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EXHIBIT 4.7
S-O ACQUISITION CORP.
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. 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, 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 the 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 and shall be set
forth in such documents issued to the assignee as the Plan Administrator may
deem appropriate.
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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
this option is outstanding, 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. 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 this option is outstanding, 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 vested 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 vested 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 in which Optionee is not
otherwise at that time vested or for which this option is not otherwise
at that time exercisable.
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(e) Should Optionee's Service be terminated for Misconduct,
then this option shall terminate immediately and cease to remain
outstanding.
6. SPECIAL ACCELERATION OF OPTION.
(a) In the event of a Corporate Transaction, this option to
the extent outstanding at that time, but not otherwise fully
exercisable, shall automatically accelerate so that this option shall,
immediately prior to the effective date of the 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 to be replaced with a
comparable option to purchase shares of the capital stock of 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 pay-out in accordance with the same
option exercise/vesting schedule set forth in the Grant Notice. The
determination of option comparability under clause (i) shall be made by
the Plan Administrator, and such determination shall be final, binding
and conclusive.
(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
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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.
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) to the extent the option is exercised for
vested Option Shares, 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
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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.
(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 and the legal representatives, heirs
and legatees of Optionee's estate.
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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.
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.
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(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 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.
18. LEAVE OF ABSENCE. The following provisions shall apply
upon the Optionee's commencement of an authorized leave of absence:
(a) The exercise schedule in effect under the Grant Notice
shall be frozen as of the first day of the authorized leave, and this
option shall not become exercisable for any additional installments of
the Option Shares during the period Optionee remains on such leave.
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(b) Should Optionee resume active Employee status within
sixty (60) days after the start date of the authorized leave, Optionee
shall, for purposes of the exercise schedule set forth in the Grant
Notice, receive Service credit for the entire period of such leave. If
Optionee does not resume active Employee status within such sixty
(60)-day period, then no Service credit shall be given for the period
of such leave.
(c) If the option is designated as an Incentive Option in
the Grant Notice, then the following additional provision shall apply:
If the leave of absence continues for more than ninety (90)
days, then this option shall automatically convert to a
Non-Statutory Option under the Federal tax laws at the end of the
three (3)- month period measured from the ninety-first (91st) day
of such leave, unless the Optionee's reemployment rights are
guaranteed by statute or by written agreement. Following any such
conversion of the option, all subsequent exercises of such option,
whether effected before or after Optionee's return to active
Employee status, shall result in an immediate taxable event, and
the Corporation shall be required to collect from Optionee the
Federal, state and local income and employment withholding taxes
applicable to such exercise.
(d) In no event shall this option become exercisable for
any additional Option Shares or otherwise remain outstanding if
Optionee does not resume Employee status prior to the Expiration Date
of the option term.
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EXHIBIT I
NOTICE OF EXERCISE
I hereby notify S-O Acquisition Corp. (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 1997 Stock Incentive Plan on _______________________, 199_.
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.
____________________________________, 199_
Date
_____________________________________
Optionee
Address: ____________________________
_____________________________________
Print name in exact manner
it is to appear on the
stock certificate: _____________________________________
Address to which certificate
is to be sent, if different
from address above: _____________________________________
Social Security Number: _____________________________________
Employee 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. CODE shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
D. COMMON STOCK shall mean the Corporation's common stock.
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 S-O Acquisition Corp., a Delaware
corporation.
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:
(i) If the Common Stock is at the time traded on the Nasdaq
National Market, then the Fair Market Value shall be the closing
selling price per share of Common Stock on the date in question, as the
price is reported by the National
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Association of Securities Dealers on the Nasdaq National Market or any
successor system. 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.
(ii) If the Common Stock is at the time listed on any Stock
Exchange, then the Fair Market Value shall be 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.
S. OPTIONEE shall mean the person to whom the option is granted as
specified in the Grant Notice.
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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 1997 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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