Exhibit
10.3


 


ARCH
CAPITAL GROUP LTD.

Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement


 


FOR GOOD AND VALUABLE
CONSIDERATION, receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, Arch Capital Group Ltd.
(the “Company”), a Bermuda company, hereby grants to _________, an employee of
the Company on the date hereof (the “Option Holder”), the option to purchase
common shares, $0.01 par value per share, of the Company (“Shares”), upon the
following terms:


 


WHEREAS, the Option
Holder has been granted the following award in connection with his or her
retention as an employee and as compensation for services to be rendered; and
the following terms reflect the Company’s 2002 Long Term Incentive and Share
Award Plan (the “Plan”);


 


(a)                                  Grant.  The Option Holder is hereby granted an
option (the “Option”) to purchase _________ Shares (the “Option Shares”)
pursuant to the Plan, the terms of which are incorporated herein by
reference.  The Option is granted as of
September 22, 2004 (the “Date of Grant”) and such grant is subject to the
terms and conditions herein and the terms and conditions of the applicable
provisions of the Plan.  This Option
shall not be treated as an incentive stock option as defined in
Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.  In the event of any conflict between this
Agreement and the Plan, the Plan shall control.


 


(b)                                 Status
of Option Shares.  Upon issue, the
Option Shares shall rank equally in all respects with the other Shares.


 


(c)                                  Option
Price.  The purchase price for the
Option Shares shall be, except as herein provided, $39.00 per Option Share,
hereinafter sometimes referred to as the “Option Price,” payable immediately in
full upon the exercise of the Option.


 


(d)                                 Term
of Option.  The Option may be
exercised only during the period (the “Option Period”) set forth in paragraph
(f) below and shall remain exercisable until the tenth anniversary of the Date
of Grant.  Thereafter, the Option Holder
shall cease to have any rights in respect thereof.  The right to exercise the Option shall be subject to sooner
termination as provided in paragraph (j) below.


 


(e)                                  No
Rights of Shareholder.  The Option
Holder shall not, by virtue hereof, be entitled to any rights of a shareholder
in the Company, either at law or in equity.


 


(f)                                    Exercisability.  Except as otherwise set forth in paragraph
(j) below, the Option shall become exercisable as to one third of the Option
Shares on the Date of Grant, as to an additional one-third of the Option Shares
on the first anniversary of the Date of Grant, and as to the final one-third of
the Option Shares on the second anniversary of the Date of Grant, in each case
subject to paragraph (j) below.  Subject
to paragraph (j) below, the Option may be exercised at any time or from time to
time during the Option Period in regard to all or any portion of the Option
which is then exercisable, as may be adjusted pursuant to paragraph (g) below.


 

















 


(g)                                 Adjustments
for Recapitalization and Dividends. 
In the event that, prior to the expiration of the Option, any dividend
in Shares, recapitalization, Share split, reverse split, reorganization,
merger, consolidation, spin-off, combination, repurchase, or share exchange, or
other such change affects the Shares such that they are increased or decreased
or changed into or exchanged for a different number or kind of shares, other
securities of the Company or of another corporation or other consideration,
then in order to maintain the proportionate interest of the Option Holder and
preserve the value of the Option, (i) there shall automatically be substituted
for each Share subject to the unexercised Option the number and kind of shares,
other securities or other consideration (including cash) into which each
outstanding Share shall be changed or for which each such Share shall be
exchanged, and (ii) the exercise price shall be increased or decreased
proportionately so that the aggregate purchase price for the Shares subject to
the unexercised Option shall remain the same as immediately prior to such
event.


 


(h)                                 Nontransferability.  The Option, or any interest therein, may not
be assigned or otherwise transferred, disposed of or encumbered by the Option
Holder, other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution.  During the lifetime of the Option Holder,
the Option shall be exercisable only by the Option Holder or by his or her
guardian or legal representative. 
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Option may be transferred by the
Option Holder to members of his or her “immediate family “ or to a trust or other
entity established for the exclusive benefit of solely one or more members of
the Option Holder’s “immediate family.” 
Any Option held by the transferee will continue to be subject to the
same terms and conditions that were applicable to the Option immediately prior
to the transfer, except that the Option will be transferable by the transferee
only by will or the laws of descent and distribution.  For purposes hereof, “immediate family” means the Option Holder’s
children stepchildren, grandchildren, parents, stepparents, grandparents,
spouse, siblings (including half brother and sisters), in laws, and
relationships arising because of legal adoption.


 


(i)                                     Exercise
of Option.  In order to exercise the
Option, the Option Holder shall submit to the Company an instrument in writing
signed by the Option Holder, specifying the whole number of Option Shares in
respect of which the Option is being exercised, accompanied by payment, in a
manner acceptable to the Company (which shall include a broker assisted
exercise arrangement), of the Option Price for the Option Shares for which the
Option is being exercised.  Payment to
the Company in cash or Shares already owned by the Option Holder (provided that
the Option Holder has owned such Shares for a minimum period of six months or
has purchased such Shares on the open market) and having a total Fair Market
Value (as defined below) equal to the exercise price, or in a combination of
cash and such Shares, shall be deemed acceptable for purposes hereof.  Option Shares will be issued accordingly by
the Company, and a share certificate dispatched to the Option Holder within 30
days.


 


The Company shall not be
required to issue fractional Shares upon the exercise of the Option. If any
fractional interest in a Share would be deliverable upon the exercise of the
Option in whole or in part but for the provisions of this paragraph, the
Company, in lieu of delivering any such fractional share therefor, shall pay a
cash adjustment therefor in an amount equal to their Fair Market Value (or if
any Shares are not publicly traded, an amount equal to the book value per share
at the end of the most recent fiscal quarter) multiplied by the fraction of the
fractional


 


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share which would
otherwise have been issued hereunder. 
Anything to the contrary herein notwithstanding, the Company shall not
be obligated to issue any Option Shares hereunder if the issuance of such
Option Shares would violate the provision of any applicable law, in which event
the Company shall, as soon as practicable, take whatever action it reasonably
can so that such Option Shares may be issued without resulting in such
violations of law.  For purposes hereof,
Fair Market Value shall mean the mean between the high and low selling prices
per Share on the immediately preceding date (or, if the Shares were not traded
on that day, the next preceding day that the Shares were traded) on the
principal exchange on which the Shares are traded, as such prices are
officially quoted on such exchange.


 


(j)                                     Termination
of Service.  In the event the Option
Holder ceases to be an employee of the Company (a) due to his death or
Permanent Disability (as defined in the Company’s Incentive Compensation Plan),
or (b) due to termination (x) by the Company not for Cause (as defined in the
Company’s Incentive Compensation Plan) or (y) by the Option Holder for Good
Reason (as defined in the Employment Agreement, dated as of _________, between
the Option Holder and _________), the Option, to the extent not already
exercisable in full, shall become immediately exercisable in full and shall
continue to be exercisable by the Option Holder (or his Beneficiary or estate
in the event of his death) for a period of three years following such
termination of employment (but not beyond the Option Period).  In the event of termination of employment
(other than by the Company for Cause) after the attainment of Retirement Age
(as defined in the Company’s Incentive Compensation Plan), the Option shall
continue to vest on the schedule set forth in paragraph (f) above so long
as the Option Holder does not engage in any activity in competition with any
activity of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries other than serving on the
board of directors (or similar governing body) of another company or as a consultant
for no more than 26 weeks per calendar year (“Competitive Activity”) and shall
continue to be exercisable by the Option Holder (or his Beneficiary or estate
in the event of his death) for a period of three years following the later of
(i) the last date this Option actually vests under paragraph (f) above or (ii)
the date of termination of employment of the Option Holder (but in no event
beyond the Option Period).  In the event
the Option Holder engages in a Competitive Activity, the Option, to the extent
then exercisable, may be exercised for 90 days following the date on which the
Option Holder engages in such Competitive Activity (but not beyond the Option
Period).  In the event that the Option
Holder ceases to be an employee of the Company for any other reason, except due
to a termination of the Option Holder’s employment by the Company for Cause (as
defined in the Company’s Incentive Compensation Plan), the Option, to the
extent then exercisable, may be exercised for 90 days following termination of
employment (but not beyond the Option Period). 
In the event of a termination of the Option Holder’s employment for
Cause, the Option shall immediately cease to be exercisable and shall be
immediately forfeited.  To the extent
the Option is not exercisable at the time of termination of employment, the
Option shall be immediately forfeited. 
For purposes of this Option, service with any of the Company’s wholly
owned subsidiaries shall be considered to be service with the Company.


 


(k)                                  Obligations
as to Capital.  The Company agrees
that it will at all times maintain authorized and unissued share capital
sufficient to fulfill all of its obligations under the Option.


 


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(l)                                     Transfer
of Shares.  The Option, the Option
Shares, or any interest in either, may be sold, assigned, pledged,
hypothecated, encumbered, or transferred or disposed of in any other manner, in
whole or in part, only in compliance with the terms, conditions and
restrictions as set forth in the governing instruments of the Company,
applicable United States federal and state securities laws and the terms and
conditions hereof.


 


(m)                               Expenses
of Issuance of Option Shares.  The
issuance of stock certificates upon the exercise of the Option in whole or in
part, shall be without charge to the Option Holder.  The Company shall pay, and indemnify the Option Holder from and
against any issuance, stamp or documentary taxes (other than transfer taxes) or
charges imposed by any governmental body, agency or official (other than income
taxes) by reason of the exercise of the Option in whole or in part or the
resulting issuance of the Option Shares.


 


(n)                                 Withholding.  No later than the date of exercise of the
Option granted hereunder, the Option Holder shall pay to the Company or make
arrangements satisfactory to the Committee regarding payment of any federal,
state or local taxes of any kind required by law to be withheld upon the
exercise of such Option and the Company shall, to the extent permitted or
required by law, have the right to deduct from any payment of any kind
otherwise due to the Option Holder, federal, state and local taxes of any kind
required by law to be withheld upon the exercise of such Option.


 


(o)                                 References.  References herein to rights and obligations
of the Option Holder shall apply, where appropriate, to the Option Holder’s
legal representative or estate without regard to whether specific reference to
such legal representative or estate is contained in a particular provision of
this Option.


 


(p)                                 Notices.  Any notice required or permitted to be given
under this agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been given
when delivered personally or by courier, or sent by certified or registered
mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested, duly addressed to the party
concerned at the address indicated below or to such changed address as such
party may subsequently by similar process give notice of:


 


If to the Company:


 


Arch Capital Group Ltd.:


Wessex House

45 Reid Street

Hamilton HM 12 Bermuda 

Attn:  Secretary


 


If to the Option Holder:


 


The last address
delivered to the Company by the Option Holder in the manner set forth herein.


 


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(q)                                 Governing
Law.  This agreement shall be
governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of New York, without
giving effect to principles of conflict of laws thereof.


 


(r)                                    Entire
Agreement.  This agreement and the
Plan constitute the entire agreement among the parties relating to the subject
matter hereof, and any previous agreement or understanding among the parties
with respect thereto is superseded by this agreement and the Plan.


 


(s)                                  Counterparts.  This agreement may be executed in two
counterparts, each of which shall constitute one and the same instrument.


 


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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the
undersigned have executed this agreement as of the Date of Grant.


 


	
   

  	
  ARCH CAPITAL
  GROUP LTD.

  
	
   

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
  By:

  	
   

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
   

  	
   

  
					



 


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