Document

Exhibit 10.01 




ALPHABET INC. AMENDED AND RESTATED 2012 STOCK PLAN
 
1. Purpose of the Plan
 
This Plan is intended to promote the interests of the Company and its stockholders by providing the employees and consultants of the Company and members of the Board of Directors with incentives and rewards to encourage them to continue in the service of the Company and with a proprietary interest in pursuing the long-term growth, profitability, and financial success of the Company.
 
2. Definitions
 
As used in the Plan or in any instrument governing the terms of any Incentive Award, the following definitions apply to the terms indicated below:
 
(a)   “Alphabet” means Alphabet Inc., a Delaware corporation.
(b)  “Award” means any cash-based or stock-based award granted by the Committee to members of the Board of Directors who are not employees of the Company in accordance with Section 3(b) below. Stock-based Awards may be in the form of any of the following, in each case in respect of Capital Stock: (a) Options, (b) stock appreciation rights, (c) restricted shares, (d) restricted stock units, (e) dividend equivalent rights, and (f) other equity-based or equity-related Awards (including, without limitation, the grant or offer for sale of unrestricted shares of Capital Stock) that the Committee determines to be consistent with the purposes of the Plan and the interests of the Company. Cash-based awards may be in the form of (a) retainers, (b) meeting-based fees or (c) any other cash award that the Committee determines to be consistent with the purposes of the Plan and the interests of the Company.
(c)   “Board of Directors” means the Board of Directors of Alphabet.
(d)  “Capital Stock” means Alphabet’s Class C Capital Stock, $0.001 par value per share, or any other security into which such capital stock shall be changed as contemplated by the adjustment provisions of Section 9 of the Plan.
(e)   “Cash Incentive Award” means an award granted pursuant to Section 8 of the Plan.
(f)   “Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time, and all regulations, interpretations and administrative guidance issued thereunder.
(g)   “Committee” means the Leadership Development and Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors or such other committee, as the Board of Directors shall appoint from time to time to administer the Plan and to otherwise exercise and perform the authority and functions assigned to the Committee under the terms of the Plan.
(h)   “Company” means Alphabet and all of its Subsidiaries, collectively.
(i)   “Deferred Compensation Plan” means any plan, agreement or arrangement maintained by the Company from time to time that provides opportunities for deferral of compensation.
(j)   “Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
(k)   “Fair Market Value” means, with respect to a share of Capital Stock, as of the applicable date of determination (i) the closing sales price on the date of determination or, if not so reported for such day, the immediately preceding business day of a share of Capital Stock as reported on the principal securities exchange on which shares of Capital Stock are then listed or admitted to trading or (ii) if not so reported, the closing bid price on the date of determination or, if not so reported for such day, on the immediately preceding business day as reported on the NASDAQ Stock Market or (iii) if not so reported, as furnished by any member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. selected by the Committee. In the event that the price of a share of Capital Stock shall not be so reported, the Fair Market Value of a share of Capital Stock shall be determined by the Committee in its sole discretion. Notwithstanding the preceding, for federal, state and local income tax reporting purposes and for such other purposes as the Committee deems appropriate, the Fair Market Value shall be determined by the Committee in accordance with uniform and nondiscriminatory standards adopted by it from time to time.
(l)   “Incentive Award” means one or more Awards, Stock Incentive Awards and Cash Incentive Awards, collectively.
(m) “Incentive Award Transfer Program” means any program instituted by the Board of Directors or the Committee which would permit Participants the opportunity to transfer any outstanding Incentive Awards to a financial institution or other Person selected by the Board of Directors or the Committee.
(n)   “ISO” shall mean any Option, or portion thereof, awarded to a Participant pursuant to the Plan which is designated by the Committee as an incentive stock option and also meets the applicable requirements of an incentive stock option pursuant to Section 422 of the Code.
(o)   “Option” means a stock option to purchase shares of Capital Stock granted to a Participant pursuant to Section 6 of the Plan.
(p)   “Other Stock-Based Award” means an award granted to a Participant pursuant to Section 7 of the Plan.
 






(q)   “Participant” means an employee or consultant of the Company or a member of the Board of Directors who is eligible to participate in the Plan pursuant to the terms and conditions hereof and to whom one or more Incentive Awards have been granted pursuant to the Plan and have not been fully settled or cancelled and, following the death of any such Person, his successors, heirs, executors and administrators, as the case may be.
(r)   “Person” means a “person” as such term is used in Section 13(d) and 14(d) of the Exchange Act, including any “group” within the  meaning of Section 13(d)(3) under the Exchange Act.
(s)   “Plan” means this Amended and Restated 2012 Stock Plan, as it may be amended from time to time.
(t)    “Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
(u)   “Stock Incentive Award” means an Option or Other Stock-Based Award granted pursuant to the terms of the Plan.
(v)   “Subsidiary” means any “subsidiary” within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act.
 
3. Stock Subject to the Plan and Limitations on Cash Incentive Awards
 
(a) Stock Subject to the Plan


The maximum number of shares of Capital Stock that may be covered by Incentive Awards granted under the Plan shall not exceed 96,500,000 shares of Capital Stock in the aggregate. The maximum number of shares of Capital Stock that may be covered by Incentive Awards granted under the Plan that are intended to be ISOs shall not exceed 96,500,000 shares of Capital Stock in the aggregate. The shares referred to in the preceding sentences of this paragraph shall be subject to adjustment as provided in Section 9 and the following provisions of this Section 3. Shares of Capital Stock issued under the Plan may be either authorized and unissued shares or treasury shares, or both, at the sole discretion of the Committee.


For purposes of the preceding paragraph, shares of Capital Stock covered by Incentive Awards shall only be counted as used to the extent they are actually issued and delivered to a Participant (or such Participant’s permitted transferees as described in the Plan) pursuant to the Plan. For purposes of clarification, in accordance with the preceding sentence if an Incentive Award is settled for cash or if shares of Capital Stock are withheld to pay the exercise price of an Option or to satisfy any tax withholding requirement in connection with an Incentive Award, only the shares issued (if any), net of the shares withheld, will be deemed delivered for purposes of determining the number of shares of Capital Stock that are available for delivery under the Plan. In addition, shares of Capital Stock related to Incentive Awards that expire, are forfeited or cancelled or terminated for any reason without the issuance of shares shall not be treated as issued pursuant to the Plan. In addition, if shares of Capital Stock owned by a Participant (or such Participant’s permitted transferees as described in the Plan) are tendered (either actually or through attestation) to the Company in payment of any obligation in connection with an Incentive Award, the number of shares tendered shall be added to the number of shares of Capital Stock that are available for delivery under the Plan. Shares of Capital Stock covered by Incentive Awards granted pursuant to the Plan in connection with the conversion, replacement, or adjustment of outstanding equity-based awards to reflect a merger or acquisition (within the meaning of NASDAQ Listing Rule 5635(c) and Interpretive Material 5635-1) shall not count as used under the Plan for purposes of this Section 3. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, shares of Capital Stock attributable to Incentive Awards transferred under any Incentive Award Transfer Program shall not again be available for delivery under the Plan.


(b) Non-Employee Director Awards


In order to retain and compensate the non-employee members of the Board of Directors for their services, and to strengthen the alignment of their interests with those of the stockholders of the Company, the Plan permits the grant of cash-based and stock-based Awards to any non-employee member of the Board of Directors. Aggregate Awards granted to any non-employee member of the Board of Directors in respect of any calendar year, solely with respect to his or her service as a non-employee member of the Board of Directors, may not exceed $1,500,000 based on the aggregate value of cash-based Awards and the Fair Market Value of any stock-based Awards, in each case determined as of the date of grant. The Board of Directors will reassess this cap at least once every five years. Non-employee members of the Board of Directors shall not be eligible to receive any Incentive Awards other than Awards.
 
4. Administration of the Plan
 
The Plan shall be administered by a Committee of the Board of Directors consisting of two or more persons, each of whom qualifies as a “non-employee director” (within the meaning of Rule 16b-3 promulgated under Section 16 of the Exchange Act), and as “independent” within the meaning of any applicable stock exchange listing rules or similar regulatory authority. The Committee shall, consistent with the terms of the Plan, from time to time designate those employees and consultants of the Company and members of the Board of Directors who shall be granted Incentive Awards under the Plan and the amount, type and other terms and conditions of such Incentive Awards. All of the powers and responsibilities of the Committee under the Plan may be delegated by the Committee to any subcommittee thereof. In addition, the Committee may from time to time authorize a subcommittee consisting of one or more members of the Board of Directors (including members who are employees of the Company) or employees of the Company to grant Incentive Awards, subject to such restrictions and limitation as the Committee may specify and to the requirements of Delaware General Corporation Law Section 157.
 






The Committee shall have full discretionary authority to administer the Plan, including discretionary authority to interpret and construe any and all provisions of the Plan and the terms of any Incentive Award (and any agreement evidencing the grant of any Incentive Award) granted thereunder and to adopt and amend from time to time such rules and regulations for the administration of the Plan as the Committee may deem necessary or appropriate. The Committee shall have the authority, in its discretion, to prescribe, amend and rescind rules and regulations relating to the Plan, including rules and regulations related to sub-plans established for the purpose of satisfying applicable foreign laws and/or qualifying for preferred tax treatment under applicable foreign tax laws. For purposes of clarity, the Committee may exercise all discretion granted to it under the Plan in a non-uniform manner among Participants.
 
Without limiting the generality of the foregoing paragraph, the Committee shall determine whether an authorized leave of absence, or absence in military or government service, shall constitute termination of employment, provided that a Participant who is an employee will not be deemed to cease employment in the case of any leave of absence approved by the Company. Unless the Committee provides otherwise in the agreement evidencing the grant of an Incentive Award, vesting of Incentive Awards granted hereunder will be suspended during any unpaid leave of absence and will resume on the date the Participant returns to work on a regular schedule as determined by the Company, it being understood that no vesting credit will be awarded for the time vesting has been suspended during such leave of absence. For purposes of ISOs, no such leave may exceed ninety (90) days, unless reemployment upon expiration of such leave is guaranteed by statute or contract. If reemployment upon expiration of a leave of absence approved by the Company is not so guaranteed, then three months following the 91st day of such leave any ISO held by the Participant will cease to be treated as an ISO and will be treated for tax purposes as a non-qualified Option. The provisions of this paragraph shall be administered and interpreted in a manner that does not give rise to any tax under Section 409A of the Code.
 
The employment of a Participant with the Company shall be deemed to have terminated for all purposes of the Plan if such Participant is employed by or provides services to a Person that is a Subsidiary of the Company and such Person ceases to be a Subsidiary of the Company, unless the Committee determines otherwise. The Committee may, without limitation and in its discretion, in connection with any such determination, provide for the accelerated vesting of any Incentive Award upon or after such cessation, subject to such terms and conditions as the Committee shall specify. The employment of a Participant with the Company shall not be deemed to have terminated for any purpose of the Plan if such Participant is employed by a Person that is part of the Company, and such Participant’s employment is subsequently transferred to any other Person that is part of the Company, unless and to the extent the Committee specifies otherwise in writing in the instrument evidencing the grant of an Incentive Award or otherwise. A Participant who ceases to be an employee of the Company but continues, or simultaneously commences, services as a consultant or director of the Company shall not be deemed to have had a termination of employment for purposes of the Plan, unless the Committee determines otherwise. Decisions of the Committee shall be final, binding and conclusive on all parties. All discretion granted to the Committee pursuant to this paragraph must be exercised in a manner that would not cause any tax to become due under Section 409A of the Code.
 
On or after the date of grant of an Incentive Award under the Plan, the Committee may (i) accelerate the date on which any such Incentive Award becomes vested, exercisable or transferable, as the case may be, (ii) extend the term of any such Incentive Award, including, without limitation, extending the period following a termination of a Participant’s employment during which any such Incentive Award may remain outstanding, (iii) waive any conditions to the vesting, exercisability or transferability, as the case may be, of any such Incentive Award, or (iv) provide for the payment of dividends or dividend equivalents with respect to any such Incentive Award; provided, that the Committee shall not have any such authority to the extent that the grant of such authority would cause any tax to become due under Section 409A of the Code.
 
The Board of Directors or the Committee may, at any time, in its sole and complete discretion, implement an Incentive Award Transfer Program.
 
The Company shall pay any amount payable with respect to an Incentive Award in accordance with the terms of such Incentive Award, provided that the Committee may, in its discretion, defer the payment of amounts payable with respect to an Incentive Award subject to and in accordance with the terms of a Deferred Compensation Plan.
 
5. Eligibility
 
The Persons who shall be eligible to be selected by the Committee from time to time to receive Incentive Awards pursuant to the Plan shall be those Persons (a) who are employees and consultants of, or who render services directly or indirectly to, the Company or (b) who are members of the Board of Directors. Each Incentive Award granted under the Plan shall be evidenced by an instrument in writing in form and substance approved by the Committee.
 
6. Options
 
The Committee may from time to time grant Options, subject to the following terms and conditions:
 
(a) Exercise Price
 
The exercise price per share of Capital Stock covered by any Option shall be not less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of a share of Capital Stock on the date on which such Option is granted.


 






(b) Term and Exercise of Options
 
(i)   Each Option shall become vested and exercisable on such date or dates, during such period and for such number of shares of Capital Stock as shall be determined by the Committee on or after the date such Option is granted and set forth in the agreement evidencing the grant of such Option; provided, however that no Option shall be exercisable after the expiration of ten (10) years from the date such Option is granted; and, provided, further, that each Option shall be subject to earlier termination, expiration or cancellation as provided in the Plan or in the agreement evidencing the grant of such Option.


(ii)  Each Option may be exercised in whole or in part; provided, however that no partial exercise of an Option shall be for an aggregate exercise price of less than $1,000. The partial exercise of an Option shall not cause the expiration, termination or cancellation of the remaining portion thereof.


(iii) An Option shall be exercised by such methods and procedures as the Committee determines from time to time, including without limitation through net physical settlement or other method of cashless exercise.


(iv) Options 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 and may be exercised, during the lifetime of a Participant, only by the Participant; provided, however, that the Committee may permit in its discretion Options to be sold, pledged, assigned, hypothecated, transferred, or disposed of, on a general or specific basis, subject to such conditions and limitations as the Committee may determine, including through the implementation of an Incentive Award Transfer Program.


(c) Effect of Termination of Employment or Other Relationship


The agreement evidencing the grant of each Option shall specify the consequences with respect to such Option of the termination of the employment or other service between the Company and the Participant holding the Option.


(d) Additional Terms for ISOs


Each Option that is intended to qualify as an ISO shall be designated as such in the agreement evidencing its grant, and each agreement evidencing the grant of an Option that does not include any such designation shall be deemed to be a non-qualified Option. ISOs may only be granted to Persons who are employees of the Company. The aggregate Fair Market Value (determined as of the date of grant of the ISOs) of the number of shares of Capital Stock with respect to which ISOs are exercisable for the first time by any Participant during any calendar year under all plans of the Company shall not exceed $100,000, or such other maximum amount as is then applicable under Section 422 of the Code. Any Option or a portion thereof that is designated as an ISO that for any reason fails to meet the requirements of an ISO shall be treated hereunder as a non-qualified Option. No ISO may be granted to a Person who, at the time of the proposed grant, owns (or is deemed to own under the Code) stock possessing more than ten percent (10%) of the total combined voting power of all classes of common stock of the Company unless (i) the exercise price of such ISO is at least one hundred ten percent (110%) of the Fair Market Value of a share of Capital Stock at the time such ISO is granted and (ii) such ISO is not exercisable after the expiration of five years from the date it is granted.


(e) Repricing.


Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, Alphabet may not reprice any Option without the approval of the stockholders of Alphabet. For this purpose, “reprice” means (i) any of the following or any other action that has the same effect: (A) lowering the exercise price of an Option after it is granted, (B) any other action that is treated as a repricing under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), or (C) cancelling an Option at a time when its exercise price exceeds the Fair Market Value of the underlying Capital Stock, in exchange for another Option, restricted stock or other equity, unless the cancellation and exchange occurs in connection with a merger, acquisition, spin-off or other similar corporate transaction; and (ii) any other action that is considered to be a repricing under formal or informal guidance issued by the NASDAQ Stock Market.


7. Other Stock-Based Awards
 
The Committee may grant equity-based or equity-related awards not otherwise described herein in such amounts and subject to such terms and conditions (including any performance conditions) as the Committee shall determine. Without limiting the generality of the preceding sentence, each such Other Stock-Based Award may (a) involve the transfer of actual shares of Capital Stock to Participants, either at the time of grant or thereafter, or payment in cash or otherwise of amounts based on the value of shares of Capital Stock, (b) be subject to performance-based and/or service-based conditions, (c) be in the form of stock appreciation rights, phantom stock, restricted stock, restricted stock units, performance shares, deferred share units or share-denominated performance units, and (d) be designed to comply with applicable laws of jurisdictions other than the United States; provided, that each Other Stock-Based Award shall be denominated in, or shall have a value determined by reference to, a number of shares of Capital Stock that is specified at the time of the grant of such award.
 
 






8. Cash Incentive Awards
 
The Committee may grant Cash Incentive Awards, subject to terms and conditions determined by the Committee in its sole discretion, provided that such terms and conditions are consistent with the terms and conditions of the Plan. Cash Incentive Awards may be settled in cash or in other property, including shares of Capital Stock, provided that the term “Cash Incentive Award” shall exclude any Stock Incentive Award.


9. Adjustments Upon Certain Changes
 
Subject to any action by the stockholders of Alphabet required by law, applicable tax rules or the rules of any exchange on which shares of common stock of Alphabet (for the avoidance of doubt, references to common stock of Alphabet in this Plan shall include Capital Stock) are listed for trading:
 
(a) Shares Available for Grants


In the event of any change in the number or type of shares of common stock of Alphabet outstanding by reason of any stock dividend or split, recapitalization, merger, consolidation, combination or exchange of shares or similar corporate change, or any change in the type and number of shares of common stock of Alphabet outstanding by reason of any other event or transaction, the Committee shall make appropriate adjustments in the type and maximum aggregate number of shares with respect to which the Committee may grant Incentive Awards, and the maximum aggregate number of shares with respect to which the Committee may grant Incentive Awards that are intended to be ISOs.


(b) Increase or Decrease in Issued Shares Without Consideration


In the event of any increase or decrease in the number or type of issued shares of common stock of Alphabet resulting from a subdivision or consolidation of shares of common stock of Alphabet or the payment of a stock dividend (but only on the shares of common stock of Alphabet), or any other increase or decrease in the number of such shares effected without receipt or payment of consideration by the Company, the Committee shall appropriately adjust the type or number of shares subject to each outstanding Incentive Award and the exercise price per share, if any, of shares subject to each such Incentive Award.


(c) Certain Mergers


In the event of any merger, consolidation or similar transaction as a result of which the holders of shares of Capital Stock receive consideration consisting exclusively of securities of the surviving corporation in such transaction, the Committee shall appropriately adjust each Incentive Award outstanding on the date of such merger or consolidation so that it pertains and applies to the securities which a holder of the number of shares of Capital Stock subject to such Incentive Award would have received in such merger or consolidation.


(d) Certain Other Transactions


In the event of (i) a dissolution or liquidation of Alphabet, (ii) a sale of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets (on a consolidated basis) or (iii) a merger, consolidation or similar transaction involving Alphabet in which the holders of shares of Capital Stock receive securities and/or other property, including cash, other than shares of the surviving corporation in such transaction, the Committee shall, in its sole discretion, have the power to:


(A)  cancel, effective immediately prior to the occurrence of such event, each Incentive Award (whether or not then exercisable or vested), and, in full consideration of such cancellation, pay to the Participant to whom such Incentive Award was granted an amount in cash, for each share of Capital Stock subject to such Incentive Award, equal to the value, as determined by the Committee, of such share of Capital Stock, provided that with respect to the shares of Capital Stock subject to any outstanding Option such value shall be equal to the excess of (1) the value, as determined by the Committee, of the property (including cash) received by the holder of a share of Capital Stock as a result of such event over (2) the exercise price of a share of Capital Stock subject to such Option; or


(B)  provide for the exchange of each Incentive Award (whether or not then exercisable or vested) for an Incentive Award with respect to (1) some or all of the property which a holder of the number of shares of Capital Stock subject to such Incentive Award would have received in such transaction or (2) securities of the acquirer or surviving corporation, and, incident thereto, make an equitable adjustment as determined by the Committee in the exercise price per share, if any, of stock subject to the Incentive Award, or the number of shares or amount of property subject to the Incentive Award or provide for a payment (in cash or other property) to the Participant to whom such Incentive Award was granted in partial consideration for the exchange of the Incentive Award.


(e) Other Changes


In the event of any change in the capitalization of Alphabet or corporate change other than those specifically referred to in paragraphs 9(b), (c) or (d), including without limitation, any extraordinary cash dividend, spin-off, split-off, sale of a Subsidiary or business unit, or similar transaction, the Committee may make such adjustments in the issuer, number and class of shares subject to Stock Incentive 
 






Awards outstanding on the date on which such change occurs, such as, for example, a rollover of Stock Incentive Awards, and in such other terms of such Incentive Award, as the Committee may consider appropriate.
 
(f) Cash Incentive Awards


In the event of any transaction or event described in this Section 9, including without limitation any corporate change referred to in paragraph (e) hereof, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, make such adjustments of any Cash Incentive Award, as the Committee may consider appropriate in respect of such transaction or event.


(g) No Other Rights


Except as expressly provided in the Plan, no Participant shall have any rights by reason of any subdivision or consolidation of shares of stock of any class, the payment of any dividend, any increase or decrease in the number of shares of stock of any class or any dissolution, liquidation, merger or consolidation of Alphabet or any other corporation. Except as expressly provided in the Plan, no issuance by Alphabet 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 of shares or amount of other property subject to, or the terms related to, any Incentive Award.


(h) Savings Clause


No provision of this Section 9 shall be given effect to the extent that such provision would cause any tax to become due under Section 409A of the Code.


10. Rights Under the Plan


No Person shall have any rights as a stockholder with respect to any shares of Capital Stock covered by or relating to any Incentive Award until the date of the issuance of such shares on the books and records of Alphabet. Except as otherwise expressly provided in Section 9 hereof, no adjustment of any Incentive Award shall be made for dividends or other rights for which the record date occurs prior to the date of such issuance. Nothing in this Section 10 is intended, or should be construed, to limit the authority of the Committee to cause the Company to make payments based on the dividends that would be payable with respect to any share of Capital Stock if it were issued or outstanding, or from granting rights related to such dividends.


The Company shall not have any obligation to establish any separate fund or trust or other segregation of assets to provide for payments under the Plan. To the extent any person acquires any rights to receive payments hereunder from the Company, such rights shall be no greater than those of an unsecured creditor.


11. No Special Employment Rights; No Right to Incentive Award


(a)  Nothing contained in the Plan or any agreement evidence the grant of any Incentive Award shall confer upon any Participant any right with respect to the continuation of his employment by or service to the Company or interfere in any way with the right of the Company at any time to terminate such employment or service or to increase or decrease the compensation of the Participant from the rate in existence at the time of the grant of an Incentive Award.


(b)  No person shall have any claim or right to receive an Incentive Award hereunder. The Committee’s granting of an Incentive Award to a Participant at any time shall neither require the Committee to grant an Incentive Award to such Participant or any other Participant or other person at any time nor preclude the Committee from making subsequent grants to such Participant or any other Participant or other person.


12. Securities Matters


(a)  Alphabet shall be under no obligation to effect the registration pursuant to the Securities Act of any shares of Capital Stock to be issued hereunder or to effect similar compliance under any state or local laws. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, Alphabet shall not be obligated to cause to be issued any shares of Capital Stock pursuant to the Plan unless and until Alphabet is advised by its counsel that the issuance of such shares is in compliance with all applicable laws, regulations of governmental authority and the requirements of any securities exchange on which shares of Capital Stock are traded. The Committee may require, as a condition to the issuance of shares of Capital Stock pursuant to the terms hereof, that the recipient of such shares make such covenants, agreements and representations, and that any certificates representing such shares bear such legends, as the Committee deems necessary or desirable.


(b)  The exercise of any Option granted hereunder shall only be effective at such time as counsel to Alphabet shall have determined that the issuance of shares of Capital Stock pursuant to such exercise is in compliance with all applicable laws, regulations of governmental authority and the requirements of any securities exchange on which shares of Capital Stock are traded. Alphabet may, in its sole discretion, defer the effectiveness of an exercise of an Option hereunder or the issuance of shares of Capital Stock pursuant to any Incentive Award pending or to ensure compliance under federal, state or local securities laws. Alphabet shall inform the Participant in writing of its decision to defer the effectiveness of the exercise of an Option or the issuance of shares of Capital Stock pursuant to any 
 






Incentive Award. During the period that the effectiveness of the exercise of an Option has been deferred, the Participant may, by written notice, withdraw such exercise and obtain the refund of any amount paid with respect thereto.


13. Withholding Taxes


(a) Cash Remittance


Whenever shares of Capital Stock are to be issued upon the exercise of an Option or the grant or vesting of an Incentive Award, and whenever any amount shall become payable in respect of any Incentive Award, Alphabet shall have the right to require the Participant to remit to Alphabet in cash an amount sufficient to satisfy federal, state and local withholding tax requirements, if any, attributable to such exercise, grant, vesting or payment prior to issuance of such shares or the effectiveness of the lapse of such restrictions or making of such payment. In addition, upon the exercise or settlement of any Incentive Award in cash, or the making of any other payment with respect to any Incentive Award (other than in shares of Capital Stock), Alphabet shall have the right to withhold from any payment required to be made pursuant thereto an amount sufficient to satisfy the federal, state and local withholding tax requirements, if any, attributable to such exercise, settlement or payment.


(b) Stock Remittance


At the election of the Participant, subject to the approval of the Committee, when shares of Capital Stock are to be issued upon the exercise, grant or vesting of an Incentive Award, the Participant may tender to Alphabet a number of shares of Capital Stock that have been owned by the Participant for at least six months (or such other period as the Committee may determine) having a Fair Market Value at the tender date determined by the Committee to be sufficient to satisfy withholding tax requirements, if any, attributable to such exercise, grant or vesting, but in no event exceeding the maximum statutory tax rates of the Participant’s applicable jurisdiction (or such other rate as would not trigger a negative accounting impact), as determined by Alphabet in its sole discretion. Such election shall satisfy the Participant’s obligations under Section 13(a) hereof, if any.


(c) Stock Withholding


When shares of Capital Stock are to be issued to a Participant upon the exercise, grant or vesting of an Incentive Award, Alphabet shall have the authority to withhold a number of such shares having a Fair Market Value at the date of the applicable taxable event determined by the Committee to be sufficient to satisfy withholding tax requirements, if any, attributable to such exercise, grant or vesting, but in no event exceeding the maximum statutory tax rates of the Participant’s applicable jurisdiction (or such other rate as would not trigger a negative accounting impact), as determined by Alphabet in its sole discretion.


14. Amendment or Termination of the Plan
 
The Board of Directors may at any time suspend or discontinue the Plan or revise or amend it in any respect whatsoever; provided, however, that to the extent that any applicable law, tax requirement, or rule of a stock exchange requires stockholder approval in order for any such revision or amendment to be effective, such revision or amendment shall not be effective without such approval. The preceding sentence shall not restrict the Committee’s ability to exercise its discretionary authority hereunder pursuant to Section 4 hereof, which discretion may be exercised without amendment to the Plan. No provision of this Section 14 shall be given effect to the extent that such provision would cause any tax to become due under Section 409A of the Code. Except as expressly provided in the Plan, no action hereunder may, without the consent of a Participant, reduce the Participant’s rights under any previously granted and outstanding Incentive Award. Nothing in the Plan shall limit the right of the Company to pay compensation of any kind outside the terms of the Plan.
 
15. No Obligation to Exercise
 
The grant to a Participant of an Incentive Award shall impose no obligation upon such Participant to exercise such Incentive Award.
 
16. Transfers Upon Death
 
Upon the death of a Participant, outstanding Incentive Awards granted to such Participant may be exercised by the Participant’s designated beneficiary, provided that such beneficiary has been designated prior to the Participant’s death, to the extent permitted by the Committee (a “Permitted Designation”). Each such Permitted Designation shall revoke all prior designations by the Participant and shall be effective only if given in a form and manner acceptable to the Committee. In the absence of any such effective Permitted Designation, such Incentive Awards may be exercised only by the executors or administrators of the Participant’s estate or by any person or persons who shall have acquired such right to exercise by will or by the laws of descent and distribution. No transfer by will or the laws of descent and distribution of any Incentive Award, or the right to exercise any Incentive Award, shall be effective to bind Alphabet unless the Committee shall have been furnished with (a) written notice thereof and with a copy of the will and/or such evidence as the Committee may deem necessary to establish the validity of the transfer and (b) an agreement by the transferee to comply with all the terms and conditions of the Incentive Award that are or would have been applicable to the Participant and to be bound by the acknowledgments made by the Participant in connection with the grant of the Incentive Award.


 






17. Expenses and Receipts
 
The expenses of the Plan shall be paid by the Company. Any proceeds received by Alphabet in connection with any Incentive Award will be used for general corporate purposes.
 
18. Governing Law
 
The Plan and the rights of all persons under the Plan shall be construed and administered in accordance with the laws of the State of New York without regard to its conflict of law principles.
 
19. Effective Date and Term of Plan
 
The Plan was approved by the board of directors of Google Inc. on April 11, 2012, approved by the stockholders of Google Inc. on June 21, 2012, assumed by Alphabet on October 2, 2015, amended and restated by the Board of Directors as of October 2, 2015, amended by the Board of Directors on March 30, 2016 and approved by the stockholders on June 8, 2016, amended by the Leadership Development and Compensation Committee of the board of directors of Alphabet on July 27, 2016; amended by the Board of Directors on April 14, 2017 and approved by the stockholders on June 7, 2017; amended by the Board of Directors on April 18, 2018, and approved by the stockholders on June 8, 2018; amended and restated by the Board of Directors on April 24, 2019 and approved by the stockholders on June 19, 2019; amended by the Board of Directors on April 22, 2020, and approved by the stockholders on June 3, 2020. No grants of Incentive Awards may be made under the Plan after April 11, 2022.