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EXHIBIT 99.6
THERATX, INCORPORATED
AUTOMATIC STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT
RECITALS
A. The Corporation has implemented an automatic option grant program
under the Plan pursuant to which eligible non-employee members of the Board will
automatically receive special option grants at periodic intervals over their
period of Board service in order to provide such individuals with a meaningful
incentive to continue to serve as members of the Board.
B. Optionee is an eligible non-employee Board member, and this
Agreement is executed pursuant to, and is intended to carry out the purposes of,
the Plan in connection with the automatic grant of an option to purchase shares
of Common Stock under the Plan.
C. The granted option is intended to be a non-statutory option which
does not meet the requirements of Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code.
D. All capitalized terms in this Agreement shall have the meaning
assigned to them in the attached Appendix.
NOW, THEREFORE, it is hereby agreed as follows:
1. GRANT OF OPTION. The Corporation hereby grants to Optionee, as of
the Grant Date, a Non-Statutory Option to purchase up to the number of Option
Shares specified in the Grant Notice. The Option Shares shall be purchasable
from time to time during the option term specified in Paragraph 2 at the
Exercise Price.
2. OPTION TERM. This option shall have a term of ten (10) years
measured from the Grant Date and shall accordingly expire at the close of
business on the Expiration Date, unless sooner terminated in accordance with
Paragraph 5, 6 or 7.
3. LIMITED TRANSFERABILITY. This option may, in connection with the
Optionee's estate plan, be assigned in whole or in part during Optionee's
lifetime to one or more members of the Optionee's immediate family or to a trust
established for the exclusive benefit of one or more such family members. The
assigned portion shall be exercisable only by the person or persons who acquire
a proprietary interest in the option pursuant to such assignment. The terms
applicable to the assigned portion shall be the same as those in effect for this
option immediately prior to such assignment and shall be set forth in such
documents issued to the assignee as the Corporation may deem appropriate. Should
the Optionee die while holding this option, then this option shall be
transferred in accordance with Optionee's will or the laws of descent and
distribution.
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4. EXERCISABILITY/VESTING.
(a) This option shall be immediately exercisable for any or all
of the Option Shares, whether or not the Option Shares are vested in accordance
with the Vesting Schedule set forth in the Grant Notice and shall remain so
exercisable until the Expiration Date or sooner termination of the option term
under Paragraph 5, 6 or 7.
(b) Optionee shall, in accordance with the Vesting Schedule set
forth in the Grant Notice, vest in the Option Shares in a series of installments
over his or her period of Board service. Vesting in the Option Shares may be
accelerated pursuant to the provisions of Paragraph 5, 6 or 7. In no event,
however, shall any additional Option Shares vest following Optionee's cessation
of service as a Board member.
5. CESSATION OF BOARD SERVICE. Should Optionee's service as a Board
member cease while this option remains outstanding, then the option term
specified in Paragraph 2 shall terminate (and this option shall cease to be
outstanding) prior to the Expiration Date in accordance with the following
provisions:
(a) Should Optionee cease to serve as a Board member for any
reason (other than death or Permanent Disability) while holding this option,
then the period for exercising this option shall be reduced to a twelve
(12)-month period (commencing with the date of such cessation of Board service),
but in no event shall this option be exercisable at any time after the
Expiration Date. During such limited period of exercisability, this option may
not be exercised in the aggregate for more than the number of Option Shares (if
any) in which Optionee is vested on the date Optionee ceases service as a Board
member. Upon the earlier of (i) the expiration of such twelve (12)-month period
or (ii) the specified Expiration Date, the option shall terminate and cease to
be exercisable with respect to any vested Option Shares for which the option has
not been exercised.
(b) Should Optionee die during the twelve (12)-month period
following his or her cessation of Board service, then the personal
representative of Optionee's estate or the person or persons to whom the option
is transferred pursuant to Optionee's will or in accordance with the laws of
descent and distribution shall have the right to exercise this option for any or
all of the Option Shares in which Optionee is vested at the time of Optionee's
cessation of Board service (less any Option Shares purchased by Optionee after
such cessation of Board service but prior to death). Such right of exercise
shall terminate, and this option shall accordingly cease to be exercisable for
such vested Option Shares, upon the earlier of (i) the expiration of the twelve
(12)-month period measured from the date of Optionee's cessation of Board
service or (ii) the specified Expiration Date.
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(c) Should Optionee cease service as a Board member by reason of
death or Permanent Disability, then all Option Shares at the time subject to
this option but not otherwise vested shall immediately vest in full so that
Optionee (or the personal representative of Optionee's estate or the person or
persons to whom the option is transferred upon Optionee's death) shall have the
right to exercise this option for any or all of the Option Shares as
fully-vested shares of Common Stock at any time prior to the earlier of (i) the
expiration of the twelve (12)-month period measured from the date of Optionee's
cessation of Board service or (ii) the specified Expiration Date.
(d) Upon Optionee's cessation of Board service for any reason
other than death or Permanent Disability, this option shall immediately
terminate and cease to be outstanding with respect to any and all Option Shares
in which Optionee is not otherwise at that time vested in accordance with the
Vesting Schedule set forth in the Grant Notice or the special vesting
acceleration provisions of Paragraph 6 or 7 below.
6. CORPORATE TRANSACTION.
(a) In the event of a Corporate Transaction, all Option Shares at
the time subject to this option but not otherwise vested shall automatically
vest so that this option shall, immediately prior to the effective date of such
Corporate Transaction, become fully exercisable for all of the Option Shares at
the time subject to this option and may be exercised for all or any portion of
such shares as fully-vested shares of Common Stock. Immediately following the
Corporate Transaction, this option shall terminate and cease to be exercisable
except to the extent assumed by the successor corporation (or parent thereof) in
connection with such Corporate Transaction.
(b) If this option is assumed in connection with a Corporate
Transaction, then this option shall be appropriately adjusted, immediately after
such Corporate Transaction, to apply to the number and class of securities which
would have been issuable to Optionee in consummation of such Corporate
Transaction had the option been exercised immediately prior to such Corporate
Transaction, and appropriate adjustments shall also be made to the Exercise
Price, provided the aggregate Exercise Price shall remain the same.
7. CHANGE IN CONTROL/HOSTILE TAKE-OVER.
(a) All Option Shares subject to this option at the time of a
Change in Control but not otherwise vested shall automatically vest so that this
option shall, immediately prior to the effective date of such Change in Control,
become fully exercisable for all of the Option Shares at the time subject to
this option and may be exercised for all or any portion of such shares as
fully-vested shares of Common Stock. This option shall
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remain exercisable for such fully-vested Option Shares until the earliest to
occur of (i) the Expiration Date, (ii) the sooner termination of this option in
accordance with Paragraph 5 or 6 or (iii) the surrender of the option in
connection with a Hostile Take-Over.
(b) Provided this option has been outstanding for at least six
(6) months prior to the occurrence of a Hostile Take-Over, Optionee shall have
the unconditional right (exercisable during the thirty (30)-day period
immediately following the consummation of such Hostile Take-Over) to surrender
this option to the Corporation in exchange for a cash distribution from the
Corporation in an amount equal to the excess of (i) the Take-Over Price of the
Option Shares at the time subject to the surrendered option (whether or not
those Option Shares are otherwise at the time vested) over (ii) the aggregate
Exercise Price payable for such shares. This Paragraph 7(b) limited stock
appreciation right shall in all events terminate upon the expiration or sooner
termination of the option term and may not be assigned or transferred by
Optionee.
(c) To exercise the Paragraph 7(b) limited stock appreciation
right, Optionee must, during the applicable thirty (30)-day exercise period,
provide the Corporation with written notice of the option surrender in which
there is specified the number of Option Shares as to which the Option is being
surrendered. Such notice must be accompanied by the return of Optionee's copy of
this Agreement, together with any written amendments to such Agreement.
Optionee's exercise of the limited stock appreciation right in accordance with
the terms of this Paragraph 7 is hereby approved in advance by the Board, and
the cash distribution to which Optionee shall become entitled upon such exercise
shall be paid to Optionee within five (5) days following the delivery of the
requisite notice. No other approval of the Plan Administrator or the Board shall
be required in connection with such option surrender and cash distribution. Upon
receipt of such cash distribution, this option shall be cancelled with respect
to the Option Shares subject to the surrendered option (or the surrendered
portion) and Optionee shall cease to have any further right to acquire those
Option Shares under this Agreement. The option shall, however, remain
outstanding for the balance of the Option Shares (if any) in accordance with the
terms of this Agreement, and the Corporation shall issue a new stock option
agreement (substantially in the same form as this Agreement) for those remaining
Option Shares.
8. ADJUSTMENT IN OPTION SHARES. Should any change be made to the
Common Stock by reason of any stock split, stock dividend, recapitalization,
combination of shares, exchange of shares or other change affecting the
outstanding Common Stock as a class without the Corporation's receipt of
consideration, appropriate adjustments shall be made to (i) the total number
and/or class of securities subject to this option and (ii) the Exercise Price in
order to reflect such change and thereby preclude a dilution or enlargement of
benefits hereunder; provided, however, that the aggregate Exercise Price shall
remain the same.
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9. STOCKHOLDER RIGHTS. The holder of this option shall not have any
stockholder rights with respect to the Option Shares until such person shall
have exercised the option, paid the Exercise Price and become a holder of record
of the purchased shares.
10. MANNER OF EXERCISING OPTION.
(a) In order to exercise this option for all or any part of the
Option Shares for which the option is at the time exercisable, Optionee or, in
the case of exercise after Optionee's death, Optionee's executor, administrator,
heir or legatee, as the case may be, must take the following actions:
(i) To the extent the option is exercised for vested
Option Shares, the Secretary of the Corporation shall be provided with
written notice of the option exercise (the "Exercise Notice") in
substantially the form of Exhibit I attached hereto, in which there is
specified the number of vested Option Shares to be purchased under the
exercised option. To the extent that the option is exercised for one or more
unvested Option Shares, Optionee (or other person exercising the option)
shall deliver to the Secretary of the Corporation a Purchase Agreement for
those unvested Option Shares.
(ii) The Exercise Price for the purchased shares shall
be paid in one or more of the following alternative forms:
- cash or check made payable to the Corporation's
order; or
- shares of Common Stock held by Optionee (or any
other person or persons exercising the option) for the requisite
period necessary to avoid a charge to the Corporation's earnings for
financial reporting purposes and valued at Fair Market Value on the
Exercise Date; or
- to the extent the option is exercised for vested
Option Shares, through a special sale and remittance procedure
pursuant to which Optionee shall provide irrevocable written
instructions (A) to a Corporation-designated brokerage firm to
effect the immediate sale of the vested shares purchased under the
option and remit to the Corporation, out of the sale proceeds
available on the settlement date, sufficient funds to cover the
aggregate Exercise Price payable for those shares plus the
applicable Federal, state and local
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income taxes required to be withheld by the Corporation by reason of
such exercise and (B) to the Corporation to deliver the certificates
for the purchased shares directly to such brokerage firm in order to
complete the sale.
(iii) Appropriate documentation evidencing the right
to exercise this option shall be furnished the Corporation if the person
or persons exercising the option is other than Optionee.
(iv) Appropriate arrangement must be made with the
Corporation for the satisfaction of all Federal, state and local income
tax withholding requirements applicable to the option exercise.
(b) Except to the extent the sale and remittance procedure
specified above is utilized in connection with the exercise of the option for
vested Option Shares, payment of the Exercise Price for the purchased shares
must accompany the Exercise Notice or Purchase Agreement delivered to the
Corporation in connection with the option exercise.
(c) As soon after the Exercise Date as practical, the
Corporation shall issue to or on behalf of Optionee (or any other person or
persons exercising this option) a certificate for the purchased Option Shares,
with the appropriate legends affixed thereto. To the extent any such Option
Shares are unvested, the certificates for those Option Shares shall be endorsed
with an appropriate legend evidencing the Corporation's repurchase rights and
may be held in escrow with the Corporation until such shares vest.
(d) In no event may this option be exercised for any fractional
shares.
11. NO IMPAIRMENT OF RIGHTS. This Agreement shall not in any way
affect the right of the Corporation to adjust, reclassify, reorganize or
otherwise make changes in its capital or business structure or to merge,
consolidate, dissolve, liquidate or sell or transfer all or any part of its
business or assets. Nor shall this Agreement in any way be construed or
interpreted so as to affect adversely or otherwise impair the right of the
Corporation or the stockholders to remove Optionee from the Board at any time in
accordance with the provisions of applicable law.
12. COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS AND REGULATIONS.
(a) The exercise of this option and the issuance of the Option
Shares upon such exercise shall be subject to compliance by the Corporation and
Optionee with all applicable requirements of law relating thereto and with all
applicable regulations of any stock exchange (or the Nasdaq National Market, if
applicable) on which the Common Stock may be listed for trading at the time of
such exercise and issuance.
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(b) The inability of the Corporation to obtain approval from any
regulatory body having authority deemed by the Corporation to be necessary to
the lawful issuance and sale of any Common Stock pursuant to this option shall
relieve the Corporation of any liability with respect to the non-issuance or
sale of the Common Stock as to which such approval shall not have been obtained.
The Corporation, however, shall use its best efforts to obtain all such
approvals.
13. SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS. Except to the extent otherwise provided
in Paragraph 3 or 6, the provisions of this Agreement shall inure to the benefit
of, and be binding upon, the Corporation and its successors and assigns and
Optionee, Optionee's assigns and the legal representatives, heirs and legatees
of Optionee's estate.
14. NOTICES. Any notice required to be given or delivered to the
Corporation under the terms of this Agreement shall be in writing and addressed
to the Corporation at its principal corporate offices. Any notice required to be
given or delivered to Optionee shall be in writing and addressed to Optionee at
the address indicated below Optionee's signature line on the Grant Notice. All
notices shall be deemed effective upon personal delivery or upon deposit in the
U.S. mail, postage prepaid and properly addressed to the party to be notified.
15. CONSTRUCTION. This Agreement and the option evidenced hereby are
made and granted pursuant to the Plan and are in all respects limited by and
subject to the terms of the Plan.
16. GOVERNING LAW. The interpretation, performance and enforcement
of this Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of Georgia without
resort to that State's conflict-of-laws rules.
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EXHIBIT I
NOTICE OF EXERCISE
I hereby notify TheraTx, Incorporated (the "Corporation") that
I elect to purchase _________ shares of the Corporation's Common Stock (the
"Purchased Shares") at the option exercise price of $__________ per share
(the "Exercise Price") pursuant to that certain option (the "Option") granted
to me under the Corporation's 1996 Stock Option/Stock Issuance Plan on
_____________, 199__ .
Concurrently with the delivery of this Exercise Notice to the
Corporation, I shall hereby pay to the Corporation the Exercise Price for the
Purchased Shares in accordance with the provisions of my agreement with the
Corporation (or other documents) evidencing the Option and shall deliver
whatever additional documents may be required by such agreement as a condition
for exercise. Alternatively, I may utilize the special broker-dealer sale and
remittance procedure specified in my agreement to effect payment of the Exercise
Price for any Purchased Shares in which I am vested at the time of exercise of
the Option.
____________________________________, 199__
Date
______________________________________
Optionee
Address: _____________________________
______________________________________
Print name in exact manner
it is to appear on the
stock certificate: ______________________________________
Address to which certificate
is to be sent, if different
from address above: ______________________________________
______________________________________
Social Security Number: ______________________________________
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APPENDIX
The following definitions shall be in effect under the Agreement:
A. AGREEMENT shall mean this Automatic Stock Option Agreement.
B. BOARD shall mean the Corporation's Board of Directors.
C. CHANGE IN CONTROL shall mean a change in ownership or control of the
Corporation effected through either of the following transactions:
(i) the acquisition, directly or indirectly, by any person or
related group of persons (other than the Corporation or a person that
directly or indirectly controls, is controlled by, or is under common
control with, the Corporation) of beneficial ownership (within the
meaning of Rule 13d-3 of the 0000 Xxx) of securities possessing more
than fifty percent (50%) of the total combined voting power of the
Corporation's outstanding securities pursuant to a tender or exchange
offer made directly to the Corporation's stockholders which the Board
does not recommend such stockholders to accept, or
(ii) a change in the composition of the Board over a period of
thirty-six (36) consecutive months or less such that a majority of the
Board members ceases, by reason of one or more contested elections for
Board membership, to be comprised of individuals who either (A) have
been Board members continuously since the beginning of such period or
(B) have been elected or nominated for election as Board members during
such period by at least a majority of the Board members described in
clause (A) who were still in office at the time the Board approved such
election or nomination.
D. CODE shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
E. COMMON STOCK shall mean the Corporation's common stock.
F. CORPORATE TRANSACTION shall mean any of the following
stockholder-approved transactions to which the Corporation is a party:
(i) a merger or consolidation in which the Corporation is not the
surviving entity, except for a transaction the principal purpose of
which is to change the state in which the Corporation is incorporated,
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(ii) the sale, transfer or other disposition of all or
substantially all of the assets of the Corporation in complete
liquidation or dissolution of the Corporation, or
(iii) any reverse merger in which the Corporation is the
surviving entity but 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 those who held such securities immediately prior to such merger.
G. CORPORATION shall mean TheraTx, Incorporated, a Delaware
corporation.
H. EXERCISE DATE shall mean the date on which the option shall have
been exercised in accordance with Paragraph 10 of the Agreement.
I. EXERCISE PRICE shall mean the exercise price per share as specified
in the Grant Notice.
J. EXPIRATION DATE shall mean the date on which the option expires as
specified in the Grant Notice.
K. FAIR MARKET VALUE per share of Common Stock on any relevant date
shall be determined in accordance with the following provisions:
(i) If the Common Stock is at the time traded on the Nasdaq
National Market, then the Fair Market Value shall be the closing
selling price per share of Common Stock on the date in question, as the
price is reported by the National Association of Securities Dealers on
the Nasdaq National Market or any successor system. If there is no
closing selling price for the Common Stock on the date in question,
then the Fair Market Value shall be the closing selling price on the
last preceding date for which such quotation exists.
(ii) If the Common Stock is at the time listed on any Stock
Exchange, then the Fair Market Value shall be the closing selling price
per share of Common Stock on the date in question on the Stock Exchange
which serves as the primary market for the Common Stock, as such price
is officially quoted in the composite tape of transactions on such
exchange. If there is no closing selling price for the Common Stock on
the date in question, then the Fair Market Value shall be the closing
selling price on the last preceding date for which such quotation
exists.
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X. XXXXX DATE shall mean the date of grant of the option as specified
in the Grant Notice.
X. XXXXX NOTICE shall mean the Notice of Grant of Automatic Stock
Option accompanying the Agreement, pursuant to which Optionee has been informed
of the basic terms of the option evidenced hereby.
N. HOSTILE TAKE-OVER shall mean a change in ownership of the
Corporation effected through the following transaction:
(i) the acquisition, directly or indirectly, by any person or
related group of persons (other than the Corporation or a person that
directly or indirectly controls, is controlled by, or is under common
control with, the Corporation) of beneficial ownership (within the
meaning of Rule 13d-3 of the 0000 Xxx) of securities possessing more
than fifty percent (50%) of the total combined voting power of the
Corporation's outstanding securities pursuant to a tender or exchange
offer made directly to the Corporation's stockholders which the Board
does not recommend such stockholders to accept, and
(ii) more than fifty percent (50%) of the acquired securities are
accepted from persons other than the officers and directors of the
Corporation subject to the short-swing profit restrictions of Section
16 of the 1934 Act.
O. 1934 ACT shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
P. NON-STATUTORY OPTION shall mean an option not intended to satisfy
the requirements of Code Section 422.
Q. NOTICE OF EXERCISE shall mean the notice of exercise in the form of
Exhibit I.
R. OPTION SHARES shall mean the number of shares of Common Stock
subject to the option.
S. OPTIONEE shall mean the person to whom the option is granted as
specified in the Grant Notice.
T. PERMANENT DISABILITY shall mean the inability of Optionee to engage
in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable
physical or mental impairment which is expected to result in death or has lasted
or can be expected to last for a continuous period of twelve (12) months or
more.
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U. PLAN shall mean the Corporation's 1996 Stock Option/Stock Issuance
Plan.
V. PURCHASE AGREEMENT shall mean the stock purchase agreement (in form
and substance satisfactory to the Corporation) which must be executed at the
time the option is exercised for unvested Option Shares and which will
accordingly (i) grant the Corporation the right to repurchase, at the Exercise
Price, any and all of those Option Shares in which Optionee is not otherwise
vested at the time of his or her cessation of service as a Board member and (ii)
preclude the sale, transfer or other disposition of any of the Option Shares
purchased under such agreement while those Option Shares remain subject to the
repurchase right.
W. STOCK EXCHANGE shall mean the American Stock Exchange or the New
York Stock Exchange.
X. TAKE-OVER PRICE shall mean the greater of (i) the Fair Market Value
per share of Common Stock on the date the option is surrendered to the
Corporation in connection with a Hostile Take-Over or (ii) the highest reported
price per share of Common Stock paid by the tender offeror in effecting the
Hostile Take-Over.
Y. VESTING SCHEDULE shall mean the vesting schedule specified in the
Grant Notice, pursuant to which Optionee will vest in the Option Shares in one
or more installments over his or her period of Board service, subject to
acceleration in accordance with the provisions of the Agreement.
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