EXHIBIT 99.6
RHYTHMS NETCONNECTIONS INC.
STOCK ISSUANCE AGREEMENT
AGREEMENT made this _____ day of __________________, by and between
Rhythms NetConnections Inc., a Delaware corporation, and ____________________
____________________________, a Participant in the Corporation's 1999 Stock
Incentive Plan.
All capitalized terms in this Agreement shall have the meaning
assigned to them in this Agreement or in the attached Appendix.
A. PURCHASE OF SHARES
1. PURCHASE. Participant hereby purchases ______________ shares of
Common Stock (the "Purchased Shares") pursuant to the provisions of the Stock
Issuance Program at the purchase price of $______ per share (the "Purchase
Price").
2. PAYMENT. Concurrently with the delivery of this Agreement to the
Corporation, Participant shall pay the Purchase Price for the Purchased Shares
in cash or check payable to the Corporation and shall deliver a duly-executed
blank Assignment Separate from Certificate (in the form attached hereto as
Exhibit I) with respect to the Purchased Shares.
3. STOCKHOLDER RIGHTS. Until such time as the Corporation exercises
the Repurchase Right, Participant (or any successor in interest) shall have all
the rights of a stockholder (including voting, dividend and liquidation rights)
with respect to the Purchased Shares, subject, however, to the transfer
restrictions of this Agreement.
4. ESCROW. The Corporation shall have the right to hold the
Purchased Shares in escrow until those shares have vested in accordance with the
Vesting Schedule.
5. COMPLIANCE WITH LAW. Under no circumstances shall shares of
Common Stock or other assets be issued or delivered to Participant pursuant to
the provisions of this Agreement unless, in the opinion of counsel for the
Corporation or its successors, there shall have been compliance with all
applicable requirements of Federal and state securities laws, all applicable
listing requirements of any stock exchange (or the Nasdaq National Market, if
applicable) on which the Common Stock is at the time listed for trading and all
other requirements of law or of any regulatory bodies having jurisdiction over
such issuance and delivery.
B. TRANSFER RESTRICTIONS
1. RESTRICTION ON TRANSFER. Except for any Permitted Transfer,
Participant shall not transfer, assign, encumber or otherwise dispose of any of
the Purchased Shares which are subject to the Repurchase Right.
2. RESTRICTIVE LEGEND. The stock certificate for the Purchased
Shares shall be endorsed with the following restrictive legend:
"The shares represented by this certificate are unvested and
subject to certain repurchase rights granted to the Corporation and
accordingly may not be sold, assigned, transferred, encumbered, or in
any manner disposed of except in conformity with the terms of a
written agreement dated ____________, ______ between the Corporation
and the registered holder of the shares (or the predecessor in
interest to the shares). A copy of such agreement is maintained at
the Corporation's principal corporate offices."
3. TRANSFEREE OBLIGATIONS. Each person (other than the Corporation)
to whom the Purchased Shares are transferred by means of a Permitted Transfer
must, as a condition precedent to the validity of such transfer, acknowledge in
writing to the Corporation that such person is bound by the provisions of this
Agreement and that the transferred shares are subject to the Repurchase Right to
the same extent such shares would be so subject if retained by Participant.
C. REPURCHASE RIGHT
1. GRANT. The Corporation is hereby granted the right (the
"Repurchase Right"), exercisable at any time during the ninety (90)-day period
following the date Participant ceases for any reason to remain in Service, to
repurchase at the Purchase Price all or any portion of the Purchased Shares in
which Participant is not, at the time of his or her cessation of Service, vested
in accordance with the Vesting Schedule set forth in Paragraph C.3 of this
Agreement or the special vesting acceleration provisions of Paragraph C.5 of
this Agreement (such shares to be hereinafter referred to as the "Unvested
Shares").
2. EXERCISE OF THE REPURCHASE RIGHT. The Repurchase Right shall be
exercisable by written notice delivered to each Owner of the Unvested Shares
prior to the expiration of the ninety (90)-day exercise period. The notice
shall indicate the number of Unvested Shares to be repurchased and the date on
which the repurchase is to be effected, such date to be not more than thirty
(30) days after the date of such notice. The certificates representing the
Unvested Shares to be repurchased shall be delivered to the Corporation on or
before the close of business on the date specified for the repurchase.
Concurrently with the receipt of such stock certificates, the Corporation shall
pay to Owner, in cash or cash equivalent (including the cancellation of any
purchase-money indebtedness), an amount equal to the Purchase Price previously
paid for the Unvested Shares to be repurchased from Owner.
3. TERMINATION OF THE REPURCHASE RIGHT. The Repurchase Right shall
terminate with respect to any Unvested Shares for which it is not timely
exercised under Paragraph C.2. In addition, the Repurchase Right shall
terminate and cease to be exercisable with respect to any and all Purchased
Shares in which Participant vests in accordance with the following Vesting
Schedule:
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(i) Upon Participant's completion of one (1) year of
Service measured from ______________, _______, Participant shall
acquire a vested interest in, and the Repurchase Right shall lapse
with respect to, twenty-five percent (25%) of the Purchased Shares.
(ii) Participant shall acquire a vested interest in,
and the Repurchase Right shall lapse with respect to, the remaining
Purchased Shares in a series of thirty six (36) successive equal
monthly installments upon Participant's completion of each additional
month of Service over the thirty-six (36)-month period measured from
the initial vesting date under subparagraph (i) above.
4. RECAPITALIZATION. Any new, substituted or additional securities
or other property (including cash paid other than as a regular cash dividend)
which is by reason of any Recapitalization distributed with respect to the
Purchased Shares shall be immediately subject to the Repurchase Right and any
escrow requirements hereunder, but only to the extent the Purchased Shares are
at the time covered by such right or escrow requirements. Appropriate
adjustments to reflect such distribution shall be made to the number and/or
class of securities subject to this Agreement and to the price per share to be
paid upon the exercise of the Repurchase Right in order to reflect the effect of
any such Recapitalization upon the Corporation's capital structure; PROVIDED,
however, that the aggregate purchase price shall remain the same.
5. CORPORATE TRANSACTION.
(a) Immediately prior to the consummation of any Corporate
Transaction, the Repurchase Right shall automatically lapse in its entirety and
the Purchased Shares shall vest in full, except to the extent the Repurchase
Right is to be assigned to the successor corporation (or parent thereof) in
connection with the Corporate Transaction.
(b) To the extent the Repurchase Right remains in effect
following a Corporate Transaction, such right shall apply to the new capital
stock or other property (including any cash payments) received in exchange for
the Purchased Shares in consummation of the Corporate Transaction, but only to
the extent the Purchased Shares are at the time covered by such right.
Appropriate adjustments shall be made to the price per share payable upon
exercise of the Repurchase Right to reflect the effect of the Corporate
Transaction upon the Corporation's capital structure; provided, however, that
the aggregate purchase price shall remain the same. The new securities or other
property (including cash payments) issued or distributed with respect to the
Purchased Shares in consummation of the Corporate Transaction shall immediately
be deposited in escrow with the Corporation (or the successor entity) and shall
not be released from escrow until Participant vests in such securities or other
property in accordance with the same Vesting Schedule in effect for the
Purchased Shares.
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D. SPECIAL TAX ELECTION
1. SECTION 83(b) ELECTION. Under Code Section 83, the excess of
the fair market value of the Purchased Shares on the date any forfeiture
restrictions applicable to such shares lapse over the Purchase Price paid for
such shares will be reportable as ordinary income on the lapse date. For
this purpose, the term "forfeiture restrictions" includes the right of the
Corporation to repurchase the Purchased Shares pursuant to the Repurchase
Right. Participant may elect under Code Section 83(b) to be taxed at the time
the Purchased Shares are acquired, rather than when and as such Purchased
Shares cease to be subject to such forfeiture restrictions. Such election
must be filed with the Internal Revenue Service within thirty (30) days after
the date of this Agreement. Even if the fair market value of the Purchased
Shares on the date of this Agreement equals the Purchase Price paid (and thus
no tax is payable), the election must be made to avoid adverse tax
consequences in the future. THE FORM FOR MAKING THIS ELECTION IS ATTACHED AS
EXHIBIT II HERETO. PARTICIPANT UNDERSTANDS THAT FAILURE TO MAKE THIS FILING
WITHIN THE APPLICABLE THIRTY (30)-DAY PERIOD WILL RESULT IN THE RECOGNITION
OF ORDINARY INCOME AS THE FORFEITURE RESTRICTIONS LAPSE.
2. FILING RESPONSIBILITY. PARTICIPANT ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT IS
PARTICIPANT'S SOLE RESPONSIBILITY, AND NOT THE CORPORATION'S, TO FILE A TIMELY
ELECTION UNDER CODE SECTION 83(b), EVEN IF PARTICIPANT REQUESTS THE CORPORATION
OR ITS REPRESENTATIVES TO MAKE THIS FILING ON HIS OR HER BEHALF.
E. GENERAL PROVISIONS
1. ASSIGNMENT. The Corporation may assign the Repurchase Right to
any person or entity selected by the Board, including (without limitation) one
or more stockholders of the Corporation.
2. AT WILL EMPLOYMENT. Nothing in this Agreement or in the Plan
shall confer upon Participant any right to continue in Service for any period of
specific duration or interfere with or otherwise restrict in any way the rights
of the Corporation (or any Parent or Subsidiary employing or retaining
Participant) or of Participant, which rights are hereby expressly reserved by
each, to terminate Participant's Service at any time for any reason, with or
without cause.
3. NOTICES. Any notice required to be given under this Agreement
shall be in writing and shall be deemed effective upon personal delivery or upon
deposit in the U.S. mail, registered or certified, postage prepaid and properly
addressed to the party entitled to such notice at the address indicated below
such party's signature line on this Agreement or at such other address as such
party may designate by ten (10) days advance written notice under this paragraph
to all other parties to this Agreement.
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4. NO WAIVER. The failure of the Corporation in any instance to
exercise the Repurchase Right shall not constitute a waiver of any other
repurchase rights that may subsequently arise under the provisions of this
Agreement or any other agreement between the Corporation and Participant. No
waiver of any breach or condition of this Agreement shall be deemed to be a
waiver of any other or subsequent breach or condition, whether of like or
different nature.
5. CANCELLATION OF SHARES. If the Corporation shall make available,
at the time and place and in the amount and form provided in this Agreement, the
consideration for the Purchased Shares to be repurchased in accordance with the
provisions of this Agreement, then from and after such time, the person from
whom such shares are to be repurchased shall no longer have any rights as a
holder of such shares (other than the right to receive payment of such
consideration in accordance with this Agreement). Such shares shall be deemed
purchased in accordance with the applicable provisions hereof, and the
Corporation shall be deemed the owner and holder of such shares, whether or not
the certificates therefor have been delivered as required by this Agreement.
6. PARTICIPANT UNDERTAKING. Participant hereby agrees to take
whatever additional action and execute whatever additional documents the
Corporation may deem necessary or advisable in order to carry out or effect one
or more of the obligations or restrictions imposed on either Participant or the
Purchased Shares pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement.
7. AGREEMENT IS ENTIRE CONTRACT. This Agreement constitutes the
entire contract between the parties hereto with regard to the subject matter
hereof. This Agreement is made pursuant to the provisions of the Plan and shall
in all respects be construed in conformity with the terms of the Plan.
8. GOVERNING LAW. This Agreement shall be governed by, and
construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of California without resort
to that State's conflict-of-laws rules.
9. COUNTERPARTS. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts,
each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all of which together shall
constitute one and the same instrument.
10. SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS. The provisions of this Agreement shall
inure to the benefit of, and be binding upon, the Corporation and its successors
and assigns and upon Participant, Participant's assigns and the legal
representatives, heirs and legatees of Participant's estate, whether or not any
such person shall have become a party to this Agreement and have agreed in
writing to join herein and be bound by the terms hereof.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement on the
day and year first indicated above.
RHYTHMS NETCONNECTIONS INC.
By:
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Title:
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Address:
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PARTICIPANT
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Signature
Address:
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SPOUSAL ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The undersigned spouse of the Participant has read and hereby approves
the foregoing Stock Issuance Agreement. In consideration of the Corporation's
granting the Participant the right to acquire the Purchased Shares in accordance
with the terms of such Agreement, the undersigned hereby agrees to be
irrevocably bound by all the terms of such Agreement, including (without
limitation) the right of the Corporation (or its assigns) to purchase any
Purchased Shares in which the Participant is not vested at the time of his or
her termination of Service.
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PARTICIPANT'S SPOUSE
Address:
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EXHIBIT I
ASSIGNMENT SEPARATE FROM CERTIFICATE
FOR VALUE RECEIVED _______________________ hereby sell(s), assign(s)
and transfer(s) unto Rhythms NetConnections Inc. (the "Corporation"),
_____________________________ (_____________) shares of the Common Stock of the
Corporation standing in his or her name on the books of the Corporation
represented by Certificate No. _____________________ herewith and do(es) hereby
irrevocably constitute and appoint ______________________________ Attorney to
transfer the said stock on the books of the Corporation with full power of
substitution in the premises.
Dated: _________________, _____.
Signature
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INSTRUCTION: Please do not fill in any blanks other than the signature line.
Please sign exactly as you would like your name to appear on the issued stock
certificate. The purpose of this assignment is to enable the Corporation to
exercise the Repurchase Right without requiring additional signatures on the
part of Participant.
EXHIBIT II
SECTION 83(b) TAX ELECTION
This statement is being made under Section 83(b) of the Internal Revenue Code,
pursuant to Treas. Reg. Section 1.83-2.
(1) The taxpayer who performed the services is:
Name:
Address:
Taxpayer Ident. No.:
(2) The property with respect to which the election is being made is
____________ shares of the common stock of Rhythms NetConnections Inc.
(3) The property was issued on _________________, _________.
(4) The taxable year in which the election is being made is the calendar year
_________.
(5) The property is subject to a repurchase right pursuant to which the issuer
has the right to acquire the property at the original purchase price if for
any reason taxpayer's service with the issuer terminates. The issuer's
repurchase right lapses in a series of annual and monthly installments over
a four (4)-year period ending on ____________________.
(6) The fair market value at the time of transfer (determined without regard to
any restriction other than a restriction which by its terms will never
lapse) is $_____________ per share.
(7) The amount paid for such property is $_____________ per share.
(8) A copy of this statement was furnished to Rhythms NetConnections Inc. for
whom taxpayer rendered the services underlying the transfer of property.
(9) This statement is executed on ________________________, _______.
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Spouse (if any) TAXPAYER
THIS ELECTION MUST BE FILED WITH THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE CENTER WITH
WHICH TAXPAYER FILES HIS OR HER FEDERAL INCOME TAX RETURNS AND MUST BE MADE
WITHIN THIRTY (30) DAYS AFTER THE EXECUTION DATE OF THE STOCK ISSUANCE
AGREEMENT. THIS FILING SHOULD BE MADE BY REGISTERED OR CERTIFIED MAIL, RETURN
RECEIPT REQUESTED. PARTICIPANT MUST RETAIN TWO (2) COPIES OF THE COMPLETED FORM
FOR FILING WITH HIS OR HER FEDERAL AND STATE TAX RETURNS FOR THE CURRENT TAX
YEAR AND AN ADDITIONAL COPY FOR HIS OR HER RECORDS.
APPENDIX
The following definitions shall be in effect under the Agreement:
A. AGREEMENT shall mean this Stock Issuance Agreement.
B. BOARD shall mean the Corporation's Board of Directors.
C. COMMON STOCK shall mean shares of the Corporation's common stock.
D. CODE shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
E. CORPORATE TRANSACTION shall mean either of the following
stockholder-approved transactions:
(i) a merger or consolidation in which securities
possessing more than fifty percent (50%) of the total combined voting
power of the Corporation's outstanding securities are transferred to a
person or persons different from the persons holding those securities
immediately prior to such transaction, or
(ii) the sale, transfer or other disposition of all or
substantially all of the Corporation's assets in complete liquidation
or dissolution of the Corporation.
F. CORPORATION shall mean Rhythms NetConnections Inc., a Delaware
corporation, and any successor corporation to all or substantially all of the
assets or voting stock of Rhythms NetConnections Inc.
G. OWNER shall mean Participant and all subsequent holders of the
Purchased Shares who derive their chain of ownership through a Permitted
Transfer from Participant.
H. PARENT shall mean any corporation (other than the Corporation) in
an unbroken chain of corporations ending with the Corporation, provided each
corporation in the unbroken chain (other than the Corporation) owns, at the time
of the determination, stock possessing fifty percent (50%) or more of the total
combined voting power of all classes of stock in one of the other corporations
in such chain.
I. PARTICIPANT shall mean the person to whom the Purchased Shares
are issued under the Stock Issuance Program.
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J. PERMITTED TRANSFER shall mean (i) a gratuitous transfer of the
Purchased Shares, PROVIDED AND ONLY IF Participant obtains the Corporation's
prior written consent to such transfer, (ii) a transfer of title to the
Purchased Shares effected pursuant to Participant's will or the laws of
intestate succession following Participant's death or (iii) a transfer to the
Corporation in pledge as security for any purchase-money indebtedness incurred
by Participant in connection with the acquisition of the Purchased Shares.
K. PLAN shall mean the Corporation's 1999 Stock Incentive Plan.
L. PLAN ADMINISTRATOR shall mean either the Board or a committee of
the Board acting in its administrative capacity under the Plan.
M. PURCHASE PRICE shall have the meaning assigned to such term in
Paragraph A.1.
N. PURCHASED SHARES shall have the meaning assigned to such term in
Paragraph A.1.
O. RECAPITALIZATION shall mean any stock split, stock dividend,
recapitalization, combination of shares, exchange of shares or other change
affecting the Corporation's outstanding Common Stock as a class without the
Corporation's receipt of consideration.
P. REPURCHASE RIGHT shall mean the right granted to the Corporation
in accordance with Article C.
Q. SERVICE shall mean the Participant's performance of services for
the Corporation (or any Parent or Subsidiary) in the capacity of an employee,
subject to the control and direction of the employer entity as to both the work
to be performed and the manner and method of performance, a non-employee member
of the board of directors or a consultant.
R. STOCK ISSUANCE PROGRAM shall mean the Stock Issuance Program
under the Plan.
S. SUBSIDIARY shall mean any corporation (other than the
Corporation) in an unbroken chain of corporations beginning with the
Corporation, provided each corporation (other than the last corporation) in the
unbroken chain owns, at the time of the determination, stock possessing fifty
percent (50%) or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock
in one of the other corporations in such chain.
T. VESTING SCHEDULE shall mean the vesting schedule specified in
Paragraph C.3, pursuant to which the Purchased Shares are to vest in a series of
installments over Participant's period of Service.
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U. UNVESTED SHARES shall have the meaning assigned to such term in
Paragraph C.1.
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