Exhibit 4.10
TERMS AND CONDITIONS GOVERNING RESTRICTED STOCK UNITS 2019/2024 IN SPOTIFY TECHNOLOGY S.A.
1. | Restricted Stock Unit issuer and holder |
1.1 | Spotify Technology S.A., a Luxembourg société anonyme, with registered address at 42-44, avenue de la Gare, L-1610 Luxembourg, registered with the Luxembourg Trade and Companies’ Register under number B 123.052 (the “Company”). |
1.2 | Employee of the Company or of any company controlled by the Company (the “Group”) in accordance with an individual notice of grant (the “Holder”). |
2. | Background |
2.1 | The Company’s board of directors (the “Board”) considers the existence of efficient share-related incentive programs for employees of the Group to be of material importance for the development of the Group. By connecting employees’ economic interests to the Group’s results and value trend, a long-term increase in value is promoted. Accordingly, the interests of participating employees and shareholders will coincide. |
2.2 | The foregoing notwithstanding, this restricted stock unit program (the “Restricted Stock Unit Program”) shall not form part of the Holders’ overall compensation and benefits under their contracts of employment with a Group company, if applicable, including, for the avoidance of doubt, not entitle to any pension benefits etc. Moreover, neither the granting of a Restricted Stock Unit (as defined below) under the Restricted Stock Unit Program nor the existence of a contract of employment between a Holder and a Group company shall give the Holder any right or expectation to be granted additional Restricted Stock Units at any time under the Restricted Stock Unit Program or otherwise. |
3. | RESTRICTED Stock UNIT; Shares Available |
Subject to the terms and conditions set out herein, the Holder is entitled to delivery of one share in the Company (a “Share”) per restricted stock unit (a “Restricted Stock Unit”). Subject to the provisions of clauses 7.1.6 and 7.2.3, the maximum aggregate number of Shares that may be subject to Restricted Stock Units under the Restricted Stock Unit Program is 9,200,000 Shares. Shares available for grant or sale under the Restricted Stock Unit Program will be reduced by the net Shares granted under the Terms and Conditions Governing Employee Stock Options 2019/2024 in Spotify Technology S.A. and the Terms and Conditions Governing Employee Stock Options 2019/2024 Interim in Spotify Technology S.A.
4. | Implementation and grant |
4.1 | The Restricted Stock Unit Program shall be effective as per January 1, 2019 (the “Implementation Date”). |
4.2 | Restricted Stock Units may be granted to the Holder during the period as from and including January, 1 2019 up to and including December 31, 2019. The date or dates of grants of Restricted Stock Units during such period (each, a “Date of Grant”) shall be determined by the Board in its sole discretion. |
2(10)
5.1.1 | Subject to continued employment with the Group, vesting of the Restricted Stock Units shall occur on the same date in each relevant calendar month as the Date of Grant in accordance with the following: |
(a) initially, 3/48 shall vest in the third calendar month following the Date of Grant; and
(b) thereafter, 1/48 shall vest each calendar month.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if there is no such date specified in (a) or (b) in the relevant calendar month, vesting shall occur on the last day of such month. The vesting schedule set out in this clause 5.1.1 may be amended pursuant to clause 5.1.2, 5.2 and 5.3.
5.1.2 | Notwithstanding the aforesaid, the Board shall be entitled, in its sole discretion, to grant Restricted Stock Units that are subject to a different vesting schedule. |
5.2.1 | If the Holder goes on leave of absence, such Holder’s Restricted Stock Units will not vest during the leave of absence, except as set forth below in this clause 5.2. The Restricted Stock Units that do not vest during the leave of absence as a consequence of the Holder’s leave of absence shall lapse immediately, if not otherwise determined by the Board. |
5.3.1 | If (i) the Holder resigns for any reason, including by reason of Holder retiring pursuant to the terms of his/her employment contract or regulatory requirements or (ii) the employer terminates the employment of the Holder with the Group for any reason, all unvested Restricted Stock Units shall cease vesting as of the date of termination of employment and shall immediately lapse. |
3(10)
5.3.3 | If a Holder changes the entity for which he or she is employed, but remains employed by the Group, such change will not be deemed a termination of employment for purposes of his/her Restricted Stock Units, provided that there is no other interruption or termination of the Holder’s employment, unless the Board, in its sole discretion, determines that the entity to which the Holder transfers is not a qualified affiliate of the Group. If a Holder changes the capacity in which he/she provides service to the Group from an employee to an independent contractor or consultant, such change will be deemed a termination of employment for purposes of his/her Restricted Stock Units. |
5.3.4 | If the Holder, when he/she commences his/her employment with the Group, is subject to a probationary or trial employment and, at the end of such probationary or trial employment, the employment with the Group is terminated (for whatever reason), all Restricted Stock Units shall lapse and be forfeited on the date of termination of employment. |
6. | SETTLEMENT |
6.1 | Settlement will occur through an electronic platform and with no paper documentation to be executed by the Holder. To this effect, the Holder will receive an individual username and an individual password from the Company, giving her/him access to a personal account on the electronic platform. Once the Holder will have logged-in and accepted the terms and conditions of the Restricted Stock Unit Program applicable to her/him, she/he will be able to carry out any actions required to settle (i) any Withholding Obligation (as defineed in clause 11.1 below) and (ii) Holder’s Tax Liability (as defined in clause 11.2 below), in each case as and to the extent the Board requires in its sole discretion (any such Withholding Obligations or Holder’s Tax Liability that the Board requires to be so settled, the “Holder’s Payment Obligations”). |
6.2 | Without limiting the foregoing, unless the Board determines otherwise, Holder’s Payment Obligations will be satisfied by a “net settlement” arrangement pursuant to which the Company will reduce the number of Shares issuable upon vesting or settlement by the minimum number of Shares (rounded up to the nearest whole Share, without any consideration to the Holder for such rounding) as are sufficient to satisfy Holder’s Payment Obligations (“Net Settlement”). |
6.3 | To the extent the Board determines that Net Settlement will not be used to satisfy a Holder’s Payment Obligations, the Board may require the Holder to satisfy such Holder’s Payment Obligations by any other method or combination of methods determined in the Board’s sole discretion, including, without limitation, by: |
4(10)
| Holder’s Payment Obligations. The net proceeds of such sale shall be delivered to the Company or its applicable Subsidiary upon the settlement of such sale, and any excess proceeds resulting from rounding up to the nearest whole Share shall be deposited into the Holder’s account on the electronic platform; or |
| ii. | a “cash settlement” arrangement pursuant to which the Holder’s Payment Obligations shall be satisfied with money that shall have been paid by the Holder to the Holder’s personal account on the electronic platform. |
6.4 | As soon as reasonably practicable (but no later than 30 days) following the completion of all actions required by the Holder to settle the Holder’s Payment Obligations with respect to any Restricted Stock Units that become vested (or if no such actions are required, within 30 days following the vesting date), the Company shall issue the number of Shares subject to the Restricted Stock Units that become vested in the name of the Holder (or if deceased, the Holder’s legal representative) (less any Shares reduced or sold pursuant to this clause 6). The Shares will be issued as fully paid and nonassessable Shares and may be authorized but previously unissued shares, treasury shares or shares purchased in the open market. |
6.5 | If the Holder does not complete any required actions to settle the Holder’s Payment Obligations with respect to any Restricted Stock Units that vested within 30 days following the applicable vesting date, then such Restricted Stock Units will be cancelled with respect to those Shares that would otherwise have become issuable therefor, unless otherwise decided by the Board. |
7.1.1 | With respect to any Restricted Stock Units that remain unvested as of the date immediately following the date of the Change in Control, the Board may, in its sole discretion, decide to (i) have these terms and conditions continue following the effective date of the Change in Control in accordance with the provisions of clause 7.1.2, (ii) allow a grant of substantially equivalent rights (i.e., among other things, that preserves the intrinsic value and vesting schedule of the Restricted Stock Units) with respect to securities in a new company to the rights the Holder had in the Company immediately before the Change in Control in accordance with the provisions of clause 7.1.3 or (iii) allow an amendment of the terms and conditions to the effect that, following the Change in Control, a new company assumes the Company’s rights and obligations hereunder in accordance with the provisions of clause 7.1.4. |
7.1.4 | If the Board decides to allow an amendment of the terms and conditions to the effect that, following the Change in Control, a new company assumes the Company’s rights and |
5(10)
obligations hereunder, the Holder’s vested and unsettled Restricted Stock Units and unvested Restricted Stock Units shall relate to shares in such new company. |
7.1.5 | If the Group, or any successor thereto, in connection with or within a period of 6 months following the closing of a Change in Control, terminates the employment of the Holder, other than for (i) the Holder’s willful failure to perform, or serious negligence in the performance of his/her duties and responsibilities as an employee; or (ii) any other breach of any material provision of these terms and conditions and/or any material breach of any material provision of his/her employment agreement; or (iii) the commission of fraud, embezzlement, theft or other dishonesty with respect to the employer or any of its associated companies, made by the Holder; or (iv) the commission of a felony or other crime involving moral turpitude or affecting the employer or any of its associated companies; or (v) any other circumstances constituting just cause for dismissal due to personal grounds (Sw. saklig grund för uppsägning på grund av personliga skäl) under Swedish law or similar under other applicable law (each of (i) through (v) a “Cause”), and if any Restricted Stock Units are subject to continued vesting after the Change in Control in accordance with this clause 7.1, all of the Holder’s unvested Restricted Stock Units shall vest as of the date of his or her termination of employment. |
7.1.6 | If any share split, reverse share split, share dividend, recapitalization, combination, reclassification or other distribution of the Company’s Shares without the receipt of consideration by the Company occurs, the Board will adjust the number and class of Shares that may be delivered under the number and class of Shares covered by each outstanding Restricted Stock Unit and in a manner that complies with all applicable laws to prevent diminution or enlargement of the benefits or potential benefits intended to be made available with respect to any grant of any Restricted Stock Unit. |
(i) a transaction or series of transactions (other than an offering of Shares to the general public through a registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission) whereby any “person” or related “group” of “persons” (as such terms are used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d)(2) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended from time to time (the “Exchange Act”)) directly or indirectly acquires beneficial ownership (within the meaning of Rules 13d-3 and 13d-5 under the Exchange Act) of securities of the Company possessing more than 50% of the total combined voting power of the Company’s securities outstanding immediately after such acquisition; provided, however, that the following acquisitions shall not constitute a Change in Control: (w) any acquisition by the Company; (x) any acquisition by an employee benefit plan maintained by the Company, (y) any acquisition which complies with clauses 7.1.7 (iii)(I)-(III); or (z) in respect of an Restricted Stock Unit held by a particular Holder, any acquisition by the Holder or any group of persons including the Holder (or any entity controlled by the Holder or any group of persons including the Holder);
(ii) the Incumbent Directors cease for any reason to constitute a majority of the Board;
(iii) the consummation by the Company (whether directly involving the Company or indirectly involving the Company through one or more intermediaries) of (x) a merger, consolidation, reorganization, or business combination, (y) a sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets in any single transaction or series of related transactions or (z) the acquisition of assets or stock of another entity, in each case other than a transaction: (I) which results in the Company’s voting securities outstanding immediately before the transaction continuing to represent (either by remaining outstanding or by being converted into voting securities of the Company or the person that,
6(10)
as a result of the transaction, controls, directly or indirectly, the Company or owns, directly or indirectly, all or substantially all of the Company’s assets or otherwise succeeds to the business of the Company (the Company or such person, the “Successor Entity”)) directly or indirectly, at least a majority of the combined voting power of the Successor Entity’s outstanding voting securities immediately after the transaction, and (II) after which no person or group beneficially owns voting securities representing 50% or more of the combined voting power of the Successor Entity; provided, however, that no person or group shall be treated for purposes of this clause (II) as beneficially owning 50% or more of the combined voting power of the Successor Entity solely as a result of the voting power held in the Company prior to the consummation of the transaction; and (III) after which at least a majority of the members of the board of directors (or the analogous governing body) of the Successor Entity were Board members at the time of the Board's approval of the execution of the initial agreement providing for such transaction; or
7.1.8 | (iv) the date which is 10 days on which banks are open for business generally (and not for internet banking only) in Luxembourg and the U.S. |
prior to the completion of a liquidation or dissolution of the Company.
7(10)
unilaterally in accordance with this clause 7.2, provided that the Restricted Stock Units preserve the material terms and conditions of the underlying rights, including the vesting schedule and the intrinsic value of the Restricted Stock Unit as of immediately prior to such transaction. |
7.2.3 | If the Company effects a change of the classes of outstanding Company securities, the Board shall, appropriately and proportionately adjust the class of securities subject to the Restricted Stock Units. The Board will make such adjustments, and its determination will be final, binding and conclusive. |
9.2 | If the Holder commits a material breach of any of its obligations under these terms and conditions, the Company is entitled, in addition to any liquidated damages in accordance with the provisions of clause 9.1, to claim damages in an amount corresponding to the difference between the actual damage suffered and the liquidated damages (if any), if such damage exceeds the amount of the liquidated damages (if any). |
9.3 | The payment by the Holder of any liquidated damages shall not affect the Company’s right to pursue other remedies that the Company may have against the Holder as a result of a breach. |
10.1 | The Holder hereby irrevocably authorises the Board, with full power of substitution, to endorse such documents on behalf of the Holder and to take any other action reasonably necessary to effect any of the Holder’s obligations under these terms and conditions, including but not limited to, execution of a transfer of Shares owned by the Holder. The Board shall hold any payment received for the benefit of the Holder under this clause 10.1 on behalf of the Holder and separated from any other funds. A withdrawal of the authorisation as provided for in this clause 10.1 constitutes a material breach of these terms and conditions for purposes of clause 8 and 9. |
8(10)
11.3 | The calculation of any Withholding Obligation or Holder’s Tax Liability, as applicable, will be subject to applicable rules and regulations and based on the applicable tax rates, as determined by the Board in its sole discretion in connection with determining the Holder’s Payment Obligations. |
11.4 | The Group assumes no responsibility for any Holder’s Tax Liability. The Holder represents that the Holder is not relying on the Group for any tax advice and explicitly agrees not to demand any compensation from the Group to cover any Holder’s Tax Liability. |
12. | Data protection |
13.1 | The Restricted Stock Units may not be transferred, otherwise disposed, pledged, borrowed against or used as any form of security. |
13.2 | The Company shall be entitled to amend these terms and conditions to the extent required by legislation, court decisions, decisions by public authorities or agreements, or if such amendments, in the reasonable judgment of the Company, are otherwise necessary for practical reasons, and provided in all of the aforementioned cases that the Holder’s rights are in no material respects adversely affected. If the Holder’s rights would be materially adversely affected, the Holder’s written consent shall be necessary for such amendment. |
9(10)
13.4 | The Holder has no right to compensation or damages for any loss in respect of the Restricted Stock Unit where such loss arises (or is claimed to arise), in whole or in part, from the termination of the Holder’s employment or service; or notice to terminate employment or service given by or to the Holder. However, this exclusion of liability shall not apply to termination of employment or service, or the giving of notice, where a competent tribunal or court, from which there can be no appeal (or which the relevant employing company has decided not to appeal), has found that the cessation of the Holder’s employment or service amounted to unfair or constructive dismissal of the Holder. |
13.6 | Shares will not be issued under this Restricted Stock Unit Program unless the issuance and delivery of such Shares comply with (or are exempt from) all applicable requirements of law, including (without limitation) the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, state securities laws and regulations, and the regulations of any stock exchange or other securities market on which the Company’s securities may then be traded. In addition to the terms and conditions provided herein, the Board may require that a Holder make such reasonable covenants, agreements and representations as the Board, in its sole discretion, deems advisable in order to comply with applicable law. The Board shall have the right to require any Holder to comply with any timing or other restrictions with respect to the settlement, distribution or exercise of any Restricted Stock Unit, including a window-period limitation, as may be imposed in the sole discretion of the Board. |
14. | Term and Termination |
These terms and conditions shall enter into force on the Implementation Date and remain in force until close of business in Sweden on December 31, 2028. The parties shall, however, after such date continue to be bound by the provisions set out in clause 13.5 and 15.
15.1 | These terms and conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the substantive law of Sweden (excluding its rules on conflict of laws). |
10(10)
15.3 | Any dispute, controversy or claim arising out of or in connection with these terms and conditions, or the breach, termination or invalidity thereof, shall be finally settled by arbitration in accordance with the Arbitration Rules of the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce. Unless otherwise agreed between the parties to such arbitration, the Arbitral Tribunal shall be composed of a sole arbitrator, the seat of arbitration shall be Stockholm and the language to be used in the arbitral proceedings shall be English. |
15.4 | The arbitral proceedings and all information and documentation related thereto shall be confidential, unless a disclosure is required under any applicable law, relevant stock exchange regulations or order of court, other tribunal or competition authority or as otherwise agreed between the Company and the Holder in writing. |
APPENDIX 1(a)
TO TERMS AND CONDITIONS GOVERNING Restricted
STOCK Units 2019/2024 in spotify technology s.a., terms and conditions governing Employee Stock options 2019/2024 in spotify technology s.a. and terms and conditions governing Retention compensation program 2019/2014 IN SPOTIFY TECHNOLOGY S.A.
This Appendix 1(a) to the Terms and Conditions Governing Restricted
Stock Units 2019/2024 in Spotify Technology S.A. (the “RSU Plan”), Terms and Conditions Governing Employee Stock Options 2019/2024 in Spotify Technology S.A. (the “ESOP”) and Terms and Conditions Governing Retention Compensation Program 2019/204 in Spotify Technology S.A. (the “Retention Program”) in Spotify Technology S.A. (together, the “Rules”) shall apply only to certain employees of the Group specified by the Company (the “Specified Individual[s]”). Capitalized terms contained herein shall have the same meanings given to them in the applicable Rules, unless otherwise provided by Appendix 1(a).
The Rules and this Appendix 1(a) shall be read together. In any case of an irreconcilable contradiction (as determined by the Board) between the provisions of this Appendix 1(a) and the Rules, the provisions of the Rules shall govern unless expressly stated otherwise in this Appendix 1(a).
This Appendix 1(a) is effective as of the Implementation Date.
16. | Vesting |
1.1 | Each of the Rules shall be amended such that, with respect to only the Specified Individual[s], clause 5.3.1 of each of the Rules shall instead have the following wording: |
“Notwithstanding anything set forth in these terms and conditions to the contrary, if (i) the employer terminates the employment of the [Holder][Employee] with the Group for any other reason than for Cause (as defined below); or (ii) the [Holder][Employee] resigns due to the employer’s material breach of the [Holder’s][Employee’s] employment contract, then (x) such number or portion of the [Holder’s][Employee’s] unvested awards granted hereunder (each, an “Award”) shall fully and non-contingently vest as of the date of termination of employment as would have vested had termination of employment occurred [___]1 months after the actual date of termination of employment; and (y) any remaining unvested Awards shall immediately lapse. A termination of employment described in clause 7.1.5 or 7.1.9 of the RSU Plan, 9.1.6 or 9.1.7 of the ESOP or 6.1.4 or 6.1.5 of the Retention Plan will not receive acceleration under this paragraph, and will instead be treated in accordance with such applicable clause.
If [Holder’s][Employee’s]employment terminates for any reason other than the specific exceptions specified in the previous paragraph, then all unvested Awards shall cease vesting as of the date of termination of employment and shall immediately lapse (in the case of the Retention Compensation, at the time set out in the table below).”
|
1 | To range between 6 and 12. |
APPENDIX 1(a)
2.1 | The Rules shall be amended such that, with respect to only the Specified Individual[s], a new clause 7.1.9 of the RSU Plan, a new clause 9.1.7 of the ESOP and a new clause 6.1.5 of the Retention Plan shall be added and shall have the following wording: |
“Notwithstanding anything set forth herein to the contrary, if there is a Change in Control and, in connection with or within a period of 6 months following the closing of the Change in Control, (a) the [Holder][Employee] is required to perform duties that are materially inconsistent with those normally performed by a [___]2 or is not [_____] of the entity resulting from the Change in Control, and the [Holder][Employee] elects to resign as a result of such requirement, or (b) the [Holder][Employee] otherwise experiences a constructive termination, and if any Awards are subject to continued vesting after the Change in Control, then all of the [Holder’s][Employee’s] unvested Awards shall fully vest as of the date of his or her termination of employment.”
|
2 | To include Holder’s title. |