American International Petroleum (AIPN) Inactive
Filed: 30 Sep 02, 12:00am
Exhibit 4.1 AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL PETROLEUM CORPORATION |
(i) “Participant” — An individual to whom an Award has been made under the Plan. Awards may be made to any employee of, or any other individual or entity providing services to, the Company. However, incentive stock options may be granted only to individuals who are employed by the Company or by a subsidiary corporation (within the meaning of section 424(f) of the Code) of the Company, including a subsidiary that becomes such after the adoption of the Plan. (j) “Performance Period” — A multi-year period of no more than five consecutive calendar years over which one or more of the performance criteria listed in Section 6 shall be measured pursuant to the grant of Long-Term Performance Incentive Awards (whether such Awards take the form of stock, stock units or equivalents or cash). Performance Periods may overlap one another, but no two Performance Periods may consist solely of the same calendar years. 3. Capital Stock Available for Awards. The number of shares that may be issued under the Plan for Awards granted wholly or partly in stock during the term of the Plan is 10,000,000. Shares of Capital Stock may be made available from the authorized but unissued shares of the Company or from shares held in the Company’s treasury and not reserved for some other purpose. For purposes of determining the number of shares of Capital Stock issued under the Plan, no shares shall be deemed issued until they are actually delivered to a Participant, or such other person in accordance with Section 10. Shares covered by Awards that either wholly or in part are not earned, or that expire or are forfeited, terminated, canceled, settled in cash, payable solely in cash or exchanged for other awards, shall be available for future issuance under Awards. Further, shares tendered to or withheld by the Company in connection with the exercise of stock options, or the payment of tax withholding on any Award, shall also be available for future issuance under Awards. 4. Administration. The Plan shall be administered by the Committee, which shall have full power to select Participants, to interpret the Plan, to grant waivers of Award restrictions, to continue, accelerate or suspend exercisability, vesting or payment of an Award and to adopt such rules, regulations and guidelines for carrying out the Plan as it may deem necessary or proper. These powers include, but are not limited to, the adoption of modifications, amendments, procedures, subplans and the like as necessary to comply with provisions of the laws and regulations of the countries in which the Company operates in order to assure the viability of Awards granted under the Plan and to enable Participants regardless of where employed to receive advantages and benefits under the Plan and such laws and regulations. 5. Delegation of Authority. The Committee may delegate to officers of the Company its duties, power and authority under the Plan pursuant to such conditions or limitations as the Committee may establish, except that only the Committee or the Board may select, and grant Awards to, Participants who are subject to Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. 6. Awards. The Committee shall determine the type or types of Award(s) to be made to each Participant and shall set forth in the related Award Agreement the terms, conditions, performance requirements, and limitations applicable to each Award. Awards may include but are not limited to those listed in this Section 6. Awards may be granted singly, in combination or in tandem. Awards may also be made in combination or in tandem with, in replacement or payment of, or as alternatives to, grants, rights or compensation earned under any other plan of the Company, including the plan of any acquired entity. 2 |
(a) Stock Option — A grant of a right to purchase a specified number of shares of Capital Stock the exercise price of which shall be not less than 100% of Fair Market Value on the date of grant of such right, as determined by the Committee, provided that, in the case of a stock option granted retroactively in tandem with or as substitution for another award granted under any plan of the Company, the exercise price may be the same as the purchase or designated price of such other award. A stock option may be in the form of an incentive stock option (“ISO”) which, in addition to being subject to applicable terms, conditions and limitations established by the Committee, complies with section 422 of the Code; provided this Plan is approved by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Capital Stock entitled to vote thereon within one year before or after adoption of the Plan by the Board of Directors. All of the shares that may be issued under the Plan are available for issuance under ISOs granted under the Plan. (b) Stock Appreciation Right — A right to receive a payment, in cash and/or Capital Stock, equal in value to the excess of the Fair Market Value of a specified number of shares of Capital Stock on the date the stock appreciation right (SAR) is exercised over the grant price of the SAR, which shall not be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value on the date of grant of such SAR, as determined by the Committee, provided that, in the case of a SAR granted retroactively in tandem with or as substitution for another award granted under any plan of the Company, the grant price may be the same as the exercise or designated price of such other award. (c) Stock Award — An Award made in stock and denominated in units of stock. All or part of any stock award may be subject to conditions established by the Committee, and set forth in the Award Agreement, which may include, but are not limited to, continuous service with Company, achievement of specific business objectives, increases in specified indices, attaining growth rates, and other comparable measurements of Company performance. An Award made in stock or denominated in units of stock that is subject to restrictions on transfer and/or forfeiture provisions may be referred to as an Award of “Restricted Stock,” “Restricted Stock Units” or “Long-Term Performance Incentive” units. (d) Cash Award — An Award denominated in cash with the eventual payment amount subject to future service and such other restrictions and conditions as may be established by the Committee, and as set forth in the Award Agreement, including, but not limited to, continuous service with the Company, achievement of specific business objectives, increases in specified indices, attaining growth rates, and other comparable measurements of Company performance. (e) Performance Criteria under section 162(m) of the Code for Long-Term Performance Incentive Awards — The performance criteria for Long-Term Performance Incentive Awards (whether such Awards take the form of stock, stock units or equivalents or cash) made to any “covered employee” (as defined by section 162(m) of the Code) shall consist of objective tests based on one or more of the following: earnings, cash flow, customer satisfaction, revenues, financial return ratios, market performance, shareholder return and/or value, operating profits (including EBITDA), net profits, earnings per share, profit returns and margins, stock price and working capital. Performance criteria may be measured solely on a corporate, subsidiary or business unit basis, or a combination thereof. Further, performance criteria may reflect absolute entity performance or a relative comparison of entity performance to the performance of a peer group of entities or other external measure of the selected performance criteria. The formula for any Award may include or exclude items to measure specific objectives, such as losses from discontinued operations, extraordinary gains or losses, the cumulative effect of accounting changes, acquisitions or divestitures, foreign exchange impacts and any unusual, nonrecurring gain or loss. Nothing herein shall preclude the Committee from making any payments or granting any Awards whether or not such payments or Awards qualify for tax deductibility under section 162(m) of the Code. 3 |
7. Payment of Awards. Payment of Awards may be made in the form of cash, stock or combinations thereof and may include such restrictions, as the Committee shall determine. Further, with Committee approval, payments may be deferred, either in the form of installments or as a future lump-sum payment, in accordance with such procedures as may be established from time to time by the Committee. Any deferred payment, whether elected by the Participant or specified by the Award Agreement or the Committee, may require the payment to be forfeited in accordance with the provisions of Section 13. Dividends or dividend equivalent rights may be extended to and made part of any Award denominated in stock or units of stock, subject to such terms, conditions and restrictions as the Committee may establish. The Committee may also establish rules and procedures for the crediting of interest on deferred cash payments and dividend equivalents for deferred payments denominated in stock or units of stock. At the discretion of the Committee, a Participant may be offered an election to substitute an Award for another Award or Awards of the same or different type. 8. Stock Option Exercise. The price at which shares of Capital Stock may be purchased under a stock option shall be paid in full in cash at the time of the exercise or, if permitted by the Committee, by means of tendering Capital Stock or surrendering another Award or any combination thereof. The Committee shall determine acceptable methods of tendering Capital Stock or other Awards and may impose such conditions on the use of Capital Stock or other Awards to exercise a stock option as it deems appropriate. 9. Tax Withholding. Prior to the payment or settlement of any Award, the Participant must pay, or make arrangements acceptable to the Company for the payment of, any and all federal, state and local tax withholding and employment taxes that in the opinion of the Company is required by law. The Company shall have the right to deduct applicable taxes from any Award payment and withhold, at the time of delivery or vesting of shares under the Plan, an appropriate number of shares for payment of taxes required by law or to take such other action as may be necessary in the opinion of the Company to satisfy all obligations for withholding of such taxes or for payment of employment taxes. 4 |
10. Transferability. No Award shall be transferable or assignable, or payable to or exercisable by, anyone other than the Participant to whom it was granted, except (i) by law, will or the laws of descent and distribution, (ii) as a result of the disability of a Participant or (iii) that the Committee (in the form of an Award Agreement or otherwise) may permit transfers of Awards by gift or otherwise to a member of a Participant’s immediate family and/or trusts whose beneficiaries are members of the Participant’s immediate family, or to such other persons or entities as may be approved by the Committee. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event shall ISOs be transferable or assignable other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution. 11. Amendment, Modification, Suspension or Discontinuance of the Plan. The Board may amend, modify, suspend or terminate the Plan for the purpose of meeting or addressing any changes in legal requirements or for any other purpose permitted by law. Subject to changes in law or other legal requirements that would permit otherwise, the Plan may not be amended without the consent of the holders of a majority of the shares of Capital Stock then outstanding, to (i) increase the aggregate number of shares of Capital Stock that may be issued under the Plan (except for adjustments pursuant to Section 14 of the Plan), or (ii) permit the granting of stock options or SARs with exercise or grant prices lower than those specified in Section 6. 12. Termination of Employment. If the employment of a Participant terminates, other than as a result of the death or disability of a Participant, all unexercised, deferred and unpaid Awards shall be canceled immediately, unless the Award Agreement provides otherwise. In the event of the death of a Participant or in the event a Participant is deemed by the Company to be disabled and eligible for benefits under the terms of any long-term disability plan or policy maintained by the Company, the Participant’s estate, beneficiaries or representative, as the case may be, shall have the rights and duties of the Participant under the applicable Award Agreement. 13. Cancellation and Rescission of Awards. (a) Unless the Award Agreement specifies otherwise, the Committee may cancel, rescind, suspend, withhold or otherwise limit or restrict any unexpired, unpaid, or deferred Awards at any time if the Participant is not in compliance with all applicable provisions of the Award Agreement and the Plan, or if the Participant engages in any “Detrimental Activity.” For purposes of this Section 13, “Detrimental Activity” shall include: (i) the rendering of services for any organization or engaging directly or indirectly in any business which is or becomes competitive with the Company, or which organization or business, or the rendering of services to such organization or business, is or becomes otherwise prejudicial to or in conflict with the interests of the Company; (ii) the disclosure to anyone outside the Company, or the use in other than the Company’s business, without prior written authorization from the Company, of any confidential information or material relating to the business of the Company, acquired by the Participant either during or after employment with the Company; (iii) the failure or refusal to disclose promptly and to assign to the Company all right, title and interest in any invention or idea, patentable or not, made or conceived by the Participant during employment by the Company, relating in any manner to the actual or anticipated business, research or development work of the Company or the failure or refusal to do anything reasonably necessary to enable the Company to secure a patent where appropriate in the United States and in other countries; (iv) activity that results in termination of the Participant’s employment for cause; (v) a violation of any rules, policies, procedures or guidelines of the Company; (vi) any attempt directly or indirectly to induce any employee of the Company to be employed or perform services elsewhere or any attempt directly or indirectly to solicit the trade or business of any current or prospective customer, supplier or partner of the Company; (vii) the Participant being convicted of, or entering a guilty plea with respect to, a crime, whether or not connected with the Company; or (viii) any other conduct or act determined to be injurious, detrimental or prejudicial to any interest of the Company. 5 |
(b) Upon exercise, payment or delivery pursuant to an Award, the Participant shall certify in a manner acceptable to the Company that he or she is in compliance with the terms and conditions of the Plan. In the event a Participant fails to comply with the provisions of paragraphs (a)(i)-(viii) of this Section 13 prior to, or during the six months after, any exercise, payment or delivery pursuant to an Award, such exercise, payment or delivery may be rescinded within two years thereafter. In the event of any such rescission, the Participant shall pay to the Company the amount of any gain realized or payment received as a result of the rescinded exercise, payment or delivery, in such manner and on such terms and conditions as may be required, and the Company shall be entitled to set-off against the amount of any such gain any amount owed to the Participant by the Company. 14. Adjustments. In the event of any change in the outstanding Capital Stock of the Company by reason of a stock split, stock dividend, combination or reclassification of shares, recapitalization, merger, or similar event, the Committee may adjust proportionately: (a) the number of shares of Capital Stock (i) available for issuance under the Plan, (ii) available for issuance under ISOs, (iii) for which Awards may be granted to an individual Participant set forth in Section 6, and (iv) covered by outstanding Awards denominated in stock or units of stock; (b) the exercise and grant prices related to outstanding Awards; and (c) the appropriate Fair Market Value and other price determinations for such Awards. In the event of any other change affecting the Capital Stock or any distribution (other than normal cash dividends) to holders of Capital Stock, including a spin-off of the capital stock of a subsidiary, such adjustments in the number and kind of shares and the exercise, grant and conversion prices of the affected Awards as may be deemed equitable by the Committee, including adjustments to avoid fractional shares, shall be made to give proper effect to such event. In the event of a corporate merger, consolidation, acquisition of property or stock, separation, reorganization or liquidation, the Company or its successor shall issue or assume stock options, whether or not in a transaction to which section 424(a) of the Code applies, by means of substitution of new stock options for previously issued stock options or an assumption of previously issued stock options. In such event, the aggregate number of shares of Capital Stock available for issuance under Awards under Section 3, including the individual Participant maximums set forth in Section 6 will be increased to reflect such substitution or assumption. 6 |
15. Miscellaneous. (a) Any notice to the Company required by any of the provisions of the Plan shall be addressed to the chief financial officer of the Company in writing, and shall become effective when it is received. (b) The Plan shall be unfunded and the Company shall not be required to establish any special account or fund or to otherwise segregate or encumber assets to ensure payment of any Award. (c) Nothing contained in the Plan shall prevent the Company from adopting other or additional compensation arrangements or plans, subject to shareholder approval if such approval is required, and such arrangements or plans may be either generally applicable or applicable only in specific cases. (d) No Participant shall have any claim or right to be granted an Award under the Plan and nothing contained in the Plan shall be deemed or be construed to give any Participant the right to be retained in the employ of the Company or to interfere with the right of the Company to discharge any Participant at any time without regard to the effect such discharge may have upon the Participant under the Plan. Except to the extent otherwise provided in any plan or in an Award Agreement, no Award under the Plan shall be deemed compensation for purposes of computing benefits or contributions under any other plan of the Company. (e) Except as may otherwise be required by federal law, the Plan and each Award Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of California, excluding any conflicts or choice of law rule or principle that might otherwise refer construction or interpretation of the Plan to the substantive law of another jurisdiction. Unless otherwise provided in the Award Agreement, recipients of an Award under the Plan are deemed to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the federal or state courts of Texas, County of Harris, to resolve any and all issues that may arise out of or relate to the Plan or any related Award Agreement. (f) In the event that a Participant or the Company brings an action to enforce the terms of the Plan or any Award Agreement and the Company prevails, the Participant shall pay all costs and expenses incurred by the Company in connection with that action, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, and all further costs and fees, including reasonable attorneys’ fees incurred by the Company in connection with collection. (g) The Committee and any officers to whom it may delegate authority under Section 5 shall have full power and authority to interpret the Plan and to make any determinations thereunder, including determinations under Section 13, and the Committee’s or such officer’s determinations shall be binding and conclusive. Determinations made by the Committee or any such officer under the Plan need not be uniform and may be made selectively among individuals, whether or not such individuals are similarly situated. 7 |
(h) If any provision of the Plan is or becomes or is deemed invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any jurisdiction, or would disqualify the Plan or any Award under any law deemed applicable by the Committee, such provision shall be construed or deemed amended or limited in scope to conform to applicable laws or, in the discretion of the Committee, it shall be stricken and the remainder of the Plan shall remain in full force and effect. (i) The Plan shall become effective upon adoption by the Board of Directors of the Company. (j) The Plan is not a Contract of Employment or for Services. Nothing contained in the Plan or in any option agreement executed pursuant hereto shall be deemed to confer upon any individual to whom an Option is or may be granted hereunder any right to remain in the employ of the Company or of a subsidiary or parent of the Company or in any way limit the right of the Company, or of any parent or subsidiary thereof, to terminate the employment of any employee. 8 |