EXHIBIT 99.3
RHYTHMS NETCONNECTIONS INC.
STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT
RECITALS
A. The Board has adopted the Plan for the purpose of retaining the
services of selected Employees, non-employee members of the Board or of the
board of directors of any Parent or Subsidiary and consultants and other
independent advisors who provide services to the Corporation (or any Parent or
Subsidiary).
B. Optionee is to render valuable services to the Corporation (or a
Parent or Subsidiary), and this Agreement is executed pursuant to, and is
intended to carry out the purposes of, the Plan in connection with the
Corporation's grant of an option to Optionee.
C. All capitalized terms in this Agreement shall have the meaning
assigned to them in the attached Appendix.
NOW, THEREFORE, it is hereby agreed as follows:
1. GRANT OF OPTION. The Corporation hereby grants to Optionee, as
of the Grant Date, an option to purchase up to the number of Option Shares
specified in the Grant Notice. The Option Shares shall be purchasable from time
to time during the option term specified in Paragraph 2 at the Exercise Price.
2. OPTION TERM. This option shall have a maximum term of ten (10)
years measured from the Grant Date and shall accordingly expire at the close of
business on the Expiration Date, unless sooner terminated in accordance with
Paragraph 5 or 6.
3. LIMITED TRANSFERABILITY.
(a) This option shall be neither transferable nor assignable by
Optionee other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution following
Optionee's death and may be exercised, during Optionee's lifetime, only by
Optionee. However, Optionee may designate one or more persons as the
beneficiary or beneficiaries of this option, and this option shall, in
accordance with such designation, automatically be transferred to such
beneficiary or beneficiaries upon the Optionee's death while holding such
option. Such beneficiary or beneficiaries shall take the transferred option
subject to all the terms and conditions of this Agreement, including (without
limitation) the limited time period during which this option may, pursuant to
Paragraph 5, be exercised following Optionee's death.
(b) If this option is designated a Non-Statutory Option in the
Grant Notice, then this option may, in connection with the Optionee's estate
plan, be assigned in whole or in part during Optionee's lifetime to one or more
members of Optionee's immediate family or to a trust established for the
exclusive benefit of one or more such family members. The assigned portion
shall be exercisable only by the person or persons who acquire a proprietary
interest in the option pursuant to such assignment. The terms applicable to the
assigned portion shall be the same as those in effect for this option
immediately prior to such assignment.
4. DATES OF EXERCISE. This option shall become exercisable for the
Option Shares in one or more installments as specified in the Grant Notice. As
the option becomes exercisable for such installments, those installments shall
accumulate and the option shall remain exercisable for the accumulated
installments until the Expiration Date or sooner termination of the option term
under Paragraph 5 or 6.
5. CESSATION OF SERVICE. The option term specified in Paragraph 2
shall terminate (and this option shall cease to be outstanding) prior to the
Expiration Date should any of the following provisions become applicable:
(a) Should Optionee cease to remain in Service for any reason
(other than death, Permanent Disability or Misconduct) while holding this
option, then Optionee shall have a period of three (3) months (commencing with
the date of such cessation of Service) during which to exercise this option, but
in no event shall this option be exercisable at any time after the Expiration
Date.
(b) Should Optionee die while holding this option, then the
personal representative of Optionee's estate or the person or persons to whom
the option is transferred pursuant to Optionee's will or in accordance with the
laws of inheritance shall have the right to exercise this option. However, if
Optionee has designated one or more beneficiaries of this option, then those
persons shall have the exclusive right to exercise this option following
Optionee's death. Such right shall lapse, and this option shall cease to be
outstanding, upon the EARLIER of (i) the expiration of the twelve (12)-month
period measured from the date of Optionee's death or (ii) the Expiration Date.
(c) Should Optionee cease Service by reason of Permanent
Disability while holding this option, then Optionee shall have a period of
twelve (12) months (commencing with the date of such cessation of Service)
during which to exercise this option. In no event shall this option be
exercisable at any time after the Expiration Date.
(d) During the limited period of post-Service exercisability,
this option may not be exercised in the aggregate for more than the number of
Option Shares for which the option is exercisable at the time of Optionee's
cessation of Service. Upon the expiration of such limited exercise period or
(if earlier) upon the Expiration Date, this option shall terminate and cease to
be outstanding for any exercisable Option Shares for which the option has not
been exercised. However, this option shall, immediately upon Optionee's
cessation of Service for any reason, terminate and cease to be outstanding with
respect to any Option Shares for which this option is not otherwise at that time
exercisable.
(e) Should Optionee's Service be terminated for Misconduct, then
this option shall terminate immediately and cease to remain outstanding.
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6. SPECIAL ACCELERATION OF OPTION.
(a) This option, to the extent outstanding at the time of a
Corporate Transaction but not otherwise fully exercisable, shall automatically
accelerate so that this option shall, immediately prior to the effective date of
such Corporate Transaction, become exercisable for all of the Option Shares at
the time subject to this option and may be exercised for any or all of those
Option Shares as fully vested shares of Common Stock. No such acceleration of
this option shall occur, however, if and to the extent: (i) this option is, in
connection with the Corporate Transaction, to be assumed by the successor
corporation (or parent thereof) or (ii) this option is to be replaced with a
cash incentive program of the successor corporation which preserves the spread
existing at the time of the Corporate Transaction on the Option Shares for which
this option is not otherwise at that time exercisable (the excess of the Fair
Market Value of those Option Shares over the aggregate Exercise Price payable
for such shares) and provides for subsequent payout in accordance with the same
option exercise/vesting schedule set forth in the Grant Notice.
(b) Immediately following the Corporate Transaction, this option
shall terminate and cease to be outstanding, except to the extent assumed by the
successor corporation (or parent thereof) in connection with the Corporate
Transaction.
(c) If this option is assumed in connection with a Corporate
Transaction, then this option shall be appropriately adjusted, immediately after
such Corporate Transaction, to apply to the number and class of securities which
would have been issuable to Optionee in consummation of such Corporate
Transaction had the option been exercised immediately prior to such Corporate
Transaction, and appropriate adjustments shall also be made to the Exercise
Price, PROVIDED the aggregate Exercise Price shall remain the same.
(d) This Agreement shall not in any way affect the right of the
Corporation to adjust, reclassify, reorganize or otherwise change its capital or
business structure or to merge, consolidate, dissolve, liquidate or sell or
transfer all or any part of its business or assets.
7. ADJUSTMENT IN OPTION SHARES. Should any change be made to the
Common Stock by reason of any stock split, stock dividend, recapitalization,
combination of shares, exchange of shares or other change affecting the
outstanding Common Stock as a class without the Corporation's receipt of
consideration, appropriate adjustments shall be made to (i) the total number
and/or class of securities subject to this option and (ii) the Exercise Price in
order to reflect such change and thereby preclude a dilution or enlargement of
benefits hereunder.
8. STOCKHOLDER RIGHTS. The holder of this option shall not have any
stockholder rights with respect to the Option Shares until such person shall
have exercised the option, paid the Exercise Price and become a holder of record
of the purchased shares.
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9. MANNER OF EXERCISING OPTION.
(a) In order to exercise this option with respect to all or any
part of the Option Shares for which this option is at the time exercisable,
Optionee (or any other person or persons exercising the option) must take the
following actions:
(i) Execute and deliver to the Corporation a Notice of
Exercise for the Option Shares for which the option is exercised.
(ii) Pay the aggregate Exercise Price for the purchased
shares in one or more of the following forms:
(A) cash or check made payable to the
Corporation;
(B) a promissory note payable to the
Corporation, but only to the extent authorized by the Plan
Administrator in accordance with Paragraph 13;
(C) shares of Common Stock held by Optionee
(or any other person or persons exercising the option) for the
requisite period necessary to avoid a charge to the Corporation's
earnings for financial reporting purposes and valued at Fair
Market Value on the Exercise Date; or
(D) through a special sale and remittance
procedure pursuant to which Optionee (or any other person or
persons exercising the option) shall concurrently provide
irrevocable instructions (i) to a Corporation-designated
brokerage firm to effect the immediate sale of the purchased
shares and remit to the Corporation, out of the sale proceeds
available on the settlement date, sufficient funds to cover the
aggregate Exercise Price payable for the purchased shares plus
all applicable Federal, state and local income and employment
taxes required to be withheld by the Corporation by reason of
such exercise and (ii) to the Corporation to deliver the
certificates for the purchased shares directly to such brokerage
firm in order to complete the sale.
Except to the extent the sale and remittance procedure is
utilized in connection with the option exercise, payment of the
Exercise Price must accompany the Notice of Exercise delivered to
the Corporation in connection with the option exercise.
(iii) Furnish to the Corporation appropriate
documentation that the person or persons exercising the option (if
other than Optionee) have the right to exercise this option.
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(iv) Make appropriate arrangements with the
Corporation (or Parent or Subsidiary employing or retaining Optionee)
for the satisfaction of all Federal, state and local income and
employment tax withholding requirements applicable to the option
exercise.
(b) As soon as practical after the Exercise Date, the
Corporation shall issue to or on behalf of Optionee (or any other person or
persons exercising this option) a certificate for the purchased Option Shares,
with the appropriate legends affixed thereto.
(c) In no event may this option be exercised for any fractional
shares.
10. COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS AND REGULATIONS.
(a) The exercise of this option and the issuance of the Option
Shares upon such exercise shall be subject to compliance by the Corporation and
Optionee with all applicable requirements of law relating thereto and with all
applicable regulations of any stock exchange (or the Nasdaq National Market, if
applicable) on which the Common Stock may be listed for trading at the time of
such exercise and issuance.
(b) The inability of the Corporation to obtain approval from
any regulatory body having authority deemed by the Corporation to be
necessary to the lawful issuance and sale of any Common Stock pursuant to
this option shall relieve the Corporation of any liability with respect to
the non-issuance or sale of the Common Stock as to which such approval shall
not have been obtained. The Corporation, however, shall use its best efforts
to obtain all such approvals.
11. SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS. Except to the extent otherwise provided
in Paragraphs 3 and 6, the provisions of this Agreement shall inure to the
benefit of, and be binding upon, the Corporation and its successors and assigns
and Optionee, Optionee's assigns, the legal representatives, heirs and legatees
of Optionee's estate and any beneficiaries of this option designated by
Optionee.
12. NOTICES. Any notice required to be given or delivered to the
Corporation under the terms of this Agreement shall be in writing and addressed
to the Corporation at its principal corporate offices. Any notice required to
be given or delivered to Optionee shall be in writing and addressed to Optionee
at the address indicated below Optionee's signature line on the Grant Notice.
All notices shall be deemed effective upon personal delivery or upon deposit in
the U.S. mail, postage prepaid and properly addressed to the party to be
notified.
13. FINANCING. The Plan Administrator may, in its absolute
discretion and without any obligation to do so, permit Optionee to pay the
Exercise Price for the purchased Option Shares by delivering a full-recourse
promissory note payable to the Corporation. The terms of any such promissory
note (including the interest rate, the requirements for collateral and the terms
of repayment) shall be established by the Plan Administrator in its sole
discretion.
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14. CONSTRUCTION. This Agreement and the option evidenced hereby are
made and granted pursuant to the Plan and are in all respects limited by and
subject to the terms of the Plan. All decisions of the Plan Administrator with
respect to any question or issue arising under the Plan or this Agreement shall
be conclusive and binding on all persons having an interest in this option.
15. GOVERNING LAW. The interpretation, performance and enforcement
of this Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of California
without resort to that State's conflict-of-laws rules.
16. EXCESS SHARES. If the Option Shares covered by this Agreement
exceed, as of the Grant Date, the number of shares of Common Stock which may
without stockholder approval be issued under the Plan, then this option shall be
void with respect to those excess shares, unless stockholder approval of an
amendment sufficiently increasing the number of shares of Common Stock issuable
under the Plan is obtained in accordance with the provisions of the Plan.
17. ADDITIONAL TERMS APPLICABLE TO AN INCENTIVE OPTION. In the event
this option is designated an Incentive Option in the Grant Notice, the following
terms and conditions shall also apply to the grant:
(a) This option shall cease to qualify for favorable tax
treatment as an Incentive Option if (and to the extent) this option is exercised
for one or more Option Shares: (A) more than three (3) months after the date
Optionee ceases to be an Employee for any reason other than death or Permanent
Disability or (B) more than twelve (12) months after the date Optionee ceases to
be an Employee by reason of Permanent Disability.
(b) No installment under this option shall qualify for favorable
tax treatment as an Incentive Option if (and to the extent) the aggregate Fair
Market Value (determined at the Grant Date) of the Common Stock for which such
installment first becomes exercisable hereunder would, when added to the
aggregate value (determined as of the respective date or dates of grant) of the
Common Stock or other securities for which this option or any other Incentive
Options granted to Optionee prior to the Grant Date (whether under the Plan or
any other option plan of the Corporation or any Parent or Subsidiary) first
become exercisable during the same calendar year, exceed One Hundred Thousand
Dollars ($100,000) in the aggregate. Should such One Hundred Thousand Dollar
($100,000) limitation be exceeded in any calendar year, this option shall
nevertheless become exercisable for the excess shares in such calendar year as a
Non-Statutory Option.
(c) Should the exercisability of this option be accelerated upon
a Corporate Transaction, then this option shall qualify for favorable tax
treatment as an Incentive Option only to the extent the aggregate Fair Market
Value (determined at the Grant Date) of the Common Stock for which this option
first becomes exercisable in the calendar year in which the Corporate
Transaction occurs does not, when added to the aggregate value (determined as of
the respective date or dates of grant) of the Common Stock or other securities
for which this option
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or one or more other Incentive Options granted to Optionee prior to the Grant
Date (whether under the Plan or any other option plan of the Corporation or
any Parent or Subsidiary) first become exercisable during the same calendar
year, exceed One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000) in the aggregate.
Should the applicable One Hundred Thousand Dollar ($100,000) limitation be
exceeded in the calendar year of such Corporate Transaction, the option may
nevertheless be exercised for the excess shares in such calendar year as a
Non-Statutory Option.
(d) Should Optionee hold, in addition to this option, one or
more other options to purchase Common Stock which become exercisable for the
first time in the same calendar year as this option, then the foregoing
limitations on the exercisability of such options as Incentive Options shall
be applied on the basis of the order in which such options are granted.
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EXHIBIT I
NOTICE OF EXERCISE
I hereby notify Rhythms NetConnections Inc. (the "Corporation") that I
elect to purchase _______________ shares of the Corporation's Common Stock (the
"Purchased Shares") at the option exercise price of $____________ per share (the
"Exercise Price") pursuant to that certain option (the "Option") granted to me
under the Corporation's 1999 Stock Incentive Plan on _________________, _______.
Concurrently with the delivery of this Exercise Notice to the
Corporation, I shall hereby pay to the Corporation the Exercise Price for the
Purchased Shares in accordance with the provisions of my agreement with the
Corporation (or other documents) evidencing the Option and shall deliver
whatever additional documents may be required by such agreement as a condition
for exercise. Alternatively, I may utilize the special broker-dealer sale and
remittance procedure specified in my agreement to effect payment of the Exercise
Price.
_____________________, ________
Date
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Optionee
Address:
--------------------------------
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Print name in exact manner it is
to appear on the stock
certificate:
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Address to which certificate is
to be sent, if different from
address above:
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Social Security Number:
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APPENDIX
The following definitions shall be in effect under the Agreement:
A. AGREEMENT shall mean this Stock Option Agreement.
B. BOARD shall mean the Corporation's Board of Directors.
C. COMMON STOCK shall mean shares of the Corporation's common stock.
D. CODE shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
E. CORPORATE TRANSACTION shall mean either of the following
stockholder-approved transactions to which the Corporation is a party:
(i) a merger or consolidation in which securities
possessing more than fifty percent (50%) of the total combined voting
power of the Corporation's outstanding securities are transferred to a
person or persons different from the persons holding those securities
immediately prior to such transaction, or
(ii) the sale, transfer or other disposition of all or
substantially all of the Corporation's assets in complete liquidation
or dissolution of the Corporation.
F. CORPORATION shall mean Rhythms NetConnections Inc., a Delaware
corporation, and any successor corporation to all or substantially all of the
assets or voting stock of Rhythms NetConnections Inc. which shall by
appropriate action adopt the Plan.
G. EMPLOYEE shall mean an individual who is in the employ of the
Corporation (or any Parent or Subsidiary), subject to the control and direction
of the employer entity as to both the work to be performed and the manner and
method of performance.
H. EXERCISE DATE shall mean the date on which the option shall have been
exercised in accordance with Paragraph 9 of the Agreement.
I. EXERCISE PRICE shall mean the exercise price per Option Share as
specified in the Grant Notice.
J. EXPIRATION DATE shall mean the date on which the option expires as
specified in the Grant Notice.
K. FAIR MARKET VALUE per share of Common Stock on any relevant date shall
be determined in accordance with the following provisions:
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(i) If the Common Stock is at the time traded on the Nasdaq
National Market, then the Fair Market Value shall be deemed equal to
the closing selling price per share of Common Stock on the date in
question, as the price is reported by the National Association of
Securities Dealers on the Nasdaq National Market. If there is no
closing selling price for the Common Stock on the date in question,
then the Fair Market Value shall be the closing selling price on the
last preceding date for which such quotation exists, or
(ii) If the Common Stock is at the time listed on any Stock
Exchange, then the Fair Market Value shall be deemed equal to the
closing selling price per share of Common Stock on the date in
question on the Stock Exchange determined by the Plan Administrator to
be the primary market for the Common Stock, as such price is
officially quoted in the composite tape of transactions on such
exchange. If there is no closing selling price for the Common Stock
on the date in question, then the Fair Market Value shall be the
closing selling price on the last preceding date for which such
quotation exists.
X. XXXXX DATE shall mean the date of grant of the option as specified in
the Grant Notice.
X. XXXXX NOTICE shall mean the Notice of Grant of Stock Option
accompanying the Agreement, pursuant to which Optionee has been informed of the
basic terms of the option evidenced hereby.
N. INCENTIVE OPTION shall mean an option which satisfies the requirements
of Code Section 422.
O. MISCONDUCT shall mean the commission of any act of fraud, embezzlement
or dishonesty by Optionee, any unauthorized use or disclosure by Optionee of
confidential information or trade secrets of the Corporation (or any Parent or
Subsidiary), or any other intentional misconduct by Optionee adversely affecting
the business or affairs of the Corporation (or any Parent or Subsidiary) in a
material manner. The foregoing definition shall not be deemed to be inclusive
of all the acts or omissions which the Corporation (or any Parent or Subsidiary)
may consider as grounds for the dismissal or discharge of Optionee or any other
individual in the Service of the Corporation (or any Parent or Subsidiary).
P. NON-STATUTORY OPTION shall mean an option not intended to satisfy the
requirements of Code Section 422.
Q. NOTICE OF EXERCISE shall mean the notice of exercise in the form
attached hereto as Exhibit I.
R. OPTION SHARES shall mean the number of shares of Common Stock subject
to the option as specified in the Grant Notice.
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S. OPTIONEE shall mean the person to whom the option is granted as
specified in the Grant Notice.
T. PARENT shall mean any corporation (other than the Corporation) in an
unbroken chain of corporations ending with the Corporation, provided each
corporation in the unbroken chain (other than the Corporation) owns, at the time
of the determination, stock possessing fifty percent (50%) or more of the total
combined voting power of all classes of stock in one of the other corporations
in such chain.
U. PERMANENT DISABILITY shall mean the inability of Optionee to engage in
any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable
physical or mental impairment which is expected to result in death or has lasted
or can be expected to last for a continuous period of twelve (12) months or
more.
V. PLAN shall mean the Corporation's 1999 Stock Incentive Plan.
W. PLAN ADMINISTRATOR shall mean either the Board or a committee of the
Board acting in its capacity as administrator of the Plan.
X. SERVICE shall mean the Optionee's performance of services for the
Corporation (or any Parent or Subsidiary) in the capacity of an Employee, a
non-employee member of the board of directors or a consultant or independent
advisor.
Y. STOCK EXCHANGE shall mean the American Stock Exchange or the New York
Stock Exchange.
Z. SUBSIDIARY shall mean any corporation (other than the Corporation) in
an unbroken chain of corporations beginning with the Corporation, provided each
corporation (other than the last corporation) in the unbroken chain owns, at the
time of the determination, stock possessing fifty percent (50%) or more of the
total combined voting power of all classes of stock in one of the other
corporations in such chain.
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