Exhibit 10.9
SWVL HOLDINGS CORP
2021 OMNIBUS INCENTIVE COMPENSATION PLAN
SECTION 1. Purpose. The purpose of this 2021 Omnibus Incentive Compensation Plan (the “Plan”) is to give the Company a competitive advantage in attracting, retaining, awarding and motivating directors, officers, employees and consultants and to provide the Company and its Affiliates with a stock plan providing incentives directly linked to shareholder value and the opportunity to earn other incentive awards payable in cash. The Plan is intended to replace the Prior Plan, which shall be automatically terminated and replaced and superseded by the Plan on the Effective Date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any awards granted under the Prior Plan shall remain in effect pursuant to their terms.
SECTION 2. Definitions. Certain terms used herein have definitions given to them in the first instance in which they are used. In addition, for purposes of the Plan, the following terms shall have the meanings set forth below:
“Affiliate” means any Person Controlled by, Controlling or under common Control with, the applicable party.
“Award” means any award that is permitted under Section 6 and granted under the Plan.
“Applicable Exchange” means the Nasdaq Global Market or, if the Company does not qualify for such market, the Nasdaq Capital Market or any other public stock market, exchange or quotation system on which the Shares may be listed or quoted.
“Award Agreement” means any written or electronic agreement, contract or other instrument or document evidencing any Award, which may (but need not) require execution or acknowledgment by a Participant.
“Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.
“Business Combination Agreement” means that certain Business Combination Agreement, dated as of July 28, 2021, by and among Swvl Inc., the Company, Pivotal Merger Sub Company I, Pivotal Merger Sub Company II and Queen’s Gambit Growth Capital.
“Cash Incentive Award” means an Award that is settled in cash and the value of which is set by the Committee but is not calculated by reference to the Fair Market Value of a Share.
“Change of Control” means the occurrence of any of the following events:
(i) during any period of twelve (12) consecutive calendar months, individuals who were members of the Board on the first day of such period (the “Incumbent Directors”) cease for any reason to constitute a majority of the members of the Board then in office; provided, however, that any individual becoming a member of the Board subsequent to the first day of such period whose election, or nomination for election, by the Company’s shareholders was approved by a vote of at least a majority of the
Incumbent Directors shall be considered as though such individual were an Incumbent Director, but excluding, for purposes of this proviso, any such individual whose initial assumption of office occurs as a result of an actual or threatened proxy contest with respect to the election or removal of Board members or other actual or threatened solicitation of proxies or consents by or on behalf of any Person or Persons (whether or not acting in concert) other than the Board;
(ii) the consummation of (A) a merger, consolidation, statutory share exchange or similar form of transaction involving (x) the Company or (y) any of its Subsidiaries, but in the case of this clause (y) only if Company Voting Securities (as defined below) are issued or issuable, or (B) the sale or other disposition for value (but excluding any stock dividend, spin-off, split-off or similar transaction) of all or substantially all the assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, to an entity that is not an Affiliate (any transaction described in clause (A) or (B), a “Reorganization”), in each case, unless, immediately following such Reorganization, (1) all or substantially all the Persons who were the “beneficial owners” (as used in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act (or a successor rule thereto)) of the securities eligible to vote for the election of the Board (“Company Voting Securities”) outstanding immediately prior to the consummation of such Reorganization continue to beneficially own, directly or indirectly, more than 50% of the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities of the corporation or other entity resulting from such Reorganization (including a corporation or other entity that, as a result of such transaction, owns the Company or all or substantially all the Company’s assets either directly or through one or more subsidiaries) (the “Continuing Company”) in substantially the same relative proportions as their ownership, immediately prior to the consummation of such Reorganization, of the outstanding Company Voting Securities (excluding, for such purposes, any outstanding voting securities of the Continuing Company that such beneficial owners hold immediately following the consummation of the Reorganization as a result of their ownership prior to such consummation of voting securities of any corporation or other entity involved in or forming part of such Reorganization other than the Company), (2) no Person (excluding any employee benefit plan (or related trust) sponsored or maintained by the Continuing Company or any entity controlled by the Continuing Company) beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, 50% or more of the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities of the Continuing Company and (3) at least a majority of the members of the board of directors of the Continuing Company (or equivalent governing body) were Incumbent Directors at the time of the execution of the definitive agreement providing for such Reorganization or, in the absence of such an agreement, at the time at which approval of the Board was obtained for such Reorganization;
(iii) the shareholders of the Company approve a plan of complete liquidation or dissolution of the Company unless such liquidation or dissolution is part of a transaction or series of transactions described in subparagraph (ii) above that does not otherwise constitute a Change of Control; or
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(iv) any Person becomes the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing 50% or more of the combined voting power of the Company Voting Securities; provided, however, that for purposes of this subparagraph (iv), the following acquisitions shall not constitute a Change of Control: (w) any acquisition by, or directly from, the Company, (x) any acquisition by any employee benefit plan (or related trust) sponsored or maintained by the Company or an Affiliate, (y) any acquisition by an underwriter temporarily holding such Company Voting Securities pursuant to an offering of such securities or any acquisition by a pledgee of Company Voting Securities holding such securities as collateral or temporarily holding such securities upon foreclosure of the underlying obligation or (z) any acquisition pursuant to a Reorganization that does not constitute a Change of Control for purposes of subparagraph (ii) above.
“Closing” means the closing of the transactions contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement.
“Code” means the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time, or any successor statute thereto, and the regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Committee” means the Compensation Committee of the Board or a subcommittee thereof, or such other committee of the Board as may be designated by the Board to administer the Plan.
“Company” means Swvl Holdings Corp, a business company limited by shares incorporated under the laws of the British Virgin Islands, together with any successor thereto.
“Company Closing Fully-Diluted Share Capital” means the Company’s share capital as of immediately following the Closing, consisting of the sum of (a) the Shares issued and outstanding immediately following the Closing, (b) Shares that may be acquired pursuant to the exercise of Holdings Warrants outstanding immediately following the Closing, (c) Shares that may be acquired pursuant to the exercise of Exchanged Options outstanding immediately following the Closing, (d) Earnout Shares that may be issued upon satisfaction of the conditions set forth in the Business Combination Agreement and (e) Earnout RSUs outstanding immediately following the Closing. Holdings Warrants, Exchanged Options, Earnout Shares and Earnout RSUs shall have the meanings assigned to such terms in the Business Combination Agreement.
“Control” means the direct or indirect possession of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of a Person, whether through ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise (and Controlled and Controlling shall be construed accordingly).
“Deferred Share Unit” means a deferred share unit Award that represents an unfunded, unsecured and vested promise to deliver Shares in accordance with the terms of the applicable Award Agreement.
“Exchange Act” means the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended from time to time, or any successor statute thereto, and the regulations promulgated thereunder.
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“Exercise Price” means (a) in the case of each Option, the price specified in the applicable Award Agreement as the price-per-Share at which Shares may be purchased pursuant to such Option or (b) in the case of each SAR, the price specified in the applicable Award Agreement as the reference price-per-Share used to calculate the amount payable to the Participant pursuant to such SAR.
“Fair Market Value” means, except as otherwise provided in the applicable Award Agreement or determined by the Committee, (a) with respect to any property other than Shares, the fair market value of such property determined by such methods or procedures as shall be established from time to time by the Committee, and (b) with respect to Shares, as of any date, (i) either (A) the closing per-share sales price of Shares as reported by the Applicable Exchange for such stock exchange for such date or if there were no sales on such date, on the closest preceding date on which there were sales of Shares, or (B) any other price or prices (including a mean of such prices of Shares as reported on the Applicable Exchange as determined by the Committee in its discretion, provided that, in the case of Options and SARs, to the extent necessary to avoid the imposition of any taxes of penalties pursuant to Section 409A of the Code, such determination shall be in accordance with Section 1.409A-1(b)(5)(iv) of the Treasury Regulations, or (ii) in the event there shall be no public market for the Shares on such date, the fair market value of the Shares as determined in good faith by the Committee.
“Incentive Stock Option” means an option to purchase Shares from the Company that is intended to qualify for special U.S. Federal income tax treatment pursuant to Sections 421 and 422 of the Code, as now constituted or subsequently amended, or pursuant to a successor provision of the Code, and which is so designated in the applicable Award Agreement.
“Independent Director” means a member of the Board who is neither an employee of the Company nor an employee of any of its Affiliates.
“Individual Agreement” means a written employment, retention, consulting or similar agreement between a Participant and the Company or one of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates.
“Nonqualified Stock Option” means an option to purchase Shares from the Company that is not an Incentive Stock Option.
“Option” means an Incentive Stock Option or a Nonqualified Stock Option or both, as the context requires.
“Option Repricing” means, with respect to any Option or SAR, (i) an amendment to decrease the Exercise Price thereof, (ii) a cancellation at a time when the Exercise Price thereof exceeds the Fair Market Value of a Share in exchange for another Option or SAR or other Award, any award under any other equity-compensation plan or any cash payment or (iii) any other action that would be treated as a “repricing” that would be prohibited by any rules, regulations or listing requirements of the Applicable Exchange, to the extent that such rules, regulations or listing requirements were applicable to the Company. For the avoidance of doubt, an adjustment to the Exercise Price of an Option or SAR that is made in accordance with Section 4(b) or Section 8 of the Plan shall not constitute an Option Repricing.
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“Participant” means any director, officer, employee or consultant (including any prospective director, officer, employee or consultant) of the Company or its Affiliates who is eligible for an Award under Section 5 of the Plan and who is selected by the Committee to receive an Award under the Plan or who receives a Substitute Award pursuant to Section 4(c) of the Plan.
“Person” means an individual or any corporation, partnership, limited liability company, trust, unincorporated organization, association, joint venture or any other organization or entity, whether or not a legal entity.
“Prior Plan” means the Swvl Inc. 2019 Share Option Plan, as may be amended from time to time.
“Restricted Share” means a Share that is subject to transfer restrictions, forfeiture provisions and/or other terms and conditions specified herein and in the applicable Award Agreement.
“RSU” means a restricted stock unit Award that represents an unfunded and unsecured promise to deliver Shares, cash, other securities, other Awards or other property upon the satisfaction of applicable vesting or similar conditions in accordance with the terms of the applicable Award Agreement.
“SAR” means a stock appreciation right Award that represents an unfunded and unsecured promise to deliver Shares, cash, other securities, other Awards or other property equal in value to the excess, if any, of the Fair Market Value per Share over the Exercise Price per Share of the SAR, subject to the terms of the applicable Award Agreement.
“SEC” means the Securities and Exchange Commission or any successor thereto and shall include the staff thereof.
“Shares” means the Company’s Class A ordinary shares of par value US$0.0001 per share, or such other securities of the Company (a) into which such shares shall be changed by reason of a recapitalization, merger, consolidation, split-up, combination, exchange of shares or other similar transaction or (b) as may be determined by the Committee pursuant to Section 4(b) of the Plan.
“Subsidiary” means, with respect to any Person and as of any determination date, any other Person as to which such first Person (i) owns, directly or indirectly, or otherwise controls, more than fifth percent (50%) of the voting power or other similar interests of such other Person, or (ii) is the sole general partner interest, or managing member or similar interest, of such other Person.
“Treasury Regulations” means all proposed, temporary and final regulations promulgated under the Code, as such regulations may be amended from time to time (including corresponding provisions of succeeding regulations).
SECTION 3. Administration. (a) Composition of the Committee. The Board hereby delegates to the Committee all its authority and responsibilities with respect to the Plan. The Committee shall be composed of one or more directors, as determined by the Board.
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(b) Authority of the Committee. Subject to the terms of the Plan and applicable law, and in addition to the other express powers and authorizations conferred on the Committee by the Plan, the Committee shall have sole and plenary authority to administer the Plan, including the authority to (i) designate Participants, (ii) determine the type or types of Awards to be granted to a Participant and all the terms and conditions thereof, (iii) interpret, administer, reconcile any inconsistency in, correct any fault in or supply any omission in, the Plan, any Award Agreement or any other instrument or agreement relating to, or Award made under, the Plan, (iv) establish, amend, suspend or waive such rules and regulations and appoint such agents as it shall deem appropriate for the proper administration of the Plan, (v) accelerate the vesting or exercisability of, payment for or lapse of restrictions on, Awards, and (vi) make any other determination and take any other action that the Committee deems necessary or desirable for the administration of the Plan or any Award.
(c) Committee Decisions. Unless otherwise expressly provided in the Plan, all designations, determinations, interpretations and other decisions under or with respect to the Plan or any Award shall be within the sole and plenary discretion of the Committee, may be made at any time and shall be final, conclusive and binding upon all Persons, including the Company, any Affiliate, any Participant, any holder or beneficiary of any Award and any shareholder.
(d) Indemnification. No member of the Board, the Committee or any employee of the Company (each such person, a “Covered Person”) shall be liable for any action taken or omitted to be taken or any determination made in good faith with respect to the Plan or any Award. Each Covered Person shall, to the fullest extent permitted under applicable law, be indemnified and held harmless by the Company from and against (i) any loss, cost, liability or expense (including attorneys’ fees) that may be imposed upon or incurred by such Covered Person in connection with or resulting from any action, suit or proceeding to which such Covered Person may be a party or in which such Covered Person may be involved by reason of any action taken or omitted to be taken under the Plan or any Award Agreement and (ii) any and all amounts paid by such Covered Person, with the Company’s approval, in settlement thereof, or paid by such Covered Person in satisfaction of any judgment in any such action, suit or proceeding against such Covered Person; provided that the Company shall have the right, at its own expense, to assume and defend any such action, suit or proceeding, and, once the Company gives notice of its intent to assume the defense, the Company shall have sole control over such defense with counsel of the Company’s choice. The foregoing right of indemnification shall not be available to a Covered Person to the extent that a court of competent jurisdiction in a final judgment or other final adjudication, in either case not subject to further appeal, determines that the acts or omissions of such Covered Person giving rise to the indemnification claim resulted from such Covered Person’s bad faith, fraud or willful criminal act or omission or that such right of indemnification is otherwise prohibited by law or by the Company’s memorandum and articles of association, in each case, as may be amended from time to time. The foregoing right of indemnification shall not be exclusive of any other rights of indemnification to which Covered Persons may be entitled under the Company’s memorandum and articles of association, as a matter of law, or otherwise, or any other power that the Company may have to indemnify such persons or hold them harmless.
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(e) Delegation of Authority to Senior Officers. The Committee may delegate, on such terms and conditions as it determines, to one or more officers of the Company the authority to make grants of Awards to officers, employees and consultants of the Company and its Affiliates (including any prospective officer, employee or consultant) and all necessary and appropriate decisions and determinations with respect thereto.
(f) Awards to Independent Directors. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the Board may, in its sole and plenary discretion, at any time and from time to time, grant Awards to Independent Directors or administer the Plan with respect to such Awards. In any such case, the Board shall have all the authority and responsibility granted to the Committee herein.
SECTION 4. Shares Available for Awards. (a) Plan Share Limits. (i) Subject to adjustment as provided herein, the maximum aggregate number of Shares that may be delivered pursuant to Awards granted under the Plan shall initially be equal to (A) a number of Shares equal to ten percent (10%) of the Company Closing Fully-Diluted Share Capital plus (B) the number of Shares underlying awards under the Prior Plan that on or after the Effective Date expire or become unexercisable, or are forfeited, cancelled or otherwise terminated, in each case, without delivery of Shares or cash therefor, and would have become available again for grant under the Prior Plan in accordance with their respective terms (the number of Shares under clauses (A) and (B), collectively, the “Plan Share Limit”). The Plan Share Limit will increase annually on the first day of each fiscal year after the Effective Date by the number of Shares equal to the lesser of (x) five percent (5%) of the total outstanding Shares on the last day of the prior fiscal year or (y) such lesser amount determined by the Board. Subject to adjustment as provided herein, the maximum aggregate number of Shares available for grants of Incentive Stock Options shall be equal to 2,000,000 (the “Plan ISO Limit”).
(ii) Each Share with respect to which an Award is granted under the Plan shall reduce the Plan Share Limit (and, if applicable, Plan ISO Limit) by one (1) Share. Upon exercise of a stock-settled SAR, the Plan Share Limit shall be reduced by the actual number of Shares delivered upon settlement of such stock-settled SAR. Awards that are required to be settled in cash will not reduce the Plan Share Limit.
(iii) If any Award is (A) forfeited, or otherwise expires, terminates or is canceled without the delivery of all Shares subject thereto, or (B) is settled other than wholly by delivery of Shares (including cash settlement), then, in the case of clauses (A) and (B), the number of Shares subject to such Award that were not issued with respect to such Award will not be treated as issued for purposes of reducing the Plan Share Limit. If Shares issued upon exercise, vesting or settlement of an Award are, or Shares owned by a Participant are, surrendered or tendered to the Company in payment of the Exercise Price of an Award or any taxes required to be withheld in respect of an Award, in each case, in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Plan and any applicable Award Agreement, such surrendered, tendered or withheld Shares shall again become available to be delivered pursuant to Awards under the Plan; provided, however, that in no event shall such Shares increase the Plan ISO Limit.
(b) Adjustments for Changes in Capitalization and Similar Events. (i) In the event of any extraordinary dividend or other extraordinary distribution (whether in the form of cash, Shares, other securities or other property), recapitalization, rights offering, share division or combination, stock split, reverse stock split, split-up or spin-off, the Committee shall equitably
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adjust any or all of (A) the number of Shares or other securities of the Company (or number and kind of other securities or property) with respect to which Awards may be granted, including (1) Plan Share Limit and (2) the Plan ISO Limit, and (B) the terms of any outstanding Award, including (1) the number of Shares or other securities of the Company (or number and kind of other securities or property) subject to outstanding Awards or to which outstanding Awards relate and (2) the Exercise Price, if applicable, with respect to any Award; provided, however, that the Committee shall determine the method and manner in which to effect such equitable adjustment.
(ii) In the event that the Committee determines that any reorganization, merger, consolidation, combination, repurchase or exchange of Shares or other securities of the Company, issuance of warrants or other rights to purchase Shares or other securities of the Company, or other similar corporate transaction or event affects the Shares (including any Change of Control) such that an adjustment is determined by the Committee in its discretion to be appropriate or desirable, then the Committee may (A) in such manner as it may deem appropriate or desirable, equitably adjust any or all of (1) the number of Shares or other securities of the Company (or number and kind of other securities or property) with respect to which Awards may be granted, including (X) the Plan Share Limit and (Y) the Plan ISO Limit, and (2) the terms of any outstanding Award, including (X) the number of Shares or other securities of the Company (or number and kind of other securities or property) subject to outstanding Awards or to which outstanding Awards relate and (Y) the Exercise Price, if applicable, with respect to any Award, (B) if deemed appropriate or desirable by the Committee, make provision for a cash payment to the holder of an outstanding Award in consideration for the cancelation of such Award, including, in the case of an outstanding Option or SAR, a cash payment to the holder of such Option or SAR in consideration for the cancelation of such Option or SAR in an amount equal to the excess, if any, of the Fair Market Value (as of a date specified by the Committee) of the Shares subject to such Option or SAR over the aggregate Exercise Price of such Option or SAR and (C) if deemed appropriate or desirable by the Committee, cancel and terminate any Option or SAR having a per-Share Exercise Price equal to, or in excess of, the Fair Market Value of a Share subject to such Option or SAR without any payment or consideration therefor.
(c) Substitute Awards. Awards may, in the discretion of the Committee, be granted under the Plan in assumption of, or in substitution for, outstanding awards previously granted by the Company or any of its Affiliates or a company acquired by the Company or any of its Affiliates or with which the Company or any of its Affiliates combines (“Substitute Awards”); provided, however, that in no event may any Substitute Award be granted in a manner that would violate the prohibitions on repricing of Options and SARs, as set forth in clauses (i), (ii) or (iii) of Section 7(b) of the Plan. The number of Shares underlying any Substitute Awards shall be counted against the Plan Share Limit; provided, however, that Substitute Awards issued in connection with the assumption of, or in substitution for, outstanding awards previously granted by an entity that is acquired by the Company or any of its Affiliates or with which the Company or any of its Affiliates combines shall not be counted against the Plan Share Limit; provided further, however, that Substitute Awards issued in connection with the assumption of, or in substitution for, outstanding stock options intended to qualify for special tax treatment under Sections 421 and 422 of the Code that were previously granted by an entity that is acquired by the Company or any of its Affiliates or with which the Company or any of its Affiliates combines shall be counted against the maximum aggregate number of Shares available for Incentive Stock Options under the Plan.
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SECTION 5. Eligibility. Any director, officer, employee or consultant (including any prospective director, officer, employee or consultant) of the Company or any of its Affiliates shall be eligible to be designated a Participant.
SECTION 6. Awards. (a) General.
(i) Types of Awards. Awards may be made under the Plan in the form of (i) Options, (ii) SARs, (iii) Restricted Shares, (iv) RSUs, (v) other equity based or equity related Awards that the Committee determines are consistent with the purpose of the Plan and the interests of the Company or (v) Cash Incentive Awards.
(ii) Dividends on Awards. An Award (other than an Option, SAR or Cash Incentive Award) may provide the Participant with dividends or dividend equivalents with respect to the Shares underlying such Award, payable in cash, Shares or other property, on a current or deferred basis; provided, however, that no such dividends or dividend equivalents on any Share underlying an Award may be payable prior to the vesting of the portion of such Award applicable to such Share and such dividend or dividend equivalents shall be forfeited in the event such portion of such Award is forfeited.
(b) Options. (i) Incentive Stock Options. In the case of Incentive Stock Options, the terms and conditions of such grants shall be subject to and comply with such rules as may be prescribed by Section 422 of the Code and any regulations related thereto, as may be amended from time to time. No Incentive Stock Option (other than an Incentive Stock Option that may be assumed or issued by the Company in connection with a transaction to which Section 424(a) of the Code applies) may be granted to a person who is ineligible to receive an Incentive Stock Option under the Code. Each Option granted under the Plan shall be a Nonqualified Stock Option unless the applicable Award Agreement expressly states that the Option is intended to be an Incentive Stock Option. If an Option is intended to be an Incentive Stock Option, and if, for any reason, such Option (or any portion thereof) shall not qualify as an Incentive Stock Option, then, to the extent of such nonqualification, such Option (or portion thereof) shall be regarded as a Nonqualified Stock Option appropriately granted under the Plan; provided, that such Option (or portion thereof) otherwise complies with the Plan’s requirements relating to Nonqualified Stock Options.
(ii) Exercise Price. The Exercise Price of each Share covered by each Option shall be not less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of such Share (determined as of the date of grant designated by the Committee); provided, however, that in the case of each Incentive Stock Option granted to an employee who, at the time of the grant of such Option, owns stock representing more than 10% of the voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or any Affiliate, the per-Share Exercise Price shall be no less than 110% of the Fair Market Value per Share on the date of the grant.
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(iii) Vesting and Exercise. Each Option shall be vested and exercisable at such times, in such manner and subject to such terms and conditions as the Committee may specify in the applicable Award Agreement or otherwise.
(iv) Payment. No Shares shall be delivered pursuant to any exercise of an Option until payment in full of the aggregate Exercise Price therefor is received by the Company. Such payments may be made in cash (or its equivalent) or, in the Committee’s discretion, (1) by attestation or exchanging Shares owned by the Participant (which are not the subject of any pledge or other security interest), (2) through delivery of irrevocable instructions to a broker to sell the Shares otherwise deliverable upon the exercise of the Option and to deliver cash promptly to the Company, (3) by having the Company withhold Shares from the Shares otherwise issuable pursuant to the exercise of the Option (for the avoidance of doubt, the Shares withheld shall be counted against the maximum number of Shares that may be delivered pursuant to the Awards granted under the Plan as provided in Section 4(a) of the Plan or (4) through any other method (or combination of methods) as approved by the Committee.
(v) Expiration. Except as otherwise set forth in the applicable Award Agreement or as otherwise determined by the Committee in its discretion, each Option shall expire immediately, without any payment, upon the earlier of (A) the tenth anniversary of the date the Option is granted and (B) three months after the date the Participant who is holding the Option ceases to be a director, officer, employee or consultant of the Company or one of its Affiliates. In no event may an Option be exercisable after the tenth anniversary of the date the Option is granted.
(c) SARs.
(i) Exercise Price. The Exercise Price of each Share covered by a SAR shall be not less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of such Share (determined as of the date of grant designated by the Committee).
(ii) Vesting and Exercise. Each SAR shall entitle the Participant to receive an amount upon exercise equal to the excess, if any, of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of exercise of the SAR over the Exercise Price thereof. The Committee shall determine whether a SAR shall be settled in cash, Shares, other securities, other Awards, other property or a combination of any of the foregoing. Each SAR shall be vested and exercisable at such time, in such manner and subject to such terms and conditions as the Committee may, in its discretion, specify in the applicable Award Agreement or otherwise.
(iii) Expiration. Except as otherwise set forth in the applicable Award Agreement or as otherwise determined by the Committee in its discretion, each SAR shall expire immediately, without any payment, upon the earlier of (A) the tenth anniversary of the date the SAR is granted and (B) three months after the date the Participant who is holding the Option ceases to be a director, officer, employee or consultant of the Company or one of its Affiliates. In no event may any SAR be exercisable after the tenth anniversary of the date the SAR is granted.
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(d) Restricted Shares and RSUs.
(i) Restricted Shares. Restricted Shares may not be sold, assigned, transferred, pledged or otherwise encumbered except as provided in the Plan or as may be provided in the applicable Award Agreement. Each Restricted Share may be evidenced in such manner as the Committee shall determine. If certificates representing Restricted Shares are registered in the name of the applicable Participant, such certificates shall bear an appropriate legend referring to the terms, conditions and restrictions applicable to such Restricted Shares, and the Company may, at its discretion, retain physical possession of such certificates until such time as all applicable restrictions lapse.
(ii) RSUs. Each RSU shall be granted with respect to a specified number of Shares (or a number of Shares determined pursuant to a specified formula) or shall have a value equal to the Fair Market Value of a specified number of Shares (or a number of Shares determined pursuant to a specified formula). RSUs shall be paid in cash, Shares, other securities, other Awards or other property, as determined by the Committee, upon the lapse of restrictions applicable thereto, or otherwise in accordance with the applicable Award Agreement.
(e) Other Stock-Based Awards. Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Committee shall have the authority to grant to Participants other equity-based or equity-related Awards (including Deferred Share Units and fully vested Shares) (whether payable in cash, equity or otherwise) in such amounts and subject to such terms and conditions as the Committee shall determine.
(f) Cash Incentive Awards. Each Cash Incentive Award shall have an initial value that is established by the Committee at the time of grant. The Committee shall set one or more performance goals or other payment conditions in its discretion, which, depending on the extent to which they are met during a specified performance period, shall determine the amount and/or value of the Cash Incentive Award that shall be paid to the Participant.
SECTION 7. Amendment and Termination. (a) Amendments to the Plan. Subject to any applicable law or government regulation and to the rules of the Applicable Exchange, the Plan may be amended, modified or terminated by the Board without the approval of the shareholders of the Company, except that shareholder approval shall be required for any amendment that would (i) increase either the Plan Share Limit or the Plan ISO Limit (except for any increase pursuant to Section 4(b) or Section 8 of the Plan), provided, that an adjustment under Section 4(b) of the Plan shall not constitute an increase for purposes of this clause (i), (ii) materially expand the class of employees or other individuals eligible to participate in the Plan or (iii) result in an Option Repricing. No amendment, modification or termination of the Plan may, without the consent of the Participant to whom any Award shall theretofor have been granted, materially and adversely affect the rights of such Participant (or his or her transferee) under such Award, without such Participant’s written consent, except that, unless otherwise provided in any applicable Award Agreement or Individual Agreement, such an amendment may be made in order to comply with applicable law, tax rules, stock exchange rules or accounting rules.
(b) Amendments to Awards. The Committee may waive any conditions or rights under, amend any terms of, or alter, suspend, discontinue, cancel or terminate any Award theretofor granted, prospectively or retroactively; provided, however, that, except as set forth in the Plan, unless otherwise provided in the applicable Award Agreement, any such waiver,
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amendment, alteration, suspension, discontinuance, cancelation or termination that would materially and adversely impair the rights of any Participant or any holder or beneficiary of any Award theretofor granted shall not to that extent be effective without the written consent of the applicable Participant, holder or beneficiary, except that, unless otherwise provided in any applicable Award Agreement or Individual Agreement, such an amendment may be made in order to cause the Plan or Award to comply with applicable law, tax rules, stock exchange rules or accounting rules.
(c) Adjustment of Awards Upon the Occurrence of Certain Unusual or Nonrecurring Events. The Committee is hereby authorized to make adjustments in the terms and conditions of, and the criteria included in, Awards in recognition of unusual or nonrecurring events (including the events described in Section 4(b) of the Plan or the occurrence of a Change of Control) affecting the Company, any Affiliate, or the financial statements of the Company or any Affiliate, or of changes in applicable rules, rulings, regulations or other requirements of any governmental body or securities exchange, accounting principles or law (i) whenever the Committee, in its sole and plenary discretion, determines that such adjustments are appropriate or desirable, including providing for a substitution or assumption of Awards, accelerating the exercisability of, lapse of restrictions on, or termination of, Awards or providing for a period of time for exercise prior to the occurrence of such event, (ii) if deemed appropriate or desirable by the Committee, in its sole and plenary discretion, by providing for a cash payment to the holder of an Award in consideration for the cancelation of such Award, including, in the case of an outstanding Option or SAR, a cash payment to the holder of such Option or SAR in consideration for the cancelation of such Option or SAR in an amount equal to the excess, if any, of the Fair Market Value (as of a date specified by the Committee) of the Shares subject to such Option or SAR over the aggregate Exercise Price of such Option or SAR and (iii) if deemed appropriate or desirable by the Committee, in its sole and plenary discretion, by canceling and terminating any Option or SAR having a per-Share Exercise Price equal to, or in excess of, the Fair Market Value of a Share subject to such Option or SAR without any payment or consideration therefor.
SECTION 8. Change of Control. Unless otherwise provided in the applicable Award Agreement, in the event of a Change of Control after the date of the adoption of the Plan, unless provision is made in connection with the Change of Control for (a) assumption of Awards previously granted, (b) substitution for such Awards of new awards covering stock of a successor corporation or its “parent corporation” (as defined in Section 424(e) of the Code) or “subsidiary corporation” (as defined in Section 424(f) of the Code) with appropriate adjustments as to the number and kinds of shares and the Exercise Prices, if applicable, or (c) outstanding Awards to remain outstanding subject to their terms as in effect immediately prior to the Change of Control, (i) any outstanding Options or SARs then held by Participants that are unexercisable or otherwise unvested shall automatically be deemed exercisable or otherwise vested, as the case may be, as of immediately prior to such Change of Control, (ii) all Awards subject to unsatisfied performance-based vesting criteria shall automatically vest as of immediately prior to such Change of Control as if the date of the Change of Control were the last day of the applicable performance period and “target” performance levels had been attained and shall be paid out as soon as practicable following such Change of Control, and (iii) all other outstanding Awards (i.e., other than Options, SARs and Awards subject to unsatisfied performance-based vesting criteria) then held by Participants that are unexercisable, unvested or still subject to restrictions or forfeiture, shall automatically be deemed exercisable and vested and all restrictions and forfeiture provisions related thereto shall lapse as of immediately prior to such Change of Control and shall be paid out as soon as practicable following such Change of Control.
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SECTION 9. General Provisions. (a) Nontransferability. Except as otherwise specified in the applicable Award Agreement, during the Participant’s lifetime, each Award (and any rights and obligations thereunder) shall be exercisable only by the Participant, or, if permissible under applicable law, by the Participant’s legal guardian or representative, and no Award (or any rights and obligations thereunder) may be assigned, alienated, pledged, attached, sold or otherwise transferred or encumbered by a Participant otherwise than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution, and any such purported assignment, alienation, pledge, attachment, sale, transfer or encumbrance shall be void and unenforceable against the Company or any Affiliate; provided, that (i) the designation of a beneficiary shall not constitute an assignment, alienation, pledge, attachment, sale, transfer or encumbrance and (ii) the Board or the Committee may permit further transferability, on a general or specific basis, and may impose conditions and limitations on any permitted transferability; provided, however, that Incentive Stock Options shall not be transferable in any way that would violate Section 1.422-2(a)(2) of the Treasury Regulations and in no event may any Award (or any rights and obligations thereunder) be transferred in any way in exchange for value. All terms and conditions of the Plan and all Award Agreements shall be binding upon any permitted successors and assigns.
(b) No Rights to Awards. No Participant or other Person shall have any claim to be granted any Award, and there is no obligation for uniformity of treatment of Participants or holders or beneficiaries of Awards. The terms and conditions of Awards and the Committee’s determinations and interpretations with respect thereto need not be the same with respect to each Participant and may be made selectively among Participants, whether or not such Participants are similarly situated.
(c) Share Certificates. All certificates for Shares or other securities of the Company or any Affiliate delivered under the Plan pursuant to any Award or the exercise thereof shall be subject to such stop transfer orders and other restrictions as the Committee may deem advisable under the Plan, the applicable Award Agreement or the rules, regulations and other requirements of the SEC, the Applicable Exchange and any applicable Federal, state or foreign laws, and the Committee may cause a legend or legends to be put on any such certificates to make appropriate reference to such restrictions. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, unless otherwise determined by the Committee or required by any applicable law, the Company shall not deliver to any Participant certificates evidencing Shares issues in connection with any Award and instead such Shares shall be recorded in the books of the Company (or, as applicable, its transfer agent or stock plan administrator).
(d) Withholding. (i) Authority to Withhold. A Participant may be required to pay to the Company or any Affiliate, and the Company or any Affiliate shall have the right and is hereby authorized to withhold from any Award, from any payment due or transfer made under any Award or under the Plan or from any compensation or other amount owing to a Participant, the amount (in cash, Shares, other securities, other Awards or other property) of any applicable withholding taxes in respect of an Award, its exercise or any payment or transfer under an Award or under the Plan and to take such other action as may be necessary in the opinion of the Committee or the Company to satisfy all obligations for the payment of such taxes.
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(ii) Alternative Ways to Satisfy Withholding Liability. Without limiting the generality of Section 9(d)(i) of the Plan, subject to the Committee’s discretion, a Participant may satisfy, in whole or in part, the foregoing withholding liability by delivery of Shares owned by the Participant (which are not subject to any pledge or other security interest) having a Fair Market Value equal to such withholding liability or by having the Company withhold from the number of Shares otherwise issuable pursuant to the exercise of the Option or SAR, or the lapse of the restrictions on any other Award (in the case of SARs and other Awards, if such SARs and other Awards are settled in Shares), a number of Shares having a Fair Market Value equal to such withholding liability.
(e) Section 409A. (i) The terms of this Section 9(e) shall apply solely to the extent that any compensation or benefits payable to Executive is subject to U.S. Federal income taxes. It is intended that the provisions of the Plan comply with Section 409A of the Code, and all provisions of the Plan shall be construed and interpreted in a manner consistent with the requirements for avoiding taxes or penalties under Section 409A of the Code.
(ii) No Participant or the creditors or beneficiaries of a Participant shall have the right to subject any deferred compensation (within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code) payable under the Plan to any anticipation, alienation, sale, transfer, assignment, pledge, encumbrance, attachment or garnishment. Except as permitted under Section 409A of the Code, any deferred compensation (within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code) payable to any Participant or for the benefit of any Participant under the Plan may not be reduced by, or offset against, any amount owing by any such Participant to the Company or any of its Affiliates.
(iii) If, at the time of a Participant’s separation from service (within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code), (A) such Participant shall be a specified employee (within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code and using the identification methodology selected by the Company from time to time) and (B) the Company shall make a good faith determination that an amount payable pursuant to an Award constitutes deferred compensation (within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code) the payment of which is required to be delayed pursuant to the six-month delay rule set forth in Section 409A of the Code in order to avoid taxes or penalties under Section 409A of the Code, then the Company shall not pay such amount on the otherwise scheduled payment date but shall instead pay it on the first business day after such six-month period. Such amount shall be paid without interest, unless otherwise determined by the Committee, in its sole discretion, or as otherwise provided in any applicable employment agreement between the Company and the relevant Participant.
(iv) Notwithstanding any provision of the Plan to the contrary, in light of the uncertainty with respect to the proper application of Section 409A of the Code, the Company reserves the right to make amendments to any Award as the Company deems necessary or desirable to avoid the imposition of taxes or penalties under Section 409A of the Code. In any case, a Participant shall be solely responsible and liable for the satisfaction of all taxes and penalties that may be imposed on such Participant or for such Participant’s account in connection with an Award (including any taxes and penalties under Section 409A of the Code), and neither the Company nor any of its Affiliates shall have any obligation to indemnify or otherwise hold such Participant harmless from any or all of such taxes or penalties.
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(f) Award Agreements. Each Award hereunder shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement, which shall be delivered to the Participant and shall specify the terms and conditions of the Award and any rules applicable thereto, including the effect on such Award of the death, disability or termination of employment or service of a Participant and the effect, if any, of such other events as may be determined by the Committee.
(g) No Limit on Other Compensation Arrangements. Nothing contained in the Plan shall prevent the Company or any Affiliate from adopting or continuing in effect other compensation arrangements, which may, but need not, provide for the grant of options, restricted stock, shares, other types of equity-based awards (subject to shareholder approval if such approval is required) and cash incentive awards, and such arrangements may be either generally applicable or applicable only in specific cases.
(h) No Right to Employment. The grant of an Award shall not be construed as giving a Participant the right to be retained as a director, officer, employee or consultant of or to the Company or any Affiliate, nor shall it be construed as giving a Participant any rights to continued service on the Board. Further, the Company or an Affiliate may at any time dismiss a Participant from employment or discontinue any directorship or consulting relationship, free from any liability or any claim under the Plan, unless otherwise expressly provided in the Plan or in any Award Agreement.
(i) No Rights as Shareholder. No Participant or holder or beneficiary of any Award shall have any rights as a shareholder with respect to any Shares to be distributed under the Plan until he or she has become the holder of such Shares. In connection with each grant of Restricted Shares, except as provided in the applicable Award Agreement, the Participant shall be entitled to the rights of a shareholder (including the right to vote) in respect of such Restricted Shares. Except as otherwise provided in Section 4(b) of the Plan, Section 7(c) of the Plan or the applicable Award Agreement, no adjustments shall be made for dividends or distributions on (whether ordinary or extraordinary, and whether in cash, Shares, other securities or other property), or other events relating to, Shares subject to an Award for which the record date is prior to the date such Shares are delivered.
(j) Governing Law. Except as otherwise required by applicable law, the validity, construction and effect of the Plan and any rules and regulations relating to the Plan and any Award Agreement shall be governed, interpreted and enforced in accordance with its express terms, and otherwise in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to principles of conflicts of laws.
(k) Severability. If any provision of the Plan or any Award is or becomes or is deemed to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any jurisdiction or as to any Person or Award, or would disqualify the Plan or any Award under any law deemed applicable by the Committee, such provision shall be construed or deemed amended to conform to the applicable laws, or if it cannot be construed or deemed amended without, in the determination of the Committee, materially altering the intent of the Plan or the Award, such provision shall be construed or deemed stricken as to such jurisdiction, Person or Award and the remainder of the Plan and any such Award shall remain in full force and effect.
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(l) Other Laws; Restrictions on Transfer of Shares. The Committee may refuse to issue or transfer any Shares or other consideration under an Award if, acting in its sole and plenary discretion, it determines that the issuance or transfer of such Shares or such other consideration might violate any applicable law or regulation, and any payment tendered to the Company by a Participant, other holder or beneficiary in connection with the exercise of such Award shall be promptly refunded to the relevant Participant, holder or beneficiary. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, no Award granted hereunder shall be construed as an offer to sell securities of the Company, and no such offer shall be outstanding, unless and until the Committee in its sole and plenary discretion has determined that any such offer, if made, would be in compliance with all applicable requirements of the U.S. Federal and any other applicable securities laws.
(m) No Trust or Fund Created. Neither the Plan nor any Award shall create or be construed to create a trust or separate fund of any kind or a fiduciary relationship between the Company or any Affiliate, on one hand, and a Participant or any other Person, on the other. To the extent that any Person acquires a right to receive payments from the Company or any Affiliate pursuant to an Award, such right shall be no greater than the right of any unsecured general creditor of the Company or such Affiliate.
(n) Recoupment of Awards. Any Award Agreement may provide for recoupment by the Company of all or any portion of an Award if the Company’s financial statements are required to be restated due to noncompliance with any financial reporting requirement under the Federal securities laws. This Section 9(n) shall not be the Company’s exclusive remedy with respect to such matters.
(o) Source of Shares; No Fractional Shares. Any Shares delivered under the Plan may consist, in whole or in part, of authorized and unissued shares or treasury shares. No fractional Shares shall be issued or delivered pursuant to the Plan or any Award, and the Committee shall determine whether cash, other securities or other property shall be paid or transferred in lieu of any fractional Shares or whether such fractional Shares or any rights thereto shall be canceled, terminated or otherwise eliminated.
(p) Requirement of Consent and Notification of Election Under Section 83(b) of the Code or Similar Provision. No election under Section 83(b) of the Code (to include in gross income in the year of transfer the amounts specified in Section 83(b) of the Code) or under a similar provision of law may be made unless expressly permitted by the terms of the applicable Award Agreement or by action of the Committee in writing prior to the making of such election. If an Award recipient, in connection with the acquisition of Shares under the Plan or otherwise, is expressly permitted under the terms of the applicable Award Agreement or by such Committee action to make such an election and the Participant makes the election, the Participant shall notify the Committee of such election within ten days of filing notice of the election with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (or any successor thereto) or other governmental authority, in addition to any filing and notification required pursuant to regulations issued under Section 83(b) of the Code or any other applicable provision.
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(q) Requirement of Notification Upon Disqualifying Disposition Under Section 421(b) of the Code. If any Participant shall make any disposition of Shares delivered pursuant to the exercise of an Incentive Stock Option under the circumstances described in Section 421(b) of the Code (relating to certain disqualifying dispositions) or any successor provision of the Code, such Participant shall notify the Company of such disposition within ten days of such disposition.
(r) Non-Pensionable. Benefits under the Plan shall not be treated as pensionable earnings for purposes of any pension plan maintained by the Company and its Affiliates, unless explicitly provided otherwise in such plan.
(s) Data Protection. By participating in the Plan, the Participant consents to the collection, processing, transmission and storage by the Company, in any form whatsoever, of any data of a professional or personal nature which is necessary for the purposes of administering the Plan. The Company may share such information with any Subsidiary or Affiliate, any trustee, its registrars, brokers, other third-party administrator or any Person who obtains Control of the Company or one of its Subsidiaries or divisions.
(t) Right of Offset. Subject to Section 9(c) and except as set forth in any applicable Award Agreement or Individual Agreement, the Company or its Subsidiaries and Affiliates shall have the right to offset, against the obligation to pay amounts or issue Shares to any Participant under the Plan, any outstanding amounts (including, without limitation, travel and entertainment expense, advance account balances, loans, tax withholding amounts paid by the employer or amounts repayable to the Company or its Subsidiaries and Affiliates pursuant to tax equalization, housing, automobile or other employee programs) such Participant then owes to the Company or its Subsidiaries and Affiliates and any amounts the Committee otherwise deems appropriate pursuant to any written tax equalization policy or agreement.
(u) Non-U.S. Employees and Non-U.S. Law Considerations. The Committee may grant Awards to Participants who are Non-U.S. nationals, who reside outside the United States or who are not compensated from a payroll maintained in the United States, or who are otherwise subject to (or could cause the Company to be subject to) legal or regulatory provisions of countries or jurisdictions outside the United States, on such terms and conditions different from those specified in the Plan as may, in the judgment of the Committee, be necessary or desirable to foster and promote achievement of the purposes of the Plan and comply with such legal or regulatory provisions, and, in furtherance of such purposes, the Committee may make such modifications, amendments, procedures, or sub-plans as may be necessary or advisable to comply with such legal or regulatory provisions (including to avoid triggering a public offering or to maximize tax efficiency).
(v) Headings and Construction. Headings are given to the Sections and subsections of the Plan solely as a convenience to facilitate reference. Such headings shall not be deemed in any way material or relevant to the construction or interpretation of the Plan or any provision thereof. Whenever the words “include”, “includes” or “including” are used in the Plan, they shall be deemed to be followed by the words “but not limited to”, and the word “or” shall not be deemed to be exclusive.
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SECTION 10. Term of the Plan. (a) Effective Date. The Plan shall be effective upon the Closing (the “Effective Date”), provided that the Company’s directors and shareholders have approved the Plan prior to the Closing in accordance with the Business Combination Agreement. If the Plan is not so approved by the Company’s shareholders or if the Business Combination Agreement is terminated and the Closing does not occur, then the Plan will be null and void in its entirety.
(b) Expiration Date. No Award shall be granted under the Plan after the tenth anniversary of the Effective Date. Unless otherwise expressly provided in the Plan or in an applicable Award Agreement, any Award granted hereunder, and the authority of the Board or the Committee to amend, alter, adjust, suspend, discontinue or terminate any such Award or to waive any conditions or rights under any such Award, shall nevertheless continue thereafter.
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