EMPLOYEE NON-QUALIFIED STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT
Exhibit 10.4
THIS EMPLOYEE NON-QUALIFIED STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”) entered into as of the date listed on Schedule A (the “Grant Date”) between GelTech Solutions, Inc. (the “Company”) and the individual listed on Schedule A (the “Optionee”).
(a) The Options shall vest as listed on Schedule A, subject to the Optionee’s continued employment with the Company on each applicable vesting date. Any fractional vesting shall be rounded up to the extent necessary. Notwithstanding any other provision in this Agreement, the Options shall vest immediately on the occurrence of a Change of Control as defined under the Plan. Additionally, all Options shall vest immediately on the date the Company publicly announces, by press release, by disclosure in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission or otherwise (the “Public Announcement”), its intention to sell substantially all of the Company’s assets or to enter into a merger or consolidation as described in clauses (i) and (ii) under the definition of Change of Control in the Plan. If the Optionee exercises the Options within 10 calendar days from the date of the Public Announcement, the Optionee shall be deemed a record holder of the shares underlying the Options as of the record date of the Change of Control.
(b) Subject to Sections 3(c) and 4 of this Agreement, the Options may be exercised prior to vesting and remain exercisable until 6:00 p.m. New York time for five years from the Grant Date (the “Expiration Date”).
(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, at the discretion of the Board or the Compensation Committee (as defined in the Plan), the Options, whether vested or unvested, shall be immediately forfeited in the event any of the following events occur:
(1) The Optionee is dismissed as an employee based upon fraud, theft, or dishonesty, which is reflected in a written or electronic notice given to the employee;
(2) The Optionee purchases or sells securities of the Company in violation of the Company’s xxxxxxx xxxxxxx guidelines then in effect;
(3) The Optionee breaches any duty of confidentiality including that required by the Company’s xxxxxxx xxxxxxx guidelines then in effect;
(4) The Optionee competes with the Company during a period of one year following termination of employment by soliciting customers located within or otherwise where the Company is doing business within any state, or where the Company expects to do business within three months following termination and, in this later event, the Optionee has actual knowledge of such plans;
(5) The Optionee is unavailable for consultation after termination of the Optionee if such availability is a condition of any agreement between the Company and the Optionee;
(6) The Optionee recruits Company personnel for another entity or business within 24 months following termination of employment;
(7) The Optionee fails to assign any invention, technology, or related intellectual property rights to the Company if such assignment is a condition of any agreement between the Company and the Optionee;
(8) The Optionee acts in a disloyal manner to the Company; or
(9) A finding by the Board that the Optionee has acted against the interests of the Company.
(a) If for any reason, except death or disability as provided below, the Optionee ceases to act as an employee of the Company in the capacity for which the Options were granted, all rights granted hereunder shall terminate effective three months from that date. Any part of the Options that was not exercisable immediately before the termination of Optionee’s employment shall terminate at that time.
(b) If the Optionee shall die while an employee of the Company, the Optionee’s estate or any Transferee, as defined herein, shall have the right within the time provided in the Plan to exercise the Optionee’s vested Options subject to Section 3(c). For the purpose of this Agreement, “Transferee” shall mean a person to whom such shares are transferred by will or by the laws of descent and distribution. For purposes of this Section 4(b) “Company” shall include subsidiaries and/or affiliates of the Company.
(c) If the Optionee becomes disabled while an employee of the Company within the meaning of Section 22(e)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, the Optionee shall have the right within the time provided in the Plan to exercise the Optionee’s vested options.
(d) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Section 4, the Options may not be exercised after the Expiration Date.
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(a) state the election to exercise the Options, the number of shares to be exercised, the person in whose name the stock certificate or certificates for such shares of common stock is to be registered, address and social security number of such person (or if more than one, the names, addresses and social security numbers of such persons);
(b) contain such representations and agreements as to the holder’s investment intent with respect to such shares of common stock as set forth in Section 11 hereof;
(c) be signed by the person or persons entitled to exercise the Options and, if the Options are being exercised by any person or persons other than the Optionee, be accompanied by proof, satisfactory to counsel for the Company, of the right of such person or persons to exercise the Options;
(d) be accompanied by full payment of the exercise price by tender to the Company of an amount equal to the Exercise Price multiplied by the number of underlying shares being purchased either in cash, by wire transfer, or by certified check or bank cashier’s check, payable to the order of the Company; and
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(e) be accompanied by payment of any amount that the Company, in its sole discretion, deems necessary to comply with any federal, state or local withholding requirements for income and employment tax purposes. If the Optionee fails to make such payment in a timely manner, the Company may: (i) decline to permit exercise of the Options or (ii) withhold and set-off against compensation and any other amounts payable to the Optionee the amount of such required payment. Such withholding may be in the shares underlying the Options at the sole discretion of the Company.
The certificate or certificates for shares of common stock as to which the Options shall be exercised shall be registered in the name of the person or persons exercising the Options.
11. Conditions to Exercise of Options. If a Registration Statement on Form S-8 (or any other successor form) is not effective as to the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the Options, the remainder of this Section 10 is applicable as to federal law. In order to enable the Company to comply with the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”) and relevant state law, the Company may require the Optionee, the Optionee’s estate, or any Transferee as a condition of the exercising of the Options granted hereunder, to give written assurance satisfactory to the Company that the shares subject to the Options are being acquired for such person’s own account, for investment only, with no view to the distribution of same, and that any subsequent resale of any such shares either shall be made pursuant to a registration statement under the Securities Act and applicable state law which has become effective and is current with regard to the shares being sold, or shall be pursuant to an exemption from registration under the Securities Act and applicable state law.
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The Options are further subject to the requirement that, if at any time the Board shall determine, in its discretion, that the listing, registration, or qualification of the shares of common stock underlying the Options upon any securities exchange or under any state or federal law, or the consent or approval of any governmental regulatory body, is necessary as a condition of, or in connection with the issue or purchase of shares underlying the Options, the Options may not be exercised in whole or in part unless such listing, registration, qualification, consent or approval shall have been effected.
(e) Reserve and keep available for issue such number of shares of its authorized and unissued common stock as will be sufficient to satisfy the requirements of this Agreement;
(f) Pay all original issue taxes with respect to the issue of shares pursuant hereto and all other fees and expenses necessarily incurred by the Company in connection therewith;
(g) Use its best efforts to comply with all laws and regulations which, in the opinion of counsel for the Company, shall be applicable thereto.
16. Arbitration. Any controversy, dispute or claim arising out of or relating to this Agreement, or its interpretation, application, implementation, breach or enforcement which the parties are unable to resolve by mutual agreement, shall be settled by submission by either party of the controversy, claim or dispute to binding arbitration in Palm Beach County, Florida (unless the parties agree in writing to a different location), before a single arbitrator in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association then in effect. The decision and award made by the arbitrator shall be final, binding and conclusive on all parties hereto for all purposes, and judgment may be entered thereon in any court having jurisdiction thereof.
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The Optionee: | See Schedule A | ||
The Company: | GelTech Solutions, Inc. | ||
0000 Xxxx Xxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxx 0 | |||
Xxxxxxx, XX 00000 | |||
Attention: Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx | |||
Facsimile: (000) 000-0000 | |||
with a copy to: | Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx, Esq. | ||
Xxxxxx Xxxxxx LLP | |||
0000 Xxxxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxx, Xxxxx 000 | |||
Xxxx Xxxxx Xxxxxxx, XX 00000 | |||
Facsimile: (000) 000-0000 |
or to such other address as either of them, by notice to the other may designate from time to time. The transmission confirmation receipt from the sender’s facsimile machine shall be evidence of successful facsimile delivery. Time shall be counted to, or from, as the case may be, the delivery in person or by mailing.
20. Governing Law. This Agreement and any dispute, disagreement, or issue of construction or interpretation arising hereunder whether relating to its execution, its validity, the obligations provided herein or performance shall be governed or interpreted according to the laws of the State of Delaware without regard to choice of law considerations.
21. Oral Evidence. This Agreement constitutes the entire Agreement between the parties and supersedes all prior oral and written agreements between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof. Neither this Agreement nor any provision hereof may be changed, waived, discharged or terminated orally, except by a statement in writing signed by the party or parties against which enforcement or the change, waiver discharge or termination is sought.
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(a) The Optionee agrees that, in order to ensure compliance with the restrictions set forth in the Plan and this Agreement, the Company may issue appropriate “stop transfer” instructions to its duly authorized transfer agent, if any, and that, if the Company transfers its own securities, it may make appropriate notations to the same effect in its own records.
(b) The Company shall not be required (i) to transfer on its books any shares of the Company’s common stock that have been sold or otherwise transferred in violation of any of the provisions of the Plan or the Agreement or (ii) to treat the owner of such shares of common stock or to accord the right to vote or pay dividends to any purchaser or other Transferee to whom such shares of common stock shall have been so transferred.
[Signature Page to Follow]
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WITNESSES: | GELTECH SOLUTIONS, INC. | |||
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By: |
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Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx
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Chief Executive Officer
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OPTIONEE: | ||||
See Schedule A |
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Schedule A
Grantee
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Number of Options
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Grant Date
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Price per Share
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Vesting
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Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx
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750,000
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12/8/2010
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$1.22
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150,000 vested immediately; remainder vest semi-annually beginning 6/30/11
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250,000
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3/10/2011
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$1.25
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1/3 vest each 3/10 beginning 3/10/12 subject to performance milestones
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Xxx Xxxxxxx
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750,000
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12/8/2010
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$1.22
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150,000 vested immediately; remainder vest semi-annually beginning 6/30/11
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250,000
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3/10/2011
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$1.25
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1/3 vest each 3/10 beginning 3/10/12 subject to performance milestones
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Xxxxx Xxxxxxx
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750,000
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12/8/2010
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$1.22
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150,000 vested immediately; remainder vest semi-annually beginning 6/30/11
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250,000
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3/10/2011
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$1.25
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1/3 vest each 3/10 beginning 3/10/12 subject to performance milestones
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