DIRECTOR STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT
DIRECTOR STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT
THIS AGREEMENT made as of [DATE]
BETWEEN:
LEADING BRANDS, INC.,
a body corporate subsisting under the laws of British Columbia and having an
office and place of business at 0000 Xxxxx Xxxx, Xxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx
X0X 0X0
(the “Company”)
AND:
___________________________,
of [ADDRESS]
(the “Optionee”)
WHEREAS the Optionee is a director of the Company and the Company desires to grant to the Optionee an option to purchase common shares (“Shares”) without par value in the capital of the Company as an incentive for the Optionee to promote the financial interest, growth and development of the Company.
NOW THEREFORE THIS AGREEMENT WITNESSES that in consideration of the premises and of the covenants and agreements herein contained the parties hereto covenant and agree (the “Agreement”) as follows:
1.0 | GRANT
OF OPTION |
1.1 | At a Board
of Directors meeting held _____________, the Company irrevocably granted
to the Optionee, as an incentive and not as or in lieu of salary or any
other compensation for services rendered, the
sole and exclusive right and option (the “Option)
to purchase all or any portion of _________ Shares from treasury (the
“Optioned Shares”) at a price of U.S.$_______
per Optioned Share, (the closing market price
on the date of appointment), at any time before 5:00 p.m. (Vancouver,
B.C. time) on ______________ (the “Expiry
Date”) or during such shorter period as may be determined
under this Agreement. |
2.0 | EXERCISE
OF OPTION |
2.1 | Subject
to the terms of this Agreement, the Option may be exercised in whole or
in part from time to time and may only be exercised
by the Optionee giving written notice of the
Optionee’s intention to exercise the Option in whole or in part,
together with payment in the appropriate amount,
in cash or by bank draft, money order or certified |
2
cheque payable to the Company, at its principal office or to the registrar and transfer agent of the Company. | ||
2.2 | Upon receipt of payment pursuant to any exercise of the Option in whole or in part, the Company will forthwith issue as fully paid and non-assessable the Optioned Shares in respect of which the Option has been exercised and will thereafter deliver or cause to be delivered to the Optionee or to his written order a certificate or certificates representing the Optioned Shares so purchased. | |
3.0 |
ADDITIONAL TERMS |
|
3.1 | If the Optionee: | |
(a)
|
should die while still
a director of the Company, the Option may then be exercised
by the Optionee’s legal heirs or personal representatives to the
same extent as if the Optionee were alive and
a director of the Company for a period of one
year after the Optionee’s death but only for such shares as the Optionee
was entitled to purchase pursuant to the Option
at the date of the Optionee’s death; or |
|
(b)
|
ceases for any reason
to be a director of the Company, the Option may thereafter
by exercised by the Optionee in accordance with the terms of this Agreement
on or before the earlier of the Expiry Date and the 30th
day after the date
of termination of the Optionee’s position. |
|
4.0 | RESTRICTIONS ON RESALE
OF OPTIONED SHARES
|
|
4.1 |
The Optionee acknowledges that the
first trade by the Optionee of any Optioned Shares
acquired on any exercise of the Option, in whole or in part, will be deemed
to be a distribution and will therefore be subject
to registration and prospectus requirements unless: |
|
(a)
|
if the seller is an insider
of the Company, the Company is not in default of any requirement
of the Securities Act (British Columbia) or the Regulations thereunder; |
|
(b) |
the trade is not a distribution
from the holdings of a control person; |
|
(c)
|
no unusual effort is
made to prepare the market or create a demand for the securities;
and |
|
(d) |
no extraordinary commission
or consideration is paid in respect of the trade. |
|
5.0 | REPRESENTATIONS OF THE
COMPANY
|
|
5.1 |
The Company represents and warrants
to the Optionee that: |
3
(a) |
the Company is a reporting issuer under the Securities Acts of British Xxxxxxxx xxx Xxxxxxx, Xxxxxx; and | |
(b) |
the Company will file the appropriate report of the trade constituted by the grant of the Option in prescribed form as required by the Regulations to the Securities Act (British Columbia). | |
6.0 |
ASSIGNMENT |
|
6.1
|
Except as provided in
Part 3.0 of this Agreement, the Option may be exercised only
by the Optionee and may not be assigned or transferred in whole or in
part. |
|
7.0 |
ESSENCE OF AGREEMENT |
|
7.1
|
This is an option agreement
only and it does not impose upon the Optionee any obligation
to purchase any of the Optioned Shares. |
|
8.0 |
SUBDIVISION OR
CONSOLIDATION OF SHARES |
|
8.1
|
If the authorized capital
of the Company as presently constituted is consolidated into a lesser
number of shares or subdivided into a greater number of shares, the number
of Optioned Shares not previously purchased
by the Optionee will be decreased or increased
proportionately, as the case may be, and the purchase price to be paid
by the Optionee for each Optioned Share will
be adjusted accordingly. |
|
8.2
|
If the Company amalgamates
or merges with any other company or companies, whether by way of arrangement,
sale of its assets and undertaking or otherwise howsoever, then and in
each such case the number of shares in the capital of the resulting company
that will be subject to this Agreement will be that number of such shares
which would have resulted if all Optioned Shares in respect of which the
Option remained unexercised at the date of such amalgamation or merger
had been purchased immediately before the date of such merger or amalgamation
became effective, and the purchase price of the shares subject to this
Agreement will be correspondingly increased
or decreased, as applicable. |
|
9.0 |
GOVERNING LAW |
|
9.1
|
This Agreement will be
construed in accordance with the laws prevailing in British Columbia and
any proceeding in respect of this Agreement will be commenced and maintained
in the court of appropriate jurisdiction in the City of Vancouver, British
Columbia. |
|
4
10.0 |
EXECUTION IN COUNTERPART |
10.1
|
This Agreement may be
executed in one or more counterparts which together shall
be deemed to constitute an agreement in writing. |
IN WITNESS WHEREOF this Agreement has been executed by the parties hereto as of the day and year first above written.
LEADING BRANDS, INC.
Per:_________________________________________ |
|
Authorized Signatory | |
SIGNED, SEALED AND DELIVERED | |
in the presence of: | |
___________________________________________ | |
Signature of Witness | |
___________________________________________ | ___________________________________________ |
Name of Witness | (NAME) |
___________________________________________ | |
Address | |
___________________________________________ | |
Occupation |