ater-ex44_44.htm



 

Exhibit 4.4

 

ATERIAN, INC.

2022 INDUCEMENT EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN

RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT AGREEMENT

Unless otherwise defined herein, the terms defined in the Aterian, Inc. 2022 Inducement Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) will have the same defined meanings in this Restricted Stock Unit Agreement (the “Award Agreement”), which includes the Notice of Restricted Stock Unit Grant (the “Notice of Grant”) and the Terms and Conditions of Restricted Stock Unit Grant, attached hereto as Exhibit A.

NOTICE OF RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT GRANT

 


			
	
 
	
 
	
 

	
Participant Name:
	
 
	
 

	
 
	
 

	
Address:
	
 
	
 




Participant has been granted the right to receive an Award of Restricted Stock Units, subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan and this Award Agreement, as follows:

 


	
 
	
 
	
 

	
 
	
Grant Number
	
 
	
 
	
 
	
 

	
 
	
 

	
 
	
Date of Grant
	
 
	
 
	
 
	
 

	
 
	
 

	
 
	
Vesting Commencement Date
	
 
	
 
	
 
	
 

	
 
	
 

	
 
	
Number of Restricted Stock Units
	
 
	
 
	
 
	
 




Vesting Schedule:

Subject to any acceleration provisions contained in the Plan or set forth below, the Restricted Stock Units will vest in accordance with the following schedule:

[One-third (1/3rd) of the Restricted Stock Units shall vest on the one (1)-year anniversary of the Vesting Commencement Date, and one-eighth (1/8th) of the Restricted Stock Units shall vest and become exercisable each quarter thereafter, subject to Participant’s Continuous Service as of each such date, inclusive.]

In the event Participant’s Continuous Service terminates for any or no reason before Participant vests in the Restricted Stock Units, the Restricted Stock Units and Participant’s right to acquire any Shares hereunder will immediately terminate. 

 

 

[Signature Page Follows]

 

 

 



 

 

By Participant’s signature and the signature of the representative of Aterian, Inc. (the “Company”) below, Participant and the Company agree that this Award of Restricted Stock Units is granted under and governed by the terms and conditions of the Plan and this Award Agreement. The Company and Participant understand and agree that this Award of Restricted Stock Units was granted in compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4) as a material inducement for Participant to enter into employment with the Company. Participant has reviewed the Plan and this Award Agreement in their entirety, has had an opportunity to obtain the advice of counsel prior to executing this Award Agreement and fully understands all provisions of the Plan and Award Agreement. Participant hereby agrees to accept as binding, conclusive and final all decisions or interpretations of the Administrator upon any questions relating to the Plan and Award Agreement. Participant further agrees to notify the Company upon any change in the residence address indicated below.

 


			
	
 
	
 
	
 

	
PARTICIPANT:
	
  
	
ATERIAN, INC.

	
 
	
 

	
 

Signature
	
  
	
 

By

	
 
	
 

	
 

Print Name
	
  
	
 

Name

	
 
	
 

	
Residence Address:
	
  
	
 

	
 
	
 

	
 
	
  
	
 

Title

	
 
	
 

	
 
	
  
	
 




 

 

[Signature Page (Restricted Stock Unit Agreement – 2022 Inducement Equity Plan)]



 

 

EXHIBIT A

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT GRANT

1. Grant. The Company hereby grants to the individual named in the Notice of Grant (the “Participant”) under the Plan an Award of Restricted Stock Units, subject to all of the terms and conditions in this Award Agreement and the Plan, which is incorporated herein by reference. Subject to Section 18(c) of the Plan, in the event of a conflict between the terms and conditions of the Plan and the terms and conditions of this Award Agreement, the terms and conditions of the Plan will prevail.

2. Company’s Obligation to Pay. Each Restricted Stock Unit represents the right to receive a Share on the date it vests. Unless and until the Restricted Stock Units will have vested in the manner set forth in Sections 3 or 4, the Participant will have no right to payment of any such Restricted Stock Units. Prior to actual payment of any vested Restricted Stock Units, such Restricted Stock Units will represent an unsecured obligation of the Company, payable (if at all) only from the general assets of the Company. Any Restricted Stock Units that vest in accordance with Sections 3 or 4 will be paid to the Participant (or in the event of the Participant’s death, to his or her estate) in whole Shares, subject to the Participant satisfying any applicable tax withholding obligations as set forth in Section 7. Subject to the provisions of Section 4, such vested Restricted Stock Units shall be paid in whole Shares as soon as practicable after vesting, but in each such case within the period sixty (60) days following the vesting date. In no event will the Participant be permitted, directly or indirectly, to specify the taxable year of the payment of any Restricted Stock Units payable under this Award Agreement.

3. Vesting Schedule. Except as provided in Section 4, and subject to Section 5, the Restricted Stock Units awarded by this Award Agreement will vest in accordance with the vesting provisions set forth in the Notice of Grant. Restricted Stock Units scheduled to vest on a certain date or upon the occurrence of a certain condition will not vest in the Participant in accordance with any of the provisions of this Award Agreement, unless the Participant will have been in Continuous Service from the Date of Grant until the date such vesting occurs.

4. Administrator Discretion. The Administrator, in its discretion, may accelerate the vesting of the balance, or some lesser portion of the balance, of the unvested Restricted Stock Units at any time, subject to the terms of the Plan. If so accelerated, such Restricted Stock Units will be considered as having vested as of the date specified by the Administrator. The payment of Shares vesting pursuant to this Section 4 shall in all cases be paid at a time or in a manner that is exempt from, or complies with, Section 409A.

Notwithstanding anything in the Plan or this Award Agreement to the contrary, if the vesting of the balance, or some lesser portion of the balance, of the Restricted Stock Units is accelerated in connection with Participant’s termination from Continuous Service (provided that such termination is a “separation from service” within the meaning of Section 409A, as determined by the Company), other than due to death, and if (x) the Participant is a “specified employee” within the meaning of Section 409A at the time of such termination from Continuous Service and (y) the payment of such accelerated Restricted Stock Units will result in the imposition of additional tax under Section 409A if paid to the Participant on or within the six (6) month period following the Participant’s termination from Continuous Service, then the payment of such accelerated Restricted Stock Units will not be made until the date six (6) months and one (1) day following the date of the Participant’s termination from Continuous Service, unless the Participant dies following his or her termination from Continuous Service, in which case, the Restricted Stock Units will be paid in Shares to the Participant’s estate as soon as practicable following his or her death. It is the intent of this Award Agreement that it and all payments and benefits hereunder be exempt from, or comply with, the requirements of Section 409A so that none of the Restricted Stock Units provided under this Award Agreement or Shares issuable thereunder will be subject to the additional tax imposed under Section 409A, and any ambiguities herein will be interpreted to be so exempt or so comply. Each payment payable under this Award Agreement is intended to constitute a separate payment for purposes of Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-2(b)(2). For purposes of this Award Agreement, “Section 409A” means Section 409A of the Code, and any final Treasury Regulations and Internal Revenue Service guidance thereunder, as each may be amended from time to time.

 



 

5. Forfeiture upon Termination from Continuous Service. Notwithstanding any contrary provision of this Award Agreement, the balance of the Restricted Stock Units that have not vested as of the time of the Participant’s termination from Continuous Service for any or no reason and the Participant’s right to acquire any Shares hereunder will immediately terminate.

6. Death of Participant. Any distribution or delivery to be made to the Participant under this Award Agreement will, if the Participant is then deceased, be made to the Participant’s designated beneficiary, provided such beneficiary has been designated prior to Participant’s death in a form acceptable to the Administrator. . Any such transferee must furnish the Company with (a) written notice of his or her status as transferee, and (b) evidence satisfactory to the Company to establish the validity of the transfer and compliance with any laws or regulations pertaining to said transfer.

7. Withholding of Taxes. Notwithstanding any contrary provision of this Award Agreement, no certificate representing the Shares will be issued to the Participant, unless and until satisfactory arrangements (as determined by the Administrator) will have been made by the Participant with respect to the payment of income, employment, social insurance, payroll and other taxes which the Company determines must be withheld with respect to such Shares. Prior to vesting and/or settlement of the Restricted Stock Units, the Participant will pay or make adequate arrangements satisfactory to the Company and/or the Participant’s employer (the “Employer”) to satisfy all withholding and payment obligations of the Company and/or the Employer. In this regard, the Participant authorizes the Company and/or the Employer to withhold all applicable tax withholding obligations legally payable by the Participant from his or her wages or other cash compensation paid to the Participant by the Company and/or the Employer or from proceeds of the sale of Shares. Alternatively, or in addition, if permissible under applicable local law, the Administrator, in its sole discretion and pursuant to such procedures as it may specify from time to time, may permit or require the Participant to satisfy such tax withholding obligation, in whole or in part (without limitation) by (a) paying cash, (b) electing to have the Company withhold otherwise deliverable Shares having a Fair Market Value equal to the minimum amount required to be withheld, (c) delivering to the Company already vested and owned Shares having a Fair Market Value equal to the amount required to be withheld, or (d) selling a sufficient number of such Shares otherwise deliverable to the Participant through such means as the Company may determine in its sole discretion (whether through a broker or otherwise) equal to the amount required to be withheld. To the extent determined appropriate by the Company in its discretion, it will have the right (but not the obligation) to satisfy any tax withholding obligations by reducing the number of Shares otherwise deliverable to the Participant and, until determined otherwise by the Company, this will be the method by which such tax withholding obligations are satisfied. If the Participant fails to make satisfactory arrangements for the payment of any required tax withholding obligations hereunder at the time any applicable Restricted Stock Units otherwise are scheduled to vest pursuant to Sections 3 or 4 or tax withholding obligations related to Restricted Stock Units otherwise are due, the Participant will permanently forfeit such Restricted Stock Units and any right to receive Shares thereunder and the Restricted Stock Units will be returned to the Company at no cost to the Company.

8. Rights as Stockholder. Neither the Participant nor any person claiming under or through the Participant will have any of the rights or privileges of a stockholder of the Company in respect of any Shares deliverable hereunder unless and until certificates representing such Shares will have been issued, recorded on the records of the Company or its transfer agents or registrars, and delivered to the Participant. After such issuance, recordation and delivery, the Participant will have all the rights of a stockholder of the Company with respect to voting such Shares and receipt of dividends and distributions on such Shares.

9. No Guarantee of Continued Service. THE PARTICIPANT ACKNOWLEDGES AND AGREES THAT THE VESTING OF THE RESTRICTED STOCK UNITS PURSUANT TO THE VESTING SCHEDULE HEREOF IS EARNED ONLY BY PARTICIPANT’S CONTINUOUS SERVICE AT THE WILL OF THE COMPANY (OR THE PARENT OR SUBSIDIARY EMPLOYING OR RETAINING THE PARTICIPANT) AND NOT THROUGH THE ACT OF BEING HIRED, BEING GRANTED THIS AWARD OF RESTRICTED STOCK UNITS OR ACQUIRING SHARES HEREUNDER. THE PARTICIPANT FURTHER ACKNOWLEDGES AND AGREES THAT THIS AWARD AGREEMENT, THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREUNDER AND THE VESTING SCHEDULE SET FORTH HEREIN DO NOT CONSTITUTE AN EXPRESS OR IMPLIED PROMISE OF CONTINUOUS SERVICE FOR THE VESTING PERIOD, FOR ANY PERIOD, OR AT ALL, AND WILL NOT INTERFERE IN ANY WAY WITH THE PARTICIPANT’S RIGHT OR THE RIGHT OF THE COMPANY (OR THE PARENT OR SUBSIDIARY EMPLOYING OR RETAINING THE PARTICIPANT) TO TERMINATE THE PARTICIPANT’S RELATIONSHIP AS A SERVICE PROVIDER AT ANY TIME, WITH OR WITHOUT CAUSE.

 



 

10. Address for Notices. Any notice to be given to the Company under the terms of this Award Agreement will be addressed to the Company at Aterian, Inc., 37 E. 18th St, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10003, or at such other address as the Company may hereafter designate in writing.

11. Grant is Not Transferable. Except to the limited extent provided in Section 6, this grant and the rights and privileges conferred hereby will not be transferred, assigned, pledged or hypothecated in any way (whether by operation of law or otherwise) and will not be subject to sale under execution, attachment or similar process. Upon any attempt to transfer, assign, pledge, hypothecate or otherwise dispose of this grant, or any right or privilege conferred hereby, or upon any attempted sale under any execution, attachment or similar process, this grant and the rights and privileges conferred hereby immediately will become null and void.

12. Binding Agreement. Subject to the limitation on the transferability of this grant contained herein, this Award Agreement will be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the heirs, legatees, legal representatives, successors and assigns of the parties hereto.

13. Additional Conditions to Issuance of Stock. If at any time the Company will determine, in its discretion, that the listing, registration, qualification or rule compliance of the Shares upon any securities exchange or under any state, federal or foreign law, the tax code and related regulations or the consent or approval of any governmental regulatory authority is necessary or desirable as a condition to the issuance of Shares to the Participant (or his or her estate) hereunder, such issuance will not occur unless and until such listing, registration, qualification, rule compliance, consent or approval will have been completed, effected or obtained free of any conditions not acceptable to the Company. Where the Company determines that the delivery of the payment of any Shares will violate federal securities laws or other applicable laws, the Company will defer delivery until the earliest date at which the Company reasonably anticipates that the delivery of Shares will no longer cause such violation. The Company will make all reasonable efforts to meet the requirements of any such state, federal or foreign law or securities exchange and to obtain any such consent or approval of any such governmental authority or securities exchange.

14. Plan Governs. This Award Agreement is subject to all terms and provisions of the Plan. In the event of a conflict between one or more provisions of this Award Agreement and one or more provisions of the Plan, the provisions of the Plan will govern. Capitalized terms used and not defined in this Award Agreement will have the meaning set forth in the Plan.

15. Administrator Authority. The Administrator will have the power to interpret the Plan and this Award Agreement and to adopt such rules for the administration, interpretation and application of the Plan as are consistent therewith and to interpret or revoke any such rules (including, but not limited to, the determination of whether or not any Restricted Stock Units have vested). All actions taken and all interpretations and determinations made by the Administrator in good faith will be final and binding upon the Participant, the Company and all other interested persons. No member of the Administrator will be personally liable for any action, determination or interpretation made in good faith with respect to the Plan or this Award Agreement.

16. Electronic Delivery. The Company may, in its sole discretion, decide to deliver any documents related to Restricted Stock Units awarded under the Plan or future Restricted Stock Units that may be awarded under the Plan by electronic means or request the Participant’s consent to participate in the Plan by electronic means. The Participant hereby consents to receive such documents by electronic delivery and agrees to participate in the Plan through any on-line or electronic system established and maintained by the Company or a third party designated by the Company.

17. Captions. Captions provided herein are for convenience only and are not to serve as a basis for interpretation or construction of this Award Agreement.

18. Agreement Severable. In the event that any provision in this Award Agreement will be held invalid or unenforceable, such provision will be severable from, and such invalidity or unenforceability will not be construed to have any effect on, the remaining provisions of this Award Agreement.

 



 

19. Modifications to the Award Agreement. This Award Agreement constitutes the entire understanding of the parties on the subjects covered. The Participant expressly warrants that he or she is not accepting this Award Agreement in reliance on any promises, representations, or inducements other than those contained herein. Modifications to this Award Agreement or the Plan can be made only in an express written contract executed by a duly authorized officer of the Company. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Plan or this Award Agreement, the Company reserves the right to revise this Award Agreement as it deems necessary or advisable, in its sole discretion and without the consent of the Participant, to comply with Section 409A or to otherwise avoid imposition of any additional tax or income recognition under Section 409A in connection to this Award of Restricted Stock Units.

20. Amendment, Suspension or Termination of the Plan. By accepting this Award, the Participant expressly warrants that he or she has received an Award of Restricted Stock Units under the Plan, and has received, read and understood a description of the Plan. The Participant understands that the Plan is discretionary in nature and may be amended, suspended or terminated by the Company at any time.

21. Governing Law. The laws of the State of Delaware shall govern the validity of this Award Agreement, the construction of its terms, and the interpretation of the rights and duties of the parties hereto.