, except as provided in Section 11 relating to adjustments upon changes in Ordinary Shares, no amendment shall be effective unless approved by the shareholders of the Company to the extent shareholder approval is necessary to satisfy the requirements of Section 422 of the Code, Rule 16b-3 or any applicable Nasdaq or securities exchange listing requirements.
- (b)
- Shareholder Approval. The Board may, in its sole discretion, submit any other amendment to the Plan for shareholder approval, including, but not limited to, amendments to the Plan intended to satisfy the requirements of Section 162(m) of the Code and the regulations thereunder regarding the exclusion of performance-based compensation from the limit on corporate deductibility of compensation paid to certain executive officers.
- (c)
- Contemplated Amendments. It is expressly contemplated that the Board may amend the Plan in any respect the Board deems necessary or advisable to provide eligible Employees with the maximum benefits provided or to be provided under the provisions of the Code and the regulations promulgated thereunder relating to Incentive Share Options and/or to bring the Plan and/or Incentive Share Options granted under it into compliance therewith.
- (d)
- No Impairment of Rights. Rights under any Share Award granted before amendment of the Plan shall not be impaired by any amendment of the Plan unless the Participant consents in writing.
- (e)
- Amendment of Share Awards. The Board at any time, and from time to time, may amend the terms of any one or more Share Awards; provided, however, that the rights under any Share Award shall not be impaired by any such amendment unless the applicable Participant consents in writing.
13. Termination or Suspension of the Plan.
- (a)
- Plan Term. The Board 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 date the Plan is adopted by the shareholders of the Company. No Share Awards may be granted under the Plan while the Plan is suspended or after it is terminated.
- (b)
- No Impairment of Rights. Suspension or termination of the Plan shall not impair rights and obligations under any Share Award granted while the Plan is in effect except with the written consent of the Participant.
- (c)
- Savings Clause. This Plan is intended to comply in all aspects with applicable laws and regulations. In case any one more of the provisions of this Plan shall be held invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect under applicable law or regulation, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby and the invalid, illegal or unenforceable provision shall be deemed null and void; however, to the extent permissible by law, any provision which could be deemed null and void shall first be construed, interpreted or revised retroactively to permit this Plan to be construed in compliance with all applicable laws so as to foster the intent of this Plan.
14. Effective Date of Plan.
The Plan shall become effective as determined by the Board, but no Share Award shall be exercised (or, in the case of a restricted share award, shall be granted) unless and until the Plan has been approved by the shareholders of the Company, which approval shall be within twelve (12) months before or after the date the Plan is adopted by the Board.
15. Choice of Law.
The law of the Delaware shall govern all questions concerning the construction, validity and interpretation of this Plan, without regard to such state's conflict of laws rules.
2004 Equity Incentive Plan