Exhibit 10.4


 


LONE STAR TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 

FORM OF EMPLOYEE OPTION AGREEMENT

WITH FOUR-YEAR VESTING


 


Non-Qualified
Stock Option

Granted Pursuant to the

2004 Long-Term Incentive Plan


 


OPTION granted [              ],
20[    ] (the “Date of
Grant”) by Lone Star Technologies, Inc. (“LST”)
to [                  ]
(“Optionee”) pursuant to LST’s 2004
Long-Term Incentive Plan (the “Plan”).


 


1.                                       Option Grant.  LST hereby grants to the Optionee the option
(“Option”) to purchase a total of [            ]
shares of Common Stock, $1.00 par value, of LST (“Common Stock”)
at the exercise price per share of $[        ],
upon the terms and conditions hereinafter stated. This Option shall not be
treated as an “incentive stock option” within the meaning of section 422 of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.


 


2.                                       Portions of Option Exercisable.  Except as specifically provided herein, the
Option becomes exercisable with respect to one-fourth of the total number of
shares subject to the Option on each of the dates that are twelve, twenty-four,
thirty-six and forty-eight months, respectively, after the Date of Grant,
subject to the Optionee’s remaining in the continuous employment of LST or one
of its subsidiaries (“employment”)
through such date. The Option will expire upon the termination of the
Optionee's employment if and to the extent the Option has not then become
exercisable.


 


3.                                       Acceleration of Vesting. The
unvested and unexercised shares under the Option will become fully exercisable
if (a) the Optionee’s employment terminates by reason of the Optionee’s death,
retirement after age 65 or retirement with the consent of LST (subject, in the
case of retirement, to such other conditions as LST may impose), or (b) there
is a Change in Control (within the meaning of Section 9(d) of the Plan) and,
within two years after the Change in Control, the Optionee’s employment
terminates by reason of his removal without Cause (within the meaning of
Section 5(e)(ii) of the Plan) or is terminated by the Optionee as a result of a
reduction of his compensation or any material change in location, authority,
duties or other working conditions of his employment.


 


4.                                       Periods in which Option Exercisable.
If and to the extent the Option becomes exercisable, it may be exercised in
whole or in part until the earliest to occur of the following events (a) the
tenth anniversary of the Date of Grant, (b) the third anniversary of the
termination of the Optionee’s employment in the case of a termination described
in Section 3, whether or not such termination occurred before the first
anniversary of the Date of Grant, (c) the first anniversary of the Optionee’s
death if the Optionee dies after the termination of his employment, but only to
the extent the Option was otherwise exercisable at the time of his death
(provided that nothing in this Section 4(c) shall shorten any longer period to
which the Optionee is entitled under Section 4(b)), (d) the date of the
termination of the Optionee’s employment for Cause (as defined in the Plan),
and (e) the date 90 days after the date of the termination of the Optionee’s
employment for any reason other than those described in (b)-(d) above.


 


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5.                                       Expiration of Option. The Option
will expire if and to the extent it is not (or does not become) exercisable
upon the termination of the Optionee’s employment or is not exercised within
the applicable period following the Optionee’s death or termination of
employment during which it remains exercisable (or, in the case of a
termination for Cause, to the extent it is not exercised before such
termination of employment). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein,
the Option will not be exercisable after the tenth anniversary of the Date of
Grant and, to the extent not previously exercised, will expire on such date.


 


6.                                       Exercise. The Option, to the extent
exercisable, may be exercised in whole or in part by delivering to the
Secretary of LST (a) a written notice specifying the number of shares to be
purchased and (b) payment in full of the exercise price per share multiplied by
the number of shares with respect to which the Option is being exercised,
together with the amount (if any) deemed necessary by LST to enable it to
satisfy any income tax withholding obligations attributable to the exercise
(unless other arrangements acceptable to LST are made for the satisfaction of
such withholding obligations). The exercise price shall be payable in one or
more of the following forms: (i) cash, (ii) shares of Common Stock having a
fair market value on the date of exercise at least equal to the exercise price,
(iii) while the Common Stock is publicly traded, through a cashless exercise
procedure permitted by LST in accordance with Regulation T of the Federal
Reserve Board and other applicable law, or (iv) by any other means as LST may
permit.


 


7.                                       Transferability. Except for inter
vivos transfers to “family members” as may be permitted by the Human Resources
Committee pursuant to Section 5(f) of the Plan, the Option is not assignable or
transferable other than to a beneficiary designated to receive the Option upon
the Optionee’s death in a manner acceptable to the LST or by will or the laws
of descent and distribution, and the Option shall be exercisable during the
lifetime of the Optionee only by the Optionee (or, in the event of the
Optionee’s incapacity, the Optionee’s legal representative or guardian). Any
attempt by the Optionee or any other person claiming against, through or under
the Optionee to cause the Option or any part of it to be transferred or
assigned in any manner and for any purpose (other than as expressly permitted
by this instrument or the Plan) will be null and void and without effect upon
LST, the Optionee and any other person.


 


8.                                       Rights of Optionee. Nothing herein
contained shall confer on the Optionee any right with respect to the
continuation of employment or interfere with the right of LST or any subsidiary
of LST to terminate such employment or, except as to shares actually issued,
confer any rights as a shareholder upon the holder hereof.


 


9.                                       Provisions of the Plan Control.
This Option is subject to all the terms, conditions and provisions of the Plan,
a copy which has been furnished or made available to the Optionee, and to such
rules, regulations and interpretations as may be established or made by the
Human Resources Committee acting within the scope of its authority and
responsibility under the Plan. The applicable provisions of the Plan shall
govern in any situation where this instrument is silent or where the applicable
provisions of this instrument are contrary to or not reconcilable with such
Plan provisions.


 


10.                                 Miscellaneous.
LST may affix to certificates representing shares issued pursuant to this
instrument any legend that LST determines to be necessary or advisable to
reflect any


 


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restrictions to which the shares may be subject, whether by agreement
or otherwise. LST may advise the transfer agent to place a stop order against
any legended shares. LST shall have the right to offset against its obligation
to issue and  deliver shares under this
instrument any outstanding amounts owed by the Optionee to LST at the time
those shares would otherwise be issued and delivered. This Option shall be
governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware,
without regard to its principles of conflict of laws. The terms of this Option
may not be amended, except as provided in the Plan or by a written instrument
executed by LST and the Optionee.


 


 


	
   

  	
  LONE STAR TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

  
	
   

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
  By:

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
  Name:

  	
   

  
	
   

  	
  Title:

  	
   

  
					



 


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