THIS DOCUMENT CONSTITUTES PART OF A PROSPECTUS COVERING SECURITIES THAT HAVE BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933. Non-Qualified Stock Option Grant Agreement (Long-Term Incentive Compensation Program under the 2005 Stock Incentive Plan)...
Exhibit 10.3
THIS DOCUMENT CONSTITUTES PART OF A PROSPECTUS COVERING SECURITIES THAT HAVE BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933.
Non-Qualified Stock Option Grant Agreement
(Long-Term Incentive Compensation Program under the 2005 Stock Incentive Plan)
NOT TRANSFERABLE EXCEPT BY WILL OR BY THE LAWS GOVERNING THE DESCENT AND DISTRIBUTION OF ESTATES
(Long-Term Incentive Compensation Program under the 2005 Stock Incentive Plan)
NOT TRANSFERABLE EXCEPT BY WILL OR BY THE LAWS GOVERNING THE DESCENT AND DISTRIBUTION OF ESTATES
Non-Qualified Stock Option granted by United States Steel Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Corporation”), to the optionee identified below (the “Optionee”).
Name of Optionee:
|
PARTICIPANT NAME | |
Name of Employing Company
on Date Hereof:
|
(the company recognized by the Corporation as employing the Optionee on the date hereof) |
|
Number of Shares Subject to Purchase:
|
# SHARES | |
Exercise Price of Each Share:
|
XXXXX XXXXX | |
Date of This Option:
|
GRANT DATE |
By my acceptance, I agree that this option (the “Option”) is granted under and governed by the terms and conditions of the Corporation’s 2005 Stock Incentive Plan (the
“Plan”), the Corporation’s Administrative Regulations for the Long-Term Incentive Compensation Program (the “Administrative Regulations”), and the Grant Terms and
Conditions contained herein (the “Agreement”) including the special provisions for my country of residence, if any, attached hereto as Exhibit A, as well as such
amendments to the Plan and/or the Administrative Regulations as the Compensation & Organization Committee, or its successor committee (the “Committee”), may adopt from
time to time.
United States Steel Corporation | Accepted as of the above date: ACCEPTANCE DATE | |||||||
By
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By | PARTICIPANT ES
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TERMS AND CONDITIONS
1. Grant: Subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan, the Administrative Regulations and this Agreement, the Corporation agrees that the Optionee has the right to
purchase the number of shares of Common Stock of the Corporation set forth in this Option grant for the exercise price stated herein.
2. Continuous Employment Requirement: The Optionee agrees to continue as an active employee of the employing company identified above or the Corporation, its subsidiaries
or affiliates (each an “Employing Company”) for three years from the date of the Option, subject to the Employing Company’s right to terminate the Optionee’s employment at
any time, performing such duties consistent with his capabilities.
3. Vesting and Termination of Employment: The Option will become exercisable in annual installments over a three-year vesting period according to the following vesting
schedule: 1/3 of the Option shares shall vest upon the 1st anniversary of the date of the Option, provided that the Optionee is employed by an Employing Company
on such anniversary; an additional 1/3 of the Option shares will vest upon the 2nd anniversary of the date of the Option, provided that the Optionee is employed
by an Employing Company on such anniversary; and an additional 1/3 of the Option shares will vest on the 3rd anniversary of the date of the Option, provided
that the Optionee is employed by an Employing Company on such anniversary, with all fractional Option shares, if any, vesting as whole Option shares upon the latest
vesting date. Any portion of the Option that is exercisable may be exercised in whole or in part from time to time during the Option period. In the event of the exercise
of the Option in whole or in part, the portion of the Option so exercised shall terminate. The Option period shall begin on the date of the Option and shall end, except
as provided in Section 5 hereof, on the first to occur of: (a) ten years thereafter, (b) three years after the date upon which the Optionee ceases to be an employee of an
Employing Company by reason of Retirement, death, Disability or Termination with Consent, or (c) immediately following termination of employment, if termination of
employment is due to Termination without Consent or Termination for Cause. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, all unvested Options will immediately vest upon
the Optionee’s death during employment or termination of employment by reason of Disability. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, a prorated number of the
Options scheduled to vest during the current Vesting Year will vest on the vesting date for the current Vesting Year based upon the number of complete months worked during
the Vesting Year in which the Optionee’s termination of employment occurs by reason of Retirement or Termination with Consent. Except as provided in Section 5, the
remaining unvested Option grants are forfeited immediately upon the Optionee’s termination of employment without consideration or further action required of the
Corporation or Employing Company.
Except as provided in Section 5, and notwithstanding any terms or conditions of the Plan, the Administrative Regulations or this Agreement to the contrary, in the event of
the Optionee’s termination of employment, the Optionee’s right to vest in the Option, if any, will terminate effective as of the date that the Optionee is no longer
actively employed by an Employing Company and will not be extended by any notice period mandated under local 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 termination of the Optionee’s employment (whether or not in breach of local labor
laws), the Optionee’s right to receive shares of Common Stock pursuant to the Option after such termination, if any, will be measured by the date of termination of the
Optionee’s active employment and will not be extended by any notice period mandated under local law; the Committee shall have the exclusive discretion to determine when
the Optionee is no longer actively employed for purposes of the Option.
4. Payment of Exercise Price. The exercise price shall be paid in cash or such other form of consideration as permitted in the Plan and the Administrative
Regulations, including through the withholding of shares to be acquired upon exercise of the Option, subject to the Stock Plan Officer’s establishment of procedures with
respect thereto; provided however that, if the Optionee is subject to taxation on the benefit received from the Option in a jurisdiction outside the United States, the
Optionee may not pay the exercise price by surrendering shares of Common Stock that he or she already owns or attesting to the ownership of shares of Common Stock. The
Corporation reserves the right to restrict the methods of payment of the exercise price if necessary to comply with applicable local law, as determined by the Corporation
in its sole discretion.
5. Change of Control: Notwithstanding any terms or conditions of the Plan, the Options shall not become exercisable immediately upon a Change of Control; provided,
however, that, in lieu of application of Section 9 of the Plan, (i) if the Optionee’s employment is terminated within two years following a Change of Control (as defined
in Section 4(F)(1) of the Administrative Regulations) involuntarily (except for Cause) or voluntarily with Good Reason (as defined in Section 4(E)(4)(a) of the
Administrative Regulations), each unvested Option will immediately vest and remain exercisable until the end of its term, and (ii) if the Optionee’s employment is
terminated following a Potential Change of Control (as defined in Section 4 (F)(2) of the Administrative Regulations) and, subsequently, a Change of Control occurs within
24 months following such termination, then each unvested Option shall not be forfeited but shall vest immediately upon the occurrence of the Change of Control and remain
exercisable until the end of its term.
6. Transferability: During the Optionee’s lifetime, to the extent the Option is exercisable, the Option may be exercised only by the Optionee or by the Optionee’s
guardian or legal representative. Upon the Optionee’s death, the Option may be transferred by will or by the laws governing the descent and distribution of the Optionee’s
estate. Otherwise, the Option may not be transferred, pledged or encumbered and, in the event of an attempt to transfer, pledge or encumber it, the Committee may cancel
it.
STOCK
OPTION GRANT FORM — April 2009
Page 1
7. Adjustments: The number of shares subject to the Option and the Option exercise price per share shall be subject to adjustment as
provided in Section 8 of the Plan. The Optionee shall be notified of such adjustment and such adjustment shall be binding upon the
Corporation and the Optionee.
8. Compliance with Laws: Notwithstanding anything in the Plan, the Administrative Regulations or this Agreement to the contrary, the
obligations of the Corporation and the rights of the Optionee are subject to all applicable laws, rules and regulations including,
without limitation, the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and any other applicable laws. No shares of Common Stock will be issued
or delivered to the Optionee under the Plan unless and until there has been compliance with such applicable laws.
9. Acceptance of Grant: The Option may not be exercised unless it is accepted by the Optionee and notice of such acceptance is
received by the Stock Plan Officer.
10. Interpretation and Amendments: The Option shall be administered and exercised in accordance with the Plan and the Administrative
Regulations, as the same may be amended by the Committee from time to time, provided that no amendment may, without the consent of the
Optionee, affect the rights of the Optionee under this Option in a materially adverse manner. For purposes of the foregoing sentence,
an amendment that affects the tax treatment of the Option shall not be considered as affecting the Optionee’s rights in a materially
adverse manner. All capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the meaning assigned to such terms in the Plan or the
Administrative Regulations. In the event of a conflict between the Plan and the Administrative Regulations, unless this Agreement
specifies otherwise, the Plan shall control.
11. Nature of the Grant: Neither the grant of the Option nor anything else contained in this Agreement shall be deemed to limit or
restrict the right of the Employing Company to terminate the Optionee’s employment at any time, for any reason, with or without cause.
Further, by accepting this Option, the Optionee acknowledges that:
a) | the grant of the Option is voluntary and occasional and does not create any contractual or other right to receive future grants of options, or benefits in lieu of options, even if options have been granted repeatedly in the past; | ||
b) | all decisions with respect to future option grants, if any, will be at the sole discretion of the Committee; | ||
c) | the Optionee is voluntarily participating in the Plan; | ||
d) | the Option and the shares of Common Stock subject to the Option are extraordinary items which do not constitute compensation of any kind for services of any kind rendered to the Corporation or to the Employing Company, and which are outside the scope of the Optionee’s employment contract, if any; | ||
e) | the Option and the shares of Common Stock subject to the Option are not part of normal or expected compensation or salary for any purpose, including, but not limited to, calculating any severance, resignation, termination, dismissal, redundancy, end-of-service payments, bonuses, long-service awards, pension or retirement benefits or similar payments and in no event should be considered as compensation for, or relating in any way to, past services for the Corporation or the Employing Company or any Subsidiary or affiliate of the Corporation; | ||
f) | the Option and the shares of Common Stock subject to the Option are not intended to replace any pension rights or compensation; | ||
g) | the grant of the Option will not be interpreted to form an employment contract or relationship with the Corporation, the Employing Company or any Subsidiary or affiliate of the Corporation; | ||
h) | the future value of the shares of Common Stock underlying the Option is unknown and cannot be predicted with certainty; if the underlying shares do not increase in value, the Option will have no value. If Optionee exercises the Option and obtains shares of Common Stock, the value of the shares acquired upon exercise may increase or decrease in value, even below the exercise price; | ||
i) | in consideration of the grant of the Option, no claim or entitlement to compensation or damages arises from forfeiture of the Option resulting from termination of the Optionee’s employment by the Corporation or the Employing Company (for any reason whether or not in breach of applicable labor laws) and the Optionee irrevocably releases the Corporation and the Employing Company from any such claim that may arise; if, notwithstanding the foregoing, any such claim is found by a court of competent jurisdiction to have arisen then, by accepting this Option, the Optionee shall be deemed irrevocably to have waived his or her entitlement to pursue such a claim; | ||
j) | it is the Optionee’s sole responsibility to investigate and comply with any applicable exchange control laws in connection with the issuance and delivery of shares of Common Stock pursuant to the exercise of the Option; | ||
k) | the Corporation and the Employing Company are not providing any tax, legal or financial advice, nor are the Corporation or the Employing Company making any recommendations regarding the Optionee’s participation in the Plan or the Optionee’s purchase or sale of the shares of Common Stock underlying the Option; and | ||
l) | the Optionee is hereby advised to consult with his or her own personal tax, legal and financial advisors regarding his or her participation in the Plan before taking any action related to the Plan. |
12. Withholding Taxes: Regardless of any action the Corporation or the Employing Company takes with respect to any or all income tax,
social security, payroll tax, payment on account or other tax-related withholding (“Tax-Related Items”), the Optionee acknowledges
that the ultimate liability for all Tax-Related Items is and remains his or her responsibility and may exceed the amount withheld by
the Corporation or the Employing Company. Furthermore, the Optionee acknowledges that the Corporation and/or the Employing Company
(a) make no representations or undertakings regarding the treatment of any Tax-Related Items in connection with any aspect of the
Option, including the grant, vesting, or exercise of the Option or the subsequent sale of shares of Common Stock or receipt of
dividends; and (b) do not commit to and are under no obligation to structure the terms of the grant of the Option or any aspect of the
Optionee’s participation in the Plan to reduce or eliminate his or her liability for Tax-Related Items or to achieve any particular
tax result. Further, if the Optionee has become subject to tax in more than one jurisdiction between the grant date and the date of
any relevant taxable event, the Optionee acknowledges that the Corporation and/or the Employing Company (or former Employing Company,
as applicable) may be required to withhold or account for Tax-Related Items in more than one jurisdiction.
Prior to the relevant taxable event, the Optionee shall pay or make adequate arrangements satisfactory to the Corporation and/or the
Employing Company to satisfy all withholding obligations of the Corporation and/or the Employing Company. In this regard, the
Corporation may notify the Optionee of the amount of Tax-Related Items, if any, required under U.S. federal and, where applicable,
state and local or non-U.S. law, and in which case, the Optionee shall, forthwith upon the receipt of such notice, remit the required
amount to the Corporation in cash or in accordance with such regulations as the Committee may prescribe. Alternatively, the Optionee
authorizes the Corporation and/or the Employing Company, or their respective agents, at their discretion, to satisfy the obligations
with regard to all applicable Tax-Related Items by one or a combination of the following methods: (1) withholding from Optionee’s
wages or other cash compensation paid to Optionee by the Corporation and/or the Employing Company; (2) withholding from proceeds of
the sale of shares issued upon exercise of the Option either through a voluntary sale or through a mandatory sale arranged by the
Corporation (on Optionee’s behalf pursuant to this authorization) through such means as the Corporation may determine in its sole
discretion (whether through a broker or otherwise); or (3) withholding in shares to be issued upon exercise of the Option.
To avoid negative accounting treatment, the Corporation may withhold or account for Tax-Related Items by considering applicable
minimum statutory withholding amounts or other applicable withholding rates. If the Tax-Related Items are satisfied by withholding
in shares issuable upon exercise of the Option, for tax purposes, the Optionee is deemed to have been issued the full number of shares
of Common Stock subject to the exercised Option, notwithstanding that a number of the shares are held back solely for the purpose of
paying the Tax-Related Items. Finally, the Optionee shall pay to the Corporation or the Employing Company any amount of Tax-Related
Items that the Corporation or the Employing Company may be required to withhold as a result of Optionee’s participation in the Plan or
Optionee’s purchase of shares that cannot be satisfied by the means previously described. The Optionee understands that no shares of
Common Stock or proceeds from the sale of shares of Common Stock shall be delivered to Optionee, notwithstanding the exercise thereof,
unless and until the Optionee shall have satisfied any obligation for Tax-Related Items with respect thereto.
STOCK
OPTION GRANT FORM — April 2009
Page 2
13. Data Privacy: The
Optionee hereby
explicitly and
unambiguously
consents to the
collection, use and
transfer, in
electronic or other
form, of his or her
personal data as
described in this
document by and
among, as applicable,
any Employing Company
and the Corporation
for the exclusive
purpose of
implementing,
administering and
managing the
Optionee’s
participation in the
Plan.
The Optionee
understands that the
Employing Company and
the Corporation hold
certain personal
information about the
Optionee, including,
but not limited to,
Optionee’s name, home
address and telephone
number, date of
birth, social
insurance number or
other identification
number, salary,
nationality, job
title, any shares or
directorships held in
the Corporation,
details of all
options or any other
entitlement to shares
awarded, canceled,
vested, unvested or
outstanding in
Optionee’s favor, as
the Employing Company
and/or the
Corporation deems
necessary for the
purpose of
implementing,
administering and
managing the Plan
(“Data”). The
Optionee acknowledges
and understands that
Data may be
transferred to any
broker as designated
by the Corporation
and any third parties
assisting in the
implementation,
administration and
management of the
Plan, that these
recipients may be
located in the
Optionee’s country or
elsewhere (and
outside the European
Economic Area), and
that the recipient’s
country may have
different data
privacy laws and
protections than the
Optionee’s country.
The Optionee
understands that he
or she may request a
list with the names
and addresses of any
potential recipients
of the Data by
contacting the
Optionee’s local
human resources
representative. The
Optionee authorizes
the recipients to
receive, possess,
use, retain and
transfer the Data, in
electronic or other
form, for the
purposes of
implementing,
administering and
managing the
Optionee’s
participation in the
Plan, including any
requisite transfer of
such Data as may be
required to a broker
or other third party
with whom the
Optionee may elect to
deposit any shares of
Common Stock acquired
upon exercise of the
Option. The Optionee
understands that Data
will be held only as
long as is necessary
to implement,
administer and manage
the Optionee’s
participation in the
Plan. The Optionee
understands that he
or she may, at any
time, view Data,
request additional
information about the
storage and
processing of Data,
require any necessary
amendments to Data or
refuse or withdraw
the consents herein,
in any case without
cost, by contacting
in writing his or her
local human resources
representative. The
Optionee understands,
however, that
refusing or
withdrawing his or
her consent may
affect his or her
ability to realize
benefits from the
Option or otherwise
participate in the
Plan. For more
information on the
consequences of his
or her refusal to
consent or withdrawal
of consent, the
Optionee understands
that he or she may
contact his or her
local human resources
representative.
14. Electronic
Delivery: The
Corporation may, in
its sole discretion,
decide to deliver any
documents related to
current or future
participation in the
Plan or request the
Optionee’s consent to
participate in the
Plan by electronic
means. The Optionee
hereby consents to
receive such
documents by
electronic delivery
and agrees to
participate in the
Plan through any
on-line or electronic
system established
and maintained by the
Corporation or
another third party
designated by the
Corporation.
15. Language: If the Optionee has received this Agreement or any other document related to the Plan translated into a
language other than English and if the meaning of the translated version is different than the English version, the English
version will control.
16. Severability: In the event that any provision in this Agreement is held invalid or unenforceable, such provision will
be severable from, and such invalidity or unenforceability will not be construed to have any effect on, the remaining
provisions of this Agreement.
17. Governing Law: This Agreement shall be construed and enforced in
accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, without regard to
the conflicts of laws thereof.
18. Section 409A.
Notwithstanding any
other provision of
the Plan, the
Administrative
Regulations or this
Agreement, the Plan,
the Administrative
Regulations and this
Agreement shall be
interpreted in
accordance with, and
incorporate the terms
and conditions
required by, Section
409A of the U.S.
Internal Revenue Code
of 1986, as amended
(together with any
Department of
Treasury regulations
and other
interpretive guidance
issued thereunder,
including without
limitation any such
regulations or other
guidance that may be
issued after the date
hereof, “Section
409A”). The
Corporation reserves
the right, to the
extent the
Corporation deems
necessary or
advisable in its sole
discretion, to
unilaterally amend or
modify the Plan, the
Administrative
Regulations or this
Agreement or adopt
other policies and
procedures (including
amendments, policies
and procedures with
retroactive effect),
or take any other
actions, as the
Committee determines
are necessary or
appropriate to ensure
that this Option
qualifies for
exemption from, or
complies with the
requirements of,
Section 409A;
provided, however,
that the Corporation
makes no
representation that
the Option will be
exempt from, or will
comply with, Section
409A, and makes no
undertakings to
preclude Section 409A
of the Code from
applying to the
Option or to ensure
that it complies with
Section 409A.
19. Headings:
Headings of
paragraphs and
sections used in this
Agreement are for
convenience only and
are not part of this
Agreement, and must
not be used in
construing it.
STOCK
OPTION GRANT FORM — April 2009
Page 3
EXHIBIT A
Additional Terms and Conditions of the
United States Steel Corporation 2005 Stock Incentive Plan
Non-Qualified Stock Option Grant Agreement
United States Steel Corporation 2005 Stock Incentive Plan
Non-Qualified Stock Option Grant Agreement
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
This Exhibit A includes additional terms and conditions that govern the Option granted to the
Optionee under the Plan if he or she resides in one of the countries listed below. Certain
capitalized terms used but not defined in this Exhibit A have the meanings set forth in the Plan,
the Administrative Regulations and/or the Agreement.
NOTIFICATIONS
This Exhibit A also includes information regarding exchange controls and certain other issues of
which the Optionee should be aware with respect to participation in the Plan. The information is
based on the laws in effect in the applicable countries as of April 2009. Such laws are often
complex and change frequently. As a result, the Corporation strongly recommends that the Optionee
not rely on the information in this Exhibit A as the only source of information relating to the
consequences of his or her participation in the Plan because the information may be out of date at
the time that the Optionee exercises in the Option or sells shares of Common Stock acquired under
the Plan.
In addition, the information contained herein is general in nature and may not apply to the
Optionee’s particular situation, and the Corporation is not in a position to assure the Optionee of
a particular result. Accordingly, the Optionee is advised to seek appropriate professional advice
as to how the relevant laws in his or her country may apply to the Optionee’s situation.
Finally, if the Optionee is a citizen or resident of a country other than the one in which he or
she is currently working, the information contained herein may not be applicable.
CANADA
Option Payable Only in Shares. Notwithstanding any discretion in the Plan or anything to the
contrary in the Agreement, the grant of the Option does not provide any right for the Grantee to
receive a cash payment in settlement of the Option upon exercise and the Option is payable in
shares of Common Stock only.
Securities Law Commitment on Sale of Shares. As a condition of the grant of the Option and the
issuance of shares of Common Stock upon exercise of the Option, the Optionee undertakes to only
sell, trade or otherwise dispose of any shares of Common Stock issued to the Optionee under the
Plan in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws. Under current laws, this means that
the Optionee will need to sell any shares of Common Stock issued under the Plan using the services
of a broker or dealer that is registered under Canadian provincial or territorial securities
legislation. The Optionee will not be permitted to sell, trade or otherwise dispose of his or her
shares through the Company’s designated U.S. plan broker, Fidelity Investments, unless such sale,
trade or disposal can be executed in accordance with applicable securities laws. This restriction
applies equally to all shares of Common Stock or other securities issued to the Optionee under the
terms of the Plan. As legal requirements may be subject to change, Optionees are encouraged to
seek specific advice about their individual situation before taking any action with respect to
securities issued to them under the Plan.
By accepting this Option, the Optionee expressly agrees that he or she will consult with a personal
legal advisor to address any questions that may arise regarding compliance with this requirement.
The Optionee understands and agrees that he or she will be liable for any failure to comply with
the foregoing provision.
Payment of Exercise Price. Due to current Canadian securities law requirements, notwithstanding
any other provision in the Plan, the Administrative Regulations or the Agreement, permissible
methods of payment of the exercise price include: (i) cash, (ii) check and/or (iii) any other
method approved by the Company. Prior to exercising the Option, the Optionee should contact his or
her local human resources administrator to confirm the methods of exercise available to the
Optionee under local law.
SERBIA
NOTIFICATIONS
Exchange Control Information. Pursuant to the Law on Foreign Exchange Transactions (effective July
27, 2006), Serbian residents may freely acquire shares of Common Stock under the Plan, however, the
National Bank of Serbia requires reporting of the acquisition of such shares, the value of the
shares at exercise and, on a quarterly basis, any changes in the value of the underlying shares.
The Optionee is advised to consult with a personal legal advisor to determine his or her reporting
obligations upon the acquisition of shares of Common Stock under the Plan. The Corporation
reserves the right to require the Optionee to report details of the sale of his or her Shares to
the Corporation or to follow such other procedures as may be established by the Corporation to
comply with applicable exchange control regulations.
SLOVAK REPUBLIC
There are no country-specific provisions.
STOCK
OPTION GRANT FORM — April 2009
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