ex10-17.htm


Exhibit 10.17


TRUE DRINKS HOLDINGS, INC.


2013 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN


 


1. Purpose of Plan. The purpose of the True Drinks Holdings, Inc. 2013 Stock Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) is to advance the interests of True Drinks Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”) and its stockholders by enabling the Company and its Subsidiaries to attract and retain persons of ability to perform services for the Company and its Subsidiaries by providing an incentive to such individuals through equity participation in the Company and by rewarding such individuals who contribute to the achievement by the Company of its operational and financial objectives.


 


Pursuant to the Plan, the Company may grant (i) “incentive stock options,” within the meaning of Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and (ii) stock options that do not qualify as incentive stock options (“Non-Qualified Stock Options”). No option granted under the Plan shall be treated as an incentive stock option unless the stock option agreement, which evidences the grant, refers to such option as an incentive stock option and such option satisfies the requirements of Section 422 of the Code. Pursuant to the Plan, the Company may also grant Restricted Stock Awards.


 


As used herein, the term “parent” or “subsidiary” shall mean any present or future corporation which is or would be a “parent corporation” or “subsidiary corporation” of the Company as the term is defined in Section 424 of the Code (determined as if the Company were the employer corporation).







2. Definitions. The following terms will have the meanings set forth below, unless the context clearly otherwise requires:







2.1. “Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.







2.2. “Broker Exercise Notice “ means a written notice pursuant to which a Participant, upon exercise of an Option, irrevocably instructs a broker or dealer to sell a sufficient number of shares, or loan a sufficient amount of money to pay all or a portion of the exercise price of the Option and /or any related withholding tax obligations and remit such sums to the Company and directs the Company to deliver stock certificates to be issued upon such exercise directly to such broker or dealer.


 


2.3. “Change in Control” means an event described in Section 10.1 of the Plan.







2.4. “Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.







2.5. “Committee” means the group of individuals administering the Plan, as provided in Section 3 of the Plan.







2.6. “Common Stock” means the common stock of the Company; par value $0.001 per share, or the number and kind of shares of stock or other securities into which such Common Stock may be changed in accordance with Section 4.3 of the Plan.







2.7. “Disability” means the disability of the Participant such as would entitle the Participant to receive disability income benefits pursuant to the long-term disability plan of the Company or Subsidiary then covering the participant or, if no such plan exists or is applicable to the Participant, the permanent and total disability of the Participant within the meaning of Section 22(e)(3) of the Code.







2.8. “Eligible Recipients” means all employees (including, without limitation, officers and directors who are also employees) of the Company or any Subsidiary, any non-employee director, consultants and independent contractors of the Company or any Subsidiary and any joint venture partners (including without limitation, officers, directors and partners thereof) of the Company or any Subsidiary.







2.9. “Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.


 




  





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2.10. “Fair Market Value” means, with respect to the Common Stock, as of any date (or, if no shares were traded or quoted on such date, as of the next preceding date on which there was such a trade or quote), the closing market price per share of the Common Stock as reported on that date.







2.11. “Incentive Award” means an Option or Restricted Stock Award granted to an Eligible Recipient pursuant to the Plan.







2.12. “Incentive Stock Option” means a right to purchase Common Stock granted to an Eligible Recipient pursuant to Section 6 of the Plan that qualifies as an “incentive stock option” within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code.







2.13. “Non-Employee Director” means any member of the Board of Directors of the Company who is not an employee of the Company or any Subsidiary.







2.14. “Non-Statutory Stock Option “ means a right to purchase Common Stock granted to an Eligible Recipient pursuant to Section 6 of the Plan that does not qualify as an Incentive Stock Option.







2.15. “Option” means an Incentive Stock Option or a Non-Statutory Stock Option.







2.16. “Participant” means an Eligible Recipient who receives one or more Incentive Awards under the Plan.







2.17. “Previously Acquired Shares” means shares of Common Stock that are already owned by the Participant or, with respect to any Incentive Award, that are to be issued upon the grant, exercise or vesting of such Incentive Award.







2.18. “Restricted Stock Award” means an award of Common Stock granted to an Eligible Recipient pursuant to Section 7 of the Plan that is subject to the restrictions on transferability and the risk of forfeiture imposed by the provisions of such Section 7.







2.19. “Retirement” means termination of employment or service pursuant to and in accordance with the regular (or, if approved by the Board for purposes of the Plan, early) retirement/pension plan or practice of the Company or Subsidiary then covering the Participant, provided that if the Participant is not covered by any such plan or practice, the Participant will be deemed to be covered by the Company plan or practice for purposes of this determination.







2.20. “Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.







2.22. “Subsidiary” means any entity that is directly or indirectly controlled by the Company or any entity in which the Company has a significant equity interest, as determined by the Committee.







2.23. “Tax Date” means the date any withholding tax obligation arises under the Code for a Participant with respect to an Incentive Award.







3.   Plan Administration.







3.1. The Committee. The Plan shall be administered by the Committee as appointed from time to time by the Board of Directors of the Company, which may be the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors. Except as otherwise specifically provided herein, no person, other than members of the Committee, shall have any discretion as to decisions regarding the Plan. The Company may engage a third party to administer routine matters under the Plan, such as establishing and maintaining accounts for Plan participants and facilitating transactions by participants pursuant to the Plan.


 


In administering the Plan, the Committee may adopt rules and regulations for carrying out the Plan. The interpretations and decisions made by the Committee with regard to any question arising under the Plan shall be final and conclusive on all persons participating or eligible to participate in the Plan.


 




  





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3.2. Authority of the Committee.







(a) In accordance with and subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Committee will have the authority to determine all provisions of Incentive Awards as the Committee may deem necessary or desirable and as consistent with the terms of the Plan, including, without limitation, the following:







(i) the Eligible Recipients to be selected as Participants;







(ii) the nature and extent of the Incentive Awards to be made to each Participant (including the number of shares of Common Stock to be subject to each Incentive Award, any exercise price, the manner in which Incentive Awards will vest or become exercisable and whether Incentive Awards will be granted in tandem with other Incentive Awards) and the form of written agreement, if any, evidencing such Incentive Award;







(iii) the time or times when Incentive Awards will be granted;







(iv) the duration of each Incentive Award; and







(v) the restrictions and other conditions to which the payment or vesting of Incentive Awards may be subject. In addition, the Committee will have the authority under the Plan in its sole discretion to pay the economic value of any Incentive Award in the form of cash, Common Stock or any combination of both.







(b)  The Committee will have the authority under the Plan to amend or modify the terms of any outstanding Incentive Award in any manner, including, without limitation, the authority to modify the number of shares or other terms and conditions of an Incentive Award, extend the term of an Incentive Award, accelerate the exercisability or vesting or otherwise terminate any restrictions relating to an Incentive Award, accept the surrender of any outstanding Incentive Award or, to the extent not previously exercised or vested, authorize the grant of new Incentive Awards in substitution for surrendered Incentive Awards; provided, however, that the amended or modified terms are permitted by the Plan as then in effect, and that any Participant adversely affected by such amended or modified terms has consented to such amendment or modification. No amendment or modification to an Incentive Award, however, whether pursuant to this Section 3.2 or any other provisions of the Plan, will be deemed to be a regrant of such Incentive Award for purposes of this Plan.







(c) In the event of (i) any reorganization, merger, consolidation, recapitalization, liquidation, reclassification, stock dividend, stock split, combination of shares, rights offering, extraordinary dividend or divestiture (including a spin-off) or any other change in corporate structure or shares, (ii) any purchase, acquisition, sale or disposition of a significant amount of assets or a significant business, (iii) any change in accounting principles or practices, or (iv) any other similar change, in each case with respect the Company or any other entity whose performance is relevant to the grant or vesting of an Incentive Award, the Committee (or, if the Company is not the surviving corporation in any such transaction, the board of directors of the surviving corporation) may, without the consent of any affected Participant, amend or modify the vesting criteria of any outstanding Incentive Award that is based in whole or in part on the financial performance of the Company (or any Subsidiary or division thereof) or such other entity so as equitably to reflect such event, with the desired result that the criteria for evaluating such financial performance of the Company or such other entity will be substantially the same (in the sole discretion of the Committee or the board of directors of the surviving corporation)following such event as prior to such event; provided, however, that the amended or modified terms are permitted by the Plan as then in effect.







4. Shares Available for Issuance.







4.1. Maximum Number of Shares Available. Subject to adjustment as provided in Section 4.3 of the Plan, the maximum number of shares of Common Stock that will be available for issuance under the Plan will be 20,000,000 shares.


 




  





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4.2. Accounting for Incentive Awards. Shares of Common Stock that are issued under the Plan or that are subject to outstanding Incentive Awards will be applied to reduce the maximum number of shares of Common Stock remaining available for issuance under the Plan. Any shares of Common Stock that are subject to an Incentive Award that lapses, expires, is forfeited or for any reason is terminated unexercised or unvested and any shares of Common Stock that are subject to an Incentive Award that is settled or paid in cash or any form other than shares of Common Stock will automatically again become available for issuance under the Plan. Any shares of Common Stock that constitute the forfeited portion of a Restricted Stock Award, however, will not become available for further issuance under the Plan.







4.3. Adjustments to Shares and Incentive Awards. In the event of any reorganization, merger, consolidation, recapitalization, liquidation, reclassification, stock dividend, stock split, combination of shares, rights offering, divestiture or extraordinary dividend (including a spin-off) or any other change in the corporate structure or shares of the Company, the Committee (or, if the Company is not the surviving corporation in any such transaction, the board of directors of the surviving corporation) will make appropriate adjustment (which determination will be conclusive) as to the number and kind of securities available for issuance under the Plan and, in order to prevent dilution or enlargement of the rights of Participants, the number, kind and, where applicable, exercise price of securities subject to outstanding Incentive Awards.







5. Participation. Participants in the Plan will be those Eligible Recipients who, in the judgment of the Committee, have contributed, are contributing or are expected to contribute to the achievement of economic objectives of the Company or its Subsidiaries. Eligible Recipients may be granted from time to time one or more Incentive Awards, singly or in combination or in tandem with other Incentive Awards, as may be determined by the Committee in its sole discretion. Incentive Awards will be deemed to be granted as of the date specified in the grant resolution of the Committee, which date will be the date of any related agreement with the Participant.







6. Options.







6.1. Grant. An Eligible Recipient may be granted one or more Options under the Plan, and such Options will be subject to such terms and conditions, consistent with the other provisions of the Plan, as may be determined by the Committee in its sole discretion. The Committee may designate whether an Option is to be considered an Incentive Stock Option or a Non-Statutory Stock Option.







6.2. Exercise Price. The per share price to be paid by a Participant upon exercise of an Option will be determined by the Committee in its discretion at the time of the Option grant, provided that (a) such price will not be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of one share of Common Stock on the date of grant with respect to an Incentive Stock Option (110% of the Fair Market Value if, at the time the Incentive Stock Option is granted, the Participant owns, directly or indirectly, more than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or any parent or subsidiary corporation of the Company), and (b) such price will not be less than 85% of the Fair Market Value of one share of Common Stock on the date of grant with respect to a Non-Statutory Stock Option.







6.3. Exercisability and Duration. An Option will become exercisable at such times and in such installments as may be determined by the Committee in its sole discretion at the time of grant; provided, however, that no Option may be exercisable after 10 years from its date of grant.







6.4. Payment of Exercise Price. The purchase price of the shares to be purchased upon exercise of an Option will be payable to the Company in United States dollars in cash or by check or, such other legal consideration as may be approved by the Committee in its discretion. The Committee, in its sole discretion and upon terms and conditions established by the Committee, may allow such payments to be made, in whole or in part, by tender of a Broker Exercise Notice, Previously Acquired Shares or by a combination of such methods. The Committee, in its discretion, may permit a particular Optionee to pay all or a portion of the Option Price, and/or the tax withholding liability with respect to the exercise of an Option either by surrendering shares of stock already owned by such Optionee or by withholding shares of Option Stock, provided that the Committee determines that the fair market value of such surrendered stock or withheld Option Stock is equal to the corresponding portion of such Option Price and/or tax withholding liability, as the case may be, to be paid for therewith. The Committee, in its sole discretion, may establish such other terms and conditions for the payment of the exercise price, as it deems appropriate.


 




  





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6.5. Manner of Exercise. An Option may be exercised by a Participant in whole or in part from time to time, subject to the conditions contained in the Plan and in the agreement evidencing such Option, by delivery in person, by facsimile or electronic transmission or through the mail of written notice of exercise to the Company (Attention: Chief Financial Officer) at its principal executive office in Irvine, California and by paying in full the total exercise price for the shares of Common Stock to be purchased in accordance with Section 6.4 of the Plan.







6.6. Aggregate Limitation of Stock Subject to Incentive Stock Options. To the extent that the aggregate Fair Market Value (determined as of the date an Incentive Stock Option is granted) of the shares of Common Stock with respect to which incentive stock options (within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code) are exercisable for the first time by a Participant during any calendar year (under the Plan and any other incentive stock option plans of the Company, or any subsidiary or parent corporation of the Company within the meaning of the Code) exceeds $100,000 (or such other amount as may be prescribed by the Code from time to time), such excess Options will be treated as Non-Statutory Stock Options. The determination will be made by taking Incentive Stock Options into account in the order in which they were granted. If such excess only applies to a portion of an Incentive Stock Option, the Committee, in its discretion, will designate which shares will be treated as shares to be acquired upon exercise of an Incentive Stock Option.







7. Restricted Stock Awards.







7.1. Grant. An Eligible Recipient may be granted one or more Restricted Stock Awards under the Plan, and such Restricted Stock Awards will be subject to such terms and conditions, consistent with the other provisions of the Plan, as may be determined by the Committee in its sole discretion. The Committee may impose such restrictions or conditions, not inconsistent with the provisions of the Plan, to the vesting of such Restricted Stock Awards as it deems appropriate, including, without limitation, that the Participant remain in the continuous employ or service of the Company or a Subsidiary for a certain period or that the Participant or the Company (or any Subsidiary or division thereof) satisfy certain performance goals or criteria.







7.2. Rights as a Stockholder; Transferability. Except as provided in Sections 7.1, 7.3 and 11.3 of the Plan, a Participant will have all voting, dividend, liquidation and other rights with respect to shares of Common Stock issued to the Participant as a Restricted Stock Award under this Section 7 upon the Participant becoming the holder of record of such shares as if such Participant were a holder of record of shares of unrestricted Common Stock.







7.3. Dividends and Distributions. Unless the Committee determines otherwise in its sole discretion (either in the agreement evidencing the Restricted Stock Award at the time of grant or at any time after the grant of the Restricted Stock Award), any dividends or distributions paid with respect to shares of Common Stock subject to the unvested portion of a Restricted Stock Award will be subject to the same restrictions as the shares to which such dividends or distributions relate. In the event the Committee determines not to pay such dividends or distributions currently, the Committee will determine in its sole discretion whether any interest will be paid on such dividends or distributions. In addition, the Committee in its sole discretion may require such dividends and distributions to be reinvested (and in such case the Participants consent to such reinvestment) in shares of Common Stock that will be subject to the same restrictions as the shares to which such dividends or distributions relate.







7.4. Enforcement of Restrictions. To enforce the restrictions referred to in this Section 7, the Committee may place a legend on the stock certificates referring to such restrictions and may require the Participant, until the restrictions have lapsed, to keep the stock certificates, together with duly endorsed stock powers, in the custody of the Company or its transfer agent or to maintain evidence of stock ownership, together with duly endorsed stock powers, in a certificateless book-entry stock account with the Company's transfer agent.







8. Effect of Termination of Employment or Other Service.







8.1. Termination Due to Death, Disability or Retirement. In the event a Participant's employment or other service with the Company and all Subsidiaries is terminated by reason of death, Disability or Retirement:









  





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(a) All outstanding Options then held by the Participant will remain exercisable to the extent exercisable as of such termination following such termination until the expiration date of such Option;







(b) All Restricted Stock Awards then held by the Participant will vest and/or continue to vest in the manner determined by the Committee and set forth in the agreement evidencing such Restricted Stock Award.







8.2. Termination for Reasons Other than Death, Disability or Retirement.







(a) In the event a Participant's employment or other service is terminated with the Company and all Subsidiaries for any reason other than death, Disability or Retirement, or a Participant is in the employ or service of a Subsidiary and the Subsidiary ceases to be a Subsidiary of the Company (unless the Participant continues in the employ or service of the Company or another Subsidiary), all rights of the Participant under the Plan and any agreements evidencing an Incentive Award will immediately terminate without notice of any kind, and no Options then held by the Participant will thereafter be exercisable, and all Restricted Stock Awards then held by the Participant that have not vested will be terminated and forfeited; provided, however, that if such termination is due to any reason other than termination by the Company or any Subsidiary for “cause,” all outstanding Options then held by such Participant will remain exercisable to the extent exercisable as of such termination for a period of one month after such termination (but in no event after the expiration date of any such Option).







(b) For purposes of this Section 8.2, “cause” (as determined by the Committee) will be as defined in any employment or other agreement or policy applicable to the Participant or, if no such agreement or policy exists, will mean (i) dishonesty, fraud, misrepresentation, embezzlement or deliberate injury or attempted injury, in each case related to the Company or any Subsidiary, (ii) any unlawful or criminal activity of a serious nature, (iii) any intentional and deliberate breach of a duty or duties that, individually or in the aggregate, are material in relation to the Participant's overall duties, or (iv) any material breach of any employment, service, confidentiality or non-compete agreement entered into with the Company or any Subsidiary.







8.3. Modification of Rights Upon Termination. Notwithstanding the other provisions of this Section 8, upon a Participant's termination of employment or other service with the Company and all Subsidiaries, the Committee may, in its sole discretion (which may be exercised at any time on or after the date of grant, including following such termination), cause Options (or any part thereof) then held by such Participant to become or continue to become exercisable and/or remain exercisable following such termination of employment or service and Restricted Stock Awards held by such Participant to vest and/or continue to vest or become free of transfer restrictions, as the case may be, following such termination of employment or service, in each case in the manner determined by the Committee; provided, however, that no Option may remain exercisable beyond its expiration date.







8.4. Breach of Confidentiality or Non-Compete Agreements. Notwithstanding anything in this Plan to the contrary, in the event that a Participant materially breaches the terms of any confidentiality or non-compete agreement entered into with the Company or any Subsidiary or takes any other action that the Committee, in its sole discretion, deems to be adverse to the interests of the Company or any Subsidiary (an “Adverse Action”), whether such Adverse Action occurs before or after termination of such Participant's employment or other service with the Company or any Subsidiary, the Committee in its sole discretion may immediately terminate all rights of the Participant under the Plan and any agreements evidencing an Incentive Award then held by the Participant without notice of any kind. In addition, to the extent that a Participant takes such Adverse Action during the period beginning six months prior to, and ending six months following, the date of such employment or service termination, the Committee in its sole discretion will have the authority (by so providing in the agreement evidencing such Incentive Award at the time of grant) to rescind (i) any grant of an Incentive Award made to such Participant during such period and (ii) any exercise of an Option of the Participant that was exercised during such period, and to require the Participant to pay to the Company, within 10 days of receipt from the Company of notice of such rescission, the amount of any gain realized from such rescinded grant or exercise. Such payment will be made in cash (including check, bank draft or money order) or, with the Committee's consent, shares of Common Stock with a Fair Market Value on the date of payment equal to the amount of such payment. The Company will be entitled to withhold and deduct from future wages of the Participant (or from other amounts that may be due and owing to the Participant from the Company or Subsidiary) or make other arrangements for the collection of all amounts necessary to satisfy such payment obligation.









  





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8.5. Date of Termination of Employment or Other Service. Unless the Committee otherwise determines in its sole discretion, a Participant's employment or other service will, for purposes of the Plan, be deemed to have terminated on the date recorded on the personnel or other records of the Company or the Subsidiary for which the Participant provides employment or other service, as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion based upon such records.







9. Payment of Withholding Taxes.







9.1. General Rules. The Company is entitled to (a) withhold and deduct from future wages of the Participant (or from other amounts that may be due and owing to the Participant from the Company or a Subsidiary), or make other arrangements for the collection of, all legally required amounts necessary to satisfy any and all federal, state and local withholding and employment-related tax requirements attributable to an Incentive Award, including, without limitation, the grant, exercise or vesting of, or payment of dividends with respect to, an Incentive Award or a disqualifying disposition of stock received upon exercise of an Incentive Stock Option, or (b) require the Participant promptly to remit the amount of such withholding to the Company before taking any action, including issuing any shares of Common Stock, with respect to an Incentive Award.







9.2. Special Rules. The Committee may, in its sole discretion and upon terms and conditions established by the Committee, permit or require a Participant to satisfy, in whole or in part, any withholding or employment-related tax obligation described in Section 9.1 of the Plan by electing to tender Previously Acquired Shares or a Broker Exercise Notice, or by a combination of such methods.







10. Change in Control.







10.1. Change in Control. For purposes of this Section 10.1, a “Change in Control” of the Company will mean (a) the sale, lease, exchange or other transfer of substantially all of the assets of the Company (in one transaction or in a series of related transaction) to a person or entity that is not controlled, directly or indirectly, by the Company, (b) a merger or consolidation to which the Company is a party if the stockholders of the Company immediately prior to effective date of such merger or consolidation do not have “beneficial ownership” (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) immediately following the effective date of such merger or consolidation of more than 80% of the combined voting power of the surviving corporation's outstanding securities ordinarily having the right to vote at elections of directors, or (c) a change in control of the Company of a nature that would be required to be reported pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, whether or not the Company is then subject to such reporting requirements, including, without limitation, such time as (i) any person becomes, after the effective date of the Plan, the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of 40% or more of the combined voting power of the Company's outstanding securities ordinarily having the right to vote at elections of directors, or (ii) individuals who constitute the Board on the effective date of the Plan cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the Board, provided that any person becoming a director subsequent to the effective date of the Plan whose election, or nomination for election by the Company's stockholders, was approved by a vote of at least a majority of the directors comprising the Board on the effective date of the Plan will, for purposes of this clause (iii), be considered as though such persons were a member of the Board on the effective date of the Plan.







10.2. Acceleration of Vesting. Without limiting the authority of the Committee under Section 3.2 of the Plan, if a Change in Control of the Company occurs, then, if approved by the Committee in its sole discretion either in an agreement evidencing an Incentive Award at the time of grant or at any time after the grant of an Incentive Award, (a) all Options may become immediately exercisable in full and may remain exercisable for the remainder of their terms, regardless of whether the Participants to whom such Options have been granted remain in the employ or service of the Company or any Subsidiary; and (b) all outstanding Restricted Stock Awards may become immediately fully vested in the manner determined by the Committee and/or set forth in the agreement evidencing such.









  





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10.3. Cash Payment for Options. If a Change in Control of the Company occurs, then the Committee, if approved by the Committee in its sole discretion either in an agreement evidencing an Incentive Award at the time of grant or at any time after the grant of an Incentive Award, and without the consent of any Participant effected thereby, may determine that some or all Participants holding outstanding Options will receive, with respect to and in lieu of some or all of the shares of Common Stock subject to such Options, as of the effective date of any such Change in Control of the Company, cash in an amount equal to the excess of the Fair Market Value of such shares immediately prior to the effective date of such Change in Control of the Company over the exercise price per share of such Options.







10.4. Limitation on Change in Control Payments. Notwithstanding anything in Section 10.2 or 10.3 of the Plan to the contrary, if, with respect to a Participant, the acceleration of the vesting of an Incentive Award as provided in Section 10.2 or the payment of cash in exchange for all or part of an Incentive Award as provided in Section 10.3 (which acceleration or payment could be deemed a “payment” within the meaning of Section 280G(b)(2) of the Code), together with any other payments which such Participant has the right to receive from the Company or any corporation that is a member of an “affiliated group” (as defined in Section 1504(a) of the Code without regard to Section 1504(b) of the Code) of which the Company is a member, would constitute a “parachute payment” (as defined in Section 280G(b)(2) of the Code), then the payments to such Participant pursuant to Section 10.2 or 10.3 will be reduced to the largest amount as will result in no portion of such payments being subject to the excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code; provided, however, that if such Participant is subject to a separate agreement with the Company or a Subsidiary which specifically provides that payments attributable to one or more forms of employee stock incentives or to payments made in lieu of employee stock incentives will not reduce any other payments under such agreement, even if it would constitute an excess parachute payment, then the limitations of this Section 10.4 will, to that extent, not apply.







11. Rights of Eligible Recipients and Participants: Transferability.







11.1. Employment or Service. Nothing in the Plan will interfere with or limit in any way the right of the Company or any Subsidiary to terminate the employment or service of any Eligible Recipient or Participant at any time, nor confer upon any Eligible Recipient or Participant any right to continue in the employ or service of the Company or any Subsidiary.







11.2. Rights as a Stockholder. As a holder of Incentive Awards (other than Restricted Stock Awards), a Participant will have no rights as a stockholder unless and until such Incentive Awards are exercised for, or paid in the form of, shares of Common Stock and the Participant becomes the holder of record of such shares. Except as otherwise provided in the Plan, no adjustment will be made for dividends or distributions with respect to such Incentive Awards as to which there is a record date preceding the date the Participant becomes the holder of record of such shares, except as the Committee may determine in its discretion.


 


11.3. Restrictions on Transfer. Except pursuant to testamentary will or the laws of descent and distribution or as otherwise expressly permitted by the Committee or the Plan, no right or interest of any Participant in an Incentive Award prior to the exercise or vesting of such Incentive Award will be assignable or transferable, or subjected to any lien; during the lifetime of the Participant, either voluntarily or involuntarily, directly or indirectly by operation of law or otherwise. A Participant will, however, be entitled to designate a beneficiary to receive an Incentive Award upon such Participant's death, and in the event of a Participant's death, payment of any amounts due under the Plan will be made to, and exercise of any Options may be made by, the Participant's legal representatives, heirs and legatees.







11.4. Non-Exclusivity of the Plan. Nothing contained in the Plan is intended to modify or rescind any previously approved compensation plans or programs of the Company or create any limitations on the power or authority of the Board to adopt such additional or other compensation arrangements as the Board may deem necessary or desirable.


 




  





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11.5. Securities Law and Other Restrictions. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan or any agreements entered into pursuant to the Plan, the Company will not be required to issue any shares of Common Stock under this Plan, and a Participant may not sell, assign, transfer or otherwise dispose of shares of Common Stock issued pursuant to Incentive Awards granted under the Plan, unless (a) there is in effect with respect to such shares a registration statement under the Securities Act and any applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration under the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws, and (b) there has been obtained any other consent, approval or permit from any other regulatory body which the Committee, in its sole discretion, deems necessary or advisable. The Company may condition such issuance, sale or transfer upon the receipt of any representations or agreements from the parties involved, and the placement of any legends on certificates representing shares of Common Stock, as may be deemed necessary or advisable by the Company in order to comply with such securities law or other restrictions.







12. Plan Amendment, Modification and Termination. The Board may suspend or terminate the Plan or any portion thereof at any time, and may amend the Plan from time to time in such respects as the Board may deem advisable in order that Incentive Awards under the Plan will conform to any change in applicable laws or regulations or in any other respect the Board may deem to be in the best interests of the Company; provided, however, that (a) the Board will not have the authority to amend the eligibility requirements for Options granted pursuant to Section 6.7 of the Plan, or to modify the number of shares, exercise price, exercisability, duration, manner of payment or other terms with respect to such Options, more than once every six months, other than to comply with changes in the Code, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act or the rules promulgated thereunder; and (b) no amendments to the Plan will be effective without approval of the stockholders of the Company if stockholder approval of the amendment is then required pursuant to Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act or Section 422 of the Code. No termination, suspension or amendment of the Plan may adversely affect any outstanding Incentive Award without the consent of the affected Participant; provided, however, that this sentence will not impair the right of the Committee to take whatever action it deems appropriate under Sections 4.3 and 10 of the Plan.







13. Effective Date and Duration of the Plan. The Plan is effective as of December 31, 2013, the date it was adopted by the Board. The Plan will terminate at midnight on December 31, 2023, and may be terminated prior to such time to by Board action, and no Incentive Award will be granted after such termination. Incentive Awards outstanding upon termination of the Plan may continue to be exercised, or become free of restrictions, in accordance with their terms.







14. Miscellaneous.







14.1. Governing Law. The validity, construction, interpretation, administration and effect of the Plan and any rules, regulations and actions relating to the Plan will be governed by and construed exclusively in accordance with the laws of the State of California.







14.2. Successors and Assigns. The Plan will be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the successors and permitted assigns of the Company and the Participants.




 


Adopted by the Board of Directors on December 31, 2013.