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EXHIBIT 99.3
NONSTATUTORY STOCK OPTION
, Optionee:
IPL SYSTEMS, INC. (the "Company"), pursuant to its 1997 Equity Incentive
Plan (the "Plan"), has granted to you, the optionee named above, an option to
purchase shares of the common stock of the Company ("Common Stock"). This option
is not intended to qualify and will not be treated as an "incentive stock
option" within the meaning of Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986,
as amended (the "Code").
The grant hereunder is in connection with and in furtherance of the
Company's compensatory benefit plan for participation of the Company's employees
(including officers), directors or consultants. Defined terms not explicitly
defined in this agreement but defined in the Plan shall have the same
definitions as in the Plan.
The details of your option are as follows:
1. TOTAL NUMBER OF SHARES SUBJECT TO THIS OPTION. The total number of
shares of Common Stock subject to this option is _____________________
(____________).
2. VESTING. Subject to the limitations contained herein, __________
[INDICATE A FRACTION OR PERCENTAGE (E.G., 25% OR 12/48THS)] of the shares will
vest (become exercisable) on ____________, 19__ and __________ of the shares
will then vest each ____________ [INDICATE APPLICABLE TIME PERIOD (E.G., MONTH
OR YEAR)] thereafter until either (i) you cease to provide services to the
Company for any reason, or (ii) this option becomes fully vested.
3. EXERCISE PRICE AND METHOD OF PAYMENT.
(a) EXERCISE PRICE. The exercise price of this option is
_______________ ($____________) per share, being not less than 85% of the fair
market value of the Common Stock on the date of grant of this option.
(b) METHOD OF PAYMENT. Payment of the exercise price per share is
due in full upon exercise of all or any part of each installment which has
accrued to you. You
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may elect, to the extent permitted by applicable statutes and regulations, to
make payment of the exercise price under one of the following alternatives:
(i) Payment of the exercise price per share in cash (including
check) at the time of exercise;
(ii) Payment pursuant to a program developed under Regulation
T as promulgated by the Federal Reserve Board which, prior to the issuance of
Common Stock, results in either the receipt of cash (or check) by the Company or
the receipt of irrevocable instructions to pay the aggregate exercise price to
the Company from the sales proceeds;
(iii) Provided that at the time of exercise the Company's
Common Stock is publicly traded and quoted regularly in the Wall Street Journal,
payment by delivery of already-owned shares of Common Stock, held for the period
required to avoid a charge to the Company's reported earnings, and owned free
and clear of any liens, claims, encumbrances or security interests, which Common
Stock shall be valued at its fair market value on the date of exercise; or
(iv) Payment by a combination of the methods of payment
permitted by subparagraph 3(b)(i) through 3(b)(iii) above.
4. WHOLE SHARES. This option may not be exercised for any number of shares
which would require the issuance of anything other than whole shares.
5. SECURITIES LAW COMPLIANCE. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary
contained herein, this option may not be exercised unless the shares issuable
upon exercise of this option are then registered under the Act or, if such
shares are not then so registered, the Company has determined that such exercise
and issuance would be exempt from the registration requirements of the Act.
6. TERM. The term of this option commences on _________, 19__, the date of
grant and expires on _____________________ (the "Expiration Date," which date
shall be no more than ten (10) years from the date this option is granted),
unless this option expires sooner as set forth below or in the Plan. In no event
may this option be exercised on or after the Expiration Date. This option shall
terminate prior to the Expiration Date as follows: [THREE (3) MONTHS/THIRTY (30)
DAYS] after the termination of your Continuous Status as an Employee, Director
or Consultant with the Company or an Affiliate of the Company for any reason or
for no reason unless:
(a) such termination of Continuous Status as an Employee, Director
or Consultant is due to your disability, in which event the option shall expire
on the earlier
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of the Expiration Date set forth above or twelve (12) months following such
termination of Continuous Status as an Employee, Director or Consultant; or
(b) such termination of Continuous Status as an Employee, Director
or Consultant is due to your death or your death occurs within [THREE (3)
MONTHS/THIRTY (30) DAYS] following your termination for any other reason, in
which event the option shall expire on the earlier of the Expiration Date set
forth above or eighteen (18) months after your death; or
(c) during any part of such [THREE (3) MONTH/THIRTY (30) DAY] period
the option is not exercisable solely because of the condition set forth in
paragraph 5 above, in which event the option shall not expire until the earlier
of the Expiration Date set forth above or until it shall have been exercisable
for an aggregate period of [THREE (3) MONTHS/THIRTY (30) DAYS] after the
termination of Continuous Status as an Employee, Director or Consultant; or
(d) exercise of the option within [THREE (3) MONTHS/THIRTY (30)
DAYS] after termination of your Continuous Status as an Employee, Director or
Consultant with the Company or with an Affiliate of the Company would result in
liability under section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the
"Exchange Act), in which case the option will expire on the earlier of (i) the
Expiration Date set forth above, (ii) the tenth (10th) day after the last date
upon which exercise would result in such liability or (iii) six (6) months and
ten (10) days after the termination of your Continuous Status as an Employee,
Director or Consultant with the Company or an Affiliate of the Company.
However, this option may be exercised following termination of Continuous
Status as an Employee, Director or Consultant only as to that number of shares
as to which it was exercisable on the date of termination of Continuous Status
as an Employee, Director or Consultant under the provisions of paragraph 2 of
this option.
7. EXERCISE.
(a) This option may be exercised, to the extent specified above, by
delivering a notice of exercise (in a form designated by the Company) together
with the exercise price to the Secretary of the Company, or to such other person
as the Company may designate, during regular business hours, together with such
additional documents as the Company may then require.
(b) By exercising this option you agree that as a precondition to
the completion of any exercise of this option, the Company may require you to
enter an arrangement providing for the cash payment by you to the Company of any
tax withholding obligation of the Company arising by reason of: (1) the exercise
of this option; (2) the lapse of any substantial risk of forfeiture to which the
shares are subject at
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the time of exercise; or (3) the disposition of shares acquired upon such
exercise. You also agree that any exercise of this option has not been completed
and that the Company is under no obligation to issue any Common Stock to you
until such an arrangement is established or the Company's tax withholding
obligations are satisfied, as determined by the Company; and
8. TRANSFERABILITY. This option shall not be transferable except by will
or by the laws of descent and distribution, and shall be exercisable during the
lifetime of the person to whom the Option is granted only by such person's
guardian or legal representative; provided, however, that the Board may, in it
discretion, waive such restriction in any case when such restriction is no
longer required by applicable law.
9. OPTION NOT A SERVICE CONTRACT. This option is not an employment
contract and nothing in this option shall be deemed to create in any way
whatsoever any obligation on your part to continue in the employ of the Company,
or of the Company to continue your employment with the Company. In addition,
nothing in this option shall obligate the Company or any Affiliate of the
Company, or their respective shareholders, Board of Directors, officers, or
employees to continue any relationship which you might have as a Director or
Consultant for the Company or Affiliate of the Company.
10. NOTICES. Any notices provided for in this option or the Plan shall be
given in writing and shall be deemed effectively given upon receipt or, in the
case of notices delivered by the Company to you, five (5) days after deposit in
the United States mail, postage prepaid, addressed to you at the address
specified below or at such other address as you hereafter designate by written
notice to the Company.
11. GOVERNING PLAN DOCUMENT. This option is subject to all the provisions
of the Plan, a copy of which is attached hereto and its provisions are hereby
made a part of this option, including without limitation the provisions of
Section 6 of the Plan relating to option provisions, and is further subject to
all interpretations, amendments, rules and regulations which may from time to
time be promulgated and adopted pursuant to the Plan. In the event of any
conflict between the provisions of this option and those of the Plan, the
provisions of the Plan shall control.
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Dated the ____ day of __________________, 19__.
Very truly yours,
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By
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Duly authorized on behalf of the
Board of Directors
ATTACHMENTS:
IPL Systems, Inc. 1997 Equity Incentive Plan
Notice of Exercise
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The undersigned:
(a) Acknowledges receipt of the foregoing option and the attachments
referenced therein and understands that all rights and liabilities with respect
to this option are set forth in the option and the Plan; and
(b) Acknowledges that as of the date of grant of this option, it
sets forth the entire understanding between the undersigned optionee and the
Company and its Affiliates regarding the acquisition of stock in the Company and
supersedes all prior oral and written agreements on that subject with the
exception of (i) the options previously granted and delivered to the undersigned
under stock option plans of the Company, and (ii) the following agreements only:
NONE
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(Initial)
OTHER
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OPTIONEE
Address:
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