Participant acknowledges that in the event any leave of absence taken by Participant exceeds three months without a right to reemployment with the Company provided either by statute or by contract, the Option may become a Nonstatutory Stock Option and as a result will no longer eligible for the potentially advantageous tax treatment afforded to “incentive stock options” within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code. In addition, Participant acknowledges that if Participant ceases to be an ISO Eligible Employee but continues to provide services to the Company or a subsidiary, any portion of this Option that qualified as an Incentive Stock Option will be deemed to be a Nonstatutory Stock Option three months after Participant ceases to be an ISO Eligible Employee.
The right of exercise shall be cumulative so that to the extent the Option is not exercised in any period to the maximum extent permissible it shall continue to be exercisable, in whole or in part, with respect to all Shares for which it is vested until the earlier of the Final Exercise Date or the termination of this Option under Section 3 hereof or the Plan.
3. Exercise of Option.
(a) Form of Exercise. Each election to exercise this Option shall be accompanied by a (i) completed Notice of Stock Option Exercise in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A and (ii) completed Joinder Agreement in the form attached hereto as Exhibit B, pursuant to which the Participant agrees to become a party to and bound by that certain Eighth Amended and Restated Stockholders’ Agreement, dated as of April 30, 2020, by and among the Company and certain stockholders of the Company (as such agreement may be amended and/or restated from time to time, the “Stockholders’ Agreement”) and that certain Eighth Amended and Restated Voting Agreement, dated as of April 30, 2020, by and among the Company and certain stockholders of the Company (as such agreement may be amended and/or restated from time to time, the “Voting Agreement”), each signed by the Participant, and received by the Company at its principal office, accompanied by this agreement, and payment in full for the Shares with respect to which the Option or portion thereof is exercised in the manner provided in the Plan. The Participant may purchase less than the number of shares covered hereby, provided that no partial exercise of this Option may be for any fractional share or for fewer than ten whole shares.
(b) Continuous Relationship with the Company Required. Except as otherwise provided in this Section 3, this Option may not be exercised unless the Participant, at the time he or she exercises this Option, is, and has been at all times since the Grant Date, an employee or officer of, or consultant or advisor to, the Company or any parent or subsidiary of the Company as defined in Section 424(e) or (f) of the Code (an “Eligible Participant”). Except as may be otherwise provided by the Administrator, during the lifetime of Participant, only Participant may exercise the Option or any portion thereof. After the death of Participant, any exercisable portion of the Option may, prior to the time when the Option becomes unexercisable under this Agreement, be exercised by Participant’s personal representative or by any person empowered to do so under the deceased Participant’s will or under the then applicable laws of descent and distribution.
(c) Termination of Relationship with the Company. If the Participant ceases to be an Eligible Participant for any reason, then, except as provided in paragraphs (d) and (e) below, the right to exercise this Option shall terminate three months after such cessation (but in no event after the Final Exercise Date), provided that this Option shall be exercisable only to the extent that the Participant was entitled to exercise this Option on the date of such cessation. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Participant, prior to the Final Exercise Date, violates the non-competition, non-disparagement, non-interference or confidentiality provisions of any employment, consulting, advisory, nondisclosure, non-competition or other agreement between the Participant and the Company (including, without limitation, the Restrictive Covenant Agreement (as defined below)), in addition to all other available remedies (including without limitation (i) seeking damages as it can show it sustained by reason of such breach and (ii) those remedies set forth in Section 11 of this Agreement), the right to exercise this Option shall terminate immediately upon such violation.