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EXHIBIT 99.4
XETEL CORPORATION
STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT
RECITALS
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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 seven
(7) 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:
(i) 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.
(ii) If Optionee dies while this
option is outstanding, 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 descent
and distribution shall have the right to exercise this option. Such
right shall lapse, and this option shall cease to be outstanding, upon
the earlier of (A) the expiration of the twelve (12)- month period
measured from the date of Optionee's death or (B) the Expiration Date.
(iii) 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.
(iv) 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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(v) 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) 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 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, however, shall occur 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 on the
unvested Option Shares at the time of the Corporate Transaction (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.
(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) If this option is assumed by the successor entity
(or its parent company), then immediately upon an Involuntary Termination of
Optionee's Service within eighteen (18) months following such Corporate
Transaction, this option (or any replacement grant), to the extent outstanding
at the time but not otherwise fully exercisable, shall automatically accelerate
so that this option shall become immediately exercisable for all 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. This option shall
remain so exercisable until the earlier of (i) the Expiration Date or (ii) the
expiration of the one (1)-year period measured from the date of such Involuntary
Termination.
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(e) Immediately upon an Involuntary Termination of
Optionee's Service within eighteen (18) months following a Change in Control,
this option, to the extent outstanding at the time but not otherwise fully
exercisable, shall automatically accelerate so that this option shall become
immediately 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. This option, as so accelerated, shall
remain exercisable until the earlier of (i) the Expiration Date or (ii) the
expiration of the one (1)-year period measured from the date of such Involuntary
Termination.
(f) 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.
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; or
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(C) through a special sale and
remittance procedure pursuant to which Optionee (or any other
person or persons exercising the option) shall concurrently
provide irrevocable written 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.
(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) Except to the extent the sale and remittance
procedure is utilized in connection with the option exercise, 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
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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.
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
Texas 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:
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(i) 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.
(ii) 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.
(iii) 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.
(iv) 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 XeTel Corporation (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
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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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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. CHANGE IN CONTROL shall mean a change in ownership or control of the
Corporation effected through either of the following transactions:
(i) the acquisition, directly or indirectly, by any
person or related group of persons (other than the Corporation or a
person that directly or indirectly controls, or is controlled by, or is
under common control with, the Corporation) of beneficial ownership
(within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended) of securities possessing more than fifty percent
(50%) of the total combined voting power of the Corporation's
outstanding securities pursuant to a tender or exchange offer made
directly to the Corporation's stockholders which the Board does not
recommend such stockholders to accept, or
(ii) a change in the composition of the Board over a
period of thirty-six (36) consecutive months or less such that a
majority of the Board members ceases, by reason of one or more
contested elections for Board membership, to be comprised of
individuals who either (i) have been Board members continuously since
the beginning of such period or (ii) have been elected or nominated for
election as Board members during such period by at least a majority of
the Board members described in clause (i) who were still in office at
the time such election or nomination was approved by the Board.
D. CODE shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
E. COMMON STOCK shall mean the Corporation's common stock.
F. 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
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(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.
G. CORPORATION shall mean XeTel Corporation, a Delaware corporation.
H. 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.
I. EXERCISE DATE shall mean the date on which the option shall have
been exercised in accordance with Paragraph 9 of the Agreement.
J. EXERCISE PRICE shall mean the exercise price per share as specified
in the Grant Notice.
K. EXPIRATION DATE shall mean the date on which the option expires as
specified in the Grant Notice.
L. 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 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.
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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.
O. INCENTIVE OPTION shall mean an option which satisfies the
requirements of Code Section 422.
P. INVOLUNTARY TERMINATION shall mean the termination of Optionee's
Service by reason of:
(i) Optionee's involuntary dismissal or discharge by
the Corporation for reasons other than Misconduct, or
(ii) Optionee's voluntary resignation following (A) a
change in Optionee's position with the Corporation (or Parent or
Subsidiary employing Optionee) which materially reduces Optionee's
level of responsibility, (B) a reduction in Optionee's level of
compensation (including base salary, fringe benefits and target bonus
under any corporate-performance based bonus or incentive programs) by
more than ten percent (10%) or (C) a relocation of Optionee's place of
employment by more than fifty (50) miles, provided and only if such
change, reduction or relocation is effected by the Corporation without
Optionee's consent.
Q. 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).
R. 1934 ACT shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
S. NON-STATUTORY OPTION shall mean an option not intended to satisfy
the requirements of Code Section 422.
T. NOTICE OF EXERCISE shall mean the notice of exercise in the form
attached hereto as Exhibit I.
U. 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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V. OPTIONEE shall mean the person to whom the option is granted as
specified in the Grant Notice.
W. 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.
X. 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.
Y. PLAN shall mean the Corporation's 1997 Stock Incentive Plan.
Z. PLAN ADMINISTRATOR shall mean either the Board or a committee of the
Board acting in its administrative capacity under the Plan.
AA. 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.
AB. STOCK EXCHANGE shall mean the American Stock Exchange or the New
York Stock Exchange.
AC. 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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