Exhibit 10.19

 


 



 

 

ITERIS, INC.

 

2007 OMNIBUS INCENTIVE PLAN
 (amended and restated as of October 21, 2010)

 

 


 



 











 

Table of Contents

 

	
Section 1.
    	
 
    	
Purpose
    	
 
    	
1
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Section 2.
    	
 
    	
Definitions
    	
 
    	
1
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Section 3.
    	
 
    	
Administration
    	
 
    	
4
    
	
(a)
    	
 
    	
Power and Authority of the Committee
    	
 
    	
4
    
	
(b)
    	
 
    	
Power and Authority of the Board
    	
 
    	
5
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Section 4.
    	
 
    	
Shares Available for Awards
    	
 
    	
5
    
	
(a)
    	
 
    	
Shares Available
    	
 
    	
5
    
	
(b)
    	
 
    	
Accounting for Awards
    	
 
    	
5
    
	
(c)
    	
 
    	
Adjustments
    	
 
    	
5
    
	
(d)
    	
 
    	
Section 162(m) Award Limitations Under the Plan
    	
 
    	
6
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Section 5.
    	
 
    	
Eligibility
    	
 
    	
6
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Section 6.
    	
 
    	
Awards
    	
 
    	
6
    
	
(a)
    	
 
    	
Options
    	
 
    	
6
    
	
(b)
    	
 
    	
Stock Appreciation Rights
    	
 
    	
8
    
	
(c)
    	
 
    	
Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units
    	
 
    	
8
    
	
(d)
    	
 
    	
Performance Awards
    	
 
    	
9
    
	
(e)
    	
 
    	
Dividend Equivalents
    	
 
    	
9
    
	
(f)
    	
 
    	
Other Stock Grants
    	
 
    	
9
    
	
(g)
    	
 
    	
Other Stock-Based Awards
    	
 
    	
9
    
	
(h)
    	
 
    	
General
    	
 
    	
10
    
	
(i)
    	
 
    	
Directors’ Automatic Option Grant Program
    	
 
    	
11
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Section 7.
    	
 
    	
Amendment and Termination; Adjustments
    	
 
    	
13
    
	
(a)
    	
 
    	
Amendments to the Plan
    	
 
    	
13
    
	
(b)
    	
 
    	
Amendments to Awards
    	
 
    	
14
    
	
(c)
    	
 
    	
Correction of Defects, Omissions and Inconsistencies
    	
 
    	
14
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Section 8.
    	
 
    	
Income Tax Withholding
    	
 
    	
14
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Section 9.
    	
 
    	
General Provisions
    	
 
    	
14
    
	
(a)
    	
 
    	
No Rights to Awards
    	
 
    	
14
    
	
(b)
    	
 
    	
Award Agreements
    	
 
    	
14
    
	
(c)
    	
 
    	
Plan Provisions Control
    	
 
    	
14
    
	
(d)
    	
 
    	
No Rights of Stockholders
    	
 
    	
15
    
	
(e)
    	
 
    	
No Limit on Other Compensation Arrangements
    	
 
    	
15
    
	
(f)
    	
 
    	
No Right to Employment
    	
 
    	
15
    
	
(g)
    	
 
    	
Governing Law
    	
 
    	
15
    
	
(h)
    	
 
    	
Severability
    	
 
    	
15
    
	
(i)
    	
 
    	
No Trust or Fund Created
    	
 
    	
16
    


 

ii











 

	
(j)
    	
 
    	
Other Benefits
    	
 
    	
16
    
	
(k)
    	
 
    	
No Fractional Shares
    	
 
    	
16
    
	
(l)
    	
 
    	
Headings
    	
 
    	
16
    
	
(m)
    	
 
    	
Section 16 Compliance;   Section 162(m) Administration
    	
 
    	
16
    
	
(n)
    	
 
    	
Conditions Precedent to Issuance of Shares
    	
 
    	
16
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Section 10.
    	
 
    	
Effective Date of the Plan
    	
 
    	
17
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Section 11.
    	
 
    	
Term of the Plan
    	
 
    	
17
    


 

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ITERIS, INC.
 2007 OMNIBUS INCENTIVE PLAN
 (amended and restated as of October 21, 2010)

 

Section 1.              Purpose

 

The purpose of the Plan is to promote the interests of the Company and its stockholders by aiding the Company in attracting and retaining employees, officers, consultants, independent contractors, advisors and directors capable of assuring the future success of the Company, to offer such persons incentives to continue in the Company’s employ or service and to afford such persons an opportunity to acquire a proprietary interest, or otherwise increase their proprietary interest, in the Company.

 

Section 2.              Definitions

 

As used in the Plan, the following terms shall have the meanings set forth below:

 

(a)           “Affiliate” shall mean (i) any entity that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, is controlled by the Company and (ii) any entity in which the Company has a significant equity interest, in each case as determined by the Committee.

 

(b)           “Award” shall mean any Option, Stock Appreciation Right, Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Unit, Performance Award, Dividend Equivalent, Other Stock Grant or Other Stock-Based Award granted under the Plan.

 

(c)           “Award Agreement” shall mean any written agreement, contract or other instrument or document evidencing an Award granted under the Plan.  Each Award Agreement shall be subject to the applicable terms and conditions of the Plan and any other terms and conditions (not inconsistent with the Plan) determined by the Committee.

 

(d)           “Board” shall mean the Board of Directors of the Company.

 

(e)           “Change in Control” shall mean a change in ownership or control of the Company effected through any of the following transactions: (i) a merger, consolidation or other reorganization unless securities representing more than 50% of the total combined voting power of the voting securities of the successor corporation are immediately thereafter beneficially owned, directly or indirectly and in substantially the same proportion, by the persons who beneficially owned the Company’s outstanding voting securities immediately prior to such transaction; (ii) a sale, transfer or other disposition of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets; or (iii) the acquisition, directly or indirectly, by any person or related group of persons (other than the Company or a person that directly or indirectly controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, the Company), of beneficial ownership (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 of the Exchange Act) of securities possessing more than 50% of the total combined voting power of the Company’s outstanding securities pursuant to a tender or exchange offer made directly to the Company’s stockholders.

 











 

(f)            “Code” shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time, and any regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

(g)           “Committee” shall mean one or more committees of Directors designated by the Board to administer the Plan, of which the Company’s compensation committee shall initially be the primary committee.  The primary Committee shall be comprised of at least two Directors but not less than such number of Directors as shall be required to permit Awards granted under the Plan to qualify under Rule 16b-3 and Section 162(m) of the Code, and each member of the primary Committee shall be a “Non-Employee Director” and an “Outside Director.”  Any secondary Committee shall be comprised of at least two Directors.

 

(h)           “Company” shall mean Iteris, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and any successor corporation.

 

(i)            “Director” shall mean a member of the Board, including any Non-Employee Director.

 

(j)            “Dividend Equivalent” shall mean any right granted under Section 6(e) of the Plan.

 

(k)           “Eligible Person” shall mean any employee, officer, consultant, independent contractor, advisor or director providing services to the Company or any Affiliate who the Committee determines to be an Eligible Person.

 

(l)            “Exchange Act” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

(m)          “Fair Market Value” shall mean, with respect to any property (including, without limitation, any Shares or other securities), the fair market value of such property determined by such methods or procedures as shall be established from time to time by the Committee.  Notwithstanding the foregoing and unless otherwise determined by the Committee, if the Shares are at the time listed on any stock exchange in the United States, the Fair Market Value of a Share as of a given date shall be the closing sale price of one Share as reported on the principal United States exchange on which the Shares are listed on the date as of which Fair Market Value is being determined, or, if there is no closing sales price for the Shares on the date in question, then the Fair Market Value shall be the closing sales price on the last preceding date for which such price exists.

 

(n)           “Incentive Stock Option” shall mean an option granted under Section 6(a) of the Plan that is intended to qualify as an “incentive stock option” in accordance with the terms of Section 422 of the Code or any successor provision.

 

(o)           “Non-Employee Director” shall mean any Director who is not also an employee of the Company or an Affiliate within the meaning of Rule 16b-3.

 

(p)           “Non-Qualified Stock Option” shall mean an option granted under Section 6(a) of the Plan that is not an Incentive Stock Option.

 

(q)           “Option” shall mean an Incentive Stock Option or a Non-Qualified Stock Option.

 

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(r)            “Other Stock Grant” shall mean any right granted under Section 6(f) of the Plan.

 

(s)            “Other Stock-Based Award” shall mean any right granted under Section 6(g) of the Plan.

 

(t)            “Outside Director” shall mean any Director who is an “outside director” within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Code.

 

(u)           “Participant” shall mean an Eligible Person designated to be granted an Award under the Plan.

 

(v)           “Performance Award” shall mean any right granted under Section 6(d) of the Plan.

 

(w)          “Performance Goal” shall mean one or more of the following performance goals, either individually, alternatively or in any combination, applied on a corporate, subsidiary or business unit basis:  revenue, cash flow, gross profit, earnings before interest and taxes, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization and net earnings, earnings per share, margins (including one or more of gross, operating and net income margins), returns (including one or more of return on assets, equity, investment, capital and revenue and total stockholder return), stock price, economic value added, working capital, market share, cost reductions, workforce satisfaction and diversity goals, employee retention, customer satisfaction, completion of key projects and strategic plan development and implementation.  Such goals may reflect absolute entity or business unit performance or a relative comparison to the performance of a peer group of entities or other external measure of the selected performance criteria.  Pursuant to rules and conditions adopted by the Committee on or before the 90th day of the applicable performance period for which Performance Goals are established, the Committee may appropriately adjust any evaluation of performance under such goals to exclude the effect of certain events, including any of the following events:  asset write-downs; litigation or claim judgments or settlements; changes in tax law, accounting principles or other such laws or provisions affecting reported results; severance, contract termination and other costs related to exiting certain business activities; and gains or losses from the disposition of businesses or assets or from the early extinguishment of debt.

 

(x)           “Person” shall mean any individual or entity, including a corporation, partnership, limited liability company, association, joint venture or trust.

 

(y)           “Plan” shall mean the Iteris, Inc. 2007 Omnibus Incentive Plan, as amended from time to time, the provisions of which are set forth herein.

 

(z)           “Qualified Performance Based Award” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6(d) of the Plan.

 

(aa)         “Restricted Stock” shall mean any Share granted under Section 6(c) of the Plan.

 

(bb)         “Restricted Stock Unit” shall mean any unit granted under Section 6(c) of the Plan evidencing the right to receive a Share (or evidencing the right to receive a cash payment equal to the Fair Market Value of a Share if explicitly so provided in the Award Agreement) at some future date.

 

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(cc)         “Rule 16b-3” shall mean Rule 16b-3 promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Exchange Act, or any successor rule or regulation.

 

(dd)         “Section 162(m)” shall mean Section 162(m) of the Code and the applicable Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

(ee)         “Securities Act” shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

(ff)          “Service” shall mean the performance of services for the Company (or any Affiliate) by a person in the capacity of an employee, a member of the board of directors or a consultant, except to the extent otherwise specifically provided in the Award Agreement.

 

(gg)         “Share” or “Shares” shall mean a share or shares of common stock, $0.10 par value per share, of the Company or such other securities or property as may become subject to Awards pursuant to an adjustment made under Section 4(c) of the Plan.

 

(hh)         “Stock Appreciation Right” shall mean any right granted under Section 6(b) of the Plan.

 

Section 3.              Administration

 

(a)           Power and Authority of the Committee.  The Plan shall be administered by the Board and the primary Committee.  The Board may designate a secondary Committee to have concurrent authority to administer the Plan, provided that the secondary Committee shall not have any authority (i) with regard to grants of Options to be made to officers or directors of the Company or any Affiliate who are subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act, (ii) in such a manner as would cause the Plan not to comply with the requirements of Section 162(m) of the Code or (iii) in such a manner as would contravene Section 157 of the Delaware General Corporation Law.  Any Awards made to members of the Committee, however, should be authorized by a disinterested majority of the Board.  Subject to the express provisions of the Plan and to applicable law, the Committee (or the Board, as applicable) shall have full power and authority to:  (i) designate Participants; (ii) determine the type or types of Awards to be granted to each Participant under the Plan; (iii) determine the number of Shares to be covered by (or the method by which payments or other rights are to be determined in connection with) each Award; (iv) determine the terms and conditions of any Award or Award Agreement; (v) amend the terms and conditions of any Award or Award Agreement and accelerate the exercisability of any Option or waive any restrictions relating to any Award; (vi) determine whether, to what extent and under what circumstances Awards may be exercised in cash, Shares, other securities, other Awards or other property, or canceled, forfeited or suspended; (vii) interpret and administer the Plan and any instrument or agreement, including an Award Agreement, relating to the Plan; (viii) establish, amend, suspend or waive such rules and regulations and appoint such agents as it shall deem appropriate for the proper administration of the Plan; and (ix) make any other determination and take any other action that the Committee deems necessary or desirable for the administration of the Plan.  Unless otherwise expressly provided in the Plan, all designations, determinations, interpretations and other decisions under or with respect to the Plan or any Award or Award Agreement shall be within the sole discretion of the Committee, may be made at any time and shall be final, conclusive and binding upon any Eligible Person and any holder or beneficiary of any Award.

 

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(b)           Power and Authority of the Board.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the Board may, at any time and from time to time, without any further action of the Committee, exercise the powers and duties of the Committee under the Plan.

 

Section 4.              Shares Available for Awards

 

(a)           Shares Available.  Subject to adjustment as provided in Section 4(c) of the Plan, the aggregate number of Shares that may be issued under the Plan shall be One Million Six Hundred Fifty Thousand (1,650,000).  Shares to be issued under the Plan may be either authorized but unissued Shares or Shares re-acquired and held in treasury.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, (x) the number of Shares available for granting Incentive Stock Options under the Plan shall not exceed One Million Six Hundred Fifty Thousand (1,650,000), subject to adjustment as provided in Section 4(c) of the Plan and subject to the provisions of Section 422 or 424 of the Code or any successor provision and (y) the number of Shares available for granting Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units shall not exceed One Million Six Hundred Fifty Thousand (1,650,000), subject to adjustment as provided in Section 4(c) of the Plan.

 

(b)           Accounting for Awards.  For purposes of this Section 4, if an Award entitles the holder thereof to receive or purchase Shares, the number of Shares covered by such Award or to which such Award relates shall be counted on the date of grant of such Award against the aggregate number of Shares available for granting Awards under the Plan.  In addition, if any Shares covered by an Award or to which an Award relates are not purchased or are forfeited, or if an Award otherwise terminates without delivery of any Shares, then the number of Shares counted against the aggregate number of Shares available under the Plan with respect to such Award, to the extent of any such forfeiture or termination, shall again be available for granting Awards under the Plan.

 

(c)           Adjustments.  In the event any dividend or other distribution (whether in the form of cash, Shares, other securities or other property), recapitalization, stock split, reverse stock split, reorganization, merger, consolidation, split-up, spin-off, combination, repurchase or exchange of Shares or other securities of the Company, issuance of warrants or other rights to purchase Shares or other securities of the Company or other similar corporate transaction or event affects the Shares such that an adjustment is necessary in order to prevent dilution or enlargement of the benefits or potential benefits intended to be made available under the Plan, then the Committee shall, in such manner as it may deem equitable, adjust any or all of (i) the number and type of Shares (or other securities or other property) that thereafter may be made the subject of Awards, (ii) the number and type of Shares (or other securities or other property) subject to outstanding Awards, (iii) the purchase price or exercise price with respect to any Award and (iv) the limitations contained in Section 4(d) of the Plan; provided, however, that the number of Shares covered by any Award or to which such Award relates shall always be a whole number.

 

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(d)           Section 162(m) Award Limitations Under the Plan.  Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan other than Section 4(c), if the Committee provides that this Section 4(d) is applicable to a particular Award, no Participant receiving such an Award shall be granted: (i) Options or SARs with respect to more than 500,000 Shares in the aggregate within any fiscal year of the Company; or (ii) Qualified Performance Based Awards which could result in such Participant receiving more than $1,500,000 in cash or the equivalent Fair Market Value of Shares determined at the date of grant for each full or partial fiscal year of the Company contained in the performance period of a particular Qualified Performance Based Award; provided, however, that, if any other Qualified Performance Based Awards are outstanding for such Participant for a given fiscal year, such dollar limitation shall be reduced for each such given fiscal year by the amount that could be received by the Participant under all such Qualified Performance Based Awards, divided, for each such Qualified Performance Based Award, by the number of full or partial fiscal years of the Company contained in the performance period of each such outstanding Qualified Performance Based Award; provided, however, that the limitations set forth in this Section 4(d) shall be subject to adjustment under Section 4(c) of the Plan only to the extent that such adjustment does not affect the status of any Award intended under Section 6(d) to qualify as “performance based compensation” under Section 162(m) of the Code.

 

Section 5.              Eligibility

 

Any Eligible Person shall be eligible to be designated a Participant.  In determining which Eligible Persons shall receive an Award and the terms of any Award, the Committee may take into account the nature of the services rendered by the respective Eligible Persons, their present and potential contributions to the success of the Company or such other factors as the Committee, in its discretion, shall deem relevant.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, an Incentive Stock Option may only be granted to full-time or part-time employees (which term as used herein includes, without limitation, officers and directors who are also employees), and an Incentive Stock Option shall not be granted to an employee of an Affiliate unless such Affiliate is also a “subsidiary corporation” of the Company within the meaning of Section 424(f) of the Code or any successor provision.

 

Section 6.              Awards

 

(a)           Options.  The Committee is hereby authorized to grant Options to Eligible Persons with the following terms and conditions and with such additional terms and conditions not inconsistent with the provisions of the Plan as the Committee shall determine:

 

(i)            Exercise Price.  The purchase price per Share purchasable under an Option shall be determined by the Committee; provided, however, that such purchase price shall not be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of grant of such Option.

 

(ii)           Option Term.  The term of each Option shall be fixed by the Committee at the time of grant, but shall not be longer than 10 years from the date of grant.

 

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(iii)          Time and Method of Exercise.  The Committee shall determine the time or times at which an Option may be exercised in whole or in part and the method or methods by which, and the form or forms (including, without limitation, cash, Shares, other securities, other Awards or other property, or any combination thereof, having a Fair Market Value on the exercise date equal to the applicable exercise price) in which, payment of the exercise price with respect thereto may be made or deemed to have been made.  The Committee shall have the discretion to grant Options that are exercisable for unvested Shares.  Should the Participant’s Service cease while the Shares issued upon the early exercise of the Participant’s Options are still unvested, the Company shall have the right to repurchase any or all of those unvested Shares at a price per share determined by the Committee.  The terms upon which such repurchase right shall be exercisable (including the period and procedure for exercise and the appropriate vesting schedule for the purchased shares) shall be established by the Committee and set forth in the Award Agreement.  Any repurchases must be made in compliance with the relevant provisions of Delaware law.

 

(iv)          Incentive Stock Options.  Notwithstanding anything in the Plan to the contrary, the following additional provisions shall apply to the grant of stock options which are intended to qualify as Incentive Stock Options:

 

(A)          The Committee will not grant Incentive Stock Options in which the aggregate Fair Market Value (determined as of the time the option is granted) of the Shares with respect to which Incentive Stock Options are exercisable for the first time by any Participant during any calendar year (under this Plan and all other plans of the Company and its Affiliates) shall exceed $100,000.

 

(B)          All Incentive Stock Options must be granted within ten years from the earlier of the date on which this Plan was adopted by the Board or the date this Plan was approved by the stockholders of the Company.

 

(C)          Unless sooner exercised, all Incentive Stock Options shall expire and no longer be exercisable no later than 10 years after the date of grant; provided, however, that in the case of a grant of an Incentive Stock Option to a Participant who, at the time such Option is granted, owns (within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code) stock possessing more than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or of its Affiliate, such Incentive Stock Option shall expire and no longer be exercisable no later than 5 years from the date of grant.

 

(D)          The purchase price per Share for an Incentive Stock Option shall be not less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of grant of the Incentive Stock Option; provided, however, that, in the case of the grant of an Incentive Stock Option to a Participant who, at the time such Option is granted, owns (within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code) stock possessing more than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or of its Affiliate, the purchase price per Share purchasable under an Incentive Stock Option shall be not less than 110% of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of grant of the Inventive Stock Option.

 

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(E)           Any Incentive Stock Option authorized under the Plan shall contain such other provisions as the Committee shall deem advisable, but shall in all events be consistent with and contain all provisions required in order to qualify the Option as an Incentive Stock Option.

 

(b)           Stock Appreciation Rights.  The Committee is hereby authorized to grant Stock Appreciation Rights to Eligible Persons subject to the terms of the Plan and any applicable Award Agreement.  Each Stock Appreciation Right granted under the Plan shall confer on the holder upon exercise the right to receive a number of Shares equal to the excess of (a) the Fair Market Value of one Share on the date of exercise (or, if the Committee shall so determine, at any time during a specified period before or after the date of exercise) over (b) the grant price of the Stock Appreciation Right as determined by the Committee, which grant price shall not be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of one Share on the date of grant of the Stock Appreciation Right.  Subject to the terms of the Plan, the grant price, term, methods of exercise, dates of exercise and any other terms and conditions (including conditions or restrictions on the exercise thereof) of any Stock Appreciation Right shall be as determined by the Committee.

 

(c)           Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units.  The Committee is hereby authorized to grant Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units to Eligible Persons with the following terms and conditions and with such additional terms and conditions not inconsistent with the provisions of the Plan as the Committee shall determine:

 

(i)            Restrictions.  Shares of Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units shall be subject to such restrictions as the Committee may impose (including, without limitation, a restriction on or prohibition against the right to receive any dividend or other right or property with respect thereto), which restrictions may lapse separately or in combination at such time or times, in such installments or otherwise as the Committee may deem appropriate.

 

(ii)           Issuance of Shares.  Any Restricted Stock granted under the Plan may be evidenced in such manner as the Board may deem appropriate, including book-entry registration or issuance of a stock certificate or certificates which certificate or certificates shall be held by the Company.  Such certificate or certificates shall be registered in the name of the Participant and shall bear an appropriate legend referring to the restrictions applicable to such Restricted Stock.

 

(iii)          Forfeiture.  Except as otherwise determined by the Committee, upon a Participant’s termination of Service (as determined under criteria established by the Committee) during the applicable restriction period, all Shares of Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units at such time subject to restriction shall be forfeited and reacquired by the Company; provided, however, that the Committee may, when it finds that a waiver would be in the best interest of the Company, waive in whole or in part any or all remaining restrictions with respect to Shares of Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units.

 

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(d)           Performance Awards.  The Committee is hereby authorized to grant Performance Awards to Eligible Persons subject to the terms of the Plan.  A Performance Award granted under the Plan (i) may be denominated or payable in cash, Shares (including, without limitation, Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units), other securities, other Awards or other property and (ii) shall confer on the holder thereof the right to receive payments, in whole or in part, upon the achievement of such performance goals during such performance periods as the Committee shall establish.  Subject to the terms of the Plan, the performance goals to be achieved during any performance period, the length of any performance period, the amount of any Performance Award granted, the amount of any payment or transfer to be made pursuant to any Performance Award and any other terms and conditions of any Performance Award shall be determined by the Committee.  From time to time, the Committee may designate an Award granted pursuant to the Plan as an award of “qualified performance-based compensation” within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Code (a “Qualified Performance Based Award”).  Qualified Performance Based Awards shall, to the extent required by Section 162(m), be conditioned solely on the achievement of one or more objective Performance Goals, and such Performance Goals shall be established by the Committee within the time period prescribed by, and shall otherwise comply with the requirements of, Section 162(m).  The Committee shall also certify in writing that such Performance Goals have been met prior to payment of the Qualified Performance Based Awards to the extent required by Section 162(m).

 

(e)           Dividend Equivalents.  The Committee is hereby authorized to grant Dividend Equivalents to Eligible Persons under which the Participant shall be entitled to receive payments (in cash, Shares, other securities, other Awards or other property as determined in the discretion of the Committee) equivalent to the amount of cash dividends paid by the Company to holders of Shares with respect to a number of Shares determined by the Committee.  Subject to the terms of the Plan, such Dividend Equivalents may have such terms and conditions as the Committee shall determine.

 

(f)            Other Stock Grants.  The Committee is hereby authorized, subject to the terms of the Plan, to grant to Eligible Persons Shares without restrictions thereon (“Other Stock Grants”) as are deemed by the Committee to be consistent with the purpose of the Plan.  Subject to the terms of the Plan and any applicable Award Agreement, such Other Stock Grant may have such terms and conditions as the Committee shall determine.

 

(g)           Other Stock-Based Awards.  The Committee is hereby authorized to grant to Eligible Persons, subject to the terms of the Plan, such other Awards that are denominated or payable in, valued in whole or in part by reference to, or otherwise based on or related to, Shares (including, without limitation, securities convertible into Shares), as are deemed by the Committee to be consistent with the purpose of the Plan.  Shares or other securities delivered pursuant to a purchase right granted under this Section 6(g) shall be purchased for such consideration, which may be paid by such method or methods and in such form or forms (including, without limitation, cash, Shares, other securities, other Awards or other property or any combination thereof), as the Committee shall determine, the value of which consideration, as established by the Committee, shall not be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of such Shares or other securities as of the date such purchase right is granted.

 

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(h)           General.

 

(i)            Consideration for Awards.  Awards may be granted for no cash consideration or for any cash or other consideration as determined by the Committee and required by applicable law.

 

(ii)           Awards May Be Granted Separately or Together.  Awards may, in the discretion of the Committee, be granted either alone or in addition to, in tandem with or in substitution for any other Award or any award granted under any plan of the Company or any Affiliate.  Awards granted in addition to or in tandem with other Awards or in addition to or in tandem with awards granted under any such other plan of the Company or any Affiliate may be granted either at the same time as or at a different time from the grant of such other Awards or awards.

 

(iii)          Forms of Payment under Awards.  Subject to the terms of the Plan and of any applicable Award Agreement, payments or transfers to be made by the Company or an Affiliate upon the grant, exercise or payment of an Award may be made in such form or forms as the Committee shall determine (including, without limitation, cash, Shares, other securities, other Awards or other property or any combination thereof), and may be made in a single payment or transfer, in installments or on a deferred basis, in each case in accordance with rules and procedures established by the Committee.  Such rules and procedures may include, without limitation, provisions for the payment or crediting of reasonable interest on installment or deferred payments or the grant or crediting of Dividend Equivalents with respect to installment or deferred payments.

 

(iv)          Limits on Transfer of Awards.  No Award (other than Other Stock Grants) and no right under any such Award shall be transferable by a Participant other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution and the Company shall not be required to recognize any attempted assignment of such rights by any Participant; provided, however, that, if so determined by the Committee, a Participant may, in the manner established by the Committee, designate a beneficiary or beneficiaries to exercise the rights of the Participant and receive any property distributable with respect to any Award upon the death of the Participant; provided, further, that, if so determined by the Committee, a Participant may, at any time that such Participant holds such Option, transfer a Non-Qualified Stock Option to any “Family Member” (as such term is defined in the General Instructions to Form S-8, or any successor to such Instructions or such Form), or to an inter vivos or testamentary trust in which Family Members have a beneficial interest of more than 50% and which provides that such Option is to be transferred to the beneficiaries upon the Participant’s death, provided that the Participant may not receive any consideration for such transfer, the Family Member may not make any subsequent transfers other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution and the Company receives written notice of such transfer, provided, further, that, if so determined by the Committee and except in the case of an Incentive Stock Option, Awards may be transferable as determined by the Committee.  Except as otherwise determined by the Committee, each Award (other than an Incentive Stock Option) or right under any such Award shall be exercisable during the Participant’s lifetime only by the Participant or, if permissible under applicable law, by the Participant’s guardian or legal representative.

 

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Except as otherwise determined by the Committee, no Award (other than an Incentive Stock Option) or right under any such Award may be pledged, alienated, attached or otherwise encumbered, and any purported pledge, alienation, attachment or other encumbrance thereof shall be void and unenforceable against the Company or any Affiliate.

 

(v)           Term of Awards.  The term of each Award shall be fixed by the Committee at the time of grant, but shall not be longer than 10 years from the date of grant.

 

(vi)          Restrictions; Securities Exchange Listing.  All Shares or other securities delivered under the Plan pursuant to any Award or the exercise thereof shall be subject to such stop transfer orders and other restrictions as the Committee may deem advisable under the Plan, applicable federal or state securities laws and regulatory requirements, and the Committee may direct appropriate stop transfer orders and cause other legends to be placed on the certificates for such Shares or other securities to reflect such restrictions.  If the Shares or other securities are traded on a securities exchange, the Company shall not be required to deliver any Shares or other securities covered by an Award unless and until such Shares or other securities have been and continue to be admitted for trading on such securities exchange.  No Shares or other assets shall be issued or delivered pursuant to the Plan unless and until there shall have been compliance with all applicable requirements of applicable securities laws, including the filing and effectiveness of the Form S-8 registration statement for the Shares issuable pursuant to the Plan, and all applicable listing requirements of any stock exchange or trading system on which Common Stock is then traded.  No Shares shall be issued or delivered pursuant to the Plan if doing so would violate any internal policies of the Company.

 

(vii)         Prohibition on Repricing.  Except as provided in Section 4(c) of the Plan, no Option or Stock Appreciation Right may be amended to reduce its initial exercise or grant price and no Option or Stock Appreciation Right shall be canceled and replaced with Options or Stock Appreciation Rights having a lower exercise or grant price, without the approval of the stockholders of the Company or unless there would be no material adverse effect on the Company’s financial statements as prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States.

 

(i)            Directors’ Automatic Option Grant Program.

 

(i)            Annual Grant.  Beginning with the 2011 Annual Stockholders Meeting, each Non-Employee Director shall receive annually on the date of each annual stockholders’ meeting a Non-Qualified Stock Option to purchase Ten Thousand (10,000) Shares, provided that such Non-Employee Director has served as a Non-Employee Director for at least six (6) months and is to continue to serve as a Non-Employee Director, whether or not he or she is standing for reelection at that particular Annual Meeting.  The exercise price for the Shares shall be 100% of the Fair Market Value of the Shares on the date of grant.  Each Option shall be exercisable immediately upon grant, shall be exercisable for ten (10) years following the date of grant and shall be generally subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the Plan.  Each such Option shall initially

 

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be unvested and shall vest in full upon the Non-Employee Director’s completion of one (1) year of Board service measured from the grant date.  There shall be no limit on the number of such automatic Option grants any one Non-Employee Director may receive over his or her period of Board service, and Non-Employee Directors who have previously been employees of the Company (or any Affiliate) or who have received one or more Option grants from the Company prior to becoming a Non-Employee Director shall be eligible to receive one or more such automatic Option grants over their period of continued Board service.

 

(ii)           Initial Grant.  Upon appointment or initial election to the Board, each Non-Employee Director shall receive a Non-Qualified Stock Option to purchase Twenty Thousand (20,000) Shares, provided such individual was not previously in the Company’s employ.  The exercise price for such Shares shall be 100% of the Fair Market Value of the Shares on the date of grant.  Each Option shall be exercisable immediately upon grant, shall be exercisable for 10 years following the date of grant and shall be generally subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the Plan.  Each such Option shall initially be unvested and shall vest in full upon the Non-Employee Director’s completion of one (1) year of Board service measured from the grant date.

 

(iii)          Termination of Board Service.  The following provisions shall govern the exercise of any options granted to Non-Employee Directors pursuant to the Automatic Option Grant Program that are outstanding at the time the Non-Employee Director ceases to serve as a Board member:

 

(A)          Should the Non-Employee Director’s service as a Board member cease for any reason while one or more Options granted pursuant to this Automatic Option Grant Program are outstanding, then each such Option shall remain exercisable, for any or all of the vested Shares for which the Option is exercisable at the time of such cessation of Board service, until the earlier of (i) the termination date of the Option or (ii) the expiration of the one-year period measured from the date the Non-Employee Director’s Board service ceases.  Upon the expiration of the one-year post-termination exercise period, or (if earlier) upon the termination date of the Option, the Option shall terminate with respect to any vested Shares for which the Option has not been exercised.

 

(B)          Should the Non-Employee Director cease to serve as a Board member by reason of death or Permanent Disability, then all shares at the time subject to the Option granted pursuant to this Automatic Option Grant Program shall immediately vest so that such Option may, during the twelve (12) month exercise period following such cessation of Board service, be exercised for all or any portion of those shares as fully vested shares of Common Stock.  “Permanent Disability” for purposes of this section shall mean the inability of the Non-Employee Director to perform his or her usual duties as a Board member by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment expected to result in death or to be of continuous duration of twelve (12) months or more.

 

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(C)          Each Option granted pursuant to this Automatic Option Grant Program that is outstanding at the time of the Non-Employee Director’s cessation of Board service shall immediately terminate and cease to remain outstanding with respect to any and all unvested Shares for which the Option is not otherwise at that time exercisable.

 

(iv)          Change in Control.  In the event of a Change in Control effected during the Non-Employee Director’s period of Board service, the vesting, if any, of each Option granted pursuant to this Automatic Option Grant Program at the time held by such Non-Employee Director shall automatically accelerate so that each such Option shall, immediately prior to the specified effective date for the Change in Control, become exercisable for all of the Shares at the time subject to such Option and may be exercised for all or any portion of such Shares.  Upon the consummation of the Change in Control, all Options granted pursuant to this Automatic Option Grant Program shall terminate and cease to be outstanding.

 

(v)           Remaining Terms.  The remaining terms and conditions of each Option granted pursuant to this Automatic Option Grant Program shall be substantially the same as the terms in effect for Options made under the Plan and shall be set forth in an Option Agreement.

 

Section 7.              Amendment and Termination; Adjustments

 

(a)           Amendments to the Plan.  The Board may amend, alter, suspend, discontinue or terminate the Plan at any time; provided, however, that, notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan or any Award Agreement, without the approval of the stockholders of the Company, no such amendment, alteration, suspension, discontinuation or termination shall be made that, absent such approval:

 

(i)            violates the rules or regulations of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. or any other regulatory organization or securities exchange that are applicable to the Company;

 

(ii)           causes the Company to be unable, under the Code, to grant Incentive Stock Options under the Plan;

 

(iii)          increases the number of shares authorized under the Plan as specified in Section 4(a);

 

(iv)          permits the award of Options or Stock Appreciation Rights at a price less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of grant of such Option or Stock Appreciation Right, as prohibited by Sections 6(a)(i) and 6(b) of the Plan or the repricing of Options or Stock Appreciation Rights, as prohibited by Section 6(h)(vii) of the Plan; or

 

(v)           would prevent the grant of Options or Stock Appreciation Rights that would qualify under Section 162(m) of the Code.

 

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(b)           Amendments to Awards.  The Committee may waive any conditions of or rights of the Company under any outstanding Award, prospectively or retroactively.  Except as otherwise provided herein or in an Award Agreement, the Committee may not amend, alter, suspend, discontinue or terminate any outstanding Award, prospectively or retroactively, if such action would adversely affect the rights of the holder of such Award, without the consent of the Participant or holder or beneficiary thereof.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Committee shall not waive any conditions or rights of the Company, or otherwise amend or alter any outstanding Qualified Performance Based Awards in such a manner as to cause such Award not to qualify as performance based compensation within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Code.

 

(c)           Correction of Defects, Omissions and Inconsistencies.  The Committee may correct any defect, supply any omission or reconcile any inconsistency in the Plan or in any Award or Award Agreement in the manner and to the extent it shall deem desirable to implement or maintain the effectiveness of the Plan.

 

Section 8.              Income Tax Withholding

 

In order to comply with all applicable federal, state or local income tax laws or regulations, the Company may take such action as it deems appropriate to ensure that all applicable federal, state or local payroll, withholding, income or other taxes, which are the sole and absolute responsibility of a Participant, are withheld or collected from such Participant.  In order to assist a Participant in paying all or a portion of the federal, state and local taxes to be withheld or collected upon exercise or receipt of (or the lapse of restrictions relating to) an Award, the Committee, in its discretion and subject to such additional terms and conditions as it may adopt, may permit the Participant to satisfy such tax obligation by (i) electing to have the Company withhold a portion of the Shares otherwise to be delivered upon exercise or receipt of (or the lapse of restrictions relating to) such Award with a Fair Market Value equal to the amount of such taxes or (ii) delivering to the Company Shares other than Shares issuable upon exercise or receipt of (or the lapse of restrictions relating to) such Award with a Fair Market Value equal to the amount of such taxes.  The election, if any, must be made on or before the date that the amount of tax to be withheld is determined.

 

Section 9.              General Provisions

 

(a)           No Rights to Awards.  No Eligible Person or other Person shall have any claim to be granted any Award under the Plan, and there is no obligation for uniformity of treatment of Eligible Persons or holders or beneficiaries of Awards under the Plan.  The terms and conditions of Awards need not be the same with respect to any Participant or with respect to different Participants.

 

(b)           Award Agreements.  No Participant will have rights under an Award granted to such Participant unless and until an Award Agreement shall have been duly executed on behalf of the Company and, if requested by the Company, signed by the Participant.

 

(c)           Plan Provisions Control.  In the event that any provision of an Award Agreement conflicts with or is inconsistent in any respect with the terms of the Plan as set forth herein or subsequently amended, the terms of the Plan shall control.

 

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(d)           No Rights of Stockholders.  Except with respect to Shares of Restricted Stock as to which the Participant has been granted the right to vote, neither a Participant nor the Participant’s legal representative shall be, or have any of the rights and privileges of, a stockholder of the Company with respect to any Shares issuable to such Participant upon the exercise or payment of any Award, in whole or in part, unless and until such Shares have been issued in the name of such Participant or such Participant’s legal representative without restrictions thereto.

 

(e)           No Limit on Other Compensation Arrangements.  Nothing contained in the Plan shall prevent the Company or any Affiliate from adopting or continuing in effect other or additional compensation arrangements, and such arrangements may be either generally applicable or applicable only in specific cases.

 

(f)            No Right to Employment.  The grant of an Award shall not be construed as giving a Participant the right to be retained in the employ, or as giving a director of the Company or an Affiliate the right to continue as a director or an Affiliate of the Company or any Affiliate, nor will it affect in any way the right of the Company or an Affiliate to terminate a Participant’s employment or Service at any time, with or without cause.  In addition, the Company or an Affiliate may at any time dismiss a Participant from employment, or terminate the term of a director of the Company or an Affiliate, free from any liability or any claim under the Plan or any Award, unless otherwise expressly provided in the Plan or in any Award Agreement.  Nothing in this Plan shall confer on any person any legal or equitable right against the Company or any Affiliate, directly or indirectly, or give rise to any cause of action at law or in equity against the Company or an Affiliate.  The Awards granted hereunder shall not form any part of the wages or salary of any Eligible Person for purposes of severance pay or termination indemnities, irrespective of the reason for termination of employment.  Under no circumstances shall any person ceasing to be an employee of the Company or any Affiliate be entitled to any compensation for any loss of any right or benefit under the Plan which such employee might otherwise have enjoyed but for termination of employment, whether such compensation is claimed by way of damages for wrongful or unfair dismissal, breach of contract or otherwise.  By participating in the Plan, each Participant shall be deemed to have accepted all the conditions of the Plan and the terms and conditions of any rules and regulations adopted by the Committee and shall be fully bound thereby.

 

(g)           Governing Law.  The validity, construction and effect of the Plan or any Award, and any rules and regulations relating to the Plan or any Award, shall be determined in accordance with the internal laws, and not the law of conflicts, of the State of Delaware.

 

(h)           Severability.  If any provision of the Plan or any Award is or becomes or is deemed to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any jurisdiction or would disqualify the Plan or any Award under any law deemed applicable by the Committee, such provision shall be construed or deemed amended to conform to applicable laws, or if it cannot be so construed or deemed amended without, in the determination of the Committee, materially altering the purpose or intent of the Plan or the Award, such provision shall be stricken as to such jurisdiction or Award, and the remainder of the Plan or any such Award shall remain in full force and effect.

 

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(i)            No Trust or Fund Created.  Neither the Plan nor any Award shall create or be construed to create a trust or separate fund of any kind or a fiduciary relationship between the Company or any Affiliate and an Eligible Person or any other Person.  To the extent that any Person acquires a right to receive payments from the Company or any Affiliate pursuant to an Award, such right shall be no greater than the right of any unsecured general creditor of the Company or any Affiliate.

 

(j)            Other Benefits.  No compensation or benefit awarded to or realized by any Participant under the Plan shall be included for the purpose of computing such Participant’s compensation under any compensation-based retirement, disability, or similar plan of the Company unless required by law or otherwise provided by such other plan.

 

(k)           No Fractional Shares.  No fractional Shares shall be issued or delivered pursuant to the Plan or any Award, and the Committee shall determine whether cash shall be paid in lieu of any fractional Shares or whether such fractional Shares or any rights thereto shall be canceled, terminated or otherwise eliminated.

 

(l)            Headings.  Headings are given to the Sections and subsections of the Plan solely as a convenience to facilitate reference.  Such headings shall not be deemed in any way material or relevant to the construction or interpretation of the Plan or any provision thereof.

 

(m)          Section 16 Compliance; Section 162(m) Administration.  The Plan is intended to comply in all respects with Rule 16b-3 or any successor provision, as in effect from time to time, and in all events the Plan shall be construed in accordance with the requirements of Rule 16b-3.  If any Plan provision does not comply with Rule 16b-3 as hereafter amended or interpreted, the provision shall be deemed inoperative.  The Board of Directors, in its absolute discretion, may bifurcate the Plan so as to restrict, limit or condition the use of any provision of the Plan with respect to persons who are officers or directors subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act without so restricting, limiting or conditioning the Plan with respect to other Eligible Persons.  With respect to Options and Stock Appreciation Rights, the Company intends to have the Plan administered in accordance with the requirements for the award of “qualified performance-based compensation” within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Code.

 

(n)           Conditions Precedent to Issuance of Shares.  Shares shall not be issued pursuant to the exercise or payment of the purchase price relating to an Award unless such exercise or payment and the issuance and delivery of such Shares pursuant thereto shall comply with all relevant provisions of law, including, without limitation, the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, the requirements of any applicable Stock Exchange and the Delaware General Corporation Law.  As a condition to the exercise or payment of the purchase price relating to such Award, the Company may require that the person exercising or paying the purchase price represent and warrant 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 and warranty is required by law.

 

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Section 10.            Effective Date of the Plan

 

The Plan became effective on September 21, 2007, the date of approval of the Plan by the Company’s stockholders.

 

Section 11.            Term of the Plan

 

No Award shall be granted under the Plan after (i) July 19, 2017 or (ii) any earlier date of discontinuation or termination established pursuant to Section 7(a) of the Plan.  However, unless otherwise expressly provided in the Plan or in an applicable Award Agreement, any Award theretofore granted may extend beyond such date, and the authority of the Committee provided for hereunder with respect to the Plan and any Awards, and the authority of the Board to amend the Plan, shall extend beyond the termination of the Plan.

 

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