Exhibit 10.1


 


	 	 	 



 






ESPERION THERAPEUTICS, INC.


 


2020 EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE
PLAN


 


The purpose of the Esperion Therapeutics,
Inc. 2020 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (“the Plan”) is to provide eligible employees of Esperion Therapeutics, Inc.
(the “Company”) and each Designated Subsidiary (as defined in Section 11) with opportunities to purchase shares of
the Company’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”). Eight-hundred and twenty-five thousand
(825,000) shares of Common Stock in the aggregate have been approved and reserved for this purpose. The Plan is intended to constitute
an “employee stock purchase plan” within the meaning of Section 423(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended (the “Code”), and shall be interpreted in accordance with that intent.


 


1.                 
Administration. The Plan will be administered by the person or persons (the “Administrator”) appointed
by the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) for such purpose. The Administrator has authority at any time
to: (i) adopt, alter and repeal such rules, guidelines and practices for the administration of the Plan and for its own acts and
proceedings as it shall deem advisable; (ii) interpret the terms and provisions of the Plan; (iii) make all determinations it deems
advisable for the administration of the Plan; (iv) decide all disputes arising in connection with the Plan; and (v) otherwise supervise
the administration of the Plan. All interpretations and decisions of the Administrator shall be binding on all persons, including
the Company and the Participants. No member of the Board or individual exercising administrative authority with respect to the
Plan shall be liable for any action or determination made in good faith with respect to the Plan or any option granted hereunder.





 






     


     


    

 


	 	 	 



 


2.                 
Offerings. The Company will make one or more offerings to eligible employees to purchase Common Stock under the Plan
(“Offerings”). Unless otherwise determined by the Administrator, an Offering will begin on the first business day occurring
on or after each September 1 and March 1 and will end on the last business day occurring on or before the following February 28
or February 29 on a leap year and August 31, respectively. The Administrator may, in its discretion, designate a different period
for any Offering, provided that no Offering shall exceed 27 months in duration or overlap any other Offering.


 


3.                  Eligibility.
All individuals classified as employees on the payroll records of the Company and each Designated Subsidiary are eligible to
participate in any one or more of the Offerings under the Plan, provided that as of the first day of the applicable Offering
(the “Offering Date”) they are customarily employed by the Company or a Designated Subsidiary for more than 20
hours a week and have completed at least six months of employment. Notwithstanding any other provision herein, individuals
who are not contemporaneously classified as employees of the Company or a Designated Subsidiary for purposes of the
Company’s or applicable Designated Subsidiary’s payroll system are not considered to be eligible employees of the
Company or any Designated Subsidiary and shall not be eligible to participate in the Plan. In the event any such individuals
are reclassified as employees of the Company or a Designated Subsidiary for any purpose, including, without limitation,
common law or statutory employees, by any action of any third party, including, without limitation, any government agency, or
as a result of any private lawsuit, action or administrative proceeding, such individuals shall, notwithstanding such
reclassification, remain ineligible for participation. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the exclusive means for individuals who
are not contemporaneously classified as employees of the Company or a Designated Subsidiary on the Company’s or
Designated Subsidiary’s payroll system to become eligible to participate in this Plan is through an amendment to this
Plan, duly executed by the Company, which specifically renders such individuals eligible to participate herein.


 






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4.                 
Participation.


 


(a)              
Participants. An eligible employee who is not a Participant in any prior Offering may participate in a subsequent
Offering by submitting an enrollment form to his or her appropriate payroll location at least 15 business days before the Offering
Date (or by such other deadline as shall be established by the Administrator for the Offering).


 


(b)              
Enrollment. The enrollment form will (a) state a whole percentage to be deducted from an eligible employee’s
Compensation (as defined in Section 11) per pay period, (b) authorize the purchase of Common Stock in each Offering in
accordance with the terms of the Plan and (c) specify the exact name or names in which shares of Common Stock purchased for
such individual are to be issued pursuant to Section 10. An employee who does not enroll in accordance with these procedures
will be deemed to have waived the right to participate. Unless a Participant files a new enrollment form or withdraws from the
Plan, such Participant’s deductions and purchases will continue at the same percentage of Compensation for future Offerings,
provided he or she remains eligible.


 


(c)              
Notwithstanding the foregoing, participation in the Plan will neither be permitted nor be denied contrary to the requirements
of the Code.


 


5.                  Employee
Contributions. Each eligible employee may authorize payroll deductions at a minimum of 1 percent up to a maximum of
10 percent of such employee’s Compensation for each pay period. The Company will maintain book accounts showing
the amount of payroll deductions made by each Participant for each Offering. No interest will accrue or be paid on payroll
deductions.


 






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6.                 
Deduction Changes. Except as may be determined by the Administrator in advance of an Offering, a Participant may
not increase or decrease his or her payroll deduction during any Offering, but may increase or decrease his or her payroll deduction
with respect to the next Offering (subject to the limitations of Section 5) by filing a new enrollment form at least 15 business
days before the next Offering Date (or by such other deadline as shall be established by the Administrator for the Offering). The
Administrator may, in advance of any Offering, establish rules permitting a Participant to increase, decrease or terminate his
or her payroll deduction during an Offering.


 


7.                 
Withdrawal. A Participant may withdraw from participation in the Plan by delivering a written notice of withdrawal
to his or her appropriate payroll location. The Participant’s withdrawal will be effective as of the next business day. Following
a Participant’s withdrawal, the Company will promptly refund such individual’s entire account balance under the Plan
to him or her (after payment for any Common Stock purchased before the effective date of withdrawal). Partial withdrawals are not
permitted. Such an employee may not begin participation again during the remainder of the Offering, but may enroll in a subsequent
Offering in accordance with Section 4.


 


8.                  Grant
of Options. On each Offering Date, the Company will grant to each eligible employee who is then a Participant in the Plan
an option (“Option”) to purchase on the last day of such Offering (the “Exercise Date”), at the
Option Price hereinafter provided for, the lowest of (a) a number of shares of Common Stock determined by dividing such
Participant’s accumulated payroll deductions on such Exercise Date by the lower of (i) 85 percent of the Fair
Market Value of the Common Stock on the Offering Date, or (ii) 85 percent of the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock
on the Exercise Date, (b) a number of shares of Common Stock determined by dividing $25,000 by the Fair Market Value of
the Common Stock on the Offering Date of such Offering; or (c) such other lesser maximum number of shares as shall have been
established by the Administrator in advance of the Offering; provided, however, that such Option shall be subject to the
limitations set forth below. Each Participant’s Option shall be exercisable only to the extent of such
Participant’s accumulated payroll deductions on the Exercise Date. The purchase price for each share purchased under
each Option (the “Option Price”) will be 85 percent of the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock on the Offering
Date or the Exercise Date, whichever is less.


 


Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Participant
may be granted an option hereunder if such Participant, immediately after the option was granted, would be treated as owning stock
possessing 5 percent or more of the total combined voting power or value of all classes of stock of the Company or any Parent
or Subsidiary (as defined in Section 11). For purposes of the preceding sentence, the attribution rules of Section 424(d)
of the Code shall apply in determining the stock ownership of a Participant, and all stock which the Participant has a contractual
right to purchase shall be treated as stock owned by the Participant. In addition, no Participant may be granted an Option which
permits his or her rights to purchase stock under the Plan, and any other employee stock purchase plan of the Company and its Parents
and Subsidiaries, to accrue at a rate which exceeds $25,000 of the fair market value of such stock (determined on the option grant
date or dates) for each calendar year in which the Option is outstanding at any time. The purpose of the limitation in the preceding
sentence is to comply with Section 423(b)(8) of the Code and shall be applied taking Options into account in the order in
which they were granted.





 






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9.                 
Exercise of Option and Purchase of Shares. Each employee who continues to be a Participant in the Plan on the Exercise
Date shall be deemed to have exercised his or her Option on such date and shall acquire from the Company such number of whole shares
of Common Stock reserved for the purpose of the Plan as his or her accumulated payroll deductions on such date will purchase at
the Option Price, subject to any other limitations contained in the Plan. Any amount remaining in a Participant’s account
at the end of an Offering solely by reason of the inability to purchase a fractional share will be carried forward to the next
Offering; any other balance remaining in a Participant’s account at the end of an Offering will be refunded to the Participant
promptly.


 


10.             
Issuance of Certificates. Certificates representing shares of Common Stock purchased under the Plan may be issued
only in the name of the employee, in the name of the employee and another person of legal age as joint tenants with rights of survivorship,
or in the name of a broker authorized by the employee to be his, her or their, nominee for such purpose.


 


11.             
Definitions.


 


The term “Compensation” means
the amount of base pay, prior to salary reduction pursuant to Sections 125, 132(f) or 401(k) of the Code, but excluding overtime,
commissions, incentive or bonus awards, allowances and reimbursements for expenses such as relocation allowances or travel expenses,
income or gains on the exercise of Company stock options, and similar items.


 


The term “Designated Subsidiary”
means any present or future Subsidiary (as defined below) that has been designated by the Board to participate in the Plan. The
Board may so designate any Subsidiary, or revoke any such designation, at any time and from time to time, either before or after
the Plan is approved by the stockholders.





 






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The term “Fair Market Value of the
Common Stock” on any given date means the fair market value of the Common Stock determined in good faith by the Administrator;
provided, however, that if the Common Stock is admitted to quotation on the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated
Quotation System (“NASDAQ”), NASDAQ Global Market or another national securities exchange, the determination shall
be made by reference to the closing price on such date. If there is no closing price for such date, the determination shall be
made by reference to the last date preceding such date for which there is a closing price.


 


The term “Parent” means a “parent
corporation” with respect to the Company, as defined in Section 424(e) of the Code.


 


The term “Participant” means
an individual who is eligible as determined in Section 3 and who has complied with the provisions of Section 4.


 


The term “Subsidiary” means
a “subsidiary corporation” with respect to the Company, as defined in Section 424(f) of the Code.


 


12.              Rights
on Termination of Employment. If a Participant’s employment terminates for any reason before the Exercise Date for
any Offering, no payroll deduction will be taken from any pay due and owing to the Participant and the balance in the
Participant’s account will be paid to such Participant or, in the case of such Participant’s death, to his or her
designated beneficiary as if such Participant had withdrawn from the Plan under Section 7. An employee will be deemed to
have terminated employment, for this purpose, if the corporation that employs him or her, having been a Designated
Subsidiary, ceases to be a Subsidiary, or if the employee is transferred to any corporation other than the Company or a
Designated Subsidiary. [Unless otherwise determined by the Administrator, a Participant whose employment transfers between
Designated Subsidiaries or a Designated Subsidiary and the Company or whose employment terminates with an immediate rehire
(with no break in service) by the Company or a Designated Subsidiary will not be treated as having terminated employment for
purposes of participating in the Plan or an Offering.] Further, an employee will not be deemed to have terminated employment
for this purpose, if the employee is on an approved leave of absence for military service or sickness or for any other
purpose approved by the Company, if the employee’s right to reemployment is guaranteed either by a statute or by
contract or under the policy pursuant to which the leave of absence was granted or if the Administrator otherwise provides in
writing.


 






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13.             
Special Rules. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Administrator may adopt special rules applicable
to the employees of a particular Designated Subsidiary, whenever the Administrator determines that such rules are necessary or
appropriate for the implementation of the Plan in a jurisdiction where such Designated Subsidiary has employees; provided that
such rules are consistent with the requirements of Section 423(b) of the Code. Any special rules established pursuant to this
Section 13 shall, to the extent possible, result in the employees subject to such rules having substantially the same rights
as other Participants in the Plan.


 


14.             
Optionees Not Stockholders. Neither the granting of an Option to a Participant nor the deductions from his or her
pay shall constitute such Participant a holder of the shares of Common Stock covered by an Option under the Plan until such shares
have been purchased by and issued to him or her.


 


15.             
Rights Not Transferable. Rights under the Plan are not transferable by a Participant other than by will or the laws
of descent and distribution, and are exercisable during the Participant’s lifetime only by the Participant.





 






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16.             
Application of Funds. All funds received or held by the Company under the Plan may be combined with other corporate
funds and may be used for any corporate purpose.


 


17.             
Adjustment in Case of Changes Affecting Common Stock. In the event of a subdivision of outstanding shares of Common
Stock, the payment of a dividend in Common Stock or any other change affecting the Common Stock, the number of shares approved
for the Plan and the share limitation set forth in Section 8 shall be equitably or proportionately adjusted to give proper
effect to such event.


 


18.             
Amendment of the Plan. The Board may at any time and from time to time amend the Plan in any respect, except that
without the approval within 12 months of such Board action by the stockholders, no amendment shall be made increasing the number
of shares approved for the Plan or making any other change that would require stockholder approval in order for the Plan, as amended,
to qualify as an “employee stock purchase plan” under Section 423(b) of the Code.


 


19.             
Insufficient Shares. If the total number of shares of Common Stock that would otherwise be purchased on any Exercise
Date plus the number of shares purchased under previous Offerings under the Plan exceeds the maximum number of shares issuable
under the Plan, the shares then available shall be apportioned among Participants in proportion to the amount of payroll deductions
accumulated on behalf of each Participant that would otherwise be used to purchase Common Stock on such Exercise Date.


 


20.             
Termination of the Plan. The Plan may be terminated at any time by the Board. Upon termination of the Plan, all amounts
in the accounts of Participants shall be promptly refunded.





 






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21.             
Governmental Regulations. The Company’s obligation to sell and deliver Common Stock under the Plan is subject
to obtaining all governmental approvals required in connection with the authorization, issuance, or sale of such stock.


 


22.             
Governing Law. This Plan and all Options and actions taken thereunder shall be governed by, and construed in accordance
with, the laws of the State of Delaware, applied without regard to conflict of law principles.


 


23.             
Issuance of Shares. Shares may be issued upon exercise of an Option from authorized but unissued Common Stock, from
shares held in the treasury of the Company, or from any other proper source.


 


24.             
Tax Withholding. Participation in the Plan is subject to any minimum required tax withholding on income of the Participant
in connection with the Plan. Each Participant agrees, by entering the Plan, that the Company and its Subsidiaries shall have the
right to deduct any such taxes from any payment of any kind otherwise due to the Participant, including shares issuable under the
Plan.


 


25.             
Notification Upon Sale of Shares. Each Participant agrees, by entering the Plan, to give the Company prompt notice
of any disposition of shares purchased under the Plan where such disposition occurs within two years after the date of grant of
the Option pursuant to which such shares were purchased or within one year after the date such shares were purchased.


 


26.             
Effective Date and Approval of Shareholders. The Plan shall take effect on the later of the date it is adopted by
the Board and the date it is approved by the holders of a majority of the votes cast at a meeting of stockholders at which a quorum
is present or by written consent of the stockholders.


 








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