Company: AAOI
Filing Date: 2025-02-28
Form Type: PRE 14A
Source: 0001104659-25-019126
Chunk: 21

Company: APPLIED OPTOELECTRONICS, INC.
Filing Date: 2025-02-28
Form: PRE 14A
Chunk 21
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 goals as of the effective date of the change of control and will be paid in

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

accordance with the payout schedule for the award. With respect to a change of control that is a company transaction in which the awards could be converted, assumed, substituted for or replaced by the successor company, such awards will terminate at the effective time of the change of control if and to the extent the awards are not converted, assumed, substituted for or replaced by the successor company.

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In the event of a company transaction, the administrator, in its discretion, may provide that a participant’s outstanding awards will be cashed out, net of any purchase or exercise prices applicable to such awards.

The Amended and Restated 2021 Plan generally defines “change of control” as the occurrence of any of the following events:

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an acquisition of 50% or more of the combined voting power of our outstanding voting securities other than by virtue of a merger, consolidation or similar transaction; or

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a “corporate transaction”.

The Amended and Restated 2021 Plan generally defines a “corporate transaction” as the occurrence of any of the following events:

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a merger, consolidation or similar transaction directly or indirectly involving the Company and, immediately after the consummation of such transaction, the stockholders of the Company immediately prior to the transaction do not own, directly or indirectly, either outstanding voting securities representing more than 50% of the combined outstanding voting power of the surviving entity in such merger, consolidation or similar transaction, or more than 50% of the combined outstanding voting power of the parent of the surviving entity in such merger, consolidation or similar transaction, in each case in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of the outstanding voting securities of the Company immediately prior to such transaction;

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a sale in one transaction or a series of transactions undertaken with a common purpose of more than 50% of the Company’s outstanding voting securities; or

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a sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the consolidated assets of the Company and its subsidiaries, other than a sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the consolidated assets of the Company and its subsidiaries to a person or entity, more than 50% of the combined voting power of the voting securities of which are owned by stockholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of the outstanding voting securities of the Company immediately prior to such sale or other disposition.

If we dissolve or liquidate, unless