SCHEDULE 14C

 

INFORMATION STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 14(c)

OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

Check the appropriate box:

 

¨  Preliminary Information Statement

¨  Confidential, for use of the Commission only as permitted by Rule 14c-6(e)(2)

x  Definitive Information Statement

 

HPC ACQUISITIONS, INC.

(Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

 

Payment of filing fee (Check the appropriate box):

 

x  No fee required.

¨  Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(4) and 0-11.

 

1) Title of each class of securities to which transaction applies:

 

2) Aggregate number of securities to which transaction applies:

 

3) Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (Set forth the amount on which the filing fee is calculated and state how it was determined):

 

4) Proposed maximum aggregate value of transaction:

 

5) Total fee paid:

 

¨  Fee paid with preliminary materials.

¨  Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act Rule 0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid previously. Identify the previous filing by registration statement number, of the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing.

 

1) Amount Previously Paid:

2) Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.:

3) Filing Party:

4) Date Filed:

 

 

 

 

 

 

HPC ACQUISITIONS, INC.

636 U.S. Highway 1, Ste. 110

North Palm Beach, FL 33408

 

NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS ON NOVEMBER 6, 2017

 

To our Stockholders:

 

You are cordially invited to attend the Special Meeting of Stockholders of HPC Acquisitions, Inc. (“HPC”) on November 6, 2017, at 10:00 a.m., Eastern Daylight Time, at HPC’s office located at 636 U.S. Highway 1, Ste. 110, North Palm Beach, FL 33408 (the “Special Meeting”). At the Special Meeting, HPC will submit the following proposals to its stockholders for approval:

 

1. To amend the Articles of Incorporation to change the name of HPC to “Vegalab, Inc.”
2. To approve the HPC 2017 Equity Incentive Plan
3.

To consider and take action upon such other business as may properly come before the Special Meeting or

any adjournments thereof.

 

The discussion of the proposals set forth above is intended only as a summary and is qualified in its entirety by the information contained in the accompanying Information Statement. Only holders of record of our common stock on October 6, 2017 (“the Record Date”) will be entitled to notice of and to vote at this Special Meeting, and any postponements or adjournments thereof.

 

The accompanying Information Statement is being furnished to our stockholders for informational purposes only, pursuant to Section 14(c) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and the rules and regulations thereunder. The Board is not soliciting your proxy or consent in connection with the matters to be voted on. Stockholders who wish to vote on the proposals must attend the Special Meeting and vote in person at the meeting or otherwise designate a proxy to attend the Special Meeting and vote on their behalf. Pursuant to Rule 14c-2 of the regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) and since HPC is making information available through the full-set delivery option under such regulations, this Information Statement must be made available to stockholders at least 20 calendar days prior to the meeting date.

 

We are not asking you for a proxy and you are requested not to send us a proxy. However, stockholders are cordially invited to attend the meeting in person and the management of HPC hopes that you will find it convenient to attend.

 

Sincerely,

Craig S. Laughlin, Secretary

 

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING THE AVAILABILITY OF THE INFORMATION STATEMENT

FOR THE STOCKHOLDER MEETING TO BE HELD ON NOVEMBER 6, 2017.

 

The Information Statement being furnished to you with this Notice of Special Meeting is available at https://www.rdgir.com/vegalab/news

 

 

 

 

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HPC ACQUISITIONS, INC.

636 U.S. Highway 1, Ste. 110

North Palm Beach, FL 33408

 

 

 

INFORMATION STATEMENT

FOR THE SPECIAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

To Be Held on November 6, 2017, at 10:00 a.m ., Eastern Daylight Time

 

 

 

We Are Not Asking You for a Proxy and

You are Requested Not to Send Us a Proxy

 

October 10, 2017

 

We are furnishing this Information Statement to stockholders of HPC Acquisitions, Inc., in connection with our Special Meeting of stockholders (the “Special Meeting”) and any adjournments or postponements thereof. We will hold the Special Meeting on November 6, 2017, at 10:00 a.m. (Eastern Daylight Time), at our office located at 636 U.S. Highway 1, Ste. 110, North Palm Beach, FL 33408. Unless the context otherwise requires, references in this Information Statement to “HPC,” the “Company,” “we,” “our” or “us” means HPC Acquisitions, Inc. This Information Statement, together with the Notice of Special Meeting of Stockholders, are collectively referred to as the “Meeting Materials.”

 

The Special Meeting is being held for the purposes set forth in the accompanying Notice of Special Meeting of Stockholders. The Meeting Materials are first being mailed to our stockholders on or about October 10, 2017.

 

Please call us at (800) 208-1680 for directions and information on how to attend the Special Meeting in persons.

 

Voting Securities and Vote Required.

 

Holders of record of our common stock at the close of business on October 6, 2017 (the “Record Date”) will be entitled to vote on all matters. On the Record Date, we had 20,856,224 shares of common stock issued and outstanding, which represented our only class of voting securities outstanding. The holders of shares of our common stock are each entitled to one vote per share. Cumulative voting is not allowed in any of the proposals being submitted to the stockholders at the meeting.

 

For the transaction of business at the Special Meeting a quorum must be present. A quorum consists of a majority of the voting power of the shares entitled to vote at the meeting. The total voting power of the shares of common stock entitled to vote at the Special Meeting is 20,856,224 common shares. In the event there are not sufficient votes for a quorum or to approve any proposals at the time of the Special Meeting, we may choose to adjourn the meeting to a future time and date.

 

Our two directors hold of record shares of common stock representing a total of 16,161,000 votes, or approximately 77.5% of the total votes that could be cast at the Special Meeting, and each of these directors have advised HPC that they intend to vote FOR the proposals presented at the meeting.

 

Proposal No. 1 (to amend the Articles of Incorporation to change the name of HPC to “Vegalab, Inc.”) will be approved if a majority of the votes cast at the Special Meeting vote in favor of such proposal. Similarly, Proposal No. 2 (to approve the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan) will be approved if a majority of the votes cast at the Special Meeting vote in favor of such proposal.

 

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With respect to Proposal No. 3, which covers any other business as may properly come before the Special Meeting or any adjournments thereof, the approval or disapproval of a motion on any such business will be determined by a majority of the votes cast at the Special Meeting. As of the date hereof we do not know of any other matters that will come before the Special Meeting.

 

No Dissenters Rights

 

The proposed corporate actions on which the stockholders are being asked to vote are not corporate actions for which stockholders of a Nevada corporation have the right to dissent under Chapters 87 or 92A of the Nevada Revised Statutes.

 

Proposals by Security Holders

 

No stockholder has requested that we include any additional proposals in this Information Statement or otherwise requested that any proposals be submitted to the stockholders at the Special Meeting.

 

Meeting Materials

 

We are mailing the Meeting Materials to you. You can also review and download a copy of the Meeting Materials by going to the website at https://www.rdgir.com/vegalab/news .

 

As noted above, we are NOT soliciting proxies to vote at this Special Meeting of stockholders. Stockholders who wish to vote must either attend the meeting or on their own accord designate a proxy to attend the Special Meeting and vote on their behalf.

 

If you are a stockholder of record, you may vote in person at the Special Meeting and ballots will be distributed at the meeting. If you are not a stockholder of record, but own shares through a brokerage account or other nominee relationship, you must present authorization from the broker or nominee to cast your vote. A copy of your most recent brokerage account statement showing your ownership of the Company’s shares would be sufficient.

 

Cost of the Meeting.

 

The Company is not soliciting proxies for this meeting and therefore the Company is not bearing the cost of soliciting any proxies. The Company is bearing the cost of preparing Meeting Materials, making the Meeting Materials available to stockholders, and of holding the Special Meeting as described herein.

 

Forward-Looking Statements

 

This Information Statement may contain certain “forward-looking” statements as such term is defined by the Securities and Exchange Commission in its rules, regulations and releases, which represent the Company’s expectations or beliefs, including but not limited to, statements concerning the Company’s operations, economic performance, financial condition, growth and acquisition strategies, investments, and future operational plans. For this purpose, any statements contained herein that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, words such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “intent,” “could,” “estimate,” “might,” “plan,” “predict” or “continue” or the negative or other variations thereof or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements. This information may involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by any forward-looking statements. Actual events or results may differ materially from those discussed in forward-looking statements as a result of various factors and matters described in this Information Statement. In light of these risks and uncertainties, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking statements contained in this Information Statement will in fact occur.

 

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SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT

 

Security Ownership of Management

 

As of the Record Date the Company had 20,856,224 shares of its common stock issued and outstanding. The following table sets forth the beneficial ownership of the Company’s common stock as of the Record Date by each person who is known to the Company as the beneficial holder of 5% of any class of the Company’s common stock, each person who serves as a director or an executive officer of the Company, and the number of shares beneficially owned by all of the Company’s directors and named executive officers as a group:

 

5% Beneficial Owners (excluding officers and directors)   Number of Shares
Beneficially Owned (1)
  Percent of
Class (1)
         

David D. Selakovic

636 U.S. Highway 1, Ste. 110

North Palm Beach, FL 33408

  15,661,000   75.1
         
Directors and Officers        
         
David D. Selakovic   15,661,000   75.1
Craig S. Laughlin   500,000   2.4
         
All directors and named executive officers as a group (2 persons)   16,161,000   77.5

 

(1)         The Company believes that each stockholder has sole voting and investment power with respect to the shares of common stock listed, except as otherwise noted. The number of shares beneficially owned by each stockholder is determined under rules of the SEC, and the information is not necessarily indicative of ownership for any other purpose. Under these rules, beneficial ownership includes (a) any shares as to which the person has sole or shared voting power or investment power, and (b) any shares that the individual has the right to acquire within 60 days after the Record Date through the exercise of any stock option, warrant, conversion of preferred stock or other right, but such shares are deemed to be outstanding only for the purposes of computing the percentage ownership of the person that beneficially owns such shares and not for any other person shown in the table. The inclusion herein of any shares of common stock deemed beneficially owned does not constitute an admission by such stockholder of beneficial ownership of those shares of common stock. All percentage calculations are based on 20,856,224 shares of common stock issued and outstanding on the Record Date.

 

STOCKHOLDER PROPOSALS

 

Our Bylaws provide that at any special meeting of stockholders only such business shall be conducted as shall have been properly brought before the meeting. To be properly brought before a special meeting, business must be specified in the Notice of Meeting given by or at the direction of the Board of Directors, otherwise properly brought before the meeting by or at the direction of the Board of Directors, or otherwise properly brought before the meeting by a stockholder. For business to be properly brought before a special meeting by a stockholder, including the nomination of a person for election as a director, the stockholder must have given timely notice thereof in writing to the corporate Secretary of HPC. To be timely, a stockholder's notice must be delivered to, or mailed and received at, the principal executive offices of HPC not less than 30 days in advance of the date that the Company begins printing its notice of the special meeting to be disseminated to stockholders. A stockholder's notice to the Secretary shall state as to each matter the stockholder proposes to bring before the special meeting:

 

· a brief description of the business desired to be brought before the special meeting and the reasons for conducting such business at the special meeting;
· the name and record address of the stockholder proposing such business;
· the class and numbers of shares of HPC, which are beneficially owned by the stockholder; and
· any material interest of the stockholder in such business.

 

Notwithstanding anything in the Bylaws to the contrary, no business shall be conducted at a special meeting except in accordance with the procedures described above.

 

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PROPOSAL NO. 1

AMEND THE ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION TO

CHANGE THE NAME OF HPC TO “VEGALAB, INC.”

 

On August 21, 2017, our Board adopted a resolution to approve an amendment to our Articles of Incorporation to change our name to “Vegalab, Inc.” The Board believes the change of our name will be in our best interests as the new name better reflects our business as the distributor of Vegalab products in the Western Hemisphere.

 

Specifically, the proposal is to amend Article 1 of the Articles of Incorporation to state the name of the corporation is Vegalab, Inc.

 

The change of name will not affect in any way the validity or transferability of stock certificates outstanding at the time of the name change, our capital structure or the trading of our common stock on the OTC Marketplace. Following implementation of the amendment, stockholders may continue to hold their existing certificates or receive new certificates reflecting the name change by delivering their existing certificates to the Company’s transfer agent. Stockholders should not destroy any stock certificates. Stock certificates should not be delivered until after the name change is effective.

 

In connection with the name change we will change the trading symbol for our common stock. We have given notice of the proposed name change to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) and also applied to FINRA for a new trading symbol. If we obtain clearance from FINRA and the new trading symbol before the Special Meeting, we expect to effectuate the name and symbol change within 10 days after the Special Meeting. If not, we will effectuate the name and symbol change as soon as possible after FINRA clearance and assignment of a new trading symbol.

 

The Board of Directors recommends a vote for the proposal to amend the Articles of Incorporation

to change our name to “Vegalab, Inc.”

 

PROPOSAL NO. 2

APPROVAL OF THE 2017 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN

 

Description of Our 2017 Equity Incentive Plan

 

On February 27, 2017, the Board adopted the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2017 Plan”), an omnibus equity incentive plan pursuant to which the Company may grant cash and equity-linked awards to officers, directors, employees, consultants and others. The Board recommends adoption of the 2017 Plan as a means to offer incentives and attract, motivate and retain and reward persons eligible to participate in the 2017 Plan. Accordingly the Board unanimously approved and adopted the 2017 Plan.

 

Set forth below is a summary of the 2017 Plan, which is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the 2017 Plan, a copy of which is included as Appendix A to this Information Statement.

 

Shares Available

 

The 2017 Plan authorizes issuance of 2,000,000 shares of our common stock, which represents approximately 9.6% of our issued and outstanding common stock as of October 6, 2017, on a fully diluted basis.

 

Administration

 

The 2017 Plan will be administered by one or more committees of directors appointed by the Board or, in the Board’s discretion, by the Board functioning as such committee (the “Committee”). The Committee shall be comprised solely of one or more directors or such number of directors as may be required under applicable law. The Committee may further delegate its authority under the 2017 Plan to another committee of directors, and any such delegate shall be deemed to be a Committee of the 2017 Plan. To the extent permitted by applicable law, the Committee may also delegate to one or more officers of the Company who are also directors its powers under the 2017 Plan that do not involve (a) “insiders” within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act, or (b) a “covered employee” within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”).

 

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All of our directors are officers and none of them are independent directors, as noted above. Accordingly, the Board now serving as the Committee cannot presently be constituted so as to comply with the requirements of Section 162(m) of the Code or Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act, and the Board has determined (as permitted by the 2017 Plan) to administer the 2017 Plan under those circumstances. We expect that when directors join our Board who are independent and not employees or officers we will endeavor to constitute the Committee to meet the foregoing requirements.

 

Eligibility

 

Awards may be granted pursuant to the 2017 Plan only to persons who are employees, consultants, and directors, which includes our officers. Under the 2017 Plan, “Employee” means any person, including an officer or director, employed by the Company or an affiliate. “Consultant” means any individual who is engaged by the Company or any Affiliate to render consulting or advisory services. And “Director” means a member of the Board. As of the Record Date, the approximate number of persons eligible for awards under the 2017 Plan included two persons who are officers and directors and three individual consultants to the Company.

 

Awards

 

The 2017 Plan permits the grant of: (a) stock options, which may be intended as an incentive stock option within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code (an “ISO”) or as a nonqualified stock option (an option not intended to be an ISO); (b) stock appreciation rights (“SARs”); (c) restricted stock; (d) restricted stock units; (e) cash awards; or (f) other awards, including: (i) stock bonuses, performance shares, performance awards, dividend equivalents, or similar rights to purchase or acquire shares, whether at a fixed or variable price or ratio related to the common stock (subject to certain requirements as discussed in the 2017 Plan and in compliance with applicable laws), upon the passage of time, the occurrence of one or more events, or the satisfaction of performance criteria or other conditions, or any combination thereof; or (ii) any similar securities with a value derived from the value of or related to the common stock and/or returns thereon. Of the reserved shares under the 2017 Plan 1,000,000 may be issued as ISOs.

 

The Committee may adopt reasonable counting procedures to ensure appropriate counting, avoid double counting (as, for example, in the case of tandem or substitute awards) and make adjustments in accordance with the 2017 Plan. Any shares of common stock granted in connection with awards other than stock options and SARs shall be counted against this limit as two shares of common stock for every one share of common stock granted in connection with such award. To the extent that an award under the 2017 Plan, in whole or in part, is canceled, expired, forfeited, settled in cash, settled by delivery of fewer shares than the number of shares underlying the award, or otherwise terminated without delivery of shares to the participant, the shares retained by or returned to the Company will not be deemed to have been delivered under the 2017 Plan and will be deemed to remain or to become available under the 2017 Plan. The foregoing adjustments to the share limit of the 2017 Plan are subject to any applicable limitations under Section 162(m) of the Code with respect to awards intended to qualify as performance-based compensation thereunder.

 

The number of shares available for issuance under the 2017 Plan (as well as the number of shares that may be issued as ISOs, and the share limitations set forth below under the heading “— Performance Based Compensation”) are subject to proportionate adjustment by the Committee in the event of any reclassification, recapitalization, stock split (including a stock split in the form of a stock dividend) or reverse stock split, or upon any merger, arrangement, combination, consolidation, or other reorganization, or upon any spin-off, split-up or similar extraordinary dividend distribution in respect of the common stock, or upon any exchange of common stock or other securities of the Company, or upon any similar unusual or extraordinary corporate transaction in respect of the common stock.

 

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Option and SAR Awards . Option and SAR awards granted under the 2017 Plan must have an exercise price or base price of no less than 100% of the fair market value of a share of common stock on the date of grant of the option (or 110% of the fair market value on the date of grant, in the case of ISOs granted to certain ten percent stockholders of the Company). Options and SAR awards shall become exercisable upon such conditions as the Committee may establish in its sole discretion. The exercise price of any option shall be paid in cash or by any of the methods set forth below under the heading “— Consideration for Awards.” Option and SAR awards are exercisable for a period established by the Committee, which in no event shall exceed ten years from the date of grant (five years in the case of ISOs granted to certain ten percent stockholders of the Company). If the Committee does not specify otherwise in an award agreement, upon termination of a participant’s employment or other service to the Company, option and SAR awards shall expire on the earlier of the date of expiration stated in the award agreement, or (a) three months after the last day that the participant is employed by or provides services to the Company or any subsidiary; (b) in the case of a participant whose termination of employment or services is due to death or disability (as defined in the applicable award agreement), twelve months after the last day that the participant is employed by or provides services to the Company or any subsidiary; and (3) immediately upon a participant’s termination for “cause.”

 

Restricted Stock . A participant that is granted restricted stock under the 2017 Plan shall have all of the rights of a shareholder, including the right to vote the shares of restricted stock and the right to receive dividends thereon. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, stock distributed in connection with a stock split or stock dividend, and other property distributed as a dividend, shall be subject to restrictions and a risk of forfeiture to the same extent as the restricted stock with respect to which such stock or other property has been distributed.

 

Restricted Stock Units . At the time an award of restricted stock units is made, the Committee shall determine the period of time during which the restricted stock units shall vest and the timing of settlement. Subject to the 2017 Plan, the applicable award agreement and any other procedures established by the Committee, the Committee may determine to pay dividend equivalent rights with respect to restricted stock units, in which case, the Company shall establish an account for the participant and reflect in that account any cash or stock dividend with respect to the shares of common stock underlying each restricted stock unit. The cash or stock credited to any such account shall be subject to the same vesting conditions as the restricted stock unit to which it relates. Cash or stock dividends may be paid in cash, or at the discretion of the Committee, in shares of common stock having an equivalent fair market value. The participant shall have the right to be paid the amounts or other property credited to such account upon settlement of the subject restricted stock unit. Each participant receiving restricted stock units shall have no rights as a shareholder with respect to such restricted stock units until such time as shares of common stock are issued to the participant.

 

Performance Based Compensation

 

The 2017 Plan provides for the grant of certain awards, the vesting or payment of which may be contingent on the satisfaction of certain performance criteria. Such performance-based awards are designed to be exempt from the limitations of Section 162(m) of the Code, as described below under “—Certain Federal Tax Consequences.” The maximum number of shares that may be issued to any single participant pursuant to options and SARs during any one-year period shall not exceed 200,000 shares, and the maximum number of shares that may be issued to any single participant pursuant to any other awards during any one-year period shall not exceed 100,000 shares. The maximum number of shares of common stock that may be delivered in any calendar year pursuant to performance-based equity awards may not exceed 100,000 shares of common stock, and if paid in cash the fair market value of such shares. The maximum amount that can be paid in any calendar year to any participant pursuant to a cash bonus performance award is $1,000,000.

 

The 2017 Plan includes the following performance criteria that may be used by the Committee when granting performance-based awards, and may be applied alone or in any combination:

 

· net earnings or net income (before or after taxes);
· basic or diluted earnings per share (before or after taxes);
· net revenue or net revenue growth;
· gross revenue;
· gross profit or gross profit growth;
· net operating profit (before or after taxes);
· return on assets, capital, invested capital, equity, or sales;

 

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· cash flow (including, but not limited to, operating cash flow, free cash flow, and cash flow return on capital);
· earnings before or after taxes, interest, depreciation and/or amortization;
· gross or operating margins;
· improvements in capital structure;
· budget and expense management;
· productivity ratios;
· economic value added or other value added measurements;
· share price (including, but not limited to, growth measures and total shareholder return);
· expense targets;
· margins;
· operating efficiency;
· working capital targets;
· enterprise value;
· safety record; and
· completion of acquisitions or business expansion.

 

Fair Market Value

 

Under the 2017 Plan, “Fair Market Value” means the value of our common stock on a given date determined using one of the following criteria applicable to our circumstances at the time. If our common stock is listed on any established stock exchange or a national market system, including without limitation, the New York Stock Exchange or the NASDAQ Stock Market, the fair market value shall be the closing price of a share of common stock (or if no sales were reported the closing price on the date immediately preceding such date) as quoted on such exchange or system on the day of determination. If the common stock is not so listed and quotations for the common stock are published on a quotation service offered by the OTC Markets Group, Inc., the average of the high bid prices and low asked prices over a period of 10 trading days ending on the trading date immediately prior to the Grant Date. In the absence of an established market for the common stock, the fair market value shall be determined in good faith by the Committee and such determination shall be conclusive.

 

Consideration for Awards

 

The purchase price for any award granted under the 2017 Plan or the common stock to be delivered pursuant to any such award, as applicable, may be paid by means of any lawful consideration as determined by the Committee, including, without limitation, one or a combination of the following methods:

 

· cash or by certified or bank check;
· by delivery to the Company of other common stock with a fair market value on the date of delivery equal to the exercise price (or portion thereof) due for the number of shares being acquired,
· by means of attestation whereby the participant identifies for delivery specific shares of common stock that have an aggregate fair market value on the date of attestation equal to the exercise price (or portion thereof) and receives a number of shares of common stock equal to the difference between the number of shares thereby purchased and the number of identified attestation shares of common stock;
· by a “cashless” exercise program established with a broker;
· by reduction in the number of shares of common stock otherwise deliverable upon exercise of the option with a fair market value equal to the aggregate exercise price at the time of exercise;
· by any combination of the foregoing methods; or
· by any other form of legal consideration that may be acceptable to the Committee.

 

In the event that the Committee allows a participant to exercise an award by delivering shares of common stock previously owned by such participant and unless otherwise expressly provided by the Committee, any shares delivered that were initially acquired by the participant from the Company (upon exercise of a stock option or otherwise) must have been owned by the participant at least six months as of the date of delivery (or such other period as may be required by the Committee in order to avoid adverse accounting treatment). Shares of common stock used to satisfy the exercise price of an option shall be valued at their fair market value on the date of exercise. The Company will not be obligated to deliver any shares unless and until it receives full payment of the exercise or purchase price therefor and any related withholding obligations and any other conditions to exercise or purchase, as established from time to time by the Committee, have been satisfied. Unless otherwise expressly provided in the applicable award agreement, the Committee may at any time eliminate or limit a participant’s ability to pay the purchase or exercise price of any award or shares by any method other than cash payment to the Company.

 

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Change in Control

 

Upon a Change in Control (as defined below), each then-outstanding option and SAR shall automatically become fully vested and all restricted stock then outstanding shall automatically fully vest free of restrictions. With respect to performance compensation awards, all incomplete performance periods in respect of such award in effect on the date the Change in Control occurs shall end on the date of such change and the Committee shall (a) determine the extent to which performance goals with respect to each such performance period have been met based upon such audited or unaudited financial information then available as it deems relevant, and (b) cause to be paid to the applicable participant partial or full awards with respect to performance goals for each such performance period based upon the Committee’s determination of the degree of attainment of performance goals or, if not determinable, assuming that the applicable “target” levels of performance have been attained, or on such other basis determined by the Committee. In addition, in the event of a Change in Control, the Committee may in its discretion and upon at least 10 days’ advance notice to the affected persons, cancel any outstanding awards and pay to the holders thereof, in cash or stock, or any combination thereof, the value of such awards based upon the price per share of common stock received or to be received by other stockholders of the Company in the event.

 

For purposes of the 2017 Plan, “Change in Control” shall be deemed to have occurred:

 

· If there is a direct or indirect sale, transfer, conveyance or other disposition (other than by way of merger or consolidation), in one or a series of related transactions, of all or substantially all of the properties or assets of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, to any person that is not a subsidiary of the Company;
· The incumbent directors cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the Board;
· On the date which is 10 business days prior to the consummation of a complete liquidation or dissolution of the Company;
· Any person acquires beneficial ownership of 50% or more (on a fully diluted basis) of either (i) the then outstanding shares of common stock of the Company, taking into account as outstanding for this purpose such common stock issuable upon the exercise of options or warrants, the conversion of convertible stock or debt, and the exercise of any similar right to acquire such common stock (the “Outstanding Company Common Stock”) or (ii) the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities of the Company entitled to vote generally in the election of directors (the “ Outstanding Company Voting Securities ”); or
· Upon the consummation of a reorganization, merger, consolidation, statutory share exchange or similar form of corporate transaction involving the Company that requires the approval of the Company’s shareholders, whether for such transaction or the issuance of securities in the transaction ,unless immediately following such business combination: (i) more than 50% of the total voting power of (A) the entity resulting from such business combination (the “ Surviving Company ”), or (B) if applicable, the ultimate parent entity that directly or indirectly has beneficial ownership of sufficient voting securities eligible to elect a majority of the members of the board of directors (or the analogous governing body) of the Surviving Company (the “ Parent Company ”), is represented by the Outstanding Company Voting Securities that were outstanding immediately prior to such business combination (or, if applicable, is represented by shares into which the Outstanding Company Voting Securities were converted pursuant to such business combination), and such voting power among the holders thereof is in substantially the same proportion as the voting power of the Outstanding Company Voting Securities among the holders thereof immediately prior to the business combination; (ii) no person is or becomes the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of 50% or more of the total voting power of the outstanding voting securities eligible to elect members of the board of directors of the Parent Company (or the analogous governing body) (or, if there is no Parent Company, the Surviving Company); and (iii) at least a majority of the members of the board of directors (or the analogous governing body) of the Parent Company (or, if there is no Parent Company, the Surviving Company) following the consummation of the Business Combination were Board members at the time of the Board’s approval of the execution of the initial agreement providing for such business combination.

 

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Restricted Stock . Restricted stock is generally taxable to the participant as ordinary compensation income on the date that the restrictions lapse (i.e. the date that the stock vests), in an amount equal to the excess of the fair market value of the shares on such date over the amount paid for such stock (if any). If the participant is an employee, this income is subject to withholding for federal income and employment tax purposes. The Company is entitled to an income tax deduction in the amount of the ordinary income recognized by the participant, subject to possible limitations imposed by the Code, including Section 162(m) thereof. Any gain or loss on the participant’s subsequent disposition of the shares will be treated as long-term or short-term capital gain or loss treatment depending on the sales price and how long the stock has been held since the restrictions lapsed. The Company does not receive a tax deduction for any subsequent gain.

 

Participants receiving restricted stock awards may make an election under Section 83(b) of the Code (“Section 83(b) Election”) to recognize as ordinary compensation income in the year that such restricted stock is granted, the amount equal to the excess of the fair market value on the date of the issuance of the stock over the amount paid for such stock. If such an election is made, the recipient recognizes no further amounts of compensation income upon the lapse of any restrictions and any gain or loss on subsequent disposition will be long-term or short-term capital gain or loss to the recipient. The Section 83(b) Election must be made within 30 days from the time the restricted stock is issued.

 

Other Awards . Other awards (such as restricted stock units) are generally treated as ordinary compensation income as and when common stock or cash are paid to the participant upon vesting or settlement of such awards. If the participant is an employee, this income is subject to withholding for income and employment tax purposes. The Company is generally entitled to an income tax deduction equal to the amount of ordinary income recognized by the recipient, subject to possible limitations imposed by the Code, including Section 162(m) thereof.

 

Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code . Under Code Section 162(m), no deduction is allowed in any taxable year of the Company for compensation in excess of $1 million paid to the Company’s “covered employees.” A “covered employee” is the Company’s chief executive officer and the three other most highly compensated officers of the Company other than the chief financial officer. An exception to this rule applies to “qualified performance based compensation,” which generally includes stock options and stock appreciation rights granted under a stockholder approved plan, and other forms of equity incentives, the vesting or payment of which is contingent upon the satisfaction of certain stockholder approved performance goals. The Company intends that the 2016 Plan allow for the grant of options and stock appreciation rights that may be treated as “qualified performance based compensation” that is exempt from the limitations of Code Section 162(m), and for the grant of other performance-based awards that may be treated as “qualified performance based compensation,” but it makes no assurance that either such type of award will be so treated.

 

Certain Federal Tax Consequences

 

The following summary of the federal income tax consequences of the 2017 Plan transactions is based upon federal income tax laws in effect on the date of this Information Statement. This summary does not purport to be complete, and does not discuss state, local or non-U.S. tax consequences.

 

Nonqualified Stock Options . The grant of a nonqualified stock option under the 2017 Plan will not result in any federal income tax consequences to the participant or to the Company. Upon exercise of a nonqualified stock option, the participant will recognize ordinary compensation income equal to the excess of the fair market value of the shares of common stock at the time of exercise over the option exercise price. If the participant is an employee, this income is subject to withholding for federal income and employment tax purposes. The Company is entitled to an income tax deduction in the amount of the income recognized by the participant, subject to possible limitations imposed by the Code, including Section 162(m) thereof. Any gain or loss on the participant’s subsequent disposition of the shares will be treated as long-term or short-term capital gain or loss, depending on the sales proceeds received and whether the shares are held for more than one year following exercise. The Company does not receive a tax deduction for any subsequent capital gain.

 

  9  

 

 

Incentive Options . The grant of an ISO under the 2017 Plan will not result in any federal income tax consequences to the participant or to the Company. A participant recognizes no federal taxable income upon exercising an ISO (subject to the alternative minimum tax rules and related adjustments), and the Company receives no deduction at the time of exercise. In the event of a disposition of stock acquired upon exercise of an ISO, the tax consequences depend upon how long the participant has held the shares. If the participant does not dispose of the shares within two years after the ISO was granted, nor within one year after the ISO was exercised, the participant will recognize a long-term capital gain (or loss) equal to the difference between the sale price of the shares and the exercise price. The Company is not entitled to any deduction under these circumstances.

 

If the participant fails to satisfy either of the foregoing holding periods (referred to as a “disqualifying disposition”), he or she will recognize ordinary compensation income in the year of the disposition. The amount of ordinary compensation income generally is the lesser of (i) the difference between the amount realized on the disposition and the exercise price or (ii) the difference between the fair market value of the stock at the time of exercise and the exercise price. Such amount is not subject to withholding for federal income and employment tax purposes, even if the participant is an employee of the Company. Any gain in excess of the amount taxed as ordinary income will generally be treated as a short-term capital gain. The Company, in the year of the disqualifying disposition, is entitled to a deduction equal to the amount of ordinary compensation income recognized by the participant, subject to possible limitations imposed by the Code, including Section 162(m) thereof.

 

Restricted Stock . Restricted stock is generally taxable to the participant as ordinary compensation income on the date that the restrictions lapse (i.e. the date that the stock vests), in an amount equal to the excess of the fair market value of the shares on such date over the amount paid for such stock (if any). If the participant is an employee, this income is subject to withholding for federal income and employment tax purposes. The Company is entitled to an income tax deduction in the amount of the ordinary income recognized by the participant, subject to possible limitations imposed by the Code, including Section 162(m) thereof. Any gain or loss on the participant’s subsequent disposition of the shares will be treated as long-term or short-term capital gain or loss treatment depending on the sales price and how long the stock has been held since the restrictions lapsed. The Company does not receive a tax deduction for any subsequent gain.

 

Participants receiving restricted stock awards may make an election under Section 83(b) of the Code (“Section 83(b) Election”) to recognize as ordinary compensation income in the year that such restricted stock is granted, the amount equal to the excess of the fair market value on the date of the issuance of the stock over the amount paid for such stock. If such an election is made, the recipient recognizes no further amounts of compensation income upon the lapse of any restrictions and any gain or loss on subsequent disposition will be long-term or short-term capital gain or loss to the recipient. The Section 83(b) Election must be made within 30 days from the time the restricted stock is issued.

 

Other Awards . Other awards (such as restricted stock units) are generally treated as ordinary compensation income as and when common stock or cash are paid to the participant upon vesting or settlement of such awards. If the participant is an employee, this income is subject to withholding for income and employment tax purposes. The Company is generally entitled to an income tax deduction equal to the amount of ordinary income recognized by the recipient, subject to possible limitations imposed by the Code, including Section 162(m) thereof.

 

Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code . Under Code Section 162(m), no deduction is allowed in any taxable year of the Company for compensation in excess of $1 million paid to the Company’s “covered employees.” A “covered employee” is the Company’s chief executive officer and the three other most highly compensated officers of the Company other than the chief financial officer. An exception to this rule applies to “qualified performance based compensation,” which generally includes stock options and stock appreciation rights granted under a stockholder approved plan, and other forms of equity incentives, the vesting or payment of which is contingent upon the satisfaction of certain stockholder approved performance goals. The Company intends that the 2017 Plan allow for the grant of options and stock appreciation rights that may be treated as “qualified performance based compensation” that is exempt from the limitations of Code Section 162(m), and for the grant of other performance-based awards that may be treated as “qualified performance based compensation,” but it makes no assurance that either such type of award will be so treated.

 

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New Plan Benefits

 

SEC rules require us to disclose any amounts that we currently are able to determine will be allocated to our named executive officers, directors and other employees following approval of the 2017 Plan. No plan or arrangement has been considered for issuing awards to any of our executive officers, directors, or employees. S et forth below is information on option grants under the 2017 Plan to independent consultants. Awards granted under the 2017 Plan will not vest prior to shareholder approval of the 2017 Plan.

 

Name and Position   Number of Options  
       
Lynn Griffith, Independent Consultant     20,000  
James Halk, Independent Consultant     10,000  
Michael Husted, Independent Consultant     30,000  

 

The board recommends that you vote for approval of the 2017 Equity Incentive P lan and

the reservation of 2,000,000 shares of common stock for issuance thereunder .

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

Information Available

 

Our corporate website is http://www.vegalab.us. We make available on this website, free of charge, access to our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, proxy and information statements and amendments to those materials filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 14 of the Exchange Act as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically submit such material to the SEC. The SEC makes available on its website, free of charge, reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers, such as us, that file electronically with the SEC. The SEC’s website is http://www.sec.gov.

 

Delivery of Documents to Security Holders Sharing an Address

 

Our practice is to send only one set of the Meeting Materials to stockholders who share a single address unless we received contrary instructions from any stockholder at that address. This practice, known as “householding,” is designed to reduce our printing and postage costs. However, we will deliver promptly upon written or oral request a separate copy of the Meeting Materials to a stockholder at a shared address to which a single copy of the Information Statement was delivered. You may make such a written or oral request by sending a written notification stating (i) your name, (ii) your shared address and (iii) the address to which we should direct the additional copy of the Meeting Materials, to Corporate Secretary, HPC Acquisitions, Inc., 636 U.S. Highway 1, Ste. 110, North Palm Beach, FL 33408, telephone (800) 208-1680.

 

If multiple stockholders sharing an address have received one copy of the Meeting Materials or any other corporate mailing and would prefer the Company to mail each stockholder a separate copy of future mailings, you may send mail or e-mail (contact@vegalab.com) notification to the Company’s principal executive offices. Additionally, if current stockholders with a shared address received multiple copies of the Meeting Materials or other corporate mailings and would prefer the Company to mail one copy of future mailings to stockholders at the shared address, notification of such request may also be made by mail or e-mail (contact@vegalab.com) to the Company’s principal executive offices.

 

The above notice and Information Statement are sent by order of the Board of Directors.

 

Craig S. Laughlin, Secretary

October 10, 2017

 

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APPENDIX A

 

VEGALAB 2017 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN

 

1.              Purpose; Eligibility .

 

1.1            General Purpose . The name of this plan is the Vegalab 2017 Equity Incentive Plan (the “ Plan ”). The purposes of the Plan are to (a) enable HPC Acquisitions, Inc., DBA Vegalab US, a Nevada corporation (the “ Company ”), and any Affiliate to attract and retain the types of Employees, Consultants and Directors who will contribute to the Company’s long range success; (b) provide incentives that align the interests of Employees, Consultants and Directors with those of the shareholders of the Company; and (c) promote the success of the Company’s business.

 

1.2            Eligible Award Recipients . The persons eligible to receive Awards are the Employees, Consultants and Directors of the Company and its Affiliates, and such other individuals designated by the Committee who are reasonably expected to become Employees, Consultants and Directors after the receipt of Awards.

 

1.3            Available Awards . Awards that may be granted under the Plan include: (a) Incentive Stock Options, (b) Non-qualified Stock Options, (c) Stock Appreciation Rights, (d) Restricted Awards, (e) Performance Share Awards, and (f) Performance Compensation Awards.

 

2.              Definitions .

 

Affiliate ” means a corporation or other entity that, directly or through one or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by or is under common control with, the Company.

 

Applicable Laws ” means the requirements related to or implicated by the administration of the Plan under applicable state corporate law, United States federal and state securities laws, the Code, any stock exchange or quotation system on which the shares of Common Stock are listed or quoted, and the applicable laws of any foreign country or jurisdiction where Awards are granted under the Plan.

 

Award ” means any right granted under the Plan, including an Incentive Stock Option, a Non-qualified Stock Option, a Stock Appreciation Right, a Restricted Award, a Performance Share Award or a Performance Compensation Award.

 

Award Agreement ” means a written agreement, contract, certificate or other instrument or document evidencing the terms and conditions of an individual Award granted under the Plan, which may, in the discretion of the Company, be transmitted electronically to any Participant. Each Award Agreement shall be subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan.

 

Beneficial Owner ” has the meaning assigned to such term in Rule 13d-3 and Rule 13d-5 under the Exchange Act, except that in calculating the beneficial ownership of any particular “person” (as that term is used in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act), such “person” shall be deemed to have beneficial ownership of all securities that such “person” has the right to acquire by conversion or exercise of other securities, whether such right is currently exercisable or is exercisable only after the passage of time. The terms “Beneficially Owns” and “Beneficially Owned” have a corresponding meaning.

 

Board ” means the Board of Directors of the Company, as constituted at any time.

 

Cause ” means:

 

With respect to any Employee or Consultant:

 

  A- 1  

 

  

(a)           If the Employee or Consultant is a party to an employment or service agreement with the Company or its Affiliates and such agreement provides for a definition of Cause, the definition contained therein; or

 

(b)          If no such agreement exists, or if such agreement does not define Cause: (i) the commission of, or plea of guilty or no contest to, a felony or a crime involving moral turpitude or the commission of any other act involving willful malfeasance or material fiduciary breach with respect to the Company or an Affiliate; (ii) conduct that results in or is reasonably likely to result in harm to the reputation or business of the Company or any of its Affiliates; (iii) gross negligence or willful misconduct with respect to the Company or an Affiliate; or (iv) material violation of state or federal securities laws.

 

(c)          With respect to any Director, a determination by a majority of the disinterested Board members that the Director has engaged in any of the following:

 

(i)          malfeasance in office;

 

(ii)         gross misconduct or neglect;

 

(iii)        false or fraudulent misrepresentation inducing the director’s appointment;

 

(iv)        wilful conversion of corporate funds; or

 

(v)         repeated failure to participate in Board meetings on a regular basis despite having received proper notice of the meetings in advance.

 

The Committee, in its absolute discretion, shall determine the effect of all matters and questions relating to whether a Participant has been discharged for Cause.

 

Change in Control

 

(a)          The direct or indirect sale, transfer, conveyance or other disposition (other than by way of merger or consolidation), in one or a series of related transactions, of all or substantially all of the properties or assets of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, to any Person that is not a subsidiary of the Company;

 

(b)          The Incumbent Directors cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the Board;

 

(c)          The date which is 10 business days prior to the consummation of a complete liquidation or dissolution of the Company;

 

(d)          The acquisition by any Person of Beneficial Ownership of 50% or more (on a fully diluted basis) of either (i) the then outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Company, taking into account as outstanding for this purpose such Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of options or warrants, the conversion of convertible stock or debt, and the exercise of any similar right to acquire such Common Stock (the “ Outstanding Company Common Stock ”) or (ii) the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities of the Company entitled to vote generally in the election of directors (the “ Outstanding Company Voting Securities ”); provided, however , that for purposes of this Plan, the following acquisitions shall not constitute a Change in Control: (A) any acquisition by the Company or any Affiliate, (B) any acquisition by any employee benefit plan sponsored or maintained by the Company or any subsidiary, (C) any acquisition which complies with clauses, (i), (ii) and (iii) of subsection (e) of this definition or (D) in respect of an Award held by a particular Participant, any acquisition by the Participant or any group of persons including the Participant (or any entity controlled by the Participant or any group of persons including the Participant); or

 

  A- 2  

 

 

(e)          The consummation of a reorganization, merger, consolidation, statutory share exchange or similar form of corporate transaction involving the Company that requires the approval of the Company’s shareholders, whether for such transaction or the issuance of securities in the transaction (a “ Business Combination ”), unless immediately following such Business Combination: (i) more than 50% of the total voting power of (A) the entity resulting from such Business Combination (the “ Surviving Company ”), or (B) if applicable, the ultimate parent entity that directly or indirectly has beneficial ownership of sufficient voting securities eligible to elect a majority of the members of the board of directors (or the analogous governing body) of the Surviving Company (the “ Parent Company ”), is represented by the Outstanding Company Voting Securities that were outstanding immediately prior to such Business Combination (or, if applicable, is represented by shares into which the Outstanding Company Voting Securities were converted pursuant to such Business Combination), and such voting power among the holders thereof is in substantially the same proportion as the voting power of the Outstanding Company Voting Securities among the holders thereof immediately prior to the Business Combination; (ii) no Person (other than any employee benefit plan sponsored or maintained by the Surviving Company or the Parent Company) is or becomes the Beneficial Owner, directly or indirectly, of 50% or more of the total voting power of the outstanding voting securities eligible to elect members of the board of directors of the Parent Company (or the analogous governing body) (or, if there is no Parent Company, the Surviving Company); and (iii) at least a majority of the members of the board of directors (or the analogous governing body) of the Parent Company (or, if there is no Parent Company, the Surviving Company) following the consummation of the Business Combination were Board members at the time of the Board’s approval of the execution of the initial agreement providing for such Business Combination.

 

Code ” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as it may be amended from time to time. Any reference to a section of the Code shall be deemed to include a reference to any regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

Committee ” means a committee of one or more members of the Board appointed by the Board (or the entire Board, if no such Committee is appointed) to administer the Plan in accordance with Section 3.3 and Section 3.4.

 

Common Stock ” means the common stock, $0.001 par value per share, of the Company, or such other securities of the Company as may be designated by the Committee from time to time in substitution thereof.

 

Company ” means HPC Acquisitions, Inc., DBA Vegalab US, a Nevada corporation, and any successor thereto.

 

Consultant ” means any individual who is engaged by the Company or any Affiliate to render consulting or advisory services.

 

Continuous Service ” means that the Participant’s service with the Company or an Affiliate, whether as an Employee, Consultant or Director, is not interrupted or terminated. The Participant’s Continuous Service shall not be deemed to have terminated merely because of a change in the capacity in which the Participant renders service to the Company or an Affiliate as an Employee, Consultant or Director or a change in the entity for which the Participant renders such service, provided that there is no interruption or termination of the Participant’s Continuous Service; provided further that if any Award is subject to Section 409A of the Code, this sentence shall only be given effect to the extent consistent with Section 409A of the Code. For example, a change in status from an Employee of the Company to a Director of an Affiliate will not constitute an interruption of Continuous Service. The Committee or its delegate, in its sole discretion, may determine whether Continuous Service shall be considered interrupted in the case of any leave of absence approved by that party, including sick leave, military leave or any other personal or family leave of absence.

 

Covered Employee ” has the same meaning as set forth in Section 162(m)(3) of the Code, as interpreted by IRS Notice 2007-49.

 

Deferred Stock Units (DSUs) ” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.2 hereof.

 

Director ” means a member of the Board.

 

Disability ” means that the Participant is unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment; provided, however, for purposes of determining the term of an Incentive Stock Option pursuant to Section 6.10 hereof, the term Disability shall have the meaning ascribed to it under Section 22(e)(3) of the Code. The determination of whether an individual has a Disability shall be determined under procedures established by the Committee. Except in situations where the Committee is determining Disability for purposes of the term of an Incentive Stock Option pursuant to Section 6.10 hereof within the meaning of Section 22(e)(3) of the Code, the Committee may rely on any determination that a Participant is disabled for purposes of benefits under any long-term disability plan maintained by the Company or any Affiliate in which a Participant participates.

 

  A- 3  

 

 

Disqualifying Disposition ” has the meaning set forth in Section 14.12.

 

Effective Date ” shall mean the date as of which this Plan is adopted by the Board.

 

Employee ” means any person, including an Officer or Director, employed by the Company or an Affiliate; provided, that, for purposes of determining eligibility to receive Incentive Stock Options, an Employee shall mean an employee of the Company or a parent or subsidiary corporation within the meaning of Section 424 of the Code. Mere service as a Director or payment of a director’s fee by the Company or an Affiliate shall not be sufficient to constitute “employment” by the Company or an Affiliate.

 

Exchange Act ” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

Fair Market Value ” means, as of any date, the value of the Common Stock as determined below. If the Common Stock is listed on any established stock exchange or a national market system, including without limitation, the New York Stock Exchange or the NASDAQ Stock Market, the Fair Market Value shall be the closing price of a share of Common Stock (or if no sales were reported the closing price on the date immediately preceding such date) as quoted on such exchange or system on the day of determination. If the Common Stock is not so listed and quotations for the Common Stock are published on a quotation service offered by the OTC Markets Group, Inc., the average of the high bid prices and low asked prices over a period of 10 trading days ending on the trading date immediately prior to the Grant Date. In the absence of an established market for the Common Stock, the Fair Market Value shall be determined in good faith by the Committee and such determination shall be conclusive and binding on all persons.

 

Free Standing Rights ” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.1(a).

 

Good Reason ” means, if an Employee or Consultant is a party to an employment or service agreement with the Company or its Affiliates and such agreement provides for a definition of Good Reason, the definition contained therein.

 

Grant Date ” means the date on which the Committee adopts a resolution, or takes other appropriate action, expressly granting an Award to a Participant that specifies the key terms and conditions of the Award or, if a later date is set forth in such resolution, then such date as is set forth in such resolution.

 

Incentive Stock Option ” means an Option intended to qualify as an incentive stock option within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code.

 

Incumbent Directors ” means individuals who, on the Effective Date, constitute the Board, provided that any individual becoming a Director subsequent to the Effective Date whose election or nomination for election to the Board was approved by a vote of at least two-thirds of the Incumbent Directors then on the Board (either by a specific vote or by approval of the proxy statement of the Company in which such person is named as a nominee for Director without objection to such nomination) shall be an Incumbent Director. No individual initially elected or nominated as a director of the Company as a result of an actual or threatened election contest with respect to Directors or as a result of any other actual or threatened solicitation of proxies by or on behalf of any person other than the Board shall be an Incumbent Director.

 

Negative Discretion ” means the discretion authorized by the Plan to be applied by the Committee to eliminate or reduce the size of a Performance Compensation Award in accord ance with Section 7.4(d)(iv) of the Plan; provided , that , the exercise of such discretion would not cause the Performance Compensation Award to fail to qualify as “performance-based compensation” under Section 162(m) of the Code.

 

Non-Employee Director ” means a Director who is a “non-employee director” within the meaning of Rule 16b-3.

 

Non-qualified Stock Option ” means an Option that by its terms does not qualify or is not intended to qualify as an Incentive Stock Option.

 

Officer ” means a person who is an officer of the Company within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

  A- 4  

 

 

Option ” means an Incentive Stock Option or a Non-qualified Stock Option granted pursuant to the Plan.

 

Optionholder ” means a person to whom an Option is granted pursuant to the Plan or, if applicable, such other person who holds an outstanding Option.

 

Option Exercise Price ” means the price at which a share of Common Stock may be purchased upon the exercise of an Option.

 

Outside Director ” means a Director who is an “outside director” within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Code and Treasury Regulations Section 1.162-27(e)(3) or any successor to such statute and regulation.

 

Participant ” means an eligible person to whom an Award is granted pursuant to the Plan or, if applicable, such other person who holds an outstanding Award.

 

Performance Compensation Award ” means any Award designated by the Committee as a Performance Compensation Award purs uant to Section 7.4 of the Plan.

 

Performance Criteria ” means the criterion or criteria that the Committee shall select for purposes of establishing the Performance Goal(s) for a Performance Period with respect to any Performance Compensation Award under the Plan. The Performance Criteria that will be used to establish the Performance Goal(s) shall be based on the attainment of specific levels of performance of the Company (or Affiliate, division, business unit or operational unit of the Company) and shall be limited to the following:

 

(a)          net earnings or net income (before or after taxes);

 

(b)          basic or diluted earnings per share (before or after taxes);

 

(c)          net revenue or net revenue growth;

 

(d)          gross revenue;

 

(e)          gross profit or gross profit growth;

 

(f)           net operating profit (before or after taxes);

 

(g)          return on assets, capital, invested capital, equity, or sales;

 

(h)          cash flow (including, but not limited to, operating cash flow, free cash flow, and cash flow return on capital);

 

(i)           earnings before or after taxes, interest, depreciation and/or amortization;

 

(j)           gross or operating margins;

 

(k)          improvements in capital structure;

 

(l)            budget and expense management;

 

(m)         productivity ratios;

 

(n)          economic value added or other value added measurements;

 

(o)          share price (including, but not limited to, growth measures and total shareholder return);

 

(p)          expense targets;

 

(q)          margins;

 

(r)           operating efficiency;

 

(s)          working capital targets;

 

(t)           enterprise value;

 

(u)          safety record; and

 

(v)          completion of acquisitions or business expansion.

 

  A- 5  

 

 

Any one or more of the Performance Criteria may be used on an absolute or relative basis to measure the performance of the Company and/or an Affiliate as a whole or any division, business unit or operational unit of the Company and/or an Affiliate or any combination thereof, as the Committee may deem appropriate, or as compared to the performance of a group of comparable companies, or published or special index that the Committee, in its sole discretion, deems appropriate, or the Committee may select Performance Criterion (o) above as compared to various stock market indices. The Committee also has the authority to provide for accelerated vesting of any Award based on the achievement of Performance Goals pursuant to the Performance Criteria specified in this paragraph. To the extent required under Section 162(m) of the Code, the Committee shall, within the first 90 days of a Performance Period (or, if longer or shorter, within the maximum period allowed under Section 162(m) of the Code), define in an objective fashion the manner of calculating the Performance Criteria it selects to use for such Performance Period. In the event that applicable tax and/or securities laws change to permit the Committee discretion to alter the governing Performance Criteria without obtaining shareholder approval of such changes, the Committee shall have sole discretion to make such changes without obtaining shareholder approval.

 

Performance Formula ” means, for a Performance Period, the one or more objective formulas applied against the relevant Performance Goal to determine, with regard to the Performance Compensation Award of a particular Participant, whether all, some portion but less than all, or none of the Performance Compensation Award has been earned for the Performance Period.

 

Performance Goals ” means, for a Performance Period, the one or more goals established by the Committee for the Performance Period based upon the Performance Criteria. The Committee is authorized at any time during the first 90 days of a Performance Period (or, if longer or shorter, within the maximum period allowed under Section 162(m) of the Code), or at any time thereafter (but only to the extent the exercise of such authority after such period would not cause the Performance Compensation Awards granted to any Participant for the Performance Period to fail to qualify as “performance-based compensation” under Section 162(m) of the Code), in its sole and absolute discretion, to adjust or modify the calculation of a Performance Goal for such Performance Period to the extent permitted under Section 162(m) of the Code in order to prevent the dilution or enlargement of the rights of Participants based on the following events:

 

(a)          asset write-downs;

 

(b)          litigation or claim judgments or settlements;

 

(c)          the effect of changes in tax laws, accounting principles, or other laws or regulatory rules affecting reported results;

 

(d)          any reorganization and restructuring programs;

 

(e)          extraordinary, unusual or infrequently occurring items as described in management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations appearing in the Company’s annual report to shareholders for the applicable year;

 

(f)           acquisitions or divestitures;

 

(g)          any other specific unusual or nonrecurring events, or objectively determinable category thereof;

 

(h)          foreign exchange gains and losses; and

 

(i)           a change in the Company’s fiscal year.

 

Performance Period ” means the one or more periods of time not less than one fiscal quarter in duration, as the Committee may select, over which the attainment of one or more Performance Goals will be measured for the purpose of determining a Participant’s right to and the payment of a Performance Compensation Award.

 

Performance Share Award ” means any Award granted pursuant to Section 7.3 hereof.

 

Performance Share ” means the grant of a right to receive a number of actual shares of Common Stock or share units based upon the performance of the Company during a Performance Period, as determined by the Committee.

 

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Permitted Transferee ” means: (a) a member of the Optionholder’s immediate family (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, including adoptive relationships), any person sharing the Optionholder’s household (other than a tenant or employee), a trust in which these persons have more than 50% of the beneficial interest, a foundation in which these persons (or the Optionholder) control the management of assets, and any other entity in which these persons (or the Optionholder) own more than 50% of the voting interests; (b) third parties designated by the Committee in connection with a program established and approved by the Committee pursuant to which Participants may receive a cash payment or other consideration in consideration for the transfer of a Non-qualified Stock Option; and (c) such other transferees as may be permitted by the Committee in its sole discretion.

 

Plan ” means this Vegalab 2017 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended and/or amended and restated from time to time.

 

Related Rights ” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.1(a).

 

Restricted Award ” means any Award granted pursuant to Section 7.2(a).

 

Restricted Period ” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.2(a).

 

Rule 16b-3 ” means Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act or any successor to Rule 16b-3, as in effect from time to time.

 

Securities Act ” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

Stock Appreciation Right ” means the right pursuant to an Award granted under Section 7.1 to receive, upon exercise, an amount payable in cash or shares equal to the number of shares subject to the Stock Appreciation Right that is being exercised multiplied by the excess of (a) the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock on the date the Award is exercised, over (b) the exercise price specified in the Stock Appreciation Right Award Agreement.

 

Stock for Stock Exchange ” has the meaning set forth in Section 6.4.

 

Ten Percent Shareholder ” means a person who owns (or is deemed to own pursuant to Section 424(d) of the Code) stock possessing more than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or of any of its Affiliates.

 

3.              Administration .

 

3.1            Authority of Committee . The Plan shall be administered by the Committee or, in the Board’s sole discretion, by the Board. Subject to the terms of the Plan, the Committee’s charter and Applicable Laws, and in addition to other express powers and authorization conferred by the Plan, the Committee shall have the authority:

 

(a)          to construe and interpret the Plan and apply its provisions;

 

(b)          to promulgate, amend, and rescind rules and regulations relating to the administration of the Plan;

 

(c)          to authorize any person to execute, on behalf of the Company, any instrument required to carry out the purposes of the Plan;

 

(d)          to delegate its authority to one or more Officers of the Company with respect to Awards that do not involve Covered Employees or “insiders” within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act;

 

(e)          to determine when Awards are to be granted under the Plan and the applicable Grant Date;

 

(f)            from time to time to select, subject to the limitations set forth in this Plan, those Participants to whom Awards shall be granted;

 

(g)          to determine the number of shares of Common Stock to be made subject to each Award;

 

(h)          to determine whether each Option is to be an Incentive Stock Option or a Non-qualified Stock Option;

 

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(i)           to prescribe the terms and conditions of each Award, including, without limitation, the exercise price and medium of payment and vesting provisions, and to specify the provisions of the Award Agreement relating to such grant;

 

(j)            to determine the target number of Performance Shares to be granted pursuant to a Performance Share Award, the performance measures that will be used to establish the performance goals, the performance period(s) and the number of Performance Shares earned by a Participant;

 

(k)           to designate an Award (including a cash bonus) as a Performance Compensation Award and to select the Performance Criteria that will be used to establish the Performance Goals;

 

(l)            to amend any outstanding Awards, including for the purpose of modifying the time or manner of vesting, or the term of any outstanding Award; provided, however , that if any such amendment impairs a Participant’s rights or increases a Participant’s obligations under his or her Award or creates or increases a Participant’s federal income tax liability with respect to an Award, such amendment shall also be subject to the Participant’s consent;

 

(m)          to determine the duration and purpose of leaves of absences which may be granted to a Participant without constituting termination of their employment for purposes of the Plan, which periods shall be no shorter than the periods generally applicable to Employees under the Company’s employment policies;

 

(n)           to make decisions with respect to outstanding Awards that may become necessary upon a change in corporate control or an event that triggers anti-dilution adjustments;

 

(o)           to interpret, administer, reconcile any inconsistency in, correct any defect in and/or supply any omission in the Plan and any instrument or agreement relating to, or Award granted under, the Plan; and

 

(p)           to exercise discretion to make any and all other determinations which it determines to be necessary or advisable for the administration of the Plan.

 

The Committee also may modify the purchase price or the exercise price of any outstanding Award, provided that if the modification effects a repricing, shareholder approval shall be required before the repricing is effective.

 

3.2            Committee Decisions Final . All decisions made by the Committee pursuant to the provisions of the Plan shall be final and binding on the Company and the Participants, unless such decisions are determined by a court having jurisdiction to be arbitrary and capricious.

 

3.3            Delegation . The Committee or, if no Committee has been appointed, the Board may delegate administration of the Plan to a committee or committees of one or more members of the Board, and the term “ Committee ” shall apply to any person or persons to whom such authority has been delegated. The Committee shall have the power to delegate to a subcommittee any of the administrative powers the Committee is authorized to exercise (and references in this Plan to the Board or the Committee shall thereafter be to the committee or subcommittee), subject, however, to such resolutions, not inconsistent with the provisions of the Plan, as may be adopted from time to time by the Board. The Board may abolish the Committee at any time and revest in the Board the administration of the Plan. The members of the Committee shall be appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the Board. From time to time, the Board may increase or decrease the size of the Committee, add additional members to, remove members (with or without cause) from, appoint new members in substitution therefor, and fill vacancies, however caused, in the Committee. The Committee shall act pursuant to a vote of the majority of its members or, in the case of a Committee comprised of only two members, the unanimous consent of its members, whether present or not, or by the written consent of the majority of its members and minutes shall be kept of all of its meetings and copies thereof shall be provided to the Board. Subject to the limitations prescribed by the Plan and the Board, the Committee may establish and follow such rules and regulations for the conduct of its business as it may determine to be advisable.

 

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3.4            Committee Composition . Except as otherwise determined by the Board, the Committee shall consist solely of two or more Non-Employee Directors who are also Outside Directors. The Board shall have discretion to determine whether or not it intends to comply with the exemption requirements of Rule 16b-3 and/or Section 162(m) of the Code. However, if the Board intends to satisfy such exemption requirements, with respect to Awards to any Covered Employee and with respect to any insider subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act, the Committee shall be a compensation committee of the Board that at all times consists solely of two or more Non-Employee Directors who are also Outside Directors. Within the scope of such authority, the Board or the Committee may (a) delegate to a committee of one or more members of the Board who are not Outside Directors the authority to grant Awards to eligible persons who are either (i) not then Covered Employees and are not expected to be Covered Employees at the time of recognition of income resulting from such Award or (ii) not persons with respect to whom the Company wishes to comply with Section 162(m) of the Code or (b) delegate to a committee of one or more members of the Board who are not Non-Employee Directors the authority to grant Awards to eligible persons who are not then subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act. Nothing herein shall create an inference that an Award is not validly granted under the Plan in the event Awards are granted under the Plan by a compensation committee of the Board that does not at all times consist solely of two or more Non-Employee Directors who are also Outside Directors.

 

3.5            Indemnification . In addition to such other rights of indemnification as they may have as Directors or members of the Committee, and to the extent allowed by Applicable Laws, the Committee shall be indemnified by the Company against the reasonable expenses, including attorney’s fees, actually incurred in connection with any action, suit or proceeding or in connection with any appeal therein, to which the Committee may be party by reason of any action taken or failure to act under or in connection with the Plan or any Award granted under the Plan, and against all amounts paid by the Committee in settlement thereof ( provided, however , that the settlement has been approved by the Company, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld) or paid by the Committee in satisfaction of a judgment in any such action, suit or proceeding, except in relation to matters as to which it shall be adjudged in such action, suit or proceeding that such Committee did not act in good faith and in a manner which such person reasonably believed to be in the best interests of the Company, or in the case of a criminal proceeding, had no reason to believe that the conduct complained of was unlawful; provided, however , that within 60 days after institution of any such action, suit or proceeding, such Committee shall, in writing, offer the Company the opportunity at its own expense to handle and defend such action, suit or proceeding.

 

4.              Shares Subject to the Plan .

 

4.1           Subject to adjustment in accordance with Section 11, a total of 2,000,000 shares of Common Stock shall be available for the grant of Awards under the Plan; provided that , no more than 1,000,000 shares of Common Stock may be granted as Incentive Stock Options. Additionally, a Director may not be granted Awards covering more than 200,000 shares of Common Stock in any year. Any shares of Common Stock granted in connection with Options and Stock Appreciation Rights shall be counted against this limit as one share for every one Option or Stock Appreciation Right awarded. Any shares of Common Stock granted in connection with Awards other than Options and Stock Appreciation Rights shall be counted against this limit as two shares of Common Stock for every one share of Common Stock granted in connection with such Award. During the terms of the Awards, the Company shall keep available at all times the number of shares of Common Stock required to satisfy such Awards.

 

4.2           Shares of Common Stock available for distribution under the Plan may consist, in whole or in part, of authorized and unissued shares, treasury shares or shares reacquired by the Company in any manner.

 

4.3           Subject to adjustment in accordance with Section 11, no Participant shall be granted, during any one year period, Options to purchase Common Stock and Stock Appreciation Rights with respect to more than 200,000 shares of Common Stock in the aggregate or any other Awards with respect to more than 100,000 shares of Common Stock in the aggregate. If an Award is to be settled in cash, the number of shares of Common Stock on which the Award is based shall not count toward the individual share limit set forth in this Section 4.

 

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4.4           Any shares of Common Stock subject to an Award that is canceled, forfeited or expires prior to exercise or realization, either in full or in part, shall again become available for issuance under the Plan. Any shares of Common Stock that again become available for future grants pursuant to this Section 4.4 shall be added back as one share if such shares were subject to Options or Stock Appreciation Rights and as two shares if such shares were subject to other Awards. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein: shares subject to an Award under the Plan shall not again be made available for issuance or delivery under the Plan if such shares are (a) shares tendered in payment of an Option, (b) shares delivered or withheld by the Company to satisfy any tax withholding obligation, or (c) shares covered by a stock-settled Stock Appreciation Right or other Awards that were not issued upon the settlement of the Award.

 

5.              Eligibility .

 

5.1            Eligibility for Specific Awards . Incentive Stock Options may be granted only to Employees. Awards other than Incentive Stock Options may be granted to Employees, Consultants and Directors, and those individuals whom the Committee determines are reasonably expected to become Employees, Consultants and Directors following the Grant Date.

 

5.2            Ten Percent Shareholders . A Ten Percent Shareholder shall not be granted an Incentive Stock Option unless the Option Exercise Price is at least 110% of the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock at the Grant Date and the Option is not exercisable after the expiration of five years from the Grant Date.

 

6.              Option Provisions . Each Option granted under the Plan shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement. Each Option so granted shall be subject to the conditions set forth in this Section 6, and to such other conditions not inconsistent with the Plan as may be reflected in the applicable Award Agreement. All Options shall be separately designated Incentive Stock Options or Non-qualified Stock Options at the time of grant, and, if certificates are issued, a separate certificate or certificates will be issued for shares of Common Stock purchased on exercise of each type of Option. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall have no liability to any Participant or any other person if an Option designated as an Incentive Stock Option fails to qualify as such at any time or if an Option is determined to constitute “nonqualified deferred compensation” within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code and the terms of such Option do not satisfy the requirements of Section 409A of the Code. The provisions of separate Options need not be identical, but each Option shall include (through incorporation of provisions hereof by reference in the Option or otherwise) the substance of each of the following provisions:

 

6.1            Term . Subject to the provisions of Section 5.2 regarding Ten Percent Shareholders, no Incentive Stock Option shall be exercisable after the expiration of 10 years from the Grant Date. The term of a Non-qualified Stock Option granted under the Plan shall be determined by the Committee; provided, however , no Non-qualified Stock Option shall be exercisable after the expiration of 10 years from the Grant Date.

 

6.2            Exercise Price of an Incentive Stock Option . Subject to the provisions of Section 5.2 regarding Ten Percent Shareholders, the Option Exercise Price of each Incentive Stock Option shall be not less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock subject to the Option on the Grant Date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, an Incentive Stock Option may be granted with an Option Exercise Price lower than that set forth in the preceding sentence if such Option is granted pursuant to an assumption or substitution for another option in a manner satisfying the provisions of Section 424(a) of the Code.

 

6.3            Exercise Price of a Non-qualified Stock Option . The Option Exercise Price of each Non-qualified Stock Option shall be not less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock subject to the Option on the Grant Date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a Non-qualified Stock Option may be granted with an Option Exercise Price lower than that set forth in the preceding sentence if such Option is granted pursuant to an assumption or substitution for another option in a manner satisfying the provisions of Section 409A of the Code.

 

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6.4           Consideration . The Option Exercise Price of Common Stock acquired pursuant to an Option shall be paid, to the extent permitted by applicable statutes and regulations, either (a) in cash or by certified or bank check at the time the Option is exercised or (b) in the discretion of the Committee, upon such terms as the Committee shall approve, the Option Exercise Price may be paid: (i) by delivery to the Company of other Common Stock, duly endorsed for transfer to the Company, with a Fair Market Value on the date of delivery equal to the Option Exercise Price (or portion thereof) due for the number of shares being acquired, or by means of attestation whereby the Participant identifies for delivery specific shares of Common Stock that have an aggregate Fair Market Value on the date of attestation equal to the Option Exercise Price (or portion thereof) and receives a number of shares of Common Stock equal to the difference between the number of shares thereby purchased and the number of identified attestation shares of Common Stock (a “ Stock for Stock Exchange ”); (ii) a “cashless” exercise program established with a broker; (iii) by reduction in the number of shares of Common Stock otherwise deliverable upon exercise of such Option with a Fair Market Value equal to the aggregate Option Exercise Price at the time of exercise; (iv) any combination of the foregoing methods; or (v) in any other form of legal consideration that may be acceptable to the Committee. Unless otherwise specifically provided in the Option, the exercise price of Common Stock acquired pursuant to an Option that is paid by delivery (or attestation) to the Company of other Common Stock acquired, directly or indirectly from the Company, shall be paid only by shares of the Common Stock of the Company that have been held for more than six months (or such longer or shorter period of time required to avoid a charge to earnings for financial accounting purposes). Notwithstanding the foregoing, during any period for which the Common Stock is publicly traded (i.e., the Common Stock is listed on any established stock exchange or a national market system or traded in the over-the-counter market) an exercise by a Director or Officer that involves or may involve a direct or indirect extension of credit or arrangement of an extension of credit by the Company, directly or indirectly, in violation of Section 402(a) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 shall be prohibited with respect to any Award under this Plan.

 

6.5           Transferability of an Incentive Stock Option . An Incentive Stock Option shall not be transferable except by will or by the laws of descent and distribution and shall be exercisable during the lifetime of the Optionholder only by the Optionholder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Optionholder may, by delivering written notice to the Company, in a form satisfactory to the Company, designate a third party who, in the event of the death of the Optionholder, shall thereafter be entitled to exercise the Option.

 

6.6           Transferability of a Non-qualified Stock Option . A Non-qualified Stock Option may, in the sole discretion of the Committee, be transferable to a Permitted Transferee, upon written approval by the Committee to the extent provided in the Award Agreement. If the Non-qualified Stock Option does not provide for transferability, then the Non-qualified Stock Option shall not be transferable except by will or by the laws of descent and distribution and shall be exercisable during the lifetime of the Optionholder only by the Optionholder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Optionholder may, by delivering written notice to the Company, in a form satisfactory to the Company, designate a third party who, in the event of the death of the Optionholder, shall thereafter be entitled to exercise the Option.

 

6.7           Vesting of Options . Each Option may, but need not, vest and therefore become exercisable in periodic installments that may, but need not, be equal. The Option may be subject to such other terms and conditions on the time or times when it may be exercised (which may be based on performance or other criteria) as the Committee may deem appropriate. The vesting provisions of individual Options may vary. No Option may be exercised for a fraction of a share of Common Stock. The Committee may, but shall not be required to, provide for an acceleration of vesting and exercisability in the terms of any Award Agreement upon the occurrence of a specified event.

 

6.8           Termination of Continuous Service . Unless otherwise provided in an Award Agreement or in an employment agreement the terms of which have been approved by the Committee, in the event an Optionholder’s Continuous Service terminates (other than upon the Optionholder’s death or Disability), the Optionholder may exercise his or her Option (to the extent that the Optionholder was entitled to exercise such Option as of the date of termination) but only within such period of time ending on the earlier of (a) the date three months following the termination of the Optionholder’s Continuous Service or (b) the expiration of the term of the Option as set forth in the Award Agreement; provided that , if the termination of Continuous Service is by the Company for Cause, all outstanding Options (whether or not vested) shall immediately terminate and cease to be exercisable. If, after termination, the Optionholder does not exercise his or her Option within the time specified in the Award Agreement, the Option shall terminate.

 

6.9           Extension of Termination Date . An Optionholder’s Award Agreement may also provide that if the exercise of the Option following the termination of the Optionholder’s Continuous Service for any reason would be prohibited at any time because the issuance of shares of Common Stock would violate the registration requirements under the Securities Act or any other state or federal securities law or the rules of any securities exchange or interdealer quotation system, then the Option shall terminate on the earlier of (a) the expiration of the term of the Option in accordance with Section 6.1 or (b) the expiration of a period after termination of the Participant’s Continuous Service that is three months after the end of the period during which the exercise of the Option would be in violation of such registration or other securities law requirements.

 

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6.10         Disability of Optionholder . Unless otherwise provided in an Award Agreement, in the event that an Optionholder’s Continuous Service terminates as a result of the Optionholder’s Disability, the Optionholder may exercise his or her Option (to the extent that the Optionholder was entitled to exercise such Option as of the date of termination), but only within such period of time ending on the earlier of (a) the date 12 months following such termination or (b) the expiration of the term of the Option as set forth in the Award Agreement. If, after termination, the Optionholder does not exercise his or her Option within the time specified herein or in the Award Agreement, the Option shall terminate.

 

6.11         Death of Optionholder . Unless otherwise provided in an Award Agreement, in the event an Optionholder’s Continuous Service terminates as a result of the Optionholder’s death, then the Option may be exercised (to the extent the Optionholder was entitled to exercise such Option as of the date of death) by the Optionholder’s estate, by a person who acquired the right to exercise the Option by bequest or inheritance or by a person designated to exercise the Option upon the Optionholder’s death, but only within the period ending on the earlier of (a) the date 12 months following the date of death or (b) the expiration of the term of such Option as set forth in the Award Agreement. If, after the Optionholder’s death, the Option is not exercised within the time specified herein or in the Award Agreement, the Option shall terminate.

 

6.12         Incentive Stock Option $100,000 Limitation . To the extent that the aggregate Fair Market Value (determined at the time of grant) of Common Stock with respect to which Incentive Stock Options are exercisable for the first time by any Optionholder during any calendar year (under all plans of the Company and its Affiliates) exceeds $100,000, the Options or portions thereof which exceed such limit (according to the order in which they were granted) shall be treated as Non-qualified Stock Options.

 

7.            Provisions of Awards Other Than Options .

 

7.1          Stock Appreciation Rights .  

 

(a)           General. Each Stock Appreciation Right granted under the Plan shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement. Each Stock Appreciation Right so granted shall be subject to the conditions set forth in this Section 7.1, and to such other conditions not inconsistent with the Plan as may be reflected in the applicable Award Agreement. Stock Appreciation Rights may be granted alone (“ Free Standing Rights ”) or in tandem with an Option granted under the Plan (“ Related Rights ”).

 

(b)          Grant Requirements. Any Related Right that relates to a Non-qualified Stock Option may be granted at the same time the Option is granted or at any time thereafter but before the exercise or expiration of the Option. Any Related Right that relates to an Incentive Stock Option must be granted at the same time the Incentive Stock Option is granted.

 

(c)          Term of Stock Appreciation Rights. The term of a Stock Appreciation Right granted under the Plan shall be determined by the Committee; provided, however , no Stock Appreciation Right shall be exercisable later than the tenth anniversary of the Grant Date.

 

(d)          Vesting of Stock Appreciation Rights. Each Stock Appreciation Right may, but need not, vest and therefore become exercisable in periodic installments that may, but need not, be equal. The Stock Appreciation Right may be subject to such other terms and conditions on the time or times when it may be exercised as the Committee may deem appropriate. The vesting provisions of individual Stock Appreciation Rights may vary. No Stock Appreciation Right may be exercised for a fraction of a share of Common Stock. The Committee may, but shall not be required to, provide for an acceleration of vesting and exercisability in the terms of any Stock Appreciation Right upon the occurrence of a specified event.

 

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(e)           Exercise and Payment. Upon exercise of a Stock Appreciation Right, the holder shall be entitled to receive from the Company an amount equal to the number of shares of Common Stock subject to the Stock Appreciation Right that is being exercised multiplied by the excess of (i) the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock on the date the Award is exercised, over (ii) the exercise price specified in the Stock Appreciation Right or related Option. Payment with respect to the exercise of a Stock Appreciation Right shall be made on the date of exercise. Payment shall be made in the form of shares of Common Stock (with or without restrictions as to substantial risk of forfeiture and transferability, as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion), cash or a combination thereof, as determined by the Committee.

 

(f)           Exercise Price. The exercise price of a Free Standing Stock Appreciation Right shall be determined by the Committee, but shall not be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of one share of Common Stock on the Grant Date of such Stock Appreciation Right. A Related Right granted simultaneously with or subsequent to the grant of an Option and in conjunction therewith or in the alternative thereto shall have the same exercise price as the related Option, shall be transferable only upon the same terms and conditions as the related Option, and shall be exercisable only to the same extent as the related Option; provided, however , that a Stock Appreciation Right, by its terms, shall be exercisable only when the Fair Market Value per share of Common Stock subject to the Stock Appreciation Right and related Option exceeds the exercise price per share thereof and no Stock Appreciation Rights may be granted in tandem with an Option unless the Committee determines that the requirements of Section 7.1(b) are satisfied.

 

(g)          Reduction in the Underlying Option Shares. Upon any exercise of a Related Right, the number of shares of Common Stock for which any related Option shall be exercisable shall be reduced by the number of shares for which the Stock Appreciation Right has been exercised. The number of shares of Common Stock for which a Related Right shall be exercisable shall be reduced upon any exercise of any related Option by the number of shares of Common Stock for which such Option has been exercised.

 

7.2            Restricted Awards .

 

(a)           General. A Restricted Award is an Award of actual shares of Common Stock (“ Restricted Stock ”) or hypothetical Common Stock units (“ Restricted Stock Units ”) having a value equal to the Fair Market Value of an identical number of shares of Common Stock, which may, but need not, provide that such Restricted Award may not be sold, assigned, transferred or otherwise disposed of, pledged or hypothecated as collateral for a loan or as security for the performance of any obligation or for any other purpose for such period (the “ Restricted Period ”) as the Committee shall determine. Each Restricted Award granted under the Plan shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement. Each Restricted Award so granted shall be subject to the conditions set forth in this Section 7.2, and to such other conditions not inconsistent with the Plan as may be reflected in the applicable Award Agreement.

 

(b)           Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units. Each Participant granted Restricted Stock shall execute and deliver to the Company an Award Agreement with respect to the Restricted Stock setting forth the restrictions and other terms and conditions applicable to such Restricted Stock. If the Committee determines that the Restricted Stock shall be held by the Company or in escrow rather than delivered to the Participant pending the release of the applicable restrictions, the Committee may require the Participant to additionally execute and deliver to the Company (i) an escrow agreement satisfactory to the Committee, if applicable and (ii) the appropriate blank stock power with respect to the Restricted Stock covered by such agreement. If a Participant fails to execute an agreement evidencing an Award of Restricted Stock and, if applicable, an escrow agreement and stock power, the Award shall be null and void. Subject to the restrictions set forth in the Award, the Participant generally shall have the rights and privileges of a shareholder as to such Restricted Stock, including the right to vote such Restricted Stock and the right to receive dividends; provided that , any cash dividends and stock dividends with respect to the Restricted Stock shall be withheld by the Company for the Participant’s account, and interest may be credited on the amount of the cash dividends withheld at a rate and subject to such terms as determined by the Committee. The cash dividends or stock dividends so withheld by the Committee and attributable to any particular share of Restricted Stock (and earnings thereon, if applicable) shall be distributed to the Participant in cash or, at the discretion of the Committee, in shares of Common Stock having a Fair Market Value equal to the amount of such dividends, if applicable, upon the release of restrictions on such share and, if such share is forfeited, the Participant shall have no right to such dividends.

 

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(c)          Term of Restricted Stock Units. The terms and conditions of a grant of Restricted Stock Units shall be reflected in an Award Agreement. No shares of Common Stock shall be issued at the time a Restricted Stock Unit is granted, and the Company will not be required to set aside a fund for the payment of any such Award. A Participant shall have no voting rights with respect to any Restricted Stock Units granted hereunder. The Committee may also grant Restricted Stock Units with a deferral feature, whereby settlement is deferred beyond the vesting date until the occurrence of a future payment date or event set forth in an Award Agreement (“ Deferred Stock Units ”). At the discretion of the Committee, each Restricted Stock Unit or Deferred Stock Unit (representing one share of Common Stock) may be credited with cash and stock dividends paid by the Company in respect of one share of Common Stock (“ Dividend Equivalents ”). Dividend Equivalents shall be withheld by the Company and credited to the Participant’s account, and interest may be credited on the amount of cash Dividend Equivalents credited to the Participant’s account at a rate and subject to such terms as determined by the Committee. Dividend Equivalents credited to a Participant’s account and attributable to any particular Restricted Stock Unit or Deferred Stock Unit (and earnings thereon, if applicable) shall be distributed in cash or, at the discretion of the Committee, in shares of Common Stock having a Fair Market Value equal to the amount of such Dividend Equivalents and earnings, if applicable, to the Participant upon settlement of such Restricted Stock Unit or Deferred Stock Unit and, if such Restricted Stock Unit or Deferred Stock Unit is forfeited, the Participant shall have no right to such Dividend Equivalents.

 

(d)           Restrictions

 

(i)          Restricted Stock awarded to a Participant shall be subject to the following restrictions until the expiration of the Restricted Period, and to such other terms and conditions as may be set forth in the applicable Award Agreement: (A) if an escrow arrangement is used, the Participant shall not be entitled to delivery of the stock certificate; (B) the shares shall be subject to the restrictions on transferability set forth in the Award Agreement; (C) the shares shall be subject to forfeiture to the extent provided in the applicable Award Agreement; and (D) to the extent such shares are forfeited, the stock certificates shall be returned to the Company, and all rights of the Participant to such shares and as a shareholder with respect to such shares shall terminate without further obligation on the part of the Company.

 

(ii)          Restricted Stock Units and Deferred Stock Units awarded to any Participant shall be subject to (A) forfeiture until the expiration of the Restricted Period, and satisfaction of any applicable Performance Goals during such period, to the extent provided in the applicable Award Agreement, and to the extent such Restricted Stock Units or Deferred Stock Units are forfeited, all rights of the Participant to such Restricted Stock Units or Deferred Stock Units shall terminate without further obligation on the part of the Company and (B) such other terms and conditions as may be set forth in the applicable Award Agreement.

 

(iii)         The Committee shall have the authority to remove any or all of the restrictions on the Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Units and Deferred Stock Units whenever it may determine that, by reason of changes in Applicable Laws or other changes in circumstances arising after the date the Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units or Deferred Stock Units are granted, such action is appropriate.

 

(e)           Restricted Period. With respect to Restricted Awards, the Restricted Period shall commence on the Grant Date and end at the time or times set forth on a schedule established by the Committee in the applicable Award Agreement. No Restricted Award may be granted or settled for a fraction of a share of Common Stock. The Committee may, but shall not be required to, provide for an acceleration of vesting in the terms of any Award Agreement upon the occurrence of a specified event.

 

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(f)           Delivery of Restricted Stock and Settlement of Restricted Stock Units. Upon the expiration of the Restricted Period with respect to any shares of Restricted Stock, the restrictions set forth in Section 7.2(d) and the applicable Award Agreement shall be of no further force or effect with respect to such shares, except as set forth in the applicable Award Agreement. If an escrow arrangement is used, upon such expiration, the Company shall deliver to the Participant, or his or her beneficiary, without charge, the stock certificate evidencing the shares of Restricted Stock which have not then been forfeited and with respect to which the Restricted Period has expired (to the nearest full share) and any cash dividends or stock dividends credited to the Participant’s account with respect to such Restricted Stock and the interest thereon, if any. Upon the expiration of the Restricted Period with respect to any outstanding Restricted Stock Units, or at the expiration of the deferral period with respect to any outstanding Deferred Stock Units, the Company shall deliver to the Participant, or his or her beneficiary, without charge, one share of Common Stock for each such outstanding vested Restricted Stock Unit or Deferred Stock Unit (“ Vested Unit ”) and cash equal to any Dividend Equivalents credited with respect to each such Vested Unit in accordance with Section 7.2(c) hereof and the interest thereon or, at the discretion of the Committee, in shares of Common Stock having a Fair Market Value equal to such Dividend Equivalents and the interest thereon, if any; provided, however , that, if explicitly provided in the applicable Award Agreement, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, elect to pay cash or part cash and part Common Stock in lieu of delivering only shares of Common Stock for Vested Units. If a cash payment is made in lieu of delivering shares of Common Stock, the amount of such payment shall be equal to the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock as of the date on which the Restricted Period lapsed in the case of Restricted Stock Units, or the delivery date in the case of Deferred Stock Units, with respect to each Vested Unit.

 

(g)          Stock Restrictions. Each certificate representing Restricted Stock awarded under the Plan shall bear a legend in such form as the Company deems appropriate.

 

7.3            Performance Share Awards .  

 

(a)           Grant of Performance Share Awards. Each Performance Share Award granted under the Plan shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement. Each Performance Share Award so granted shall be subject to the conditions set forth in this Section 7.3, and to such other conditions not inconsistent with the Plan as may be reflected in the applicable Award Agreement. The Committee shall have the discretion to determine: (i) the number of shares of Common Stock or stock-denominated units subject to a Performance Share Award granted to any Participant; (ii) the performance period applicable to any Award; (iii) the conditions that must be satisfied for a Participant to earn an Award; and (iv) the other terms, conditions and restrictions of the Award.

 

(b)           Earning Performance Share Awards. The number of Performance Shares earned by a Participant will depend on the extent to which the performance goals established by the Committee are attained within the applicable Performance Period, as determined by the Committee. No payout shall be made with respect to any Performance Share Award except upon written certification by the Committee that the minimum threshold performance goal(s) have been achieved.

 

7.4            Performance Compensation Awards .  

 

(a)           General. The Committee shall have the authority, at the time of grant of any Award described in this Plan (other than Options and Stock Appreciation Rights granted with an exercise price equal to or greater than the Fair Market Value per share of Common Stock on the Grant Date), to designate such Award as a Performance Compensation Award in order to qualify such Award as “performance-based compensation” under Section 162(m) of the Code. In addition, the Committee shall have the authority to make an Award of a cash bonus to any Participant and designate such Award as a Performance Compensation Award in order to qualify such Award as “performance-based compensation” under Section 162(m) of the Code.

 

(b)           Eligibility. The Committee will, in its sole discretion, designate within the first 90 days of a Performance Period (or, if longer or shorter, within the maximum period allowed under Section 162(m) of the Code) which Participants will be eligible to receive Performance Compensation Awards in respect of such Performance Period. However, designation of a Participant eligible to receive an Award hereunder for a Performance Period shall not in any manner entitle the Participant to receive payment in respect of any Performance Compensation Award for such Performance Period. The determination as to whether or not such Participant becomes entitled to payment in respect of any Performance Compensation Award shall be decided solely in accordance with the provisions of this Section 7.4. Moreover, designation of a Participant eligible to receive an Award hereunder for a particular Performance Period shall not require designation of such Participant eligible to receive an Award hereunder in any subsequent Performance Period and designation of one person as a Participant eligible to receive an Award hereunder shall not require designation of any other person as a Participant eligible to receive an Award hereunder in such period or in any other period.

 

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(c)          Discretion of Committee with Respect to Performance Compensation Awards. With regard to a particular Performance Period, the Committee shall have full discretion to select the length of such Performance Period (provided any such Performance Period shall be not less than one fiscal quarter in duration), the type(s) of Performance Compensation Awards to be issued, the Performance Criteria that will be used to establish the Performance Goal(s), the kind(s) and/or level(s) of the Performance Goal(s) that is (are) to apply to the Company and the Performance Formula. Within the first 90 days of a Performance Period (or, if longer or shorter, within the maximum period allowed under Section 162(m) of the Code), the Committee shall, with regard to the Performance Compensation Awards to be issued for such Performance Period, exercise its discretion with respect to each of the matters enumerated in the immediately preceding sentence of this Section 7.4(c) and record the same in writing.

 

(d)           Payment of Performance Compensation Awards.

 

(i)           Condition to Receipt of Payment. Unless otherwise provided in the applicable Award Agreement, a Participant must be employed by the Company on the last day of a Performance Period to be eligible for payment in respect of a Performance Compensation Award for such Performance Period.

 

(ii)          Limitation. A Participant shall be eligible to receive payment in respect of a Performance Compensation Award only to the extent that: (A) the Performance Goals for such period are achieved; and (B) the Performance Formula as applied against such Performance Goals determines that all or some portion of such Participant’s Performance Compensation Award has been earned for the Performance Period.

 

(iii)         Certification. Following the completion of a Performance Period, the Committee shall review and certify in writing whether, and to what extent, the Performance Goals for the Performance Period have been achieved and, if so, calculate and certify in writing the amount of the Performance Compensation Awards earned for the period based upon the Performance Formula. The Committee shall then determine the actual size of each Participant’s Performance Compensation Award for the Performance Period and, in so doing, may apply Negative Discretion in accordance with Section 7.4(d)(iv) hereof, if and when it deems appropriate.

 

(iv)        Use of Discretion. In determining the actual size of an individual Performance Compensation Award for a Performance Period, the Committee may reduce or eliminate the amount of the Performance Compensation Award earned under the Performance Formula in the Performance Period through the use of Negative Discretion if, in its sole judgment, such reduction or elimination is appropriate. The Committee shall not have the discretion to (A) grant or provide payment in respect of Performance Compensation Awards for a Performance Period if the Performance Goals for such Performance Period have not been attained or (B) increase a Performance Compensation Award above th e maximum amount payable under Section 7.4(d)(vi) of the Plan.

 

(v)         Timing of Award Payments. Performance Compensation Awards granted for a Performance Period shall be paid to Participants as soon as administratively practicable following completion of the certifications required by this Section 7.4, but in no event later than 2 1/2 months following the end of the fiscal year during which the Performance Period is completed.

 

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(vi)        Maximum Award Payable. Notwithstanding any provision contained in this Plan to the contrary, the maximum Performance Compensation Award payable to any one Participant under the Plan for a Performance Period (excluding any Options and Stock Appreciation Rights) is 100,000 shares of Common Stock or, in the event such Performance Compensation Award is paid in cash, the equivalent cash value thereof on the first or last day of the Performance Period to which such Award relates, as determined by the Committee. The maximum amount that can be paid in any calendar year to any Participant pursuant to a cash bonus Award described in the last sentence of Section 7.4(a) shall be $1,000,000. Furthermore, any Performance Compensation Award that has been deferred shall not (between the date as of which the Award is deferred and the payment date) increase (A) with respect to a Performance Compensation Award that is payable in cash, by a measuring factor for each fiscal year greater than a reasonable rate of interest set by the Committee or (B) with respect to a Performance Compensation Award that is payable in shares of Common Stock, by an amount greater than the appreciation of a share of Common Stock from the date such Award is deferred to the payment date.

 

8.              Securities Law Compliance . Each Award Agreement shall provide that no shares of Common Stock shall be purchased or sold thereunder unless and until (a) any then applicable requirements of state or federal laws and regulatory agencies have been fully complied with to the satisfaction of the Company and its counsel and (b) if required to do so by the Company, the Participant has executed and delivered to the Company a letter of investment intent in such form and containing such provisions as the Committee may require. The Company shall use reasonable efforts to seek to obtain from each regulatory commission or agency having jurisdiction over the Plan such authority as may be required to grant Awards and to issue and sell shares of Common Stock upon exercise of the Awards; provided, however , that this undertaking shall not require the Company to register under the Securities Act the Plan, any Award or any Common Stock issued or issuable pursuant to any such Award. If, after reasonable efforts, the Company is unable to obtain from any such regulatory commission or agency the authority which counsel for the Company deems necessary for the lawful issuance and sale of Common Stock under the Plan, the Company shall be relieved from any liability for failure to issue and sell Common Stock upon exercise of such Awards unless and until such authority is obtained.

 

9.              Use of Proceeds from Stock . Proceeds from the sale of Common Stock pursuant to Awards, or upon exercise thereof, shall constitute general funds of the Company.

 

10.             Miscellaneous .

 

10.1          Acceleration of Exercisability and Vesting . The Committee shall have the power to accelerate the time at which an Award may first be exercised or the time during which an Award or any part thereof will vest in accordance with the Plan, notwithstanding the provisions in the Award stating the time at which it may first be exercised or the time during which it will vest.

 

10.2          Shareholder Rights . Except as provided in the Plan or an Award Agreement, no Participant shall be deemed to be the holder of, or to have any of the rights of a holder with respect to, any shares of Common Stock subject to such Award unless and until such Participant has satisfied all requirements for exercise of the Award pursuant to its terms and no adjustment shall be made for dividends (ordinary or extraordinary, whether in cash, securities or other property) or distributions of other rights for which the record date is prior to the date such Common Stock certificate is issued, except as provided in Section 11 hereof.

 

10.3          No Employment or Other Service Rights . Nothing in the Plan or any instrument executed or Award granted pursuant thereto shall confer upon any Participant any right to continue to serve the Company or an Affiliate in the capacity in effect at the time the Award was granted or shall affect the right of the Company or an Affiliate to terminate (a) the employment of an Employee with or without notice and with or without Cause or (b) the service of a Director pursuant to the By-laws of the Company or an Affiliate, and any applicable provisions of the corporate law of the state in which the Company or the Affiliate is incorporated, as the case may be.

 

10.4          Transfer; Approved Leave of Absence . For purposes of the Plan, no termination of employment by an Employee shall be deemed to result from either (a) a transfer of employment to the Company from an Affiliate or from the Company to an Affiliate, or from one Affiliate to another, or (b) an approved leave of absence for military service or sickness, or for any other purpose approved by the Company, if the Employee’s right to reemployment is guaranteed either by a statute or by contract or under the policy pursuant to which the leave of absence was granted or if the Committee otherwise so provides in writing, in either case, except to the extent inconsistent with Section 409A of the Code if the applicable Award is subject thereto.

 

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10.5          Withholding Obligations . To the extent provided by the terms of an Award Agreement and subject to the discretion of the Committee, the Participant may satisfy any federal, state or local tax withholding obligation relating to the exercise or acquisition of Common Stock under an Award by any of the following means (in addition to the Company’s right to withhold from any compensation paid to the Participant by the Company) or by a combination of such means: (a) tendering a cash payment; (b) authorizing the Company to withhold shares of Common Stock from the shares of Common Stock otherwise issuable to the Participant as a result of the exercise or acquisition of Common Stock under the Award, provided, however , that no shares of Common Stock are withheld with a value exceeding the minimum amount of tax required to be withheld by law; or (c) delivering to the Company previously owned and unencumbered shares of Common Stock of the Company.

 

11.            Adjustments upon Changes in Stock . In the event of changes in the outstanding Common Stock or in the capital structure of the Company by reason of any stock or extraordinary cash dividend, stock split, reverse stock split, an extraordinary corporate transaction such as any recapitalization, reorganization, merger, consolidation, combination, exchange, or other relevant change in capitalization occurring after the Grant Date of any Award, Awards granted under the Plan and any Award Agreements, the exercise price of Options and Stock Appreciation Rights, the maximum number of shares of Common Stock subject to all Awards stated in Section 4 and the maximum number of shares of Common Stock with respect to which any one person may be granted Awards during any period stated in Section 4 and Section 7.4(d)(vi) will be equitably adjusted or substituted, as to the number, price or kind of a share of Common Stock or other consideration subject to such Awards to the extent necessary to preserve the economic intent of such Award. In the case of adjustments made pursuant to this Section 11, unless the Committee specifically determines that such adjustment is in the best interests of the Company or its Affiliates, the Committee shall, in the case of Incentive Stock Options, ensure that any adjustments under this Section 11 will not constitute a modification, extension or renewal of the Incentive Stock Options within the meaning of Section 424(h)(3) of the Code and in the case of Non-qualified Stock Options, ensure that any adjustments under this Section 11 will not constitute a modification of such Non-qualified Stock Options within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code. Any adjustments made under this Section 11 shall be made in a manner that does not adversely affect the exemption provided pursuant to Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act. Further, with respect to Awards intended to qualify as “performance-based compensation” under Section 162(m) of the Code, any adjustments or substitutions will not cause the Company to be denied a tax deduction on account of Section 162(m) of the Code. The Company shall give each Participant notice of an adjustment hereunder and, upon notice, such adjustment shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes.

 

12.            Effect of Change in Control .

 

12.1         Unless otherwise provided in an Award Agreement, notwithstanding any provision of the Plan to the contrary:

 

(a)           In the event of a Change in Control, all Options and Stock Appreciation Rights shall become immediately exercisable with respect to 100% of the shares subject to such Options or Stock Appreciation Rights, and/or the Restricted Period shall expire immediately with respect to 100% of the shares of Restricted Stock or Restricted Stock Units.

 

(b)          With respect to Performance Compensation Awards, in the event of a Change in Control, all incomplete Performance Periods in respect of such Award in effect on the date the Change in Control occurs shall end on the date of such change and the Committee shall (i) determine the extent to which Performance Goals with respect to each such Performance Period have been met based upon such audited or unaudited financial information then available as it deems relevant and (ii) cause to be paid to the applicable Participant partial or full Awards with respect to Performance Goals for each such Performance Period based upon the Committee’s determination of the degree of attainment of Performance Goals or, if not determinable, assuming that the applicable “target” levels of performance have been attained, or on such other basis determined by the Committee.

 

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To the extent practicable, any actions taken by the Committee under the immediately preceding clauses (a) and (b) shall occur in a manner and at a time that allows affected Participants the ability to participate in the Change in Control with respect to the shares of Common Stock subject to their Awards.

 

12.2         In addition, in the event of a Change in Control, the Committee may in its discretion and upon at least 10 days’ advance notice to the affected persons, cancel any outstanding Awards and pay to the holders thereof, in cash or stock, or any combination thereof, the value of such Awards based upon the price per share of Common Stock received or to be received by other shareholders of the Company in the event. In the case of any Option or Stock Appreciation Right with an exercise price (or SAR Exercise Price in the case of a Stock Appreciation Right) that equals or exceeds the price paid for a share of Common Stock in connection with the Change in Control, the Committee may cancel the Option or Stock Appreciation Right without the payment of consideration therefor.

 

12.3         The obligations of the Company under the Plan shall be binding upon any successor corporation or organization resulting from the merger, consolidation or other reorganization of the Company, or upon any successor corporation or organization succeeding to all or substantially all of the assets and business of the Company and its Affiliates, taken as a whole.

 

13.            Amendment of the Plan and Awards .

 

13.1          Amendment of Plan . The Board at any time, and from time to time, may amend or terminate the Plan. However, except as provided in Section 11 relating to adjustments upon changes in Common Stock and Section 13.3, no amendment shall be effective unless approved by the shareholders of the Company to the extent shareholder approval is necessary to satisfy any Applicable Laws. At the time of such amendment, the Board shall determine, upon advice from counsel, whether such amendment will be contingent on shareholder approval.

 

13.2          Shareholder Approval . The Board may, in its sole discretion, submit any other amendment to the Plan for shareholder approval, including, but not limited to, amendments to the Plan intended to satisfy the requirements of Section 162(m) of the Code and the regulations thereunder regarding the exclusion of performance-based compensation from the limit on corporate deductibility of compensation paid to certain executive officers.

 

13.3          Contemplated Amendments . It is expressly contemplated that the Board may amend the Plan in any respect the Board deems necessary or advisable to provide eligible Employees, Consultants and Directors with the maximum benefits provided or to be provided under the provisions of the Code and the regulations promulgated thereunder relating to Incentive Stock Options or to the nonqualified deferred compensation provisions of Section 409A of the Code and/or to bring the Plan and/or Awards granted under it into compliance therewith.

 

13.4          No Impairment of Rights . Rights under any Award granted before amendment of the Plan shall not be impaired by any amendment of the Plan unless (a) the Company requests the consent of the Participant and (b) the Participant consents in writing.

 

13.5          Amendment of Awards . The Committee at any time, and from time to time, may amend the terms of any one or more Awards; provided, however , that the Committee may not affect any amendment that would otherwise constitute an impairment of the rights under any Award unless (a) the Company requests the consent of the Participant and (b) the Participant consents in writing.

 

14.            General Provisions .

 

14.1          Forfeiture Events . The Committee may specify in an Award Agreement that the Participant’s rights, payments and benefits with respect to an Award shall be subject to reduction, cancellation, forfeiture or recoupment upon the occurrence of certain events, in addition to applicable vesting conditions of an Award. Such events may include, without limitation, breach of non-competition, non-solicitation, confidentiality, or other restrictive covenants that are contained in the Award Agreement or otherwise applicable to the Participant, a termination of the Participant’s Continuous Service for Cause, or other conduct by the Participant that is detrimental to the business or reputation of the Company and/or its Affiliates.

 

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14.2           Clawback . Notwithstanding any other provisions in this Plan, any Award which is subject to recovery under any law, government regulation or stock exchange listing requirement, will be subject to such deductions and clawback as may be required to be made pursuant to such law, government regulation or stock exchange listing requirement (or any policy adopted by the Company pursuant to any such law, government regulation or stock exchange listing requirement).

 

14.3           Other Compensation Arrangements . Nothing contained in this Plan shall prevent the Board from adopting other or additional compensation arrangements, subject to shareholder approval if such approval is required; and such arrangements may be either generally applicable or applicable only in specific cases.

 

14.4           Sub-plans . The Committee may from time to time establish sub-plans under the Plan for purposes of satisfying blue sky, securities, tax or other laws of various jurisdictions in which the Company intends to grant Awards. Any sub-plans shall contain such limitations and other terms and conditions as the Committee determines are necessary or desirable. All sub-plans shall be deemed a part of the Plan, but each sub-plan shall apply only to the Participants in the jurisdiction for which the sub-plan was designed.

 

14.5           Deferral of Awards . The Committee may establish one or more programs under the Plan to permit selected Participants the opportunity to elect to defer receipt of consideration upon exercise of an Award, satisfaction of performance criteria, or other event that absent the election would entitle the Participant to payment or receipt of shares of Common Stock or other consideration under an Award. The Committee may establish the election procedures, the timing of such elections, the mechanisms for payments of, and accrual of interest or other earnings, if any, on amounts, shares or other consideration so deferred, and such other terms, conditions, rules and procedures that the Committee deems advisable for the administration of any such deferral program.

 

14.6           Unfunded Plan . The Plan shall be unfunded. Neither the Company, the Board nor the Committee shall be required to establish any special or separate fund or to segregate any assets to assure the performance of its obligations under the Plan.

 

14.7           Recapitalizations . Each Award Agreement shall contain provisions required to reflect the provisions of Section 11.

 

14.8           Delivery . Upon exercise of a right granted under this Plan, the Company shall issue Common Stock or pay any amounts due within a reasonable period of time thereafter. Subject to any statutory or regulatory obligations the Company may otherwise have, for purposes of this Plan, 30 days shall be considered a reasonable period of time.

 

14.9           No Fractional Shares . No fractional shares of Common Stock shall be issued or delivered pursuant to the Plan. The Committee shall determine whether cash, additional Awards or other securities or property shall be issued or paid in lieu of fractional shares of Common Stock or whether any fractional shares should be rounded, forfeited or otherwise eliminated.

 

14.10         Other Provisions . The Award Agreements authorized under the Plan may contain such other provisions not inconsistent with this Plan, including, without limitation, restrictions upon the exercise of the Awards, as the Committee may deem advisable.

 

14.11         Section 409A . The Plan is intended to comply with Section 409A of the Code to the extent subject thereto, and, accordingly, to the maximum extent permitted, the Plan shall be interpreted and administered to be in compliance therewith. Any payments described in the Plan that are due within the “short-term deferral period” as defined in Section 409A of the Code shall not be treated as deferred compensation unless Applicable Laws require otherwise. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Plan, to the extent required to avoid accelerated taxation and tax penalties under Section 409A of the Code, amounts that would otherwise be payable and benefits that would otherwise be provided pursuant to the Plan during the six month period immediately following the Participant’s termination of Continuous Service shall instead be paid on the first payroll date after the six-month anniversary of the Participant’s separation from service (or the Participant’s death, if earlier). Notwithstanding the foregoing, neither the Company nor the Committee shall have any obligation to take any action to prevent the assessment of any excise tax or penalty on any Participant under Section 409A of the Code and neither the Company nor the Committee will have any liability to any Participant for such tax or penalty.

 

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14.12        Disqualifying Dispositions . Any Participant who shall make a “disposition” (as defined in Section 424 of the Code) of all or any portion of shares of Common Stock acquired upon exercise of an Incentive Stock Option within two years from the Grant Date of such Incentive Stock Option or within one year after the issuance of the shares of Common Stock acquired upon exercise of such Incentive Stock Option (a “ Disqualifying Disposition ”) shall be required to immediately advise the Company in writing as to the occurrence of the sale and the price realized upon the sale of such shares of Common Stock.

 

14.13        Section 16 . It is the intent of the Company that the Plan satisfy, and be interpreted in a manner that satisfies, the applicable requirements of Rule 16b-3 as promulgated under Section 16 of the Exchange Act so that Participants will be entitled to the benefit of Rule 16b-3, or any other rule promulgated under Section 16 of the Exchange Act, and will not be subject to short-swing liability under Section 16 of the Exchange Act. Accordingly, if the operation of any provision of the Plan would conflict with the intent expressed in this Section 14.13, such provision to the extent possible shall be interpreted and/or deemed amended so as to avoid such conflict.

 

14.14        Section 162(m) . To the extent the Committee issues any Award that is intended to be exempt from the deduction limitation of Section 162(m) of the Code, the Committee may, without shareholder or grantee approval, amend the Plan or the relevant Award Agreement retroactively or prospectively to the extent it determines necessary in order to comply with any subsequent clarification of Section 162(m) of the Code required to preserve the Company’s federal income tax deduction for compensation paid pursuant to any such Award.

 

14.15        Beneficiary Designation . Each Participant under the Plan may from time to time name any beneficiary or beneficiaries by whom any right under the Plan is to be exercised in case of such Participant’s death. Each designation will revoke all prior designations by the same Participant, shall be in a form reasonably prescribed by the Committee and shall be effective only when filed by the Participant in writing with the Company during the Participant’s lifetime.

 

14.16        Expenses . The costs of administering the Plan shall be paid by the Company.

 

14.17        Severability . If any of the provisions of the Plan or any Award Agreement is held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, whether in whole or in part, such provision shall be deemed modified to the extent, but only to the extent, of such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability and the remaining provisions shall not be affected thereby.

 

14.18        Plan Headings . The headings in the Plan are for purposes of convenience only and are not intended to define or limit the construction of the provisions hereof.

 

14.19        Non-Uniform Treatment . The Committee’s determinations under the Plan need not be uniform and may be made by it selectively among persons who are eligible to receive, or actually receive, Awards. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Committee shall be entitled to make non-uniform and selective determinations, amendments and adjustments, and to enter into non-uniform and selective Award Agreements.

 

15.           Effective Date of Plan . The Plan shall become effective as of the Effective Date, but no Award shall be exercised (or, in the case of a stock Award, shall be granted) unless and until the Plan has been approved by the shareholders of the Company, which approval shall be within 12 months before or after the date the Plan is adopted by the Board.

 

16.           Termination or Suspension of the Plan . The Plan shall terminate automatically on December 31, 2027. No Award shall be granted pursuant to the Plan after such date, but Awards theretofore granted may extend beyond that date. The Board may suspend or terminate the Plan at any earlier date pursuant to Section 13.1 hereof. No Awards may be granted under the Plan while the Plan is suspended or after it is terminated. Unless the Company determines to submit Section 7.4 of the Plan and the definition of “Performance Goal” and “Performance Criteria” to the Company’s shareholders at the first shareholder meeting that occurs in the fifth year following the year in which the Plan was last approved by shareholders (or any earlier meeting designated by the Board), in accordance with the requirements of Section 162(m) of the Code, and such shareholder approval is obtained, then no further Performance Compensation Awards shall be made to Covered Employees under Section 7.4 after the date of such annual meeting, but the Plan may continue in effect for Awards to Participants not in accordance with Section 162(m) of the Code.

 

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17.            Choice of Law . The law of the State of Nevada shall govern all questions concerning the construction, validity and interpretation of this Plan, without regard to such state’s conflict of law rules.

 

As adopted by the Board of Directors of HPC Acquisitions, Inc., on February 27, 2017.

 

As adopted by the Shareholders of HPC Acquisitions, Inc., on ____________ 2017.

 

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