As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 21, 2020
Registration No. 333-
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM S-8
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
AMERICAN OUTDOOR BRANDS, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware | 84-4630928 | |
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) | (IRS Employer Identification No.) |
1800 North Route Z
Columbia, Missouri 65202
(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)
American Outdoor Brands, Inc. 2020 Incentive Compensation Plan
American Outdoor Brands, Inc. 2020 Employee Stock Purchase Plan
(Full title of the plan)
Brian D. Murphy
President and Chief Executive Officer
American Outdoor Brands, Inc.
1800 North Route Z
Columbia, Missouri 65202
(Name and address of agent for service)
(800) 338-9585
(Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
Copies to:
Robert S. Kant Katherine A. Beck John A. Shumate Greenberg Traurig, LLP 2375 East Camelback Road, Suite 700 Phoenix, Arizona 85016 (602) 445-8000 |
Douglas V. Brown Chief Counsel, American Outdoor Brands, Inc. 1800 North Route Z Columbia, Missouri 65202 (800) 338-9585 |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of large accelerated filer, accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, and emerging growth company in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):
Large accelerated filer | ☐ | Accelerated filer | ☐ | |||
Non-accelerated filer | ☑ | Smaller reporting company | ☐ | |||
Emerging growth company | ☑ |
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☑
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
| ||||||||
Title of securities to be registered |
Amount to be |
Proposed maximum offering price per share(2) |
Proposed offering price(2) |
Amount of registration fee | ||||
Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share |
1,397,510 shares(3) | $18.99 | $26,531,727 | $3,443.82 | ||||
Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share |
419,253 shares(4) | $18.99 | $7,959,518 | $1,033.15 | ||||
Total |
$4,476.96 | |||||||
| ||||||||
|
(1) | Pursuant to Rule 416(a) promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), this Registration Statement shall also cover any additional shares of American Outdoor Brands, Inc. (the Registrant) common stock that may become issuable under the American Outdoor Brands, Inc. 2020 Incentive Compensation Plan (the Incentive Compensation Plan) and the American Outdoor Brands, Inc. 2020 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the ESPP) by reason of any stock dividend, stock split, recapitalization, or any other similar transaction that results in an increase in the number of outstanding shares of common stock of the Registrant. |
(2) | Pursuant to Rule 457(c) and 457(h)(1) under the Securities Act, the proposed maximum offering price per share and the proposed maximum aggregate offering price for the shares have been calculated solely for the purpose of computing the registration fee on the basis of the average high and low prices of the common stock trading on a when issued basis as reported by the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC on August 18, 2020. |
(3) | Represents shares of common stock authorized for issuance under the Incentive Compensation Plan. |
(4) | Represents shares of common stock authorized for issuance under the ESPP. |
PART I
INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS
The documents containing the information specified in Part I of Form S-8 will be sent or given to participants as specified by Rule 428(b)(1) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act). In accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the Commission) and the instructions to Form S-8, such documents are not being filed with the Commission either as part of this Registration Statement or as prospectuses or prospectus supplements pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act. These documents and the documents incorporated by reference pursuant to Item 3 of Part II of this Registration Statement, taken together, constitute a prospectus that meets the requirements of Section 10(a) of the Securities Act.
PART II
INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT
Item 3. | Incorporation of Documents by Reference. |
American Outdoor Brands, Inc. (the Registrant) hereby incorporates by reference into this Registration Statement the registration statement on Form 10 (File No. 001-39366), filed by the Registrant with the Commission on July 2, 2020, as amended by Amendment No. 1, filed on July 13, 2020, including the description of the Registrants common stock contained therein, and any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such description.
In addition, all documents filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14, and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act), subsequent to the date of this Registration Statement and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement, which indicates that all securities offered hereunder have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement and to be a part hereof from the date of filing of such documents.
Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement to the extent that a statement contained in this Registration Statement, or in any subsequently filed document which also is incorporated or is deemed to be incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement, modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this Registration Statement.
Item 4. | Description of Securities. |
Not applicable.
Item 5. | Interests of Named Experts and Counsel. |
Not applicable.
Item 6. | Indemnification of Directors and Officers. |
As permitted by Section 102(b)(7) of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the DGCL) the Registrants amended and restated certificate of incorporation contains a provision limiting the personal liability of a director of the Registrant to the Registrant or the stockholders of the Registrant for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL.
As permitted by Section 145 of the DGCL, the amended and restated bylaws of the Registrant provide that the Registrant shall indemnify, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any individual who is or was made or is threatened to be made a party to or is otherwise involved in any proceeding by reason of the fact that such individual is or was a director or officer of the Registrant or a director level or above employee of the Registrant or any of its consolidated subsidiaries (as shown in the Registrants or the applicable covered subsidiarys, as the case
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may be, human resources records) or, while a director or officer of the Registrant or a director level or above employee of the Registrant or any of its consolidated subsidiaries (as shown in the Registrants or the applicable covered subsidiarys, as the case may be, human resources records), is or was serving at the request of the Registrant or any of its consolidated subsidiaries as a director, officer, employee, or agent of another corporation or of a partnership, joint venture, trust, enterprise, or nonprofit entity, including service with respect to employee benefit plans, its participants or beneficiaries, against all liability and loss suffered and expenses (including attorneys fees) reasonably incurred by such individual.
As permitted by Section 145 of the DGCL, the amended and restated bylaws of the Registrant also require the Registrant to advance expenses (including legal expenses), to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, incurred by an individual described above in defending any proceeding in advance of its final disposition, except that such payment of expenses in advance of the final disposition of the proceeding will be made only upon receipt of an undertaking by such individual to repay all amounts advanced if it should be ultimately determined that such individual is not entitled to be indemnified under the indemnification provisions of the amended and restated bylaws of the Registrant or otherwise.
In addition, under the amended and restated bylaws of the Registrant, if a claim for indemnification (following the final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding) or advancement of expenses under the indemnification provisions of the amended and restated bylaws of Registrant is not paid in full within thirty (30) days after a written claim therefor by the individual entitled thereto has been received by the Registrant, such individual may file suit to recover the unpaid amount of such claim and, if successful in whole or in part, shall be entitled to be paid the expense (including attorneys fees) of prosecuting such claim. The Registrants amended and restated bylaws provide that in any such action, the Registrant shall have the burden of proving that such individual is not entitled to the requested indemnification or advancement of expenses under applicable law.
Section 145(f) of the DGCL and the amended and restated bylaws of the Registrant provide that the rights conferred on any individual under the indemnification provisions of the amended and restated bylaws of the Registrant are not exclusive of any other rights which such individual may have or acquire under any statute, provision of the certificate of incorporation of the Registrant, the bylaws of the Registrant, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors, or otherwise.
Section 145(g) of the DGCL provides that a corporation shall have the power to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee, or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee, or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, or other enterprise against any liability asserted against such person and incurred by such person in any such capacity, or arising out of such persons status as such, whether or not the corporation would have the power to indemnify such person against such liability under such section.
In addition, the Registrant has entered into indemnification agreements with the individuals currently serving as directors or executive officers of the Registrant providing for additional rights of such individuals with respect to indemnification and advancements. The Registrant intends to enter into a similar indemnification agreement with its future directors and executive officers.
The foregoing is only a general summary of certain aspects of Delaware law, the Registrants amended and restated bylaws, and the indemnification agreements dealing with indemnification of directors and executive officers and does not purport to be complete. It is qualified in its entirety by reference to the detailed provisions of Delaware law, the Registrants amended and restated bylaws, and the indemnification agreements.
Item 7. | Exemption From Registration Claimed. |
Not applicable.
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Item 8. | Exhibits. |
* | Filed herewith. |
Item 9. | Undertakings. |
(a) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:
(1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:
(i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act;
(ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of this Registration Statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in this Registration Statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the Calculation of Registration Fee table in the effective registration statement; and
(iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in this Registration Statement or any material change to such information in this Registration Statement;
provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) of this section do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement;
(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof; and
(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.
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(b) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the Registrants annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plans annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at the time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers, and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer, or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit, or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer, or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
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Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the city of Columbia, state of Missouri, on August 21, 2020.
AMERICAN OUTDOOR BRANDS, INC. | ||
By: | /s/ Brian D. Murphy | |
Brian D. Murphy | ||
President and Chief Executive Officer |
POWER OF ATTORNEY
KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints jointly and severally, Brian D. Murphy and H. Andrew Fulmer and each of them, as his or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place, and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this Registration Statement, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in connection therewith, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or any of them, or their or his or her substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated:
Signature |
Position |
Date | ||
/s/ Brian D. Murphy Brian D. Murphy |
President, Chief Executive Officer, and Director (Principal Executive Officer) |
August 21, 2020 | ||
/s/ H. Andrew Fulmer H. Andrew Fulmer |
Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer, and Secretary (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) |
August 21, 2020 |
Exhibit 4.1
AMENDED AND RESTATED
CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION
OF
AMERICAN OUTDOOR BRANDS, INC.
The present name of the corporation is American Outdoor Brands, Inc. The corporation was incorporated under the name American Outdoor Brands Spin Co. by the filing of its original certificate of incorporation with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on January 28, 2020. This Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the corporation, which both restates and further amends the provisions of the corporations certificate of incorporation, was duly adopted in accordance with the provisions of Sections 242 and 245 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware and by the written consent of its sole stockholder in accordance with Section 228 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware. The certificate of incorporation of the corporation is hereby amended and restated to read in its entirety as follows:
FIRST. The name of the corporation is American Outdoor Brands, Inc. (the Corporation).
SECOND. The address of the Corporations registered office in the State of Delaware is 9 E. Loockerman Street, Suite 311, City of Dover, County of Kent, State of Delaware 19901. The name of its registered agent at such address is Registered Agent Solutions, Inc.
THIRD. The purpose of the Corporation is to engage in any lawful act or activity for which corporations may be organized under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (as the same exists or may hereafter be amended, the General Corporation Law).
FOURTH.
A. Capital Stock. The total number of shares of all classes of capital stock which the Corporation shall have authority to issue is One Hundred Twenty Million (120,000,000) shares, divided into: (i) One Hundred Million (100,000,000) shares, par value $0.001 per share, of common stock (the Common Stock); and (ii) Twenty Million (20,000,000) shares, par value $0.001 per share, of preferred stock (the Preferred Stock).
B. Common Stock.
1. Dividends. Subject to applicable law and the rights, if any, of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock then outstanding, dividends may be declared and paid on the Common Stock at such times and in such amounts as the Board of Directors of the Corporation (the Board of Directors) in its discretion shall determine.
2. Voting Rights. Except as otherwise provided by or pursuant to the provisions of this certificate of incorporation (including any certificate filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware establishing a series of Preferred Stock) (as the same may be amended or amended and restated, this Certificate of Incorporation) or by applicable law, each holder of Common Stock, as such, shall be entitled to one (1) vote for each share of Common Stock held of record by such holder on all matters on which stockholders generally are entitled to vote.
3. Liquidation Rights. Subject to applicable law and the rights, if any, of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock then outstanding, in the event of any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, the holders of the Common Stock shall be entitled to receive the assets of the Corporation available for distribution to its stockholders ratably in proportion to the number of shares of Common Stock held by them. A merger or consolidation of the Corporation with or into any other corporation or other entity, or a sale or conveyance of all or any part of the assets of the Corporation (which shall not in fact result in the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation and the distribution of assets to its stockholders) shall not be deemed to be a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation within the meaning of this Section 3.
C. Preferred Stock. The Board of Directors is hereby expressly authorized, by resolution or resolutions thereof, to provide from time to time out of the unissued shares of Preferred Stock for one or more series of Preferred Stock, and, with respect to each such series, to fix the number of shares constituting such series and the designation of such series, the powers (including voting powers), if any, of the shares of such series and the preferences and relative, participating, optional, special or other rights, if any, and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions, if any, of the shares of such series. The designations, powers (including voting powers), preferences and relative, participating, optional, special and other rights of each series of Preferred Stock, if any, and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, if any, may differ from those of any and all other series of Preferred Stock at any time outstanding. Except as may otherwise be provided in this Certificate of Incorporation or by applicable law, no holder of any series of Preferred Stock then outstanding, as such, shall be entitled to any voting powers in respect thereof. The number of authorized shares of Preferred Stock may be increased or decreased (but not below the number of shares thereof then outstanding) by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority in voting power of all of the then outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote irrespective of Section 242(b)(2) of the General Corporation Law, without the separate vote of the holders of the Preferred Stock as a class.
FIFTH. Board of Directors.
1. Management; Election of Directors. The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by or under the direction of the Board of Directors.
2. Removal of Directors. Except for any Preferred Directors, any director or the entire Board of Directors may be removed, solely by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least sixty-six and two-thirds percent (66 2/3%) in voting power of the then outstanding shares of capital stock of the Corporation entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, voting together as a single class.
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3. Vacancies. Subject to the rights, if any, of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock then outstanding, newly created directorships resulting from an increase in the authorized number of directors or any vacancies on the Board of Directors resulting from the death, resignation, disqualification, removal or other cause shall be filled solely and exclusively by a majority of the directors then in office, although less than a quorum, or by the sole remaining director. Any director so elected shall hold office until the expiration of the term of office of the director whom he or she has replaced and until his or her successor shall be elected and qualified, subject to such directors earlier death, resignation, disqualification or removal. No decrease in the number of directors shall shorten the term of any incumbent director.
4. Automatic Increase/Decrease in Authorized Directors. During any period when the holders of any series of Preferred Stock then outstanding have the right to elect one or more Preferred Directors, then upon commencement of, and for the duration of, the period during which such right continues: (i) the then otherwise total authorized number of directors of the Corporation shall automatically be increased by such specified Preferred Directors, and the holders of such series of Preferred Stock shall be entitled to elect such Preferred Director or Directors; and (ii) each such Preferred Director shall serve until such directors successor shall have been duly elected and qualified, or until such directors right to hold such office terminates, whichever occurs earlier, subject to such directors earlier death, resignation, disqualification or removal. Except as otherwise provided by or pursuant to the provisions of this Certificate of Incorporation, whenever the holders of any series of Preferred Stock then outstanding having the right to elect one or more Preferred Directors are divested of such right by or pursuant to the provisions of this Certificate of Incorporation, the term of office of each such Preferred Director elected by the holders of such series of Preferred Stock, or elected to fill any vacancy resulting from the death, resignation, disqualification or removal of each such Preferred Director, shall forthwith terminate and the total authorized number of directors of the Corporation shall automatically be decreased by such specified number of directors.
5. No Written Ballot. Unless and except to the extent that the bylaws of the Corporation shall so require, the election of directors of the Corporation need not be by written ballot.
6. Amendment of Bylaws. In furtherance and not in limitation of the powers conferred by the laws of the State of Delaware, the Board of Directors is expressly authorized to make, alter, amend and repeal the bylaws of the Corporation. In addition to any affirmative vote required by this Certificate of Incorporation, any bylaw that is to be made, altered, amended or repealed by the stockholders of the Corporation shall receive the affirmative vote of the holders of at least sixty-six and two-thirds percent (66 2/3%) in voting power of the then outstanding shares of stock of the Corporation generally entitled to vote, voting together as a single class.
7. Special Meetings of Stockholders. Except as otherwise provided by or pursuant to the provisions of this Certificate of Incorporation, special meetings of stockholders for any purpose or purposes may be called at any time, but only by (a) the Chairperson of the Board of Directors, (b) the President, or (c) the Board of Directors. Except as provided in the foregoing sentence, special meetings of stockholders may not be called by another person or persons. Any meeting of stockholders may be postponed by action of the Board of Directors or by the person calling such meeting (if other than the Board of Directors) at any time in advance of such meeting.
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SIXTH. Except as otherwise provided by or pursuant to the provisions of this Certificate of Incorporation, no action that is required or permitted to be taken by the stockholders of the Corporation at any annual or special meeting of stockholders may be effected by consent of stockholders in lieu of a meeting of stockholders.
SEVENTH. A director of the Corporation shall not be liable to the Corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except to the extent such exemption from liability or limitation thereof is not permitted under the General Corporation Law. Any amendment, modification or repeal of the foregoing sentence shall not adversely affect any right or protection of a director of the Corporation hereunder in respect of any act or omission occurring prior to the time of such amendment, modification or repeal.
EIGHTH. The Corporation reserves the right at any time, and from time to time, to amend, alter, change or repeal any provision contained in this Certificate of Incorporation, and other provisions authorized by the laws of the State of Delaware at the time in force may be added or inserted, in the manner now or hereafter prescribed by applicable law; and all rights, preferences and privileges of whatsoever nature conferred upon stockholders, directors or any other persons whomsoever by and pursuant to this Certificate of Incorporation are granted subject to the rights reserved in this Article EIGHTH. In addition to any affirmative vote required by applicable law or this Certificate of Incorporation, the affirmative vote of the holders of at least sixty-six and two-thirds percent (662⁄3%) in voting power of the then outstanding shares of stock of the Corporation generally entitled to vote, voting together as a single class, shall be required to amend, alter, repeal or adopt any provision inconsistent with Articles FIFTH, SIXTH or SEVENTH or this sentence.
[Signature Page Follows]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed and acknowledged this Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation this 20th day of August, 2020.
AMERICAN OUTDOOR BRANDS, INC. | ||
By: | /s/ Brian D. Murphy | |
Name: Brian D. Murphy | ||
Office: President and Chief Executive Officer |
Exhibit 4.3
AMERICAN OUTDOOR BRANDS, INC.
2020 INCENTIVE COMPENSATION PLAN
AMERICAN OUTDOOR BRANDS, INC.
2020 INCENTIVE COMPENSATION PLAN
1. |
Purpose | 1 | ||||
2. |
Definitions | 1 | ||||
3. |
Administration. | 6 | ||||
4. |
Shares Subject to Plan. | 7 | ||||
5. |
Eligibility | 9 | ||||
6. |
Specific Terms of Awards. | 9 | ||||
7. |
Certain Provisions Applicable to Awards. | 16 | ||||
8. |
Reserved. | 18 | ||||
9. |
Change in Control. | 18 | ||||
10. |
General Provisions. | 20 |
AMERICAN OUTDOOR BRANDS, INC.
2020 INCENTIVE COMPENSATION PLAN
1. Purpose. The purpose of this AMERICAN OUTDOOR BRANDS, INC. 2020 INCENTIVE COMPENSATION PLAN (the Plan) is to assist the Company and its Related Entities (as each such terms hereinafter defined) in attracting, motivating, retaining and rewarding high-quality executives and other employees, officers, directors, consultants and other persons who provide services to the Company or its Related Entities by enabling such persons to acquire or increase a proprietary interest in the Company in order to strengthen the mutuality of interests between such persons and the Companys shareholders, and providing such persons with performance incentives to expend their maximum efforts in the creation of shareholder value.
2. Definitions. For purposes of the Plan, the following terms shall be defined as set forth below, in addition to such terms defined in Section 1 hereof and elsewhere herein.
(a) Award means any Option, Stock Appreciation Right, Restricted Stock Award, Restricted Stock Unit Award, Share granted as a bonus or in lieu of another Award, Dividend Equivalent, Other Stock-Based Award or Performance Award, together with any other right or interest relating to Shares or other property (including cash), granted to a Participant under the Plan.
(b) Award Agreement means any written agreement, contract or other instrument or document evidencing any Award granted by the Committee hereunder.
(c) Beneficiary means the person, persons, trust or trusts that have been designated by a Participant in his or her most recent written beneficiary designation filed with the Committee to receive the benefits specified under the Plan upon such Participants death or to which Awards or other rights are transferred if and to the extent permitted under Section 10(b) hereof. If, upon a Participants death, there is no designated Beneficiary or surviving designated Beneficiary, then the term Beneficiary means the Participants estate.
(d) Beneficial Owner and Beneficial Ownership shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act and any successor to such Rule.
(e) Board means the Companys Board of Directors.
(f) Cause shall, with respect to any Participant, have the meaning specified in the Award Agreement. In the absence of any definition in the Award Agreement, Cause shall have the equivalent meaning or the same meaning as cause, good cause or for cause set forth in any employment, consulting, or other agreement for the performance of services between the Participant and the Company or a Related Entity or any severance plan or agreement covering the Participant. In the absence of any such agreement, plan or any such definition in such agreement or plan, such term shall mean (i) the failure by the Participant to perform, in a reasonable manner, his or her duties as assigned by the Company or a Related Entity, (ii) any violation or breach by the Participant of his or her employment, consulting or other similar agreement with the Company or a Related Entity, if any, (iii) any violation or breach by the
Participant of any non-competition, non-solicitation, non-disclosure and/or other similar agreement with the Company or a Related Entity, (iv) any act by the Participant of dishonesty or bad faith with respect to the Company or a Related Entity, (v) use of alcohol, drugs or other similar substances in a manner that adversely affects the Participants work performance, or (vi) the commission by the Participant of any act, misdemeanor, or crime reflecting unfavorably upon the Participant or the Company or any Related Entity. The good faith determination by the Committee of whether the Participants Continuous Service was terminated by the Company for Cause shall be final and binding for all purposes hereunder.
(g) Change in Control means a Change in Control as defined in Section 9(b) of the Plan.
(h) Code means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time, including regulations thereunder and successor provisions and regulations thereto.
(i) Committee means the Compensation Committee of the Board or a subcommittee thereof appointed by the Compensation Committee to act as the Committee under this Plan; provided, however, that if the Board fails to designate a Compensation Committee or if there are no longer any members on the Compensation Committee so designated by the Board, or for any other reason determined by the Board, then the Board shall serve as the Committee. While it is intended that the Committee shall consist of at least two directors, each of whom shall be (i) a non-employee director within the meaning of Rule 16b-3 (or any successor rule) under the Exchange Act, unless administration of the Plan by non-employee directors is not then required in order for exemptions under Rule 16b-3 to apply to transactions under the Plan, and (ii) Independent, the failure of the Committee to be so comprised shall not invalidate any Award that otherwise satisfies the terms of the Plan.
(j) Company means American Outdoor Brands, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and any successor thereto.
(k) Consultant means any consultant or advisor who provides services to the Company or any Related Entity, so long as (i) such person renders bona fide services that are not in connection with the offer and sale of the Companys securities in a capital-raising transaction, (ii) such person does not directly or indirectly promote or maintain a market for the Companys securities, and (iii) the identity of such person would not preclude the Company from offering or selling securities to such person pursuant to the Plan in reliance on either the exemption from registration provided by Rule 701 under the Securities Act of 1933 or, if the Company is required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, registration on a Form S-8 Registration Statement under the Securities Act of 1933.
(l) Continuous Service means the uninterrupted provision of services to the Company or any Related Entity in any capacity of Employee, Director, Consultant or other service provider. Continuous Service shall not be considered to be interrupted in the case of (i) any approved leave of absence, (ii) transfers among the Company, any Related Entities, or any successor entities, in any capacity of Employee, Director, Consultant or other service provider, or (iii) any change in status as long as the individual remains in the service of the Company or a Related Entity in any capacity of Employee, Director, Consultant or other service provider (except as otherwise provided in the Award Agreement). An approved leave of absence shall include sick leave, military leave, or any other authorized personal leave.
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(m) Director means a member of the Board or the board of directors of any Related Entity.
(n) Disability shall, with respect to any Participant, have the meaning specified in the Award Agreement. In the absence of any definition in the Award Agreement, and in the case of any Option that is an Incentive Stock Option, if and to the extent required in order for the Option to satisfy the requirements of Section 422 of the Code, disability means a permanent and total disability (within the meaning of Section 22(e) of the Code), as determined by a medical doctor satisfactory to the Committee.
(o) Dividend Equivalent means a right, granted to a Participant under Section 6(g) hereof, to receive cash, Shares, other Awards or other property equal in value to dividends paid with respect to a specified number of Shares, or other periodic payments.
(p) Effective Date means the effective date of the Plan, which shall be August 21, 2020.
(q) Eligible Person means each officer, Director, Employee, Consultant and other person who provides services to the Company or any Related Entity. The foregoing notwithstanding, only Employees of the Company, or any parent corporation or subsidiary corporation of the Company (as those terms are defined in Sections 424(e) and (f) of the Code, respectively), shall be Eligible Persons for purposes of receiving any Incentive Stock Options. An Employee on leave of absence may, in the discretion of the Committee, be considered as still in the employ of the Company or a Related Entity for purposes of eligibility for participation in the Plan.
(r) Employee means any person, including an officer or Director, who is an employee of the Company or any Related Entity, or is a prospective employee of the Company or any Related Entity (conditioned upon and effective not earlier than, such person becoming an employee of the Company or any Related Entity). The payment of a directors fee by the Company or a Related Entity shall not be sufficient to constitute employment by the Company.
(s) Exchange Act means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended from time to time, including rules thereunder and successor provisions and rules thereto.
(t) Fair Market Value means the fair market value of Shares, Awards or other property on the date as of which the value is being determined, as determined by the Committee, or under procedures established by the Committee, subject to the following:
(i) If, on such date, the Shares are listed on a national or regional securities exchange or market system, the Fair Market Value of a Share shall be the closing price of a Share (or the mean of the closing bid and asked prices of a Share if the Share is so quoted instead) as quoted on the Nasdaq National Market, The Nasdaq Small Cap Market or such other
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national or regional securities exchange or market system constituting the primary market for the Share, as reported in The Wall Street Journal or such other source as the Company deems reliable. If the relevant date does not fall on a day on which the Share has traded on such securities exchange or market system, the date on which the Fair Market Value shall be established shall be the last day on which the Share was so traded prior to the relevant date, or such other appropriate day as shall be determined by the Board, in its discretion.
(ii) If, on such date, the Share are not listed on a national or regional securities exchange or market system, the Fair Market Value of a Share shall be as determined by the Committee in good faith without regard to any restriction other than a restriction which, by its terms, will never lapse.
(u) Good Reason shall, with respect to any Participant, have the meaning specified in the Award Agreement. In the absence of any definition in the Award Agreement, Good Reason shall have the equivalent meaning or the same meaning as good reason, Adverse Change in Control Effect, or for good reason, as applicable, set forth in any employment, consulting or other agreement for the performance of services between the Participant and the Company or a Related Entity or any severance agreement or plan covering the Participant. In the absence of any such agreement or plan or any such definition in such agreement or plan, such term shall mean the uncured occurrence of any of the following events without the Participants written consent: (i) the Company in any material respect reduces the Participants duties, authority, or base compensation, or (ii) the Participant is required to relocate more than fifty (50) miles from the Participants then current geographic location at which the Participant performs services for the Company or a Related Entity. For purposes of this Plan, Good Reason shall be deemed to exist only if the Company or a Related Entity does not cure the circumstances giving rise to the Good Reason within sixty (60) days from the date the Participant delivers a written notice describing the circumstances giving rise to the Good Reason. Such notice must be received by the Company or its successor within thirty (30) days of the date on which the Participant becomes aware of the occurrence of such condition.
(v) Incentive Stock Option means any Option intended to be designated as an incentive stock option within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code or any successor provision thereto.
(w) Independent, when referring to either members of the Board or members of the Committee, shall have the same meaning as used in the rules of the Listing Market.
(x) Incumbent Director means an Incumbent Director as defined in Section 9(b)(i) hereof.
(y) Listing Market means the Nasdaq Stock Market or any other national securities exchange on which any securities of the Company are listed for trading, and if not listed for trading, by the rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market.
(z) Option means a right granted to a Participant under Section 6(b) hereof, to purchase Shares or other Awards at a specified price during specified time periods.
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(aa) Optionee means a person to whom an Option is granted under this Plan or any person who succeeds to the rights of such person under this Plan.
(bb) Other Stock-Based Awards means Awards granted to a Participant under Section 6(i) hereof.
(cc) Parent means any corporation (other than the Company), whether now or hereafter existing, in an unbroken chain of corporations ending with the Company, if each of the corporations in the chain (other than the Company) owns stock possessing 50% or more of the combined voting power of all classes of stock in one of the other corporations in the chain.
(dd) Participant means a person who has been granted an Award under the Plan which remains outstanding, including a person who is no longer an Eligible Person.
(ee) Performance Award means any Award granted pursuant to Section 6(h) hereof.
(ff) Performance Period means that period established by the Committee at the time any Performance Award is granted or at any time thereafter during which any performance goals specified by the Committee with respect to such Award are to be measured.
(gg) Person shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3(a)(9) of the Exchange Act and used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) thereof, and shall include a group as defined in Section 13(d) thereof.
(hh) Related Entity means any Parent or Subsidiary, and any business, corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other entity designated by the Committee in which the Company, a Parent or a Subsidiary holds a substantial ownership interest, directly or indirectly, and with respect to which the Company may offer or sell securities pursuant to the Plan in reliance upon either Rule 701 under the Securities Act of 1933 or, if the Company is required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, registration on a Form S-8 Registration Statement under the Securities Act of 1933.
(ii) Restricted Stock means any Share issued with such risks of forfeiture and other restrictions as the Committee, in its sole discretion, may impose (including any restriction on the right to vote such Share and the right to receive any dividends), which restrictions may lapse separately or in combination at such time or times, in installments or otherwise, as the Committee may deem appropriate.
(jj) Restricted Stock Award means an Award granted to a Participant under Section 6(d) hereof.
(kk) Restricted Stock Unit means a right to receive Shares, including Restricted Stock, cash measured based upon the value of Shares, or a combination thereof, at the end of a specified deferral period.
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(ll) Restricted Stock Unit Award means an Award of Restricted Stock Units granted to a Participant under Section 6(e) hereof.
(mm) Restriction Period means the period of time specified by the Committee that Restricted Stock Awards shall be subject to such restrictions on transferability, risk of forfeiture and other restrictions, if any, as the Committee may impose.
(nn) Rule 16b-3 means Rule 16b-3, as from time to time in effect and applicable to the Plan and Participants, promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission under Section 16 of the Exchange Act.
(oo) Shareholder Approval Date means the date on which this Plan is approved by shareholders of the Company eligible to vote in the election of directors, by a vote sufficient to meet the requirements of Section 422 of the Code, Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act and applicable requirements under the rules of the Listing Market.
(pp) Shares means the shares of common stock of the Company, par value $0.001 per share, and such other securities as may be substituted (or resubstituted) for Shares pursuant to Section 10(c) hereof.
(qq) Stock Appreciation Right means a right granted to a Participant under Section 6(c) hereof.
(rr) Subsidiary means any corporation or other entity in which the Company has a direct or indirect ownership interest of 50% or more of the total combined voting power of the then outstanding securities or interests of such corporation or other entity entitled to vote generally in the election of directors or in which the Company has the right to receive 50% or more of the distribution of profits or 50% or more of the assets on liquidation or dissolution.
(ss) Substitute Awards means Awards granted or Shares issued by the Company in assumption of, or in substitution or exchange for, awards previously granted, or the right or obligation to make future awards, by a company (i) acquired by the Company or any Related Entity, (ii) which becomes a Related Entity after the date hereof, or (iii) with which the Company or any Related Entity combines.
3. Administration.
(a) Authority of the Committee. The Plan shall be administered by the Committee except to the extent (and subject to the limitations imposed by Section 3(b) hereof) the Board elects to administer the Plan, in which case the Plan shall be administered by only those members of the Board who are Independent members of the Board, in which case references herein to the Committee shall be deemed to include references to the Independent members of the Board. The Committee shall have full and final authority, subject to and consistent with the provisions of the Plan, to select Eligible Persons to become Participants, grant Awards, determine the type, number and other terms and conditions of, and all other matters relating to, Awards, prescribe Award Agreements (which need not be identical for each Participant) and rules and regulations for the administration of the Plan, construe and interpret
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the Plan and Award Agreements and correct defects, supply omissions or reconcile inconsistencies therein, and to make all other decisions and determinations as the Committee may deem necessary or advisable for the administration of the Plan. In exercising any discretion granted to the Committee under the Plan or pursuant to any Award, the Committee shall not be required to follow past practices, act in a manner consistent with past practices, or treat any Eligible Person or Participant in a manner consistent with the treatment of any other Eligible Persons or Participants. Decisions of the Committee shall be final, conclusive and binding on all persons or entities, including the Company, any Related Entity or any Participant or Beneficiary, or any transferee under Section 10(b) hereof or any other person claiming rights from or through any of the foregoing persons or entities.
(b) Manner of Exercise of Committee Authority. The Committee, and not the Board, shall exercise sole and exclusive discretion (i) on any matter relating to a Participant then subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act with respect to the Company to the extent necessary in order that transactions by such Participant shall be exempt under Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act and (ii) with respect to any Award to an Independent Director. The express grant of any specific power to the Committee, and the taking of any action by the Committee, shall not be construed as limiting any power or authority of the Committee. The Committee may delegate to members of the Board, or officers or managers of the Company or any Related Entity, or committees thereof, the authority, subject to such terms and limitations as the Committee shall determine, to perform such functions, including administrative functions as the Committee may determine to the extent that such delegation will not result in the loss of an exemption under Rule 16b-3(d)(1) for Awards granted to Participants subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act in respect of the Company. The Committee may appoint agents to assist it in administering the Plan. Any such delegations shall be set forth in a written instrument that specifies the persons authorized to act thereunder and the terms and limitations of such authority, which writing shall be delivered to the Companys Chief Financial Officer, Principal Accounting Officer and General Counsel before any authority may be exercised.
(c) Limitation of Liability. The Committee and the Board, and each member thereof, shall be entitled to, in good faith, rely or act upon any report or other information furnished to him or her by any officer or Employee, the Companys independent auditors, Consultants or any other agents assisting in the administration of the Plan. Members of the Committee and the Board, and any officer or Employee acting at the direction or on behalf of the Committee or the Board, shall not be personally liable for any action or determination taken or made in good faith with respect to the Plan, and shall, to the extent permitted by law, be fully indemnified and protected by the Company with respect to any such action or determination
4. Shares Subject to Plan.
(a) Limitation on Overall Number of Shares Available for Delivery Under Plan. Subject to adjustment as provided in Section 10(c) hereof, the total number of Shares reserved and available for delivery under the Plan shall be 1,397,510 plus the lesser of (i) 2% of the number of Shares outstanding as of the end of each fiscal year of the Company or (ii) such lesser number of Shares as the Committee may determine. Any Shares delivered under the Plan may consist, in whole or in part, of authorized and unissued shares or treasury shares.
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(b) Application of Limitation to Grants of Awards.. No Award may be granted if the number of Shares to be delivered in connection with such an Award exceeds the number of Shares remaining available for delivery under the Plan, minus the number of Shares that would be counted against the limit upon settlement of then outstanding Awards. The Committee may adopt reasonable counting procedures to ensure appropriate counting, avoid double counting (as, for example, in the case of tandem or substitute awards) and make adjustments if the number of Shares actually delivered differs from the number of Shares previously counted in connection with an Award.
(c) Availability of Shares Not Delivered under Awards and Adjustments to Limits.
(i) If any Shares subject to an Award are forfeited, expire or otherwise terminate without issuance of such Shares, or any Award is settled for cash or otherwise does not result in the issuance of all or a portion of the Shares subject to such Award the Shares to which those Awards were subject, shall, to the extent of such forfeiture, expiration, termination, non-issuance or cash settlement, again be available for delivery with respect to Awards under the Plan.
(ii) The full number of Shares subject to an Option granted under the Plan shall count against the number of Shares remaining available for issuance pursuant to Awards granted under the Plan, even if the exercise price of the Option is satisfied through net-settlement or by delivering Shares to the Company (by either actual delivery or attestation). Upon exercise of Stock Appreciation Rights granted under the Plan that are settled in Shares, the full number of Stock Appreciation Rights (rather than the net number of Shares actually delivered upon exercise) shall count against the maximum number of Shares remaining available for issuance pursuant to Awards granted under the Plan.
(iii) Shares withheld from an Award granted under the Plan to satisfy tax withholding requirements shall not count against the maximum number of Shares remaining available for issuance pursuant to Awards granted under the Plan, and Shares delivered by a participant to satisfy tax withholding requirements shall be added back to the Plans Share pool.
(iv) Substitute Awards shall not reduce the Shares authorized for delivery under the Plan or authorized for delivery to a Participant in any period. Additionally, in the event that an entity acquired by the Company or any Related Entity or with which the Company or any Related Entity combines has shares available under a pre-existing plan approved by its shareholders and not adopted in contemplation of such acquisition or combination, the shares available for delivery pursuant to the terms of such pre-existing plan (as adjusted, to the extent appropriate, using the exchange ratio or other adjustment or valuation ratio or formula used in such acquisition or combination to determine the consideration payable to the holders of common stock of the entities party to such acquisition or combination) may be used for Awards under the Plan and shall not reduce the Shares authorized for delivery under the Plan if and to the extent that the use of such Shares would not require approval of the Companys shareholders under the rules of the Listing Market. Awards using such available shares shall not be made after the date awards or grants could have been made under the terms of the pre-existing plan, absent the acquisition or combination, and shall only be made to individuals who were not Employees or Directors prior to such acquisition or combination.
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(v) Any Share that again becomes available for delivery pursuant to this Section 4(c) shall be added back as one (1) Share.
(vi) Notwithstanding anything in this Section 4(c) to the contrary but subject to adjustment as provided in Section 10(c) hereof, the maximum aggregate number of Shares that may be delivered under the Plan as a result of the exercise of the Incentive Stock Options shall be 1,397,510 Shares. In no event shall any Incentive Stock Options be granted under the Plan after the tenth anniversary of the date on which the Board adopts the Plan.
(vii) Notwithstanding anything in this Section 4 to the contrary, but subject to adjustment as provided in Section 10(c) hereof, in any fiscal year of the Company during any part of which the Plan is in effect, no Participant who is a Director but is not also an Employee or Consultant may receive remuneration (including, without limitation, Awards granted hereunder which are to be deemed to have a value equal to the fair value as of the date of grant as determined in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718 or any other applicable accounting guidance) in excess of $350,000 in the aggregate; provided, however, the aggregate remuneration paid or provided to any new Outside Director for the first fiscal year of the Company in which he or she becomes an Outside Director shall not exceed $500,000.
5. Eligibility. Awards may be granted under the Plan only to Eligible Persons.
6. Specific Terms of Awards.
(a) General. Awards may be granted on the terms and conditions set forth in this Section 6. In addition, the Committee may impose on any Award or the exercise thereof, at the date of grant or thereafter (subject to Section 10(e) hereof), such additional terms and conditions, not inconsistent with the provisions of the Plan, as the Committee shall determine, including terms requiring forfeiture of Awards in the event of termination of the Participants Continuous Service and terms permitting a Participant to make elections relating to his or her Award. Except in cases in which the Committee is authorized to require other forms of consideration under the Plan, or to the extent other forms of consideration must be paid to satisfy the requirements of Delaware law, no consideration other than services may be required for the grant (as opposed to the exercise) of any Award.
(b) Options. The Committee is authorized to grant Options to any Eligible Person on the following terms and conditions:
(i) Exercise Price. Other than in connection with Substitute Awards, the exercise price per Share purchasable under an Option shall be determined by the Committee, provided that such exercise price shall not be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of grant of the Option and shall not, in any event, be less than the par value of a Share on the date of grant of the Option. If an Employee owns or is deemed to own (by reason of the attribution rules applicable under Section 424(d) of the Code) more than 10% of the combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company (or any parent corporation or subsidiary
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corporation of the Company, as those terms are defined in Sections 424(e) and (f) of the Code, respectively) and an Incentive Stock Option is granted to such Employee, the exercise price of such Incentive Stock Option (to the extent required by the Code at the time of grant) shall be no less than 110% of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date such Incentive Stock Option is granted. Other than pursuant to Section 10(c)(i) and (ii) of this Plan, the Committee shall not be permitted to (A) lower the exercise price per Share of an Option after it is granted, (B) cancel an Option when the exercise price per Share exceeds the Fair Market Value of the underlying Shares in exchange for cash or another Award (other than in connection with Substitute Awards), (C) cancel an outstanding Option in exchange for an Option with an exercise price that is less than the exercise price of the original Options or (D) take any other action with respect to an Option that may be treated as a repricing pursuant to the applicable rules of the Listing Market, without approval of the Companys stockholders.
(ii) Time and Method of Exercise. The Committee shall determine the time or times at which or the circumstances under which an Option may be exercised in whole or in part (including based on achievement of performance goals and/or future service requirements), the method by which notice of exercise is to be given and the form of exercise notice to be used, the time or times at which Options shall cease to be or become exercisable following termination of Continuous Service or upon other conditions, the methods by which the exercise price may be paid or deemed to be paid (including in the discretion of the Committee a cashless exercise procedure), the form of such payment, including, without limitation, cash, Shares (including without limitation the withholding of Shares otherwise deliverable pursuant to the Award), other Awards or awards granted under other plans of the Company or a Related Entity, or other property (including notes or other contractual obligations of Participants to make payment on a deferred basis provided that such deferred payments are not in violation of Section 13(k) of the Exchange Act, or any rule or regulation adopted thereunder or any other applicable law), and the methods by or forms in which Shares will be delivered or deemed to be delivered to Participants.
(iii) Form of Settlement. The Committee may, in its sole discretion, provide that the Shares to be issued upon exercise of an Option shall be in the form of Restricted Stock or other similar securities.
(iv) Incentive Stock Options. The terms of any Incentive Stock Option granted under the Plan shall comply in all respects with the provisions of Section 422 of the Code. Anything in the Plan to the contrary notwithstanding, no term of the Plan relating to Incentive Stock Options (including any Stock Appreciation Right issued in tandem therewith) shall be interpreted, amended or altered, nor shall any discretion or authority granted under the Plan be exercised, so as to disqualify either the Plan or any Incentive Stock Option under Section 422 of the Code, unless the Participant has first requested, or consents to, the change that will result in such disqualification. Thus, if and to the extent required to comply with Section 422 of the Code, Options granted as Incentive Stock Options shall be subject to the following special terms and conditions:
(A)the Option shall not be exercisable for more than ten years after the date such Incentive Stock Option is granted; provided, however, that if a Participant
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owns or is deemed to own (by reason of the attribution rules of Section 424(d) of the Code) more than 10% of the combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company (or any parent corporation or subsidiary corporation of the Company, as those terms are defined in Sections 424(e) and (f) of the Code, respectively) and the Incentive Stock Option is granted to such Participant, the term of the Incentive Stock Option shall be (to the extent required by the Code at the time of the grant) for no more than five years from the date of grant;
(B) the aggregate Fair Market Value (determined as of the date the Incentive Stock Option is granted) of the Shares with respect to which Incentive Stock Options granted under the Plan and all other option plans of the Company (and any parent corporation or subsidiary corporation of the Company, as those terms are defined in Sections 424(e) and (f) of the Code, respectively) that become exercisable for the first time by the Participant during any calendar year shall not (to the extent required by the Code at the time of the grant) exceed $100,000; and
(C) if Shares acquired by exercise of an Incentive Stock Option are disposed of within two years following the date the Incentive Stock Option is granted or one year following the transfer of such Shares to the Participant upon exercise, the Participant shall, promptly following such disposition, notify the Company in writing of the date and terms of such disposition and provide such other information regarding the disposition as the Committee may reasonably require.
(c) Stock Appreciation Rights. The Committee may grant Stock Appreciation Rights to any Eligible Person in conjunction with all or part of any Option granted under the Plan or at any subsequent time during the term of such Option (a Tandem Stock Appreciation Right), or without regard to any Option (a Freestanding Stock Appreciation Right), in each case upon such terms and conditions as the Committee may establish in its sole discretion, not inconsistent with the provisions of the Plan, including the following:
(i) Right to Payment. A Stock Appreciation Right shall confer on the Participant to whom it is granted a right to receive, upon exercise thereof, the excess of (A) the Fair Market Value of one Share on the date of exercise over (B) the grant price of the Stock Appreciation Right as determined by the Committee. The grant price of a Stock Appreciation Right shall not be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of grant, in the case of a Freestanding Stock Appreciation Right, or less than the associated Option exercise price, in the case of a Tandem Stock Appreciation Right. Other than pursuant to Section 10(c)(i) and (ii) of the Plan, the Committee shall not be permitted to (A) lower the grant price per Share of a Stock Appreciation Right after it is granted, (B) cancel a Stock Appreciation Right when the grant price per Share exceeds the Fair Market Value of the underlying Shares in exchange for another Award (other than in connection with Substitute Awards), (C) cancel an outstanding Stock Appreciation Right in exchange for a Stock Appreciation Right with a grant price that is less than the grant price of the original Stock Appreciation Right, or (D) take any other action with respect to a Stock Appreciation Right that may be treated as a repricing pursuant to the applicable rules of the Listing Market, without shareholder approval.
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(ii) Other Terms. The Committee shall determine at the date of grant or thereafter, the time or times at which and the circumstances under which a Stock Appreciation Right may be exercised in whole or in part (including based on achievement of performance goals and/or future service requirements), the time or times at which Stock Appreciation Rights shall cease to be or become exercisable following termination of Continuous Service or upon other conditions, the method of exercise, method of settlement, form of consideration payable in settlement, method by or forms in which Shares will be delivered or deemed to be delivered to Participants, whether or not a Stock Appreciation Right shall be in tandem or in combination with any other Award, and any other terms and conditions of any Stock Appreciation Right.
(iii) Tandem Stock Appreciation Rights. Any Tandem Stock Appreciation Right may be granted at the same time as the related Option is granted or, for Options that are not Incentive Stock Options, at any time thereafter before exercise or expiration of such Option. Any Tandem Stock Appreciation Right related to an Option may be exercised only when the related Option would be exercisable and the Fair Market Value of the Shares subject to the related Option exceeds the exercise price at which Shares can be acquired pursuant to the Option. In addition, if a Tandem Stock Appreciation Right exists with respect to less than the full number of Shares covered by a related Option, then an exercise or termination of such Option shall not reduce the number of Shares to which the Tandem Stock Appreciation Right applies until the number of Shares then exercisable under such Option equals the number of Shares to which the Tandem Stock Appreciation Right applies. Any Option related to a Tandem Stock Appreciation Right shall no longer be exercisable to the extent the Tandem Stock Appreciation Right has been exercised, and any Tandem Stock Appreciation Right shall no longer be exercisable to the extent the related Option has been exercised.
(d) Restricted Stock Awards. The Committee is authorized to grant Restricted Stock Awards to any Eligible Person on the following terms and conditions:
(i) Grant and Restrictions. Restricted Stock Awards shall be subject to such restrictions on transferability, risk of forfeiture and other restrictions, if any, as the Committee may impose, or as otherwise provided in this Plan during the Restriction Period. The terms of any Restricted Stock Award granted under the Plan shall be set forth in a written Award Agreement which shall contain provisions determined by the Committee and not inconsistent with the Plan. The restrictions may lapse separately or in combination at such times, under such circumstances (including based on achievement of performance goals and/or future service requirements), in such installments or otherwise, as the Committee may determine at the date of grant or thereafter. Except to the extent restricted under the terms of the Plan and any Award Agreement relating to a Restricted Stock Award, a Participant granted Restricted Stock shall have all of the rights of a stockholder, including the right to vote the Restricted Stock and the right to receive dividends thereon (subject to any mandatory reinvestment or other requirement imposed by the Committee). During the period that the Restricted Stock Award is subject to a risk of forfeiture, subject to Section 10(b) below and except as otherwise provided in the Award Agreement, the Restricted Stock may not be sold, transferred, pledged, hypothecated, margined or otherwise encumbered by the Participant or Beneficiary.
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(ii) Forfeiture. Except as otherwise determined by the Committee, upon termination of a Participants Continuous Service during the applicable Restriction Period, the Participants Restricted Stock that is at that time subject to a risk of forfeiture that has not lapsed or otherwise been satisfied shall be forfeited and reacquired by the Company; provided that, subject to the limitations set forth in Section 6(j) hereof, the Committee may provide, by resolution or other action or in any Award Agreement, or may determine in any individual case, that forfeiture conditions relating to Restricted Stock Awards shall be waived in whole or in part in the event of terminations resulting from specified causes, and the Committee may in other cases waive in whole or in part the forfeiture of Restricted Stock.
(iii) Certificates for Stock. Restricted Stock granted under the Plan may be evidenced in such manner as the Committee shall determine. If certificates representing Restricted Stock are registered in the name of the Participant, the Committee may require that such certificates bear an appropriate legend referring to the terms, conditions and restrictions applicable to such Restricted Stock, that the Company retain physical possession of the certificates, and that the Participant deliver a stock power to the Company, endorsed in blank, relating to the Restricted Stock.
(iv) Dividends and Splits. As a condition to the grant of a Restricted Stock Award, the Committee shall require that any cash dividends paid on a Share of Restricted Stock be delayed (with or without interest at such rate, if any, as the Committee shall determine) and remain subject to restrictions and a risk of forfeiture to the same extent as the Restricted Stock with respect to which such cash dividend is payable, in a manner that does not violate the requirements of Section 409A of the Code or other applicable law. In addition, the Committee shall require that Shares distributed in connection with a stock split or stock dividend, and other property distributed as a dividend, shall be subject to restrictions on transfer and a risk of forfeiture and any other lawful restrictions to the same extent as the Restricted Stock with respect to which such Shares or other property have been distributed.
(e) Restricted Stock Unit Award. The Committee is authorized to grant Restricted Stock Unit Awards to any Eligible Person on the following terms and conditions:
(i) Award and Restrictions. Satisfaction of a Restricted Stock Unit Award shall occur upon expiration of the deferral period specified for such Restricted Stock Unit Award by the Committee (or, if permitted by the Committee, as elected by the Participant in a manner that does not violate the requirements of Section 409A of the Code). In addition, a Restricted Stock Unit Award shall be subject to such restrictions (which may include a risk of forfeiture) as the Committee may impose, if any, which restrictions may lapse at the expiration of the deferral period or at earlier specified times (including based on achievement of performance goals and/or future service requirements), separately or in combination, in installments or otherwise, as the Committee may determine. A Restricted Stock Unit Award may be satisfied by delivery of Shares, cash equal to the Fair Market Value of the specified number of Shares covered by the Restricted Stock Units, or a combination thereof, as determined by the Committee at the date of grant or thereafter. Prior to satisfaction of a Restricted Stock Unit Award, a Restricted Stock Unit Award carries no voting or dividend or other rights associated with Share ownership. Prior to satisfaction of a Restricted Stock Unit Award, except as otherwise provided in an Award Agreement and as permitted under Section 409A of the Code, a Restricted Stock Unit Award may not be sold, transferred, pledged, hypothecated, margined or otherwise encumbered by the Participant or any Beneficiary.
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(ii) Forfeiture. Except as otherwise determined by the Committee, upon termination of a Participants Continuous Service during the applicable deferral period or portion thereof to which forfeiture conditions apply (as provided in the Award Agreement evidencing the Restricted Stock Unit Award), the Participants Restricted Stock Unit Award that is at that time subject to a risk of forfeiture that has not lapsed or otherwise been satisfied shall be forfeited; provided that, subject to the limitations set forth in Section 6(j)(ii) hereof, the Committee may provide, by resolution or other action or in any Award Agreement, or may determine in any individual case, that forfeiture conditions relating to a Restricted Stock Unit Award shall be waived in whole or in part in the event of terminations resulting from specified causes, and the Committee may in other cases waive in whole or in part the forfeiture of any Restricted Stock Unit Award.
(iii) Dividend Equivalents. As a condition to the grant of a Restricted Stock Unit, the Committee shall require that any cash dividends paid on a Share attributable to such Restricted Stock Unit be delayed (with or without interest at such rate, if any, as the Committee shall determine) and remain subject to restrictions on transfer and a risk of forfeiture to the same extent as the Restricted Stock Unit with respect to which such cash dividend is payable, in a manner that does not violate the requirements of Section 409A of the Code or other applicable law. In addition, the Committee shall require that Shares distributed in connection with a stock split or stock dividend, and other property distributed as a dividend, shall be subject to restrictions on transfer and a risk of forfeiture to the same extent as the Restricted Stock Unit with respect to which such Shares or other property have been distributed.
(f) Bonus Stock and Awards in Lieu of Obligations. The Committee is authorized to grant Shares to any Eligible Persons as a bonus, or to grant Shares or other Awards in lieu of obligations to pay cash or deliver other property under the Plan or under other plans or compensatory arrangements, provided that, in the case of Eligible Persons subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act, the amount of such grants remains within the discretion of the Committee to the extent necessary to ensure that acquisitions of Shares or other Awards are exempt from liability under Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act. Shares or Awards granted hereunder shall be subject to such other terms as shall be determined by the Committee.
(g) Dividend Equivalents. Subject to the requirements of applicable law, the Committee is authorized to grant Dividend Equivalents to any Eligible Person entitling the Eligible Person to receive cash, Shares, other Awards, or other property equal in value to the dividends paid with respect to a specified number of Shares, or other periodic payments. Dividend Equivalents may be awarded on a free-standing basis or in connection with another Award other than Options and SARs. Subject to the requirements of applicable law, the Committee may provide that Dividend Equivalents shall be paid or distributed when accrued or at some later date, or whether such Dividend Equivalents shall be deemed to have been reinvested in additional Shares, Awards, or other investment vehicles, and subject to such lawful restrictions on transferability and risks of forfeiture, as the Committee may specify; provided,
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that in no event shall such Dividend Equivalents be paid out to Participants prior to vesting of the corresponding Shares underlying the Award. Any such determination by the Committee shall be made at the grant date of the applicable Award. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Dividend Equivalents credited in connection with an Award that vests based on the achievement of performance goals shall be subject to restrictions on transfer and risk of forfeiture to the same extent as the Award with respect to which such Dividend Equivalents have been credited.
(h) Performance Awards. The Committee is authorized to grant Performance Awards to any Eligible Person payable in cash, Shares, or other Awards, on terms and conditions established by the Committee, subject to the provisions of Section 8 if and to the extent that the Committee shall, in its sole discretion, determine that an Award shall be subject to those provisions. The performance criteria to be achieved during any Performance Period and the length of the Performance Period shall be determined by the Committee upon the grant of each Performance Award. Except as provided in Section 9 or as may be provided in an Award Agreement, Performance Awards will be distributed only after the end of the relevant Performance Period. The performance goals to be achieved for each Performance Period shall be conclusively determined by the Committee and may be based upon the criteria set forth in Section 8(b), or in the case of an Award that the Committee determines shall not be subject to Section 8 hereof, any other criteria that the Committee, in its sole discretion, shall determine should be used for that purpose. The amount of the Award to be distributed shall be conclusively determined by the Committee. Performance Awards may be paid in a lump sum or in installments following the close of the Performance Period or, in accordance with procedures established by the Committee, on a deferred basis in a manner that does not violate the requirements of Section 409A of the Code.
(i) Other Stock-Based Awards. The Committee is authorized, subject to limitations under applicable law, to grant to any Eligible Person such other Awards that may be denominated or payable in, valued in whole or in part by reference to, or otherwise based on, or related to, Shares, as deemed by the Committee to be consistent with the purposes of the Plan. Other Stock-Based Awards may be granted to Participants either alone or in addition to other Awards granted under the Plan, and such Other Stock-Based Awards shall also be available as a form of payment in the settlement of other Awards granted under the Plan. Except as otherwise provided in the last sentence of Section 6(h) hereof, the Committee shall determine the terms and conditions of such Awards. Shares delivered pursuant to an Award in the nature of a purchase right granted under this Section 6(i) shall be purchased for such consideration, (including without limitation loans from the Company or a Related Entity provided that such loans are not in violation of Section 13(k) of the Exchange Act or any rule or regulation adopted thereunder or any other applicable law) paid for at such times, by such methods, and in such forms, including, without limitation, cash, Shares, other Awards or other property, as the Committee shall determine.
(j) Certain Vesting Requirements and Limitations on Waiver of Forfeiture Restrictions. Except for certain limited situations (including death, disability, retirement, a Change in Control referred to in Section 9, grants to new hires to replace forfeited compensation, grants representing payment of earned Performance Awards or other incentive compensation, Substitute Awards or grants to Directors), (i) Restricted Stock Awards, Restricted Stock Unit
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Awards and Other Stock-Based Awards shall vest over a period of not less than one year, and (ii) the Committee shall not waive the one (1) year vesting requirement set forth in subsection (i) hereof. The limitations set forth in this Section 6(j) shall not apply with respect to up to 139,751 Shares (subject to adjustment as provided in Section 10(c) hereof) with respect to which Awards have been made by Independent Directors.
7. Certain Provisions Applicable to Awards.
(a) Stand-Alone, Additional, Tandem, and Substitute Awards. Awards granted under the Plan may, in the discretion of the Committee, be granted either alone or in addition to, in tandem with, or in substitution or exchange for, any other Award or any award granted under another plan of the Company, any Related Entity, or any business entity to be acquired by the Company or a Related Entity, or any other right of a Participant to receive payment from the Company or any Related Entity. Such additional, tandem, and substitute or exchange Awards may be granted at any time. If an Award is granted in substitution or exchange for another Award or award, the Committee shall require the surrender of such other Award or award in consideration for the grant of the new Award. In addition, Awards may be granted in lieu of cash compensation, including in lieu of cash amounts payable under other plans of the Company or any Related Entity, in which the value of Shares subject to the Award is equivalent in value to the cash compensation (for example, Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units), or in which the exercise price, grant price or purchase price of the Award in the nature of a right that may be exercised is equal to the Fair Market Value of the underlying Shares minus the value of the cash compensation surrendered (for example, Options or Stock Appreciation Right granted with an exercise price or grant price discounted by the amount of the cash compensation surrendered), provided that any such determination to grant an Award in lieu of cash compensation must be made in a manner intended to be exempt from or comply with Section 409A of the Code.
(b) Term of Awards. The term of each Award shall be for such period as may be determined by the Committee; provided that in no event shall the term of any Option or Stock Appreciation Right exceed a period of ten years (or in the case of an Incentive Stock Option such shorter term as may be required under Section 422 of the Code); provided, however, that in the event that on the last day of the term of an Option or a Stock Appreciation Right, other than an Incentive Stock Option, (i) the exercise of the Option or Stock Appreciation Right is prohibited by applicable law, or (ii) Shares may not be purchased, or sold by certain employees or directors of the Company due to the black-out period of a Company policy or a lock-up agreement undertaken in connection with an issuance of securities by the Company, the term of the Option or Stock Appreciation Right may be extended by the Committee for a period of up to thirty (30) days following the end of the legal prohibition, black-out period or lock-up agreement, provided that such extension of the term of the Option or Stock Appreciation Right would not cause the Option or Stock Appreciation Right to violate the requirements of Section 409A of the Code.
(c) Form and Timing of Payment Under Awards; Deferrals. Subject to the terms of the Plan and any applicable Award Agreement, payments to be made by the Company or a Related Entity upon the exercise of an Option or other Award or settlement of an Award may be made in such forms as the Committee shall determine, including, without limitation,
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cash, Shares, other Awards or other property, and may be made in a single payment or transfer, in installments, or on a deferred basis, provided that any determination to pay in installments or on a deferred basis shall be made by the Committee at the date of grant. Any installment or deferral provided for in the preceding sentence shall, however, subject to the terms of the Plan, be subject to the Companys compliance with the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended, the rules and regulations adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder, all applicable rules of the Listing Market and any other applicable law, and in a manner intended to be exempt from or otherwise satisfy the requirements of Section 409A of the Code. Subject to Section 7(e) of this Plan, the settlement of any Award may be accelerated, and cash paid in lieu of Shares in connection with such settlement, in the sole discretion of the Committee or upon occurrence of one or more specified events (in addition to a Change in Control). Any such settlement shall be at a value determined by the Committee in its sole discretion, which, without limitation, may in the case of an Option or Stock Appreciation Right be limited to the amount if any by which the Fair Market Value of a Share on the settlement date exceeds the exercise or grant price. Installment or deferred payments may be required by the Committee (subject to Section 7(e) of this Plan, including the consent provisions thereof in the case of any deferral of an outstanding Award not provided for in the original Award Agreement) or permitted at the election of the Participant on terms and conditions established by the Committee. The acceleration of the settlement of any Award, and the payment of any Award in installments or on an deferred basis, all shall be done in a manner that is intended to be exempt from or otherwise satisfy the requirements of Section 409A of the Code. The Committee may, without limitation, make provision for the payment or crediting of a reasonable interest rate on installment or deferred payments or the grant or crediting of Dividend Equivalents or other amounts in respect of installment or deferred payments denominated in Shares.
(d) Exemptions from Section 16(b) Liability. It is the intent of the Company that the grant of any Awards to or other transaction by a Participant who is subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act shall be exempt from Section 16 of the Exchange Act pursuant to an applicable exemption (except for transactions acknowledged in writing to be non-exempt by such Participant). Accordingly, if any provision of this Plan or any Award Agreement does not comply with the requirements of Rule 16b-3 then applicable to any such transaction, such provision shall be construed or deemed amended to the extent necessary to conform to the applicable requirements of Rule 16b-3 so that such Participant shall avoid liability under Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act.
(e) Code Section 409A.
(i) The Award Agreement for any Award that the Committee reasonably determines to constitute a nonqualified deferred compensation plan under Section 409A of the Code (a Section 409A Plan), and the provisions of the Section 409A Plan applicable to that Award, shall be construed in a manner consistent with the applicable requirements of Section 409A of the Code, and the Committee, in its sole discretion and without the consent of any Participant, may amend any Award Agreement (and the provisions of the Plan applicable thereto) if and to the extent that the Committee determines that such amendment is necessary or appropriate to comply with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code.
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(ii) If any Award constitutes a Section 409A Plan, then the Award shall be subject to the following additional requirements, if and to the extent required to comply with Section 409A of the Code:
(A) Payments under the Section 409A Plan may be made only upon (u) the Participants separation from service, (v) the date the Participant becomes disabled, (w) the Participants death, (x) a specified time (or pursuant to a fixed schedule) specified in the Award Agreement at the date of the deferral of such compensation, (y) a change in the ownership or effective control of the corporation, or in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets of the Company, or (z) the occurrence of an unforeseeble emergency;
(B) The time or schedule for any payment of the deferred compensation may not be accelerated, except to the extent provided in applicable Treasury Regulations or other applicable guidance issued by the Internal Revenue Service;
(C) Any elections with respect to the deferral of such compensation or the time and form of distribution of such deferred compensation shall comply with the requirements of Section 409A(a)(4) of the Code; and
(D) In the case of any Participant who is specified employee, a distribution on account of a separation from service may not be made before the date which is six months after the date of the Participants separation from service (or, if earlier, the date of the Participants death).
For purposes of the foregoing, the terms in quotations shall have the same meanings as those terms have for purposes of Section 409A of the Code, and the limitations set forth herein shall be applied in such manner (and only to the extent) as shall be necessary to comply with any requirements of Section 409A of the Code that are applicable to the Award.
(iii) Notwithstanding the foregoing, or any provision of this Plan or any Award Agreement, the Company does not make any representation to any Participant or Beneficiary that any Awards made pursuant to this Plan are exempt from, or satisfy, the requirements of, Section 409A of the Code, and the Company shall have no liability or other obligation to indemnify or hold harmless the Participant or any Beneficiary for any tax, additional tax, interest or penalties that the Participant or any Beneficiary may incur in the event that any provision of this Plan, or any Award Agreement, or any amendment or modification thereof, or any other action taken with respect thereto, is deemed to violate any of the requirements of Section 409A of the Code.
8. Reserved.
9. Change in Control.
(a) Effect of Change in Control. Upon the occurrence of a Change in Control, as defined in Section 9(b), any restrictions, deferral of settlement, and forfeiture conditions applicable to an Award shall not lapse, and any performance goals and conditions
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applicable to an Award shall not be deemed to have been met, as of the time of the Change in Control, unless either (i) the Company is the surviving entity in the Change in Control and the Award does not continue to be outstanding after the Change in Control on substantially the same terms and conditions as were applicable immediately prior to the Change in Control, or (ii) the successor company does not assume or substitute for the applicable Award, as determined in accordance with Section 10(c)(ii) hereof. Upon the occurrence of a Change in Control, as defined in Section 9(b), if either (i) the Company is the surviving entity in the Change in Control and the Award does not continue to be outstanding after the Change in Control on substantially the same terms and conditions as were applicable immediately prior to the Change in Control, or (ii) the successor company does not assume or substitute for the applicable Award, as determined in accordance with Section 10(c)(ii) hereof, the applicable Award Agreement may provide that any restrictions, deferral of settlement, and forfeiture conditions applicable to an Award shall lapse, and any performance goals and conditions applicable to an Award shall be deemed to have been met, as of the time of the Change in Control. If the Award continues to be outstanding after the Change in Control on substantially the same terms and conditions as were applicable immediately prior to the Change in Control, or the successor company assumes or substitutes for the applicable Award, as determined in accordance with Section 10(c)(ii) hereof, the applicable Award Agreement may provide that with respect to each Award held by such Participant at the time of the Change in Control, in the event a Participants Continuous Service is terminated without Cause by the Company or any Related Entity or by such successor company or by the Participant for Good Reason within twenty-four (24) months following such Change in Control, any restrictions, deferral of settlement, and forfeiture conditions applicable to each such Award shall lapse, and any performance goals and conditions applicable to each such Award shall be deemed to have been met, as of the date on which the Participants Continuous Service is terminated.
(b) Definition of Change in Control. Unless otherwise specified in any employment, consulting, severance agreement or plan covering the Participant, or other agreement for the performance of services between the Participant and the Company or any Related Entity, or in an Award Agreement, a Change in Control shall mean the occurrence of any of the following:
(i) during any period of 24 consecutive calendar months, individuals who were directors of the Company on the first day of such period (the Incumbent Directors) cease for any reason to constitute a majority of the Board; provided, however, that any individual becoming a director subsequent to the first day of such period whose election, or nomination for election, by the Companys stockholders was approved by a vote of at least a majority of the Incumbent Directors shall be deemed to be an Incumbent Director, but excluding, for purposes of this proviso, any such individual whose initial assumption of office occurs as a result of an actual or threatened proxy contest with respect to election or removal of directors or other actual or threatened solicitation of proxies or consents by or on behalf of a Person; or
(ii) the consummation of a reorganization, merger, statutory share exchange, consolidation or similar form of corporate transaction involving (x) the Company or (y) any of its Subsidiaries (but in the case of this clause (y) only if Company Voting Securities (as defined below) are issued or issuable) or the sale or other disposition of all or substantially all
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the assets of the Company to an entity that is not an Affiliate (each of the foregoing events being hereinafter referred to as a Reorganization), in each case, unless, immediately following such Reorganization, all or substantially all the Persons who were the Beneficial Owners of the securities eligible to vote for the election of the Board (Company Voting Securities) outstanding immediately prior to the consummation of such Reorganization continue to beneficially own, directly or indirectly, as a result of beneficially owning such Company Voting Securities, more than 50% of the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities of the corporation or other entity resulting from such Reorganization in substantially the same proportions as their ownership, immediately prior to the consummation of such Reorganization, of the outstanding Company Voting Securities; or
(iii) any Person or group (as used in Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act) becomes the Beneficial Owner, directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing 30% or more of the combined voting power of the Company Voting Securities; provided, however, that for purposes of this subparagraph (iii), any acquisition pursuant to a Reorganization that does not constitute a Change in Control for purposes of subparagraph (ii) above shall not be a Change in Control.
10. General Provisions.
(a) Compliance With Legal and Other Requirements. The Company may, to the extent deemed necessary or advisable by the Committee, postpone the issuance or delivery of Shares or payment of other benefits under any Award until completion of such registration or qualification of such Shares or other required action under any federal or state law, rule or regulation, listing or other required action with respect to the Listing Market, or compliance with any other obligation of the Company, as the Committee, may consider appropriate, and may require any Participant to make such representations, furnish such information and comply with or be subject to such other conditions as it may consider appropriate in connection with the issuance or delivery of Shares or payment of other benefits in compliance with applicable laws, rules, and regulations, listing requirements, or other obligations.
(b) Limits on Transferability; Beneficiaries. No Award or other right or interest granted under the Plan shall be pledged, hypothecated or otherwise encumbered or subject to any lien, obligation or liability of such Participant to any party, or assigned or transferred by such Participant otherwise than by will or the laws of descent and distribution or to a Beneficiary upon the death of a Participant, and such Awards or rights that may be exercisable shall be exercised during the lifetime of the Participant only by the Participant or his or her guardian or legal representative, except that Awards and other rights (other than Incentive Stock Options and Stock Appreciation Rights in tandem therewith) may be transferred to one or more Beneficiaries or other transferees during the lifetime of the Participant, and may be exercised by such transferees in accordance with the terms of such Award, but only if and to the extent such transfers are permitted by the Committee pursuant to the express terms of an Award Agreement (subject to any terms and conditions which the Committee may impose thereon), are by gift or pursuant to a domestic relations order, and are to a Permitted Assignee that is a permissible transferee under the applicable rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission for registration of securities on a Form S-8 registration statement. For this purpose, a Permitted
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Assignee shall mean (i) the Participants spouse, children or grandchildren (including any adopted and step children or grandchildren), parents, grandparents or siblings, (ii) a trust for the benefit of one or more of the Participant or the persons referred to in clause (i), (iii) a partnership, limited liability company or corporation in which the Participant or the persons referred to in clauses (i) and (ii) are the only partners, members or shareholders, or (iv) a foundation in which any person or entity designated in clauses (i), (ii) or (iii) above control the management of assets. A Beneficiary, transferee, or other person claiming any rights under the Plan from or through any Participant shall be subject to all terms and conditions of the Plan and any Award Agreement applicable to such Participant, except as otherwise determined by the Committee, and to any additional terms and conditions deemed necessary or appropriate by the Committee.
(c) Adjustments.
(i) Adjustments to Awards. In the event that any extraordinary dividend or other distribution (whether in the form of cash, Shares, or other property), recapitalization, forward or reverse split, reorganization, merger, consolidation, spin-off, combination, repurchase, share exchange, liquidation, dissolution or other similar corporate transaction or event affects the Shares and/or such other securities of the Company or any other issuer, then the Committee shall, in such manner as it may deem appropriate and equitable, substitute, exchange or adjust any or all of (A) the number and kind of Shares which may be delivered in connection with Awards granted thereafter, (B) the number and kind of Shares by which annual per-person Award limitations are measured under Section 4 hereof, (C) the number and kind of Shares subject to or deliverable in respect of outstanding Awards, (D) the exercise price, grant price or purchase price relating to any Award and/or make provision for payment of cash or other property in respect of any outstanding Award, and (E) any other aspect of any Award that the Committee determines to be appropriate in order to prevent the reduction or enlargement of benefits under any Award.
(ii) Adjustments in Case of Certain Transactions. In the event of any merger, consolidation or other reorganization in which the Company does not survive, or in the event of any Change in Control (and subject to the provisions of Section 9 of this Plan relating to the vesting of Awards in the event of any Change in Control), any outstanding Awards may be dealt with in accordance with any of the following approaches, without the requirement of obtaining any consent or agreement of a Participant as such, as determined by the agreement effectuating the transaction or, if and to the extent not so determined, as determined by the Committee: (A) the continuation of the outstanding Awards by the Company, if the Company is a surviving entity, (B) the assumption or substitution for, as those terms are defined below, the outstanding Awards by the surviving entity or its parent or subsidiary, (C) full exercisability or vesting and accelerated expiration of the outstanding Awards, or (D) settlement of the value of the outstanding Awards in cash or cash equivalents or other property followed by cancellation of such Awards (which value, in the case of Options or Stock Appreciation Rights, shall be measured by the amount, if any, by which the Fair Market Value of a Share exceeds the exercise or grant price of the Option or Stock Appreciation Right as of the effective date of the transaction). For the purposes of this Plan, an Option, Stock Appreciation Right, Restricted Stock Award, Restricted Stock Unit Award, Performance Award or Other Stock-Based Award
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shall be considered assumed or substituted for if following the applicable transaction the Award confers the right to purchase or receive, for each Share subject to the Option, Stock Appreciation Right, Restricted Stock Award, Restricted Stock Unit Award, Performance Award or Other Stock-Based Award immediately prior to the applicable transaction, on substantially the same vesting and other terms and conditions as were applicable to the Award immediately prior to the applicable transaction, the consideration (whether stock, cash or other securities or property) received in the applicable transaction by holders of Shares for each Share held on the effective date of such transaction (and if holders were offered a choice of consideration, the type of consideration chosen by the holders of a majority of the outstanding Shares); provided, however, that if such consideration received in the applicable transaction is not solely common stock of the successor company or its parent or subsidiary, the Committee may, with the consent of the successor company or its parent or subsidiary, provide that the consideration to be received upon the exercise or vesting of an Option, Stock Appreciation Right, Restricted Stock Award, Restricted Stock Unit Award, Performance Award or Other Stock-Based Award, for each Share subject thereto, will be solely common stock of the successor company or its parent or subsidiary substantially equal in fair market value to the per share consideration received by holders of Shares in the applicable transaction. The determination of such substantial equality of value of consideration shall be made by the Committee in its sole discretion and its determination shall be conclusive and binding. The Committee shall give written notice of any proposed transaction referred to in this Section 10(c)(ii) a reasonable period of time prior to the closing date for such transaction (which notice may be given either before or after the approval of such transaction), in order that Participants may have a reasonable period of time prior to the closing date of such transaction within which to exercise any Awards that are then exercisable (including any Awards that may become exercisable upon the closing date of such transaction). A Participant may condition his or her exercise of any Awards upon the consummation of the transaction.
(iii) Other Adjustments. The Committee (and the Board if and only to the extent such authority is not required to be exercised by the Committee to comply with Section 162(m) of the Code) is authorized to make adjustments in the terms and conditions of, and the criteria included in, Awards (including Awards subject to satisfaction of performance goals, or performance goals and conditions relating thereto) in recognition of unusual or nonrecurring events (including, without limitation, acquisitions and dispositions of businesses and assets) affecting the Company, any Related Entity or any business unit, or the financial statements of the Company or any Related Entity, or in response to changes in applicable laws, regulations, accounting principles, tax rates and regulations or business conditions or in view of the Committees assessment of the business strategy of the Company, any Related Entity or business unit thereof, performance of comparable organizations, economic and business conditions, personal performance of a Participant, and any other circumstances deemed relevant.
(d) Award Agreements. Each Award Agreement shall either be (a) in writing in a form approved by the Committee and executed by the Company by an officer duly authorized to act on its behalf, or (b) an electronic notice in a form approved by the Committee and recorded by the Company (or its designee) in an electronic recordkeeping system used for the purpose of tracking one or more types of Awards as the Committee may provide; in each case and if required by the Committee, the Award Agreement shall be executed or otherwise electronically accepted by the recipient of the Award in such form and manner as the Committee may require. The Committee may authorize any officer of the Company to execute any or all Award Agreements on behalf of the Company. The Award Agreement shall set forth the material terms and conditions of the Award as established by the Committee consistent with the provisions of the Plan.
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(e) Taxes. The Company and any Related Entity are authorized to withhold from any Award granted, any payment relating to an Award under the Plan, including from a distribution of Shares, or any payroll or other payment to a Participant, amounts of withholding and other taxes due or potentially payable in connection with any transaction involving an Award, and to take such other action as the Committee may deem advisable to enable the Company or any Related Entity and Participants to satisfy obligations for the payment of withholding taxes and other tax obligations relating to any Award. This authority shall include authority to withhold or receive Shares or other property and to make cash payments in respect thereof in satisfaction of a Participants tax obligations, either on a mandatory or elective basis in the discretion of the Committee. The amount of withholding tax paid with respect to an Award by the withholding of Shares otherwise deliverable pursuant to the Award or by delivering Shares already owned shall not exceed the maximum statutory withholding required with respect to that Award (or such other limit as the Committee shall impose, including without limitation, any limit imposed to avoid or limit any financial accounting expense relating to the Award).
(f) Changes to the Plan and Awards. The Board may amend, alter, suspend, discontinue or terminate the Plan, or the Committees authority to grant Awards under the Plan, without the consent of shareholders or Participants, except that any amendment or alteration to the Plan shall be subject to the approval of the Companys shareholders not later than the annual meeting next following such Board action if such shareholder approval is required by any federal or state law or regulation (including, without limitation, Rule 16b-3) or the rules of the Listing Market, and the Board may otherwise, in its discretion, determine to submit other such changes to the Plan to shareholders for approval; provided that, except as otherwise permitted by the Plan or Award Agreement, without the consent of an affected Participant, no such Board action may materially and adversely affect the rights of such Participant under the terms of any previously granted and outstanding Award. The Committee may waive any conditions or rights under, or amend, alter, suspend, discontinue or terminate any Award theretofore granted and any Award Agreement relating thereto, except as otherwise provided in the Plan; provided that, except as otherwise permitted by the Plan or Award Agreement, without the consent of an affected Participant, no such Committee or the Board action may materially and adversely affect the rights of such Participant under terms of such Award.
(g) Clawback of Benefits.
(i) The Company may (A) cause the cancellation of any Award, (B) require reimbursement of any Award by a Participant or Beneficiary, and (C) effect any other right of recoupment of equity or other compensation provided under this Plan or otherwise in accordance with any Company policies that currently exist or that may from time to time be adopted or modified in the future by the Company and/or applicable law (each, a Clawback Policy). In addition, a Participant may be required to repay to the Company certain previously paid compensation, whether provided under this Plan or an Award Agreement or otherwise, in
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accordance with any Clawback Policy. By accepting an Award, a Participant is also agreeing to be bound by any existing or future Clawback Policy adopted by the Company, or any amendments that may from time to time be made to the Clawback Policy in the future by the Company in its discretion (including without limitation any Clawback Policy adopted or amended to comply with applicable laws or stock exchange requirements) and is further agreeing that all of the Participants Award Agreements may be unilaterally amended by the Company, without the Participants consent, to the extent that the Company in its discretion determines to be necessary or appropriate to comply with any Clawback Policy.
(ii) If the Participant, without the consent of the Company, while employed by or providing services to the Company or any Related Entity or after termination of such employment or service, violates a non-competition, non-solicitation or non-disclosure covenant or agreement or otherwise engages in activity that is in conflict with or adverse to the interest of the Company or any Related Entity, as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion, then (i) any outstanding, vested or unvested, earned or unearned portion of the Award may, at the Committees discretion, be canceled and (ii) the Committee, in its discretion, may require the Participant or other person to whom any payment has been made or Shares or other property have been transferred in connection with the Award to forfeit and pay over to the Company, on demand, all or any portion of the gain (whether or not taxable) realized upon the exercise of any Option or Stock Appreciation Right and the value realized (whether or not taxable) on the vesting or payment of any other Award during the time period specified in the Award Agreement or otherwise specified by the Committee
(h) Limitation on Rights Conferred Under Plan. Neither the Plan nor any action taken hereunder or under any Award shall be construed as (i) giving any Eligible Person or Participant the right to continue as an Eligible Person or Participant or in the employ or service of the Company or a Related Entity; (ii) interfering in any way with the right of the Company or a Related Entity to terminate any Eligible Persons or Participants Continuous Service at any time, (iii) giving an Eligible Person or Participant any claim to be granted any Award under the Plan or to be treated uniformly with other Participants and Employees, or (iv) conferring on a Participant any of the rights of a shareholder of the Company or any Related Entity including, without limitation, any right to receive dividends or distributions, any right to vote or act by written consent, any right to attend meetings of shareholders or any right to receive any information concerning the Companys or any Related Entitys business, financial condition, results of operation or prospects, unless and until such time as the Participant is duly issued Shares on the stock books of the Company or any Related Entity in accordance with the terms of an Award. None of the Company, its officers or its directors shall have any fiduciary obligation to the Participant with respect to any Awards unless and until the Participant is duly issued Shares pursuant to the Award on the stock books of the Company in accordance with the terms of an Award. Neither the Company, nor any Related Entity, nor any of their respective officers, directors, representatives or agents is granting any rights under the Plan to the Participant whatsoever, oral or written, express or implied, other than those rights expressly set forth in this Plan or the Award Agreement.
(i) Unfunded Status of Awards; Creation of Trusts. The Plan is intended to constitute an unfunded plan for incentive and deferred compensation. With respect to any
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payments not yet made to a Participant or obligation to deliver Shares pursuant to an Award, nothing contained in the Plan or any Award Agreement shall give any such Participant any rights that are greater than those of a general creditor of the Company or Related Entity that issues the Award; provided that the Committee may authorize the creation of trusts and deposit therein cash, Shares, other Awards or other property, or make other arrangements to meet the obligations of the Company or Related Entity under the Plan. Such trusts or other arrangements shall be consistent with the unfunded status of the Plan unless the Committee otherwise determines with the consent of each affected Participant. The trustee of such trusts may be authorized to dispose of trust assets and reinvest the proceeds in alternative investments, subject to such terms and conditions as the Committee may specify and in accordance with applicable law.
(j) Nonexclusivity of the Plan. Neither the adoption of the Plan by the Board nor its submission to the stockholders of the Company for approval shall be construed as creating any limitations on the power of the Board or a committee thereof to adopt such other incentive arrangements as it may deem desirable.
(k) Payments in the Event of Forfeitures; Fractional Shares. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, in the event of a forfeiture of an Award with respect to which a Participant paid cash or other consideration, the Participant shall be repaid the amount of such cash or other consideration. No fractional Shares shall be issued or delivered pursuant to the Plan or any Award. The Committee shall determine whether cash, other Awards or other property shall be issued or paid in lieu of such fractional shares or whether such fractional shares or any rights thereto shall be forfeited or otherwise eliminated.
(l) Governing Law. Except as otherwise provided in any Award Agreement, the validity, construction and effect of the Plan, any rules and regulations under the Plan, and any Award Agreement shall be determined in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware without giving effect to principles of conflict of laws, and applicable federal law.
(m) Non-U.S. Laws. The Committee shall have the authority to adopt such modifications, procedures, and subplans as may be necessary or desirable to comply with provisions of the laws of foreign countries in which the Company or its Related Entities may operate to assure the viability of the benefits from Awards granted to Participants performing services in such countries and to meet the objectives of the Plan.
(n) Plan Effective Date and Shareholder Approval; Termination of Plan. The Plan shall become effective on the Effective Date, subject to subsequent approval, within 12 months of its adoption by the Board, by shareholders of the Company eligible to vote in the election of directors, by a vote sufficient to meet the requirements of Code Section 422, Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act (if applicable), applicable requirements under the rules of any stock exchange or automated quotation system on which the Shares may be listed or quoted, and other laws, regulations, and obligations of the Company applicable to the Plan. Awards may be granted subject to shareholder approval, but may not be exercised or otherwise settled in the event the shareholder approval is not obtained. The Plan shall terminate at the earliest of (a) such time as no Shares remain available for issuance under the Plan, (b) termination of this Plan by the Board, or (c) the tenth anniversary of the last Shareholder Approval Date. Awards outstanding upon expiration of the Plan shall remain in effect until they have been exercised or terminated, or have expired.
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(n) Construction and Interpretation. Whenever used herein, nouns in the singular shall include the plural, and the masculine pronoun shall include the feminine gender. Headings of Articles and Sections hereof are inserted for convenience and reference and constitute no part of the Plan.
(o) Severability. If any provision of the Plan or any Award Agreement shall be determined to be illegal or unenforceable by any court of law in any jurisdiction, the remaining provisions hereof and thereof shall be severable and enforceable in accordance with their terms, and all provisions shall remain enforceable in any other jurisdiction.
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Exhibit 4.4
AMERICAN OUTDOOR BRANDS, INC.
2020 EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN
1. Purpose. The purpose of the Plan is to provide incentive for present and future employees of the Company and any Designated Subsidiary to acquire a proprietary interest (or increase an existing proprietary interest) in the Company through the purchase of Common Stock. It is the Companys intention that the Plan qualify as an employee stock purchase plan under Section 423 of the Code. Accordingly, the provisions of the Plan shall be administered, interpreted and construed in a manner consistent with the requirements of that section of the Code.
2. Definitions.
(a) Applicable Percentage means the percentage specified in Section 8, subject to adjustment by the Committee as provided in Section 8.
(b) Board means the Board of Directors of the Company.
(c) Code means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time, including regulations thereunder, and successor provisions and regulations thereto.
(d) Committee means the committee appointed by the Board to administer the Plan as described in Section 13 of the Plan or, if no such Committee is appointed, the Board.
(e) Common Stock means the Companys common stock, par value $0.001 per share.
(f) Company means American Outdoor Brands, Inc., a Delaware corporation.
(g) Compensation means, with respect to each Participant for each pay period, all regular straight time gross earnings paid to such Participant by the Company or a Designated Subsidiary. Except as otherwise determined by the Committee, Compensation shall not include: (i) commissions, (ii) payments for overtime, (iii) shift premium, (iv) incentive compensation, (v) incentive payments, (vi) bonuses, and (vii) other compensation.
(h) Continuous Status as an Employee means the absence of any interruption or termination of service as an Employee. Continuous Status as an Employee shall not be considered interrupted in the case of a leave of absence agreed to in writing by the Company or the Designated Subsidiary that employs the Employee, provided that such leave is for a period of not more than 90 days or reemployment upon the expiration of such leave is guaranteed by contract or statute.
(i) Designated Subsidiaries means the Subsidiaries that have been designated by the Board from time to time in its sole discretion as eligible to participate in the Plan.
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(j) Employee means any person, including an Officer, whose customary employment with the Company or one of its Designated Subsidiaries is at least 20 hours per week and more than five months in any calendar year.
(k) Entry Date means the first day of each Exercise Period.
(l) Exchange Act means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
(m) Exercise Date means the last Trading Day ending on or before the March 31 or September 30, as applicable, immediately following the First Offering Date, and the last Trading Day ending on or before each March 31 or September 30 thereafter.
(n) Exercise Period means, for any Offering Period, each period commencing on the Offering Date and on the day after each Exercise Date, and terminating on the immediately following Exercise Date.
(o) Exercise Price means the price per share of Common Stock offered in a given Offering Period determined as provided in Section 8.
(p) Fair Market Value means, with respect to a share of Common Stock, the Fair Market Value as determined under Section 7(b).
(q) First Offering Date means October 1, 2020.
(r) Offering Date means the first Trading Day of each Offering Period; provided, that in the case of an individual who becomes eligible to become a Participant under Section 3 after the first Trading Day of an Offering Period, the term Offering Date shall mean the first Trading Day of the Exercise Period coinciding with or next succeeding the day on which that individual becomes eligible to become a Participant. Options granted after the first day of an Offering Period will be subject to the same terms as the options granted on the first Trading Day of such Offering Period except that they will have a different grant date (thus, potentially, a different exercise price) and, because they expire at the same time as the options granted on the first Trading Day of such Offering Period, a shorter term.
(s) Offering Period means, subject to adjustment as provided in Section 4, (i) with respect to the first Offering Period, the period beginning on the First Offering Date and ending on September 30 or March 31, as applicable, which is 12 months thereafter, and (ii) with respect to each Offering Period thereafter, the period beginning on April 1 or October 1, as applicable, immediately following the end of the previous Offering Period and ending on September 30 or March 31, as applicable, which is 12 months thereafter.
(t) Officer means a person who is an officer of the Company within the meaning of Section 16 under the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
(u) Participant means an Employee who has elected to participate in the Plan by filing an enrollment agreement with the Company as provided in Section 5 of the Plan.
(v) Plan shall mean this American Outdoor Brands, Inc. 2020 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, as amended from time to time.
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(w) Plan Contributions means, with respect to each Participant, the after-tax payroll deductions withheld from the Compensation of the Participant and contributed to the Plan for the Participant as provided in Section 6 of the Plan.
(x) Subsidiary shall mean any corporation, domestic or foreign, of which the Company owns, directly or indirectly, 50% or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock, and that otherwise qualifies as a subsidiary corporation within the meaning of Section 424(f) of the Code.
(y) Trading Day shall mean a day on which the national stock exchanges and the NASDAQ National Market system (NASDAQ) are open for trading.
3. Eligibility.
(a) Any Employee who is an Employee as of the Offering Date of a given Offering Period shall be eligible to participate in such Offering Period under the Plan, subject to the requirements of Section 5(a) and the limitations imposed by Section 423(b) of the Code; provided, however, that any Employee who is an Employee as of the First Offering Date shall be eligible to become a Participant as of such First Offering Date; and further provided, however, that eligible Employees may not participate in more than one Offering Period at a time.
(b) Notwithstanding any provision of the Plan to the contrary, no Participant shall be granted an option under the Plan (i) to the extent that if, immediately after the grant, such Employee (or any other person whose stock would be attributed to such Employee pursuant to Section 424(d) of the Code) would own stock and/or hold outstanding options to purchase stock possessing 5% or more of the total combined voting power or value of all classes of stock of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company, or (ii) to the extent that his or her rights to purchase stock under all employee stock purchase plans of the Company and its Subsidiaries intended to qualify under Section 423 of the Code to accrue at a rate which exceeds $25,000 of fair market value of stock (determined at the time such option is granted) for each calendar year in which such option is outstanding at any time.
4. Offering Periods. The Plan shall generally be implemented by a series of Offering Periods. The first Offering Period shall commence on the First Offering Date and end on the immediately following March 31 or September 30, as determined by the Committee prior to the First Offering Date, and succeeding Offering Periods shall commence on October 1 or April 1, as applicable, immediately following the end of the previous Offering Period and end on March 31 or September 30, as applicable, which is 12 months thereafter. If, however, the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock on any Exercise Date (except the final scheduled Exercise Date of any Offering Period) is lower than the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock on the Offering Date, then the Offering Period in progress shall end immediately following the close of trading on such Exercise Date, and a new Offering Period shall begin on the next subsequent April 1 or October 1, as applicable, and shall extend for a 12 month period ending on September 30 or March 31, as applicable. Subsequent Offering Periods shall commence on the April 1 or October 1, as applicable, immediately following the end of the previous Offering Period and shall extend for a 12 month period ending on September 30 or March 31, as applicable. The Committee shall have the power to make other changes to the duration and/or the frequency of Offering Periods with respect to future offerings if such change is announced at least five days prior to the scheduled beginning of the first Offering Period to be affected and the Offering Period does not exceed 12 months.
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5. Election to Participate.
(a) An eligible Employee may elect to participate in the Plan commencing on any Entry Date by completing an enrollment agreement on the form provided by the Company and filing the enrollment agreement with the Company on or prior to such Entry Date, unless a later time for filing the enrollment agreement is set by the Committee for all eligible Employees with respect to a given offering; provided, however, that an Employee who (i) was an Employee as of the Offering Date of a given Offering Period and was eligible to participate in such Offering Period under the Plan (which shall not include an individual who became eligible to become a Participant under Section 3 after the first Trading Day of the Offering Period) and (ii) who did not elect to participate in such Offering Period under the Plan may not elect to participate in the Plan until the immediately succeeding Offering Period. The enrollment agreement shall set forth the percentage of the Participants Compensation that is to be withheld by payroll deduction pursuant to the Plan.
(b) Except as otherwise determined by the Committee under rules applicable to all Participants, payroll deductions for a Participant shall commence on the first payroll date following the Entry Date on which the Participant elects to participate in accordance with Section 5(a) and shall end on the last payroll date in the Offering Period, unless sooner terminated by the Participant as provided in Section 11.
(c) Unless a Participant elects otherwise prior to the last Exercise Date of an Offering Period, including the last Exercise Date prior to termination in the case of an Offering Period terminated by operation of the rule contained in Section 4 hereof, such Participant shall be deemed (i) to have elected to participate in the immediately succeeding Offering Period (and, for purposes of such Offering Period such Participants Entry Date shall be deemed to be the first day of such Offering Period) and (ii) to have authorized the same payroll deduction for such immediately succeeding Offering Period as was in effect for such Participant immediately prior to the commencement of such succeeding Offering Period.
6. Participant Contributions.
(a) Except as otherwise authorized by the Committee pursuant to Section 6(d) below, all Participant contributions to the Plan shall be made only by payroll deductions. At the time a Participant files the enrollment agreement with respect to an Offering Period, the Participant may authorize payroll deductions to be made on each payroll date during the portion of the Offering Period that he or she is a Participant in an amount not less than 1% and not more than 20% (or such greater percentage as the Committee may establish from time to time before an Offering Date) of the Participants Compensation on each payroll date during the portion of the Offering Period that he or she is a Participant (or subsequent Offering Periods as provided in Section 5(c)). The amount of payroll deductions shall be a whole percentage (i.e., 1%, 2%, 3%, etc.) of the Participants Compensation.
(b) A Participant may discontinue his or her participation in the Plan as provided in Section 11, or may decrease or increase the rate or amount of his or her payroll
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deductions during such Offering Period (within the limitations of Section 6(a) above) by completing and filing with the Company a new enrollment agreement authorizing a change in the rate or amount of payroll deductions; provided, that a Participant may not change the rate or amount of his or her payroll deductions more than once in any Exercise Period. The change in rate or amount shall be effective with the first full payroll period following 10 business days after the Companys receipt of the new enrollment agreement.
(c) Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent necessary to comply with Section 423(b)(8) of the Code and Section 3(b) hereof, a Participants payroll deductions may be decreased to 0% at such time during any Exercise Period which is scheduled to end during the current calendar year that the aggregate of all payroll deductions accumulated with respect to such Exercise Period and any other Exercise Period ending within the same calendar year are equal to the product of $25,000 multiplied by the Applicable Percentage for the calendar year. Payroll deductions shall recommence at the rate provided in the Participants enrollment agreement at the beginning of the following Exercise Period which is scheduled to end in the following calendar year, unless terminated by the Participant as provided in Section 11.
(d) All Plan Contributions made for a Participant shall be deposited in the Companys general corporate account and shall be credited to the Participants account under the Plan. No interest shall accrue or be credited with respect to a Participants Plan Contributions. All Plan Contributions received or held by the Company may be used by the Company for any corporate purpose, and the Company shall not be obligated to segregate or otherwise set apart such Plan Contributions from any other corporate funds.
7. Grant of Option.
(a) On a Participants Entry Date, subject to the limitations set forth in Sections 3(b) and 12(a), the Participant shall be granted an option to purchase on each subsequent Exercise Date during the Offering Period in which such Entry Date occurs (at the Exercise Price determined as provided in Section 8 below) up to a number of shares of Common Stock determined by dividing such Participants Plan Contributions accumulated prior to such Exercise Date and retained in the Participants account as of such Exercise Date by the Exercise Price; provided, that the maximum number of shares an Employee may purchase during any Exercise Period shall be 2,500 shares. The Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock shall be determined as provided in Section 7(b).
(b) The Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock on a given date shall be determined by the Committee in its discretion; provided, that if there is a public market for the Common Stock, the Fair Market Value per share shall be either (i) the closing price of the Common Stock on such date (or, in the event that the Common Stock is not traded on such date, on the immediately preceding trading date), as reported by NASDAQ, (ii) if such price is not reported, the average of the bid and asked prices for the Common Stock on such date (or, in the event that the Common Stock is not traded on such date, on the immediately preceding trading date), as reported by NASDAQ, (iii) in the event the Common Stock is listed on a stock exchange, the closing price of the Common Stock on such exchange on such date (or, in the event that the Common Stock is not traded on such date, on the immediately preceding trading date), as reported in The Wall Street Journal, or (iv) if no such quotations are available for a date within a reasonable time prior to the valuation date, the value of the Common Stock as determined by the Committee using any reasonable means.
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8. Exercise Price. The Exercise Price per share of Common Stock offered to each Participant in a given Offering Period shall be the lower of: (i) the Applicable Percentage of the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock on the Offering Date or (ii) the Applicable Percentage of the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock on the Exercise Date. The Applicable Percentage with respect to each Offering Period shall be 85%, unless and until such Applicable Percentage is increased by the Committee, in its sole discretion, provided that any such increase in the Applicable Percentage with respect to a given Offering Period must be established not less than 15 days prior to the Offering Date thereof.
9. Exercise of Options. Unless the Participant withdraws from the Plan as provided in Section 11, the Participants option for the purchase of shares will be exercised automatically on each Exercise Date, and the maximum number of full shares subject to such option shall be purchased for the Participant at the applicable Exercise Price with the accumulated Plan Contributions then credited to the Participants account under the Plan. During a Participants lifetime, a Participants option to purchase shares hereunder is exercisable only by the Participant.
10. Delivery. As promptly as practicable after each Exercise Date, the Company shall arrange for the delivery to each Participant (or the Participants beneficiary), as appropriate, or to a custodial account for the benefit of each Participant (or the Participants beneficiary) as appropriate, of the shares purchased upon exercise of such Participants option. No fractional shares shall be purchased; any payroll deductions accumulated in a Participants account that are not sufficient to purchase a full share shall be retained in such Participants account for the subsequent Exercise Period or Offering Period, subject to earlier withdrawal by the participant as provided in Section 11 below. Any other amounts left over in a participants account after a Exercise Date shall be returned to the Participant as soon as administratively practicable.
11. Withdrawal; Termination of Employment.
(a) A Participant may withdraw from the Plan at any time by giving written notice to the Company. All of the Plan Contributions credited to the Participants account and not yet invested in Common Stock will be paid to the Participant as soon as administratively practicable after receipt of the Participants notice of withdrawal, the Participants option to purchase shares pursuant to the Plan automatically will be terminated, and no further payroll deductions for the purchase of shares will be made for the Participants account. Payroll deductions will not resume on behalf of a Participant who has withdrawn from the Plan (a Former Participant) unless the Former Participant enrolls in a subsequent Offering Period in accordance with Section 5(a).
(b) Upon termination of the Participants Continuous Status as an Employee prior to any Exercise Date for any reason, including retirement or death, the Plan Contributions credited to the Participants account and not yet invested in Common Stock will be returned to the Participant or, in the case of death, to the Participants beneficiary as determined pursuant to Section 14, and the Participants option to purchase shares under the Plan will automatically terminate.
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(c) A Participants withdrawal from an Offering Period will not have any effect upon the Participants eligibility to participate in succeeding Offering Periods or in any similar plan which may hereafter be adopted by the Company.
12. Stock.
(a) Subject to adjustment as provided in Section 17, the maximum number of shares of the Companys Common Stock that shall be made available for sale under the Plan shall be equal to 419,253 shares plus the lesser of (i) 1% of the number of shares of the Companys common stock outstanding as of the end of each fiscal year of the Company or (ii) such number of shares as the Committee may determine. Shares of Common Stock subject to the Plan may be newly issued shares or shares reacquired in private transactions or open market purchases. If and to the extent that any right to purchase reserved shares shall not be exercised by any Participant for any reason or if such right to purchase shall terminate as provided herein, shares that have not been so purchased hereunder shall again become available for the purpose of the Plan unless the Plan shall have been terminated, but all shares sold under the Plan, regardless of source, shall be counted against the limitation set forth above.
(b) A Participant will have no interest or voting right in shares covered by his option until such option has been exercised.
(c) Shares to be delivered to a Participant under the Plan will be registered in the name of the Participant or in the name of the Participant and his or her spouse, as requested by the Participant.
13. Administration.
(a) The Plan shall be administered by the Committee. The Committee shall have the authority to interpret the Plan, to prescribe, amend and rescind rules and regulations relating to the Plan, and to make all other determinations necessary or advisable for the administration of the Plan. The administration, interpretation, or application of the Plan by the Committee shall be final, conclusive and binding upon all persons.
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of Subsection (a) of this Section 13, in the event that Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act or any successor provision thereto (Rule 16b-3) provides specific requirements for the administrators of plans of this type, the Plan shall only be administered by such body and in such a manner as shall comply with the applicable requirements of Rule 16b-3. Unless permitted by Rule 16b-3, no discretion concerning decisions regarding the Plan shall be afforded to any person that is not disinterested as that term is used in Rule 16b-3.
14. Designation of Beneficiary.
(a) A Participant may file a written designation of a beneficiary who is to receive any shares and cash, if any, from the Participants account under the Plan in the event of the Participants death subsequent to an Exercise Date on which the Participants option hereunder is exercised but prior to delivery to the Participant of such shares and cash. In addition, a Participant may file a written designation of a beneficiary who is to receive any cash from the Participants account under the Plan in the event of the Participants death prior to the exercise of the option.
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(b) A Participants beneficiary designation may be changed by the Participant at any time by written notice. In the event of the death of a Participant and in the absence of a beneficiary validly designated under the Plan who is living at the time of such Participants death, the Company shall deliver such shares and/or cash to the executor or administrator of the estate of the Participant, or if no such executor or administrator has been appointed (to the knowledge of the Company), the Company, in its discretion, may deliver such shares and/or cash to the spouse or to any one or more dependents or relatives of the Participant, or if no spouse, dependent or relative is known to the Company, then to such other person as the Company may designate.
15. Transferability. Neither Plan Contributions credited to a Participants account nor any rights to exercise any option or receive shares of Common Stock under the Plan may be assigned, transferred, pledged or otherwise disposed of in any way (other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution, or as provided in Section 14). Any attempted assignment, transfer, pledge or other distribution shall be without effect, except that the Company may treat such act as an election to withdraw funds in accordance with Section 11.
16. Participant Accounts. Individual accounts will be maintained for each Participant in the Plan to account for the balance of his Plan Contributions and options issued and shares purchased under the Plan. Statements of account will be given to Participants semi-annually in due course following each Exercise Date, which statements will set forth the amounts of payroll deductions, the per share purchase price, the number of shares purchased and the remaining cash balance, if any.
17. Adjustments Upon Changes in Capitalization; Corporate Transactions.
(a) If the outstanding shares of Common Stock are increased or decreased, or are changed into or are exchanged for a different number or kind of shares, as a result of one or more reorganizations, restructurings, recapitalizations, reclassifications, stock splits, reverse stock splits, stock dividends stock repurchases, or the like, equitable and proportionate adjustments shall be made by the Committee in the number and/or kind of shares, and the per-share option price thereof, which may be issued in the aggregate and to any Participant upon exercise of options granted under the Plan.
(b) In the event of the proposed dissolution or liquidation of the Company, the Offering Period will terminate immediately prior to the consummation of such proposed action, unless otherwise provided by the Committee. In the event of a proposed sale of all or substantially all of the Companys assets, or the merger of the Company with or into another corporation (each, a Sale Transaction), each option under the Plan shall be assumed or an equivalent option shall be substituted by such successor corporation or a parent or subsidiary of such successor corporation, unless the Committee determines, in the exercise of its sole discretion and in lieu of such assumption or substitution, to shorten the Exercise Period then in progress by setting a new Exercise Date (the New Exercise Date). If the Committee shortens the Exercise Period then in progress in lieu of assumption or substitution in the event of a Sale Transaction, the Committee shall notify each Participant in writing, at least 10 days prior to the
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New Exercise Date, that the exercise date for such Participants option has been changed to the New Exercise Date and that such Participants option will be exercised automatically on the New Exercise Date, unless prior to such date the Participant has withdrawn from the Plan as provided in Section 11. For purposes of this Section 17(b), an option granted under the Plan shall be deemed to have been assumed if, following the Sale Transaction, the option confers the right to purchase, for each share of option stock subject to the option immediately prior to the Sale Transaction, the consideration (whether stock, cash or other securities or property) received in the Sale Transaction by holders of Common Stock for each share of Common Stock held on the effective date of the Sale Transaction (and if such holders were offered a choice of consideration, the type of consideration chosen by the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Common Stock); provided, that if the consideration received in the Sale Transaction was not solely common stock of the successor corporation or its parent (as defined in Section 424(e) of the Code), the Committee may, with the consent of the successor corporation and the Participant, provide for the consideration to be received upon exercise of the option to be solely common stock of the successor corporation or its parent equal in fair market value to the per share consideration received by the holders of Common Stock in the Sale Transaction.
(c) In all cases, the Committee shall have sole discretion to exercise any of the powers and authority provided under this Section 17, and the Committees actions hereunder shall be final and binding on all Participants. No fractional shares of stock shall be issued under the Plan pursuant to any adjustment authorized under the provisions of this Section 17.
18. Amendment of the Plan. The Board or the Committee may at any time, or from time to time, amend the Plan in any respect; provided, that (i) no such amendment may make any change in any option theretofore granted which adversely affects the rights of any Participant and (ii) the Plan may not be amended in any way that will cause rights issued under the Plan to fail to meet the requirements for employee stock purchase plans as defined in Section 423 of the Code or any successor thereto. To the extent necessary to comply with Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act, Section 423 of the Code, or any other applicable law or regulation), the Company shall obtain stockholder approval of any such amendment.
19. Termination of the Plan. The Plan and all rights of Employees hereunder shall terminate on the earliest of:
(a) the Exercise Date that Participants become entitled to purchase a number of shares greater than the number of reserved shares remaining available for purchase under the Plan;
(b) such date as is determined by the Board in its discretion; or
(c) the tenth anniversary of the Effective Date.
In the event that the Plan terminates under circumstances described in Section 19(a) above, reserved shares remaining as of the termination date shall be sold to Participants on a pro rata basis.
20. Notices. All notices or other communications by a Participant to the Company under or in connection with the Plan shall be deemed to have been duly given when received in the form specified by the Company at the location, or by the person, designated by the Company for the receipt thereof.
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21. Effective Date. Subject to adoption of the Plan by the Board, the Plan shall become effective on the First Offering Date. The Board shall submit the Plan to the stockholders of the Company for approval within 12 months after the date the Plan is adopted by the Board.
22. Conditions Upon Issuance of Shares.
(a) The Plan, the grant and exercise of options to purchase shares under the Plan, and the Companys obligation to sell and deliver shares upon the exercise of options to purchase shares shall be subject to compliance with all applicable federal, state and foreign laws, rules and regulations and the requirements of any stock exchange on which the shares may then be listed.
(b) The Company may make such provisions as it deems appropriate for withholding by the Company pursuant to federal or state tax laws of such amounts as the Company determines it is required to withhold in connection with the purchase or sale by a Participant of any Common Stock acquired pursuant to the Plan. The Company may require a Participant to satisfy any relevant tax requirements before authorizing any issuance of Common Stock to such Participant.
23. Expenses of the Plan. All costs and expenses incurred in administering the Plan shall be paid by the Company, except that any stamp duties or transfer taxes applicable to participation in the Plan may be charged to the account of such Participant by the Company.
24. No Employment Rights. The Plan does not, directly or indirectly, create any right for the benefit of any employee or class of employees to purchase any shares under the Plan, or create in any employee or class of employees any right with respect to continuation of employment by the Company or a Designated Subsidiary, and it shall not be deemed to interfere in any way with the right of the Company or a Designated Subsidiary to terminate, or otherwise modify, an employees employment at any time.
25. Applicable Law. The laws of the state of Delaware shall govern all matter relating to this Plan except to the extent (if any) superseded by the laws of the United States.
26. Additional Restrictions of Rule 16b-3. The terms and conditions of options granted hereunder to, and the purchase of shares by, persons subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act shall comply with the applicable provisions of Rule 16b-3. This Plan shall be deemed to contain, and such options shall contain, and the shares issued upon exercise thereof shall be subject to, such additional conditions and restrictions as may be required by Rule 16b-3 to qualify for the maximum exemption from Section 16 of the Exchange Act with respect to Plan transactions.
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Exhibit 5
August 21, 2020
American Outdoor Brands, Inc.
1800 North Route Z
Columbia, Missouri 65202
Re: | Registration Statement on Form S-8 |
American Outdoor Brands, Inc.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
As legal counsel to American Outdoor Brands, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the Company), we have assisted in the preparation of the Companys Registration Statement on Form S-8 (the Registration Statement), to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on or about August 21, 2020, in connection with the registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, of 1,397,510 shares of the Companys common stock, par value $0.001 per share (Common Stock), issuable under the Companys 2020 Incentive Compensation Plan (the Incentive Compensation Plan) and 419,253 shares of Common Stock issuable pursuant to the Companys 2020 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the ESPP, and collectively with the Incentive Compensation Plan, the Plans). The shares of Common Stock issuable pursuant to the Plans are collectively referred to as the Shares. The facts, as we understand them, are set forth in the Registration Statement.
With respect to the opinion set forth below, we have examined originals, certified copies, or copies otherwise identified to our satisfaction as being true copies, only of the following:
A. | The Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company; |
B. | The form of Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company; |
C. | Various resolutions of the Board of Directors of the Company adopting the Plans and authorizing the issuance of the Shares; |
D. | The Plans; |
E. | Unanimous Written Consent of the Board of Directors of the Company, dated August 21, 2020; |
F. | Written Consent of the Sole Stockholder of the Company, dated August 21, 2020; and |
G. | The Registration Statement. |
Subject to the assumptions that (i) the documents and signatures examined by us are genuine and authentic, and (ii) the persons executing the documents examined by us have the legal capacity to execute such documents, and subject to the further limitations and qualifications set forth below, based solely upon our review of items A through F above, it is our opinion that the Shares will be validly issued, fully paid, and nonassessable when issued and sold in accordance with the terms of the Plans.
We express no opinion as to the applicability or effect of any laws, orders, or judgments of any state or other jurisdiction other than federal securities laws and the substantive laws of the state of Delaware, including judicial interpretations of such laws. Further, our opinion is based solely upon existing laws, rules, and regulations, and we undertake no obligation to advise you of any changes that may be brought to our attention after the date hereof.
Greenberg Traurig, LLP | Attorneys at Law | 2375 East Camelback Road, Suite 700 | Phoenix, Arizona 85016 | Tel. 602.445.8000 | Fax 602.445.8100
American Outdoor Brands, Inc.
August 21, 2020
Page 2
We hereby expressly consent to any reference to our firm in the Registration Statement, inclusion of this Opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, and to the filing of this Opinion with any other appropriate governmental agency.
Very truly yours, | ||
/s/ Greenberg Traurig, LLP |
Greenberg Traurig, LLP
EXHIBIT 23.2
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-8 of American Outdoor Brands, Inc. of our report dated July 1, 2020, relating to the combined financial statements of the Outdoor Products & Accessories business of Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. for the year ended April 30, 2020, appearing in Exhibit 99.1 of Amendment No. 1 of the Registration Statement on Form 10 (No. 001-39366) of American Outdoor Brands, Inc. filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 13, 2020.
/s/ Deloitte & Touche LLP |
Boston, Massachusetts |
August 21, 2020