UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 OR 15(d) of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934
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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
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 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
| Item 5.02. | Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers. |
On January 19, 2024, the stockholders of Northern Technologies International Corporation (the “Company”), upon recommendation of the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”), approved the Northern Technologies International Corporation 2024 Stock Incentive Plan (the “2024 Plan”) at the 2024 annual meeting of stockholders, which 2024 Plan replaced the Northern Technologies International Corporation Amended and Restated 2019 Stock Incentive Plan (the “2019 Plan”). The Board previously approved the 2024 Plan on November 9, 2023, subject to approval by the Company’s stockholders.
The 2024 Plan became effective immediately upon approval by the Company’s stockholders and will expire on January 18, 2034, unless terminated earlier. The 2024 Plan permits the Board, or a committee thereof, to grant to eligible employees, non-employee directors, consultants, advisors and independent contractors of the Company non-statutory and incentive stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock awards, restricted stock units, deferred stock units, performance awards, non-employee director awards, and other stock-based awards. The Board, or committee thereof, may select 2024 Plan participants and determine the nature and amount of awards to be granted.
Subject to adjustment as provided in the 2024 Plan, the maximum number of shares of Company common stock available for issuance under the 2024 Plan is (i) 800,000 shares of Company common stock; plus (ii) the number of shares of Company common stock remaining available for issuance under the 2019 Plan but not subject to outstanding awards under the 2019 Plan as of January 19, 2024; plus (iii) the number of additional shares of Company common stock subject to awards outstanding under the 2019 Plan as of January 19, 2024 but only to the extent that such outstanding awards are forfeited, cancelled, expire, or otherwise terminate without the issuance of such shares of Company common stock after January 19, 2024.
The foregoing summary does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the text of the 2024 Plan, which is filed as Exhibit 10.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and incorporated herein by reference. A more detailed summary of the 2024 Plan can be found in “Proposal Four—Approval of Northern Technologies International Corporation 2024 Stock Incentive Plan” in the definitive proxy statement for the Company’s 2024 annual meeting of stockholders filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 4, 2023 (the “2024 Proxy Statement”), which description is incorporated by reference herein.
Additionally, the Board approved forms of award agreements for use in granting incentive stock options, non-statutory stock options and restricted stock units under the 2024 Plan. These forms are filed as Exhibits 10.2, 10.3 and 10.4 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and incorporated herein by reference.
| Item 5.07. | Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders. |
On January 19, 2024, the Company held an Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “2024 Annual Meeting”). As of the close of business on November 21, 2023, the record date for the 2024 Annual Meeting, there were 9,427,599 shares of common stock outstanding and entitled to vote at the 2024 Annual Meeting. Each share of common stock was entitled to one vote. Stockholders holding an aggregate of 6,466,119 shares of common stock entitled to vote at the 2024 Annual Meeting, representing 68.58% of the outstanding shares of common stock as of the record date, and which constituted a quorum thereof, were present in person or represented by proxy at the 2024 Annual Meeting.
At the 2024 Annual Meeting, the Company’s stockholders considered four proposals, each of which is set forth below and described in more detail in the Company’s definitive proxy statement for the 2024 Proxy Statement.
The final results of the stockholder vote at the 2024 Annual Meeting on each proposal brought before the Company’s stockholders were as follows:
| Proposal One - | The eight director nominees proposed by the Board were elected to serve as members of the Board until the next annual meeting of stockholders and until their respective successors have been duly elected and qualified by the following final voting results: |
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Votes For |
Votes Withheld |
Broker Non-Votes | ||||
| Nancy E. Calderon | 5,249,023 | 202,968 | 1,014,128 | |||
| Sarah E. Kemp | 5,365,008 | 86,983 | 1,014,128 | |||
| Sunggyu Lee, Ph.D. | 5,395,736 | 56,255 | 1,014,128 | |||
| G. Patrick Lynch | 5,437,953 | 14,038 | 1,014,128 | |||
| Ramani Narayan, Ph.D. | 5,438,383 | 13,608 | 1,014,128 | |||
| Richard J. Nigon | 5,290,366 | 161,625 | 1,014,128 | |||
| Cristina Pinho | 5,408,956 | 43,035 | 1,014,128 | |||
| Konstantin von Falkenhausen | 5,320,318 | 131,673 | 1,014,128 | |||
| Proposal Two - | The compensation of the Company’s named executive officers, as disclosed in the Company’s proxy statement, was approved, on an advisory basis, by the following final voting results: |
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Votes For |
Votes Against |
Votes Abstained |
Broker Non-Votes |
| 4,682,193 | 762,799 | 6,999 | 1,014,128 |
| Proposal Three - | The ratification of the appointment of Baker Tilly US, LLP as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2024 was approved by the following final voting results: |
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Votes For |
Votes Against |
Votes Abstained |
Broker Non-Votes |
| 6,432,916 | 25,632 | 7,571 | 0 |
| Proposal Four - | The Northern Technologies International Corporation 2024 Stock Incentive Plan was approved by the following final voting results: |
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Votes For |
Votes Against |
Votes Abstained |
Broker Non-Votes |
| 4,476,455 | 737,650 | 237,886 | 1,014,128 |
| Item 9.01. | Financial Statements and Exhibits. |
(d) Exhibits.
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| NORTHERN TECHNOLOGIES | |||
| INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION | |||
| By: | /s/ Matthew C. Wolsfeld | ||
| Matthew C. Wolsfeld | |||
| Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary | |||
| Date: January 19, 2024 |
Exhibit 10.1
NORTHERN TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
2024 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN
(Effective January 19, 2024)
1. Purpose of Plan.
The purpose of the Northern Technologies International Corporation 2024 Stock Incentive Plan (this “Plan”) is to advance the interests of Northern Technologies International Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and its stockholders by enabling the Company and its Subsidiaries to attract and retain qualified individuals through opportunities for equity participation in the Company, and to reward those individuals who contribute to the achievement of the Company’s economic objectives. This Plan will become effective upon its approval by the Company’s stockholders and will replace the Northern Technologies International Corporation 2019 Stock Incentive Plan (as amended and restated, the “Prior Plan”); provided, however, that awards outstanding under the Prior Plan as of the Effective Date will remain outstanding in accordance with their terms. After the Effective Date, no more grants of awards will be made under the Prior Plan.
2. Definitions.
The following terms will have the meanings set forth below, unless the context clearly otherwise requires. Terms defined elsewhere in this Plan will have the same meaning throughout this Plan.
2.1. “Adverse Action” means any action or conduct by a Participant that the Committee, in its sole discretion, determines to be injurious, detrimental, prejudicial or adverse to the interests of the Company or any Subsidiary, including: (a) disclosing confidential information of the Company or any Subsidiary to any person not authorized by the Company or Subsidiary to receive it, (b) engaging, directly or indirectly, in any commercial activity that in the judgment of the Committee competes with the business of the Company or any Subsidiary or (c) interfering with the relationships of the Company or any Subsidiary and their respective Employees, independent contractors, customers, prospective customers and vendors.
2.2. “Applicable Law” means any applicable law, including without limitation, (a) provisions of the Code, the Securities Act, the Exchange Act and any rules or regulations thereunder; (b) corporate, securities, tax or other laws, statutes, rules, requirements or regulations, whether federal, state, local or foreign; and (c) rules of any securities exchange, national market system or automated quotation system on which the shares of Common Stock are listed, quoted or traded.
2.3. “Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.
2.4. “Broker Exercise Notice” means a written notice pursuant to which a Participant, upon exercise of an Option, irrevocably instructs a broker or dealer to sell a sufficient number of shares of Common Stock or loan a sufficient amount of money to pay all or a portion of the exercise price of the Option and/or any related withholding tax obligations and remit such sums to the Company and directs the Company to deliver shares of Common Stock to be issued upon such exercise directly to such broker or dealer or their nominee.
2.5. “Cause” means (a) “Cause” as defined in any Individual Agreement; or (b) dishonesty, fraud, misrepresentation, embezzlement or other act of dishonesty with respect to the Company or any Subsidiary, (c) any unlawful or criminal activity of a serious nature, (d) any intentional and deliberate breach of a duty or duties that, individually or in the aggregate, are material in relation to the Participant’s overall duties, or (e) any material breach by a Participant of any employment, service, confidentiality or non-compete agreement entered into with the Company or any Subsidiary.
2.6. “Change in Control” means an event described in Section 14.1 of this Plan; provided, however, if distribution of an Incentive Award subject to Section 409A of the Code is triggered by a Change in Control, the term Change in Control will mean a change in the ownership or effective control of the Company, or in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets of the Company, as defined in Section 409A of the Code and the regulations and rulings issued thereunder.
2.7. “Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. Any reference to a section of the Code herein will be deemed to include a reference to any applicable regulations thereunder and any successor or amended section of the Code.
2.8. “Committee” means the group of individuals administering this Plan, as provided in Section 3 of this Plan.
2.9. “Common Stock” means the common stock of the Company, par value $0.02 per share, or the number and kind of shares of stock or other securities into which such Common Stock may be changed in accordance with Section 4.4 of this Plan.
2.10. “Company” means Northern Technologies International Corporation, a Delaware corporation, and any successor thereto as provided in Section 21.6 of this Plan.
2.11. “Deferred Stock Unit” means a right granted to an Eligible Recipient pursuant to Section 8 of this Plan to receive shares of Common Stock (or the equivalent value in cash or other property if the Committee so provides) at a future time as determined by the Committee, or as determined by the Participant within guidelines established by the Committee in the case of voluntary deferral elections.
2.12. “Director” means a member of the Board.
2.13. “Disability” means, with respect to a Participant who is a party to an Individual Agreement, which agreement contains a definition of “disability” or “permanent disability” (or words of like import) for purposes of termination of employment thereunder by the Company, “disability” or “permanent disability” as defined in the most recent of such agreements; or in all other cases, means the disability of the Participant such as would entitle the Participant to receive disability income benefits pursuant to the long-term disability plan of the Company or Subsidiary then covering the Participant or, if no such plan exists or is applicable to the Participant, the permanent and total disability of the Participant within the meaning of Section 22(e)(3) of the Code; provided, however, if distribution of an Incentive Award subject to Section 409A of the Code is triggered by an Eligible Recipient’s Disability, such term will mean that the Eligible Recipient is disabled as defined by Section 409A of the Code and the regulations and rulings issued thereunder.
2.14. “Dividend Equivalents” means a credit, made at the discretion of the Committee, to the account of a Participant in an amount equal to the cash dividends paid on one share of Common Stock for each share of Common Stock represented by an Incentive Award held by such Participant, subject to Section 11 of this Plan and any other provision of this Plan and which Dividend Equivalents may be subject to the same conditions and restrictions as the Incentive Awards to which they attach and may be settled in the form of cash, shares of Common Stock, or in any combination of both.
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2.15. “Effective Date” means the date that this Plan is approved by the Company’s stockholders.
2.16. “Eligible Recipients” means all Employees and consultants, advisors and independent contractors of the Company or any Subsidiary, including Non-Employee Directors; provided, however, that an Eligible Recipient shall not include any person engaged to provide consulting or advisory services (other than as an employee or a director) to the Company or any Subsidiary that are in connection with the offer and sale of the Company’s securities in a capital raising transaction or directly or indirectly promote or maintain a market for the Company’s securities.
2.17. “Employee” means any individual performing services for the Company or a Subsidiary and designated as an employee of the Company or a Subsidiary on the payroll records thereof. An Employee will not include any individual during any period he or she is classified or treated by the Company or Subsidiary as an independent contractor, a consultant, or any employee of an employment, consulting or temporary agency or any other entity other than the Company or Subsidiary, without regard to whether such individual is subsequently determined to have been, or is subsequently retroactively reclassified as a common-law employee of the Company or Subsidiary during such period. An individual will not cease to be an Employee in the case of: (a) any leave of absence approved by the Company, or (b) transfers between locations of the Company or between the Company or any Subsidiaries. For purposes of Incentive Stock Options, no such leave may exceed ninety (90) days, unless reemployment upon expiration of such leave is guaranteed by statute or contract. If reemployment upon expiration of a leave of absence approved by the Company or a Subsidiary, as applicable, is not so guaranteed, then three (3) months following the ninety-first (91st) day of such leave, any Incentive Stock Option held by a Participant will cease to be treated as an Incentive Stock Option and will be treated for tax purposes as a Non-Statutory Stock Option. Neither service as a Director nor payment of a Director’s fee by the Company will be sufficient to constitute “employment” by the Company.
2.18. “Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Any reference to a section of the Exchange Act herein will be deemed to include a reference to any applicable rules and regulations thereunder and any successor or amended section of the Exchange Act.
2.19. “Fair Market Value” means, with respect to the Common Stock, as of any date: (a) the mean between the reported high and low sale prices of the Common Stock as of such date during the regular daily trading session, as reported on the Nasdaq Global Select Market, Nasdaq Global Market, Nasdaq Stock Market, the New York Stock Exchange, NYSE American or any other national securities exchange on which the Common Stock is then listed or quoted (or, if no shares were traded or quoted on such date, as of the next preceding date on which there was such a trade or quote); or (b) if the Common Stock is not so listed, admitted to unlisted trading privileges, or reported on any national securities exchange, the mean between the reported high and low sale prices as of such date during the regular daily trading session, as reported by the OTC Bulletin Board, OTC Markets or other comparable quotation service (or, if no shares were traded or quoted on such date, as of the next preceding date on which there was such a trade or quote); or (c) if the Common Stock is not so listed or reported, such price as the Committee determines in good faith, and consistent with the definition of “fair market value” under Section 409A of the Code. If determined by the Committee, such determination will be final, conclusive and binding for all purposes and on all persons, including the Company, the stockholders of the Company, the Participants and their respective successors-in-interest. No member of the Committee will be liable for any determination regarding the fair market value of the Common Stock that is made in good faith.
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2.20. “Grant Date” means the date an Incentive Award is granted to a Participant pursuant to this Plan and as determined pursuant to Section 5 of this Plan.
2.21. “Incentive Award” means an Option, Stock Appreciation Right, Restricted Stock Award, Restricted Stock Unit, Deferred Stock Unit, Performance Award or Other Stock-Based Award granted to an Eligible Recipient pursuant to this Plan.
2.22. “Incentive Award Agreement” means either: (a) a written or electronic agreement entered into by the Company and a Participant setting forth the terms and provisions applicable to an Incentive Award granted under this Plan, including any amendment or modification thereof, or (b) a written or electronic statement issued by the Company to a Participant describing the terms and provisions of an Incentive Award, including any amendment or modification thereof.
2.23. “Incentive Stock Option” means a right to purchase shares of Common Stock granted to an Employee pursuant to Section 6 of this Plan that is designated as and intended to meet the requirements of an “incentive stock option” within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code.
2.24. “Individual Agreement” means any employment, consulting, severance or similar agreement between the Participant and the Company or one of its Subsidiaries.
2.25. “Non-Employee Director” means a Director who is not an Employee.
2.26. “Non-Statutory Stock Option” means a right to purchase shares of Common Stock granted to an Eligible Recipient pursuant to Section 6 of this Plan that does not qualify as an Incentive Stock Option.
2.27. “Option” means an Incentive Stock Option or a Non-Statutory Stock Option.
2.28. “Other Stock-Based Award” means an award of shares of Common Stock granted to an Eligible Recipient pursuant to Section 10 of this Plan.
2.29. “Participant” means an Eligible Recipient who receives one or more Incentive Awards under this Plan.
2.30. “Performance Award” means a right granted to an Eligible Recipient pursuant to Section 9 of this Plan to receive an amount of cash, a number of shares of Common Stock, or a combination of both, contingent upon and the value of which at the time it is payable is determined as a function of the extent of the achievement of one or more Performance Criteria during a specified performance period or the achievement of other objectives during a specified period.
2.31. “Performance Criteria” means the performance criteria that may be used by the Committee in granting Incentive Awards contingent upon achievement of performance goals, including, without limitation, net sales; operating income; income before income taxes; income before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization; income before income taxes; income before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization and other non-cash items; net income; net income per share (basic or diluted); profitability as measured by return ratios (including return on assets, return on equity, return on capital, return on investment and return on sales); cash flows; market share; cost of sales; sales, general and administrative expense, cost reduction goals; margins (including one or more of gross, operating and net income margins); stock price; total return to stockholders; economic value added; working capital and strategic plan development and implementation. The Committee may select one criterion or multiple criteria for measuring performance, and the measurement may be based upon Company, Subsidiary or business unit performance, either absolute or by relative comparison to prior periods or other companies or any other external measure of the selected criteria.
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2.32. “Plan” means the Northern Technologies International Corporation 2024 Stock Incentive Plan, as may be amended from time to time.
2.33. “Previously Acquired Shares” means shares of Common Stock that are already owned by the Participant or, with respect to any Incentive Award, that are to be issued to the Participant upon the grant, exercise, vesting or settlement of such Incentive Award.
2.34. “Prior Plan” means the Northern Technologies International Corporation 2019 Stock Incentive Plan, as amended and restated.
2.35. “Restricted Stock Award” means an award of Common Stock granted to an Eligible Recipient pursuant to Section 8 of this Plan that is subject to the restrictions on transferability and the risk of forfeiture imposed by the provisions of such Section 8.
2.36. “Restricted Stock Unit” means an award denominated in shares of Common Stock granted to an Eligible Recipient pursuant to Section 8 of this Plan.
2.37. “Retirement” means termination of employment or service pursuant to and in accordance with the regular (or, if approved by the Board for purposes of this Plan, early) retirement/pension plan or practice of the Company or Subsidiary then covering the Participant, provided that if the Participant is not covered by any such plan or practice, the Participant will be deemed to be covered by the Company plan or practice for purposes of this determination/termination of employment or if the Company does not have any such retirement/pension plan or practice, service at age 55 or older and completion of at least 10 years of continuous service.
2.38. “Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Any reference to a section of the Securities Act herein will be deemed to include a reference to any applicable rules and regulations thereunder and any successor or amended section of the Securities Act.
2.39. “Separation from Service” has the meaning set forth in Section 12.4(c) of this Plan.
2.40. “Stock Appreciation Right” means a right granted to an Eligible Recipient pursuant to Section 7 of this Plan to receive, upon exercise, a payment from the Company, in the form of shares of Common Stock, cash or a combination of both, equal to the difference between the Fair Market Value of one or more shares of Common Stock and the grant price of such shares under the terms of such Stock Appreciation Right.
2.41. “Subsidiary” means any entity that is directly or indirectly controlled by the Company or any entity in which the Company has a significant equity interest, as determined by the Committee provided the Company has a “controlling interest” in the Subsidiary as defined in Treas. Reg. Sec. 1.409A-1(b)(5)(iii)(E)(1).
2.42. “Tax Date” means the date any withholding or employment related tax obligation arises under the Code or any Applicable Law for a Participant with respect to an Incentive Award.
2.43. Tax Laws” has the meaning set forth in Section 21.10 of this Plan.
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3. Plan Administration.
3.1. The Committee. This Plan will be administered by the Board or by a committee of the Board. So long as the Company has a class of its equity securities registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act, any committee administering this Plan will consist solely of two or more members of the Board who are “non-employee directors” within the meaning of Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act and who are “independent directors” under the Listing Rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market (or other applicable market or exchange on which the Company’s Common Stock may be quoted or traded). Such a committee, if established, will act by majority approval of the members (but may also take action by the written consent of all of the members of such committee), and a majority of the members of such a committee will constitute a quorum. As used in this Plan, “Committee” will refer to the Board or to such a committee, if established. To the extent consistent with applicable corporate law of the Company’s jurisdiction of incorporation, the Committee may delegate to any officers of the Company the duties, power and authority of the Committee under this Plan pursuant to such conditions or limitations as the Committee may establish; provided, however, that only the Committee may exercise such duties, power and authority with respect to Eligible Recipients who are subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act. The Committee may exercise its duties, power and authority under this Plan in its sole and absolute discretion without the consent of any Participant or other party, unless this Plan specifically provides otherwise. Each determination, interpretation or other action made or taken by the Committee pursuant to the provisions of this Plan will be final, conclusive and binding for all purposes and on all persons, and no member of the Committee will be liable for any action or determination made in good faith with respect to this Plan or any Incentive Award granted under this Plan.
3.2. Authority of the Committee.
(a) In accordance with and subject to the provisions of this Plan, the Committee will have full and exclusive discretionary power and authority to take such actions as it deems necessary and advisable with respect to the administration of this Plan, including the following:
(i) To designate the Eligible Recipients to be selected as Participants;
(ii) To determine the nature, extent and terms of the Incentive Awards to be made to each Participant (including the number of shares of Common Stock to be subject to each Incentive Award, any exercise price or grant price, the manner in which Incentive Awards will vest, become exercisable, settled or paid out and whether Incentive Awards will be granted in tandem with other Incentive Awards) and the form of an Incentive Award Agreement;
(iii) To determine the time or times when Incentive Awards will be granted;
(iv) To determine the duration of each Incentive Award;
(v) To determine the terms, restrictions and other conditions to which the payment or vesting of Incentive Awards may be subject;
(vi) To pay the economic value of any Incentive Award in the form of cash, Common Stock or any combination of both;
(vii) To construe and interpret this Plan and Incentive Awards granted under it, and to establish, amend and revoke rules and regulations for its administration and in so doing, to correct any defect, omission, or inconsistency in this Plan or in an Incentive Award Agreement, in a manner and to the extent it will deem necessary or expedient to make this Plan fully effective;
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(viii) To determine Fair Market Value in accordance with Section 2.19 of this Plan;
(ix) To amend this Plan or any Incentive Award Agreement, as provided in this Plan;
(x) To adopt subplans or special provisions applicable to Incentive Awards regulated by the laws of a jurisdiction other than, and outside of, the United States, which except as otherwise provided in this Plan, such subplans or special provisions may take precedence over other provisions of this Plan;
(xi) To authorize any person to execute on behalf of the Company any Incentive Award Agreement or any other instrument required to effect the grant of an Incentive Award previously granted by the Committee;
(xii) To determine whether Incentive Awards will be settled in shares of Common Stock, cash or in any combination thereof;
(xiii) To determine whether Incentive Awards will be adjusted for Dividend Equivalents; and
(xiv) To impose such restrictions, conditions or limitations as it determines appropriate as to the timing and manner of any resales by a Participant or other subsequent transfers by the Participant of any shares of Common Stock, including restrictions under an insider trading policy, stock ownership guidelines, restrictions as to the use of a specified brokerage firm for such resales or other transfers and other restrictions designed to increase equity ownership by Participants or otherwise align the interests of Participants with the Company’s stockholders.
(b) Subject to Section 3.2(d) of this Plan, the Committee will have the authority under this Plan to amend or modify the terms of any outstanding Incentive Award in any manner, including, without limitation, the authority to modify the number of shares of Common Stock or other terms and conditions of an Incentive Award, extend the term of an Incentive Award, accelerate the exercisability or vesting or otherwise terminate any restrictions relating to an Incentive Award, accept the surrender of any outstanding Incentive Award or, to the extent not previously exercised or vested, authorize the grant of new Incentive Awards in substitution for surrendered Incentive Awards; provided, however that the amended or modified terms are permitted by this Plan as then in effect and that any Participant adversely affected by such amended or modified terms has consented to such amendment or modification.
(c) In the event of (i) any reorganization, merger, consolidation, recapitalization, liquidation, reclassification, stock dividend, stock split, combination of shares, rights offering, extraordinary dividend or divestiture (including a spin-off) or any other similar change in corporate structure or shares; (ii) any purchase, acquisition, sale, disposition or write-down of a significant amount of assets or a significant business; (iii) any change in accounting principles or practices, tax laws or other such laws or provisions affecting reported results; (iv) any uninsured catastrophic losses or extraordinary non-recurring items as described in management’s discussion and analysis of financial performance appearing in the Company’s annual report to stockholders for the applicable year; or (v) any other similar change, in each case with respect to the Company or any other entity whose performance is relevant to the grant or vesting of an Incentive Award, the Committee (or, if the Company is not the surviving corporation in any such transaction, the board of directors of the surviving corporation) may, without the consent of any affected Participant, amend or modify the vesting criteria (including Performance Criteria) of any outstanding Incentive Award that is based in whole or in part on the financial performance of the Company (or any Subsidiary or division or other subunit thereof) or such other entity so as equitably to reflect such event, with the desired result that the criteria for evaluating such financial performance of the Company or such other entity will be substantially the same (in the sole discretion of the Committee or the board of directors of the surviving corporation) following such event as prior to such event; provided, however, that the amended or modified terms are permitted by this Plan as then in effect.
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(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Plan other than Section 4.4 of this Plan, the Committee may not, without prior approval of the Company’s stockholders, seek to effect any re-pricing of any previously granted, “underwater” Option or Stock Appreciation Right by: (i) amending or modifying the terms of the Option or Stock Appreciation Right to lower the exercise price or grant price; (ii) canceling the underwater Option or Stock Appreciation Right in exchange for (A) cash; (B) replacement Options or Stock Appreciation Rights having a lower exercise price or grant price; or (C) other Incentive Awards; (iii) repurchasing the underwater Options or Stock Appreciation Rights and granting new Incentive Awards under this Plan; or (iv) a re-pricing within the meaning of the applicable accounting standard. For purposes of this Section 3.2(d), an Option or Stock Appreciation Right will be deemed to be “underwater” at any time when the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock is less than the exercise price of the Option or grant price of the Stock Appreciation Right.
(e) In addition to the authority of the Committee under Section 3.2(a) of this Plan and notwithstanding any other provision of this Plan, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, amend the terms of this Plan or Incentive Awards with respect to Participants resident outside of the United States or employed by a non-U.S. Subsidiary in order to comply with local legal requirements, to otherwise protect the Company’s or Subsidiary’s interests, or to meet objectives of this Plan, and may, where appropriate, establish one or more sub-plans (including the adoption of any required rules and regulations) for the purposes of qualifying for preferred tax treatment under foreign tax laws. The Committee will have no authority, however, to take action pursuant to this Section 3.2(e) of this Plan: (i) to reserve shares of Common Stock or grant Incentive Awards in excess of the limitations provided in Section 4.1 and Section 4.2 of this Plan; (ii) to effect any re-pricing in violation of Section 3.2(d) of this Plan; (iii) to grant Options or Stock Appreciation Rights having an exercise price or grant price less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of one share of Common Stock on the Grant Date in violation of Section 6.2 or 7.2 of this Plan, as the case may be; or (iv) for which stockholder approval would then be required pursuant to Section 422 of the Code or the Listing Rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market (or other applicable market or exchange on which the Company’s Common Stock may be quoted or traded).
4. Shares Available for Issuance.
4.1. Maximum Number of Shares Available. Subject to adjustment as provided in Section 4.4 of this Plan, the maximum number of shares of Common Stock that will be available for issuance under this Plan will be the sum of:
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(a) 800,000 shares of Common Stock; plus
(b) the number of shares of Common Stock remaining available for issuance under the Prior Plan but not subject to outstanding awards as of the Effective Date; plus
(c) the number of additional shares of Common Stock subject to awards outstanding under the Prior Plan as of the Effective Date but only to the extent that such outstanding awards are forfeited, cancelled, expire or otherwise terminate without the issuance of such shares of Common Stock after the Effective Date.
4.2. Incentive Award and Non-Employee Director Compensation Limitations. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Plan to the contrary and subject to adjustment as provided in Section 4.4 of this Plan,
(a) the maximum aggregate number of shares of Common Stock that will be available for issuance pursuant to Incentive Stock Options under this Plan will be 800,000 shares (except in the case of Incentive Stock Options granted as a result of the Company’s assumption or substitution of like awards issued by any acquired, merged or consolidated entity pursuant to the applicable transaction terms);
(b) the maximum aggregate number of shares of Common Stock that will be available for issuance pursuant to Incentive Awards, other than Options or Stock Appreciation Rights, under this Plan will be 200,000 shares (except in the case of Incentive Awards granted as a result of the Company’s assumption or substitution of like awards issued by any acquired, merged or consolidated entity pursuant to the applicable transaction terms); and
(c) the sum of any cash compensation, or other compensation, and the value (determined as of the grant date in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Topic 718, or any successor thereto) of Incentive Awards granted to a Non-Employee Director as compensation for services as a Non-Employee Director during any fiscal year of the Company may not exceed $300,000 (increased to $400,000 with respect to any Non-Employee Director serving as Chair of the Board or Lead Independent Director or in the fiscal year of a Non-Employee Director's initial service as a Non-Employee Director) (with any compensation that is deferred counting towards this limit for the year in which the compensation is first earned, and not a later year of settlement).
4.3. Accounting for Incentive Awards. Shares of Common Stock that are issued under this Plan or that are subject to outstanding Incentive Awards will be applied to reduce the maximum number of shares of Common Stock remaining available for issuance under this Plan only to the extent they are used; provided, however, that; (a) any shares which would have been issued upon any exercise of an Option but for the fact that the exercise price was paid by a “net exercise” pursuant to Section 6.4(b) of this Plan or the tender or attestation as to ownership of Previously Acquired Shares pursuant to Section 6.4(a) of this Plan will not again become available for issuance under this Plan; and (b) the full number of shares of Common Stock subject to a stock-settled Stock Appreciation Right will be counted against the shares of Common Stock authorized for issuance under this Plan, regardless of the number of shares of Common Stock actually issued upon settlement of such Stock Appreciation Right, and will not again become available for issuance under this Plan. Furthermore, any shares of Common Stock withheld to satisfy tax withholding obligations on Incentive Awards issued under this Plan, any shares of Common Stock withheld to pay the exercise price or grant price of Incentive Awards under this Plan and any shares of Common Stock not issued or delivered as a result of the “net exercise” of an outstanding Option pursuant to Section 6.4 or settlement of a Stock Appreciation Right in shares of Common Stock pursuant to Section 7.1 will be counted against the shares of Common Stock authorized for issuance under this Plan and will not be available again for grant under this Plan. Any shares of Common Stock repurchased by the Company on the open market using the proceeds from the exercise of an Incentive Award will not increase the number of shares of Common Stock available for future grant of Incentive Awards. Any shares of Common Stock related to Incentive Awards granted under this Plan or under the Prior Plan that terminate by expiration, forfeiture, cancellation or otherwise without the issuance of the shares of Common Stock, or are settled in cash in lieu of shares of Common Stock, or are exchanged with the Committee’s permission, prior to the issuance of shares of Common Stock, for Incentive Awards not involving shares of Common Stock, will be available again for grant under this Plan and correspondingly increase the total number of shares of Common Stock available for issuance under this Plan under Section 4.1.
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4.4. Adjustments to Shares and Incentive Awards. In the event of any reorganization, merger, consolidation, recapitalization, liquidation, reclassification, stock dividend, stock split, combination of shares, rights offering, divestiture or extraordinary dividend (including a spin-off) or any other similar change in the corporate structure or shares of Common Stock of the Company, the Committee (or, if the Company is not the surviving corporation in any such transaction, the board of directors of the surviving corporation) will make appropriate adjustment or substitutions (which determination will be conclusive) as to the number and kind of securities or other property (including cash) available for issuance or payment under this Plan, including the sub-limits set forth in Section 4.2 of this Plan, and, in order to prevent dilution or enlargement of the rights of Participants, (a) the number and kind of securities or other property (including cash) subject to outstanding Incentive Awards, and (b) the exercise price of outstanding Options and Stock Appreciation Rights.
5. Participation.
Participants in this Plan will be those Eligible Recipients who, in the judgment of the Committee, have contributed, are contributing or are expected to contribute to the achievement of economic objectives of the Company or its Subsidiaries. Eligible Recipients may be granted from time to time one or more Incentive Awards, singly or in combination or in tandem with other Incentive Awards, as may be determined by the Committee in its sole discretion. Incentive Awards will be deemed to be granted as of the date specified in the grant resolution of the Committee, which date will be the date of any related agreement with the Participant.
6. Options.
6.1. Grant. An Eligible Recipient may be granted one or more Options under this Plan, and such Options will be subject to such terms and conditions, consistent with the other provisions of this Plan, as may be determined by the Committee in its sole discretion. Incentive Stock Options may be granted solely to Eligible Recipients who are Employees of the Company or a Subsidiary. The Committee may designate whether an Option is to be considered an Incentive Stock Option or a Non-Statutory Stock Option. To the extent that any Incentive Stock Option (or portion thereof) granted under this Plan ceases for any reason to qualify as an “incentive stock option” for purposes of Section 422 of the Code, such Incentive Stock Option (or portion thereof) will continue to be outstanding for purposes of this Plan but will thereafter be deemed to be a Non-Statutory Stock Option. Options may be granted to an Eligible Recipient for services provided to a Subsidiary only if, with respect to such Eligible Recipient, the underlying shares of Common Stock constitute “service recipient stock” within the meaning of Treas. Reg. Sec. 1.409A-1(b)(5)(iii) promulgated under the Code.
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6.2. Exercise Price. The per share price to be paid by a Participant upon exercise of an Option granted pursuant to this Section 6 will be determined by the Committee in its sole discretion at the time of the Option grant; provided, however, that such price will not be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of one share of Common Stock on the Grant Date (or 110% of the Fair Market Value of one share of Common Stock on the Grant Date of an Incentive Stock Option if, at the time the Incentive Stock Option is granted, the Participant owns, directly or indirectly, more than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or any parent or subsidiary corporation of the Company). Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent that Options are granted under this Plan as a result of the Company’s assumption or substitution of options issued by any acquired, merged or consolidated entity, the exercise price for such Options shall be the price determined by the Committee pursuant to the conversion terms applicable to the transaction.
6.3. Exercisability and Duration. An Option will become exercisable at such times and in such installments and upon such terms and conditions as may be determined by the Committee in its sole discretion at the time of grant (including without limitation (a) the achievement of one or more of the Performance Criteria; and/or that (b) the Participant remain in the continuous employ or service of the Company or a Subsidiary for a certain period); provided, however, that no Option may be exercisable after 10 years from its Grant Date (five years from its Grant Date in the case of an Incentive Stock Option if, at the time the Incentive Stock Option is granted, the Participant owns, directly or indirectly, more than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or any parent or subsidiary corporation of the Company). Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the exercise of an Option that is exercisable in accordance with its terms is prevented by the provisions of Section 16 of this Plan, the Option will remain exercisable until thirty (30) days after the date such exercise first would no longer be prevented by such provisions, but in any event no later than the expiration date of such Option.
6.4. Payment of Exercise Price.
(a) The total purchase price of the shares of Common Stock to be purchased upon exercise of an Option will be paid entirely in cash (including check, bank draft or money order); provided, however, that the Committee, in its sole discretion and upon terms and conditions established by the Committee, may allow such payments to be made, in whole or in part, by (i) tender of a Broker Exercise Notice; (ii) by tender, either by actual delivery or attestation as to ownership, of Previously Acquired Shares that are acceptable to the Committee; (iii) by a “net exercise” of the Option (as further described in paragraph (b), below); (iv) by a combination of such methods; or (v) by any other method approved or accepted by the Committee in its sole discretion. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Plan to the contrary, no Participant who is a Director or an “executive officer” of the Company within the meaning of Section 13(k) of the Exchange Act will be permitted to make payment with respect to any Incentive Awards granted under this Plan, or continue any extension of credit with respect to such payment with a loan from the Company or a loan arranged by the Company in violation of Section 13(k) of the Exchange Act.
(b) In the case of a “net exercise” of an Option, the Company will not require a payment of the exercise price of the Option from the Participant but will reduce the number of shares of Common Stock issued upon the exercise by the largest number of whole shares that has a Fair Market Value on the exercise date that does not exceed the aggregate exercise price for the shares exercised under this method. Shares of Common Stock will no longer be outstanding under an Option (and will therefore not thereafter be exercisable) following the exercise of such Option to the extent of (i) shares used to pay the exercise price of an Option under the “net exercise,” (ii) shares actually delivered to the Participant as a result of such exercise and (iii) any shares withheld for purposes of tax withholding pursuant to Section 13.1 of this Plan.
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(c) For purposes of such payment, Previously Acquired Shares tendered or covered by an attestation will be valued at their Fair Market Value on the exercise date of the Option.
6.5. Manner of Exercise. An Option may be exercised by a Participant in whole or in part from time to time, subject to the conditions contained in this Plan and in the Incentive Award Agreement evidencing such Option, by delivery in person, by facsimile or electronic transmission or through the mail of written notice of exercise to the Company at its principal executive office in Circle Pines, Minnesota (or to the Company’s designee as may be established from time to time by the Company and communicated to Participants) and by paying in full the total exercise price for the shares of Common Stock to be purchased in accordance with Section 6.4 of this Plan.
6.6. Early Exercise. An Option may, but need not, include a provision whereby the Participant may elect at any time before the Participant’s employment or service terminates to exercise the Option as to any part or all of the shares subject to the Option prior to the full vesting of the Option. Any unvested shares so purchased shall be subject to a repurchase option in favor of the Company and to any other restriction the Committee determines to be appropriate.
7. Stock Appreciation Rights.
7.1. Grant. An Eligible Recipient may be granted one or more Stock Appreciation Rights under this Plan, and such Stock Appreciation Rights will be subject to such terms and conditions, consistent with the other provisions of this Plan, as may be determined by the Committee in its sole discretion. The Committee will have the sole discretion to determine the form in which payment of the economic value of Stock Appreciation Rights will be made to a Participant (i.e., cash, shares of Common Stock or any combination thereof) or to consent to or disapprove the election by a Participant of the form of such payment. Stock Appreciation Rights may be granted to an Eligible Recipient for services provided to a Subsidiary only if, with respect to such Eligible Recipient, the underlying shares of Common Stock constitute “service recipient stock” within the meaning of Treas. Reg. Sec. 1.409A-1(b)(5)(iii) promulgated under the Code.
7.2. Grant Price. The grant price of a Stock Appreciation Right will be determined by the Committee, in its discretion, at the Grant Date; provided, however, that such price may not be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of one share of Common Stock on the Grant Date, except as provided in Section 7.4 of this Plan. Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent that Stock Appreciation Rights are granted under this Plan as a result of the Company’s assumption or substitution of stock appreciation rights issued by any acquired, merged or consolidated entity, the grant price for such Stock Appreciation Rights shall be the price determined by the Committee pursuant to the conversion terms applicable to the transaction.
7.3. Exercisability and Duration. A Stock Appreciation Right will become exercisable at such times and in such installments as may be determined by the Committee in its sole discretion at the time of grant; provided, however, that no Stock Appreciation Right may be exercisable after 10 years from its Grant Date. A Stock Appreciation Right will be exercised by giving notice in the same manner as for Options, as set forth in Section 6.5 of this Plan. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the exercise of a Stock Appreciation Right that is exercisable in accordance with its terms is prevented by the provisions of Section 16 of this Plan, the Stock Appreciation Right will remain exercisable until thirty (30) days after the date such exercise first would no longer be prevented by such provisions, but in any event no later than the expiration date of such Stock Appreciation Right.
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7.4. Grants in Tandem with Options. Stock Appreciation Rights may be granted alone or in addition to other Incentive Awards, or in tandem with an Option, either at the time of grant of the Option or at any time thereafter during the term of the Option. A Stock Appreciation Right granted in tandem with an Option shall cover the same number of shares of Common Stock as covered by the Option (or such lesser number as the Committee may determine), shall be exercisable at such time or times and only to the extent that the related Option is exercisable, have the same term as the Option and shall have a grant price equal to the exercise price for the Option. Upon the exercise of a Stock Appreciation Right granted in tandem with an Option, the Option shall be canceled automatically to the extent of the number of shares covered by such exercise; conversely, upon exercise of an Option having a related Stock Appreciation Right, the Stock Appreciation Right shall be canceled automatically to the extent of the number of shares covered by the Option exercise.
8. Restricted Stock Awards, Restricted Stock Units and Deferred Stock Units.
8.1. Grant. An Eligible Recipient may be granted one or more Restricted Stock Awards, Restricted Stock Units or Deferred Stock Units under this Plan, and such Incentive Awards will be subject to such terms and conditions, consistent with the other provisions of this Plan, as may be determined by the Committee in its sole discretion. Restricted Stock Units and Deferred Stock Units will be similar to Restricted Stock Awards except that no shares of Common Stock are actually awarded to the Participant on the Grant Date of the Restricted Stock Units. Restricted Stock Units and Deferred Stock Units will be denominated in shares of Common Stock but paid in cash, shares of Common Stock or a combination of cash and shares of Common Stock as the Committee, in its sole discretion, will determine, and as provided in the Incentive Award Agreement. The Committee may impose such restrictions or conditions, not inconsistent with the provisions of this Plan, to the vesting of such Restricted Stock Awards, Restricted Stock Units or Deferred Stock Units as it deems appropriate, including, without limitation, (a) the achievement of one or more of the Performance Criteria; and/or that (b) the Participant remain in the continuous employ or service of the Company or a Subsidiary for a certain period.
8.2. Rights as a Stockholder; Transferability. Except as provided in Sections 8.1, 8.3, 8.4 and 15.3 of this Plan, a Participant will have all voting, dividend, liquidation and other rights with respect to shares of Common Stock issued to the Participant as a Restricted Stock Award under this Section 8 upon the Participant becoming the holder of record of such shares as if such Participant were a holder of record of shares of unrestricted Common Stock. A Participant will have no voting rights to any Restricted Stock Units or Deferred Stock Units granted hereunder.
8.3. Dividends and Distributions.
(a) Unless the Committee determines otherwise in its sole discretion (either in an Incentive Award Agreement at the time of grant or at any time after the grant of the Restricted Stock Award), any dividends or distributions (including regular quarterly cash dividends) paid with respect to shares of Common Stock subject to the unvested portion of a Restricted Stock Award will be subject to the same restrictions as the shares to which such dividends or distributions relate. In the event the Committee determines not to pay such dividends or distributions currently, the Committee will determine in its sole discretion whether any interest will be paid on such dividends or distributions. In addition, the Committee in its sole discretion may require such dividends and distributions to be reinvested (and in such case the Participants consent to such reinvestment) in shares of Common Stock that will be subject to the same restrictions as the shares to which such dividends or distributions relate.
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(b) Unless the Committee determines otherwise in its sole discretion (either in a Participant’s Incentive Award Agreement or at any time after the grant of the Restricted Stock Unit or Deferred Stock Unit), to the extent permitted or required by Applicable Law, as determined by the Committee, prior to settlement or forfeiture, any Restricted Stock Units or Deferred Stock Units awarded under this Plan may, at the Committee’s discretion, carry with it a right to Dividend Equivalents. Such right entitles the Participant to be credited with an amount equal to all cash dividends paid on one share of Common Stock while the Restricted Stock Unit or Deferred Stock Unit is outstanding. Dividend Equivalents may be converted into additional Restricted Stock Units or Deferred Stock Units and may (and will, to the extent required below) be made subject to the same conditions and restrictions as the Restricted Stock Units or Deferred Stock Units to which they attach. Settlement of Dividend Equivalents may be made in the form of cash, in the form of shares of Common Stock, or in a combination of both. Dividend Equivalents as to Restricted Stock Units or Deferred Stock Units will be subject to forfeiture and termination to the same extent as the corresponding Restricted Stock Units or Deferred Stock Units as to which the Dividend Equivalents relate. In no event will Participants holding Restricted Stock Units or Deferred Stock Units be entitled to receive any Dividend Equivalents on such Restricted Stock Units or Deferred Stock Units until the vesting provisions of such Restricted Stock Units or Deferred Stock Units lapse.
8.4. Enforcement of Restrictions on Restricted Stock Awards. To enforce the restrictions referred to in this Section 8, the Committee may place a legend on the stock certificates or book-entry notations representing Restricted Stock Awards referring to such restrictions and may require the Participant, until the restrictions have lapsed, to keep the stock certificates, together with duly endorsed stock powers, in the custody of the Company or its transfer agent, or to maintain evidence of stock ownership, together with duly endorsed stock powers, in a certificateless book-entry stock account with the Company’s transfer agent. Alternatively, Restricted Stock Awards may be held in non-certificated form pursuant to such terms and conditions as the Company may establish with its registrar and transfer agent or any third-party administrator designated by the Company to hold Restricted Stock Awards on behalf of Participants.
9. Performance Awards.
An Eligible Recipient may be granted one or more Performance Awards under this Plan, and such Performance Awards will be subject to such terms and conditions, if any, consistent with the other provisions of this Plan, as may be determined by the Committee in its sole discretion, including, but not limited to, the achievement of one or more of the Performance Criteria; provided, however, that in all cases payment of the Performance Award will be made within two and one-half months following the end of the Eligible Recipient’s tax year during which receipt of the Performance Award is no longer subject to a “substantial risk of forfeiture” within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code, except to the extent an Eligible Recipient has properly elected to defer the income that may be attributable to a Performance Award under a Company or Subsidiary deferred compensation plan.
10. Other Stock-Based Awards.
An Eligible Recipient may be granted one or more Other Stock-Based Awards under this Plan, and such Other-Stock Based Awards will be subject to such terms and conditions, consistent with the other provisions of this Plan, as may be determined by the Committee in its sole discretion, not otherwise described by the terms of this Plan (including the grant or offer for sale of unrestricted shares of Common Stock) in such amounts and subject to such terms and conditions as the Committee will determine. Such Other-Stock Based Awards may involve the transfer of actual shares of Common Stock to Participants as a bonus or in lieu of obligations to pay cash or deliver other property under this Plan or under other plans or compensatory arrangements, or payment in cash or otherwise of amounts based on the value of shares of Common Stock, and may include Incentive Awards designed to comply with or take advantage of the applicable local laws of jurisdictions other than the United States; provided, however, that in all cases payment of the Other Stock-Based Award will be made within two and one-half months following the end of the Eligible Recipient’s tax year during which receipt of the Other Stock-Based Award is no longer subject to a “substantial risk of forfeiture” within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code, except to the extent an Eligible Recipient has properly elected to defer the income that may be attributable to an Other Stock-Based Award under a Company or Subsidiary deferred compensation plan.
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11. Dividend Equivalents
Subject to the provisions of this Plan and any Incentive Award Agreement, any Participant selected by the Committee may be granted Dividend Equivalents based on the dividends declared on shares of Common Stock that are subject to any Incentive Award (including any Award that has been deferred), to be credited as of dividend payment dates, during the period between the date the Incentive Award is granted and the date the Incentive Award is exercised, vests, settles, is paid or expires, as determined by the Committee. Such Dividend Equivalents will be converted to cash or additional shares of Common Stock by such formula and at such time and subject to such limitations as may be determined by the Committee and the Committee may provide that such amounts (if any) will be deemed to have been reinvested in additional shares of Common Stock or otherwise reinvested. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Committee may not grant Dividend Equivalents based on the dividends declared on shares of Common Stock that are subject to an Option or Stock Appreciation Right or unvested Performance Awards; and further, no dividends or Dividend Equivalents will be paid out with respect to any Incentive Awards until they are vested.
12. Effect of Termination of Employment or Other Service. The following provisions shall apply upon termination of a Participant’s employment or other service with the Company and all Subsidiaries, unless otherwise expressly provided by the Committee in its sole discretion in an Incentive Award Agreement or the terms of an Individual Agreement or determined by the Committee pursuant to Section 12.3 of this Plan.
12.1. Termination Due to Death, Disability or Retirement. In the event a Participant’s employment or other service with the Company and all Subsidiaries is terminated by reason of death, Disability or Retirement:
(a) All outstanding Options and Stock Appreciation Rights then held by the Participant will, to the extent exercisable as of such termination, remain exercisable in full for a period of twelve (12) months after such termination (but in no event after the expiration date of any such Option or Stock Appreciation Right). Options and Stock Appreciation Rights not exercisable as of such termination will be forfeited and terminate;
(b) All Restricted Stock Awards then held by the Participant that have not vested as of such termination will be terminated and forfeited; and
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(c) All outstanding but unpaid and non-vested Restricted Stock Units, Deferred Stock Units, Performance Awards and Other Stock-Based Awards then held by the Participant will be terminated and forfeited.
12.2. Termination for Reasons Other than Death, Disability or Retirement. In the event a Participant’s employment or other service is terminated with the Company and all Subsidiaries for any reason other than death, Disability or Retirement, or a Participant is in the employ or service of a Subsidiary and the Subsidiary ceases to be a Subsidiary of the Company (unless the Participant continues in the employ or service of the Company or another Subsidiary):
(a) All outstanding Options and Stock Appreciation Rights then held by the Participant will, to the extent exercisable as of such termination, remain exercisable in full for a period of three (3) months after such termination (but in no event after the expiration date of any such Option or Stock Appreciation Right). Options and Stock Appreciation Rights not exercisable as of such termination will be forfeited and terminate;
(b) All Restricted Stock Awards then held by the Participant that have not vested as of such termination will be terminated and forfeited; and
(c) All outstanding but unpaid and non-vested Restricted Stock Units, Deferred Stock Units, Performance Awards and Other Stock-Based Awards then held by the Participant will be terminated and forfeited.
12.3. Modification of Rights Upon Termination. Notwithstanding the other provisions of this Section 12, and subject to the terms of an Individual Agreement, upon a Participant’s termination of employment or other service with the Company or any Subsidiary, as the case may be, the Committee may, in its sole discretion (which may be exercised at any time on or after the Grant Date, including following such termination), except as provided in clause (ii), below, cause Options or Stock Appreciation Rights (or any part thereof) then by such Participant as of the effective date of such termination to terminate, become or continue to become exercisable and/or remain exercisable following such termination of employment or service (but not beyond the earlier of the original maximum term of such Option or Stock Appreciation Right or ten (10) years from the original Grant Date of such Option or Stock Appreciation Right), and Restricted Stock Awards, Restricted Stock Units, Deferred Stock Units, Performance Awards or Other Stock-Based Awards held by such Participant as of the effective date of such termination to terminate, vest and/or continue to vest or become free of restrictions and conditions to payment, as the case may be, following such termination of employment or service, in each case in the manner determined by the Committee; provided, however, that no Option or Stock Appreciation Right may remain exercisable beyond its expiration date; and (ii) any such action by the Committee adversely affecting any outstanding Incentive Award will not be effective without the consent of the affected Participant (subject to the right of the Committee to take whatever action it deems appropriate under Sections 3.2(c), 4.4 and 14 of this Plan).
12.4. Determination of Termination of Employment or Other Service.
(a) The change in a Participant’s status from that of an Employee of the Company or any Subsidiary to that of a non-employee consultant, Director or advisor of the Company or any Subsidiary will, for purposes of this Plan, be deemed to result in a termination of such Participant’s employment with the Company and its Subsidiaries, unless the Committee otherwise determines in its sole discretion.
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(b) The change in a Participant’s status from that of a non-employee consultant, Director or advisor of the Company or any Subsidiary to that of an Employee of the Company or any Subsidiary will not, for purposes of this Plan, be deemed to result in a termination of such Participant’s service as a non-employee consultant, Director or advisor with the Company and its Subsidiaries, and such Participant will thereafter be deemed to be an Employee of the Company or its Subsidiaries until such Participant’s employment or service is terminated, in which event such Participant will be governed by the provisions of this Plan relating to termination of employment or service (subject to paragraph (a), above).
(c) Unless the Committee otherwise determines in its sole discretion, a Participant’s employment or other service will, for purposes of this Plan, be deemed to have terminated on the date recorded on the personnel or other records of the Company or the Subsidiary for which the Participant provides employment or other service, as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion based upon such records; provided, however, if distribution or forfeiture of an Incentive Award subject to Section 409A of the Code is triggered by a termination of a Participant’s employment or other service, such termination must also constitute a “separation from service” within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code (a “Separation from Service”) and a Separation from Service shall constitute a termination of employment or other service.
12.5. Effect of Actions Constituting Cause or Adverse Action. Notwithstanding anything in this Plan to the contrary and in addition to the other rights of the Committee under this Plan, including this Section 12, and subject to the terms of an Individual Agreement, if a Participant is determined by the Committee, acting in its sole discretion, to have taken any action that would constitute Cause or an Adverse Action during or within one (1) year after the termination of employment or other service with the Company or a Subsidiary, irrespective of whether such action or the Committee’s determination occurs before or after termination of such Participant’s employment or other service with the Company or any Subsidiary and irrespective of whether or not the Participant was terminated as a result of such Cause or Adverse Action, (a) all rights of the Participant under this Plan and any Incentive Award Agreements then held by the Participant will terminate and be forfeited without notice of any kind, and (b) the Committee in its sole discretion will have the authority to rescind the exercise, vesting or issuance of, or payment in respect of, any Incentive Awards of the Participant that were exercised, vested or issued, or as to which such payment was made, and to require the Participant to pay to the Company, within ten (10) days of receipt from the Company of notice of such rescission, any amount received or the amount of any gain realized as a result of such rescinded exercise, vesting, issuance or payment (including any dividends paid or other distributions made with respect to any shares of Common Stock subject to any Incentive Award). The Company may defer the exercise of any Option or Stock Appreciation Right for a period of up to six (6) months after receipt of the Participant’s written notice of exercise or the issuance of stock certificates or book-entry notations upon the vesting of any Incentive Award for a period of up to six (6) months after the date of such vesting in order for the Committee to make any determination as to the existence of Cause or an Adverse Action. The Company will be entitled to withhold and deduct from future wages of the Participant (or from other amounts that may be due and owing to the Participant from the Company or a Subsidiary) or make other arrangements for the collection of all amounts necessary to satisfy such payment obligations. Unless otherwise provided by the Committee in an Incentive Award Agreement, this Section 12.5 will not apply to any Participant following a Change in Control.
12.6. Forfeiture of Incentive Awards. Subject to the terms of an Incentive Award Agreement, Incentive Awards under the Plan shall be subject to any automatic forfeiture or voluntary compensation “clawback,” forfeiture or recoupment provisions under Applicable Law and any compensation “clawback,” forfeiture or recoupment policy of the Company, as in effect from time to time, and such forfeiture and/or penalty conditions or provisions as determined by the Committee and set forth in the applicable Incentive Award Agreement, including without limitation the Northern Technologies International Corporation Clawback Policy effective as of October 2, 2023.
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13. Payment of Withholding Taxes.
13.1. General Rules. The Company is entitled to (a) withhold and deduct from future wages of the Participant (or from other amounts that may be due and owing to the Participant from the Company or a Subsidiary), or make other arrangements for the collection of, all legally required amounts the Company reasonably determines are necessary to satisfy any and all federal, foreign, state and local withholding and employment-related tax requirements attributable to an Incentive Award, including, without limitation, the grant, exercise, vesting or settlement of, or payment of dividends with respect to, an Incentive Award or a disqualifying disposition of stock received upon exercise of an Incentive Stock Option; (b) withhold cash paid or payable or shares of Common Stock from the shares issued or otherwise issuable to the Participant in connection with an Incentive Award; or (c) require the Participant promptly to remit the amount of such withholding to the Company before taking any action, including issuing any shares of Common Stock, with respect to an Incentive Award. Shares of Common Stock issued or otherwise issuable to the Participant in connection with an Incentive Award that gives rise to tax withholding obligations that are withheld for purposes of satisfying the Participant’s withholding or employment-related tax obligation will be valued at their Fair Market Value on the Tax Date. When withholding shares of Common Stock for taxes is effected under this Plan, it will be withheld only up to an amount based on the maximum statutory tax rates in the Participant’s applicable tax jurisdictions or such other rate that will not trigger a negative accounting impact on the Company.
13.2. Special Rules. The Committee may, in its sole discretion and upon terms and conditions established by the Committee, permit or require a Participant to satisfy, in whole or in part, any withholding or employment-related tax obligation described in Section 13.1 of this Plan by withholding shares of Common Stock underlying an Incentive Award, by electing to tender, or by attestation as to ownership of, Previously Acquired Shares, by delivery of a Broker Exercise Notice or a combination of such methods. For purposes of satisfying a Participant’s withholding or employment-related tax obligation, shares of Common Stock withheld by the Company or Previously Acquired Shares tendered or covered by an attestation will be valued at their Fair Market Value on the Tax Date.
14. Change in Control.
14.1. Definition of Change in Control. Unless otherwise provided in an Incentive Award Agreement or Individual Agreement, a “Change in Control” shall be deemed to have occurred if the event set forth in any one of the following clauses shall have occurred. For purposes of this Section 14.1, a “Change in Control” of the Company will mean (a) the sale, lease, exchange or other transfer of substantially all of the assets of the Company (in one transaction or in a series of related transaction) to a person or entity that is not controlled, directly or indirectly, by the Company, (b) a merger or consolidation to which the Company is a party if the stockholders of the Company immediately prior to effective date of such merger or consolidation do not have “beneficial ownership” (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) immediately following the effective date of such merger or consolidation of more than 80% of the combined voting power of the surviving corporation’s outstanding securities ordinarily having the right to vote at elections of directors, or (c) a change in control of the Company of a nature that would be required to be reported pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, whether or not the Company is then subject to such reporting requirements, including, without limitation, such time as (i) any person becomes, after the effective date of this Plan, the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of 40% or more of the combined voting power of the Company’s outstanding securities ordinarily having the right to vote at elections of directors, or (ii) individuals who constitute the Board on the effective date of this Plan cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the Board, provided that any person becoming a Director subsequent to the effective date of this Plan whose election, or nomination for election by the Company’s stockholders, was approved by a vote of at least a majority of the Directors comprising the Board on the effective date of this Plan will, for purposes of this clause (ii), be considered as though such persons were a member of the Board on the Effective Date of this Plan.
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14.2. Acceleration of Vesting. Without limiting the authority of the Committee under Sections 3.2 and 4.4 of this Plan, if a Change in Control of the Company occurs, then, if approved by the Committee in its sole discretion either in an Incentive Award Agreement at the time of grant or at any time after the grant of an Incentive Award: (a) all outstanding Options and Stock Appreciation Rights will become immediately exercisable in full and will remain exercisable in accordance with their terms, regardless of whether the Participants to whom such Options or Stock Appreciation Rights have been granted remain in the employ or service of the Company or any Subsidiary; (b) all outstanding Restricted Stock Awards will become immediately fully vested and non-forfeitable; and (c) all outstanding Restricted Stock Units, Deferred Stock Units, Performance Awards and Other Stock-Based Awards then held by the Participant will vest and/or continue to vest in the manner determined by the Committee and set forth in the Incentive Award Agreement evidencing such Restricted Stock Units, Deferred Stock Units, Performance Awards and Other Stock-Based Awards.
14.3. Cash Payment. In connection with a Change in Control, the Committee in its sole discretion, either in an Incentive Award Agreement at the time of grant of an Incentive Award or at any time after the grant of such an Incentive Award, may determine that any or all outstanding Incentive Awards granted under the Plan, whether or not exercisable or vested, as the case may be, will be canceled and terminated and that in connection with such cancellation and termination the holder of such Incentive Award will receive for each share of Common Stock subject to such Incentive Award a cash payment (or the delivery of shares of stock, other securities or a combination of cash, stock and securities with a fair market value (as determined by the Committee in good faith) equivalent to such cash payment) equal to the difference, if any, between the consideration received by stockholders of the Company in respect of a share of Common Stock in connection with such Change in Control and the purchase price per share, if any, under the Incentive Award, multiplied by the number of shares of Common Stock subject to such Incentive Award (or in which such Incentive Award is denominated); provided, however, that if such product is zero ($0) or less or to the extent that the Incentive Award is not then exercisable, the Incentive Award may be canceled and terminated without payment therefor. If any portion of the consideration pursuant to a Change in Control may be received by holders of shares of Common Stock on a contingent or delayed basis, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, determine the fair market value per share of such consideration as of the time of the Change in Control on the basis of the Committee’s good faith estimate of the present value of the probable future payment of such consideration. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any shares of Common Stock issued pursuant to an Incentive Award that immediately prior to the effectiveness of the Change in Control are subject to no further restrictions pursuant to the Plan or an Incentive Award Agreement (other than pursuant to the securities laws) will be deemed to be outstanding shares of Common Stock and receive the same consideration as other outstanding shares of Common Stock in connection with the Change in Control.
14.4. Limitation on Change in Control Payments. Notwithstanding anything in Section 14.2 or 14.3 of this Plan to the contrary, if, with respect to a Participant, the acceleration of the vesting of an Incentive Award as provided in Section 14.2 of this Plan or the payment of cash in exchange for all or part of an Incentive Award as provided in Section 14.3 of this Plan (which acceleration or payment could be deemed a “payment” within the meaning of Section 280G(b)(2) of the Code), together with any other “payments” that such Participant has the right to receive from the Company or any corporation that is a member of an “affiliated group” (as defined in Section 1504(a) of the Code without regard to Section 1504(b) of the Code) of which the Company is a member, would constitute a “parachute payment” (as defined in Section 280G(b)(2) of the Code), then the “payments” to such Participant pursuant to Section 14.2 or 14.3 of this Plan will be reduced (or acceleration of vesting eliminated) to the largest amount as will result in no portion of such “payments” being subject to the excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code; provided, however, that such reduction will be made only if the aggregate amount of the payments after such reduction exceeds the difference between (A) the amount of such payments absent such reduction minus (B) the aggregate amount of the excise tax imposed under Section 4999 of the Code attributable to any such excess parachute payments; and provided, further, that such payments will be reduced (or acceleration of vesting eliminated) by first reducing or eliminating payments or benefits the full value of which are required to be recognized as contingent upon a Change in Control (determined in accordance with Treasury Regulation § 1.280G-1, Q/A-24), followed by reducing or eliminating payments or benefits which are not payable in cash and then by reducing or eliminating cash payments, in each case in reverse order beginning with payments or benefits which are to be paid the farthest in time from such date. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if a Participant is subject to a separate agreement with the Company or a Subsidiary that expressly addresses the potential application of Sections 280G or 4999 of the Code, then this Section 14.4 will not apply, and any “payments” to a Participant pursuant to Section 14.2 or 14.3 of this Plan will be treated as “payments” arising under such separate agreement; provided, however, such separate agreement may not modify the time or form of payment under any Award that constitutes deferred compensation subject to Section 409A of the Code if the modification would cause such Incentive Award to become subject to the adverse tax consequences specified in Section 409A of the Code.
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15. Rights of Eligible Recipients and Participants; Transferability.
15.1. Employment or Service. Nothing in this Plan or an Incentive Award Agreement will interfere with or limit in any way the right of the Company or any Subsidiary to terminate the employment or service of any Eligible Recipient or Participant at any time, nor confer upon any Eligible Recipient or Participant any right to continue employment or other service with the Company or any Subsidiary.
15.2. No Rights to Incentive Awards. Subject to the terms of an Individual Agreement, no Participant or Eligible Recipient will have any claim to be granted any Incentive Award under this Plan.
15.3. Rights as a Stockholder. As a holder of Incentive Awards (other than Restricted Stock Awards), a Participant will have no rights as a stockholder unless and until such Incentive Awards are exercised for, or paid in the form of, shares of Common Stock and the Participant becomes the holder of record of such shares. Except as otherwise provided in this Plan or otherwise provided by the Committee, no adjustment will be made in the amount of cash payable or in the number of shares of Common Stock issuable under Incentive Awards denominated in or based on the value of shares of Common Stock as a result of cash dividends or distributions paid to holders of Common Stock prior to the payment of, or issuance of shares of Common Stock under, such Incentive Awards.
15.4. Restrictions on Transfer.
(a) Except pursuant to testamentary will or the laws of descent and distribution or as otherwise expressly permitted by subsections (b) and (c) below, no right or interest of any Participant in an Incentive Award prior to the exercise (in the case of Options) or vesting or issuance (in the case of Restricted Stock Awards, Restricted Stock Units, Deferred Stock Units, Performance Awards and Other Stock-Based Awards) of such Incentive Award will be assignable or transferable, or subjected to any lien, during the lifetime of the Participant, either voluntarily or involuntarily, directly or indirectly, by operation of law or otherwise.
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(b) A Participant will be entitled to designate a beneficiary to receive an Incentive Award upon such Participant’s death, and in the event of such Participant’s death, payment of any amounts due under this Plan will be made to, and exercise of any Options or Stock Appreciation Rights (to the extent permitted pursuant to Section 12 of this Plan) may be made by, such beneficiary. If a deceased Participant has failed to designate a beneficiary, or if a beneficiary designated by the Participant fails to survive the Participant, payment of any amounts due under this Plan will be made to, and exercise of any Options or Stock Appreciation Rights (to the extent permitted pursuant to Section 12 of this Plan) may be made by, the Participant’s legal representatives, heirs and legatees. If a deceased Participant has designated a beneficiary and such beneficiary survives the Participant but dies before complete payment of all amounts due under this Plan or exercise of all exercisable Options or Stock Appreciation Rights, then such payments will be made to, and the exercise of such Options or Stock Appreciation Rights may be made by, the legal representatives, heirs and legatees of the beneficiary.
(c) Upon a Participant’s request, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, permit a transfer of all or a portion of a Non-Statutory Stock Option, other than for value, to such Participant’s child, stepchild, grandchild, parent, stepparent, grandparent, spouse, former spouse, sibling, niece, nephew, mother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law, any person sharing such Participant’s household (other than a tenant or employee), a trust in which any of the foregoing have more than fifty percent (50%) of the beneficial interests, a foundation in which any of the foregoing (or the Participant) control the management of assets, and any other entity in which these persons (or the Participant) own more than fifty percent (50%) of the voting interests. Any permitted transferee will remain subject to all the terms and conditions applicable to the Participant prior to the transfer. A permitted transfer may be conditioned upon such requirements as the Committee may, in its sole discretion, determine, including, but not limited to execution and/or delivery of appropriate acknowledgements, opinion of counsel, or other documents by the transferee.
(d) The Committee may impose such restrictions on any shares of Common Stock acquired by a Participant under this Plan as it may deem advisable, including minimum holding period requirements, restrictions under applicable federal securities laws, under the requirements of any stock exchange or market upon which the Common Stock is then listed or traded, or under any blue sky or state securities laws applicable to such shares or the Company’s insider trading policy.
15.5. Non-Exclusivity of this Plan. Nothing contained in this Plan is intended to modify or rescind any previously approved compensation plans or programs of the Company or create any limitations on the power or authority of the Board to adopt such additional or other compensation arrangements as the Board may deem necessary or desirable.
16. Securities Law and Other Restrictions.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Plan or any Incentive Award Agreements entered into pursuant to this Plan, the Company will not be required to issue any shares of Common Stock under this Plan, and a Participant may not sell, assign, transfer or otherwise dispose of shares of Common Stock issued pursuant to Incentive Awards granted under this Plan, unless (a) there is in effect with respect to such shares a registration statement under the Securities Act and any applicable securities laws of a state or foreign jurisdiction or an exemption from such registration under the Securities Act and applicable state or foreign securities laws, and (b) there has been obtained any other consent, approval or permit from any other U.S. or foreign regulatory body which the Committee, in its sole discretion, deems necessary or advisable. The Company may condition such issuance, sale or transfer upon the receipt of any representations or agreements from the parties involved, and the placement of any legends on certificates or book-entry notations representing shares of Common Stock, as may be deemed necessary or advisable by the Company in order to comply with such securities law or other restrictions.
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17. Deferred Compensation; Compliance with Section 409A.
It is intended that all Incentive Awards issued under this Plan be in a form and administered in a manner that will comply with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code, or the requirements of an exception to Section 409A of the Code, and the Incentive Award Agreements and this Plan will be construed and administered in a manner that is consistent with and gives effect to such intent. The Committee is authorized to adopt rules or regulations deemed necessary or appropriate to qualify for an exception from or to comply with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code. With respect to an Incentive Award that constitutes a deferral of compensation subject to Code Section 409A: (a) if any amount is payable or forfeited under such Incentive Award upon a termination of service, a termination of service will be treated as having occurred only at such time the Participant has experienced a Separation from Service; (b) if any amount is payable under such Incentive Award upon a Disability, a Disability will be treated as having occurred only at such time the Participant has experienced a “disability” as such term is defined for purposes of Code Section 409A; (c) if any amount is payable under such Incentive Award on account of the occurrence of a Change in Control, a Change in Control will be treated as having occurred only at such time a “change in the ownership or effective control of the corporation or in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets of the corporation” as such terms are defined for purposes of Code Section 409A, (d) if any amount becomes payable under such Incentive Award on account of a Participant’s Separation from Service at such time as the Participant is a “specified employee” within the meaning of Code Section 409A, then no payment will be made, except as permitted under Code Section 409A, prior to the first business day after the earlier of (i) the date that is six (6) months after the date of the Participant’s Separation from Service or (ii) the Participant’s death, and (e) no amendment to or payment under such Incentive Award, including by way of an Individual Agreement, will be made except and only to the extent permitted under Code Section 409A.
18. Plan Amendment, Modification and Termination.
The Board may suspend or terminate this Plan or any portion thereof at any time. In addition to the authority of the Committee to amend this Plan under Section 3.2(e) of this Plan, the Board may amend this Plan from time to time in such respects as the Board may deem advisable in order that Incentive Awards under this Plan will conform to any change in Applicable Laws or regulations or in any other respect the Board may deem to be in the best interests of the Company; provided, however, that no such amendments to this Plan will be effective without approval of the Company’s stockholders if: (i) stockholder approval of the amendment is then required pursuant to Section 422 of the Code or the Listing Rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market (or other applicable market or exchange on which the Company’s Common Stock may be quoted or traded); or (ii) such amendment seeks to increase the number of shares authorized for issuance hereunder (other than by virtue of an adjustment under Section 4.4 of this Plan) or to modify Section 3.2(d) of this Plan. No termination, suspension or amendment of this Plan may adversely affect any outstanding Incentive Award without the consent of the affected Participant; provided, however, that this sentence will not impair the right of the Committee to take whatever action it deems appropriate under Sections 3.2(c), 4.4 and 14 of this Plan. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Plan to the contrary, the Committee may amend this Plan, to take effect retroactively or otherwise, as deemed necessary or advisable for the purpose of conforming this Plan to any present or future law relating to plans of this or similar nature, and to the administration regulations and rulings promulgated thereunder. By accepting an Incentive Award under this Plan, a Participant agrees to any amendment made pursuant to the preceding sentence to any Incentive Award granted under this Plan without further consideration or action.
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19. Substituted Awards.
The Committee may grant Incentive Awards under this Plan in substitution for stock and stock-based awards held by employees of another entity who become Employees of the Company or a Subsidiary as a result of a merger or consolidation of the former employing entity with the Company or a Subsidiary or the acquisition by the Company or a Subsidiary of property or stock of the former employing corporation. The Committee may direct that the substitute Incentive Awards be granted on such terms and conditions as the Committee considers appropriate in the circumstances.
20. Effective Date and Duration of this Plan.
This Plan is effective as of the Effective Date. This Plan will terminate at 11:59 p.m., Central Time, on the day before the tenth (10th) anniversary of the Effective Date, and may be terminated prior to such time by Board action. No Incentive Award will be granted after termination of this Plan. Incentive Awards outstanding upon termination of this Plan will remain outstanding in accordance with their applicable terms and conditions and the terms and conditions of this Plan.
21. Miscellaneous.
21.1. Usage. In this Plan, except where otherwise indicated by clear contrary intention, (a) any masculine term used herein also will include the feminine, (b) the plural will include the singular, and the singular will include the plural, (c) “including” (and with correlative meaning “include”) means including without limiting the generality of any description preceding such term, and (d) “or” is used in the inclusive sense of “and/or”.
21.2. Unfunded Plan. Participants will have no right, title or interest whatsoever in or to any investments that the Company or its Subsidiaries may make to aid it in meeting its obligations under this Plan. Nothing contained in this Plan, and no action taken pursuant to its provisions, will create or be construed to create a trust of any kind, or a fiduciary relationship between the Company and any Participant, beneficiary, legal representative, or any other individual. To the extent that any individual acquires a right to receive payments from the Company or any Subsidiary under this Plan, such right will be no greater than the right of an unsecured general creditor of the Company or the Subsidiary, as the case may be. All payments to be made hereunder will be paid from the general funds of the Company or the Subsidiary, as the case may be, and no special or separate fund will be established and no segregation of assets will be made to assure payment of such amounts except as expressly set forth in this Plan.
21.3. Relationship to Other Benefits. Neither Incentive Awards made under this Plan nor shares of Common Stock paid pursuant to such Incentive Awards under this Plan will be included as “compensation” for purposes of computing the benefits payable to any Participant under any pension, retirement (qualified or non-qualified), savings, profit sharing, group insurance, welfare, or benefit plan of the Company or any Subsidiary unless provided otherwise in such plan.
21.4. Fractional Shares. No fractional shares of Common Stock will be issued or delivered under this Plan or any Incentive Award. The Committee will determine whether cash, other Incentive Awards or other property will be issued or paid in lieu of fractional shares of Common Stock or whether such fractional shares of Common Stock or any rights thereto will be forfeited or otherwise eliminated by rounding up or down.
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21.5. Governing Law; Venue. Except to the extent expressly provided herein or in connection with other matters of corporate governance and authority (all of which will be governed by the laws of the Company’s jurisdiction of incorporation), the validity, construction, interpretation, administration and effect of this Plan and any rules, regulations and actions relating to this Plan will be governed by and construed exclusively in accordance with the laws of the State of Minnesota, notwithstanding the conflicts of laws principles of any jurisdictions. Unless otherwise expressly provided in an Incentive Award Agreement, the Company and recipients of an Incentive Award under this Plan hereby irrevocably submit to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the federal or state courts of the State of Minnesota to resolve any and all issues that may arise out of or relate to this Plan or any Incentive Award Agreement.
21.6. Successors and Assigns. This Plan will be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the successors and permitted assigns of the Company and the Participants.
21.7. Construction. Wherever possible, each provision of this Plan and any Incentive Award Agreement granted under this Plan will be interpreted so that it is valid under the Applicable Law. If any provision of this Plan or any Incentive Award Agreement granted under this Plan is to any extent invalid under the Applicable Law, that provision will still be effective to the extent it remains valid. The remainder of this Plan and the Incentive Award Agreement also will continue to be valid, and the entire Plan and Incentive Award Agreement will continue to be valid in other jurisdictions.
21.8. Delivery and Execution of Electronic Documents. To the extent permitted by Applicable Law, the Company may: (a) deliver by email or other electronic means (including posting on a Web site maintained by the Company or by a third party under contract with the Company) all documents relating to this Plan or any Incentive Award hereunder (including prospectuses required by the Securities and Exchange Commission) and all other documents that the Company is required to deliver to its security holders (including annual reports and proxy statements), and (b) permit Participants to use electronic, internet or other non-paper means to execute applicable Plan documents (including Incentive Award Agreements) and take other actions under this Plan in a manner prescribed by the Committee.
21.9. Corporate Action Constituting Grant of Awards. Corporate action constituting a grant by the Company of an Incentive Award to any Participant will be deemed completed as of the date of such corporate action, unless otherwise determined by the Committee, regardless of when the instrument, certificate or letter evidencing the Incentive Award is communicated to, or actually received or accepted by, the Participant. In the event that the corporate records (e.g., Board or Committee consents, resolutions or minutes) documenting the corporate action constituting the grant contain terms (e.g., exercise price, vesting schedule or number of shares) that are inconsistent with those in the Incentive Award Agreement or related grant documents as a result of a clerical error in the papering of the Incentive Award Agreement or related grant documents, the corporate records will control and the Participant will have no legally binding right to the incorrect term in the Incentive Award Agreement or related grant documents.
21.10. No Representations or Warranties Regarding Tax Effect; No Obligation to Minimize or Notify Regarding Taxes. Notwithstanding any provision of this Plan to the contrary, the Company and its Subsidiaries, the Board, and the Committee neither represent nor warrant the tax treatment under any federal, state, local, or foreign laws and regulations thereunder (individually and collectively referred to as the “Tax Laws”) of any Incentive Award granted or any amounts paid to any Participant under this Plan including, but not limited to, when and to what extent such Incentive Awards or amounts may be subject to tax, penalties, and interest under the Tax Laws and have no duty or obligation to minimize the tax consequences of an Incentive Award to the holder of such Incentive Award. The Company will have no duty or obligation to any Participant to advise such holder as to the time or manner of exercising an Incentive Award. Furthermore, the Company will have no duty or obligation to warn or otherwise advise such holder of a pending termination or expiration of an Incentive Award or a possible period in which the Incentive Award may not be exercised.
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21.11. Indemnification. Subject to any limitations and requirements of Delaware law, each individual who is or will have been a member of the Board, or a Committee appointed by the Board, or an officer or Employee of the Company to whom authority was delegated in accordance with Section 3.1 of this Plan, will be indemnified and held harmless by the Company against and from any loss, cost, liability or expense that may be imposed upon or reasonably incurred by him or her in connection with or resulting from any claim, action, suit or proceeding to which he or she may be a party or in which he or she may be involved by reason of any action taken or failure to act under this Plan and against and from any and all amounts paid by him or her in settlement thereof, with the Company’s approval, or paid by him or her in satisfaction of any judgment in any such action, suit or proceeding against him or her, provided he or she will give the Company an opportunity, at its own expense, to handle and defend the same before he or she undertakes to handle and defend it on his/her own behalf. The foregoing right of indemnification will not be exclusive of any other rights of indemnification to which such individuals may be entitled under the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws, as a matter of law, or otherwise, or pursuant to any agreement with the Company, or any power that the Company may have to indemnify them or hold them harmless.
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Exhibit 10.2
FORM OF INCENTIVE STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT
THIS INCENTIVE STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT is entered into and effective as of __________, 20__ (the “Grant Date”), by and between Northern Technologies International Corporation (the “Company”) and ______________ (the “Optionee”).
A. The Company has adopted the Northern Technologies International Corporation 2024 Stock Incentive Plan (as amended from time to time, the “Plan”) authorizing the Board of Directors of the Company, or a committee as provided for in the Plan (the Board or such a committee to be referred to as the “Committee”), to grant incentive stock options to employees of the Company and its Subsidiaries (as defined in the Plan).
B. The Optionee is an employee of the Company or one of its Subsidiaries (as defined in the Plan).
C. The Company desires to give the Optionee an inducement to acquire a proprietary interest in the Company and an added incentive to advance the interests of the Company by granting to the Optionee an option to purchase shares of common stock of the Company pursuant to the Plan.
Accordingly, the parties agree as follows:
1. Grant of Option.
Effective as of the Grant Date, the Company hereby grants to the Optionee the right, privilege, and option (the “Option”) to purchase _______________ (______) shares (the “Option Shares”) of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.02 per share (the “Common Stock”), according to the terms and subject to the conditions hereinafter set forth and as set forth in the Plan. Subject to Section 9 of this Agreement, the Option is intended to be an “incentive stock option,” as that term is used in Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”).
2. Option Exercise Price.
The per share price to be paid by Optionee in the event of an exercise of the Option will be $______.
3. Duration of Option and Time of Exercise.
3.1 Initial Period of Exercisability. Except as otherwise provided in Sections 3.2 and 3.3 below, the Option will become exercisable with respect to the Option Shares [immediately/in _____ installments]. [The following table sets forth the initial dates of exercisability of each installment and the number of Option Shares as to which the Option will become exercisable on such dates:
| Exercisability | Available for Exercise |
| __________________ | _______ |
| __________________ | _______ |
| __________________ | _______ |
| __________________ | _______] |
[The foregoing rights to exercise the Option will be cumulative with respect to the Option Shares becoming exercisable on each such date.] In no event will the Option be exercisable after, and the Option will become void and expire as to all unexercised Option Shares at 5:00 p.m. Circle Pines, Minnesota time on ______________________ (the “Time of Termination”).
3.2 Effect of Termination of Employment or Other Service. The following provisions shall apply upon termination of the Optionee’s employment or other service with the Company and all Subsidiaries, unless otherwise expressly provided by the terms of an Individual Agreement (as defined in the Plan) or determined by the Committee pursuant to Section 12.3 of the Plan.
(a) Termination Due to Death, Disability or Retirement. In the event the Optionee’s employment with the Company and all Subsidiaries is terminated by reason of death, Disability (as defined in the Plan) or Retirement (as defined in the Plan), the Option will remain exercisable, to the extent exercisable as of the date of such termination, for a period of twelve (12) months after such termination (but in no event after the Time of Termination).
(b) Termination for Reasons Other Than Death, Disability or Retirement. In the event that the Optionee’s employment with the Company and all Subsidiaries is terminated for any reason other than death, Disability or Retirement, or the Optionee is in the employ of a Subsidiary and the Subsidiary ceases to be a Subsidiary of the Company (unless the Optionee continues in the employ of the Company or another Subsidiary), all rights of the Optionee under the Plan and this Agreement will immediately terminate without notice of any kind, and the Option will no longer be exercisable; provided, however, that if such termination is due to any reason other than termination by the Company or any Subsidiary for Cause (as defined in the Plan), the Option will remain exercisable to the extent exercisable as of such termination for a period of three (3) months after such termination (but in no event after the Time of Termination).
(c) Effect of Actions Constituting Cause or Adverse Action. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary and in addition to the rights of the Committee under Sections 12.3, 12.5 and 12.6 of the Plan, in the event that the Optionee is determined by the Committee, acting in its sole discretion, to have taken any action that would constitute Cause (as defined in the Plan) or an Adverse Action (as defined in the Plan) during or within one (1) year after the termination of employment with the Company or a Subsidiary, irrespective of whether such action or the Committee’s determination occurs before or after termination of such Optionee’s employment with the Company or any Subsidiary and irrespective of whether or not the Optionee was terminated as a result of such Cause or Adverse Action, (a) all rights of the Optionee under the Plan and any agreements evidencing an Incentive Award then held by the Optionee, including without limitation the Option and this Agreement, will terminate and be forfeited without notice of any kind, and (b) the Committee in its sole discretion will have the authority to rescind the exercise, vesting or issuance of, or payment in respect of, any Incentive Awards of the Optionee that were exercised, vested or issued, or as to which such payment was made, including without limitation the Option, and to require the Optionee to pay to the Company, within ten (10) days of receipt from the Company of notice of such rescission, any amount received or the amount of any gain realized as a result of such rescinded exercise, vesting, issuance or payment (including any dividends paid or other distributions made with respect to any shares of Common Stock subject to any Incentive Award). The Company may defer the exercise of the Option for a period of up to six (6) months after receipt of the Optionee’s written notice of exercise for a period of up to six (6) months after the date of such vesting in order for the Committee to make any determination as to the existence of Cause or an Adverse Action. The Company will be entitled to withhold and deduct from future wages of the Optionee (or from other amounts that may be due and owing to the Optionee from the Company or a Subsidiary) or make other arrangements for the collection of all amounts necessary to satisfy such payment obligations. This Section 3.2(c) shall not apply following a Change in Control.
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3.3 Change in Control.
(a) Impact of Change in Control. If a Change in Control (as defined in the Plan) of the Company occurs, the Option will become immediately exercisable in full and will remain exercisable until the Time of Termination, regardless of whether the Optionee remains in the employ of the Company or any Subsidiary. In addition, if a Change in Control of the Company occurs, the Committee, in its sole discretion and without the consent of the Optionee, may determine that the Optionee will receive, with respect to some or all of the Option Shares, as of the effective date of any such Change in Control of the Company, cash in an amount equal to the excess of the Fair Market Value (as defined in the Plan) of such Option Shares immediately prior to the effective date of such Change in Control of the Company over the option exercise price per share of the Option.
(b) Limitation on Change in Control Payments. Notwithstanding anything in this Section 3.3 to the contrary, if, with respect to the Optionee, the acceleration of the vesting of the Option or the payment of cash in exchange for all or part of the Option Shares as provided above (which acceleration or payment could be deemed a “payment” within the meaning of Section 280G(b)(2) of the Code), together with any other “payments” that the Optionee has the right to receive from the Company or any corporation that is a member of an “affiliated group” (as defined in Section 1504(a) of the Code without regard to Section 1504(b) of the Code) of which the Company is a member, would constitute a “parachute payment” (as defined in Section 280G(b)(2) of the Code), then the “payments” to the Optionee as set forth herein will be reduced (or acceleration of vesting eliminated) to the largest amount as will result in no portion of such “payments” being subject to the excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code; provided, however, that such reduction will be made only if the aggregate amount of the payments after such reduction exceeds the difference between (A) the amount of such payments absent such reduction minus (B) the aggregate amount of the excise tax imposed under Section 4999 of the Code attributable to any such excess parachute payments; and provided, further, that such payments will be reduced (or acceleration of vesting eliminated) by first reducing or eliminating payments or benefits the full value of which are required to be recognized as contingent upon a Change in Control (determined in accordance with Treasury Regulation § 1.280G-1, Q/A-24), followed by reducing or eliminating payments or benefits which are not payable in cash and then by reducing or eliminating cash payments, in each case in reverse order beginning with payments or benefits which are to be paid the farthest in time from such date. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if the Optionee is subject to a separate agreement with the Company or a Subsidiary that expressly addresses the potential application of Sections 280G or 4999 of the Code, then this Section 3.3(b) will not apply, and any “payments” to the Optionee as provided herein will be treated as “payments” arising under such separate agreement; provided, however, such separate agreement may not modify the time or form of payment under any Incentive Award that constitutes deferred compensation subject to Section 409A of the Code if the modification would cause such Incentive Award to become subject to the adverse tax consequences specified in Section 409A of the Code.
4. Manner of Option Exercise.
4.1 Notice. The Option may be exercised by the Optionee in whole or in part from time to time, subject to the conditions contained in the Plan and in this Agreement, by delivery, in person, by facsimile or electronic transmission or through the mail, to the Company at its principal executive office in Circle Pines, Minnesota (or to the Company’s designee as may be established from time to time by the Company and communicated to the Optionee), of a written notice of exercise. Such notice must be in a form satisfactory to the Committee, must identify the Option, must specify the number of Option Shares with respect to which the Option is being exercised, and must be signed by the person or persons so exercising the Option. Such notice must be accompanied by payment in full of the total purchase price of the Option Shares purchased. In the event that the Option is being exercised, as provided by the Plan and Section 3.2 above, by any person or persons other than the Optionee, the notice must be accompanied by appropriate proof of right of such person or persons to exercise the Option. As soon as practicable after the effective exercise of the Option, the Optionee will be recorded on the stock transfer books of the Company as the owner of the Option Shares purchased, and the Company will deliver to the Optionee certificated or uncertificated (“book entry”) shares. In the event that the Option is being exercised, as provided by resolutions of the Committee and Section 4.2 below, by tender of a Broker Exercise Notice (as defined in the Plan), the Company will deliver such shares directly to the Optionee’s broker or dealer or their nominee.
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4.2 Payment.
(a) At the time of exercise of the Option, the Optionee must pay the total purchase price of the Option Shares to be purchased entirely in cash (including check, bank draft or money order); provided, however, that the Committee, in its sole discretion and upon terms and conditions established by the Committee, may allow such payments to be made, in whole or in part, by (i) tender of a Broker Exercise Notice; (ii) by tender, either by actual delivery or attestation as to ownership, of Previously Acquired Shares (as defined in the Plan) that are acceptable to the Committee; (iii) by a “net exercise” of the Option (as described in the Plan); (iv) by a combination of such methods; or (v) by any other method approved or accepted by the Committee in its sole discretion.
(b) In the event the Optionee is permitted to pay the total purchase price of the Option in whole or in part with Previously Acquired Shares, the value of such shares will be equal to their Fair Market Value on the date of exercise of the Option.
(c) In the case of a “net exercise” of an Option, the Company will not require a payment of the exercise price of the Option from the Optionee but will reduce the number of shares of Common Stock issued upon the exercise by the largest number of whole shares that has a Fair Market Value on the exercise date that does not exceed the aggregate exercise price for the shares exercised under this method.
(d) Shares of Common Stock will no longer be outstanding under the Option (and will therefore not thereafter be exercisable) following the exercise of such Option to the extent of (i) shares used to pay the exercise price of an Option under the “net exercise,” (ii) shares actually delivered to the Optionee as a result of such exercise and (iii) any shares withheld for purposes of tax withholding.
5. Rights of Optionee; Transferability.
5.1 Employment. Nothing in this Agreement will interfere with or limit in any way the right of the Company or any Subsidiary to terminate the employment of the Optionee at any time, nor confer upon the Optionee any right to continue in the employment of the Company or any Subsidiary at any particular position or rate of pay or for any particular period of time.
5.2 Rights as a Shareholder. The Optionee will have no rights as a shareholder unless and until all conditions to the effective exercise of the Option (including, without limitation, the conditions set forth in Sections 3, 4 and 6 of this Agreement) have been satisfied and the Optionee has become the holder of record of such shares. No adjustment will be made for dividends or distributions with respect to the Option as to which there is a record date preceding the date the Optionee becomes the holder of record of such shares, except as may otherwise be provided in the Plan or determined by the Committee in its sole discretion.
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5.3 Restrictions on Transfer. Except pursuant to testamentary will or the laws of descent and distribution or as otherwise expressly permitted by the Plan, no right or interest of the Optionee in the Option prior to exercise may be assigned or transferred, or subjected to any lien, during the lifetime of the Optionee, either voluntarily or involuntarily, directly or indirectly, by operation of law or otherwise. The Optionee will, however, be entitled to designate a beneficiary to receive the Option upon such Optionee’s death, and, in the event of the Optionee’s death, exercise of the Option (to the extent permitted pursuant to Section 3.2(a) of this Agreement) may be made by the Optionee’s legal representatives, heirs and legatees.
6. Withholding Taxes.
The Company is entitled to (a) withhold and deduct from future wages of the Optionee (or from other amounts that may be due and owing to the Optionee from the Company or a Subsidiary), or make other arrangements for the collection of, all legally required amounts the Company reasonably determines are necessary to satisfy any and all federal, foreign, state and local withholding and employment-related tax requirements attributable to the Option, including, without limitation, the grant, exercise or vesting of, the Option or a disqualifying disposition of any Option Shares; (b) withhold cash paid or payable or shares of Common Stock from the shares issued or otherwise issuable to the Optionee in connection with the Option; or (c) require the Optionee promptly to remit the amount of such withholding to the Company before taking any action, including issuing any shares of Common Stock, with respect to the Option. Shares of Common Stock issued or otherwise issuable to the Optionee in connection with the Option that gives rise to the tax withholding obligation that are withheld for purposes of satisfying the Optionee’s withholding or employment-related tax obligation will be valued at their Fair Market Value on the Tax Date. When withholding shares of Common Stock for taxes is effected under this Agreement, it will be withheld only up to an amount based on the maximum statutory tax rates in the Optionee’s applicable tax jurisdictions or such other rate that will not trigger a negative accounting impact on the Company.
7. Adjustments.
In the event of any reorganization, merger, consolidation, recapitalization, liquidation, reclassification, stock dividend, stock split, combination of shares, rights offering, divestiture or extraordinary dividend (including a spin-off), or any other similar change in the corporate structure or shares of Common Stock of the Company, the Committee (or, if the Company is not the surviving corporation in any such transaction, the board of directors of the surviving corporation), in order to prevent dilution or enlargement of the rights of the Optionee, will make appropriate adjustment or substitutions (which determination will be conclusive) as to the number and kind of securities or other property (including cash) subject to, and the exercise price of, the Option.
8. Stock Subject to Plan.
The Option and the Option Shares granted and issued pursuant to this Agreement have been granted and issued under, and are subject to the terms of, the Plan. The terms of the Plan are incorporated by reference in this Agreement in their entirety, and the Optionee, by execution of this Agreement, acknowledges having received a copy of the Plan. The provisions of this Agreement will be interpreted as to be consistent with the Plan, and any ambiguities in this Agreement will be interpreted by reference to the Plan. In the event that any provision of this Agreement is inconsistent with the terms of the Plan, the terms of the Plan will prevail.
9. Incentive Stock Option Limitations.
9.1 Limitation on Amount. To the extent that the aggregate Fair Market Value (determined as of the Grant Date) of the shares of Common Stock with respect to which incentive stock options (within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code) are exercisable for the first time by the Optionee during any calendar year (under the Plan and any other incentive stock option plans of the Company or any subsidiary or parent corporation of the Company (within the meaning of the Code)) exceeds $100,000 (or such other amount as may be prescribed by the Code from time to time), such excess incentive stock options will be treated as non-statutory stock options in the manner set forth in the Plan.
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9.2 Limitation on Exercisability; Disposition of Option Shares. Any incentive stock option that remains unexercised more than one year following termination of employment by reason of death or disability or more than three months following termination for any reason other than death or Disability will thereafter be deemed to be a non-statutory stock option. In addition, in the event that a disposition (as defined in Section 424(c) of the Code) of shares of Common Stock acquired pursuant to the exercise of an incentive stock option occurs prior to the expiration of two years after its Grant Date or the expiration of one year after its date of exercise (a “disqualifying disposition”), such incentive stock option will, to the extent of such disqualifying disposition, be treated in a manner similar to a non-statutory stock option. The Optionee shall notify the Company in writing with thirty (30) days after a disqualifying disposition of the date and terms of such disposition and such other information concerning the disposition as the Company reasonably determines it is required to have for tax purposes.
9.3 No Representation or Warranty. Section 422 of the Code and the rules and regulations thereunder are complex, and neither the Plan nor this Agreement purports to summarize or otherwise set forth all of the conditions that need to be satisfied in order for the Option to qualify as an incentive stock option. In addition, the Option may contain terms and conditions that allow for exercise of the Option beyond the periods permitted by Section 422 of the Code, including, without limitation, the periods described in Section 9.2 of this Agreement. Accordingly, the Company makes no representation or warranty regarding whether the exercise of the Option will qualify as the exercise of an incentive stock option, and the Company recommends that the Optionee consult with the Optionee’s own advisors before making any determination regarding the exercise of the Option or the sale of the Option Shares.
10. Miscellaneous.
10.1 Binding Effect. This Agreement will be binding upon the heirs, executors, administrators and successors of the parties to this Agreement.
10.2 Governing Law; Venue. This Agreement and all rights and obligations under this Agreement will be construed in accordance with the Plan and governed by the laws of the State of Minnesota, without regard to conflicts of laws provisions. Any legal proceeding related to this Agreement will be brought in an appropriate Minnesota court, and the parties to this Agreement consent to the exclusive jurisdiction of the court for this purpose.
10.3 Entire Agreement. This Agreement and the Plan set forth the entire agreement and understanding of the parties to this Agreement with respect to the grant and exercise of the Option and the administration of the Plan and supersede all prior agreements, arrangements, plans and understandings relating to the grant and exercise of the Option and the administration of the Plan.
10.4 Amendment and Waiver. Other than as provided in the Plan, this Agreement may be amended, waived, modified or canceled only by a written instrument executed by the parties to this Agreement or, in the case of a waiver, by the party waiving compliance.
10.5 Construction. Wherever possible, each provision of this Agreement will be interpreted so that it is valid under the Applicable Law. If any provision of this Agreement is to any extent invalid under the Applicable Law, that provision will still be effective to the extent it remains valid. The remainder of this Agreement also will continue to be valid, and the entire Agreement will continue to be valid in other jurisdictions.
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10.6 Counterparts. For convenience of the parties hereto, this Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each such counterpart to be deemed an original instrument, and all such counterparts together to constitute the same agreement.
10.7 Nature of the Grant. In accepting the Option and by execution of this Agreement, the Optionee acknowledges that:
(a) The Plan is established voluntarily by the Company, it is discretionary in nature and it may be modified, amended, suspended or terminated by the Company at any time, unless otherwise provided in the Plan or this Agreement.
(b) The grant of the Option is voluntary and occasional and does not create any contractual or other right to receive future Option grants, or benefits in lieu of Option grants, even if Option grants have been granted repeatedly in the past.
(c) All decisions with respect to future Option grants, if any, will be at the sole discretion of the Company.
(d) Optionee is voluntarily participating in the Plan.
(e) The grant of the Option is not part of normal or expected compensation or salary for any purposes, including, but not limited to, calculating any severance, resignation, termination, redundancy, end of service payments, bonuses, long-service awards, pension or retirement benefits or similar payments and in no event should be considered as compensation for, or relating in any way to, past services for the Company.
(f) The future value of the underlying Common Stock is unknown and cannot be predicted with certainty and if Optionee vests in the Option grant, exercises the Option in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and is issued shares of Common Stock, the value of such shares may increase or decrease.
(g) In consideration of the grant of the Option, no claim or entitlement to compensation or damages shall arise from termination of the Option or diminution in value of the Option or shares acquired upon exercise of the Option resulting from termination of Optionee’s employment or service by the Company or one of its Subsidiaries (for any reason whatsoever and whether or not in breach of local labor laws) and Optionee irrevocably releases the Company and its Subsidiaries from any such claim that may arise; if, notwithstanding the foregoing, any such claim is found by a court of competent jurisdiction to have arisen, then, by acceptance of the Option and execution of this Agreement, Optionee shall be deemed irrevocably to have waived his or her entitlement to pursue such claim.
(h) The Company is not providing any tax, legal or financial advice, nor is the Company making any recommendations regarding Optionee’s participation in the Plan, or Optionee’s purchase or sale of the underlying Option Shares.
(i) Optionee is hereby advised to consult with his or her own personal tax, legal and financial advisors regarding his or her participation in the Plan before taking any action related to the Plan.
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The parties to this Agreement have executed this Agreement effective the day and year first above written.
| NORTHERN TECHNOLOGIES | ||
| INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION | ||
| By | ||
| Its: |
| *By execution of this Agreement, the Optionee acknowledges having received electronically a copy of the Plan, the Prospectus relating to the Plan and the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K. The Optionee hereby agrees to accept electronic delivery of copies of any future amendments or supplements to the Prospectus or any future Prospectuses relating the Plan and copies of all reports, proxy statements and other communications distributed to the Company’s security holders generally by email directed to the Optionee’s Company email address. |
OPTIONEE*
(Signature)
(Name and Address)
|
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Exhibit 10.3
FORM OF NON-STATUTORY STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT
THIS NON-STATUTORY STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT is entered into and effective as of __________, 20__ (the “Grant Date”), by and between Northern Technologies International Corporation (the “Company”) and ______________ (the “Optionee”).
A. The Company has adopted the Northern Technologies International Corporation 2024 Stock Incentive Plan (as amended from time to time, the “Plan”) authorizing the Board of Directors of the Company, or a committee as provided for in the Plan (the Board or such a committee to be referred to as the “Committee”), to grant non-statutory stock options to Eligible Recipients (as defined in the Plan).
B. The Optionee is an Eligible Recipient (as defined in the Plan).
C. The Company desires to give the Optionee an inducement to acquire a proprietary interest in the Company and an added incentive to advance the interests of the Company by granting to the Optionee an option to purchase shares of common stock of the Company pursuant to the Plan.
Accordingly, the parties agree as follows:
1. Grant of Option.
Effective as of the Grant Date, the Company hereby grants to the Optionee the right, privilege, and option (the “Option”) to purchase _______________ (______) shares (the “Option Shares”) of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.02 per share (the “Common Stock”), according to the terms and subject to the conditions hereinafter set forth and as set forth in the Plan. The Option is not intended to be an “incentive stock option,” as that term is used in Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”).
2. Option Exercise Price.
The per share price to be paid by Optionee in the event of an exercise of the Option will be $______.
3. Duration of Option and Time of Exercise.
3.1 Initial Period of Exercisability. Except as otherwise provided in Sections 3.2 and 3.3 below, the Option will become exercisable with respect to the Option Shares [immediately/in _____ installments]. [The following table sets forth the initial dates of exercisability of each installment and the number of Option Shares as to which the Option will become exercisable on such dates:
| Exercisability | Available for Exercise |
| ___________________ | _______ |
| ___________________ | _______ |
| ___________________ | _______ |
| ___________________ | _______] |
[The foregoing rights to exercise the Option will be cumulative with respect to the Option Shares becoming exercisable on each such date.] In no event will the Option be exercisable after, and the Option will become void and expire as to all unexercised Option Shares at 5:00 p.m. Circle Pines, Minnesota time on ______________________ (the “Time of Termination”).
3.2 Effect of Termination of Employment or Other Service. The following provisions shall apply upon termination of the Optionee’s employment or other service with the Company and all Subsidiaries, unless otherwise expressly provided by the terms of an Individual Agreement (as defined in the Plan) or determined by the Committee pursuant to Section 12.3 of the Plan.
(a) Termination Due to Death, Disability or Retirement. In the event the Optionee’s employment or service relationship with the Company and all Subsidiaries is terminated by reason of death, Disability (as defined in the Plan) or Retirement (as defined in the Plan), the Option will remain exercisable, to the extent exercisable as of the date of such termination, for a period of twelve (12) months after such termination (but in no event after the Time of Termination).
(b) Termination for Reasons Other Than Death, Disability or Retirement. In the event that the Optionee’s employment or service relationship with the Company and all Subsidiaries is terminated for any reason other than death, Disability or Retirement, or the Optionee is in the employ of or perform services to a Subsidiary and the Subsidiary ceases to be a Subsidiary of the Company (unless the Optionee continues in the employ of or performs services to the Company or another Subsidiary), all rights of the Optionee under the Plan and this Agreement will immediately terminate without notice of any kind, and the Option will no longer be exercisable; provided, however, that if such termination is due to any reason other than termination by the Company or any Subsidiary for Cause (as defined in the Plan), the Option will remain exercisable to the extent exercisable as of such termination for a period of three (3) months after such termination (but in no event after the Time of Termination).
(c) Effect of Actions Constituting Cause or Adverse Action. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary and in addition to the rights of the Committee under Sections 12.3, 12.5 and 12.6 of the Plan, in the event that the Optionee is determined by the Committee, acting in its sole discretion, to have taken any action that would constitute Cause (as defined in the Plan) or an Adverse Action (as defined in the Plan) during or within one (1) year after the termination of employment or other service with the Company or a Subsidiary, irrespective of whether such action or the Committee’s determination occurs before or after termination of such Optionee’s employment or other service with the Company or any Subsidiary and irrespective of whether or not the Optionee was terminated as a result of such Cause or Adverse Action, (a) all rights of the Optionee under the Plan and any agreements evidencing an Incentive Award then held by the Optionee, including without limitation the Option and this Agreement, will terminate and be forfeited without notice of any kind, and (b) the Committee in its sole discretion will have the authority to rescind the exercise, vesting or issuance of, or payment in respect of, any Incentive Awards of the Optionee that were exercised, vested or issued, or as to which such payment was made, including without limitation the Option, and to require the Optionee to pay to the Company, within ten (10) days of receipt from the Company of notice of such rescission, any amount received or the amount of any gain realized as a result of such rescinded exercise, vesting, issuance or payment (including any dividends paid or other distributions made with respect to any shares of Common Stock subject to any Incentive Award). The Company may defer the exercise of the Option for a period of up to six (6) months after receipt of the Optionee’s written notice of exercise for a period of up to six (6) months after the date of such vesting in order for the Committee to make any determination as to the existence of Cause or an Adverse Action. The Company will be entitled to withhold and deduct from future wages of the Optionee (or from other amounts that may be due and owing to the Optionee from the Company or a Subsidiary) or make other arrangements for the collection of all amounts necessary to satisfy such payment obligations. This Section 3.2(c) shall not apply following a Change in Control.
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3.3 Change in Control.
(a) Impact of Change in Control. If a Change in Control (as defined in the Plan) of the Company occurs, the Option will become immediately exercisable in full and will remain exercisable until the Time of Termination, regardless of whether the Optionee remains in the employ or service of the Company or any Subsidiary. In addition, if a Change in Control of the Company occurs, the Committee, in its sole discretion and without the consent of the Optionee, may determine that the Optionee will receive, with respect to some or all of the Option Shares, as of the effective date of any such Change in Control of the Company, cash in an amount equal to the excess of the Fair Market Value (as defined in the Plan) of such Option Shares immediately prior to the effective date of such Change in Control of the Company over the option exercise price per share of the Option.
(b) Limitation on Change in Control Payments. Notwithstanding anything in this Section 3.3 to the contrary, if, with respect to the Optionee, the acceleration of the vesting of the Option or the payment of cash in exchange for all or part of the Option Shares as provided above (which acceleration or payment could be deemed a “payment” within the meaning of Section 280G(b)(2) of the Code), together with any other “payments” that the Optionee has the right to receive from the Company or any corporation that is a member of an “affiliated group” (as defined in Section 1504(a) of the Code without regard to Section 1504(b) of the Code) of which the Company is a member, would constitute a “parachute payment” (as defined in Section 280G(b)(2) of the Code), then the “payments” to the Optionee as set forth herein will be reduced (or acceleration of vesting eliminated) to the largest amount as will result in no portion of such “payments” being subject to the excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code; provided, however, that such reduction will be made only if the aggregate amount of the payments after such reduction exceeds the difference between (A) the amount of such payments absent such reduction minus (B) the aggregate amount of the excise tax imposed under Section 4999 of the Code attributable to any such excess parachute payments; and provided, further, that such payments will be reduced (or acceleration of vesting eliminated) by first reducing or eliminating payments or benefits the full value of which are required to be recognized as contingent upon a Change in Control (determined in accordance with Treasury Regulation § 1.280G-1, Q/A-24), followed by reducing or eliminating payments or benefits which are not payable in cash and then by reducing or eliminating cash payments, in each case in reverse order beginning with payments or benefits which are to be paid the farthest in time from such date. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if the Optionee is subject to a separate agreement with the Company or a Subsidiary that expressly addresses the potential application of Sections 280G or 4999 of the Code, then this Section 3.3(b) will not apply, and any “payments” to the Optionee as provided herein will be treated as “payments” arising under such separate agreement; provided, however, such separate agreement may not modify the time or form of payment under any Incentive Award that constitutes deferred compensation subject to Section 409A of the Code if the modification would cause such Incentive Award to become subject to the adverse tax consequences specified in Section 409A of the Code.
4. Manner of Option Exercise.
4.1 Notice. The Option may be exercised by the Optionee in whole or in part from time to time, subject to the conditions contained in the Plan and in this Agreement, by delivery, in person, by facsimile or electronic transmission or through the mail, to the Company at its principal executive office in Circle Pines, Minnesota (or to the Company’s designee as may be established from time to time by the Company and communicated to the Optionee), of a written notice of exercise. Such notice must be in a form satisfactory to the Committee, must identify the Option, must specify the number of Option Shares with respect to which the Option is being exercised, and must be signed by the person or persons so exercising the Option. Such notice must be accompanied by payment in full of the total purchase price of the Option Shares purchased. In the event that the Option is being exercised, as provided by the Plan and Section 3.2 above, by any person or persons other than the Optionee, the notice must be accompanied by appropriate proof of right of such person or persons to exercise the Option. As soon as practicable after the effective exercise of the Option, the Optionee will be recorded on the stock transfer books of the Company as the owner of the Option Shares purchased, and the Company will deliver to the Optionee certificated or uncertificated (“book entry”) shares. In the event that the Option is being exercised, as provided by resolutions of the Committee and Section 4.2 below, by tender of a Broker Exercise Notice (as defined in the Plan), the Company will deliver such shares directly to the Optionee’s broker or dealer or their nominee.
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4.2 Payment.
(a) At the time of exercise of the Option, the Optionee must pay the total purchase price of the Option Shares to be purchased entirely in cash (including check, bank draft or money order); provided, however, that the Committee, in its sole discretion and upon terms and conditions established by the Committee, may allow such payments to be made, in whole or in part, by (i) tender of a Broker Exercise Notice; (ii) by tender, either by actual delivery or attestation as to ownership, of Previously Acquired Shares (as defined in the Plan) that are acceptable to the Committee; (iii) by a “net exercise” of the Option (as described in the Plan); (iv) by a combination of such methods; or (v) by any other method approved or accepted by the Committee in its sole discretion.
(b) In the event the Optionee is permitted to pay the total purchase price of the Option in whole or in part with Previously Acquired Shares, the value of such shares will be equal to their Fair Market Value on the date of exercise of the Option.
(c) In the case of a “net exercise” of an Option, the Company will not require a payment of the exercise price of the Option from the Optionee but will reduce the number of shares of Common Stock issued upon the exercise by the largest number of whole shares that has a Fair Market Value on the exercise date that does not exceed the aggregate exercise price for the shares exercised under this method.
(d) Shares of Common Stock will no longer be outstanding under the Option (and will therefore not thereafter be exercisable) following the exercise of such Option to the extent of (i) shares used to pay the exercise price of an Option under the “net exercise,” (ii) shares actually delivered to the Optionee as a result of such exercise and (iii) any shares withheld for purposes of tax withholding.
5. Rights of Optionee; Transferability.
5.1 Employment or Service. Nothing in this Agreement will interfere with or limit in any way the right of the Company or any Subsidiary to terminate the employment or service of the Optionee at any time, nor confer upon the Optionee any right to continue in the employment or other service with the Company or any Subsidiary at any particular position or rate of pay or for any particular period of time.
5.2 Rights as a Shareholder. The Optionee will have no rights as a shareholder unless and until all conditions to the effective exercise of the Option (including, without limitation, the conditions set forth in Sections 3, 4 and 6 of this Agreement) have been satisfied and the Optionee has become the holder of record of such shares. No adjustment will be made for dividends or distributions with respect to the Option as to which there is a record date preceding the date the Optionee becomes the holder of record of such shares, except as may otherwise be provided in the Plan or determined by the Committee in its sole discretion.
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5.3 Restrictions on Transfer. Except pursuant to testamentary will or the laws of descent and distribution or as otherwise expressly permitted by the Plan, no right or interest of the Optionee in the Option prior to exercise may be assigned or transferred, or subjected to any lien, during the lifetime of the Optionee, either voluntarily or involuntarily, directly or indirectly, by operation of law or otherwise. The Optionee will, however, be entitled to designate a beneficiary to receive the Option upon such Optionee’s death, and, in the event of the Optionee’s death, exercise of the Option (to the extent permitted pursuant to Section 3.2(a) of this Agreement) may be made by the Optionee’s legal representatives, heirs and legatees.
6. Withholding Taxes.
The Company is entitled to (a) withhold and deduct from future wages of the Optionee (or from other amounts that may be due and owing to the Optionee from the Company or a Subsidiary), or make other arrangements for the collection of, all legally required amounts the Company reasonably determines are necessary to satisfy any and all federal, foreign, state and local withholding and employment-related tax requirements attributable to the Option, including, without limitation, the grant, exercise or vesting of, the Option or a disqualifying disposition of any Option Shares; (b) withhold cash paid or payable or shares of Common Stock from the shares issued or otherwise issuable to the Optionee in connection with the Option; or (c) require the Optionee promptly to remit the amount of such withholding to the Company before taking any action, including issuing any shares of Common Stock, with respect to the Option. Shares of Common Stock issued or otherwise issuable to the Optionee in connection with the Option that gives rise to the tax withholding obligation that are withheld for purposes of satisfying the Optionee’s withholding or employment-related tax obligation will be valued at their Fair Market Value on the Tax Date. When withholding shares of Common Stock for taxes is effected under this Agreement, it will be withheld only up to an amount based on the maximum statutory tax rates in the Optionee’s applicable tax jurisdictions or such other rate that will not trigger a negative accounting impact on the Company.
7. Adjustments.
In the event of any reorganization, merger, consolidation, recapitalization, liquidation, reclassification, stock dividend, stock split, combination of shares, rights offering, divestiture or extraordinary dividend (including a spin-off), or any other similar change in the corporate structure or shares of Common Stock of the Company, the Committee (or, if the Company is not the surviving corporation in any such transaction, the board of directors of the surviving corporation), in order to prevent dilution or enlargement of the rights of the Optionee, will make appropriate adjustment or substitutions (which determination will be conclusive) as to the number and kind of securities or other property (including cash) subject to, and the exercise price of, the Option.
8. Stock Subject to Plan.
The Option and the Option Shares granted and issued pursuant to this Agreement have been granted and issued under, and are subject to the terms of, the Plan. The terms of the Plan are incorporated by reference in this Agreement in their entirety, and the Optionee, by execution of this Agreement, acknowledges having received a copy of the Plan. The provisions of this Agreement will be interpreted as to be consistent with the Plan, and any ambiguities in this Agreement will be interpreted by reference to the Plan. In the event that any provision of this Agreement is inconsistent with the terms of the Plan, the terms of the Plan will prevail.
9. Miscellaneous.
9.1 Binding Effect. This Agreement will be binding upon the heirs, executors, administrators and successors of the parties to this Agreement.
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9.2 Governing Law; Venue. This Agreement and all rights and obligations under this Agreement will be construed in accordance with the Plan and governed by the laws of the State of Minnesota, without regard to conflicts of laws provisions. Any legal proceeding related to this Agreement will be brought in an appropriate Minnesota court, and the parties to this Agreement consent to the exclusive jurisdiction of the court for this purpose.
9.3 Entire Agreement. This Agreement and the Plan set forth the entire agreement and understanding of the parties to this Agreement with respect to the grant and exercise of the Option and the administration of the Plan and supersede all prior agreements, arrangements, plans and understandings relating to the grant and exercise of the Option and the administration of the Plan.
9.4 Amendment and Waiver. Other than as provided in the Plan, this Agreement may be amended, waived, modified or canceled only by a written instrument executed by the parties to this Agreement or, in the case of a waiver, by the party waiving compliance.
9.5 Construction. Wherever possible, each provision of this Agreement will be interpreted so that it is valid under the Applicable Law. If any provision of this Agreement is to any extent invalid under the Applicable Law, that provision will still be effective to the extent it remains valid. The remainder of this Agreement also will continue to be valid, and the entire Agreement will continue to be valid in other jurisdictions.
9.6 Counterparts. For convenience of the parties hereto, this Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each such counterpart to be deemed an original instrument, and all such counterparts together to constitute the same agreement.
9.7 Nature of the Grant. In accepting the Option and by execution of this Agreement, the Optionee acknowledges that:
(a) The Plan is established voluntarily by the Company, it is discretionary in nature and it may be modified, amended, suspended or terminated by the Company at any time, unless otherwise provided in the Plan or this Agreement.
(b) The grant of the Option is voluntary and occasional and does not create any contractual or other right to receive future Option grants, or benefits in lieu of Option grants, even if Option grants have been granted repeatedly in the past.
(c) All decisions with respect to future Option grants, if any, will be at the sole discretion of the Company.
(d) Optionee is voluntarily participating in the Plan.
(e) The grant of the Option is not part of normal or expected compensation or salary for any purposes, including, but not limited to, calculating any severance, resignation, termination, redundancy, end of service payments, bonuses, long-service awards, pension or retirement benefits or similar payments and in no event should be considered as compensation for, or relating in any way to, past services for the Company.
(f) The future value of the underlying Common Stock is unknown and cannot be predicted with certainty and if Optionee vests in the Option grant, exercises the Option in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and is issued shares of Common Stock, the value of such shares may increase or decrease.
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(g) In consideration of the grant of the Option, no claim or entitlement to compensation or damages shall arise from termination of the Option or diminution in value of the Option or shares acquired upon exercise of the Option resulting from termination of Optionee’s employment or service by the Company or one of its Subsidiaries (for any reason whatsoever and whether or not in breach of local labor laws) and Optionee irrevocably releases the Company and its Subsidiaries from any such claim that may arise; if, notwithstanding the foregoing, any such claim is found by a court of competent jurisdiction to have arisen, then, by acceptance of the Option and execution of this Agreement, Optionee shall be deemed irrevocably to have waived his or her entitlement to pursue such claim.
(h) The Company is not providing any tax, legal or financial advice, nor is the Company making any recommendations regarding Optionee’s participation in the Plan, or Optionee’s purchase or sale of the underlying Option Shares.
(i) Optionee is hereby advised to consult with his or her own personal tax, legal and financial advisors regarding his or her participation in the Plan before taking any action related to the Plan.
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The parties to this Agreement have executed this Agreement effective the day and year first above written.
| NORTHERN TECHNOLOGIES
| ||
| INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION | ||
| By | ||
| Its: | ||
*By execution of this Agreement, the Optionee acknowledges having received electronically a copy of the Plan, the Prospectus relating to the Plan and the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K. The Optionee hereby agrees to accept electronic delivery of copies of any future amendments or supplements to the Prospectus or any future Prospectuses relating the Plan and copies of all reports, proxy statements and other communications distributed to the Company’s security holders generally by email directed to the Optionee’s Company email address. |
OPTIONEE*
____________________________________________________________________________________________ (Signature)
____________________________________________________________________________________________ (Name and Address)
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
|
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Exhibit 10.4
FORM OF RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT AWARD AGREEMENT
THIS RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT AWARD AGREEMENT is entered into and effective as of __________, 20__ (the “Grant Date”), by and between Northern Technologies International Corporation (the “Company”) and ______________ (the “Participant”).
A. The Company has adopted the Northern Technologies International Corporation 2024 Stock Incentive Plan (as amended from time to time, the “Plan”) authorizing the Board of Directors of the Company, or a committee as provided for in the Plan (the Board or such a committee to be referred to as the “Committee”), to grant restricted stock units to Eligible Recipients (as defined in the Plan).
B. The Participant is an Eligible Recipient (as defined in the Plan).
C. The Company desires to give the Participant an inducement to acquire a proprietary interest in the Company and an added incentive to advance the interests of the Company by granting to the Participant restricted stock units pursuant to the Plan.
Accordingly, the parties agree as follows:
1. Grant of Restricted Stock Units.
Effective as of the Grant Date, the Company hereby grants to the Participant __________ restricted stock units (“RSUs”), each of which, once vested pursuant to this Agreement, will be settled in one (1) share of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.02 per share (the “Common Stock”), according to the terms and subject to the conditions hereinafter set forth and as set forth in the Plan.
2. Vesting and Conditions to Issuance of Common Stock; Forfeiture.
2.1 Vesting Conditions. Except as otherwise provided in Sections 2.2 and 2.3 below, the RSUs will vest and such vested RSUs will be converted into shares of Common Stock immediately thereafter [immediately/in _____ installments]. [The following table sets forth the vesting dates and the number of RSUs that will become fully vested on such dates:
| Vesting Date | RSUs Vesting on Such Date |
| __________________ | _______ |
| __________________ | _______ |
| __________________ | _______ |
| __________________ | _______] |
2.2 Effect of Termination of Employment or Other Service. The following provisions shall apply upon termination of the Participant’s employment or other service with the Company and all Subsidiaries, unless otherwise expressly provided by the terms of an Individual Agreement (as defined in the Plan) or determined by the Committee pursuant to Section 12.3 of the Plan.
(a) Termination Due to Death, Disability or Retirement. In the event the Participant’s employment or service relationship with the Company and all Subsidiaries is terminated by reason of death, Disability (as defined in the Plan) or Retirement (as defined in the Plan), all outstanding but non-vested RSUs then held by the Participant will be terminated and forfeited.
(b) Termination for Reasons Other Than Death, Disability or Retirement. In the event that the Participant’s employment or service relationship with the Company and all Subsidiaries is terminated for any reason other than death, Disability or Retirement, or the Participant is in the employ of or perform services to a Subsidiary and the Subsidiary ceases to be a Subsidiary of the Company (unless the Participant continues in the employ of or performs services to the Company or another Subsidiary), all outstanding but non-vested RSUs then held by the Participant will be terminated and forfeited.
(c) Effect of Actions Constituting Cause or Adverse Action. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary and in addition to the rights of the Committee under Sections 12.3, 12.5 and 12.6 of the Plan, in the event that the Participant is determined by the Committee, acting in its sole discretion, to have taken any action that would constitute Cause (as defined in the Plan) or an Adverse Action (as defined in the Plan) during or within one (1) year after the termination of employment or other service with the Company or a Subsidiary, irrespective of whether such action or the Committee’s determination occurs before or after termination of such Participant’s employment or other service with the Company or any Subsidiary and irrespective of whether or not the Participant was terminated as a result of such Cause or Adverse Action, (a) all rights of the Participant under the Plan and any agreements evidencing an Incentive Award then held by the Participant, including without limitation the RSUs and this Agreement, will terminate and be forfeited without notice of any kind, and (b) the Committee in its sole discretion will have the authority to rescind the exercise, vesting or issuance of, or payment in respect of, any Incentive Awards of the Participant that were exercised, vested or issued, or as to which such payment was made, including without limitation the RSUs, and to require the Participant to pay to the Company, within ten (10) days of receipt from the Company of notice of such rescission, any amount received or the amount of any gain realized as a result of such rescinded exercise, vesting, issuance or payment (including any dividends paid or other distributions made with respect to any shares of Common Stock subject to any Incentive Award). The Company will be entitled to withhold and deduct from future wages of the Participant (or from other amounts that may be due and owing to the Participant from the Company or a Subsidiary) or make other arrangements for the collection of all amounts necessary to satisfy such payment obligations. This Section 2.2(c) shall not apply following a Change in Control.
2.3 Change in Control.
(a) Impact of Change in Control. If a Change in Control (as defined in the Plan) of the Company occurs, the RSUs will immediately vest in full, regardless of whether the Participant remains in the employ or service of the Company or any Subsidiary. In addition, if a Change in Control of the Company occurs, the Committee, in its sole discretion and without the consent of the Participant, may determine that the Participant will receive, with respect to some or all of the RSUs, as of the effective date of any such Change in Control of the Company, cash in an amount equal to the excess of the Fair Market Value (as defined in the Plan) of such RSUs immediately prior to the effective date of such Change in Control of the Company over the consideration to be received by the Participant in connection with such Change in Control.
(b) Limitation on Change in Control Payments. Notwithstanding anything in this Section 2.3 to the contrary, if, with respect to the Participant, the acceleration of the vesting of the RSUs or the payment of cash in exchange for all or part of the RSUs as provided above (which acceleration or payment could be deemed a “payment” within the meaning of Section 280G(b)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”)), together with any other “payments” that the Participant has the right to receive from the Company or any corporation that is a member of an “affiliated group” (as defined in Section 1504(a) of the Code without regard to Section 1504(b) of the Code) of which the Company is a member, would constitute a “parachute payment” (as defined in Section 280G(b)(2) of the Code), then the “payments” to the Participant as set forth herein will be reduced (or acceleration of vesting eliminated) to the largest amount as will result in no portion of such “payments” being subject to the excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code; provided, however, that such reduction will be made only if the aggregate amount of the payments after such reduction exceeds the difference between (A) the amount of such payments absent such reduction minus (B) the aggregate amount of the excise tax imposed under Section 4999 of the Code attributable to any such excess parachute payments; and provided, further, that such payments will be reduced (or acceleration of vesting eliminated) by first reducing or eliminating payments or benefits the full value of which are required to be recognized as contingent upon a Change in Control (determined in accordance with Treasury Regulation § 1.280G-1, Q/A-24), followed by reducing or eliminating payments or benefits which are not payable in cash and then by reducing or eliminating cash payments, in each case in reverse order beginning with payments or benefits which are to be paid the farthest in time from such date. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if the Participant is subject to a separate agreement with the Company or a Subsidiary that expressly addresses the potential application of Sections 280G or 4999 of the Code, then this Section 2.3(b) will not apply, and any “payments” to the Participant as provided herein will be treated as “payments” arising under such separate agreement; provided, however, such separate agreement may not modify the time or form of payment under any Incentive Award that constitutes deferred compensation subject to Section 409A of the Code if the modification would cause such Incentive Award to become subject to the adverse tax consequences specified in Section 409A of the Code.
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3. Settlement; Issuance of Common Stock.
3.1 Timing and Manner of Settlement. Vested RSUs will be converted to shares of Common Stock which the Company will issue and deliver to the Participant (either by delivering one or more certificates for such shares or by entering such shares in book entry form in the name of the Participant or depositing such shares for the Participant’s benefit with any broker with which the Participant has an account relationship or the Company has engaged to provide such services under the Plan, as determined by the Company in its sole discretion) within seventy four (74) days following the vesting date, except to the extent that shares of Common Stock are withheld to pay tax withholding obligations pursuant to Section 5 of this Agreement or the Participant has properly elected to defer income that may be attributable to such RSUs under a Company deferred compensation plan or arrangement. Payment of amounts under this Agreement (by issuance of shares of Common Stock or otherwise) is intended to comply with the requirements of an exception to Section 409A of the Code and this Agreement shall in all respects be administered and construed to give effect to such intent. The Committee in its sole discretion may accelerate or delay the distribution of any payment under this Agreement to the extent allowed under Section 409A of the Code.
3.2 Dividend Equivalents. The RSUs are being granted without Dividend Equivalents, as defined in the Plan.
4. Rights of Participant; Transferability.
4.1 Employment or Service. Nothing in this Agreement will interfere with or limit in any way the right of the Company or any Subsidiary to terminate the employment or service of the Participant at any time, nor confer upon the Participant any right to continue in the employment or other service with the Company or any Subsidiary at any particular position or rate of pay or for any particular period of time.
4.2 Rights as a Shareholder. The Participant will have no rights as a shareholder unless and until all conditions to the effective settlement of the RSU (including, without limitation, the conditions set forth in Sections 2, 3 and 5 of this Agreement) have been satisfied and the Participant has become the holder of record of such shares. No adjustment will be made for dividends or distributions with respect to the RSUs as to which there is a record date preceding the date the Participant becomes the holder of record of the underlying shares, except as may otherwise be provided in the Plan or determined by the Committee in its sole discretion.
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4.3 Restrictions on Transfer. Except pursuant to testamentary will or the laws of descent and distribution or as otherwise expressly permitted by the Plan, no right or interest of the Participant in the RSUs prior to vesting or issuance may be assigned or transferred, or subjected to any lien, during the lifetime of the Participant, either voluntarily or involuntarily, directly or indirectly, by operation of law or otherwise.
5. Withholding Taxes.
The Company is entitled to (a) withhold and deduct from future wages of the Participant (or from other amounts that may be due and owing to the Participant from the Company or a Subsidiary), or make other arrangements for the collection of, all legally required amounts the Company reasonably determines are necessary to satisfy any and all federal, foreign, state and local withholding and employment-related tax requirements attributable to the RSUs, including, without limitation, the vesting or settlement of, the RSUs; (b) withhold cash paid or payable or shares of Common Stock from the shares issued or otherwise issuable to the Participant in connection with the RSUs; or (c) require the Participant promptly to remit the amount of such withholding to the Company before taking any action, including issuing any shares of Common Stock, with respect to the RSUs. Shares of Common Stock issued or otherwise issuable to the Participant in connection with the RSUs that gives rise to the tax withholding obligation that are withheld for purposes of satisfying the Participant’s withholding or employment-related tax obligation will be valued at their Fair Market Value on the Tax Date. When withholding shares of Common Stock for taxes is effected under this Agreement, it will be withheld only up to an amount based on the maximum statutory tax rates in the Participant’s applicable tax jurisdictions or such other rate that will not trigger a negative accounting impact on the Company.
6. Adjustments.
In the event of any reorganization, merger, consolidation, recapitalization, liquidation, reclassification, stock dividend, stock split, combination of shares, rights offering, divestiture or extraordinary dividend (including a spin-off), or any other similar change in the corporate structure or shares of Common Stock of the Company, the Committee (or, if the Company is not the surviving corporation in any such transaction, the board of directors of the surviving corporation), in order to prevent dilution or enlargement of the rights of the Participant, will make appropriate adjustment or substitutions (which determination will be conclusive) as to the number and kind of securities or other property (including cash) subject to the RSUs.
7. Stock Subject to Plan.
The RSUs and shares of Common Stock granted and issued pursuant to this Agreement have been granted and issued under, and are subject to the terms of, the Plan. The terms of the Plan are incorporated by reference in this Agreement in their entirety, and the Participant, by execution of this Agreement, acknowledges having received a copy of the Plan. The provisions of this Agreement will be interpreted as to be consistent with the Plan, and any ambiguities in this Agreement will be interpreted by reference to the Plan. In the event that any provision of this Agreement is inconsistent with the terms of the Plan, the terms of the Plan will prevail.
8. Miscellaneous.
8.1 Binding Effect. This Agreement will be binding upon the heirs, executors, administrators and successors of the parties to this Agreement.
8.2 Governing Law; Venue. This Agreement and all rights and obligations under this Agreement will be construed in accordance with the Plan and governed by the laws of the State of Minnesota, without regard to conflicts of laws provisions. Any legal proceeding related to this Agreement will be brought in an appropriate Minnesota court, and the parties to this Agreement consent to the exclusive jurisdiction of the court for this purpose.
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8.3 Entire Agreement. This Agreement and the Plan set forth the entire agreement and understanding of the parties to this Agreement with respect to the grant and settlement of the RSUs and the administration of the Plan and supersede all prior agreements, arrangements, plans and understandings relating to the grant and settlement of the RSUs and the administration of the Plan.
8.4 Amendment and Waiver. Other than as provided in the Plan, this Agreement may be amended, waived, modified or canceled only by a written instrument executed by the parties to this Agreement or, in the case of a waiver, by the party waiving compliance.
8.5 Construction. Wherever possible, each provision of this Agreement will be interpreted so that it is valid under the Applicable Law. If any provision of this Agreement is to any extent invalid under the Applicable Law, that provision will still be effective to the extent it remains valid. The remainder of this Agreement also will continue to be valid, and the entire Agreement will continue to be valid in other jurisdictions.
8.6 Counterparts. For convenience of the parties hereto, this Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each such counterpart to be deemed an original instrument, and all such counterparts together to constitute the same agreement.
8.7 Nature of the Grant. In accepting the RSUs and by execution of this Agreement, the Participant acknowledges that:
(a) The Plan is established voluntarily by the Company, it is discretionary in nature and it may be modified, amended, suspended or terminated by the Company at any time, unless otherwise provided in the Plan or this Agreement.
(b) The grant of the RSUs is voluntary and occasional and does not create any contractual or other right to receive future awards of RSUs, or benefits in lieu of RSUs, even if RSUs have been granted repeatedly in the past.
(c) All decisions with respect to future RSU award grants, if any, will be at the sole discretion of the Company.
(d) Participant is voluntarily participating in the Plan.
(e) The grant of the RSUs is not part of normal or expected compensation or salary for any purposes, including, but not limited to, calculating any severance, resignation, termination, redundancy, end of service payments, bonuses, long-service awards, pension or retirement benefits or similar payments and in no event should be considered as compensation for, or relating in any way to, past services for the Company.
(f) The future value of the underlying Common Stock is unknown and cannot be predicted with certainty and if Participant vests in the RSUs and is issued shares of Common Stock, the value of such shares may increase or decrease.
(g) In consideration of the grant of the RSUs, no claim or entitlement to compensation or damages shall arise from termination of the RSUs or diminution in value of the RSUs or shares acquired upon vesting of the RSUs resulting from termination of Participant’s employment or service by the Company or one of its Subsidiaries (for any reason whatsoever and whether or not in breach of local labor laws) and Participant irrevocably releases the Company and its Subsidiaries from any such claim that may arise; if, notwithstanding the foregoing, any such claim is found by a court of competent jurisdiction to have arisen, then, by acceptance of the RSUs and execution of this Agreement, Participant shall be deemed irrevocably to have waived his or her entitlement to pursue such claim.
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(h) The Company is not providing any tax, legal or financial advice, nor is the Company making any recommendations regarding Participant’s participation in the Plan, or Participant’s acquisition of shares of Common Stock upon vesting of the RSUs or any sale of such shares.
(i) Participant is hereby advised to consult with his or her own personal tax, legal and financial advisors regarding his or her participation in the Plan before taking any action related to the Plan.
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6
The parties to this Agreement have executed this Agreement effective the day and year first above written.
| NORTHERN TECHNOLOGIES | ||
| INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION | ||
| By | ||
| Its: |
| *By execution of this Agreement, the Participant acknowledges having received electronically a copy of the Plan, the Prospectus relating to the Plan and the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K. The Participant hereby agrees to accept electronic delivery of copies of any future amendments or supplements to the Prospectus or any future Prospectuses relating the Plan and copies of all reports, proxy statements and other communications distributed to the Company’s security holders generally by email directed to the Participant’s Company email address. |
PARTICIPANT*
(Signature)
(Name and Address)
|
7