Certificates for stock issued to participants shall be delivered as soon as practicable after each Payment Period by the Company’s transfer agent.
Stock purchased under the Plan shall be issued only in the name of the participant, or if the participant’s authorization so specifies, in the name of the participant and another person of legal age as joint tenants with rights of survivorship.
Upon the happening of any of the following described events, a participant’s rights under options granted under the Plan shall be adjusted as hereinafter provided:
Upon the happening of any of the foregoing events, the class and aggregate number of shares set forth in Article 4 hereof which are subject to options which have been or may be granted under the Plan and the limitations set forth in the second paragraph of Article 5 shall also be appropriately adjusted to reflect the events specified in paragraphs A and B above. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any adjustments made pursuant to paragraphs A or B shall be made only after the Committee, based on advice of counsel for the Company, determines whether such adjustments would constitute a “modification” (as that term is defined in Section 424 of the Code). If theCommittee determines that such adjustments would constitute a modification, it may refrain from making such adjustments.
If the Company is to be consolidated with or acquired by another entity (x) in a merger, consolidation or other reorganization in which the holders of the outstanding voting stock of the Company immediately preceding the consummation of such event shall, immediately following such event, hold, as a group, less than a majority of the voting securities of the surviving or resulting entity, (y) a sale of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets or (z) otherwise (an “Acquisition”), the Committee or the board of directors of any entity assuming the obligations of the Company hereunder (the “Successor Board”) shall, with respect to options then outstanding under the Plan, either (i) make appropriate provision for the continuation of such options by arranging for the substitution on an equitable basis for the shares then subject to such options either (a) the consideration payable with respect to the outstanding shares of the Common Stock in connection with the Acquisition, (b) shares of stock of the surviving or successor corporation, or a parent or subsidiary of such corporation, or (c) such other securities as the Successor Board deems appropriate, the fair market value of which shall not materially exceed the fair market value of the shares of Common Stock subject to such options immediately preceding the Acquisition; or (ii) terminate each participant’s options in exchange for a cash payment equal to the excess of (a) the fair market value on the date of the Acquisition, of the number of shares of Common Stock that the participant’s accumulated payroll deductions as of the date of the Acquisition could purchase, at an option price determined with reference only to the first business
day of the applicable Payment Period and subject to the 1125-share, Code Section 423(b)(8) and fractional-share limitations on the amount of stock a participant would be entitled to purchase, over (b) the result of multiplying such number of shares by such option price.
The Committee or Successor Board shall determine the adjustments to be made under this Article 12, and its determination shall be conclusive.
Article 13 - No Transfer or Assignment of Employee’s Rights.
An option granted under the Plan may not be transferred or assigned and may be exercised only by the participant.
Article 14 - Termination of Employee’s Rights.
Whenever a participant ceases to be an eligible employee because of retirement, voluntary or involuntary termination, resignation, layoff, discharge, death or for any other reason, his or her rights under the Plan shall immediately terminate, and the Company shall promptly refund, without interest, the entire balance of his or her payroll deduction account under the Plan. Notwithstanding the foregoing, eligible employment shall be treated as continuing intact while a participant is on military leave, sick leave or other bona fide leave of absence, for up to 90 days, or for so long as the participant’s right to re-employment is guaranteed either by statute or by contract, if longer than 90 days.
Article 15 - Termination and Amendments to Plan.
Unless terminated sooner as provided below, the Plan shall terminate on December 31,20062016. The Plan may be terminated at any time by the Company’s Board of Directors but such termination shall not affect options then outstanding under the Plan. It will terminate in any case when all or substantially all of the unissued shares of stock reserved for the purposes of the Plan have been purchased. If at any time shares of stock reserved for the purpose of the Plan remain available for purchase but not in sufficient number to satisfy all then unfilled purchase requirements, the available shares shall be apportioned among participants in proportion to the amount of payroll deductions accumulated on behalf of each participant that would otherwise be used to purchase stock, and the Plan shall terminate. Upon such termination or any other termination of the Plan, all payroll deductions not used to purchase stock will be refunded, without interest.
The Committee or the Board of Directors may from time to time adopt amendments to the Plan provided that, without the approval of the stockholders of the Company, no amendment may (i) increase the number of shares that may be issued under the Plan, or (ii) change the class of employees eligible to receive options under the Plan, if such action would be treated as the adoption of a new plan for purposes of Section 423(b) of the Code.
Article 16 - Limits on Sale of Stock Purchased under the Plan.
The Plan is intended to provide shares of Common Stock for investment and not for resale. The Company does not, however, intend to restrict or influence any employee in the conduct of his or her own affairs. An employee may, therefore, sell stock purchased under the Plan at any time the employee chooses, subject to compliance with any applicable federal or state securities laws and subject to any restrictions imposed under Article 21 to ensure that tax withholding obligations are satisfied.THE EMPLOYEE ASSUMES THE RISK OF ANY MARKET FLUCTUATIONS IN THE PRICE OF THE COMMON STOCK.
Article 17 - Participating Subsidiaries.
The term “participating subsidiary” shall mean any present or future subsidiary of the Company, as that term is defined in Section 424(f) of the Code, which is designated from time to time by the Board of Directors to participate in the Plan. The Board of Directors shall have the power to make such designation before or after the Plan is approved by the stockholders.
Article 18 - Optionees Not Stockholders.
Neither the granting of an option to an employee nor the deductions from his or her pay shall constitute such employee a stockholder of the shares covered by an option until such shares have been actually purchased by the employee.
31
Article 19 - Application of Funds.
The proceeds received by the Company from the sale of Common Stock pursuant to options granted under the Plan will be used for general corporate purposes.
Article 20 - Notice to Company of Disqualifying Disposition.
By electing to participate in the Plan, each participant agrees to notify the Company in writing immediately after the participant transfers Common Stock acquired under the Plan, if such transfer occurs within two years after the first business day of the Payment Period in which such Common Stock was acquired. Each participant further agrees to provide any information about such a transfer as may be requested by the Company or any subsidiary corporation in order to assist it in complying with the tax laws. Such dispositions generally are treated as “disqualifying dispositions” under Sections 421 and 424 of the Code, which have certain tax consequences to participants and to the Company and its participating subsidiaries.
Article 21 - Withholding of Additional Income Taxes.
By electing to participate in the Plan, each participant acknowledges that the Company and its participating subsidiaries are required to withhold taxes with respect to the amounts deducted from the participant’s compensation and accumulated for the benefit of the participant under the Plan, and each participant agrees that the Company and its participating subsidiaries may deduct additional amounts from the participant’s compensation, when amounts are added to the participant’s account, used to purchase Common Stock or refunded, in order to satisfy such withholding obligations. Each participant further acknowledges that when Common Stock is purchased under the Plan the Company and its participating subsidiaries may be required to withhold taxes with respect to all or a portion of the difference between the fair market value of the Common Stock purchased and its purchase price, and each participant agrees that such taxes may be withheld from compensation otherwise payable to such participant. It is intended that tax withholding will be accomplished in such a manner that the full amount of payroll deductions elected by the participant under Article 7 will be used to purchase Common Stock. However, if amounts sufficient to satisfy applicable tax withholding obligations have not been withheld from compensation otherwise payable to any participant, then, notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, the Company may withhold such taxes from the participant’s accumulated payroll deductions and apply the net amount to the purchase of Common Stock, unless the participant pays to the Company, prior to the exercise date, an amount sufficient to satisfy such withholding obligations. Each participant further acknowledges that the Company and its participating subsidiaries may be required to withhold taxes in connection with the disposition of stock acquired under the Plan and agrees that the Company or any participating subsidiary may take whatever action it considers appropriate to satisfy such withholding requirements, including deducting from compensation otherwise payable to such participant an amount sufficient to satisfy such withholding requirements or conditioning any disposition of Common Stock by the participant upon the payment to the Company or such subsidiary of an amount sufficient to satisfy such withholding requirements.
Article 22 - Governmental Regulations.
The Company’s obligation to sell and deliver shares of Common Stock under the Plan is subject to the approval of any governmental authority required in connection with the authorization, issuance or sale of such shares.
Government regulations may impose reporting or other obligations on the Company with respect to the Plan. For example, the Company may be required to identify shares of Common Stock issued under the Plan on its stock ownership records and send tax information statements to employees and former employees who transfer title to such shares.
Article 23 - Governing Law.
The validity and construction of the Plan shall be governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, without giving effect to the principles of conflicts of law thereof.
32
Article 24 - Approval of Board of Directors and Stockholders of the Company.
The 1996 Employee Stock Purchase Plan was adopted by the Board of Directors on September 6, 1996 and was approved by the stockholders of the Company on October 25, 1996. The 1996 Employee Stock Purchase Plan was amended and restated on May 29, 1997 to constitute the Amended and Restated 1996 Employee Stock Purchase Plan. The Amended and Restated 1996 Employee Stock Purchase Plan was amended and restated on April 14, 2000 to constitute the Second Amended and Restated 1996 Employee Stock Purchase Plan. The Second Amended and Restated 1996 Employee Stock Purchase Plan was further amended on July 12, 2002, July 16, 2003 and May 19, 2006.The Third Amended and Restated 1996 Employee Stock Purchase Plan was adopted by the Board of Directors on May 19, 2006 and was approved by the stockholders of the Company on July 12, 2006 to constitute the Plan.
33