YUHE INTERNATIONAL, INC. FORM OF STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT
Exhibit
10.1
FORM
OF STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT
I. |
NOTICE
OF STOCK OPTION GRANT
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Name: |
[to
be inserted] (the “Optionee”)
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Address: |
000
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxxxxxx District, Weifang, Shandong Province, the
People’s
Republic of China
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You
have
been granted a nonstatutory stock option (the “Option”) to purchase common stock
of Yuhe International, Inc. (the “Company”) (the “Common Stock”), subject to the
terms and conditions of this Stock Option Agreement (the “Agreement”), as
described below:-
Grant
Number
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Date
of Grant
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Vesting
Commencement Date
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Exercise
Price per Share
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$
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Total
Number of Shares Granted
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Total
Exercise Price
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$
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Term/Expiration
Date:
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Vesting
Schedule:
Subject
to Optionee’s continued service with the Company through the vesting period, the
Option will vest and become exercisable in equal installments on each of the
first three anniversaries of the grant date, so that if the Optionee is still
serving as the [to be inserted] of the Company on the third anniversary of
the
grant date, the Optionee will be fully vested in the Option by that
date.
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Termination
Period:
The
Option will expire, and this Option may not be exercise (even as to vested
shares) on the fifth anniversary of the grant date (or earlier if Optionee’s
service with the Company terminates prior to that date) or after the date on
which the Option terminates by virtue of Change of Control (as defined in the
Agreement attached hereto).
By
your
signature and the signature of the Company’s representative below, you and the
Company agree that this Option is granted under and governed by the terms and
conditions of the Agreement, including this Notice of Grant, all as set forth
herein.
OPTIONEE:
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Signature
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By
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Print
Name:
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Title
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II. |
AGREEMENT
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A. |
Definitions
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(a) “Applicable
Laws” means any national, federal, state or local law, statute, rule,
regulation, ordinance, order, decree, directive, requirement, code, notice
or
rule of common law, now or in the future in effect, and in each case as amended
or re-enacted from time to time, and legislation supplemental to it, and any
judicial or administrative interpretation of it by a governmental authority
or
otherwise, including any judicial or administrative order, determination,
consent, decree or judgment applicable to or having jurisdiction over, as the
context requires, the Option and any other matters that are subject to this
Agreement and “Applicable Laws” shall be construed accordingly.
(b) “Cause”
for termination of Optionee’s employment will exist if Optionee is terminated by
the Company for any of the following reasons: (i) Optionee’s willful failure
substantially to perform his duties and responsibilities to the Company or
deliberate violation of a Company policy; (ii) Optionee’s commission of any act
of fraud, embezzlement, dishonesty or any other willful misconduct that has
caused or is reasonably expected to result in material injury to the Company;
(iii) unauthorized use or disclosure by Optionee of any proprietary information
or trade secrets of the Company or any other party to whom Optionee owes an
obligation of nondisclosure as a result of his relationship with the Company;
or
(iv) Optionee’s willful breach of any of his obligations under any written
agreement or covenant with the Company. The determination as to whether Optionee
is being terminated for Cause shall be made in good faith by the Company and
shall be final and binding on Optionee.
(c) “Change
of Control” means, unless such term or an equivalent term is otherwise defined
with respect to an Option by the Company’s written contract of employment or
service, the occurrence of any of the following:
(i)
any
merger or consolidation in which the Company shall not be the surviving entity
(or survives only as a subsidiary of another entity whose shareholders did
not
own all or substantially all of the Common Stock in substantially the same
proportions as immediately prior to such transaction),
(ii)
the
sale of all or substantially all of the Company's assets to any other person
or
entity (other than a wholly-owned subsidiary),
(iii)
the
acquisition of beneficial ownership of a controlling interest (including,
without limitation, power to vote) the outstanding shares of Common Stock by
any
person or entity (including a “group” as defined by or under Section 13(d)(3) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended),
(iv)
the
dissolution or liquidation of the Company,
(v)
a
contested election of the Company’s Directors, as a result of which or in
connection with which the persons who were Directors before such election or
their nominees (the “Incumbent Directors”) cease to constitute a majority of the
Company’s Board of Directors; provided however that if the election, or
nomination for election by the Company’s shareholders, of any new director was
approved by a vote of at least fifty percent (50%) of the Incumbent Directors,
such new Director shall be considered as an Incumbent Director, or
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(vi)
any
other event specified by the Company’s Board or Compensation Committee,
regardless of whether at the time the Option is granted or
thereafter.
(d) “Fair
Market Value” means, as of any date, the value of a share of Common Stock
determined by the Administrator in good faith using a reasonable application
of
a reasonable valuation method without regard to any restriction other than
a
restriction which, by its terms, will never lapse. Whenever
possible and if relevant, the determination of Fair Market Value shall be based
upon the closing price for the Shares as reported in the Wall Street Journal
for
the applicable date.
X. |
Xxxxx
of Option.
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The
administrator hereby grants to Optionee named in the Notice of Stock Option
Grant (the “Notice”) attached as Part I of this Agreement the Option to
purchase the number of shares of Common Stock (the “Shares”), as set forth in
the Notice, at the exercise price per Share set forth in the Notice (the
“Exercise Price”). The Company’s Compensation Committee shall be the
administrator (the “Administrator”) of this Option and its good faith
determinations with regard to this Option, the Notice, and this Agreement shall
be final and binding on all parties.
C. |
Exercise
of Option.
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(a) Right
to Exercise.
This
Option is exercisable during its term with respect to vested Shares in
accordance with the Vesting Schedule set out in the Notice and the applicable
provisions of this Agreement. No Shares will be issued, and the Company will
have no liability for the failure to issue Shares, pursuant to the exercise
of
this Option unless such issuance and exercise comply with all Applicable Laws.
Assuming such compliance, for income tax purposes the exercised Shares will
be
considered transferred to Optionee on the date the Option is exercised with
respect to such exercised Shares.
(b) Method
of Exercise.
This
Option is exercisable through E*Trade Financial by contacting E*Trade Financial
online at xxx.xxxxxx.xxx or by phone at 0-000-000-0000, and following E*Trade
Financial’s procedures as well as through any other means that may be designated
by the Company from time to time (such applicable notice procedure is referred
to as the “Exercise Notice”). The Exercise Notice will be delivered as so
specified and accompanied by payment of the aggregate Exercise Price in a manner
consistent with Section II.D. below, as to all vested Shares in respect of
which
the Option is being exercised (the “Exercised Shares”) together with any
applicable withholding taxes. This Option will be deemed to be exercised upon
receipt by the Company of such fully executed Exercise Notice accompanied by
such aggregate Exercise Price and applicable withholding taxes.
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D. |
Method
of Payment.
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Payment
of the aggregate Exercise Price will be by any of the following, or a
combination thereof, at the election of Optionee:
1. cash,
check or wire transfer;
2. consideration
received by the Company under a cashless, brokered exercise program permitted
by
the Company in connection with its stock option programs; or
3. surrender
of vested shares of Common Stock (or by attestation) which have been owned
by
you and have not been subject to substantial risk of forfeiture
for a reasonable period of time as may be necessary to avoid liability
accounting treatment and
having
an aggregate Fair Market Value on the date of surrender equal to the aggregate
Exercise Price of the Exercised Shares.
E. |
Change
of Control.
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In
the event there is a Change of Control, as determined by the Board or the
Compensation Committee, the Administrator may, in its discretion,
(i) provide for the assumption or substitution of, or adjustment to, the
Option; (ii) accelerate the vesting of the Option; and/or
(iii) provide for termination of the Option as a result of the Change of
Control on such terms and conditions as it deems appropriate, including
providing for the cancellation of the Option for a cash payment to Optionee.
F. |
Termination
of Employment.
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Following
the date of termination of Optionee’s employment with the Company for any reason
(the “Termination Date”), Optionee may exercise the Option only as set forth in
the Notice and this Section F. In the event of termination of Optionee’s
employment other than as a result of Optionee’s disability or death or for
Cause, Optionee may, to the extent Optionee is vested in the Exercised Shares
at
the Termination Date, exercise the Option for 90 days after termination (but
in
no event later than the Expiration Date set forth in the Notice). In the event
of termination of Optionee’s employment with the Company as a result of
Optionee’s disability, Optionee may, but only within twelve months
from the Termination Date, exercise the Option to the extent Optionee was vested
in the Exercised Shares as of the Termination Date. In the
event
of the death of Optionee during the term of the Option and while an employee
of
the Company, the Option may be exercised at any time within twelve months
following the date of death by Optionee’s estate or by a person who acquired the
right to exercise the Option by bequest or inheritance, but only to the extent
Optionee was vested in the Option as of the Termination Date. In the event
Optionee’s employment with the Company is terminated for Cause, the Option shall
terminate immediately upon such termination for Cause. In the event Optionee’s
employment with the Company is suspended pending investigation of whether such
relationship shall be terminated for Cause, all Optionee’s rights under the
Option, including the right to exercise the Option, shall be suspended during
the investigation period. To the extent that Optionee is not entitled to
exercise the Option as of the Termination Date, or if Optionee does not exercise
the Option within the periods set forth above, the Option shall terminate in
its
entirety. In no event, may any Option be exercised after the Expiration Date
of
the Option as set forth in the
Notice.
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G. |
Non-Transferability
of Option.
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This
Option may not be transferred in any manner otherwise than by will or by the
laws of descent or distribution and may be exercised during the lifetime of
Optionee only by Optionee. The terms of this Agreement will be binding upon
the
executors, administrators, heirs, successors and assigns of Optionee.
H. |
Term
of Option.
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This
Option may be exercised only within the term set out in the Notice, and may
be
exercised during such term only in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.
I. |
Adjustments.
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In
the
event that any dividend or other distribution (whether in the form of cash,
Shares, other securities, or other property), recapitalization, stock split,
reverse stock split, reorganization, merger, consolidation, split-up, spin-off,
combination, repurchase, or exchange of Shares or other securities of the
Company, or other change in the corporate structure of the Company affecting
the
Shares occurs, the Administrator, in order to prevent diminution or enlargement
of the benefits or potential benefits intended to be made available under this
Agreement, shall proportionately adjust the number and class of Shares that
may
be delivered under this Agreement and the per Share Exercise Price applicable
hereto. The Administrator’s determinations with regard to any such adjustment
shall be final and binding on all parties.
J. |
Tax
Obligations.
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By
Optionee’s acceptance: Optionee agrees to make appropriate arrangements with the
Company for the satisfaction of all applicable federal, state, and local income
and employment tax withholding requirements applicable to the Option, including
upon exercise thereof. Optionee acknowledges and agrees that the Company may
refuse to honor the exercise and refuse to deliver Shares if such withholding
amounts are not satisfied in a manner permitted hereunder at the time of
exercise.
Optionee
may satisfy such tax withholding obligation, in whole or in part by any one
or
more of the following or any combination of the following: (a) paying cash
to the Company (including through the Company’s withholding on or in advance of
the exercise date from cash compensation amounts otherwise owed to Optionee),
(b) electing to have the Company withhold Shares otherwise deliverable upon
exercise of the Option which Shares have an aggregate Fair Market Value that
does not exceed the minimum required statutory withholding amount,
(c) delivering (or attesting) to the Company other Shares which
have been owned by Optionee and have not been subject to substantial risk of
forfeiture
for a reasonable period of time as may be necessary to avoid liability
accounting treatment and that have an aggregate Fair Market Value that does
not
exceed the minimum required statutory withholding amount or (d) pursuant to
a
cashless exercise program. The Fair Market Value of the Shares to be withheld
or
delivered will be determined as of the date that the taxes are required to
be
withheld in a manner consistent with the Administrator’s determination of Fair
Market Value with respect to options granted under the Agreement.
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In
addition, Optionee agrees that he is responsible for any applicable taxes of
any
nature (including any penalties or interest that may apply to such taxes) that
the Company reasonably determines apply with respect to the Option.
Optionee
understands that the per share “Exercise Price” for the Shares is intended to be
at least equal to the fair market value of the Company’s Common Stock at the
date of grant and that the Company has attempted in good faith to make the
fair
market value determination in compliance with applicable tax law although there
can be no certainty that the IRS will agree. Optionee understands that if the
IRS does not agree and asserts that the fair market value at the time of grant
is higher than the Exercise Price, the IRS could seek to impose greater taxes
on
Optionee, including interest and penalties under Internal Revenue Code Section
409A.
K. |
Entire
Agreement; Governing Law.
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The
Option is governed under the rules and in the manner specified in the Notice
and
in this Agreement, which constitute the entire agreement between the parties
with respect hereto and, except as specifically set forth herein, supersede
in
their entirety all prior undertakings and agreements of the Company and Optionee
with respect to the subject matter hereof. The Notice and this Agreement are
governed by the internal substantive laws, but not the choice of law rules,
of
Nevada.
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