UNIT OPTION AGREEMENT (Three-Year “Cliff” Exercisability)
(Three-Year “Cliff” Exercisability)
[Global Affiliate] (the “Global Affiliate”) confirms that, on [grant date] (the “Grant Date”), it granted you, [name], [number] Unit Options, and approves or ratifies such grant. Your Unit Options are subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement and of the MetLife International Unit Option Incentive Plan (the “Plan”). Any payment due under this Agreement may be made by any one or more Affiliates (each such Affiliate(s) making any such payment will be known as a “Paying Affiliate”).
1. Standard Exercise Terms.
(a) Each Unit Option entitles you, upon Exercise, to receive a cash payment equal to the Market Price of one share of Common Stock less the Exercise Price, if the difference is greater than zero. The Exercise Price of your Unit Options is $[price], the Closing Price on the Grant Date.
(b) Except as provided in Sections 2 and 3, each of your Unit Options granted hereunder will become eligible for Exercise on the and third anniversary of the Grant Date, and you may Exercise your Unit Options which are eligible for Exercise until the close of business in New York City on [day bef 10th anniv of Grant Date] (the “Expiration Date”). Neither this date, nor any other deadline for exercise of your Options under this Agreement, will be extended regardless of whether you are unable to exercise your Options on that date because it is not a business day, due to trading limitations, or otherwise.
(c) You may Exercise any of your Unit Options that have become eligible for Exercise by notifying the Administrator in writing, using procedures that will be established for this purpose. Payment will be made in a currency chosen by the Paying Affiliate.
2. Changes of Status. For purposes of this Section 2, your transfer between an Affiliate and any other Affiliate or the Company will not be a termination of employment. If a Change of Control occurs prior to any of the events described in this Section 2, any applicable terms of Section 3 will supersede the terms of this Section 2.
(a) Disability. In the event of your Disability, your Unit Options will become eligible for Exercise just as they would have if you remained in active service and, once your Unit Options are eligible for Exercise, they may be Exercised at any time until the close of business on the Expiration Date. Any of your Unit Options that are not Exercised within that period will be forfeited. Once this Section 2(a) applies, Sections 2(b), (c), (e) and (f) will not apply to your Unit Options, even if you subsequently return to active service or terminate employment with the any Affiliate or the Company for any reason.
(b) Death. In the event that your employment with the any Affiliate or the Company terminates due to your death, all of your Unit Options will become fully eligible for Exercise as of the date of your death and will remain so until the close of business on the Expiration Date. Any of your Unit Options that are not Exercised within that period will be forfeited.
(c) Approved Retirement. If your employment with any Affiliate or the Company terminates due to your Approved Retirement, your Unit Options will become eligible for Exercise just as if you had not retired, and you may Exercise your Unit Options which are eligible for Exercise at any time until the close of business on the Expiration Date. Any of your Unit Options that are not Exercised within that period will be forfeited. Subject to Section 2.1(c) of the Plan, you do not need special approval from the Administrator for an Approved Retirement.
(d) Termination for Cause. Notwithstanding any other terms of this Section 2, in the event that your employment with any Affiliate or the Company is terminated for Cause, all of your Unit Options not yet Exercised will be forfeited immediately.
(e) Other Termination of Employment. Unless the Administrator determines otherwise, if your employment with any Affiliate or the Company terminates for any reason other than those otherwise described this Section 2, your Unit Options that are eligible for Exercise as of the date of termination will remain eligible for Exercise for a period of thirty (30) days or until the close of business on the Expiration Date, whichever period is shorter. All of your Unit Options that are not eligible for Exercise at the date of termination will be forfeited immediately, as will any Unit Option that is not Exercised within that period.
3. Change of Control. If any of the events described in Section 2 occurs prior to a Change of Control, any applicable terms of Section 2 will supersede the terms of this Section 3.
(a) Accelerated Exercisability and Payment. Except as provided in Section 3(b), if a Change of Control occurs, all of your outstanding Unit Options not yet eligible for Exercise will become eligible for Exercise immediately, regardless of the applicable Exercise eligibility schedule, and, if your employment is involuntarily terminated for any reason other than Cause within twelve (12) months of such Change of Control, you will have until the earlier of (i) twelve (12) months following such termination date, or (ii) the Expiration Date, to exercise your Unit Options. However, the Administrator may elect to redeem your Unit Options for a cash payment equal to the Change of Control Price less the Exercise Price, multiplied by the number of exercisable Unit Options that you have not yet Exercised.
(b) Alternative Award. Notwithstanding Section 3(a), your Unit Options will not become eligible for Exercise immediately, and they will not be subject to being redeemed with a cash payment to you, if the Administrator reasonably determines in good faith, prior to the Change of Control, that your Unit Options will be honored or assumed, or new rights substituted for the outstanding Unit Options (referred to as an “Alternative Award”) by your employer or an affiliate immediately after the Change of Control. Any Alternative Award must:
(1) be based on stock which is traded on an established securities market, or that the Administrator reasonably believes will be traded on an established securities market within 60 days after the Change of Control;
(2) provide you with rights substantially equivalent to or better than the rights applicable to your Unit Options (including, but not limited to, an identical or better exercise or Exercise eligibility schedule, and identical or better timing and methods of payment);
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(3) have substantially equivalent economic value to your Unit Options (determined at the time of the Change of Control); and
(4) provide that, in the event that your employment is involuntarily or Constructively Terminated after a Change of Control, any conditions imposed on your rights under an Alternative Award, including any restrictions on transfer, Exercise eligibility, or exercisability of any Alternative Award, will be waived or will lapse.
4. Nontransferability of Awards. You may not sell, transfer, pledge, assign or otherwise alienate or hypothecate any of your Unit Options, other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution. All rights with respect to your Unit Options are exercisable or eligible for Exercise during your lifetime only by you.
5. Estate. Your rights under this Agreement will pass to and may be exercised or Exercised after your death by your estate, except as otherwise required by law. Any payments due you under this Agreement not paid to you as of your death will be paid to your estate, except as otherwise required by law.
6. Tax Withholding. The Paying Affiliate may withhold amounts it determines are necessary to satisfy tax withhold responsibilities by withholding amounts from payment made under this Agreement, or from other payments due to you to the extent permissible under law, an amount sufficient to satisfy the minimum statutory United States, state, local or other applicable tax withholding requirements. The Paying Affiliate will defer payment until this requirement is satisfied.
7. Adjustment of Unit Options. The Administrator will make appropriate adjustments in the terms and conditions of your Units Options in recognition of unusual or nonrecurring events affecting the Company or its financial statements as provided in the Plan. The Administrator’s determination in this regard will be conclusive.
8. Timing of Payment. The Paying Affiliate will pay cash to you following your exercise of any of your Unit Options.
9. Closing Price. “Closing Price” is defined in the Plan.
10. No Guarantee of Employment. This Agreement is not a contract of employment and it is not a guarantee of employment for life or any period of time. Nothing in this Agreement interferes with or limits in any way the right of the Company or an Affiliate to terminate your employment at any time. This Agreement does not give you any right to continue in the employ of the Company or an Affiliate.
11. Governing Law; Choice of Forum. This Agreement will be construed in accordance with and governed by the laws of the State of Delaware of the United States of America, regardless of the law that might be applied under principles of conflict of laws. Any action to enforce this Agreement or any other action regarding this Agreement must be brought in a court in the State of New York of the United States of America, to which jurisdiction the Administrator, the Global Affiliate and you consent, to the maximum extent consistent with law.
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12. Miscellaneous.
(a) For purposes of this Agreement, “Committee” and “Administrator” includes any direct or indirect delegate of the Committee or Administrator as defined in the Plan or otherwise and (unless otherwise indicated) the word “Section” refers to a Section in this Agreement. “Shares” refer to shares of Common Stock. Any other capitalized word used in this Agreement and not defined in this Agreement, including each form of that word, is defined in the Plan.
(b) Any determination or interpretation by the Administrator pursuant to this Agreement will be final and conclusive. In the event of a conflict between any term of this Agreement and the terms of the Plan, the terms of the Plan control. This Agreement and the Plan represent the entire agreement between you and all Affiliates regarding your Unit Options. No promises, terms, or agreements of any kind regarding your Unit Options that are not set forth, or referred to, in this Agreement or in the Plan are part of this Agreement. In the event any provision of this Agreement is held illegal or invalid, the rest of this Agreement will remain enforceable.
(c) Your Unit Options are not Shares and do not give you the rights of a holder of Shares. You will not be credited with additional Unit Options on account of any dividend paid on Shares.
(d) To the extent that that your Unit Options are replaced by an award payable in Shares, the Administrator may, in its discretion, require you at any time to immediately sell such Shares, in which case, the Administrator shall have the authority to issue sales instructions in relation to such Shares on your behalf. No Shares will be issued or no cash will be paid if that issuance or payment would result in a violation of applicable law, including United States securities laws and any other applicable securities laws.
(e) Payment pursuant to your Unit Options is subject to all applicable laws, rules and regulations, and to any approvals by any governmental agencies or national securities exchanges as may be required. The grant of Unit Options to you is not intended to be a public offering of securities, and the Company has not submitted any registration statement, prospectus, or other securities filing with authorities, except where required by law. Your Unit Options have not been, and will not be, reviewed by or registered with any securities authorities, including but not limited to the securities authorities of Argentina. In accordance with Circular 99 of 2001, from Chile’s Superintendence of Securities, the grant of the Unit Options hereunder is not intended to be a public offering of securities in Chile but instead is intended to be a private placement. To the extent that this is a private placement in Chile, the Company has not submitted any registration statement, prospectus or other filings with the local securities authorities, and the Plan is not subject to the supervision of any securities authorities in Chile. This Agreement and all other materials pertaining to your Unit Options have not been reviewed by any regulatory authority in Hong Kong. You are advised to exercise caution in relation to this offer. If you have any doubts about any of the contents of the materials pertaining to your Unit Options, you should obtain independent professional investment advice.
(f) You agree to repatriate all payments under this Agreement (or, to the extent that that your Units are replaced by an award payable in Shares, cash attributable to Shares you acquire), to the extent required under any applicable legal requirements, such as foreign exchange rules and regulations in your country of residence or country of employment.
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(g) Your Unit Options are subject to the Company’s performance-based compensation recoupment policy (which currently covers only officers or officer-equivalent employees of the Company and its Affiliates) in effect from time to time.
(h) Regardless of any action the Company or any Affiliate takes with respect to any or all tax withholding (including social insurance contributions and payment on account obligations, if any), you acknowledge that the ultimate liability for all such taxes is and remains your responsibility (or that of your beneficiary or estate) and that neither the Company nor any Affiliate makes any representations or undertakings regarding the treatment of any tax withholding in connection with any aspect of any of your Unit Options, including the grant or payment on account of the Performance Units, and that neither the Company nor any Affiliate commits to structure the terms of the grant of or any aspect of any Unit Options to reduce or eliminate your (or you estate’s or any heir’s) liability for such tax. You agree to take any and all actions as may be required to comply with your personal tax obligations.
(i) If you are resident and/or employed in a country that is a member of the European Union, this Agreement is intended to comply with the provisions of the EU Equal Treatment Framework Directive, as implemented into local law (the “Equal Treatment Rules”). To the extent that a court or tribunal of competent jurisdiction determines that any provision of this Agreement are invalid or unenforceable, in whole or in part, under the Equal Treatment Rules, the Administrator, in its sole discretion, shall have the power and authority to revise or strike such provision to the minimum extent necessary to make it valid and enforceable to the full extent permitted under local law.
(j) You agree that this Agreement and any other documents related to the Plan or your Unit Options are to be presented to you in English. If any such document is translated into a language other than English, the English version will control.
(k) The collection, processing and transfer of your personal data is necessary for the Company’s administration of the Plan, this Agreement and your Unit Options. You hereby explicitly and unambiguously consent to the collection, use and transfer, in electronic or other form, of your personal data as described in this document by any Affiliates or the Company, and others who provide them services related to your Unit Options (“Service Providers”), for the exclusive purpose of implementing, administering and managing your participation in the Plan. In accepting this agreement, you acknowledge that:
(1) the Affiliates and the Company hold certain personal information about you, including, but not limited to, your name, home address, telephone number, date of birth, social insurance number or other identification number, employee identification number, salary, nationality, job title, or shares of stock or directorships held in Affiliates and the Company, details of all Unit Options awarded, forfeited, on which payment has been made, and/or outstanding in your favor, for the purpose of implementing, administering and managing the Plan (“Data”);
(2) the Affiliates, the Company, and Service Providers will transfer Data amongst themselves as necessary for the implementation, administration and management of the Plan, that these recipients may be located in your country, the European Economic Area, the United States, or elsewhere, and that the recipient’s country may have different data privacy laws and
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protections than your country, that you may request a list with the names and addresses of any potential recipients of the Data by contacting your local human resources representative and you authorize the recipients to receive, possess, use, retain and transfer the Data, in electronic or other form, for the purposes of implementing, administering and managing your participation in the Plan, including any requisite transfer of such Data as may be required to a broker or other third party;
(3) Data will be held only as long as is necessary to implement, administer and manage your participation in the Plan, including but not limited to any applicable retention period necessary for effective or lawful administration of the Plan;
(4) you may, at any time, exercise your rights under law, to obtain confirmation as to the existence of the Data, verify the content, origin and accuracy of the Data, request the integration, update, amendment, deletion or blockage (for breach of applicable laws) of the Data, and oppose, for legal reasons, the collection, processing or transfer of the Data that is not necessary or required for the implementation, administration and/or operation of the Plan and your participation in it. You may seek to exercise these rights by contacting your local human resources manager; and
(5) you are not obligated to consent to the collection, use, processing and transfer of Data. However, if you refuse to grant consent under this Section by failing to accept this Agreement you will not receive any Unit Options pursuant to this Agreement, and if you subsequently withdraw your consent under this Section you will forfeit all of your Unit Options. You may contact your local human resources representative for more information on the consequences of your refusal to consent or withdrawal of consent.
(l) In accepting this Agreement, you acknowledge that:
(1) the Plan and this Agreement are each established voluntarily by one or more of the Company and its Affiliates, and that each is discretionary in nature and may be modified, suspended or terminated at any time, as provided in the Plan and this Agreement, respectively;
(2) the grant of your Unit Options is voluntary and occasional and does not create any contractual or other right to receive future grants of Unit Options, or benefits in lieu of Unit Options, even if Unit Options have been granted repeatedly in the past;
(3) all decisions with respect to future Unit Options grants, if any, will be at the discretion of the Committee or Administrator, including, but not limited to, the timing of any grants, the number of Unit Options and vesting provisions;
(4) your participation in the Plan is voluntary;
(5) the Unit Options are an extraordinary item which is outside the scope of your employment contract, if any;
(6) the Unit Options are not part of normal or expected compensation or salary for any purposes, including, but not limited to, calculating any severance, resignation, Termination, redundancy, end of service payments, bonuses, long-service awards, pension or retirement benefits or similar payments;
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(7) the Unit Option grant will not be interpreted to form an employment contract or relationship with any Affiliate or the Company, and you are not an employee of the Company;
(8) the future Closing Price of Common Stock is unknown and cannot be predicted with certainty;
(9) to the fullest extent permitted by law, no claim or entitlement to compensation or damages arises from termination of the Unit Options or diminution in value of the Unit Options and you irrevocably release the Company and each Affiliate from any such claim that may arise; and
(10) in the event of your Termination, neither your eligibility, nor any right to receive Unit Options, nor any period within which payment may be made on account of your Unit Options, if any, will be extended beyond the period specified under this Agreement by any notice period mandated under law (e.g., active employment would not include a period of “garden leave” or similar period pursuant to local law); furthermore, in the event of your Termination, your right to payment on account of your Unit Options, if any, will not be extended by any notice period mandated under law.
(m) The Administrator may impose other requirements as a condition of your Unit Options, to the extent the Committee or Administrator determines, in its discretion, that such other requirements are necessary or advisable in order to comply with law or facilitate the operation or administration of this Agreement, your Unit Options, or the Plan. To the extent the Administrator determines in its discretion that you are required to execute any document or undertaking for this purpose, you agree to do so.
13. Amendments. The Administrator has the exclusive right to amend this Agreement as long as the amendment is consistent with the Plan. The Administrator will give written notice to you (or, in the event of your death, to your estate) of any amendment as promptly as practicable after its adoption.
14. Additional Terms.
(a) You acknowledge that, subject to the terms of Section 14(d) of this Agreement, the obligation to make each payment due under this Agreement, if any, shall be the obligation of the Global Affiliate or, if different, the Paying Affiliate rather than the Global Affiliate. To the extent the Global Affiliate is aware that you are subject to United States income taxation at the time a payment is due, the Paying Affiliate shall be incorporated in the United States or a jurisdiction that has a comprehensive tax treaty with the United States. The obligation to make payments under this Agreement shall be unfunded and unsecured. In no event shall the Company be obligated to make payments due under this Agreement. The Global Affiliate and you agree and acknowledge that, to the extent consistent with applicable law, neither the Unit Options, this Agreement, the Plan nor any rights, obligations, terms and conditions set forth therein or in connection therewith, constitute securities, negotiable instruments, or derivatives instruments or transactions.
(b) Payments pursuant to Section 3 will be made in your then-current payroll currency (or another currency of your choosing) at a reasonable United States currency exchange rate chosen in good faith by the Administrator or the Paying Affiliate. Otherwise, any payment due
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to you will be made in your then-current payroll currency (or other currency of the Administrator or Paying Affiliate’s choosing) at a United States currency exchange rate determined by the Administrator or the Paying Affiliate in their discretion.
(c) To the extent any separate or additional consideration is necessary under applicable law to effectuate the parties’ intentions to be bound by the terms of this Agreement, you agree to pay US$1.00 (One Dollar 00/100 currency of the United States of America) to the Global Affiliate, which shall not be refundable to you.
(d) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, the Administrator may, at any time prior to payment for your Unit Options, in its sole discretion, find that the Company or an Affiliate has made an award to you intended to substitute for the Unit Options (including but not limited to a contingent right to acquire Common Stock), and that such substitute award is subject to such material terms and conditions that are no less favorable than the material terms and conditions governing your Unit Options and that provide for the same timing for payment as apply to your Unit Options. Upon such a finding, the Administrator may, in its sole discretion, cancel your Unit Options in light of that substitute award without additional compensation to you.
15. Post-Employment Terms Applicable to Insiders and Executive Officers.
(a) The terms of this Section 15 shall apply if you are an Insider or an “executive officer” of the Company under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules promulgated thereunder, at any time during the Performance Period, notwithstanding any other terms of this Agreement, other than Section 3, to the contrary. If a Change of Control occurs prior to the finding described in Section 15(b), any applicable terms of Section 3 will supersede the terms of this Section 15. For purposes of this Section 15, “Insider” means someone subject to the reporting requirements of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules promulgated thereunder.
(b) If the Committee reasonably finds that, at any time during the Performance Period, whether during your employment with the Company and its Affiliates or thereafter, you directly or indirectly owned any interest in, managed, controlled, participated in, consulted with, or rendered services, as an officer, director, employee, partner, member, consultant, independent contractor or agent, to any person or entities currently engaged in business activities which compete (or will compete based on the anticipated plans of the Company at the time of your employment termination) with the business of MetLife in the United States of America, United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong (Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China), Argentina, United Kingdom and/or in any other country in which MetLife conducts business or has plans to conduct business during your employment or as of the date your employment terminated, then, to the maximum extent permissible by law, all of your Unit Options not yet Exercised will be forfeited immediately.
(c) Notwithstanding the terms of Section 11 to the contrary, this Section 15 will be construed in accordance with and governed by the laws of the State of New York, regardless of the law that might be applied under principles of conflict of laws.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Global Affiliate has caused their duly authorized officers to execute, and you have executed, this Agreement effective on the Grant Date.
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