Document:

Exhibit

EXHIBIT 10.7

OPTION AGREEMENT 
FIRST DATA CORPORATION 
2015 OMNIBUS INCENTIVE PLAN
Subject to the terms of the First Data Corporation 2015 Omnibus Incentive Plan (Plan), First Data Corporation (First Data) and the Participant (you) agree as follows:
1.  Definitions.  Whenever the following terms are used in this Option Agreement (Agreement), they have the meanings below.  Capitalized terms that are not defined in this Agreement have the meanings defined in the Plan.
1.1      Exercise Price.  The term Exercise Price means the exercise price on your Grant Notice.
1.2      Grant Date.  The term Grant Date means the date on your Grant Notice.
1.3      Option Period.  The term “Option Period” means the period beginning on the Grant Date and ending on the 10th anniversary of the Grant Date.
1.4      Grant Notice.  The term “Grant Notice” means the document attached as Exhibit A to this Agreement.
2.      Grant of Options.  First Data grants to you the right and option to purchase all or any part of the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock subject to the options on your Grant Notice (the Options, with each Option representing the right to purchase one share of Common Stock), at an Exercise Price per share on your Grant Notice.
3.  Vesting.  The Options will vest as follows:
3.1      Continuous Employment.  As long as you have not experienced a Termination before each applicable vesting date, one-third of the Options will vest and become exercisable on the first anniversary of the Grant Date, one-third of the Options will vest and become exercisable on the second anniversary of the Grant Date and the remaining one-third of the Options will vest and become exercisable on the third anniversary of the Grant Date (each anniversary, a Vesting Date).  Upon vesting, the Options will be rounded down to the nearest whole Option.
3.2      Termination.  In the event of your Termination before the last Vesting Date, you will forfeit any unvested Options for no consideration.
4.      Exercise of Options after Termination.  The terms of Section 7(c)(2) of the Plan are incorporated into this Agreement by this reference and made a part of this Agreement.
5.      Method of Exercising Options.  You may exercise all or any portion of the vested Options by delivering notice of the number of shares that are being exercised together with full payment of the Exercise Price for the portion of the Options being exercised.  The notice must be in writing to either First Data or a third-party administrator engaged by First Data.  Payment of 

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the Exercise Price may be made using the methods described in Section 7(d)(1) or Section 7(d)(2)(C) of the Plan.
6.      Issuance of Shares.  Following the exercise of all or any portion of the Options, as promptly as practical after receipt of full payment of the Exercise Price and any required taxes, First Data will issue or transfer to you the number of shares of Common Stock for which the Option has been exercised, and either (1) deliver to you a certificate or certificates for the shares registered in your name, (2) cause the shares to be registered in book-entry form on First Data’s stock register, or (3) cause the shares to be credited to your account at a third-party administrator.
7.      Non-Transferability.  You may not transfer the Options except as permitted under Section 14(b) of the Plan.
8.      Confidential Information; Non-Compete; Non-Solicit; Clawback/Forfeiture.
8.1      In consideration of First Data granting you the Options, you agree that you will not directly or indirectly:
8.1.1      at any time during or after your Termination, use, disclose or disseminate any Confidential Information or Trade Secrets about the business of First Data or any Affiliate.  These obligations do not apply to any Confidential Information or Trade Secret that has become generally known to competitors of First Data or any Affiliate through no act or omission of yours.  Nothing in this Agreement prohibits or impedes you from communicating, cooperating or filing a complaint with any U.S. federal, state or local governmental or law enforcement branch, agency or entity (collectively, a Governmental Entity) concerning possible violations of any U.S. federal, state or local law or regulation, or otherwise making disclosures to any Governmental Entity, in each case, that are protected under the whistleblower provisions of any such law or regulation, as long as in each case the communications and disclosures are consistent with applicable law.  You are not authorized to disclose any information covered by First Data’s or any Affiliate’s attorney-client privilege or attorney work product or Trade Secrets without the written consent of the Board or its designee;
8.1.2      at any time during your service with First Data or any Affiliate and for a period of two years following Termination, act as a proprietor, investor, director, officer, employee, stockholder, consultant or partner in any business that directly or indirectly competes, at the relevant determination date, with First Data’s business or any Affiliate’s business in any geographic area where First Data or any Affiliate manufactures, produces, sells, leases, rents, licenses or otherwise provides products or services.  This section does not restrict you from investing in publicly-available mutual funds or exchange-traded funds; and
8.1.3      at any time during your service with First Data or any Affiliate and for a period of two years following Termination, (A) solicit customers or clients of First Data or any Affiliate to terminate their relationship with First Data or any Affiliate or solicit those customers or clients to compete with any business of First Data or any Affiliate or (B) solicit or offer employment to any person who is, or has been at any time during the 12 months before the Termination, employed by First Data or any Affiliate.

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8.2      If you are bound by any other agreement with First Data or any Affiliate regarding the use, dissemination or disclosure of Confidential Information or Trade Secrets, the terms of this Agreement will be read in such a way as to further restrict and not to permit any more extensive use, dissemination or disclosure of Confidential Information or Trade Secrets.
8.3      If a court holds that the restrictions stated in Section 8 are unreasonable or otherwise unenforceable, the maximum period, scope or geographic area determined to be reasonable by the court will be substituted for the stated period, scope or area.  Because your services are unique and because you have had access to Confidential Information and/or Trade Secrets, money damages will be an inadequate remedy for any breach of this Agreement.  In the event of a breach or threatened breach of this Agreement, First Data may, in addition to other rights and remedies existing in its favor, apply to any court of competent jurisdiction for specific performance and/or injunctive relief in order to enforce or prevent any violations of this Agreement.
8.4      If you have engaged in or engage in any Detrimental Activity, then the Committee may take any action permitted under the Plan, including:  (1) canceling the Options; or (2) requiring that you forfeit any gain realized on the exercise of the Options or the sale of any shares received upon exercise of the Options and repay that gain to First Data.  In addition, if you receive any amount greater than what you should have received under the terms of this Agreement for any reason, then you must repay any excess amount to First Data.  The Options will be subject to reduction, cancellation, forfeiture or recoupment to the extent necessary to comply with applicable law.
9.  No Rights as Stockholder.  Neither you nor any Permitted Transferee of the Options will have any rights as a stockholder with respect to any share of Common Stock underlying an Option until you have become the holder of record or the beneficial owner of the share.  Further, no adjustment will be made for dividends or distributions or other rights for any share of Common Stock for which the record date is before the date that you become the holder of record or the beneficial owner of the share.
10.      Tax Withholding.  This Award will be subject to all applicable taxes as provided in Section 14(d) of the Plan.
11.  Notice.  Every notice or other communication relating to this Agreement between First Data and you must be in writing.  All notices and communications between you and any third-party plan administrator must be mailed, delivered, transmitted or sent according to that third-party plan administrator’s procedures.
12.      Binding Effect.  This Agreement will be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors, administrators and successors of the parties to this Agreement.
13.      Waiver and Amendments.  The Committee may waive any conditions or rights under, amend any terms of, or alter, suspend, discontinue, cancel or terminate, this Agreement, prospectively or retroactively, except that your consent will be required for any waiver, amendment, alteration, suspension, discontinuance, cancellation or termination that would 

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materially and adversely affect your rights.  No waiver by either of the parties to this Agreement of their rights will constitute a waiver of any subsequent occurrences or transactions unless the waiver specifically states that it is to be construed as a continuing waiver.  The Committee’s rights under this Section 13 may be subject to stockholder approval as required under Section 13(b) of the Plan.
14.      Governing Law; Forum.  This Agreement will be construed and interpreted under the State of Delaware, without regard to the principles of conflicts of law.  If any controversy among the parties arises out of, or relates to, this Agreement, you and First Data agree and consent to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the state and federal courts of New Castle County in the State of Delaware.
15.      Plan.  The terms of the Plan are incorporated into this Agreement and made a part of this Agreement.  In the event of a conflict or inconsistency between the terms of the Plan and this Agreement, the Plan will control.  You acknowledge that a copy of the Plan (which is publicly-filed) has been made available to you, as well as a prospectus describing the terms of the Plan.
16.      Imposition of Other Requirements.  First Data may impose any other requirements on your participation in the Plan, on the Options granted under this Agreement and on any shares acquired under the Plan, if First Data determines it is necessary or advisable for legal or administrative reasons.  First Data may also require you to sign any additional agreements that may be necessary to accomplish the foregoing.
17.      Entire Agreement.  The information on your Grant Notice, this Agreement and the Plan constitute the entire understanding between you and First Data regarding the Options granted under this Agreement.

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EXHIBIT A - GRANT NOTICE 
FOR OPTION AGREEMENT
Name:  [Name] (you)
ID:  [Employment ID]
Grant Date:  [Date]
Number of Options:  [Amount]
Exercise Price:  [Price]

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Acknowledgement and Acceptance
By signing below, you acknowledge that the Award reflected in this Grant Notice is governed by the Plan and the Option Agreement terms and conditions, which you have received with this notice.  You also accept the grant of the above award under its terms and conditions.
	
	
	ACCEPTED BY:

	 

	Signature

	 

	Date

1Exhibit

EXHIBIT 10.8

OPTION GRANT NOTICE 
UNDER THE 
FIRST DATA CORPORATION 
2015 OMNIBUS INCENTIVE PLAN
First Data Corporation (the “Company”), pursuant to its 2015 Omnibus Incentive Plan, as it may be amended from time to time (the “Plan”), hereby grants to the Participant set forth below the number of Options (each Option representing the right to purchase one share of Common Stock) set forth below, at an Exercise Price per share as set forth below.  The Options granted hereunder are subject to all of the terms and conditions as set forth herein, in the Option Agreement (attached hereto or previously provided to the Participant in connection with a prior grant), and in the Plan, all of which are incorporated herein in their entirety.  Capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein or in the Option Agreement shall have the meaning set forth in the Plan.
	
		
	Participant:
	[Insert Participant Name]

	Date of Grant:
	[Insert Date of Grant]

	Number of Time Options:
	[Insert No. of Time Options Granted], subject to adjustment as set forth in the Plan (the “Time Options”).

	Number of Performance Options:
	[Insert No. of Performance Options Granted], subject to adjustment as set forth in the Plan (the “Performance Options”).

	Exercise Price:
	[Insert Exercise Price per Share], subject to adjustment as set forth in the Plan.

	Option Period Expiration Date:
	[Insert Expiration Date]

	Type of Option:
	Nonqualified Stock Option

	
		
	Vesting Schedule:

	Provided that the Participant has not undergone a Termination at the time of each applicable vesting date, twenty-five percent (25%) of the Time Options (rounded down to the nearest whole share underlying such Option) shall vest and become exercisable on each of December 31, 2017, December 31, 2018, December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2020 (each such date, a “Time-Vesting Vesting Date”).  In the event of a Termination prior to a Time-Vesting Vesting Date, unvested Time Options shall be forfeited to the Company by the Participant for no consideration as of the date of such Termination; provided, however that, in the event of a Termination due to death or Disability, by the Participant for Good Reason or by the Service Recipient without Cause, in each case, prior to the date on which the Time Options are fully vested, the unvested Time Options that would have vested on the next Time-Vesting Vesting Date shall vest pro-rata and become exercisable as of such date of Termination as determined by multiplying the number of Time Options that would have vested on such next Time-Vesting Vesting Date by a fraction, the numerator of which corresponds to the number of completed months of employment since the Time-Vesting Vesting Date immediately preceding the date of the Participant’s Termination and the denominator of which is 12 (the “Time Pro Rata Fraction”).  For the avoidance of doubt, the numerator of the Time Pro Rata Fraction shall in all cases be a whole number.
Provided that the Participant has not undergone a Termination at the time of the applicable vesting event, one hundred percent (100%) of the Performance Options shall vest and become exercisable on the date immediately following the date on which the closing trading price of a share of Common Stock on the NYSE or other such primary exchange on which the Common Stock is listed and traded has equaled or exceeded $[ ] for ten (10) consecutive trading days (such date, the “Performance-Vesting Vesting Date”).  In the event of a Termination prior to the Performance-Vesting Vesting Date, unvested Performance Options shall be forfeited to the Company by the Participant for no consideration as of the date of such Termination.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event of a Change in Control that occurs prior to the Participant’s Termination:
(1) the Time Options, to the extent not then vested or previously forfeited or cancelled, shall become fully vested; and
(2) the Performance Options, to the extent not then vested or previously forfeited or cancelled, shall become fully vested if the consideration received by holders of Common Stock in cash or marketable securities (which shall be valued on the date of such Change in Control) in such Change in Control transaction equals or exceeds [●].  To the extent the Performance Options do not vest as a result of a Change in Control, such unvested Performance Options shall be forfeited to the Company by the Participant for no consideration as of the date of such Change in Control.

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THE UNDERSIGNED PARTICIPANT ACKNOWLEDGES RECEIPT OF THIS OPTION GRANT NOTICE, THE OPTION AGREEMENT AND THE PLAN, AND, AS AN EXPRESS CONDITION TO THE GRANT OF OPTIONS HEREUNDER, AGREES TO BE BOUND BY THE TERMS OF THIS OPTION GRANT NOTICE, THE OPTION AGREEMENT AND THE PLAN.
This Option Grant Notice may be signed in counterparts, each of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument.
	
		
	FIRST DATA CORPORATION
	PARTICIPANT

	 
	 

	By:
	 

	Title:
	 

	[Signature Page to Option Award]

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OPTION AGREEMENT 
UNDER THE 
FIRST DATA CORPORATION 
2015 OMNIBUS INCENTIVE PLAN
Pursuant to the Option Grant Notice (the “Grant Notice”) delivered to the Participant (as defined in the Grant Notice), and subject to the terms of this Option Agreement (this “Option Agreement”) and the First Data Corporation 2015 Omnibus Incentive Plan, as it may be amended from time to time (the “Plan”), First Data Corporation (the “Company”) and the Participant agree as follows.
1.Definitions.  Whenever the following terms are used in this Option Agreement or the Grant Notice, they shall have the meanings set forth below.  Capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings as set forth in the Plan or in the Grant Notice, as applicable.
(a)      Cause.  The term “Cause” shall have the meaning ascribed to it in any employment, severance or change in control agreement between the Participant and the Service Recipient, or, in the absence of any such agreement (or the absence of any definition of “Cause” therein), “Cause” shall mean (1) the Participant’s continued failure to substantially perform the Participant’s duties with the Company or any other Service Recipient (other than as a result of total or partial incapacity due to physical or mental illness) for a period of ten (10) days following written notice by the Company to the Participant of such failure, (2) the Participant’s conviction of, or plea of nolo contendere to, a crime constituting (x) a felony under the laws of the United States or any state thereof or (y) a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude, (3) the Participant’s willful malfeasance or willful misconduct in connection with the Participant’s duties with the Company or any other Service Recipient or any willful misrepresentation, willful act or willful omission which is injurious to the financial condition or business reputation of the Company or any of its Affiliates, or (4) the Participant’s material breach of Section 8 hereof.  For purposes hereof, no act, or failure to act, by the Participant will be deemed “willful” unless done, or omitted to be done, by the Participant not in good faith and without reasonable belief the Participant’s act, or failure to act, was in the best interest of the Company, and under no circumstances will the failure to meet performance targets, after a good faith attempt to do so, in and of itself constitute Cause.
(b)      Confidential Information.  The term “Confidential Information” shall mean any data or information and documentation (including such that is received by third parties) which is competitively sensitive or commercially valuable and not generally known to the public, including, but not limited to:  (1) financial, supply and service; (2) data or information on customers/customers, suppliers, consumers or employees, including personnel data and customer lists, relationships, profiles; (3) marketing and product information, including products planning, marketing strategies, marketing results, forecasts or strategies, plans, finance, operations, reports, data, sales estimates, business plans, and internal performance results relating to the past, present or future business activities, clients and suppliers; and (4) any scientific or technical information, design, process, procedure, formula, or improvement, computer software, object code, sourc

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e code, specifications, inventions, systems information, whether or not patentable or copyrightable and that is not otherwise a Trade Secret.
(c)      Good Reason.  The term “Good Reason” shall have the meaning ascribed to it in any employment, agreement between the Participant and the Service Recipient, or, in the absence of any such agreement (or the absence of any definition of “Good Reason” therein), “Good Reason” shall mean (1) a material reduction in the Participant’s base salary or the Participant’s annual incentive compensation opportunity that results in a material reduction in the Participant’s total compensation opportunity (other than a general reduction in base salary or annual incentive compensation opportunities that affects all members of senior management of the Company and its Subsidiaries equally); (2) a relocation of the Participant’s primary workplace by more than fifty (50) miles from the current workplace; or (3) a substantial reduction in or demotion of the Participant’s duties, responsibilities or title (other than (x) a change in title that is the result of a broad restructuring of the Company’s or the applicable Service Recipient’s titling of officers, or (y) a change in reporting relationship); in each case other than any isolated, insubstantial and inadvertent failure by the Company or the applicable Service Recipient that is not in bad faith and is cured within thirty (30) business days after the Participant gives the Company notice of such event; provided that “Good Reason” shall cease to exist for an event on the 60th day following the later of its occurrence or the Participant’s knowledge thereof, unless the Participant has given the Company written notice thereof prior to such date.
2.    Grant of Options.  Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, in the Grant Notice and in the Plan, for good and valuable consideration, the Company hereby grants to the Participant the right and option to purchase, all or any part of the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock subject to the Options provided in the Grant Notice (with each such Option representing the right to purchase one share of Common Stock), at an Exercise Price per share as provided in the Grant Notice.  The Company may make one or more additional grants of Options to the Participant under this Option Agreement by providing the Participant with a new Grant Notice, which may also include any terms and conditions differing from this Option Agreement to the extent provided therein.  The Company reserves all rights with respect to the granting of additional Options hereunder and makes no implied promise to grant additional Options.
3.  Vesting.  Subject to the conditions contained herein and in the Plan, the Options granted hereunder shall vest as provided for in the Grant Notice.
4.      Exercise of Options Following Termination.  Except as otherwise provided for in the Grant Notice, the provisions of Section 7(c)(2) of the Plan are incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof.
5.      Method of Exercising Options.  All or any portion of the vested Options may be exercised by the delivery of notice of the number of shares subject to the Options that are being exercised accompanied by payment in full of the Exercise Price applicable to the portion of the Options so exercised.  Such notice shall be delivered either (x) in writing to the Company at its principal office or at such other address as may be established by the Committee, to the attention of the Company’s General Counsel or another officer designated by the Company; or (y) to a third-party administrator as may be arranged for by the Company or the Committee from time to tim

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e for purposes of the administration of outstanding Options under the Plan, in the case of either (x) or (y), as communicated to the Participant by the Company from time to time.  Payment of the aggregate Exercise Price may be made using the methods described in Section 7(d)(1) or Section 7(d)(2)(C) of the Plan.
6.      Issuance of Shares.  Following the exercise of all or any portion of the Options hereunder, as promptly as practicable after receipt of such notification and full payment of the Exercise Price and any required withholding or any other applicable taxes (as provided in Section 10 hereof), the Company shall issue or transfer, or cause such issue or transfer, to the Participant the number of shares of Common Stock with respect to which the Option has been so exercised, and shall either (a) deliver, or cause to be delivered, to the Participant a certificate or certificates therefor, registered in the Participant’s name or (b) cause such shares to be credited to the Participant’s account at the third-party administrator.
7.      Non-Transferability.  The Options are not transferable by the Participant except to Permitted Transferees in accordance with Section 14(b) of the Plan.  Whenever the word “Participant” is used in any provision of this Option Agreement under circumstances where the provision should logically be construed to apply to the executors, the administrators or the person or persons to whom the Options may be transferred by will or by the laws of descent and distribution in accordance with Section 14 of the Plan, the word “Participant” shall be deemed to include such person or persons.  Except as otherwise provided herein, no assignment or transfer of the Options, or of the rights represented thereby, whether voluntary or involuntary, by operation of law or otherwise, shall vest in the assignee or transferee any interest or right herein whatsoever, but immediately upon such assignment or transfer the Options shall terminate and become of no further effect.
8.  Confidential Information; Covenant Not to Compete; Covenant Not to Solicit; Clawback/Forfeiture.
(a)      In consideration of the Company granting the Participant the Options set forth on the Grant Notice and entering into this Option Agreement with the Participant, the Participant shall not, directly or indirectly:
(1)      at any time during or after the Participant undergoes a Termination, use, disclose, or disseminate any Confidential Information or Trade Secrets pertaining to the business of the Company or any of its Affiliates.  The obligations set forth herein shall not apply to any Confidential Information or Trade Secret which has become generally known to competitors of the Company or any of its Affiliates through no act or omission of the Participant and nothing in this Option Agreement shall prohibit or impede the Participant from communicating, cooperating or filing a complaint with any U.S. federal, state or local governmental or law enforcement branch, agency or entity (collectively, a “Governmental Entity”) with respect to possible violations of any U.S. federal, state or local law or regulation, or otherwise making disclosures to any Governmental Entity, in each case, that are protected under the whistleblower provisions of any such law or regulation, provided that in each case such communications and disclosures are consistent with applicable law, and provided further that under no circumstance is the Participant authorized to disclose any information covered by the Company’s or its Affiliates’ attorney-clien

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t privilege or attorney work product or Trade Secrets without prior written consent of the Board or its designee;
(2)      at any time during the Participant’s employment with the Company or any other Service Recipient and for a period of two (2) years following Termination, directly or indirectly, act as a proprietor, investor, director, officer, employee, substantial stockholder, consultant, or partner in any business that directly or indirectly competes, at the relevant determination date, with the business of the Company or any its Affiliates in any geographic area where the Company or any of its Affiliates manufactures, produces, sells, leases, rents, licenses or otherwise provides products or services;
(3)      at any time during the Participant’s employment with the Company or any other Service Recipient and for a period of two years following Termination, directly or indirectly (A) solicit customers or clients of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates to terminate their relationship with the Company or any of its Affiliates or otherwise solicit such customers or clients to compete with any business of the Company or any of its Affiliates or (B) solicit or offer employment to any person who is, or has been at any time during the twelve (12) months immediately preceding the Termination employed by the Company or any of its Affiliates;
provided that in each of (2) and (3) above, such restrictions shall not apply with respect to any Affiliate that is not engaged in any business that competes, directly or indirectly, with the Company or any of its Affiliates.  If the Participant is bound by any other agreement with the Company or any other Service Provider regarding the use, dissemination or disclosure of Confidential Information or Trade Secrets, the provisions of this Option Agreement shall be read in such a way as to further restrict and not to permit any more extensive use, dissemination or disclosure of Confidential Information or Trade Secrets.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, for the purposes of Section 8(a)(2), the Participant may, directly or indirectly own, solely as an investment, securities of any Person engaged in the business of the Company or any of its Affiliates which are publicly traded on a national or regional stock exchange or quotation system or on the over-the-counter market if the Participant (I) is not a controlling Person of, or a member of a group which controls, such Person and (II) does not, directly or indirectly, own 5% or more of any class of securities of such Person.
(b)  Notwithstanding Section 8(a) above, if at any time a court holds that the restrictions stated in such section are unreasonable or otherwise unenforceable under circumstances then existing, the parties hereto agree that the maximum period, scope or geographic area determined to be reasonable under such circumstances by such court will be substituted for the stated period, scope or area.  Because the Participant’s services are unique and because the Participant has had access to Confidential Information and/or Trade Secrets, the parties hereto agree that money damages will be an inadequate remedy for any breach of this Option Agreement.  In the event of a breach or threatened breach of this Option Agreement, the Company or its successors or assigns may, in addition to other rights and remedies existing in their favor, apply to any court of competent jurisdiction for specific performance and/or injunctive relief in order to enforce, or prevent any violations of, the provisions hereof (without the posting of a bond or other security).

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(c)      Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein or in the Plan, if the Participant has engaged in or engages in any Detrimental Activity, then the Committee may, in its sole discretion, take any action permitted under the Plan, including:  (1) cancel the Options; or (2) require that the Participant forfeit any gain realized on the exercise of the Options or the disposition of any shares of Common Stock received upon exercise of the Options and repay such gain to the Company.  In addition, if the Participant receives any amount in excess of what the Participant should have received under the terms of this Option Agreement for any reason (including, without limitation, by reason of a financial restatement, mistake in calculations or other administrative error), then the Participant shall be required to repay any such excess amount to the Company.  Without limiting the foregoing, all Options shall be subject to reduction, cancellation, forfeiture or recoupment to the extent necessary to comply with applicable law.
9.      Rights as Stockholder.  The Participant or a Permitted Transferee of the Options shall have no rights as a stockholder with respect to any share of Common Stock underlying an Option unless and until the Participant shall have become the holder of record or the beneficial owner of such Common Stock, and no adjustment shall be made for dividends or distributions or other rights in respect of such share of Common Stock for which the record date is prior to the date upon which the Participant shall become the holder of record or the beneficial owner thereof.
10.      Tax Withholding.  The provisions of Section 14(d)(1) of the Plan are incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof.  To the extent permitted by the Committee or its designee, in its sole discretion, the Participant shall be permitted to satisfy the Participant’s withholding obligations as provided for in Section 14(d)(2) of the Plan.
11.      Notice.  Every notice or other communication relating to this Option Agreement between the Company and the Participant shall be in writing, and shall be mailed to or delivered to the party for whom it is intended at such address as may from time to time be designated by such party in a notice mailed or delivered to the other party as herein provided; provided that, unless and until some other address be so designated, all notices or communications by the Participant to the Company shall be mailed or delivered to the Company at its principal executive office, to the attention of the Company’s General Counsel, and all notices or communications by the Company to the Participant may be given to the Participant personally or may be mailed to the Participant at the Participant’s last known address, as reflected in the Company’s records.  Notwithstanding the above, all notices and communications between the Participant and any third-party plan administrator shall be mailed, delivered, transmitted or sent in accordance with the procedures established by such third-party plan administrator and communicated to the Participant from time to time.
12.  No Right to Continued Service.  Neither the Plan nor this Option Agreement nor the granting of the Options evidenced hereby shall be construed as giving the Participant the right to be retained in the employ of, or in any consulting relationship to, the Company or any other Service Recipient.  Further, the Company or the applicable Service Recipient may at any time dismiss the Participant or discontinue any consulting relationship, free from any liability or any claim under the Plan or this Option Agreement, except as otherwise expressly provided herein.

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13.  Binding Effect.  This Option Agreement shall be binding upon the heirs, executors, administrators and successors of the parties hereto.
14.      Waiver and Amendments.  Subject to Section 13(b) of the Plan, the Committee may waive any conditions or rights under, amend any terms of, or alter, suspend, discontinue, cancel or terminate, this Option Agreement, prospectively or retroactively (including after the Participant’s Termination); provided that any such waiver, amendment, alteration, suspension, discontinuance, cancellation or termination that would materially and adversely affect the rights of the Participant hereunder shall not to that extent be effective without the consent of the Participant.  No waiver by either of the parties hereto of their rights hereunder shall be deemed to constitute a waiver with respect to any subsequent occurrences or transactions hereunder unless such waiver specifically states that it is to be construed as a continuing waiver.
15.      Governing Law; Arbitration.  This Option Agreement shall be construed and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to the principles of conflicts of law thereof.  In the event of any controversy among the parties hereto arising out of, or relating to, this Option Agreement which cannot be settled amicably by the parties, such controversy shall be finally, exclusively and conclusively settled by mandatory arbitration conducted expeditiously in accordance with the American Arbitration Association rules by a single independent arbitrator.  Such arbitration process shall take place in New York, New York.  The decision of the arbitrator shall be final and binding upon all parties hereto and shall be rendered pursuant to a written decision, which contains a detailed recital of the arbitrator’s reasoning.  Judgment upon the award rendered may be entered in any court having jurisdiction thereof.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Participant acknowledges and agrees that the Company and its Affiliates shall be entitled to seek and receive injunctive or other relief from a court of competent jurisdiction in order to enforce the covenant not to compete, covenant not to solicit and/or confidentiality covenants as set forth in Section 8(a) of this Option Agreement.  In the event of any arbitration or other disputes with regard to this Option Agreement or any other document or agreement referred to herein, each party shall pay its own legal fees and expenses, unless otherwise determined by the arbitrator.
16.     Plan.  The terms and provisions of the Plan are incorporated herein by reference.  In the event of a conflict or inconsistency between the terms and provisions of the Plan and the provisions of this Option Agreement, the Plan shall govern and control.
17.      Imposition of Other Requirements.  The Company reserves the right to impose any other requirements on the Participant’s participation in the Plan, on the Options granted hereunder and on any shares acquired under the Plan, to the extent the Company determines it is necessary or advisable for legal or administrative reasons, and to require the Participant to sign any additional agreements or undertakings that may be necessary to accomplish the foregoing.
18.      Entire Agreement.  This Option Agreement, the Grant Notice and the Plan constitute the entire understanding between the Participant and the Company regarding the Options granted hereunder.  This Option Agreement, the Grant Notice and the Plan supersede any prior agreements, commitments or negotiations concerning the Options granted hereunder.

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