RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT GRANT AGREEMENT
RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT GRANT AGREEMENT
THIS AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”) is made as of this [●] day of August, 2014 between Higher One Holdings, Inc. (the “Company”) and [●] (the “Participant”).
WHEREAS, the Company has adopted and maintains the Higher One Holdings, Inc. Amended and Restated 2010 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) to promote the interests of the Company and its shareholders by providing the Company’s key employees and others with an appropriate incentive to encourage them to continue in the employ of the Company and to improve the growth and profitability of the Company; and
WHEREAS, the Plan provides for the grant to participants in the Plan of restricted stock unit awards;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the promises and the mutual covenants hereinafter set forth, the parties hereto hereby agree as follows:
1. Grant of Restricted Stock Units. Pursuant to, and subject to, the terms and conditions set forth herein and in the Plan, the Company hereby grants to the Participant [●] restricted stock units (the “RSUs”). Each RSU represents an unfunded and unsecured promise of the Company to deliver (or cause to be delivered) as provided herein to the Participant a share of Common Stock. Until such delivery, the Participant has only the rights of a general unsecured creditor and no rights as a shareholder of the Company.
2. Grant Date. The grant date of the RSUs hereby granted is August [●], 2014.
3. Incorporation of Plan. All terms, conditions and restrictions of the Plan are incorporated herein and made part hereof as if stated herein. All capitalized terms used herein but otherwise undefined shall have the meanings given to such terms in the Plan.
4. Vesting. Subject to Section 5, the RSUs held by the Participant shall vest in accordance with the vesting schedule set forth in Schedule A hereto (each date listed in Schedule A, a “Scheduled Vesting Date”), provided that the Participant is continuously employed through the applicable Scheduled Vesting Date, and shall be settled in accordance with Section 6 hereof.
5. Termination of Employment. (a) In the event that the Participant’s employment is terminated (i) by the Company without Cause, (ii) by the Participant for Good Reason or (iii) as a result of the Participant’s death or Disability, any unvested RSUs will immediately and fully vest and be settled in accordance with Section 6 hereof. Upon termination of the Participant’s employment voluntarily (other than for Good Reason) or upon termination of the Participant’s employment by the Company for Cause, any unvested RSUs shall be immediately forfeited by the Participant on the date of such termination and the Participant shall have no further rights with respect thereto without any payment or consideration by the Company.
(b) For purposes of this Agreement, the terms “Cause”, “Good Reason” and “Disability have the following meanings:
“Cause” shall mean (i) the Participant’s material breach of any of his or her obligations under any written agreement with the Company or any of its subsidiaries, (ii) the Participant’s material violation of any of the Company’s policies, procedures, rules and regulations applicable to employees generally or to employees at his or her grade level, in each case, as they may be amended from time to time in the Company’s sole discretion, (iii) the Participant’s failure to substantially perform his or her duties to the Company or its subsidiaries (other than as a result of physical or mental illness or injury), (iv) the Participant’s willful misconduct or gross negligence that has caused or is reasonably expected to result in material injury to the business, reputation or prospects of the Company or any of its subsidiaries, (v) the Participant’s fraud or misappropriation of funds, or (vi) the Participant’s commission of a felony or other serious crime involving moral turpitude.
“Good Reason” shall mean the occurrence of any of the following events without the Participant’s written consent: (i) a material reduction in the Participant’s base salary, (ii) a material reduction in all of the Participant’s core responsibilities at the Company, (iii) a relocation of the Participant’s principal place of business to a location more than fifty (50) miles from his or her designated office location, or (iv) a material breach by the Company of any provision of this Agreement; provided that, within ninety (90) days following the occurrence of any of the events described in clauses (i)-(iv) above, the Participant shall have delivered written notice to the Company of his or her intention to terminate employment for Good Reason, which notice shall specify in reasonable detail the circumstances claimed to give rise to his or her right to terminate employment for Good Reason, and the Company shall not have cured such circumstances within thirty (30) days following the Company’s receipt of such notice.
“Disability” shall mean the Participant’s incapacity due to physical or mental illness or injury resulting in the Participant being unable, due to such incapacity or physical or mental illness, to perform the essential duties of his or her employment with reasonable accommodation for a period not less than one hundred eighty (180) days and shall be determined by the Company in its sole discretion.
6. Delivery of Shares. Within 90 days of (i) a Scheduled Vesting Date, or (ii) the termination of the Participant’s employment with the Company (x) by the Company without Cause, (y) by the Participant for Good Reason or (z) as a result of the Participant’s death or Disability, the Company will settle any vested (including by reason of Section 5 hereof) but not previously settled RSUs by issuing or delivering to the Participant one share of Common Stock for each such RSU; provided that any such settlement shall be no made later than March 15th of the year following the year in which such Scheduled Vesting Date or such termination of employment, as applicable, occurs.
7. Transfer. The RSUs or the rights relating thereto may not be assigned, alienated, pledged, attached, sold or otherwise transferred or encumbered by the Participant. Any attempt to assign, alienate, pledge, attach, sell or otherwise transfer or encumber the RSUs or the rights relating shall be wholly ineffective and, if any such attempt is made, the RSUs will be forfeited by the Participant.
8. Taxes. Whenever shares are to be issued upon settlement of RSUs hereunder, the Company shall have the right to require the Participant to remit to the Company an amount
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sufficient to satisfy any federal, state and local withholding tax requirements prior to the delivery of any certificate or certificates for such shares.
9. Delays or Omissions. No delay or omission to exercise any right, power, or remedy accruing to any party hereto upon any breach or default of any party under this Agreement, shall impair any such right, power or remedy of such party nor shall it be construed to be a waiver of any such breach or default, or an acquiescence therein, or of or in any similar breach or default thereafter occurring, nor shall any waiver of any single breach or default be deemed a waiver of any other breach or default theretofore or thereafter occurring. Any waiver, permit, consent or approval of any kind or character on the part of any party of any breach or default under this Agreement, or any waiver on the part of any party or any provisions or conditions of this Agreement, shall be in writing and shall be effective only to the extent specifically set forth in such writing.
10. Integration; Amendment. This Agreement and the Plan contain the entire understanding of the parties with respect to its subject matter. There are no restrictions, agreements, promises, representations, warranties, covenants or undertakings with respect to the subject matter hereof other than those expressly set forth herein and the Plan. This Agreement and the Plan supersede all prior agreements and understandings between the parties with respect to the subject matter of this Agreement. In the event of a conflict between the terms of the Plan and the terms of this Agreement, the terms of the Plan will govern. This Agreement may be amended only by an instrument in writing signed by the parties hereto, and any provision hereof may be waived only by an instrument in writing signed by the party or parties against whom or which enforcement of such waiver is sought.
11. Notice. Any notice or other communication required or permitted under this Agreement shall be effective only if it is in writing and shall be deemed to be given when delivered personally or four days after it is mailed by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested or one day after it is sent by a reputable overnight courier service and, in each case, addressed as follows (or if it is sent through any other method agreed upon by the parties):
If to the Company:
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx
Vice President and General Counsel
Higher One Holdings, Inc.
000 Xxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxxx, XX 00000
If to the Participant:
At his most recent address shown on the payroll records of the Company or to such other address as any party hereto may designate by notice to the others.
12. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which shall constitute one and the same
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instrument. Counterpart signature pages to this Agreement transmitted by facsimile transmission, by electronic mail in portable document format (.pdf), or by any other electronic means intended to preserve the original graphic and pictorial appearance of a document, will have the same effect as physical delivery of the paper document bearing an original signature.
13. Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to the provisions governing conflict of laws.
14. Participant Acknowledgment. The Participant hereby acknowledges receipt of a copy of the Plan. The Participant hereby acknowledges that all decisions, determinations and interpretations of the Committee in respect of the Plan, this Agreement and the RSUs shall be final and conclusive. The Participant hereby acknowledges that there may be tax consequences upon vesting or settlement of the RSUs or disposition of the underlying shares and that the Participant should consult a tax advisor prior to such vesting, settlement or disposition. The Participant further acknowledges that he is responsible for the payment of all taxes that arise in respect of the RSUs.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Agreement to be duly executed by its duly authorized officer and said Participant has hereunto signed this Agreement on the Participant’s own behalf, thereby representing that the Participant has carefully read and understands this Agreement and the Plan as of the day and year first written above.
| Higher One Holdings, Inc. |
| By: |
| Title: |
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PARTICIPANT
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Participant Signature:
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Schedule A
| Scheduled Vesting Date | Shares Vested |
| March 31, 2016 | [●] |
| March 31, 2017 | [●] |
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