Company: AAOI
Filing Date: 2025-02-28
Form Type: PRE 14A
Source: 0001104659-25-019126
Chunk: 22

Company: APPLIED OPTOELECTRONICS, INC.
Filing Date: 2025-02-28
Form: PRE 14A
Chunk 22
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 the administrator determines otherwise, outstanding awards will terminate immediately prior to such dissolution or liquidation.

#### Amendment and Termination.
Our Board or the compensation committee is permitted to amend the Amended and Restated 2021 Plan or any outstanding award under the Amended and Restated 2021 Plan, except that only our Board is permitted to amend the Amended and Restated 2021 Plan if stockholder approval of the amendment is required by applicable law, regulation or stock exchange rule. Amendment of an outstanding award generally may not materially adversely affect a participant’s rights under the award without the participant’s written consent, subject to certain limited exceptions set forth in the Amended and Restated 2021 Plan. In addition, the Board will have broad authority to amend the Amended and Restated 2021 Plan or any outstanding award without the consent of a participant to the extent the Board deems necessary or advisable to (a) comply with, or take into account, changes in applicable tax laws, securities laws, accounting rules and other applicable law, rules and regulations, (b) to ensure that an award is not subject to certain additional taxes, interest or penalties or (c) correct clerical or typographical errors.

Our Board or the compensation committee may suspend or terminate all or any portion of the Amended and Restated 2021 Plan at any time, but in such event, outstanding awards will remain outstanding in accordance with their existing terms and conditions. The Amended and Restated 2021 Plan will expire 10 years after the date the Amended and Restated 2021 Plan was originally approved by the Board.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

#### New Plan Benefits
All awards to be made to employees, officers and consultants under the Amended and Restated 2021 Plan are made at the discretion of the administrator. Therefore, the future benefits and amounts that will be received or allocated to such individuals under the Amended and Restated 2021 Plan generally are not determinable at this time. Please refer to the description of equity awards made to our NEOs in the last fiscal year described in the “2024 Grants of Plan-Based Awards” table and to our 6 non-employee directors as described above under “2024 Director Compensation.”

#### Federal Income Tax Information
The following is a brief summary of the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the Amended and Restated 2021 Plan generally applicable to us and to participants in the Amended and Restated