8.Assignment and Transfers.
(a) The rights and interests of the Grantee under this Agreement may not be sold, assigned, encumbered, or otherwise transferred, except in the event of the death of the Grantee, by will, or by the laws of descent and distribution, provided that the transferees, devisees, or beneficiaries are Immediate Family (as defined in subsection (c) below).
(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a) above, the Grantee may transfer this Option through a gift or domestic relations order to the Immediate Family (as defined in subsection (c) below), and each transferee shall remain subject to all terms and conditions applicable to the Option prior to such transfer, and each transferee shall so acknowledge in writing as a condition precedent to the effectiveness of such transfer.
(c) The term “Immediate Family” shall mean the Original Grantee’s child, stepchild, grandchild, parent, stepparent, grandparent, spouse, former spouse, sibling, niece, nephew,mother-in-law,father-in-law,son-in-law,daughter-in-law,brother-in-law, orsister-in-law, including adoptive relationships, any person sharing the Original Grantee’s household (other than a tenant or employee), a trust in which these persons have more than fifty percent of the beneficial interest, a foundation in which these persons (or the Original Grantee) control the management of assets, and any other entity in which these persons (or the Original Grantee) own more than fifty percent of the voting interests.
(d) The Option may not be transferred for value by the Grantee. The following transactions are not prohibited transfers for value: (i) a transfer to Immediate Family under a domestic relations order in settlement of marital property rights; and (ii) a transfer to an entity in which more than fifty percent of the voting interests are owned by the Immediate Family (or the Original Grantee) in exchange for an interest in that entity.
(e) In order to transfer any portion of this Option in accordance with the provisions of subsection (b) above, the Grantee must notify the Company of such transfer, and the Grantee and proposed transferee must execute and deliver to the Company such certification and documentation deemed necessary by and approved by the Company.
(f) Notwithstanding anything else set forth in this Agreement, in no event shall this Option be held at any time by, transferred to, or exercised by, any person or entity unless such person or entity is the Original Grantee or Immediate Family.
(g) Except as provided otherwise in this Section 8, during the Original Grantee’s lifetime: (i) only the Original Grantee (or, in the event of legal incapacity or incompetency, the Grantee’s guardian or representative) may exercise the Option; (ii) the Option shall not be assigned, pledged, or hypothecated in any way (whether by operation of law or otherwise); and (iii) the Option shall not be subject to execution, attachment, or similar process. Any attempted transfer, assignment, pledge, hypothecation, or other disposition of the Option or of any rights granted hereunder contrary to the provisions of this Section 8 shall be null and void. Any levy of an attachment or similar process upon the Option shall be null and void.
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