NDAQ » Topics » Stock Options.

This excerpt taken from the NDAQ DEF 14A filed Apr 17, 2008.

Stock Options.

(a) Grant. Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Committee shall have sole and complete authority to determine the Participants to whom Options shall be granted, the number of Shares to be covered by each Option, the option price and the conditions and limitations applicable to the exercise of the Option. The Committee shall have the authority to grant Incentive Stock Options, or to grant Non-Qualified Stock Options, or to grant both types of options; provided that only employees of the Company or any Parent or Subsidiary may be granted Incentive Stock Options. In the case of Incentive Stock Options, the terms and conditions of such grants shall be subject to and comply with such rules as may be prescribed by Section 422 of the Code, as from time to time amended, and any regulations implementing such statute.

(b) Exercise Price. The Committee in its sole discretion shall establish the exercise price at the time each Option is granted. Except in the case of Substitute Awards, the exercise price of an Option may not be less than the Fair Market Value on the date of grant of such Option.

(c) Exercise. Each Option shall be exercisable at such times and subject to such terms and conditions as the Committee may, in its sole discretion, specify in the applicable Award Agreement or thereafter. The Committee may impose such conditions with respect to the exercise of options, including without limitation, any relating to the application of federal, state or foreign securities laws or the Code, as it may deem necessary or advisable.

 

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Notwithstanding the foregoing, an Option shall not be exercisable after the expiration of 10 years from the date such Option was granted.

(d) Early Exercise. The Committee may provide at the time of grant or any time thereafter, in its sole discretion, that any Option shall be exercisable that otherwise would not then be exercisable, provided that, in connection with such exercise, the Participant enters into a form of Restricted Stock Award Agreement approved by the Committee.

(e) Payment. No Shares shall be delivered pursuant to any exercise of an Option until payment in full of the option price is received by the Company. Such payment may be made in cash, or its equivalent, or by exchanging Shares owned by the Participant for at least six months (which are not the subject of any pledge or other security interest), or through any broker’s cashless exercise procedure approved by the Committee, or by a combination of the foregoing, provided that the combined value of all cash and cash equivalents and the Fair Market Value of any such Shares so tendered to the Company as of the date of such tender is at least equal to such option price.

(f) Restoration Options. In the event that any Participant delivers Shares in payment of the exercise price of any Option granted hereunder in accordance with paragraph (e) above, the Committee shall have the authority to grant or provide for the automatic grant of a Restoration Option to such Participant. A Restoration Option shall entitle the Participant to purchase a number of Shares equal to the number of Shares delivered upon exercise of the original Option and, in the discretion of the Committee, the number of Shares, if any, tendered to the Company to satisfy any withholding tax liability arising in connection with the exercise of the original Option. A Restoration Option shall have a per share exercise price of not less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of grant of such Restoration Option, a term not longer than the remaining term of the original Option at the time of exercise thereof, and such other terms and conditions (including provisions relating to forfeiture of such Restoration Options in the event that specified Share ownership is not maintained) as the Committee in its sole discretion shall determine.

(g) At the time of any exercise of an Option, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, require a Participant to deliver to the Committee a written representation that the Shares to be acquired upon such exercise are to be acquired for investment and not for resale or with a view to the distribution thereof and any other representation deemed necessary by the Committee to ensure compliance with all applicable federal and state securities laws. Upon such a request by the Committee, delivery of such representation prior to the delivery of any Shares issued upon exercise of an Option shall be a condition precedent to the right of the Participant or such other person to purchase any Shares. In the event certificates for Shares are delivered under the Plan with respect to which such investment representation has been obtained, the Committee may cause a legend or legends to be placed on such certificates to make appropriate reference to such representation and to restrict transfer in the absence of compliance with applicable federal or state securities laws.

(h) Each Participant awarded an Incentive Stock Option under the Plan shall notify the Company in writing immediately after the date he or she makes a disqualifying disposition of any Shares acquired pursuant to the exercise of such Incentive Stock Option. A disqualifying disposition is any disposition (including any sale) of such Shares before the later of (i) two years after the date of grant of the Incentive Stock Option or (ii) one year after the date the Participant acquired the Shares by exercising the Incentive Stock Option. The Company may, if determined by the Committee and in accordance with procedures established by it, retain possession of any Shares acquired pursuant to the exercise of an Incentive Stock Option as agent for the applicable Participant until the end of the period described in the preceding sentence, subject to complying with any instructions from such Participant as to the sale of such Shares.

(i) Incentive Stock Option Grants to 10% Stockholders. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 6, if an Incentive Stock Option is granted to a Participant who owns stock representing more than ten percent of the voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or of a Subsidiary or Parent, the option period shall not exceed five years from the date of grant of such Option and the option price shall be at least 110 percent of the Fair Market Value (on the date of grant of such Option) of the Shares subject to the Option.

 

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(j) $100,000 Per Year Limitation for Incentive Stock Options. To the extent the aggregate Fair Market Value (determined as of the date of grant of such Option) of Shares for which Incentive Stock Options are exercisable for the first time by any Participant during any calendar year (under all plans of the Company) exceeds $100,000, such excess Incentive Stock Options shall be treated as Nonqualified Stock Options.

(k) Voluntary Surrender. The Committee may permit the voluntary surrender of all or any portion of any Nonqualified Stock Option and its corresponding stock appreciation right, if any, granted under the Plan to be conditioned upon the granting to the Participant of a new Option for the same or a different number of Shares as the option surrendered or require such voluntary surrender as a condition precedent to a grant of a new Option to such Participant. Such new Option shall be exercisable at an option price, during an option period, and in accordance with any other terms or conditions specified by the Committee at the time the new Option is granted, all determined in accordance with the provisions of the Plan without regard to the option price, option period, or any other terms and conditions of the Nonqualified Stock Option surrendered. For the avoidance of doubt, the foregoing authority of the Committee is in all events subject to the stockholder approval requirements of Section 12(b) hereof.

This excerpt taken from the NDAQ DEF 14A filed Apr 20, 2007.

Stock Options.

(a) Grant. Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Committee shall have sole and complete authority to determine the Participants to whom Options shall be granted, the number of Shares to be covered by each Option, the option price and the conditions and limitations applicable to the exercise of the Option. The Committee shall have the authority to grant Incentive Stock Options, or to grant Non-Qualified Stock Options, or to grant both types of options; provided that only employees of the Company or any Parent or Subsidiary may be granted Incentive Stock Options. In the case of Incentive Stock Options, the terms and conditions of such grants shall be

 

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subject to and comply with such rules as may be prescribed by Section 422 of the Code, as from time to time amended, and any regulations implementing such statute.

(b) Exercise Price. The Committee in its sole discretion shall establish the exercise price at the time each Option is granted. Except in the case of Substitute Awards, the exercise price of an Option may not be less than the Fair Market Value on the date of grant of such Option.

(c) Exercise. Each Option shall be exercisable at such times and subject to such terms and conditions as the Committee may, in its sole discretion, specify in the applicable Award Agreement or thereafter. The Committee may impose such conditions with respect to the exercise of options, including without limitation, any relating to the application of federal, state or foreign securities laws or the Code, as it may deem necessary or advisable; provided that (to the extent required at the time of grant by California “blue sky” laws), Options granted to individuals other than officers, directors or consultants of the Company shall be exercisable at the rate of at least 20% per year over five years from the date of grant. Notwithstanding the foregoing, an Option shall not be exercisable after the expiration of 10 years from the date such Option was granted.

(d) Early Exercise. The Committee may provide at the time of grant or any time thereafter, in its sole discretion, that any Option shall be exercisable that otherwise would not then be exercisable, provided that, in connection with such exercise, the Participant enters into a form of Restricted Stock Award Agreement approved by the Committee.

(e) Payment. No Shares shall be delivered pursuant to any exercise of an Option until payment in full of the option price is received by the Company. Such payment may be made in cash, or its equivalent, or by exchanging Shares owned by the Participant for at least six months (which are not the subject of any pledge or other security interest), or through any broker’s cashless exercise procedure approved by the Committee, or by a combination of the foregoing, provided that the combined value of all cash and cash equivalents and the Fair Market Value of any such Shares so tendered to the Company as of the date of such tender is at least equal to such option price.

(f) Restoration Options. In the event that any Participant delivers Shares in payment of the exercise price of any Option granted hereunder in accordance with paragraph (e) above, the Committee shall have the authority to grant or provide for the automatic grant of a Restoration Option to such Participant. A Restoration Option shall entitle the Participant to purchase a number of Shares equal to the number of Shares delivered upon exercise of the original Option and, in the discretion of the Committee, the number of shares, if any, tendered to the Company to satisfy any withholding tax liability arising in connection with the exercise of the original Option. A Restoration Option shall have a per share exercise price of not less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of grant of such Restoration Option, a term not longer than the remaining term of the original Option at the time of exercise thereof, and such other terms and conditions (including provisions relating to forfeiture of such Restoration Options in the event that specified share ownership is not maintained) as the Committee in its sole discretion shall determine.

(g) At the time of any exercise of an Option, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, require a Participant to deliver to the Committee a written representation that the Shares to be acquired upon such exercise are to be acquired for investment and not for resale or with a view to the distribution thereof and any other representation deemed necessary by the Committee to ensure compliance with all applicable federal and state securities laws. Upon such a request by the Committee, delivery of such representation prior to the delivery of any Shares issued upon exercise of an Option shall be a condition precedent to the right of the Participant or such other person to purchase any Shares. In the event certificates for Shares are delivered under the Plan with respect to which such investment representation has been obtained, the Committee may cause a legend or legends to be placed on such certificates to make appropriate reference to such representation and to restrict transfer in the absence of compliance with applicable federal or state securities laws.

(h) Each Participant awarded an Incentive Stock Option under the Plan shall notify the Company in writing immediately after the date he or she makes a disqualifying disposition of any Shares acquired pursuant to the

 

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exercise of such Incentive Stock Option. A disqualifying disposition is any disposition (including any sale) of such Shares before the later of (i) two years after the date of grant of the Incentive Stock Option or (ii) one year after the date the Participant acquired the Shares by exercising the Incentive Stock Option. The Company may, if determined by the Committee and in accordance with procedures established by it, retain possession of any Shares acquired pursuant to the exercise of an Incentive Stock Option as agent for the applicable Participant until the end of the period described in the preceding sentence, subject to complying with any instructions from such Participant as to the sale of such Shares.

(i) Incentive Stock Option Grants to 10% Stockholders. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 6, if an Incentive Stock Option is granted to a Participant who owns stock representing more than ten percent of the voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or of a Subsidiary or Parent, the option period shall not exceed five years from the date of grant of such Option and the option price shall be at least 110 percent of the Fair Market Value (on the date of grant of such Option) of the Shares subject to the Option.

(j) $100,000 Per Year Limitation for Incentive Stock Options. To the extent the aggregate Fair Market Value (determined as of the date of grant of such Option) of Shares for which Incentive Stock Options are exercisable for the first time by any Participant during any calendar year (under all plans of the Company) exceeds $100,000, such excess Incentive Stock Options shall be treated as Nonqualified Stock Options.

(k) Voluntary Surrender. The Committee may permit the voluntary surrender of all or any portion of any Nonqualified Stock Option and its corresponding stock appreciation right, if any, granted under the Plan to be conditioned upon the granting to the Participant of a new Option for the same or a different number of Shares as the option surrendered or require such voluntary surrender as a condition precedent to a grant of a new Option to such Participant. Such new Option shall be exercisable at an option price, during an option period, and in accordance with any other terms or conditions specified by the Committee at the time the new Option is granted, all determined in accordance with the provisions of the Plan without regard to the option price, option period, or any other terms and conditions of the Nonqualified Stock Option surrendered. For the avoidance of doubt, the foregoing authority of the Committee is in all events subject to the stockholder approval requirements of Section 12(b) hereof.

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