Document:

Exhibit

Exhibit 10.3
ELEMENT SOLUTIONS INC
2014 EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN

This Element Solutions Inc 2014 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “Plan”) is effective March 6, 2014 (the “Effective Date”), subject to approval by the Company’s stockholders within twelve (12) months after the Effective Date.  If stockholder approval is not obtained, then this Plan and any grants made hereunder, shall immediately terminate and be null and void.
1.    Purpose and Structure of the Plan and its Sub-Plans.
1.1    The purpose of this Plan is (a) to provide eligible employees of the Company and Participating Companies who wish to become stockholders in the Company a convenient method of doing so, (b) to encourage employees to work in the best interests of stockholders of the Company, (c) to support recruitment and retention of qualified employees, and (d) to provide employees an advantageous means of accumulating long-term investments.  It is believed that employee participation in the ownership of the business will be to the mutual benefit of both the employees and the Company.  This Plan document is an omnibus document which includes a sub-plan (“Statutory Plan”) designed to permit offerings of grants to employees of certain Subsidiaries that are Participating Companies where such offerings are intended to satisfy the requirements of Section 423 of the Code (although the Company makes no undertaking nor representation to obtain or maintain qualification under Section 423 for any Subsidiary, individual, offering or grant) and also separate sub-plans (“Non-Statutory Plans”) which permit offerings of grants to employees of certain Participating Companies which are not intended to satisfy the requirements of Section 423 of the Code.  Section 6 of the Plan sets forth the maximum number of shares to be offered under the Plan (and its sub-plans), subject to adjustments as permitted under Sections 19 and 20.
1.2    The Statutory Plan shall be a separate and independent plan from the Non-Statutory Plans, provided, however, that the total number of shares authorized to be issued under the Plan applies in the aggregate to both the Statutory Plan and the Non-Statutory Plans.  Offerings under the Non-Statutory Plans may be made to achieve desired tax or other objectives in particular locations outside the United States of America or to comply with local laws applicable to offerings in such foreign jurisdictions.  Offerings under the Non-Statutory Plans may also be made to employees of entities that are not Subsidiaries.
1.3        All employees who participate in the Statutory Plan shall have the same rights and privileges under such sub-plan except for differences that may be mandated by local law and are consistent with the requirements of Code Section 423(b)(5).  The terms of the Statutory Plan shall be those set forth in this Plan document to the extent such terms are consistent with the requirements for qualification under Code Section 423.  The Administrator may adopt Non-Statutory Plans applicable to particular Participating Companies or locations that are not participating in the Statutory Plan.  The terms of each Non-Statutory Plan may take precedence over other provisions in this document, with the exception of Sections 6, 19 and 20 with respect to the total number of shares available to be offered under the Plan for all sub-plans.  Unless otherwise superseded by the terms of such Non-Statutory Plan, the provisions of this Plan document shall govern the operation of such Non-Statutory Plan.  Except to the extent expressly set forth herein or where the context suggests otherwise, any reference herein to “Plan” shall be construed to include a reference to the Statutory Plan and the Non-Statutory Plans.
2.    Definitions.
2.1    “Account” means the funds accumulated with respect to an individual employee as a result of deductions from such employee’s paycheck (or otherwise as permitted in certain circumstances under the terms of the Plan) for the purpose of purchasing Common Stock under this Plan.  The funds allocated to an employee’s Account shall be deposited in the Company's general corporate accounts and may be used by the Company for any corporate purpose, and the Company shall not be obligated to segregate or otherwise set apart such funds allocated to an employee’s Account from any other corporate funds, except to the extent such commingling may be prohibited by the laws of any applicable jurisdiction.
2.2    “Administrator” means the Committee or the persons acting within the scope of their authority to administer the Plan pursuant to a delegation of authority from the Committee pursuant to Section 22.
2.3    “Affiliate” means an entity, other than a Subsidiary, in which the Company has an equity or other ownership interest.
2.4    “Beneficial Owner” and “Beneficial Ownership” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Rule 13d‐3 under the Exchange Act and any successor to such Rule.

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2.5    “Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.
2.6    “Change in Control” means, except as otherwise specified in any employment agreement between the Participant and the Company or any Subsidiary or Affiliate, the occurrence of any of the following:
(a)The acquisition by any Person of Beneficial Ownership of more than fifty percent (50%) of either (A) the value of then outstanding equity securities of the Company (the “Outstanding Company Stock”) or (B) the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities of the Company entitled to vote generally in the election of directors (the “Outstanding Company Voting Securities”) (the foregoing Beneficial Ownership hereinafter being referred to as a “Controlling Interest”); provided, however, that for purposes of this Section 2.6, the following acquisitions shall not constitute or result in a Change in Control:  (v) any acquisition directly from the Company; (w) any acquisition by the Company; (x) any acquisition by any Person that as of the Effective Date owns Beneficial Ownership of a Controlling Interest; (y) any acquisition by any employee benefit plan (or related trust) sponsored or maintained by the Company or any Related Entity; or (z) any acquisition by any entity pursuant to a transaction which complies with clauses (1), (2) and (3) of subsection (c) below; or
(b)During any period of two (2) consecutive years (not including any period prior to the Effective Date) individuals who constitute the Board on the Effective Date (the “Incumbent Board”) cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the Board; provided, however, that any individual becoming a director subsequent to the Effective Date whose election, or nomination for election by the Company’s stockholders, was approved by a vote of at least a majority of the directors then comprising the Incumbent Board shall be considered as though such individual were a member of the Incumbent Board, but excluding, for this purpose, any such individual whose initial assumption of office occurs as a result of an actual or threatened election contest with respect to the election or removal of directors or other actual or threatened solicitation of proxies or consents by or on behalf of a Person other than the Board; or
(c)Consummation of (A) a reorganization, merger, statutory share exchange or consolidation or similar transaction involving (x) the Company or (y) any of its Subsidiaries, but in the case of this clause (y) only if equity securities of the Company are issued or issuable in connection with the transaction (each of the events referred to in this clause (A) being hereinafter referred to as a “Business Reorganization”), or (B) a sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, or the acquisition of assets or equity of another entity by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (each an “Asset Sale”), in each case, unless, following such Business Reorganization or Asset Sale, (1) all or substantially all of the individuals and entities who were the Beneficial Owners, respectively, of the Outstanding Company Stock and Outstanding Company Voting Securities immediately prior to such Business Reorganization or Asset Sale beneficially own, directly or indirectly, more than fifty percent (50%) of the value of the then outstanding equity securities and the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities entitled to vote generally in the election of members of the board of directors (or comparable governing body of an entity that does not have such a board), as the case may be, of the entity resulting from such Business Reorganization or Asset Sale (including, without limitation, an entity which as a result of such transaction owns the Company or all or substantially all of the Company’s assets either directly or through one or more subsidiaries) (the “Continuing Entity”) in substantially the same proportions as their ownership, immediately prior to such Business Reorganization or Asset Sale, of the Outstanding Company Stock and Outstanding Company Voting Securities, as the case may be (excluding any outstanding equity or voting securities of the Continuing Entity that such Beneficial Owners hold immediately following the consummation of the Business Reorganization or Asset Sale as a result of their ownership, prior to such consummation, of equity or voting securities of any company or other entity involved in or forming part of such Business Reorganization or Asset Sale other than the Company), (2) no Person (excluding any employee benefit plan (or related trust) of the Company or any Continuing Entity or any entity controlled by the Continuing Corporation or any Person that as of the Effective Date owns Beneficial Ownership of a Controlling Interest) beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, fifty percent (50%) or more of the value of the then outstanding equity securities of the Continuing Entity or the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities of the Continuing Entity except to the extent that such ownership existed prior to the Business Reorganization or Asset Sale and (3) at least a majority of the members of the Board of Directors or other governing body of the Continuing Entity were members of the Incumbent Board at the time of the execution of the initial agreement, or of the action of the Board, providing for such Business Reorganization or Asset Sale; or
(d)Approval by the stockholders of the Company of a complete liquidation or dissolution of the Company.
2.7    “Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time.
2.8    “Committee” means the Compensation Committee of the Board.  The Committee may delegate its responsibilities as provided in Section 22.

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2.9    “Common Stock” means the common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company.
2.10    “Company” means Element Solutions Inc (f/k/a Platform Specialty Products Corporation), a Delaware corporation.
2.11    “Compensation” means, unless the Committee establishes otherwise for a future offering, all base pay, inclusive of any employer-paid leave, overtime, cash bonuses, and commissions.
2.12    “Enrollment Agreement” means an agreement between the Company and an employee, in such form as may be established by the Company from time to time, pursuant to which the employee elects to participate in this Plan, or elects changes with respect to such participation as permitted under the Plan.
2.13    “ESPP Broker” means a stock brokerage or other entity designated by the Company to establish accounts for Common Stock purchased under the Plan by participants.
2.14    “Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended from time to time.
2.15    “Fair Market Value” means the closing price on the date of determination on the principal national securities exchange on which the Common Stock is listed or admitted to trading, and if there were no trades on such date, on the day on which a trade occurred next preceding such date.
2.16    “Offering Date” as used in this Plan shall be the commencement date of an offering.  A different date may be set by the Committee.
2.17    “Participating Company” means the Company and any Subsidiary or Affiliate that has been designated by the Administrator to participate in the Plan.  For purposes of participation in the Statutory Plan, only the Company and its Subsidiaries may be considered Participating Companies, and the Administrator shall designate from time to time which Subsidiaries will be Participating Companies in the Statutory Plan.  The Administrator shall designate from time to time which Subsidiaries and Affiliates will be Participating Companies in particular Non-Statutory Plans.  The foregoing designations and changes in designation by the Administrator shall not require stockholder approval.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the term “Participating Company” shall not include any Subsidiary or Affiliate that offers its employees the opportunity to participate in an employee stock purchase plan covering the Subsidiary’s or Affiliate’s common stock.
2.18    “Plan” means this Element Solutions Inc 2014 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, as may be amended from time to time.
2.19    “Person” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3(a)(9) of the Exchange Act and used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) thereof, and shall include a “group” as defined in Section 13(d) thereof.
2.20    “Purchase Date” means the last day of an offering. 
2.21    “Purchase Price” is the price per share of Common Stock of the Company as established pursuant to Section 5 of the Plan.
2.22    “Subsidiary” means any corporation (other than the Company), domestic or foreign, that is in an unbroken chain of corporations beginning with the Company if, on an Offering Date, each of the corporations other than the last corporation in the unbroken chain owns stock possessing 50% or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock in one of the other corporations in the chain, as described in Code Section 424(f).
3.    Employees Eligible to Participate.  Any employee of a Participating Company who is in the employ of any Participating Company on one or more Offering Dates.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, employees of a Participating Company who are citizens or residents of a foreign jurisdiction (without regard to whether they are also citizens of the United States or resident aliens (within the meaning of Section 7701(b)(1)(A) of the Code)) shall not be eligible to participate in the Statutory Plan if: (i) the grant of an option under the Plan to such employee is prohibited under the laws of such jurisdiction; or (ii) compliance with the laws of such foreign jurisdiction would cause the Statutory Plan to violate the requirements of Section 423 of the Code.  During paid leaves of absence approved by the Committee and meeting the requirements of the applicable treasury regulations promulgated under the Code, a participant may elect to continue participation in the Plan for three months or for such longer period as permitted under applicable treasury regulations. 
4.    Offerings.  Subject to the right of the Company in its sole discretion to sooner terminate the Plan or to change the commencement date or term of any offering, commencing June 1, 2014, the Plan will operate with separate consecutive calendar 

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quarter offerings with the following Offering Dates:  March 1, June 1, September 1 and December 1; provided, however, that the initial offering period shall be from the date on which the shareholders of the Company approve the Plan through August 31, 2014.  Unless a termination of or change to the Plan has previously been made by the Company, the final offering under this Plan shall commence on March 1, 2023 and terminate on May 31, 2024.  In order to become eligible to purchase shares, an employee must complete and submit an Enrollment Agreement and any other necessary documents before the Offering Date of the particular offering in which he or she wishes to participate.  Participation in one offering under the Plan shall neither limit, nor require, participation in any other offering.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Committee may establish (i) a different term for one or more future offerings and (ii) different commencing and ending dates for such offerings; provided, however, that in no event shall any offering exceed 27 months.  In the event the first or the last day of an offering is not a regular business day, then the first day of the offering shall be deemed to be the next regular business day and the last day of the offering shall be deemed to be the last preceding regular business day. 
5.    Price.  The Purchase Price per share shall be eighty-five percent (85%) of the lesser of (i) the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock on the Offering Date of such offering and (ii) the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock on the Purchase Date of such offering. 
6.    Number of Shares to be Offered.  The maximum number of shares that will be offered under the Plan is 5,178,815 shares, subject to adjustment as permitted under Section 20.    The shares to be sold to participants under the Plan will be Common Stock of the Company.  If the total number of shares for which options are to be granted on any date in accordance with Section 12 exceeds the number of shares then available under the Plan or a given sub-plan (after deduction of all shares for which options have been exercised under the Plan or are then outstanding), the Company shall make a pro rata allocation of the shares remaining available in as nearly a uniform manner as it determines is practicable and equitable.  In such event, the payroll deductions to be made pursuant to the authorizations therefor shall be reduced accordingly and the Company shall give written notice of the reduction to each employee affected.  Any Shares delivered under the Plan may consist, in whole or in part, of authorized and unissued Shares or treasury shares.  
7.    Participation.
7.1    An eligible employee may become a participant by completing an Enrollment Agreement provided by the Company and submitting it to the Company, or with such other entity designated by the Company for this purpose, prior to the commencement of the offering to which it relates.  The Enrollment Agreement may be completed at any time after the employee becomes eligible to participate in the Plan, and will be effective as of the Offering Date next following the receipt of a properly completed Enrollment Agreement by the Company (or the Company’s designee for this purpose).
7.2    Payroll deductions for a participant shall commence on the Offering Date as described above and shall continue through subsequent offerings pursuant to Section 10 until the participant’s termination of employment, subject to modification by the employee as provided in Section 8.1, and unless participation is earlier withdrawn or suspended by the employee as provided in Section 9.
7.3    Payroll deduction shall be the sole means of accumulating funds in a participant’s Account, except in foreign countries where payroll deductions are not allowed, in which case the Company may authorize alternative payment methods.
7.4    The Company may require current participants to complete a new Enrollment Agreement at any time it deems necessary or desirable to facilitate Plan administration or for any other reason.
8.    Payroll Deductions.
8.1    At the time an employee files a payroll deduction authorization, the employee shall elect to have deductions made from the employee’s Compensation on each payday during each calendar year, which shall be at least $60 but shall not exceed $10,000 of the participant’s Compensation for such calendar year (or such other amounts as the Committee may establish from time to time for a future offering), subject to the restrictions set forth in the Plan. The amount of payroll withholding for each participant for each pay period shall be generally determined by dividing the annual payroll withholding amount chosen by each participant by the total number of pay periods such participant has in such calendar year, subject to the discretion of the Committee.  A participant may elect, at any time during an offering, to (i) increase or decrease the amount to be withheld from his or her Compensation, or (ii) discontinue payroll contributions, by completing and filing with the Company an amended Enrollment Agreement authorizing the increase, decrease or cessation of payroll deductions. The change shall be effective as of the beginning of the next payroll period following the date of filing the amended Enrollment Agreement if the amended Enrollment Agreement is filed at least ten days prior to such date (the “Change Notice Date”) and, if not, as of the beginning of the next succeeding payroll period. All payroll deductions accrued by a participant as of a Change Notice Date shall continue to be applied toward the 

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purchase of Common Stock on the Purchase Date, unless a participant withdraws from an offering or the Plan, pursuant to Section 9. An amended Enrollment Agreement shall remain in effect until the participant changes such Enrollment Agreement in accordance with the terms of the Plan.  The Committee may, from time to time, establish (x) limitations on the frequency and/or number of any permitted changes in the amount withheld during an offering, (y) payroll withholding in excess of the amount designated by a Participant in order to adjust for delays or mistakes in the Company’s processing of properly completed withholding elections, and (z) such other limitations or procedures as deemed advisable by the Committee in the Committee’s sole discretion that are consistent with the Plan and in accordance with the requirements of Code Section 423.
8.2    All payroll deductions made for a participant shall be credited to his or her Account under the Plan.  A participant may not make any separate cash payment into his or her Account nor may payment for shares be made other than by payroll deduction, except as provided under Section 7.3.
8.3    A participant may withdraw from or suspend his or her participation in the Plan as provided in Section 9.  A participant may also make a prospective election, by changing his or her payroll deduction amount to zero as set forth in Section 8.1, to cease participation in the Plan effective as of the next Offering Date.  
8.4    Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent necessary to comply with Section 423(b)(8) of the Code, Section 21 hereof, or any other applicable law, a participant's payroll deductions may be decreased, including to zero, at such time during any offering which is scheduled to end during the current calendar year that the aggregate of all payroll deductions accumulated with respect to such offering and any other offering ending within the same calendar year are equal to $21,250.  Payroll deductions shall recommence at the rate provided in the participant's Enrollment Agreement at the beginning of the following offering which is scheduled to end in the following calendar year, unless the participant withdraws from an offering or the Plan, pursuant to Section 9.
9.    Withdrawal and Suspension.
9.1    An employee may withdraw from an offering, in whole but not in part, at any time during the offering for which such withdrawal is to be effective, or by any other date specified by the Administrator for a future offering, by submitting a withdrawal notice to the Company, in which event the Company will refund the entire balance of his or her Account as soon as practicable thereafter.
9.2    If an employee withdraws or suspends his or her participation pursuant to Section 9.1, he or she shall not participate in a subsequent offering unless and until he or she re-enters the Plan.  To re-enter the Plan, an employee who has previously withdrawn or suspended participation by reducing payroll deductions to zero must file a new Enrollment Agreement in accordance with Section 7.1.  The employee’s re-entry into the Plan will not become effective before the beginning of the next offering following his or her withdrawal or suspension.
10.    Automatic Re-Enrollment.  At the termination of each offering each participating employee who continues to be eligible to participate pursuant to Section 3 shall be automatically re-enrolled in the next offering, unless the employee has advised the Company otherwise.  Upon termination of the Plan, any balance in each employee’s Account shall be refunded to him or her.
11.    Interest.  No interest will be paid or allowed on any money in the Accounts of participating employees, except to the extent payment of interest is required by the laws of any applicable jurisdiction.
12.    Granting of Option.  On each Offering Date, this Plan shall be deemed to have granted to the participant an option for as many shares (which may include a fractional share) as he or she will be able to purchase with the amounts credited to his or her Account during his or her participation in that offering.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, no participant may purchase more than 500 shares of Common Stock during any single offering.  This number may be adjusted as permitted pursuant to Section 20 of the Plan.
13.    Exercise of Option.  
13.1    Each employee who continues to be a participant in an offering on the last business day of that offering shall be deemed to have exercised his or her option on that date and shall be deemed to have purchased from the Company the number of shares (which may include a fractional share) of Common Stock reserved for the purpose of the Plan as the balance of his or her Account on such date will pay for at the Purchase Price.
13.2    In the event that the Administrator determines for a future offering that fractional shares may not be issued, any cash balance remaining in a participant’s Account at the termination of an offering that is not sufficient to purchase a whole share of Common Stock, shall be carried over in the participant’s Account and applied to the purchase of Common Stock in the next 

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offering, provided the participant participates in the next offering and the purchase complies with Section 21. If the Participant does not participate in the next offering, such remaining cash balance shall be refunded to the participant as soon as practical after the Purchase Date. 
13.3    Any amount remaining to the credit of a participant’s Account after the purchase of shares by the Participant on a Purchase Date which is sufficient to purchase one or more full shares of Common Stock shall be refunded to the participant as soon as practical after the Purchase Date.
14.    Tax Obligations.  To the extent any (i) grant of an option to purchase shares, (ii) purchase of shares, or (iii) disposition of shares purchased under the Plan gives rise to any tax withholding obligation (including, without limitation, income and payroll withholding taxes imposed by any jurisdiction) the Administrator may implement appropriate procedures to ensure that such tax withholding obligations are met.  Those procedures may include, without limitation, increased withholding from an employee’s current compensation, cash payments to the Company or another Participating Company by an employee, or a sale of a portion of the Common Stock purchased under the Plan, which sale may be required and initiated by the Company.
15.    Employee’s Rights as a Stockholder.  No participating employee shall have any right as a stockholder with respect to any shares until the shares have been purchased in accordance with Section 13 above and the Common Stock has been issued by the Company.
16.    Evidence of Stock Ownership.
16.1    Following the end of each offering, the number of shares of Common Stock purchased by each participant shall be deposited into an account established in the participant’s name at the ESPP Broker.
16.2    A participant shall be free to undertake a disposition (as that term is defined in Section 424(c) of the Code) of the shares in his or her ESPP Broker account at any time, whether by sale, exchange, gift, or other transfer of legal title, but in the absence of such a disposition of the shares, the shares must remain in the participant’s ESPP Broker account until the holding period set forth in Section 423(a) of the Code has been satisfied.  With respect to shares for which the Section 423(a) holding period has been satisfied, the participant may move those shares to another brokerage account of participant’s choosing.
16.3    Notwithstanding the above, a participant who is not subject to income taxation under the Code may move his or her shares to another brokerage account of his or her choosing at any time, without regard to the satisfaction of the Section 423(a) holding period. 
17.    Rights Not Transferable.  No employee shall be permitted to sell, assign, transfer, pledge, or otherwise dispose of or encumber either the payroll deductions credited to his or her Account or an option or any rights with regard to the exercise of an option or rights to receive shares under the Plan other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution, and such right and interest shall not be liable for, or subject to, the debts, contracts, or liabilities of the employee.  If any such action is taken by the employee, or any claim is asserted by any other party in respect of such right and interest whether by garnishment, levy, attachment or otherwise, the action or claim will be treated as an election to withdraw funds in accordance with Section 9.  During the employee’s lifetime, only the employee can make decisions regarding the participation in or withdrawal from an offering under the Plan.
18.    Termination or Transfer of Employment.  
18.1    Upon termination of employment for any reason whatsoever, including but not limited to death or retirement, the balance in the Account of a participating employee shall be paid to the employee or his or her estate.  Whether and when employment is deemed terminated for purposes of this Plan shall be determined by the Administrator in its sole discretion and may be determined without regard to statutory notice periods or other periods following termination of active employment.
18.2    In the event that a participant who is an employee of a Participating Company in a Non-Statutory Plan is transferred and becomes an employee of a different Participating Company in a Non-Statutory Plan, during an offering, such individual may, subject to the terms and eligibility of the Non-Statutory Plan of the new employer, become a participant under the Non-Statutory Plan of the new employer for the duration of the offering in effect at that time.  Unless otherwise required under local law, any payroll deductions or other approved contributions may continue to be held by the Participating Company former employer of the participant for the remainder of the offering.  At the next Purchase Date, all payroll deductions and other approved contributions made by or to such Participating Company former employer and/or the employer Participating Company shall be aggregated for the purchase of shares of Common Stock under, and subject to the terms and limitations of, the Non-Statutory Plan of the new employer.

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18.3    In the event that an employee of a Participating Company in the Statutory Plan and who is a participant in the Statutory Plan is transferred and becomes an employee of a Participating Company in a Non-Statutory Plan during an offering, such individual may, subject to the terms and eligibility of the Non-Statutory Plan of the new employer, become a participant under the Non-Statutory Plan of the new employer for the duration of the offering in effect at that time.  Unless otherwise required under local law, any payroll deductions may continue to be held by the Participating Company former employer for the remainder of the offering. At the next Purchase Date, all payroll deductions and other approved contributions made by or to the Participating Company former employer and/or the employer Participating Company may be aggregated for the purchase of shares of Common Stock under, and subject to the terms and limitations of, the Non-Statutory Plan of the new employer.
19.    Amendment or Discontinuance of the Plan.  
19.1    The Board may amend the Plan in such respects as it shall deem advisable; provided, however, that, to the extent required for compliance with Code Section 423 or any applicable law or regulation, stockholder approval will be required for any amendment that will (i) increase the total number of shares as to which options may be granted under the Plan, except as provided in Section 20, (ii) modify the class of employees eligible to receive options, or (iii) otherwise require stockholder approval under any applicable law or regulation; and provided further, that except as provided in this Section 19, no amendment to the Plan shall make any change in any option previously granted which adversely affects the rights of any Participant. 
19.2    The Plan shall continue in effect for ten years after the date of its adoption by the Board.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board may at any time and for any reason suspend or terminate the Plan. During any period of suspension or upon termination of the Plan, no options shall be granted.
19.3    Except as provided in Section 20, no such termination of the Plan may affect options previously granted, provided that the Plan or an offering may be terminated by the Board on a Purchase Date or by the Board’s setting a new Purchase Date with respect to an offering then in progress if the Board determines that termination of the Plan and/or the offering is in the best interests of the Company and the stockholders or if continuation of the Plan and/or the offering would cause the Company to incur adverse accounting charges as a result of a change after the Effective Date in the generally accepted accounting rules applicable to the Plan. 
20.    Changes in Capitalization.  In the event of reorganization, recapitalization, stock split, stock dividend, combination of shares, merger, consolidation, offerings of rights, or any other change in the structure of the common shares of the Company, the Committee shall make such adjustment, if any, as it may deem appropriate in the number, kind, and the price of shares available for purchase under the Plan, and in the number of shares which an employee is entitled to purchase including, without limitation, closing an offering early and permitting purchase on the last business day of the reduced offering period, or terminating an offering and refunding participants’ Account balances.
21.    Share Ownership.  Notwithstanding anything in the Plan to the contrary, no employee shall be permitted to subscribe for any shares under the Plan if the employee, immediately after such subscription, owns shares (including all shares that may be purchased under outstanding subscriptions under the Plan) possessing 5% or more of the total combined voting power or value of all classes of shares of the Company or of its parent or subsidiary corporations.  For the foregoing purposes the rules of Section 424(d) of the Code shall apply in determining share ownership, and shares the employee may purchase under outstanding options shall be treated as owned by the employee.  In addition, no employee shall be allowed to subscribe for any shares under the Plan that permit his or her rights to purchase shares under all “employee stock purchase plans” of the Company and its parent or subsidiary corporations to accrue at a rate that exceeds $25,000 of Fair Market Value of such shares (determined at the time such right to subscribe is granted) for each calendar year in which the right to subscribe is outstanding at any time.  Notwithstanding the above, lower limitations may be imposed with respect to participants in a Non-Statutory Plan or participants in the Statutory Plan who are subject to laws of another jurisdiction where lower limitations are required.
22.    Administration and Board Authority.
22.1    The Plan shall be administered by the Board.  The Board has delegated its full authority under the Plan to the Committee, and the Committee may further delegate any or all of its authority under this Plan to such senior officer(s) of the Company as it may designate, to the extent not prohibited by law or rules of the New York Stock Exchange.  Notwithstanding any such delegation of authority, the Board may itself take any action under the Plan in its discretion at any time, and any reference in this Plan document to the rights and obligations of the Committee shall be construed to apply equally to the Board.  Any references to the Board mean only the Board.  The authority that may be delegated by the Committee includes, without limitation, the authority to (i) establish Non-Statutory Plans and determine the terms of such sub-plans (including, without limitation, rules and procedures regarding handling of payroll deductions or other approved contributions, payment of interest, conversion of local currency, payroll tax, withholding procedures and handling of stock certificates that vary with local requirements and determining the eligible employees 

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that may enroll in a Non-Statutory Plan), (ii) designate from time to time which Subsidiaries will participate in the Statutory Plan, which Subsidiaries and Affiliates will be Participating Companies, and which Participating Companies will participate in a particular Non-Statutory Plan, (iii) determine procedures for eligible employees to enroll in or withdraw from a sub-plan, setting or changing payroll deduction amounts, and obtaining necessary tax withholdings, (iv) allocate the available shares under the Plan to the sub-plans for particular offerings, and (v) adopt amendments to the Plan or any sub-plan including, without limitation, amendments to increase the shares available for issuance under the Plan pursuant to Section 20 (but not including increases in the available shares above the maximum permitted by Sections 6 and 20 which shall require Board and stockholder approval).
22.2    The Administrator shall be vested with full authority and discretion to construe the terms of the Plan and make factual determinations under the Plan, and to make, administer, and interpret such rules and regulations as it deems necessary to administer the Plan, and any determination, decision, or action of the Administrator in connection with the construction, interpretation, administration, or application of the Plan shall be final, conclusive, and binding upon all participants and any and all persons claiming under or through any participant.  The Administrator may retain outside entities and professionals to assist in the administration of the Plan including, without limitation, a vendor or vendors to perform enrollment and brokerage services.  The authority of the Administrator will specifically include, without limitation, the power to make any changes to the Plan with respect to the participation of employees of any Subsidiary or Affiliate that is organized under the laws of a country other than the United States of America when the Administrator deems such changes to be necessary or appropriate to achieve a desired tax treatment in such foreign jurisdiction or to comply with the laws applicable to such non-U.S. Subsidiaries or Affiliates.  Those changes may include, without limitation, the exclusion of particular Subsidiaries or Affiliates from participation in the Plan; modifications to eligibility criteria, maximum number or value of shares that may be purchased in a given period, or other requirements set forth herein; and procedural or administrative modifications.  Any modification relating to offerings to a particular Participating Company will apply only to that Participating Company, and will apply equally to all similarly situated employees of that Participating Company.  The rights and privileges of all employees granted options under the Statutory Plan shall be the same.  To the extent any changes approved by the Administrator would jeopardize the tax-qualified status of the Statutory Plan, the change shall cause the Participating Companies affected thereby to be considered Participating Companies under a Non-Statutory Plan or Non- Statutory Plans instead of the Statutory Plan.
22.3    Notwithstanding the provisions of Sections 22.1 and 22.2 above, in the event that Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act or any successor provision thereto (“Rule 16b-3”) provides specific requirements for the administrators of plans of this type, the Plan shall only be administered by such body and in such a manner as shall comply with the applicable requirements of Rule 16b-3.  Unless permitted by Rule 16b-3, no discretion concerning decisions regarding the Plan shall be afforded to any person that is not “disinterested” as that term is used in Rule 16b-3.
23.    Notices.  All notices or other communications by a participant to the Company or other entity designated for a particular purpose under or in connection with the Plan shall be deemed to have been duly given when received by the Company or other designated entity, or when received in the form specified by the Company at the location, or by the person, designated by the Company for the receipt thereof.
24.    Change of Control. In the event of a Change of Control, each outstanding option shall be assumed or an equivalent option substituted by the successor company or parent thereof (the “Successor Company”).  In the event that the Successor Company refuses to assume or substitute for the option, any offering then in progress shall be shortened by setting a new Purchase Date. The new Purchase Date shall be a specified date before the date of the Change of Control. The Administrator shall notify each participant in writing, prior to the new Purchase Date, that the Purchase Date for the participant’s option has been changed to the new Purchase Date and that the participant’s option shall be exercised automatically on the new Purchase Date, unless prior to such date the participant has withdrawn from an offering then in progress or the Plan as provided in Section 9. 
25.    Dissolution or Liquidation of the Company. In the event of the proposed dissolution or liquidation of the Company, the offering then in progress shall be shortened by setting a new Purchase Date and shall terminate immediately prior to the consummation of such proposed dissolution or liquidation, unless provided otherwise by the Board. The new Purchase Date shall be a specified date before the date of the Company’s proposed dissolution or liquidation. The Administrator shall notify each participant in writing, prior to the new Purchase Date, that the Purchase Date for the participant’s option has been changed to the new Purchase Date and that the participant’s option shall be exercised automatically on the new Purchase Date, unless prior to such date the participant has withdrawn from an offering then in progress or the Plan as provided in Section 9. 
26.    Limitations on Sale of Stock Purchased Under the Plan.  The Plan is intended to provide Common Stock for investment and not for resale.  The Company does not, however, intend to restrict or influence any employee in the conduct of the employee’s own affairs.  An employee, therefore, may sell Common Stock purchased under the Plan at any time the employee chooses, subject to compliance with any applicable Federal, state or foreign securities laws.  THE EMPLOYEE ASSUMES THE RISK OF ANY MARKET FLUCTUATIONS IN THE PRICE OF THE COMPANY’S STOCK.

8

27.    Governmental Regulation/Compliance with Applicable Law/Separate Offering.  The Company’s obligation to sell and deliver shares of the Company’s Common Stock under this Plan is subject to the approval of any governmental authority required in connection with the authorization, issuance, or sale of such shares.  In addition, the terms of an offering under this Plan, or the rights of an employee under an offering, may be modified to the extent required by applicable law.  For purposes of this Plan, the Administrator also may designate separate offerings under the Plan (the terms of which need not be identical) in which eligible employees of one or more Participating Companies will participate, even if the dates of the offerings are identical.
28.    No Employment/Service Rights.  Nothing in the Plan shall confer upon any employee the right to continue in employment for any period of specific duration, nor interfere with or otherwise restrict in any way the rights of the Company (or any Subsidiary or Affiliate employing such person), or of any employee, which rights are hereby expressly reserved by each, to terminate such person’s employment at any time for any reason, with or without cause.
29.    Dates and Times.  All references in the Plan to a date or time are intended to refer to dates and times determined pursuant to U.S. Eastern Standard Time.  Business days for purposes of the Plan are U.S. business days.
30.    Masculine and Feminine, Singular and Plural.  Whenever used in the Plan, a pronoun shall include the opposite gender and the singular shall include the plural, and the plural shall include the singular, whenever the context shall plainly so require.
31.    Governing Law.  The Plan shall be governed by the laws of the State of Delaware without giving effect to principles of conflict of laws, and applicable federal law.
32.    No Liability of Committee Members. No member of the Committee shall be personally liable by reason of any contract or other instrument executed by such Committee member or on his or her behalf in his or her capacity as a member of the Committee nor for any mistake of judgment made in good faith, and the Company shall indemnify and hold harmless each member of the Committee and each other employee, officer or director of the Company to whom any duty or power relating to the administration or interpretation of the Plan may be allocated or delegated, against any cost or expense (including counsel fees) or liability (including any sum paid in settlement of a claim) arising out of any act or omission to act in connection with the Plan unless arising out of such person’s own fraud or willful bad faith; provided, however, that approval of the Board shall be required for the payment of any amount in settlement of a claim against any such person. The foregoing right of indemnification shall not be exclusive of any other rights of indemnification to which such persons may be entitled under the Company’s Articles of Incorporation or By-Laws, as a matter of law, or otherwise, or any power that the Company may have to indemnify them or hold them harmless. 

9Exhibit

SIXTH AMENDMENT TO LOAN AND PLEDGE AGREEMENT 

Dated as of June 10, 2019

Reference is made to that certain Loan and Pledge Agreement dated as of January 27, 2017 (as amended, supplemented, waived or otherwise modified from time to time prior to the date hereof, the “Loan and Pledge Agreement”) between Energy Recovery, Inc., as borrower (the “Borrower”), and Citibank, N.A., as lender (the “Lender”).  Capitalized terms used herein but not defined shall have the meaning assigned to such terms in the Loan and Pledge Agreement.

The parties hereto agree that, effective as of the Amendment Effective Date, the definition of the term “LIBOR Rate” set forth in Section 1.1 of the Loan and Pledge Agreement is hereby amended by deleting the stricken text and adding the double-underlined text as set forth below:

““LIBOR Rate” means, for any Interest Period, the rate per annum equal to the British Bankers Association LIBOR Rate (“BBA LIBOR”), as it appears in the ICE Benchmark Administration’s Secure Financial Transaction Protocol service or through a third-party redistributor of such information, which shall note an average ICE Benchmark Administration Limited Fixing for US Dollar (or another commercially available source providing quotations of BBA LIBOR as designated by Lender from time to time) at approximately 11:00 a.m. (London time) two Business Days prior to the commencement of such Interest Period, for U.S. dollar deposits (for delivery on the first day of such Interest Period) with a term equivalent to such Interest Period. If such rate is not available at such time for any reason, then the “LIBOR Rate” for such Interest Period shall be the rate per annum determined by Lender to be the rate at which U.S. dollar deposits with a term equivalent to such Interest Period would be offered by Citibank in London, England to major banks in the London or other offshore interbank market at approximately 11:00 a.m. (London time) two Business Days prior to the commencement of such Interest Period. If the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (or any successor) imposes a LIBOR Reserve Percentage with respect to LIBOR deposits, then, the LIBOR Rate shall be the foregoing rate divided by 1 minus the LIBOR Reserve Percentage. If the LIBOR Rate shall be less than zero percent, the LIBOR Rate shall be deemed to be zero percent for purposes of this Agreement.

The parties hereto agree that, effective as of the Amendment Effective Date, the definition of the term “Termination Date” set forth in Section 1.1 of the Loan and Pledge Agreement is hereby amended by deleting the stricken text and adding the double-underlined text as set forth below:

““Termination Date” means June 30, 2022.”

The parties hereto agree that, effective as of the Amendment Effective Date, the first sentence of Section 2.7(a) of the Loan and Pledge Agreement is hereby amended by deleting the stricken text and adding the double-underlined text as set forth below:
    
“The term of any Letter of Credit shall not exceed three (3) years from the date of its issuance, subject to renewal in accordance with the terms thereof.”

The parties hereto agree that, effective as of the Amendment Effective Date, the following clauses of Section 8.1 of the Loan and Pledge Agreement are hereby amended by deleting the stricken text and adding the double-underlined text as set forth below:

“(g)     Borrower shall: (i) liquidate, wind-up or dissolve itself (or suffer any liquidation or dissolution); or (ii) acquire by purchase or otherwise all or any substantial part of the business or assets of any other Person, or otherwise enter into any transaction of merger or consolidation, unless in each case Borrower is the surviving legal entity;

(h)     the occurrence of any "Event of Default" as defined in the Standby Letter of Credit Agreement; or

(i)    any event or condition shall occur which results in the acceleration of the maturity of any Indebtedness of the Borrower which Indebtedness in the aggregate is at least $5,000,000 or enables (or, with the giving of notice or lapse of time or both would enable) the holder of such Indebtedness or any Person acting on such holder’s behalf to accelerate the maturity thereof.”

As used herein, the term “Amendment Effective Date” shall mean the first date upon which the Lender shall have executed and delivered one or more counterparts of this Sixth Amendment to Loan and Pledge Agreement (the “Agreement of Amendment”) and shall have received one or more counterparts of this Agreement of Amendment executed by the other parties hereto.

The Borrower represents and warrants to the Lender that (i) immediately after giving effect to this Agreement of Amendment and the transactions contemplated hereby, its representations and warranties set forth in the Loan and Pledge Agreement and the other Loan Documents are true and correct in all material respects (unless such representations and warranties relate to an earlier date, in which case such representations and warranties shall be true and correct as of such earlier date), (ii) no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing or will result from the transactions contemplated by this Agreement of Amendment, and (iii) this Agreement of Amendment has been duly and validly executed and delivered by it and constitutes its legal, valid and binding obligation, enforceable against it in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability may be limited by applicable insolvency, bankruptcy, or other laws affecting creditor’s rights generally, or general principals of equity, whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law.

All references in any Loan Document to the Loan and Pledge Agreement on and after the Amendment Effective Date, shall be deemed to refer to the Loan and Pledge Agreement, as amended hereby, and the parties hereto agree that on and after the Amendment Effective Date, the Loan and Pledge Agreement, as amended hereby, is in full force and effect.

This Agreement of Amendment may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be an original and all of which when taken together shall constitute one and the same agreement.

THIS AGREEMENT OF AMENDMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

[Signature Pages Follow]

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Sixth Amendment to Loan and Pledge Agreement to be executed and delivered by their duly authorized officers as of the date first above written.

ENERGY RECOVERY, InC.,
as Borrower
                
By:_____________________________
Name:
Title:

                
CITIBANK, N.A.,
as Lender

By:____________________________
Name:

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