Exhibit 4.09

 

NOTICE OF STOCK APPRECIATION RIGHT AWARD

 

BIOPHARMX CORPORATION

2016 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN

 

GRANT NUMBER:     

 

Unless otherwise defined herein, the terms defined in the BioPharmX Corporation (the “Company”) 2016 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) shall have the same meanings in this Notice of Stock Appreciation Right Award (this “Notice of Grant”) and the attached Stock Appreciation Right Agreement (the “Agreement”).  You have been granted an award of a Stock Appreciation Right (the “SAR”) of the Company under the Plan subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan, this Notice of Grant and the Agreement.

 

Name:

 

Address:

 

Date of Grant:

 

Vesting Commencement Date:

 

Fair Market Value on Date of Grant:

 

Total Number of Shares:

 

Expiration Date:

 

Vesting Schedule:                                                               Subject to the limitations set forth in this Notice, the Plan and the Agreement, [INSERT VESTING SCHEDULE]

 

By accepting the SAR, you and the Company agree that the SAR is granted under and governed by the terms and conditions of the Plan, this Notice of Grant and the Agreement.  By accepting the SAR, you consent to electronic delivery as set forth in the Agreement.

 

	
PARTICIPANT:
    	
 
    	
BIOPHARMX CORPORATION:
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
Signature:
    	
 
    	
 
    	
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Print Name:
    	
 
    	
 
    	
Name:
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
 
    
	
 
    	
 
    	
Its:
    	
 
    
						


 











 

STOCK APPRECIATION RIGHT AWARD AGREEMENT

 

BIOPHARMX CORPORATION

2016 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN

 

You have been granted an award of Stock Appreciation Rights (the “SAR”) by BioPharmX Corporation (the “Company”) under the Company’s 2016 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”), subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan, the Notice of Stock Appreciation Right Award (the “Notice of Grant”) and this Stock Appreciation Right Agreement (this “Agreement”).

 

1.                                      Grant of SAR.  You have been granted a SAR for the number of Shares set forth in the Notice of Grant at the fair market value set forth in the Notice of Grant.  In the event of a conflict between the terms and conditions of the Plan and the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the terms and conditions of the Plan shall prevail.

 

2.                                      Termination.

 

(a)                                 General Rule.  If your Service terminates for any reason except death or Disability, and other than for Cause, then this SAR will expire at the close of business at Company headquarters on the date three months after your termination of Service (subject to the expiration detailed in Section 5).  In no event shall this SAR be exercised later than the Expiration Date set forth in the Notice of Grant. If your Service is terminated for Cause, this SAR will expire upon the date of such termination. The Company determines when your Service terminates for all purposes under this Agreement.

 

(b)                                 Death; Disability.  If you die before your Service terminates (or you die within three months of your termination of Service other than for Cause), then this SAR will expire at the close of business at Company headquarters on the date 12 months after the date of death (subject to the expiration detailed in Section 5).  If your Service terminates because of your Disability, then this SAR will expire at the close of business at Company headquarters on the date 12 months after your termination date (subject to the expiration detailed in Section 5).

 

(c)                                  No Notice.  You are responsible for keeping track of these exercise periods following your termination of Service for any reason.  The Company will not provide further notice of such periods.  In no event shall this SAR be exercised later than the Expiration Date set forth in the Notice of Grant.

 

3.                                      Exercise of SAR.

 

(a)                                 Right to Exercise.  This SAR is exercisable during its term in accordance with the Vesting Schedule set forth in the Notice of Grant and the applicable provisions of the Plan and this Agreement.  In the event of your death, Disability, or other cessation of Service, the exercisability of the SAR is governed by the applicable provisions of the Plan, the Notice of Grant and this Agreement.  No fractional SARs or rights for fractional Shares shall be created pursuant to this Agreement.

 

(b)                                 Method of Exercise.  This SAR is exercisable by delivery of an exercise notice in a form specified by the Company (the “Exercise Notice”), which shall state the election to exercise the SAR, the number of Shares in respect of which the SAR is being exercised, and such other representations and agreements as may be required by the Company pursuant to the provisions of the Plan.  The Exercise Notice shall be delivered in person, by mail, via electronic mail or facsimile or by other authorized method to the Secretary of the Company or other person designated by the Company.  This SAR shall be deemed to be exercised upon receipt by the Company of a fully executed Exercise Notice and any applicable tax withholding due upon exercise of the SAR.

 

(c)                                  No Shares shall be issued pursuant to the exercise of this SAR unless such issuance and exercise complies with all relevant provisions of law and the requirements of any stock exchange or quotation

 











 

service upon which the Shares are then listed.  Assuming such compliance, for income tax purposes the exercised Shares shall be considered transferred to you on the date the SAR is exercised with respect to such exercised Shares.

 

4.                                      Non-Transferability of SAR.  This SAR may not be transferred in any manner other than by will or by the laws of descent or distribution or court order and may be exercised during your lifetime only by you unless otherwise permitted by the Committee on a case-by-case basis.  The terms of the Plan and this Agreement shall be binding upon your executors, administrators, heirs, successors and assign.

 

5.                                      Term of SAR.  This SAR shall in any event expire on the expiration date set forth in the Notice of Grant, which date is 10 years after the Date of Grant.

 

6.                                      Tax Consequences.  YOU SHOULD CONSULT A TAX ADVISER IN THE JURISDICTION IN WHICH YOU ARE SUBJECT TO TAX BEFORE EXERCISING THIS SAR OR DISPOSING OF THE SHARES ACQUIRED PURSUANT TO SUCH EXERCISE.  If you are an Employee or a former Employee, the Company may be required to withhold from your compensation an amount equal to the minimum amount the Company is required to withhold for income and employment taxes or collect from you and pay to the applicable taxing authorities an amount in cash equal to a percentage of this compensation income at the time of exercise of the SAR.

 

8.                                      Withholding Taxes and Stock Withholding.  Regardless of any action the Company or your actual employer (the “Employer”) takes with respect to any or all income tax, social insurance, payroll tax, payment on account or other tax-related withholding (“Tax-Related Items”), you acknowledge that the ultimate liability for all Tax-Related Items legally due by you is and remains your responsibility and that the Company and/or the Employer (1) make no representations or undertakings regarding the treatment of any Tax-Related Items in connection with any aspect of the SAR, including the grant, vesting or exercise of the SAR, the subsequent sale of Shares acquired pursuant to such exercise and the receipt of any dividends and (2) do not commit to structure the terms of the grant or any aspect of the SAR to reduce or eliminate your liability for Tax-Related Items.  You acknowledge that if you are subject to Tax-Related Items in more than one jurisdiction, the Company and/or the Employer may be required to withhold or account for Tax-Related Items in more than one jurisdiction.

 

Prior to exercise of the SAR, you shall pay or make adequate arrangements satisfactory to the Company and/or the Employer to satisfy all withholding and payment on account obligations of the Company and/or the Employer.  In this regard, you authorize the Company and/or the Employer to withhold all applicable Tax-Related Items legally payable by you from your wages or other cash compensation paid to you by the Company and/or the Employer.  With the Company’s consent, these arrangements may also include, if permissible under local law, (a) withholding Shares that otherwise would be issued to you when you exercise this SAR, provided that the Company only withholds the amount of Shares necessary to satisfy the minimum statutory withholding amount, (b) having the Company withhold taxes from the proceeds of the sale of the Shares, either through a voluntary sale or through a mandatory sale arranged by the Company (on your behalf and you hereby authorize such sales by this authorization), (c) your payment by cash, cheque, wire transfer, bank draft or money order payable to the Company, or (d) any other arrangement approved by the Company; all under such rules as may be established by the Committee and in compliance with the Company’s Insider Trading Policy and 10b5-1 Trading Plan Policy, if applicable; provided however, that if you are a Section 16 officer of the Company under the Exchange Act, then the Committee (as constituted in accordance with Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act) shall establish the method of withholding from alternatives (a)-(d) above, and the Committee shall establish the method prior to the Tax-Related Items withholding event. The Fair Market Value of these Shares, determined as of the effective date of the exercise of the SAR, will be applied as a credit against the withholding taxes. You shall pay to the Company or the Employer any amount of Tax-Related Items that the Company or the Employer may be required to withhold as a result of your participation in the Plan or your purchase of Shares that cannot be satisfied by the means previously described.  Finally, you acknowledge that the Company has no obligation to honor the exercise of the SAR or deliver Shares to you until you have satisfied the obligations in connection with the Tax-Related Items as described in this Section.

 











 

9.                                      Acknowledgement.  The Company and you agree that the SAR is granted under and governed by the Notice of Grant, this Agreement and the provisions of the Plan (incorporated herein by reference).  You: (i) acknowledge receipt of a copy of the Plan and the Plan prospectus, (ii) represent that you have carefully read and are familiar with their provisions, and (iii) hereby accept the SAR subject to all of the terms and conditions set forth herein and those set forth in the Plan and the Notice of Grant. You hereby agree to accept as binding, conclusive and final all decisions or interpretations of the Committee upon any questions relating to the Plan, the Notice of Grant and this Agreement

 

10.                               Consent to Electronic Delivery of All Plan Documents and Disclosures. By your acceptance of this SAR, you consent to the electronic delivery of the Notice of Grant, this Agreement, the Plan, account statements, Plan prospectuses required by the Securities and Exchange Commission, U.S. financial reports of the Company, and all other documents that the Company is required to deliver to its security holders (including, without limitation, annual reports and proxy statements) or other communications or information related to the SAR. Electronic delivery may include the delivery of a link to a Company intranet or the internet site of a third party involved in administering the Plan, the delivery of the document via e-mail or such other delivery determined at the Company’s discretion.  You acknowledge that you may receive from the Company a paper copy of any documents delivered electronically at no cost if you contact the Company by telephone, through a postal service or electronic mail at [insert email]. You further acknowledge that you will be provided with a paper copy of any documents delivered electronically if electronic delivery fails; similarly, you understand that you must provide on request to the Company or any designated third party a paper copy of any documents delivered electronically if electronic delivery fails. Also, you understand that your consent may be revoked or changed, including any change in the electronic mail address to which documents are delivered (if you have provided an electronic mail address), at any time by notifying the Company of such revised or revoked consent by telephone, postal service or electronic mail at [insert email]. Finally, you understand that you are not required to consent to electronic delivery.

 

11.                               Compliance with Laws and Regulations.  The issuance of Shares will be subject to and conditioned upon compliance by the Company and you with all applicable state, federal and foreign laws and regulations and with all applicable requirements of any stock exchange or automated quotation system on which the Company’s common stock (“Common Stock”) may be listed or quoted at the time of such issuance or transfer, which compliance the Company shall, in its absolute discretion, deem necessary or advisable.  You understand that the Company is under no obligation to register or qualify the Common Stock with any state, federal or foreign securities commission or to seek approval or clearance from any governmental authority for the issuance or sale of the Shares.  Further, you agree that the Company shall have unilateral authority to amend the Plan and this Agreement without your consent to the extent necessary to comply with securities or other laws applicable to issuance of Shares.  Finally, the Shares issued pursuant to this Agreement shall be endorsed with appropriate legends, if any, determined by the Company.

 

12.                               Governing Law; Severability.  If one or more provisions of this Agreement are held to be unenforceable under applicable law, the parties agree to renegotiate such provision in good faith. In the event that the parties cannot reach a mutually agreeable and enforceable replacement for such provision, then (i) such provision shall be excluded from this Agreement, (ii) the balance of this Agreement shall be interpreted as if such provision were so excluded and (iii) the balance of this Agreement shall be enforceable in accordance with its terms. This Agreement and all acts and transactions pursuant hereto and the rights and obligations of the parties hereto shall be governed, construed and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, without giving effect to principles of conflicts of law. For purposes of litigating any dispute that may arise directly or indirectly from the Plan, the Notice of Grant or this Agreement, the parties hereby submit and consent to litigation in the exclusive jurisdiction of the State of California and agree that any such litigation shall be conducted only in the courts of California in Santa Clara County or the federal courts of the United States for the Northern District of California and no other courts.

 

13.                               No Advice Regarding Grant.  The Company is not providing any tax, legal or financial advice, nor is the Company making any recommendations regarding your participation in the Plan, or your acquisition or

 











 

sale of the underlying Shares.  You are hereby advised to consult with your own personal tax, legal and financial advisors regarding your participation in the Plan before taking any action related to the Plan.

 

14.                               No Rights as Employee, Director or Consultant.  You understand that your employment or consulting relationship with the Company is for an unspecified duration, can be terminated at any time (i.e., is “at-will”), and that nothing in this Agreement changes the at-will nature of that relationship.  Nothing in this Agreement shall affect in any manner whatsoever the right or power of the Company, or a Parent, Subsidiary or Affiliate of the Company, to terminate your Service, for any reason, with or without Cause.

 

15.                               Adjustment.  In the event of a stock split, a stock dividend or a similar change in Company stock, the number of Shares covered by your SAR and the Fair Market Value per Share on the date of grant may be adjusted pursuant to the Plan.

 

16.                               Award Subject to Company Clawback or Recoupment.  To the extent permitted by applicable law, the SAR shall be subject to clawback or recoupment pursuant to any compensation clawback or recoupment policy adopted by the Board or required by law during the term of your employment or other Service that is applicable to you. In addition to any other remedies available under such policy, applicable law may require the cancellation of your SAR (whether vested or unvested) and the recoupment of any gains realized with respect to your SAR.

 

17.                               Entire Agreement; Enforcement of Rights.  This Agreement, the Plan and the Notice of Grant constitute the entire agreement and understanding of the parties relating to the subject matter herein and supersede all prior discussions between them. Any prior agreements, commitments or negotiations concerning your SAR are superseded. No modification of or amendment to this Agreement, nor any waiver of any rights under this Agreement, shall be effective unless in writing and signed by the parties to this Agreement. The failure by either party to enforce any rights under this Agreement shall not be construed as a waiver of any rights of such party.

 

BY ACCEPTING THIS SAR, YOU AGREE TO ALL OF THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS DESCRIBED ABOVE AND IN THE PLAN.