exh101twohig


Exhibit 10.1


	
		
	Name:
	Paul Twohig

	Number of Shares of Stock subject to Option:
	115,000

	Price Per Share:
	$51.67

	Date of Grant:
	February 28, 2014






DUNKIN’ BRANDS GROUP, INC.  
2011 OMNIBUS LONG-TERM INCENTIVE PLAN


NON-STATUTORY STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT
This agreement (the “Agreement”) evidences a stock option granted by Dunkin’ Brands Group, Inc. (the “Company”) to the undersigned (the “Optionee”), pursuant to and subject to the terms of the Dunkin’ Brands Group, Inc. 2011 Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan (as amended from time to time, the “Plan”), which is incorporated herein by reference. 
1.Grant of Stock Option. The Company grants to the Optionee on the date set forth above (the “Date of Grant”) an option (the “Stock Option”) to purchase, on the terms provided herein and in the Plan (including, without limitation, the exercise provisions in Section 6(b)(3) of the Plan), the number of shares of Stock of the Company set forth above (the “Shares”) with an exercise price per Share as set forth above, in each case subject to adjustment pursuant to Section 7 of the Plan in respect of transactions occurring after the date hereof. 
The Stock Option evidenced by this Agreement is a non-statutory option (that is, an option that is not to be treated as a stock option described in subsection (b) of Section 422 of the Code) and is granted to the Optionee in connection with the Optionee’s employment by the Company and its qualifying subsidiaries. For purposes of the immediately preceding sentence, “qualifying subsidiary” means a subsidiary of the Company as to which the Company has a “controlling interest” as described in Treas. Regs. §1.409A-1(b)(5)(iii)(E)(1). 
2.Meaning of Certain Terms. Except as otherwise defined herein, all capitalized terms used herein have the same meaning as in the Plan. The following terms have the following meanings:
(a)“Beneficiary” means, in the event of the Optionee’s death, the beneficiary named in the written designation (in form acceptable to the Administrator) most recently filed with the Administrator by the Optionee prior to the Optionee’s death and not subsequently revoked, or, if there is no such designated beneficiary, the executor or administrator of the Optionee’s estate. An effective beneficiary designation will be treated as having been revoked only upon receipt by the Administrator, prior to the Optionee’s death, of an instrument of revocation in form acceptable to the Administrator.
(b)“Good Reason” means the occurrence of any of the following:





Exhibit 10.1


(i)a material diminution in the nature or scope of the Optionee’s responsibilities, duties, authority or status; provided that each of (A) a change in reporting relationships resulting from the direct or indirect control of the Company (or a successor corporation) by another corporation, (B) any diminution of the business of the Company or any of its Affiliates and (C) any sale or transfer of equity, property or other assets of the Company or any of its Affiliates (including any such sale or transfer or any other transaction or series of such transactions that results in a Change in Control) will be deemed not to constitute “Good Reason”;
(ii)relocation of the Optionee’s place of employment, without the Optionee’s consent, to a location that is more than fifty (50) miles from Canton, Massachusetts; or
(iii)the Company’s failure to perform substantially any material term of this Agreement or any employment agreement with the Company or any of its Affiliates to which the Optionee is subject;
provided that, if the Optionee is subject to an employment, severance-benefit or other similar agreement with the Company or an Affiliate containing a separate definition of “Good Reason”, the definition contained in such agreement will apply for purposes of this Agreement for so long as such agreement is in effect. A termination will qualify as a termination for Good Reason only if (1) the Optionee gives the Company notice, within ninety (90) days of its first existence or occurrence (without the Optionee’s consent), of any or any combination of the eligibility conditions specified above; (2) the Company fails to cure the eligibility condition(s) within thirty (30) days of receiving such notice; and (3) the Optionee terminates his Employment not later than six months following the end of such 30-day period.
(c)“Option Holder” means the Optionee or, if as of the relevant time the Stock Option has passed to a Beneficiary, the Beneficiary.
(d)“Performance-Based Cause” means the Optionee’s failure to perform his duties to the reasonable standards required by the Board, which standards shall be communicated to the Optionee on a periodic basis, after written notice and an opportunity of thirty (30) days to cure.
3.Vesting; Method of Exercise; Treatment of the Stock Option Upon Cessation of Employment.
(a)    Vesting. As used herein with respect to the Stock Option or any portion thereof, the term “vest” means to become exercisable and the term “vested” as applied to any outstanding Stock Option means that the Stock Option is then exercisable, subject in each case to the terms of the Plan. Unless earlier terminated, forfeited, relinquished or expired, and subject to subsections (b) and (c) below, the Stock Option shall become vested as to 50% of the total 





Exhibit 10.1


number of Shares subject to the Stock Option on December 31, 2016 and as to the remaining 50% of the total Shares subject to the Stock Option on December 31, 2017. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Shares subject to the Stock Option shall not vest on any vesting date unless the Optionee has remained in continuous Employment from the Date of Grant through such vesting date.
(b)    Change in Control. If (i) in connection with a Change in Control the Stock Option, to the extent outstanding immediately prior to such Change in Control, is assumed or continued, or a new award is substituted for the Stock Option by the acquiror or survivor (or an affiliate of the acquiror or survivor) in accordance with the provisions of Section 7 of the Plan, and (ii) at any time within the 18-month period following the Change in Control, the Optionee’s Employment is terminated by the Company (or its successor) without Cause or the Optionee terminates his Employment for Good Reason, the Stock Option (or the award substituted for the Stock Option), to the extent then outstanding but not then vested, will automatically vest in full at the time of such termination.
If, in connection with a Change in Control, the Stock Option is not assumed or continued, and a new award is not substituted for the Stock Option by the acquiror or survivor (or an affiliate of the acquiror or survivor) in accordance with the provisions of Section 7 of the Plan, the Stock Option, to the extent outstanding immediately prior to such Change in Control but not then vested, will automatically vest in full upon the occurrence of such Change in Control.
(c)    Effect of Certain Terminations of Employment. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if the Optionee’s employment (1) is terminated by the Company other than for Cause and other than for Performance-Based Cause, or (2) is terminated by the Optionee for Good Reason, in each case, prior to December 31, 2016 (and regardless of whether or not a Change in Control has occurred), then the Stock Option shall become vested as to 50% of the total number of Shares subject to the Stock Option on the applicable termination date.  If such termination occurs between December 31, 2016 and before December 31, 2017, then the Stock Option shall become vested in full on the applicable termination date. If Optionee’s employment terminates due to the Optionee’s death or is terminated by the Company due to the Optionee’s disability prior to December 31, 2017 (and regardless of whether or not a Change in Control has occurred), the number of Shares subject to the Stock Option that become vested will be pro-rated based on the number of days that elapsed from the Date of Grant until the date of such termination.
(d)    Exercise of the Stock Option. No portion of the Stock Option may be exercised until such portion vests. Each election to exercise any vested portion of the Stock Option will be subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan and shall be in writing, signed by the 





Exhibit 10.1


Option Holder (or in such other form as is acceptable to the Administrator). Each such written exercise election must be received by the Company at its principal office or by such other party as the Administrator may prescribe and be accompanied by payment in full as provided in the Plan. The exercise price may be paid (i) by cash or check acceptable to the Administrator, (ii) to the extent permitted by the Administrator, through a broker-assisted cashless exercise program acceptable to the Administrator, (iii) by such other means, if any, as may be acceptable to the Administrator, or (iv) by any combination of the foregoing permissible forms of payment. In the event that the Stock Option is exercised by a person other than the Optionee, the Company will be under no obligation to deliver shares hereunder unless and until it is satisfied as to the authority of the Option Holder to exercise the Stock Option and compliance with applicable securities laws. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein or in the Plan, the latest date on which the Stock Option or any portion thereof may be exercised will be the 7th anniversary of the Date of Grant (the “Final Exercise Date”); provided, however, if at such time the Optionee is prohibited by applicable law or written Company policy applicable to similarly situated employees from engaging in any open-market sales of Stock, the Final Exercise Date will be automatically extended to thirty (30) days following the date the Optionee is no longer prohibited from engaging in such open-market sales. If the Stock Option is not exercised by the Final Exercise Date the Stock Option or any remaining portion thereof will thereupon immediately terminate.
(e)    Treatment of the Stock Option Upon Cessation of Employment. If the Optionee’s Employment ceases, the Stock Option, to the extent not already vested will be immediately forfeited, and any vested portion of the Stock Option that is then outstanding will be treated as follows:
(i)    Subject to clauses (ii), (iii) and (iv) below and Section 4 of this Agreement, the Stock Option, to the extent vested immediately prior to the cessation of the Optionee’s Employment (after giving effect to any accelerated vesting as provided for herein), will remain exercisable until the earlier of (A) the date which is three months following the date of such cessation of Employment, or (B) the Final Exercise Date, and except to the extent previously exercised as permitted by this Section 3(d)(i) will thereupon immediately terminate.
(ii)    Subject to clause (iv) below and Section 4 of this Agreement, the Stock Option, to the extent vested immediately prior to the cessation of the Optionee’s Employment due to death, will remain exercisable until the earlier of (A) the first anniversary of the Optionee’s death or (B) the Final Exercise Date, and except to the extent previously exercised as permitted by this Section 3(d)(ii) will thereupon immediately terminate.





Exhibit 10.1


(iii)    Subject to clause (iv) below and Section 4 of this Agreement, the Stock Option, to the extent vested immediately prior to the Optionee’s voluntary resignation (whether or not for Good Reason), subject to the Optionee’s compliance with all restrictive covenants in favor of the Company and/or its subsidiaries by which the Optionee is bound, shall remain exercisable for a period of two years following the date of such resignation and, except to the extent previously exercised as permitted by this Section 3(d)(iii), will thereupon immediately terminate and be forfeited.
(iv)    If the Optionee’s Employment is terminated by the Company and its subsidiaries in connection with an act or failure to act constituting Cause (as the Administrator, in its sole discretion, may determine), or such termination occurs in circumstances that in the determination of the Administrator would have entitled the Company and its subsidiaries to terminate the Optionee’s Employment for Cause, the Stock Option (whether or not vested) will immediately terminate and be forfeited upon such termination.
4.Forfeiture; Recovery of Compensation.
(a)    The Administrator may cancel, rescind, withhold or otherwise limit or restrict the Stock Option at any time if the Optionee is not in compliance with all applicable provisions of this Agreement and the Plan.
(b)    The Stock Option is subject to Section 6(a)(5) of the Plan. The Stock Option (whether or not vested or exercisable) is subject to forfeiture, termination and rescission, and the Optionee will be obligated to return to the Company the value received with respect to the Stock Option (including Shares delivered under the Stock Option, and any gain realized on a subsequent sale or disposition of Shares), (i) upon or in connection with (A) a breach by the Optionee of a non-competition, non-solicitation, confidentiality or similar covenant or agreement with the Company or its subsidiaries or (B) an overpayment to the Optionee of incentive compensation due to inaccurate financial data, (ii) in accordance with Company policy relating to the recovery of erroneously-paid incentive compensation, as such policy may be amended and in effect from time to time, or (iii) as otherwise required by law or applicable stock exchange listing standards, including, without limitation, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.
5.Transfer of Stock Option. The Stock Option may not be transferred except as expressly permitted under Section 6(a)(3) of the Plan.
6.Withholding. The exercise of the Stock Option will give rise to “wages” subject to withholding. The Optionee expressly acknowledges and agrees that the Optionee’s rights hereunder, including the right to be issued shares upon exercise, are subject to the Optionee 





Exhibit 10.1


promptly paying to the Company in cash (or by such other means as may be acceptable to the Administrator in its discretion) all taxes required to be withheld. No shares will be transferred pursuant to the exercise of this Stock Option unless and until the person exercising this Stock Option has remitted to the Company an amount in cash sufficient to satisfy any federal, state, or local withholding tax requirements, or has made other arrangements satisfactory to the Company with respect to such taxes. The Optionee authorizes the Company and its subsidiaries to withhold such amount from any amounts otherwise owed to the Optionee, but nothing in this sentence shall be construed as relieving the Optionee of any liability for satisfying his obligation under the preceding provisions of this Section.
7.Effect on Employment. Neither the grant of the Stock Option, nor the issuance of shares upon exercise of the Stock Option, will give the Optionee any right to be retained in the employ of the Company or any of its Affiliates, affect the right of the Company or any of its Affiliates to discharge or discipline such Optionee at any time, or affect any right of such Optionee to terminate his Employment at any time.
8.Stock Ownership Guidelines. The Stock Option and any Shares delivered under the Stock Option are subject to the Company’s Stock Ownership Guidelines, as adopted on May 15, 2012, as such guidelines may be amended, revised or supplemented from time to time (the “Guidelines”). The Optionee acknowledges and agrees to comply with the terms and conditions of the Guidelines, including the retention ratios set forth therein. 
9.Governing Law. This Agreement and all claims or disputes arising out of or based upon this Agreement or relating to the subject matter hereof will be governed by and construed in accordance with the domestic substantive laws of the State of Delaware without giving effect to any choice or conflict of laws provision or rule that would cause the application of the domestic substantive laws of any other jurisdiction.


By acceptance of the Stock Option, the undersigned agrees to be subject to the terms of the Plan. The Optionee further acknowledges and agrees that (i) the signature to this Agreement on behalf of the Company may be an electronic signature that will be treated as an original signature for all purposes hereunder and (ii) the signature, whether electronic or non-electronic, will be binding against the Company and will create a legally binding agreement when this Agreement is countersigned by the Optionee.


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Exhibit 10.1




Executed as of the 28th day of February, 2014.




	
			
	 
	 
	 

	Company:
	 
	DUNKIN’ BRANDS GROUP, INC.

	 
	By:
	/s/ Richard Emmett                                

	 
	 
	Name: Richard J. Emmett

	 
	 
	Title: Chief Legal & Human Resources Officer










	
		
	 
	 

	Optionee:
	   /s/ Paul Twohig              

	 
	Name: Paul Twohig