NON-QUALIFIED STOCK OPTION (FORM S.C.) COVER SHEET UNDER THE ANHEUSER-BUSCH COMPANIES, INC.
Exhibit
10.23
NON-QUALIFIED
STOCK OPTION (FORM S.C.) COVER SHEET
UNDER
THE
ANHEUSER-XXXXX
COMPANIES, INC.
1998
INCENTIVE STOCK PLAN
GRANT
INFORMATION
GRANTED
TO
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Grant
Date
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Number
of Options
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Option
Price
$
Per Share
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SAP
ID Number
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Expiration
Date
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AGREEMENT
This
Non-Qualified Stock Option (Form S.C.) Cover Sheet (the “NQSO Cover Sheet”) and
the Standard Non-Qualified Stock Option Form Agreement (Version 11/06, Form
S.C.) (the “Standard NQSO Form”), which is incorporated herein by this
reference, together constitute a single Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement
(this “NQSO Agreement”) under the Anheuser-Xxxxx Companies, Inc. 1998 Incentive
Stock Plan (the “Plan”). This NQSO Agreement is between Anheuser-Xxxxx
Companies, Inc. (the “Company”) and the person named above under the caption
“Granted To” (the “Optionee”). By signing below, Optionee accepts the Options
granted under this NQSO Agreement, agrees to be bound by the terms of this
NQSO
Agreement, and acknowledges that he or she has received, read, and understood
a
complete copy of the Standard NQSO Form which is part of this NQSO Agreement.
Optionee understands that he or she may request another copy of the Standard
NQSO Form from the Company as long as this NQSO Agreement remains
outstanding.
THIS
AGREEMENT CONTAINS A BINDING ARBITRATION PROVISION THAT APPLIES TO ALL DISPUTES
RELATED TO THIS AGREEMENT, AND MAY BE ENFORCED BY THE PARTIES.
In
witness whereof, the Company and the Optionee have executed this NQSO Agreement
in duplicate as of its Grant Date.
Anheuser-Xxxxx
Companies, Inc.
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By:______________________________
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By:______________________________
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Vice President
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Optionee
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1
STANDARD
NON-QUALIFIED STOCK OPTION FORM AGREEMENT
(VERSION
11/06, FORM S.C.)
UNDER
THE ANHEUSER-XXXXX COMPANIES, INC.
1998
INCENTIVE STOCK PLAN
This
Standard Non-Qualified Stock Option Form Agreement (Version 11/06, Form S.C.)
(the "Standard NQSO Form"), and the completed, executed Non-Qualified Stock
Option (Form S.C.) Cover Sheet (the "Cover Sheet") which specifically
incorporates this Standard NQSO Form by reference, together constitute a
single
Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement (this "NQSO Agreement" or this "Agreement")
under the Anheuser-Xxxxx Companies, Inc. 1998 Incentive Stock Plan (the "Plan").
This NQSO Agreement is between Anheuser-Xxxxx Companies, Inc., a Delaware
corporation (the "Company"), and the person designated on the Cover Sheet
under
the caption "Granted To" (the "Optionee"). The parties agree as follows:
Section
1. GRANT.
In
conformity with the Plan, the provisions of which are incorporated herein
by
this reference, and pursuant to action by the Compensation Committee which
administers the Plan (the "Committee"), the Company hereby irrevocably grants
to
the Optionee Non-Qualified Stock Options (the "Options"), which are not
"incentive stock options" under Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code
of
1986, as amended ("Code"), to purchase all or any part of the number of shares
of common stock of the Company ("Stock") equal to the number set forth on
the
Cover Sheet under the caption "Number of Options", on the terms and conditions
herein set forth. The grant hereunder is made as of the Grant Date set forth
on
the Cover Sheet (the "Grant Date").
Section
2. OPTION
PRICE.
The
purchase price per share of the Stock covered by the Options (the "Option
Price") shall be the price specified on the Cover Sheet under the caption
"Option Price $ Per Share".
Section
3. EXERCISABILITY.
(a) Except
as otherwise provided in this Agreement, the Optionee shall have the right
to
exercise one-third of the Options on and after the first anniversary of the
Grant Date, the next one-third of the Options on and after the second
anniversary of the Grant Date, and the remaining one-third on and after the
third anniversary of the Grant Date.
(b) Optionee
shall not exercise and shall forfeit any of the Options which are not
exercisable on the date Optionee ceases to be employed by any of the Company,
a
Subsidiary, or an Affiliate, unless such Options otherwise become exercisable
as
provided herein.
(c) All
outstanding Options shall become immediately exercisable:
(i) on
the date of the Optionee’s Retirement or Disability;
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(ii) on
the date of Optionee’s death while employed by Company;
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(iii) on
the occurrence
of an Acceleration Date;
or
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(iv) as
contemplated in Section
3(h).
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(d) Optionee
(or Optionee’s guardian or legal representative in the case of Section 3(d)(iv))
may exercise any or all exercisable Options through the Expiration Date set
forth on the Cover Sheet (the “Expiration Date”) if:
2
(i) the
Optionee remains an employee of the Company or any Subsidiary
or an
Affiliate through the Expiration
Date;
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(ii) the
Optionee voluntarily terminates his or her employment due to
Retirement;
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(iii) the
Optionee’s employment is involuntarily terminated by any of the Company,
a
Subsidiary, or an Affiliate because of a sale of a Subsidiary
or Interest
in an Affiliate, or a sale of assets of any business operation
owned by
the Company, a Subsidiary or an Affiliate, or because of a liquidation,
shutdown, spin-off, distribution, reorganization, reduction in
force,
lay-off or similar event and the Optionee is not contemporaneously
hired
by another of the Company, a Subsidiary or an Affiliate;
or
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(iv) the
Optionee’s employment is terminated as a result of a Disability.
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(e) If
Optionee voluntarily terminates his or her employment other than due to
Retirement, Optionee may exercise any or all Options that are exercisable
on the
date of such termination through the earlier of the Expiration Date or the
period ending three (3) months following the date of such
termination.
(f) If
Optionee dies prior to the Expiration Date (whether or not Optionee is then
employed by the Company, a Subsidiary or an Affiliate), all Options the Optionee
(or Optionee’s guardian or legal representative in the case of Section 3(d)(iv))
had the right to exercise at the date of death (including all Options that
become exercisable at the date of death pursuant to Section 3(c)(ii) hereof)
may
be exercised by Optionee’s “Post Death Representatives” (as defined in Section
5(a) hereof) but only until the earlier to occur of the Expiration Date or
the
date three (3) years after the date of death, and shall not be exercised
thereafter.
(g) Optionee
shall forfeit all Options, regardless of whether or not exercisable, if such
Optionee’s employment is terminated for cause or for any other reason not set
forth in Section 3(d)(ii), (iii), (iv), (e) or (f).
(h) The
Committee may accelerate the dates on which the Options become exercisable
at
any time and for any reason.
(i) The
exercisability of the Options shall not be affected by any change of duties
or
position of Optionee, including an Employer-authorized special assignment,
so
long as Optionee continues to be an employee of at least one of the Company,
a
Subsidiary or an Affiliate.
(j) An
Optionee who is as of the Grant Date on, or following the Grant Date commences,
an Employer-authorized leave of absence for any reason (a “Leave of Absence”)
shall be deemed to remain employed by the Employer for purposes of this Option
grant unless (i) the Leave of Absence extends beyond the second anniversary
(the
“Leave of Absence Expiration Date”) of the date on which the Leave of Absence
commenced, and (ii) the Leave of Absence Expiration Date occurs prior to
the
Expiration Date, in which event the Optionee will be deemed to have terminated
his or her employment with the effect set forth in Section 3(e) on and as
of the
Leave of Absence Expiration Date.
3
Section
4. TERMINATION.
The
Options shall terminate and cease to be exercisable in accordance with the
following provisions:
(a) Notwithstanding
any other provisions of this Agreement, the Options shall terminate at the
close
of business on the Expiration Date, unless sooner terminated as provided
below.
(b) The
Options shall terminate when they no longer may be exercised pursuant to
Section
3, if sooner than the Expiration Date.
Section
5. EXERCISES.
(a) Optionee
may exercise some or all of the Options, to the extent exercisable, by paying
the Option Price of the Options exercised and taking all other required actions
in accordance with Section 5(b). The Options may be exercised only by Optionee
or his or her guardian or legal representative during his or her lifetime,
and
only by Optionee's Post-Death Representatives after Optionee's death. The
term
"Post-Death Representatives" means the executor or administrator of Optionee's
estate or the person or persons to whom Optionee's rights under this Agreement
shall pass by his or her will or the laws of descent and distribution.
(b) Any
exercise of the Options shall be made only in accordance with those procedures
required or expressly permitted by the Secretary at the time of the exercise.
Exercise procedures may be changed by the Secretary during the term of the
Options. The Secretary's exercise procedures may impose restrictions and
requirements concerning payment of the Option Price, payment of taxes, issuance
and delivery of Stock, communications between the Company (or its agents)
and
the Optionee, the effectiveness and effective date of the exercise, and all
other matters pertaining to the exercise. Optionee may request from the
Secretary's office at any time a summary of those exercise procedures which
then
are in effect; it is Optionee's responsibility to ascertain and follow those
exercise procedures in effect at the time of each exercise. Any deviation
from
the Secretary's procedures permitted in one exercise shall not entitle the
Optionee to utilize or rely upon that deviation in a later exercise.
Section
6. WITHHOLDING
TAXES.
When
Optionee's Employer becomes required to collect Required Withholding Taxes,
the
Optionee shall promptly pay to the Company or Employer (as required by the
Committee or the Company at the time) the amount of such Required Withholding
Taxes in cash. Cash payment shall not be required, however, if Optionee makes
a
Tax Election in accordance with the following terms and conditions:
(a) General
Rules for Tax Elections.
Optionee may make an election (a "Tax Election") to have the Company withhold
from the shares of Stock payable to Optionee that number of shares determined
in
accordance with paragraph (b) below. Optionee may make a Tax Election only
at
the time of an exercise, such Election may relate only to such exercise.
Each
Tax Election shall be governed by the rules of the Committee or Secretary
as in
effect at the time of the Election. If a Tax Election is duly made, the Company
will make a cash payment to the appropriate taxing authorities equal to the
aggregate value on the exercise date of all shares of Stock withheld, even
if
(as a result of rounding) the amount paid exceeds the amount of Required
Withholding Taxes. For purposes of this Section 6, the value of Stock on
the
exercise date may be determined in any manner approved by the Committee or
Secretary at that time and need not be based on "Fair Market Value" as defined
in the Plan. Moreover, the Secretary shall establish rounding and all other
administrative rules from time to time, which shall govern all Tax
Elections.
4
(b) Number
of Shares Withheld.
The
number of shares of Stock to be withheld with respect to an exercise as to
which
a Tax Election is duly made will be determined by dividing the amount of
Required Withholding Taxes related to the exercise by the value of a share
of
Stock on the exercise date.
Section
7. ADJUSTMENTS.
In the
event of (a) any change in the outstanding shares of Stock by reason of any
stock split, combination of shares, stock dividend, reorganization, merger,
consolidation, or other corporate change having a similar effect, (b) any
separation of the Company including a spin-off or other distribution of stock
or
property by the Company, or (c) any distribution to stockholders generally
other
than a normal dividend, the Committee shall make such equitable adjustment
to
the Options (to the extent then outstanding) as it shall deem appropriate
in
order to prevent the dilution or enlargement of (i) the shares of Stock which
may be issued pursuant to the Options or (ii) the economic value of the Options,
subject to the limitations and requirements of the Plan from time to time.
Any
such determination by the Committee shall be conclusive and binding on all
concerned.
Section
8. COMPLIANCE
WITH SECURITIES LAWS, ETC.
In its
discretion, the Company may place legends upon any Stock certificates issued
hereunder, and otherwise may restrict Optionee's ability to transfer such
Stock,
if and to the extent necessary to comply with, or facilitate the Company's
compliance with, federal or state securities laws or any regulations or rules
thereunder, or the requirements of the New York Stock Exchange or other exchange
upon which the Stock is listed or approved for listing. The provisions of
this
Section shall terminate upon the occurrence of an Acceleration Date described
in
Section 3(c) above.
Section
9. LIMITATION
ON RIGHTS IN COMPANY STOCK.
Neither
Optionee nor his or her executor or administrator, legatees or distributees,
as
the case may be, shall have any of the rights of a shareholder with respect
to
shares of Stock covered by the Options until shares of Stock are issued to
him,
her or them upon exercise of the Options.
Section
10. LIMITATIONS
ON TRANSFERS.
(a) Except
as
provided in this Section 10, the Options shall not be transferable by Optionee
otherwise than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution.
(b) Provided
the Transfer
Conditions are satisfied, Optionee may transfer any of the Options
to:
(i) A
Member of his or her Immediate Family,
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(ii) An
irrevocable and
unamendable trust (hereinafter a “Qualifying Trust”):
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(A) which
is
solely for the benefit of one or more members of Optionee’s Immediate Family
and/or Optionee,
(B) the
interests in which are not transferable other than by will or by the laws
of
descent and distribution, and
(C) which
provides that, if any member of Optionee’s Immediate Family is living upon
termination, the trust assets are to be distributed upon termination to one
or
more persons described in paragraph (i) above and/or trusts described in
this
paragraph (ii); or
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(iii) A
partnership or limited liability company (hereinafter a “Qualifying
Partnership”):
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(A) the
only
partners or members of which are (x) one or more Qualifying Trusts, (y) one
or
more members of Optionee’s Immediate Family, or (z) any combination of one or
more Qualifying Trusts, one or more members of Optionee’s Immediate Family and
Optionee, and
(B) the
interests in which are not transferable other than by will or by the laws
of
descent and distribution or by a transfer to Optionee, an Immediate Family
member, a Qualifying Trust, or a Qualifying Partnership.
(c) A
Transferee under Section 10(b) shall have no right to transfer Options except:
(i) By
will or by the laws of descent and
distribution;
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(ii) In
the case of a Transferee which is a Qualifying Trust which requires
distributions to Optionee, to Optionee;
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(iii) In
the case of a Qualifying Trust, if no member of Optionee’s Immediate
Family is living at the time of termination, the Options may
be
transferred to anyone in accordance with the terms of the Qualifying
Trust; or
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(iv) In
the case of a Qualifying Partnership, the Options may be distributed
in
liquidation among the then partners or members of the Qualifying
Partnership.
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(d) The
term
“Immediate Family” of Optionee shall mean Optionee’s spouse and descendants,
including step and adopted descendants, and the estate of any such person.
(e) The
“Transfer Conditions” are:
(i) The
number of Options per transferee is at least 5,000,
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(ii) There
is no consideration for the transfer of the Options or interests
in any
transferee, except that interests in a Qualifying Partnership may
be sold
to a Qualifying Trust if such Trust is and will be, from the time
of the
sale until the sooner of the Optionee’s death or the exercise or
expiration of the Options held by such Partnership, an irrevocable
trust
with respect to which Optionee is treated as owning all portions
of such
trust within the meaning of Sections 671 through 677 of the Code
(the sale
of such Partnership interests to such a Trust shall constitute
a covenant
by the Optionee to the Company to cause this condition to be met
during
such time period), and
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(iii) Optionee
complies with such rules, and completes such forms in connection
with the
transfer, as the Secretary may require.
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(f) After
a
transfer, the Transferee shall succeed to all of the rights of the transferor
under this Agreement with respect to the transferred Options and shall be
subject to all limitations to which those rights are subject. After a transfer,
the term “Optionee” as used herein shall refer to the Transferee except that:
6
(i) For
the purposes of Section 3, the Transferee will have no greater
rights
thereunder than the Optionee would have had if such section and
the other
provisions of this Agreement were applied and interpreted as if
the
Optionee had not transferred the Options,
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(ii) The
Optionee for purposes of the withholding tax provisions of Section
6 shall
be the transferor (who shall have no right to make a tax election
under
Section 6),
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(iii) The
Optionee for purposes of Section 10(b) shall be the transferor,
and
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(iv) The
Optionee for purposes of the Reporting Person rules of Section
13 and its
related definitions shall be the transferor.
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(g) Notwithstanding
Section 3(a) above, if Optionee actually transfers (in accordance with this
Section 10) any of the Options which are scheduled to become exercisable
on the
first anniversary of the Grant Date, such Options shall become exercisable
upon
transfer.
Section
11. NO
RIGHT TO EMPLOYMENT.
Nothing
in this Agreement or the Plan shall confer on the Optionee any right or
expectation to continue in the employ of his or her Employer or the Company,
or
to interfere in any manner with the absolute right of the Employer or the
Company to change or terminate the Optionee's employment at any time for
any
reason or no reason.
Section
12. DEFINITIONS.
"Act"
means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended from time to time.
"Disability"
means the condition of being "disabled" within the meaning of Section 422(c)(6)
of the Code, or any successor to such Section.
"Reporting
Person" as of a given date, means an Optionee who would be required to report
a
purchase or sale of Stock occurring on such date to the Securities and Exchange
Commission pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Act and the rules and regulations
thereunder.
"Retirement"
means voluntary termination of employment from the Company or a Subsidiary
(i)
after an individual attains age sixty (60); or (ii) after completion of twenty
(20) years of service with the Company and/or its Subsidiaries or Affiliates.
"Rule
16b-3" means Rule 16b-3 (as amended from time to time) promulgated by the
Securities and Exchange Commission under the Act, and any successor thereto.
Other
capitalized terms not defined in this Agreement shall have the meanings given
in
the Plan.
Section
13. RULE
16b-3.
If and
as long as Optionee is a Reporting Person, he or she shall not act with respect
to the Options in a manner which, in the Company's or the Committee's judgment,
would contravene any requirement of Rule 16b-3 as in effect at the time of
such
action,
except
with the written consent of the Company or the Committee.
7
Section
14. AMENDMENTS.
This
Agreement may be amended in writing by the Company and Optionee, provided
that
the Company may amend this Agreement unilaterally (i) if the amendment does
not
adversely affect or impair the rights of the Optionee, (ii) if the Company
determines that the amendment is necessary to comply with Rule 16b-3, or
(iii)
if the Company determines that the amendment is necessary to prevent benefits
under this Agreement from constituting "applicable employee remuneration"
within
the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Code. The Company shall give notice
to the
Optionee of any such unilateral amendment either before or promptly after
the
effective date thereof.
Section
15. RELATIONSHIP
TO THE PLAN.
This
Agreement has been entered into pursuant to the Plan, and each and every
provision of this Agreement shall be subject to the provisions of such Plan
and
the terms therein shall govern this Agreement.
Section
16. ELECTRONIC
DELIVERY AND SIGNATURES.
Optionee
hereby consents and agrees to electronic delivery of any Plan documents,
proxy
materials, annual reports and other related documents. Optionee hereby consents
to any and all procedures that the Company has established or may establish
for
an electronic signature system for delivery and acceptance of Plan documents
(including documents relating to any programs adopted under the Plan), and
agrees that his or her electronic signature is the same as, and shall have
the
same force and effect as, his or her manual signature. Optionee consents
and
agrees that any such procedures and delivery may be effected by a third party
engaged by the Company to provide administrative services related to the
Plan,
including any program adopted under the Plan.
Section
17. COMMITTEE
AUTHORITY.
The
Committee will have the power and discretion to interpret this Agreement
and to
adopt such rules for the administration, interpretation and application of
the
Agreement as are consistent with the Plan and this Agreement, and to interpret
or revoke any such rules, including, but not limited to, the determination
of
whether or not any Options have vested or shall be forfeited. All actions taken
and all interpretations and determinations made by the Committee in good
faith
will be final and binding upon the Optionee, the Company and all other
interested persons. No member of the Committee will be personally liable
for any
action, determination or interpretation made in good faith with respect to
this
Agreement.
Section
18. GOVERNING
LAW.
This
Agreement and any other document delivered hereunder shall be construed in
accordance with and governed by the laws of the state of Missouri without
regard
to the principles of conflicts of law. Each party hereto submits to the
exclusive jurisdiction of the Circuit Court for the County of St. Louis,
State
of Missouri ("County Court") residing in St. Louis County for purposes of
all
legal proceedings (including, but not limited to, actions to compel arbitration
under the provisions of this Agreement) arising out of or relating to this
Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby. In the event that the
County
Court is for any reason not available for purposes of any such legal proceeding,
then each party hereto submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the United
States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, Eastern Division
(St. Louis). Each party hereto irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent
permitted by law, any objections that either party may now or hereafter have
to
the aforesaid venue, including without limitation any claim that any such
proceeding brought in either such court has been brought in an inconvenient
forum, provided however, this provision shall not limit the ability of either
party to enforce the other provisions of this Section.
Section
19. AGREEMENT
TO ARBITRATE CLAIMS.
Optionee and the Company acknowledge and agree that any and all disputes
relating to or arising out of this Agreement shall be resolved through binding
arbitration under the procedures specified by the Company's Dispute Resolution
Program (DRP). The results of said arbitration shall be final and binding
on
both Optionee and the Company. Each party may enforce this Section. Each
party
hereto irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any and
all
rights to a jury trial.
8
Section
20. ENFORCEABILITY;
MODIFICATION; CONFORMITY
WITH LOCAL LAWS.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the Company and Optionee
agree that: (a)
if
for
any reason any provision of this Agreement is determined to be legally invalid
or unenforceable, the validity of the remainder of the Agreement will not
be
affected and such provision will be deemed modified to the minimum extent
necessary to make such provision consistent with applicable law and, in its
modified form, such provision will then be enforceable and enforced, (b)
to the
extent the
laws
of the country or province (other than the United States or its states) of
which
Optionee is a citizen or resident ("Local Laws")
require
this Agreement to contain a provision, whether it be a covenant, restriction,
prohibition, or otherwise, that provision shall be deemed included in this
Agreement; and (c) the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed changed
to
the extent necessary to ensure compliance by the Company and Optionee with
all
Local Laws governing taxation. This Agreement may be restated by the Company
after the Grant Date to reflect the changes provided in this Section, and
also
may be restated by the Company in a language other than English even if not
required by Local Laws. Optionee's consent to any such changes or restatements
shall be required only to the extent required by Local Laws or by the Company.
9