--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Exhibit 99.1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ATMI, INC.
1997 STOCK PLAN
SECTION 1. Purpose
The purpose of the 1997 Stock Plan (the "Plan") is to secure for ATMI, Inc.
(the "Company"), its parent (if any) and any subsidiaries of the Company
(collectively the "Related Companies") the benefits arising from capital stock
ownership and the receipt of capital stock-based incentives by those employees,
directors, officers and consultants of the Company and any Related Companies who
will be responsible for the Company's future growth and continued success.
The Plan will provide a means whereby (a) employees of the Company and any
Related Companies may purchase stock in the Company pursuant to options which
qualify as "incentive stock options" ("Incentive Stock Options") under Section
422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), (b)
directors, employees and consultants of the Company and any Related Companies
may purchase stock in the Company pursuant to options granted hereunder which do
not qualify as Incentive Stock Options ("Non-Qualified Option" or "Non-Qualified
Options"); (c) directors, employees and consultants of the Company and any
Related Companies may be awarded stock in the Company ("Awards"); and (d)
directors, employees and consultants of the Company and any Related Companies
may receive stock appreciation rights ("SARs"). Both Incentive Stock Options and
Non-Qualified Options are referred to hereafter individually as an "Option" and
collectively as "Options." As used herein, the terms "parent" and "subsidiary"
mean "parent corporation" and "subsidiary corporation" as those terms are
defined in Section 424 of the Code. Options, Awards and SARs are referred to
hereafter individually as a "Plan Benefit" and collectively as "Plan Benefits."
Directors, employees and consultants of the Company and any Related Companies
are referred to herein as "Participants."
SECTION 2. Administration
2.1 Board of Directors and the Committee. The Plan will be administered by
the Board of Directors of the Company whose construction and interpretation of
the terms and provisions hereof shall be final and conclusive. Any director to
whom a Plan Benefit is awarded shall be ineligible to vote upon his or her Plan
Benefit, but Plan Benefits may be granted to any such director by a vote of the
remainder of the directors, except as limited below. The Board of Directors may
in its sole discretion grant Options, issue shares upon exercise of such
Options, grant Awards and grant SARs all as provided in the Plan. The Board of
Directors shall have authority, subject to the express provisions of the Plan,
to construe the Plan and its related agreements, to prescribe, amend and rescind
rules and regulations relating to the Plan, to determine the terms and
provisions of the respective Option, Award and SAR agreements, which need not be
identical, and to make all other determinations in the judgment of the Board of
Directors necessary or desirable for the administration of the Plan. The Board
of Directors may correct any defect or supply any omission or reconcile any
inconsistency in the Plan or in any related agreement in the manner and to the
extent it shall deem expedient to carry the Plan into effect and it shall be the
sole and final judge of such expediency. No director shall be liable for any
action or determination made in good faith. The Board of Directors may delegate
any or all of its powers under the Plan to a Compensation Committee or other
Committee (the "Committee") appointed by the Board of Directors consisting of at
least two members of the Board of Directors. If Plan Benefits are to be approved
solely by a Committee, the members of the Committee shall at all times be: (i)
"outside directors" as that term is defined in Treas. Reg. S1.162-27(e)(3) (or
any successor regulation); and (ii) "non-employee directors" within the meaning
of Rule 16b-3 (or any successor rule) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
as amended (the "Exchange Act"), as such terms are interpreted from time to
time. If the Committee is so appointed, all references to the Board of Directors
herein shall mean and relate to such Committee, unless the context otherwise
requires.
2.2 Compliance with Section 162(m) of the Code. Section 162(m) of the Code
generally limits the tax deductibility to publicly held companies of
compensation in excess of $1,000,000 paid to certain "covered employees"
("Covered Employees"). It is the Company's intention to preserve the
deductibility of such compensation to the extent it is reasonably practicable
and to the extent it is consistent with the Company's compensation objectives.
For purposes of this Plan, Covered Employees of the Company shall be those
employees of the Company described in Section 162(m)(3) of the Code.
SECTION 3. Eligibility
3.1 Incentive Stock Options. Participants who are employees shall be
eligible to receive Incentive Stock Options pursuant to the Plan; provided that
no person shall be granted any Incentive Stock Option under the Plan who, at the
time such Option is granted, owns, directly or indirectly, Common Stock of the
Company possessing more than 10% of the total combined voting power of all
classes of stock of the Company or of its Related Companies, unless the
requirements of Section 6.6(b) hereof are satisfied. In determining whether this
10% threshold has been reached, the stock attribution rules of Section 424(d) of
the Code shall apply. Directors who are not regular employees are not eligible
to receive Incentive Stock Options.
3.2 Non-Qualified Options, Awards and SARs. Non-Qualified Options, Awards
and SARs may be granted to any Participant.
3.3 Generally. The Board of Directors may take into consideration a
Participant's individual circumstances in determining whether to grant an
Incentive Stock Option, a Non-Qualified Option, an Award or an SAR. Granting of
any Option, Award or SAR for any Participant shall neither entitle that
Participant to, nor disqualify that Participant from, participation in any other
grant of Plan Benefits.
SECTION 4. Stock Subject to Plan
Subject to adjustment as provided in Sections 9 and 10 hereof, the stock to
be offered under the Plan shall consist of shares of the Company's Common Stock,
$.01 par value, and the maximum number of shares which will be reserved for
issuance, and in respect of which Plan Benefits may be granted pursuant to the
provisions of the Plan, shall not exceed in the aggregate 900,000 shares. Such
shares may be authorized and unissued shares, treasury shares or shares
purchased on the open market. If an Option or SAR granted hereunder shall expire
or terminate for any reason without having been exercised in full, or if the
Company shall reacquire any unvested shares issued pursuant to Awards, the
unpurchased shares subject thereto and any unvested shares so reacquired shall
again be available for subsequent grants of Plan Benefits under the Plan. Stock
issued pursuant to the Plan may be subject to such restrictions on transfer,
repurchase rights or other restrictions as shall be determined by the Board of
Directors.
SECTION 5. Granting of Options, SARs and Awards
Plan Benefits may be granted under the Plan at any time after October 10,
1997 (the date of approval of the Plan by the stockholders of the Company) and
prior to October 9, 2007; provided, however, that nothing in the Plan shall be
construed to obligate the Company to grant Plan Benefits to a Participant or
anyone claiming under or through a Participant. The date of grant of Plan
Benefits under the Plan will be the date specified by the Board of Directors at
the time the Board of Directors grants such Plan Benefits; provided, however,
that such date shall not be prior to the date on which the Board of Directors
takes such action. The Board of Directors shall have the right, with the consent
of a Participant, to convert an Incentive Stock Option granted under the Plan to
a Non-Qualified Option pursuant to Section 6.7. Plan Benefits may be granted
alone or in addition to other grants under the Plan.
SECTION 6. Special Provisions Applicable to Options and SARs
6.1 Purchase Price and Shares Subject to Options and SARs.
(a) The purchase price per share of Common Stock deliverable upon the
exercise of an Option shall be determined by the Board of Directors; provided,
however, that (i) in the case of an Incentive Stock Option, the exercise price
shall not be less than 100% of the fair market value of such Common Stock on the
day the Option is granted (except as modified in Section 6.6(b) hereof), and
(ii) in the case of a Non-Qualified Option, the exercise price shall not be less
than 50% of the fair market value on the day such Option is granted.
(b) Options granted under the Plan may provide for the payment of the
exercise price by delivery of (i) cash or a check payable to the order of the
Company in an amount equal to the exercise price of such Options, (ii) shares of
Common Stock of the Company owned by the Participant having a fair market value
equal in amount to the exercise price of the Options being exercised, or (iii)
any combination of (i) and (ii). The fair market value of any shares of the
Company's Common Stock which may be delivered upon exercise of an Option shall
be determined by the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may also permit
Participants, either on a selective or aggregate basis, to simultaneously
exercise Options and sell the shares of Common Stock thereby acquired, pursuant
to a brokerage or similar arrangement, approved in advance by the Board of
Directors, and to use the proceeds from such sale as payment of the purchase
price of such shares.
(c) If, at the time an Option is granted under the Plan, the Company's
Common Stock is publicly traded, "fair market value" shall be determined as of
the last business day for which the prices or quotes discussed in this sentence
are available prior to the date such Option is granted (the "Determination
Date") and shall mean (i) the average (on the Determination Date) of the high
and low prices of the Common Stock on the principal national securities exchange
on which the Common Stock is traded, if such Common Stock is then traded on a
national securities exchange; (ii) the last reported sale price (on the
Determination Date) of the Common Stock on The Nasdaq Stock Market if the Common
Stock is not then traded on a national securities exchange; or (iii) the closing
bid price (or average of bid prices) last quoted (on the Determination Date) by
an established quotation service for over-the-counter securities, if the Common
Stock is not reported on The Nasdaq Stock Market. However, if the Common Stock
is not publicly traded at the time an Option is granted under the Plan, "fair
market value" shall be deemed to be the fair value of the Common Stock as
determined by the Board of Directors after taking into consideration all factors
which it deems appropriate, including, without limitation, recent sale and offer
prices of the Common Stock in private transactions negotiated at arm's length.
(d) The maximum number of shares with respect to which Options or SARs
may be granted to any employee, including any transactions contemplated by
Xxxxx. Reg. S1.162(e)(2)(vi), shall be limited to 112,500 shares in any calendar
year.
6.2 Duration of Options and SARs. Subject to Section 6.6(b) hereof, each
Option and SAR and all rights thereunder shall be expressed to expire on such
date as the Board of Directors may determine, but in no event later than ten
years from the day on which the Option or SAR is granted and shall be subject to
earlier termination as provided herein.
6.3 Exercise of Options and SARs.
(a) Subject to Section 6.6(b) hereof, each Option and SAR granted
under the Plan shall be exercisable at such time or times and during such period
as shall be set forth in the instrument evidencing such Option or SAR. To the
extent that an Option or SAR is not exercised by a Participant when it becomes
initially exercisable, it shall not expire but shall be carried forward and
shall be exercisable, on a cumulative basis, until the expiration of the
exercise period. No partial exercise may be for less than ten (10) full shares
of Common Stock (or its equivalent).
(b) The Board of Directors shall have the right to accelerate the date
of exercise of any installments of any Option or SAR; provided that the Board of
Directors shall not accelerate the exercise date of any installment of any
Option granted to a Participant as an Incentive Stock Option (and not previously
converted into a Non-Qualified Option pursuant to Section 6.7) if such
acceleration would violate the annual vesting limitation contained in Section
422(d)(1) of the Code, which provides generally that the aggregate fair market
value (determined at the time the Option is granted) of the stock with respect
to which Incentive Stock Options granted to any Participant are exercisable for
the first time by such Participant during any calendar year (under all plans of
the Company and any Related Companies) shall not exceed $100,000.
6.4 Nontransferability of Options and SARs. No Option or SAR granted under
the Plan shall be assignable or transferable by the Participant, either
voluntarily or by operation of law, except by will or the laws of descent and
distribution or, with respect to Non-Qualified Options and SARs, unless the
Participant's non-qualified stock option agreement granting such options (the
"Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement") or the Participant's SAR agreement
granting such SARs (the "SAR Agreement") provides otherwise. Unless otherwise
provided by the Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement or the SAR Agreement, as
applicable, during the life of the Participant, the Option or SAR shall be
exercisable only by the Participant. If any Participant should attempt to
dispose of or encumber the Participant's Options or SARs, other than in
accordance with the applicable terms of a Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement
or SAR Agreement, the Participant's interest in such Options or SARs shall
terminate.
6.5 Effect of Termination of Employment or Death on Options and SARs.
(a) Except as otherwise provided in the instrument evidencing the Plan
Benefit, if a Participant ceases to be employed by the Company or a Related
Company for any reason, including retirement but other than death, any Option or
SAR granted to such Participant under the Plan shall immediately terminate;
provided, however, that, except as otherwise provided in the instrument
evidencing the Plan Benefit, any portion of such Option or SAR which was
otherwise exercisable on the date of termination of the Participant's employment
may be exercised within the three-month period following the date on which the
Participant ceased to be so employed, but in no event after the expiration of
the exercise period. Except as otherwise provided in the instrument evidencing
the Plan Benefit, any such exercise may be made only to the extent of the number
of shares subject to the Option or SAR which were purchasable or exercisable on
the date of such termination of employment. If the Participant dies during such
three-month period, the Option or SAR shall be exercisable by the Participant's
personal representatives, heirs or legatees to the same extent and during the
same period that the Participant could have exercised the Option or SAR on the
date of his or her death, except as otherwise provided in the instrument
evidencing the Plan Benefit.
(b) Except as otherwise provided in the instrument evidencing the Plan
Benefit, if the Participant dies while an employee of the Company or any Related
Company, any Option or SAR granted to such Participant under the Plan shall be
exercisable by the Participant's personal representatives, heirs or legatees,
for the purchase of or exercise relative to that number of shares and to the
same extent that the Participant could have exercised the Option or SAR on the
date of his or her death. Except as otherwise provided in the instrument
evidencing the Plan Benefit, the Option or SAR or any unexercised portion
thereof shall terminate unless so exercised prior to the earlier of the
expiration of six months from the date of such death or the expiration of the
exercise period.
6.6 Designation of Incentive Stock Options; Limitations. Options granted
under the Plan which are intended to be Incentive Stock Options qualifying under
Section 422 of the Code shall be designated as Incentive Stock Options and shall
be subject to the following additional terms and conditions:
(a) Dollar Limitation. The aggregate fair market value (determined at
the time the option is granted) of the Common Stock for which Incentive Stock
Options are exercisable for the first time during any calendar year by any
person under the Plan (and all other incentive stock option plans of the Company
and any Related Companies) shall not exceed $100,000. In the event that Section
422(d)(1) of the Code is amended to alter the limitation set forth therein so
that following such amendment such limitation shall differ from the limitation
set forth in this Section 6.6(a), the limitation of this Section 6.6(a) shall be
automatically adjusted accordingly.
(b) 10% Stockholder. If any Participant to whom an Incentive Stock
Option is to be granted pursuant to the provisions of the Plan is on the date of
grant the owner of stock possessing more than 10% of the total combined voting
power of all classes of stock of the Company or any Related Companies, then the
following special provisions shall be applicable to the Incentive Stock Option
granted to such individual:
(i) The option price per share of the Common Stock subject to such
Incentive Stock Option shall not be less than 110% of the fair market value of
one share of Common Stock on the date of grant; and
(ii) The option exercise period shall not exceed five years from
the date of grant.
In determining whether the 10% threshold has been reached, the stock
attribution rules of Section 424(d) of the Code shall apply.
(c) Except as modified by the preceding provisions of this Section
6.6, all of the provisions of the Plan shall be applicable to Incentive Stock
Options granted hereunder.
6.7 Conversion of Incentive Stock Options into Non-Qualified Options;
Termination of Incentive Stock Options. The Board of Directors, at the written
request of any Participant, may in its discretion take such actions as may be
necessary to convert such Participant's Incentive Stock Options (or any
installments or portions of installments thereof) that have not been exercised
on the date of conversion into Non-Qualified Options at any time prior to the
expiration of such Incentive Stock Options, regardless of whether the
Participant is an employee of the Company or a Related Company at the time of
such conversion. Such actions may include, but not be limited to, extending the
exercise period or reducing the exercise price of the appropriate installments
of such Options. At the time of such conversion, the Board of Directors (with
the consent of the Participant) may impose such conditions on the exercise of
the resulting Non-Qualified Options as the Board of Directors in its discretion
may determine, provided that such conditions shall not be inconsistent with the
Plan. Nothing in the Plan shall be deemed to give any Participant the right to
have such Participant's Incentive Stock Options converted into Non-Qualified
Options, and no such conversion shall occur until and unless the Board of
Directors takes appropriate action. The Board of Directors, with the consent of
the Participant, may also terminate any portion of any Incentive Stock Option
that has not been exercised at the time of such termination.
6.8 Stock Appreciation Rights. An SAR is the right to receive, without
payment, an amount equal to the excess, if any, of the fair market value of a
share of Common Stock on the date of exercise over the xxxxx xxxxx, which amount
will be multiplied by the number of shares with respect to which the SARs shall
have been exercised. The grant of SARs under the Plan shall be subject to the
following terms and conditions and shall contain such additional terms and
conditions, not inconsistent with the express terms of the Plan, as the Board of
Directors shall deem desirable:
(a) Grant. SARs may be granted in tandem with, in addition to or
completely independent of any Plan Benefit.
(b) Xxxxx Xxxxx. The xxxxx xxxxx of an SAR may be the fair market
value of a share of Common Stock on the date of grant or such other price as the
Board of Directors may determine.
(c) Exercise. An SAR may be exercised by a Participant in accordance
with procedures established by the Board of Directors or as otherwise provided
in any agreement evidencing any SARs. The Board of Directors may provide that an
SAR shall be automatically exercised on one or more specified dates.
(d) Form of Payment. Payment upon exercise of an SAR may be made in
cash, in shares of Common Stock or any combination thereof, as the Board of
Directors shall determine.
(e) Fair Market Value. Fair market value shall be determined in
accordance with Section 6.1(c) with the "Determination Date" being determined by
reference to the date of grant or the date of exercise of an SAR, as applicable.
6.9 Rights as a Stockholder. A Participant shall have no rights as a
stockholder with respect to any shares covered by an Option or SAR until the
date of issue of a stock certificate to the Participant for such shares. Except
as otherwise expressly provided in the Plan, no adjustment shall be made for
dividends or other rights for which the record date is prior to the date such
stock certificate is issued.
6.10 Special Provisions Applicable to Non-Qualified Options and SARs
Granted to Covered Employees. In order for the full value of Non-Qualified
Options and SARs granted to Covered Employees to be deductible by the Company
for federal income tax purposes, the Company may intend for such Non-Qualified
Options and SARs to be treated as "qualified performance-based compensation" as
described in Treas. Reg. S1.162-27(e) (or any successor regulation). In such
case, Non-Qualified Options and SARs granted to Covered Employees shall be
subject to the following additional requirements:
(a) such options and rights shall be granted only by the Committee;
and
(b) the exercise price of such Options and the xxxxx xxxxx of such
SARs granted shall in no event be less than the fair market value of the Common
Stock as of the date of grant of such Options or SARs.
SECTION 7. Special Provisions Applicable to Awards
7.1 Grants of Awards. The Board of Directors may grant a Participant an
Award subject to such terms and conditions as the Board of Directors deems
appropriate, including, without limitation, restrictions on the pledging, sale,
assignment, transfer or other disposition of such shares and the requirement
that the Participant forfeit all or a portion of such shares back to the Company
upon termination of employment.
7.2 Conditions. Approvals of Awards may be subject to the following
conditions:
(a) Each Participant receiving an Award shall enter into an agreement
(a "Stock Restriction Agreement") with the Company, if required by the Board of
Directors, in a form specified by the Board of Directors agreeing to such terms
and conditions of the Award as the Board of Directors deems appropriate.
(b) Shares issued and transferred to a Participant pursuant to an
Award may, if required by the Board of Directors, be deposited with the
Treasurer or other officer of the Company designated by the Board of Directors
to be held until the lapse of the restrictions upon such shares, and the
Participant shall execute and deliver to the Company stock powers enabling the
Company to exercise its rights hereunder.
(c) Certificates for shares issued pursuant to an Award shall, if the
Company shall deem it advisable, bear a legend to the effect that they are
issued subject to specified restrictions.
(d) Certificates representing the shares issued pursuant to an Award
shall be registered in the name of the Participant and shall be owned by such
Participant. Such Participant shall be the holder of record of such shares for
all purposes, including voting and receipt of dividends paid with respect to
such shares.
(e) If required by the Board of Directors, no Participant receiving an
Award shall make, in connection with such Award, the election permitted under
Section 83(b) of the Code.
7.3 Nontransferability. Shares issued pursuant to an Award may not be sold,
assigned, transferred, alienated, commuted, anticipated, or otherwise disposed
of (except, subject to the provisions of such Participant's Stock Restriction
Agreement, by will or the laws of descent and distribution), or pledged or
hypothecated as collateral for a loan or as security for the performance of any
obligation, or be otherwise encumbered, and are not subject to attachment,
garnishment, execution or other legal or equitable process, prior to the lapse
of restrictions on such shares, and any attempt at action in contravention of
this Section shall be null and void. If any Participant should attempt to
dispose of or encumber the Participant's shares issued pursuant to an Award
prior to the lapse of the restrictions imposed on such shares, the Participant's
interest in such shares shall terminate.
7.4 Effect of Termination of Employment or Death on Awards. Except as
otherwise provided in the instrument evidencing the Awards, if, prior to the
lapse of restrictions applicable to Awards, the Participant ceases to be an
employee of the Company or the Related Companies for any reason, Awards to such
Participant, as to which restrictions have not lapsed, shall be forfeited to the
Company, effective on the date of the Participant's termination of employment.
The Board of Directors shall have the sole power to decide in each case to what
extent leaves of absence shall be deemed a termination of employment.
SECTION 8. Requirements of Law
8.1 Violations of Law. No shares shall be issued and delivered upon
exercise of any Option or the making of any Award or the payment of any SAR
unless and until, in the opinion of counsel for the Company, any applicable
registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, any applicable listing
requirements of any national securities exchange on which stock of the same
class is then listed, and any other requirements of law or of any regulatory
bodies having jurisdiction over such issuance and delivery, shall have been
fully complied with. Each Participant may, by accepting Plan Benefits, be
required to represent and agree in writing, for himself or herself and for his
or her transferees by will or the laws of descent and distribution, that the
stock acquired by him, her or them is being acquired for investment. The
requirement for any such representation may be waived at any time by the Board
of Directors.
8.2 Compliance with Rule 16b-3. The intent of this Plan is to qualify for
the exemption provided by Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act. To the extent any
provision of the Plan does not comply with the requirements of Rule 16b-3, it
shall be deemed inoperative to the extent permitted by law and deemed advisable
by the Board of Directors and shall not affect the validity of the Plan. In the
event Rule 16b-3 is revised or replaced, the Board of Directors may exercise
discretion to modify this Plan in any respect necessary to satisfy the
requirements of the revised exemption or its replacement.
SECTION 9. Recapitalization
In the event that dividends are payable in Common Stock of the Company or
in the event there are splits, sub-divisions or combinations of shares of Common
Stock of the Company, the number of shares available under the Plan shall be
increased or decreased proportionately, as the case may be, and the number of
shares deliverable upon the exercise thereafter of any Option previously granted
shall be increased or decreased proportionately, as the case may be, without
change in the aggregate purchase price, and the number of shares to which
granted SARs relate shall be increased or decreased proportionately, as the case
may be, and the xxxxx xxxxx of such SARs shall be decreased or increased
proportionately, as the case may be.
SECTION 10. Reorganization
If the Company is merged, consolidated with another corporation and the
Company is not the Surviving Corporation, or the property or stock of the
Company is acquired by any other corporation or in the case of a reorganization
or liquidation of the Company, the Board of Directors of the Company, or the
board of directors of any corporation assuming the obligations of the Company
hereunder, shall, as to outstanding Plan Benefits, (i) make appropriate
provision for the protection of any such outstanding Plan Benefits by the
substitution on an equitable basis of appropriate stock of the Company or of the
merged, consolidated or otherwise reorganized corporation which will be issuable
in respect of the shares of Common Stock of the Company; provided only that the
excess of the aggregate fair market value of the shares subject to the Plan
Benefits immediately after such substitution over the purchase or xxxxx xxxxx
thereof is not more than the excess of the aggregate fair market value of the
shares subject to such Plan Benefits immediately before such substitution over
the purchase or xxxxx xxxxx thereof, (ii) upon written notice to the
Participants, provide that all unexercised Plan Benefits must be exercised
within a specified number of days of the date of such notice or such Plan
Benefits will be terminated, or (iii) upon written notice to the Participants,
provide that the Company or the merged, consolidated or otherwise reorganized
corporation shall have the right, upon the effective date of any such merger,
consolidation, sale of assets or reorganization, to purchase all Plan Benefits
held by each Participant and unexercised as of that date at an amount equal to
the aggregate fair market value on such date of the shares subject to the Plan
Benefits held by such Participant over the aggregate purchase or xxxxx xxxxx
therefor, such amount to be paid in cash or, if stock of the merged,
consolidated or otherwise reorganized corporation is issuable in respect of the
shares of the Common Stock of the Company, then, in the discretion of the Board
of Directors, in stock of such merged, consolidated or otherwise reorganized
corporation equal in fair market value to the aforesaid amount. In any such case
the Board of Directors shall, in good faith, determine fair market value and
may, in its discretion, advance the lapse of any waiting or installment periods
and exercise dates.
SECTION 11. No Special Employment Rights
Nothing contained in the Plan or in any Plan Benefit documentation shall
confer upon any Participant receiving a grant of any Plan Benefit any right with
respect to the continuation of his or her employment by the Company (or any
Related Company) or interfere in any way with the right of the Company (or any
Related Company), subject to the terms of any separate employment agreement to
the contrary, at any time to terminate such employment or to increase or
decrease the compensation of the Participant from the rate in existence at the
time of the grant of any Plan Benefit. Whether an authorized leave of absence or
absence in military or government service shall constitute termination of
employment shall be determined by the Board of Directors, in accordance with any
applicable laws.
SECTION 12. Amendment of the Plan
The Board of Directors may at any time and from time to time suspend or
terminate all or any portion of the Plan or modify or amend the Plan in any
respect. The termination or any modification or amendment of the Plan shall not,
without the consent of a Participant, affect the Participant's rights under any
Plan Benefit previously granted. With the consent of the affected Participant,
the Board of Directors may amend outstanding agreements relating to any Plan
Benefit in a manner not inconsistent with the Plan. The Board of Directors
hereby reserves the right to amend or modify the terms and provisions of the
Plan and of any outstanding Options to the extent necessary to qualify any or
all Options under the Plan for such favorable federal income tax treatment
(including deferral of taxation upon exercise) as may be afforded incentive
stock options under Section 422 of the Code, provided, however, that the consent
of a Participant is required if such amendment or modification would cause
unfavorable income tax treatment for such Participant.
SECTION 13. Withholding
The Company's obligation to deliver shares of stock upon the exercise of
any Option or SAR or the granting of an Award and to make payment upon exercise
of any SAR shall be subject to the satisfaction by the Participant of all
applicable federal, state and local income and employment tax withholding
requirements.
SECTION 14. Effective Date and Duration of the Plan
14.1 Effective Date. The Plan shall become effective as of October 10, 1997
(the date of approval of the Plan by the stockholders of the Company).
14.2 Duration. Unless sooner terminated in accordance with Section 10
hereof, the Plan shall terminate upon the earlier of (i) the tenth anniversary
of the effective date or (ii) the date on which all shares available for
issuance under the Plan shall have been issued pursuant to any Awards or the
exercise or cancellation of Options and SARs granted hereunder. If the date of
termination is determined under (i) above, then Plan Benefits outstanding on
such date shall continue to have force and effect in accordance with the
provisions of the instruments evidencing such Plan Benefits.
SECTION 15. Governing Law
The Plan and all actions taken thereunder shall be governed by the laws of
the State of Delaware.
