exv10w10



 





Exhibit 10.10




FORM OF

STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT

FOR THE GRANT OF

NON-QUALIFIED STOCK OPTIONS UNDER THE

STEWART ENTERPRISES, INC.

2007 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN




     THIS AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”) is effective as of                      by and between Stewart
Enterprises, Inc., a Louisiana corporation (“SEI”), and                                          (“Optionee”).



     WHEREAS, SEI maintains the 2007 Stock Incentive Plan (the “Plan”), under which the
Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of SEI (the “Committee”) may, among other things,
grant options or delegate its authority to grant options to purchase shares of SEI’s Class A common
stock, no par value per share (the “Common Stock”), to key employees of SEI and its subsidiaries
(collectively, the “Company”) as the Committee may determine, subject to terms, conditions, or
restrictions as it may deem appropriate;



     WHEREAS, pursuant to the Plan, the Company has granted options to the Optionee, as described
herein.



     NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises, it is agreed by and between the parties as
follows:



1.

GRANT OF OPTION




     In consideration of future services, SEI hereby grants to Optionee, effective
                     (the “Date of Grant”) the right, privilege and option to purchase                     
shares of Common Stock (the “Option”) at an exercise price of                      per share (the “Exercise
Price”). The Option shall be exercisable at the time specified in Section 2 below. The Option is
a non-qualified stock option and shall not be treated as an incentive stock option under Section
422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”).



2.

TIME OF EXERCISE




     2.1 Subject to the provisions of the Plan and the other provisions of this Agreement and
subject to the Optionee remaining employed by the Company on the applicable dates, the Optionee
shall be entitled to exercise the Option as follows:



 









 





     Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Option shall become accelerated and immediately exercisable
in full in the event of a Change of Control (as defined in the Plan) of SEI. The Option shall
expire and may not be exercised later than ___.



     2.2 If Optionee’s employment is terminated, the Option may be exercised, but only to the
extent exercisable at the time of termination, within the periods specified below, but no later
than                     :




     (a) In the event of




               (i) death,




               (ii) disability within the meaning of Section 22(e)(3) of the Code,




               (iii) retirement on or after reaching age 65,




               (iv) early retirement with the approval of the Board of Directors or




               (v) any termination, other than termination for “cause,” after Optionee
has completed 15 or more continuous years of full-time service with the
Company,




the Option must be exercised within one year following termination of employment, after
which time the Option shall terminate.




     (b) In the event of termination for any other reason, the Option may be exercised, but
only to the extent exercisable at the time of termination, within 30 days following
termination of employment, after which time the Option shall terminate.


Any portion of the Option that is not yet exercisable at the time of termination of employment
shall terminate immediately upon termination of employment.




     2.3 The term “cause” shall mean (a) Optionee’s breach of any written employment agreement
between Optionee and SEI or a subsidiary or (b) the willful engaging by Optionee in gross conduct
injurious to SEI or the subsidiary that employs Optionee, which in either case is not remedied
within 10 days after SEI or the employing subsidiary provides written notice to the Optionee of
such breach or willful misconduct.



3.

METHOD OF EXERCISE OF OPTION




     Optionee may exercise all or a portion of the Option by delivering to SEI a signed written
notice of his intention to exercise the Option, specifying therein the number of shares to be
purchased. Upon receiving such notice, and after SEI has received payment of the Exercise Price in
the form permitted in the Plan, including payment by means of a broker-assisted cashless exercise
effected in accordance with procedures established by SEI, the appropriate officer of



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SEI shall cause the transfer of title of the shares purchased to Optionee on SEI’s stock
records and cause to be issued to Optionee a stock certificate for the number of shares being
acquired. Optionee shall not have any rights as a shareholder until the stock certificate is
issued to him.



4.

NON-TRANSFERABILITY




     The Option granted hereby may not be transferred, assigned, pledged or hypothecated in any
manner, by operation of law or otherwise, other than by will, by the laws of descent and
distribution, pursuant to a domestic relations order or as otherwise permitted in the Plan. The
Option shall not be subject to execution, attachment or similar process.



5.

TAXES




     Upon the exercise of all or any portion of the Option, the Optionee must deliver to SEI the
amount of income tax withholding required by law. Subject to the terms of the Plan, the Optionee
may satisfy the tax withholding obligation by delivering currently owned shares of Common Stock or
by electing to have SEI withhold from the shares the Optionee otherwise would receive upon exercise
shares of Common Stock having a value equal to the minimum amount required to be withheld. The
value of the shares to be withheld or delivered shall be based on the Fair Market Value (as defined
in the Plan) of the Common Stock on the date that the amount of tax to be withheld is determined
(the “Tax Date”). Further, the Optionee must notify SEI prior to the Tax Date if the withholding
tax obligation will be satisfied by the delivery or withholding of shares. Notwithstanding the
terms of the Plan, the Optionee’s right to handle the payment of withholding taxes in the manner
described in this Section 3 may not be revoked by the Committee.



6.

NO CONTRACT OF EMPLOYMENT INTENDED




     Nothing in this Agreement shall confer upon Optionee any right to continue in the employment
of the Company, or to interfere in any way with the right of the Company to terminate Optionee’s
employment relationship with the Company at any time.



7.

BINDING EFFECT




     This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their
respective heirs, executors, administrators and successors.



8.

INCONSISTENT PROVISIONS




     The Option granted hereby is subject to the provisions of the Plan as in effect on the date
hereof and as it may be amended. If any provision of this Agreement conflicts with a provision of
the Plan, the Plan provision shall control. If any provision of this Agreement relating to the
Option conflicts with any provision of any employment or change of control agreement between



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the Company and Optionee, the provision in the employment or change of control agreement shall
control.



9.

GOVERNING LAW




     This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of
Louisiana.



10.

SEVERABILITY




     If any term or provision of this Agreement, or the application thereof to any person or
circumstance, shall at any time or to any extent be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any
respect as written, the Optionee and SEI intend for any court construing this Agreement to modify
or limit such provision so as to render it valid and enforceable to the fullest extent allowed by
law. Any such provision that is not susceptible of such reformation shall be ignored so as to not
affect any other term or provision hereof, and the remainder of this Agreement, or the application
of such term or provision to persons or circumstances other than those as to which it is held
invalid, illegal or unenforceable, shall not be affected thereby and each term and provision of
this Agreement shall be valid and enforced to the fullest extent permitted by law.



11.

ENTIRE AGREEMENT; MODIFICATION




     The Plan and this Agreement contain the entire agreement between the parties with respect to
the subject matter contained herein and may not be modified, except as provided in the Plan, as it
may be amended from time to time in the manner provided therein, or in this Agreement, as it may be
amended from time to time by a written document signed by each of the parties hereto. Any oral or
written agreements, representations, warranties, written inducements, or other communications made
prior to the execution of the Agreement shall be void and ineffective for all purposes.



     By Optionee’s signature below, Optionee represents that he or she is familiar with the terms
and provisions of the Plan, and hereby accepts this Agreement subject to all of the terms and
provisions thereof. Optionee has reviewed the Plan and this Agreement in their entirety and fully
understands all provisions thereof. Optionee agrees to accept as binding, conclusive and final all
decisions or interpretations of the Compensation Committee upon any questions arising under the
Plan or this Agreement.



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     IN WITNESS WHEREOF the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed as of the day
and year first above written.



	 	 	 	 	 
	 	STEWART ENTERPRISES, INC.

 	 
	 	By:  	 	 
	 	 	James W. McFarland, 	 
	 	 	Chairman of the Compensation Committee


of the Board of Directors 	 
	 




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