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EXHIBIT 10.30
ESS TECHNOLOGY, INC.
1997 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN
(AS AMENDED ON JULY 18, 1998)
1. PURPOSES OF THE PLAN. The purposes of this Equity Incentive Plan
are to attract and retain the best available personnel for positions of
substantial responsibility, to provide additional incentive to the Employees and
Consultants of the Company and to promote the success of the Company's business.
Options granted hereunder may be either Incentive Stock Options
(as defined under Section 422 of the Code) or Nonstatutory Stock Options, at the
discretion of the Board and as reflected in the terms of the written option
agreement.
2. DEFINITIONS. As used herein, the following definitions shall
apply:
(a) "Administrator" shall mean the Board or any of its Committees
appointed pursuant to Section 4 of the Plan.
(b) "Affiliate" shall mean an entity other than a Subsidiary (as
defined below) in which the Company owns an equity interest.
(c) "Applicable Laws" shall have the meaning set forth in Section
4(a) below.
(d) "Board" shall mean the Board of Directors of the Company.
(e) "Code" shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended.
(f) "Committee" shall mean the Committee appointed by the Board
of Directors in accordance with Section 4(a) of the Plan, if one is appointed.
(g) "Common Stock" shall mean the Common Stock of the Company.
(h) "Company" shall mean ESS Technology, Inc., a California
corporation.
(i) "Consultant" means any person, including an advisor, who is
engaged by the Company or any Parent or Subsidiary to render services and is
compensated for such services, and any director of the Company whether
compensated for such services or not.
(j) "Continuous Status as an Employee or Consultant" shall mean
the absence of any interruption or termination of service as an Employee or
Consultant. Continuous Status as an Employee or Consultant shall not be
considered interrupted in the case of sick leave, military leave, or any other
leave of absence approved by the Administrator; provided that such leave is for
a period of not more than 90 days or reemployment upon the expiration of such
leave is guaranteed by contract or statute. For purposes of this Plan, a change
in status from an
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Employee to a Consultant or from a Consultant to an Employee will not constitute
a termination of employment.
(k) "Director" shall mean a member of the Board.
(l) "Employee" shall mean any person (including any Named
Executive, Officer or Director) employed by the Company or any Parent,
Subsidiary or Affiliate of the Company. The payment by the Company of a
director's fee to a Director shall not be sufficient to constitute "employment"
of such Director by the Company.
(m) "Exchange Act" shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended.
(n) "Fair Market Value" means, as of any date, the value of
Common Stock determined as follows:
(i) If the Common Stock is listed on any established
stock exchange or a national market system including without limitation the
National Market of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.
Automated Quotation ("Nasdaq") System, its Fair Market Value shall be the
closing sales price for such stock as quoted on such system on the date of
determination (as defined in paragraph (iv) below) (if for a given day no sales
were reported, the closing bid on that day shall be used), as such price is
reported in The Wall Street Journal or such other source as the Administrator
deems reliable;
(ii) If the Common Stock is quoted on the Nasdaq System
(but not on the National Market thereof) or regularly quoted by a recognized
securities dealer but selling prices are not reported, its Fair Market Value
shall be the mean between the bid and asked prices for the Common Stock; or
(iii) In the absence of an established market for the
Common Stock, the Fair Market Value thereof shall be determined in good faith by
the Administrator.
(iv) For purposes of this Plan, the date of determination
shall mean the last trading date prior to the date of grant (as determined
pursuant to Section 15 of this Plan).
(o) "Incentive Stock Option" shall mean an Option intended to
qualify as an incentive stock option within the meaning of Section 422 of the
Code, as designated in the applicable written option agreement.
(p) "Named Executive" shall mean any individual who, on the last
day of the Company's fiscal year, is the chief executive officer of the Company
(or is acting in such capacity) or among the four highest compensated officers
of the Company (other than the chief executive officer). Such officer status
shall be determined pursuant to the executive compensation disclosure rules
under the Exchange Act.
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(q) "Nonstatutory Stock Option" shall mean an Option not intended
to qualify as an Incentive Stock Option, as designated in the applicable written
option agreement.
(r) "Officer" shall mean a person who is an officer of the
Company within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act and the rules and
regulations promulgated thereunder.
(s) "Option" shall mean a stock option granted pursuant to the
Plan.
(t) "Optioned Stock" shall mean the Common Stock subject to an
Option.
(u) "Optionee" shall mean an Employee or Consultant who receives
an Option.
(v) "Parent" shall mean a "parent corporation," whether now or
hereafter existing, as defined in Section 424(e) of the Code.
(w) "Plan" shall mean this 1997 Equity Incentive Plan.
(x) "Rule 16b-3" shall mean Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the
Exchange Act as the same may be amended from time to time, or any successor
provision.
(y) "Share" shall mean a share of the Common Stock, as adjusted
in accordance with Section 14 of the Plan.
(z) "Subsidiary" shall mean a "subsidiary corporation," whether
now or hereafter existing, as defined in Section 424(f) of the Code.
3. STOCK SUBJECT TO THE PLAN. Subject to the provisions of Section 14 of
the Plan, the maximum aggregate number of shares that may be optioned and sold
under the Plan is 5,000,000 shares of Common Stock. The Shares may be
authorized, but unissued, or reacquired Common Stock.
If an Option should expire or become unexercisable for any reason
without having been exercised in full, the unpurchased Shares that were subject
thereto shall, unless the Plan shall have been terminated, become available for
future grant under the Plan. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan,
shares issued under the Plan and later repurchased by the Company shall not
become available for future grant under the Plan.
4. ADMINISTRATION OF THE PLAN.
(a) COMPOSITION OF ADMINISTRATOR.
(i) MULTIPLE ADMINISTRATIVE BODIES. If permitted by Rule
16b-3, and by the legal requirements relating to the administration of incentive
stock option plans, if any, of applicable securities laws and the Code
(collectively, the "Applicable Laws"), grants under the
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Plan may (but need not) be made by different administrative
bodies with respect to Directors, Officers who are not directors and Employees
who are neither Directors nor Officers.
(ii) ADMINISTRATION WITH RESPECT TO DIRECTORS AND
OFFICERS. With respect to grants of Options to Employees or Consultants who are
also Officers or Directors of the Company, grants under the Plan shall be made
by (A) the Board, if the Board may make grants under the Plan in compliance with
Rule 16b-3 and Section 162(m) of the Code as it applies so as to qualify grants
of Options to Named Executives as performance-based compensation, or (B) a
Committee designated by the Board to make grants under the Plan, which Committee
shall be constituted in such a manner as to permit grants under the Plan to
comply with Rule 16b-3, to qualify grants of Options to Named Executives as
performance-based compensation under Section 162(m) of the Code and otherwise so
as to satisfy the Applicable Laws.
(iii) ADMINISTRATION WITH RESPECT TO OTHER PERSONS. With
respect to grants of Options to Employees or Consultants who are neither
Directors nor Officers of the Company, the Plan shall be administered by (A) the
Board or (B) a Committee designated by the Board, which Committee shall be
constituted in such a manner as to satisfy the Applicable Laws.
(iv) GENERAL. If a Committee has been appointed pursuant
to subsection (ii) or (iii) of this Section 4(a), such Committee shall continue
to serve in its designated capacity until otherwise directed by the Board. From
time to time the Board may increase the size of any Committee and appoint
additional members thereof, remove members (with or without cause) and appoint
new members in substitution therefor, fill vacancies (however caused) and remove
all members of a Committee and thereafter directly administer the Plan, all to
the extent permitted by the Applicable Laws and, in the case of a Committee
appointed under subsection (ii), to the extent permitted by Rule 16b-3 and to
the extent required under Section 162(m) of the Code to qualify grants of
Options to Named Executives as performance-based compensation.
(b) POWERS OF THE ADMINISTRATOR. Subject to the provisions of the
Plan and in the case of a Committee, the specific duties delegated by the Board
to such Committee, the Administrator shall have the authority, in its
discretion:
(i) to determine the Fair Market Value of the Common
Stock, in accordance with Section 2(n) of the Plan;
(ii) to select the Employees and Consultants to whom
Options may from time to time be granted hereunder;
(iii) to determine whether and to what extent Options are
granted hereunder;
(iv) to determine the number of shares of Common Stock to
be covered by each such award granted hereunder;
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(v) to approve forms of agreement for use under the Plan;
(vi) to determine the terms and conditions, not
inconsistent with the terms of the Plan, of any award granted hereunder
(including, but not limited to, the share price and any restriction or
limitation, or any vesting acceleration or waiver of forfeiture restrictions
regarding any Option and/or the shares of Common Stock relating thereto, based
in each case on such factors as the Administrator shall determine, in its sole
discretion);
(vii) to reduce the exercise price of any Option to the
then current Fair Market Value if the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock
covered by such Option shall have declined since the date the Option was
granted.
(c) EFFECT OF ADMINISTRATOR'S DECISION. All decisions,
determinations and interpretations of the Administrator shall be final and
binding on all Optionees and any other holders of any Options.
5. ELIGIBILITY.
(a) RECIPIENTS OF GRANTS. Nonstatutory Stock Options may be
granted to Employees and Consultants. Incentive Stock Options may be granted
only to Employees, provided, however, that Employees of an Affiliate shall not
be eligible to receive Incentive Stock Options. An Employee or Consultant who
has been granted an Option may, if he or she is otherwise eligible, be granted
an additional Option or Options.
(b) TYPE OF OPTION. Each Option shall be designated in the
written option agreement as either an Incentive Stock Option or a Nonstatutory
Stock Option. However, notwithstanding such designations, to the extent that the
aggregate Fair Market Value of Shares with respect to which Incentive Stock
Options are exercisable for the first time by an Optionee during any calendar
year (under all plans of the Company or any Parent or Subsidiary) exceeds
$100,000, such excess Options shall be treated as Nonstatutory Stock Options.
For purposes of this Section 5(b), Incentive Stock Options shall be taken into
account in the order in which they were granted, and the Fair Market Value of
the Shares shall be determined as of the time the Option with respect to such
Shares is granted.
(c) NO EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS. The Plan shall not confer upon any
Optionee any right with respect to continuation of employment or consulting
relationship with the Company, nor shall it interfere in any way with his or her
right or the Company's right to terminate his or her employment or consulting
relationship at any time, with or without cause.
6. TERM OF PLAN. The Plan shall become effective upon the earlier to
occur of its adoption by the Board or its approval by the shareholders of the
Company as described in Section 20 of the Plan. It shall continue in effect for
a term of ten (10) years unless sooner terminated under Section 16 of the Plan.
7. TERM OF OPTION. The term of each Option shall be no more than ten
(10) years from the date of grant thereof or such shorter term as may be
provided in the Option Agreement.
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However, in the case of an Option granted to an Optionee who, at the time the
Option is granted, owns stock representing more than ten percent (10%) of the
voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or any Parent or Subsidiary,
the term of the Option shall be five (5) years from the date of grant thereof or
such shorter term as may be provided in the Option Agreement.
8. LIMITATION ON GRANTS TO EMPLOYEES. Subject to adjustment as provided
in this Plan, the maximum number of Shares which may be subject to options
granted to any one Employee under this Plan for any fiscal year of the Company
shall be 375,000, except that new employees of the Company or of a Parent or
Subsidiary of the Company (including new employees who are also officers and
directors of the Company or any Parent or Subsidiary of the Company) are
eligible to receive up to a maximum of 750,000 Shares in the calendar year in
which they commence their employment.
9. OPTION EXERCISE PRICE AND CONSIDERATION.
(a) EXERCISE PRICE. The per Share exercise price for the Shares
to be issued pursuant to exercise of an Option shall be such price as is
determined by the Administrator, but shall be subject to the following:
(i) In the case of an Incentive Stock Option
(A) granted to an Employee who, at the time of the
grant of such Incentive Stock Option, owns stock representing more than ten
percent (10%) of the voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or any
Parent or Subsidiary, the per Share exercise price shall be no less than 110% of
the Fair Market Value per Share on the date of determination; or
(B) granted to any other Employee, the per Share
exercise price shall be no less than 100% of the Fair Market Value per Share on
the date of determination.
(ii) In the case of a Nonstatutory Stock Option, the per
share Exercise Price shall be no less than 100% of the Fair Market Value on the
date of determination.
(iii) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in
subsections 9(a)(i) or 9(a)(ii) above, in the case of an Option granted on or
after the effective date of registration of any class of equity security of the
Company pursuant to Section 12 of the Exchange Act and prior to six months after
the termination of such registration, the per Share exercise price shall be no
less than 100% of the Fair Market Value per Share on the date of determination.
(b) PERMISSIBLE CONSIDERATION. The consideration to be paid for
the Shares to be issued upon exercise of an Option, including the method of
payment, shall be determined by the Administrator (and, in the case of an
Incentive Stock Option, shall be determined at the time of grant) and may
consist entirely of (1) cash, (2) check, (3) promissory note, (4) other Shares
that (x) in the case of Shares acquired upon exercise of an Option either have
been owned by the Optionee for more than six months on the date of surrender or
were not acquired, directly or indirectly, from the Company, and (y) have a Fair
Market Value on the date of surrender equal
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to the aggregate exercise price of the Shares as to which said Option shall be
exercised, (5) authorization from the Company to retain from the total number of
Shares as to which the Option is exercised that number of Shares having a Fair
Market Value on the date of exercise equal to the exercise price for the total
number of Shares as to which the Option is exercised, (6) delivery of a properly
executed exercise notice together with irrevocable instructions to a broker to
deliver promptly to the Company the amount of sale or loan proceeds required to
pay the exercise price, (7) any combination of the foregoing methods of payment,
or (8) such other consideration and method of payment for the issuance of Shares
to the extent permitted under Applicable Laws. In making its determination as to
the type of consideration to accept, the Administrator shall consider if
acceptance of such consideration may be reasonably expected to benefit the
Company.
10. EXERCISE OF OPTION.
(a) PROCEDURE FOR EXERCISE; RIGHTS AS A SHAREHOLDER. Any Option
granted hereunder shall be exercisable at such times and under such conditions
as determined by the Administrator, including performance criteria with respect
to the Company and/or the Optionee, and as shall be permissible under the terms
of the Plan.
An Option may not be exercised for a fraction of a Share.
An Option shall be deemed to be exercised when written notice of
such exercise has been given to the Company in accordance with the terms of the
Option by the person entitled to exercise the Option and full payment for the
Shares with respect to which the Option is exercised has been received by the
Company. Full payment may, as authorized by the Administrator, consist of any
consideration and method of payment allowable under Section 9(b) of the Plan.
Until the issuance (as evidenced by the appropriate entry on the books of the
Company or of a duly authorized transfer agent of the Company) of the stock
certificate evidencing such Shares, no right to vote or receive dividends or any
other rights as a shareholder shall exist with respect to the Optioned Stock,
notwithstanding the exercise of the Option. The Company shall issue (or cause to
be issued) such stock certificate promptly upon exercise of the Option. No
adjustment will be made for a dividend or other right for which the record date
is prior to the date the stock certificate is issued, except as provided in
Section 14 of the Plan.
Exercise of an Option in any manner shall result in a decrease in
the number of Shares which thereafter may be available, both for purposes of the
Plan and for sale under the Option, by the number of Shares as to which the
Option is exercised.
(b) TERMINATION OF STATUS AS AN EMPLOYEE OR CONSULTANT. In the
event of termination of an Optionee's Continuous Status as an Employee or
Consultant, such Optionee may, but only within thirty (30) days (or such other
period of time, not exceeding three (3) months in the case of an Incentive Stock
Option or six (6) months in the case of a Nonstatutory Stock Option, as is
determined by the Administrator, with such determination in the case of an
Incentive Stock Option being made at the time of grant of the Option) after the
date of such termination (but in no event later than the date of expiration of
the term of such Option as set forth in the Option Agreement), exercise his or
her Option to the extent that he or she was
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entitled to exercise it at the date of such termination. To the extent that the
Optionee was not entitled to exercise the Option at the date of such
termination, or if the optionee does not exercise such Option (which he or she
was entitled to exercise) within the time specified herein, the Option shall
terminate.
(c) DISABILITY OF OPTIONEE. Notwithstanding Section 10(b) above,
in the event of termination of an Optionee's Continuous Status as an Employee or
Consultant as a result of his or her total and permanent disability (as defined
in Section 22(e)(3) of the Code), he or she may, but only within six (6) months
(or such other period of time not exceeding twelve (12) months as is determined
by the Administrator, with such determination in the case of an Incentive Stock
Option being made at the time of grant of the Option) from the date of such
termination (but in no event later than the date of expiration of the term of
such Option as set forth in the Option Agreement), exercise his or her Option to
the extent he or she was entitled to exercise it at the date of such
termination. To the extent that he or she was not entitled to exercise the
Option at the date of termination, or if he does not exercise such Option (which
he was entitled to exercise) within the time specified herein, the Option shall
terminate.
(d) DEATH OF OPTIONEE. In the event of the death of an Optionee:
(i) during the term of the Option who is at the time of
his death an Employee or Consultant of the Company and who shall have been in
Continuous Status as an Employee or Consultant since the date of grant of the
Option, the Option may be exercised, at any time within six (6) months (or such
other period of time, not exceeding twelve (12) months, as is determined by the
Administrator, with such determination in the case of an Incentive Stock Option
being made at the time of grant of the Option) following the date of death (but
in no event later than the date of expiration of the term of such Option as set
forth in the Option Agreement), by the Optionee's estate or by a person who
acquired the right to exercise the Option by bequest or inheritance but only to
the extent of the right to exercise that would have accrued had the Optionee
continued living and remained in Continuous Status as an Employee or Consultant
three (3) months (or such other period of time as is determined by the
Administrator as provided above) after the date of death, subject to the
limitation set forth in Section 5(b); or
(ii) within thirty (30) days (or such other period of time
not exceeding three (3) months as is determined by the Administrator, with such
determination in the case of an Incentive Stock Option being made at the time of
grant of the Option) after the termination of Continuous Status as an Employee
or Consultant, the Option may be exercised, at any time within six (6) months
following the date of death (but in no event later than the date of expiration
of the term of such Option as set forth in the Option Agreement), by the
Optionee's estate or by a person who acquired the right to exercise the Option
by bequest or inheritance, but only to the extent of the right to exercise that
had accrued at the date of termination.
(e) RULE 16B-3. Options granted to persons subject to Section
16(b) of the Exchange Act must comply with Rule 16b-3 and shall contain such
additional conditions or restrictions as may be required thereunder to qualify
for the maximum exemption from Section 16 of the Exchange Act with respect to
Plan transactions.
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11. WITHHOLDING TAXES. As a condition to the exercise of Options granted
hereunder, the Optionee shall make such arrangements as the Administrator may
require for the satisfaction of any federal, state, local or foreign withholding
tax obligations that may arise in connection with the exercise, receipt or
vesting of such Option. The Company shall not be required to issue any Shares
under the Plan until such obligations are satisfied.
12. STOCK WITHHOLDING TO SATISFY WITHHOLDING TAX OBLIGATIONS. At the
discretion of the Administrator, Optionees may satisfy withholding obligations
as provided in this paragraph. When an Optionee incurs tax liability in
connection with an Option which tax liability is subject to tax withholding
under applicable tax laws, and the Optionee is obligated to pay the Company an
amount required to be withheld under applicable tax laws, the Optionee may
satisfy the withholding tax obligation by one or some combination of the
following methods: (a) by cash payment, or (b) out of Optionee's current
compensation, or (c) if permitted by the Administrator, in its discretion, by
surrendering to the Company Shares that (i) in the case of Shares previously
acquired from the Company, have been owned by the Optionee for more than six
months on the date of surrender, and (ii) have a fair market value on the date
of surrender equal to or less than Optionee's marginal tax rate times the
ordinary income recognized, or (d) by electing to have the Company withhold from
the Shares to be issued upon exercise of the Option that number of Shares having
a fair market value equal to the amount required to be withheld. For this
purpose, the fair market value of the Shares to be withheld shall be determined
on the date that the amount of tax to be withheld is to be determined (the "Tax
Date").
Any surrender by an Officer or Director of previously owned
Shares to satisfy tax withholding obligations arising upon exercise of this
Option must comply with the applicable provisions of Rule 16b-3.
All elections by an Optionee to have Shares withheld to satisfy
tax withholding obligations shall be made in writing in a form acceptable to the
Administrator and shall be subject to the following restrictions:
(a) the election must be made on or prior to the applicable Tax
Date;
(b) once made, the election shall be irrevocable as to the
particular Shares of the Option as to which the election is made; and
(c) all elections shall be subject to the consent or disapproval
of the Administrator.
In the event the election to have Shares withheld is made by an
Optionee and the Tax Date is deferred under Section 83 of the Code because no
election is filed under Section 83(b) of the Code, the Optionee shall receive
the full number of Shares with respect to which the Option is exercised but such
Optionee shall be unconditionally obligated to tender back to the Company the
proper number of Shares on the Tax Date.
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13. NON-TRANSFERABILITY OF OPTIONS. The Option may not be sold, pledged,
assigned, hypothecated, transferred, or disposed of in any manner other than by
will or by the laws of descent or distribution. The designation of a beneficiary
by an Optionee will not constitute a transfer. An Option may be exercised,
during the lifetime of the Optionee, only by the Optionee or a transferee
permitted by this Section 13.
14. ADJUSTMENTS UPON CHANGES IN CAPITALIZATION; CORPORATE TRANSACTIONS.
(a) ADJUSTMENT. Subject to any required action by the
shareholders of the Company, the number of shares of Common Stock covered by
each outstanding Option, the number of shares of Common Stock that have been
authorized for issuance under the Plan but as to which no Options have yet been
granted or which have been returned to the Plan upon cancellation or expiration
of an Option, the maximum number of shares of Common Stock for which Options may
be granted to any employee under Section 8 of the Plan, and the price per share
of Common Stock covered by each such outstanding Option, shall be
proportionately adjusted for any increase or decrease in the number of issued
shares of Common Stock resulting from a stock split, reverse stock split, stock
dividend, combination or reclassification of the Common Stock, or any other
increase or decrease in the number of issued shares of Common Stock effected
without receipt of consideration by the Company; provided, however, that
conversion of any convertible securities of the Company shall not be deemed to
have been "effected without receipt of consideration." Such adjustment shall be
made by the Administrator, whose determination in that respect shall be final,
binding and conclusive. Except as expressly provided herein, no issuance by the
Company of shares of stock of any class, or securities convertible into shares
of stock of any class, shall affect, and no adjustment by reason thereof shall
be made with respect to, the number or price of shares of Common Stock subject
to an Option.
(b) CORPORATE TRANSACTIONS. In the event of the proposed
dissolution or liquidation of the Company, the Option will terminate immediately
prior to the consummation of such proposed action, unless otherwise provided by
the Administrator. The Administrator may, in the exercise of its sole discretion
in such instances, declare that any Option shall terminate as of a date fixed by
the Administrator and give each Optionee the right to exercise his or her Option
as to all or any part of the Optioned Stock, including Shares as to which the
Option would not otherwise be exercisable. In the event of a proposed sale of
all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, or the merger of the
Company with or into another corporation, the Option shall be assumed or an
equivalent option shall be substituted by such successor corporation or a parent
or subsidiary of such successor corporation, unless the Administrator
determines, in the exercise of its sole discretion and in lieu of such
assumption or substitution, that the Optionee shall have the right to exercise
the Option as to some or all of the Optioned Stock, including Shares as to which
the Option would not otherwise be exercisable. If the Administrator makes an
Option exercisable in lieu of assumption or substitution in the event of a
merger or sale of assets, the Administrator shall notify the Optionee that the
Option shall be exercisable for a period of fifteen (15) days from the date of
such notice, and the Option will terminate upon the expiration of such period.
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15. TIME OF GRANTING OPTIONS. The date of grant of an Option shall, for
all purposes, be the date on which the Administrator makes the determination
granting such Option or such other date as is determined by the Administrator;
provided however that the grant date shall be the later of the date on which the
Administrator makes the determination granting such Option or the date of
commencement of the Optionee's employment relationship with the Company. Notice
of the determination shall be given to each Employee or Consultant to whom an
Option is so granted within a reasonable time after the date of such grant.
16. AMENDMENT AND TERMINATION OF THE PLAN.
(a) AMENDMENT AND TERMINATION. The Board may amend or terminate
the Plan from time to time in such respects as the Board may deem advisable;
provided that, the following revisions or amendments shall require approval of
the shareholders of the Company in the manner described in Section 20 of the
Plan:
(i) any increase in the number of Shares subject to the
Plan, other than an adjustment under Section 14 of the Plan;
(ii) any change in the designation of the class of persons
eligible to be granted Options; or
(iii) any change in the limitation on grants to employees
as described in Section 8 of the Plan or other changes which would require
shareholder approval to qualify options granted hereunder as performance-based
compensation under Section 162(m) of the Code.
(b) SHAREHOLDER APPROVAL. If any amendment requiring shareholder
approval under Section 16(a) of the Plan is made subsequent to the first
registration of any class of equity securities by the Company under Section 12
of the Exchange Act, such shareholder approval shall be solicited as described
in Section 20 of the Plan.
(c) EFFECT OF AMENDMENT OR TERMINATION. Any such amendment or
termination of the Plan shall not affect Options already granted and such
Options shall remain in full force and effect as if this Plan had not been
amended or terminated, unless mutually agreed otherwise between the Optionee and
the Board, which agreement must be in writing and signed by the Optionee and the
Company.
17. CONDITIONS UPON ISSUANCE OF SHARES. Shares shall not be issued
pursuant to the exercise of an Option unless the exercise of such Option and the
issuance and delivery of such Shares pursuant thereto shall comply with all
relevant provisions of law, including, without limitation, the Securities Act of
1933, as amended, the Exchange Act, the rules and regulations promulgated
thereunder, and the requirements of any stock exchange upon which the Shares may
then be listed, and shall be further subject to the approval of counsel for the
Company with respect to such compliance.
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As a condition to the exercise of an Option, the Company may require the
person exercising such Option to represent and warrant at the time of any such
exercise that the Shares are being purchased only for investment and without any
present intention to sell or distribute such Shares if, in the opinion of
counsel for the Company, such a representation is required by any of the
aforementioned relevant provisions of law.
18. RESERVATION OF SHARES. The Company, during the term of this Plan,
will at all times reserve and keep available such number of Shares as shall be
sufficient to satisfy the requirements of the Plan. The inability of the Company
to obtain authority from any regulatory body having jurisdiction, which
authority is deemed by the Company's counsel to be necessary to the lawful
issuance and sale of any Shares hereunder, shall relieve the Company of any
liability in respect of the failure to issue or sell such Shares as to which
such requisite authority shall not have been obtained.
19. OPTION AGREEMENT. Options shall be evidenced by written option
agreements in such form as the Board shall approve.
20. SHAREHOLDER APPROVAL.
(a) Continuance of the Plan shall be subject to approval by the
shareholders of the Company within twelve (12) months before or after the date
the Plan is adopted. Such shareholder approval shall be obtained in the manner
and to the degree required under applicable federal and state law and the rules
of any stock exchange upon which the Shares are listed.
(b) In the event that the Company registers any class of equity
securities pursuant to Section 12 of the Exchange Act, any required approval of
the shareholders of the Company obtained after such registration shall be
solicited substantially in accordance with Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act and
the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
(c) If any required approval by the shareholders of the Plan
itself or of any amendment thereto is solicited at any time otherwise than in
the manner described in Section 20(b) hereof, then the Company shall, at or
prior to the first annual meeting of shareholders held subsequent to the later
of (1) the first registration of any class of equity securities of the Company
under Section 12 of the Exchange Act or (2) the granting of an Option hereunder
to an officer or director after such registration, do the following:
(i) furnish in writing to the holders entitled to vote for
the Plan substantially the same information that would be required (if proxies
to be voted with respect to approval or disapproval of the Plan or amendment
were then being solicited) by the rules and regulations in effect under Section
14(a) of the Exchange Act at the time such information is furnished; and
(ii) file with, or mail for filing to, the Securities and
Exchange Commission four copies of the written information referred to in
subsection (i) hereof not later than the date on which such information is first
sent or given to shareholders.
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