adjustments, if any, shall be conclusive and binding on Participants under the Plan. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Committee shall not make any adjustments to outstanding Options or Stock Appreciation Rights that would constitute a modification or substitution of the stock right under Treas. Reg. Sections 1.409A-1(b)(5)(v) that would be treated as the grant of a new stock right or change in the form of payment for purposes of Code Section 409A.
Without affecting the number of Shares reserved or available hereunder, the Committee may authorize the issuance or assumption of benefits under the Plan in connection with any merger, consolidation, acquisition of property or stock, or reorganization upon such terms and conditions as it may deem appropriate.
4.5 Minimum Vesting. Except in the case of substitute Awards granted pursuant to Section 14.4, Awards granted to an Employee under the Plan shall either (i) be subject to a minimum vesting period of one year, or (ii) be granted solely in exchange for foregone cash compensation. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Committee may (i) permit and authorize acceleration of vesting of any Awards in the event of the Participant’s termination of service, and (ii) grant Awards without the above-described minimum vesting requirements with respect to awards covering 5% or fewer of the total number of Shares authorized under the Plan.
Article 5. Stock Options
5.1 Grant of Stock Options. The Committee is hereby authorized to grant Stock Options to Participants. Each Stock Option shall permit a Participant to purchase from the Company a stated number of Shares from the Company at an exercise price established by the Committee, subject to the terms and conditions described in this Article 5 and to such additional terms and conditions, as established by the Committee, in its sole discretion, that are consistent with the provisions of the Plan. An Option may be either an Incentive Stock Option or a Nonstatutory Stock Option.
5.2 Exercise Price. The exercise price per Share under a Stock Option shall be determined by the Committee at the time of grant; provided, however, that such exercise price shall not be less than the Fair Market Value of a Share on the Grant Date of such Stock Option (except in the case of a Stock Option issued as a substitute Award pursuant to Section 14.4).
5.3 Prohibition on Repricing. Except as otherwise provided in Section 4.4, the exercise price of a Stock Option may not be reduced, directly or indirectly by cancellation and regrant, replacement, substitution, surrender or otherwise, without the prior approval of the stockholders of the Company. In addition, the Company may not, without the prior approval of stockholders of the Company, (i) repurchase a Stock Option for value (in cash or otherwise) from a Participant, (ii) cancel a Stock Option in exchange for a new Stock Option or other Awards, or (iii) take any other action with respect to a Stock Option that would be treated as a repricing under the rules and regulations of the securities exchange on which the Shares are listed, in each case if the current Fair Market Value of the Shares underlying the Stock Option is lower than the exercise price per share of the Stock Option.
5.4 Stock Option Term. The term of each Stock Option shall be determined by the Committee at the time of grant; provided, however, that no Stock Option shall be exercisable later than the tenth anniversary of the date of its grant. Notwithstanding the foregoing, for Stock Options granted to Participants outside the United States, the Committee has the authority to grant Stock Options that have a term greater than ten years to the extent required by the applicable local laws of the jurisdictions in which such Stock Options are granted.
5.5 Time of Exercise. Stock Options shall be exercisable at such times and be subject to such restrictions and conditions as the Committee shall determine at the time of grant.
5.6 Method of Exercise. Stock Options shall be exercised by the delivery of a notice of exercise to the Company or an agent designated by the Company in a form specified or accepted by the Committee, or by complying with any alternative procedures which may be authorized by the Committee, setting forth the number of Shares with respect to which the Stock Option is to be exercised, accompanied by full payment for the Shares.
A condition of the issuance of the Shares as to which a Stock Option shall be exercised shall be the payment of the exercise price. As determined by the Committee in its sole discretion, the exercise price of any Stock Option shall be payable to the Company in full: (a) in cash or its equivalent; (b) by tendering (either by actual delivery or attestation) previously acquired Shares having an aggregate Fair Market Value at the time of exercise equal to the exercise price; (c) through a “net” exercise, whereby the Company withholds from the Stock Option a number of
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