UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE
14A
(Rule
14a-101)
INFORMATION
REQUIRED IN PROXY STATEMENT
SCHEDULE
14A INFORMATION
Proxy
Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Filed
by the Registrant ☒
Filed
by a Party other than the Registrant ☐
Check
the appropriate box:
☐ |
Preliminary
Proxy Statement |
☐ |
Confidential,
for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2)) |
☒ |
Definitive
Proxy Statement |
☐ |
Definitive
Additional Materials |
☐ |
Soliciting
Material Pursuant to §240.14a-12 |
AGEAGLE
AERIAL SYSTEMS INC.
(Name
of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
(Name
of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if Other Than the Registrant)
Payment
of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):
☒
No fee required.
☐
Fee paid previously with preliminary materials.
☐
Fee computed on table in exhibit required by Item 25(b) per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11.
Dear
Fellow Shareholder:
I
would like to directly address the decline in our current share price and the NYSE deficiency notice by sharing our current plan to resolve
the situation and improve the capital market positioning of AgEagle in anticipation of our projected growth in the upcoming year.
First,
I would like to thank you all for your continued support. I, along with the entire AgEagle team, have been working diligently towards
the much-anticipated commercial launch of our new eBee™ VISION, which we accomplished and announced on September 6, 2023.
Since
the launch, the eBee VISION attracted hundreds of prospective new customers to our exhibit at the recent Commercial UAV Expo in
Las Vegas. In addition, I had the pleasure of showcasing the eBee Vision on national television with two live interviews aired
on “Varney & Co.” and “The Big Money Show” on FOX Business News. This national and industry attention is
helping us to optimize the launch of the eBee VISION, which, in turn, is helping to drive strong sales queries and order flow.
We
are all aware that the capital markets have been highly and particularly volatile over the past year and have punished small cap companies
like AgEagle. As a result of the prevailing market conditions, AgEagle’s stock price has steadily fallen – a decline that
has been further exasperated by strong economic headwinds caused mainly by supply chain uncertainties and labor shortages that have impacted
our operations. Nonetheless, we have continued to face these challenges undeterred and managed to significantly reduce our expenses,
develop and engineer new products, and position the Company for long-term growth. Our efforts to effectively optimize our operations
through integration and consolidation of our offices are indeed yielding tangible results, including lowering our net loss, burning less
cash, and aligning our pricing, marketing and innovation strategies to grow revenue.
All
this has not stopped the stock price from falling, but it has catalyzed the team at AgEagle. Although today I cannot control the current
markets conditions that have led the sharp decline in our stock price, what I can do is continue to lead our team to execute the mission
we have set forward and achieve success with the sale of our UAVs, advanced camera systems and our advanced software solutions. On this
subject, I am confident in our growing ability to deliver consistent and predictable financial performance. I believe the stock price
does not reflect the strength and promise of AgEagle, so we are working very hard to show the world our true value.
Recently,
we issued an 8-K in connection with our receipt of a deficiency letter from the NYSE relating to low-priced security listing requirements.
Given the performance of our Common Stock as a low-priced security, the NYSE has granted us six months to bring the stock above the low-price
threshold or to have our Board effect a reverse stock split. For that reason alone, we have filed a proxy notice and statement for a
special shareholder meeting asking our shareholders to vote for a provision that will include a range for a reverse stock split to be
effected by the board, in the event it becomes necessary to do so. This split will allow us to better align the stock price with our
future performance, increase investor awareness, and set the stage for growth as we advance our innovative new platforms, like the new
MicaSense RedEdge Dual and eBee VISION.
The
eBee VISION, as well as our industry leading sensors and software, are critical tools for a variety of industries; and we are
implementing a campaign to increase global awareness to how AgEagle can help to better serve these industries through our pioneering
UAS solutions. Our recent media attention is the just the beginning of this campaign, and AgEagle’s team has been engaged in numerous
live demonstrations and intensive training sessions. It is our intention to demonstrate our advancements to the world. We will enhance
shareholder value through our efforts that bring awareness to innovative new products that we are bringing to market.
I
will close by asking for your continued support and encourage you to vote in favor of the proposals outlined in the proxy materials.
The past 12 months have been stressful, uncertain at times, but you’ve stood by AgEagle, and for that we are very grateful. At
our core, AgEagle is about continually innovating technologies focused on enabling our customers, and we could not achieve that mission
without your support.
Please
carefully consider the proposals and submit your vote as soon as possible.
Sincerely,
Barrett
Mooney,
Chairman
and CEO
AgEagle
Aerial Systems Inc.
AGEAGLE
AERIAL SYSTEMS INC.
8863
E. 34th Street North
Wichita, Kansas 67226
NOTICE
OF SPECIAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
to be held on November 14, 2023
TO
THE SHAREHOLDERS OF AGEAGLE AERIAL SYSTEMS INC.:
This
Special Meeting of the Shareholders (the “Special Meeting”) of AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”),
will be held on November 14, 2023, at 11:00 a.m., local time, 700 NW 1st Avenue, Ste. 1200, Miami, Florida 33136-4118, for the
following purposes:
(1)
To authorize the Board of Directors (the “Board”), at the discretion of the Board, to file an amendment to the Company’s
Articles of Incorporation, as amended to date, to authorize a reverse stock split of the Company’s Common Stock with a ratio in
the range between and including 1-for-10 shares and 1-for-20 shares, for the primary purpose of maintaining the Company’s listing
on NYSE American (the “Reverse Split Proposal”);
(2)
To amend the Company’s 2017 Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan to increase the number of shares of Common Stock authorized for issuance
under the plan from 10,000,000 shares to 15,000,000 shares before the Reverse Split (the “Plan Amendment Proposal”);
and
(3)
To consider and vote upon a proposal to adjourn the Special Meeting to a later date or dates, if necessary, to permit further solicitation
and vote of proxies if, based upon the tabulated vote at the time of the Special Meeting, there are not sufficient votes to approve the
foregoing Proposals (the “Adjournment Proposal”).
We
will also consider any other business that properly comes before the Special Meeting.
Shareholders
of record of the Company’s Common Stock at the close of business on October 6, 2023 are entitled to notice of, and to vote
at, the Special Meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof.
Your
attention is directed to the Proxy Statement accompanying this Notice for a more complete statement of matters to be considered at the
Special Meeting.
We
are pleased to take advantage of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rule that allows companies to furnish proxy materials primarily
over the Internet. We believe that it will expedite shareholders’ receipt of proxy materials, lower costs and reduce the environmental
impact of distributing proxy materials for our Special Meeting. It is anticipated that on or about October 11, 2023, we will commence
mailing to our shareholders (other than those who previously requested electronic or paper delivery) a Notice of Internet Availability
of Proxy Materials (the “Notice”) containing instructions on how to access our proxy materials, including this Proxy Statement
over the Internet. The Notice also includes instructions on how you can receive a paper copy of the proxy materials by mail. If you receive
meeting materials by mail, the Notice, this Proxy Statement and proxy card will be enclosed. If you receive your proxy materials via
e-mail, the e-mail will contain voting instructions and links to this Proxy Statement on the Internet, which is available at https://web.viewproxy.com/uavs/2023.
All
shareholders are cordially invited to attend the meeting. Whether or not you plan to participate in this Special Meeting, your vote is
very important and we encourage you to vote promptly. After reading this Proxy Statement, please promptly mark, sign and date the enclosed
proxy card and return it by following the instructions on the proxy card or voting instruction card or vote by telephone or by Internet.
If you attend the Special Meeting, you will have the right to revoke the proxy and vote your shares in person. If you hold your shares
through an account with a brokerage firm, bank, or other nominee, please follow the instructions you receive from your brokerage firm,
bank, or other nominee to vote your shares.
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By
Order of the Board of Directors, |
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/s/
Barrett Mooney |
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Barrett
Mooney |
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Chairman
of the Board of Directors |
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Dated:
October 10, 2023 |
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AGEAGLE
AERIAL SYSTEMS INC.
8863
E. 34th Street North
Wichita,
Kansas 67226
PROXY
STATEMENT
for
Special
Meeting of Shareholders
to
be held November 14, 2023
PROXY
SOLICITATION
The
Company is soliciting proxies on behalf of the Board of Directors (the “Board”) in connection with the Special Meeting of
the shareholders (the “Special Meeting”) of AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”),
which will be held on November 14, 2023, at 11:00 a.m., local time, at 700 NW 1st Avenue, Ste. 1200, Miami, Florida 33136-4118,
for the following purposes:
(1)
To authorize the Board of Directors (the “Board”), at the discretion of the Board, to file an amendment to the Company’s
Articles of Incorporation, as amended to date, to authorize a reverse stock split of the Company’s Common Stock with a ratio in
the range between and including 1-for-10 shares and 1-for-20 shares, for the primary purpose of maintaining the Company’s listing
on NYSE American (the “Reverse Split Proposal”);
(2)
To amend the Company’s 2017 Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan to increase the number of shares of Common Stock authorized for issuance
under the plan from 10,000,000 shares to 15,000,000 shares before the Reverse Split (the “Plan Amendment Proposal”);
and
(3)
To consider and vote upon a proposal to adjourn the Special Meeting to a later date or dates, if necessary, to permit further solicitation
and vote of proxies if, based upon the tabulated vote at the time of the Special Meeting, there are not sufficient votes to approve the
foregoing Proposals (the “Adjournment Proposal”).
We
will also consider any other business that properly comes before the Special Meeting.
The
Board has set October 6, 2023 as the record date (the “Record Date”) to determine those holders of the Common Stock
who are entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the Special Meeting. A list of the shareholders entitled to vote at the meeting may be
examined at the Company’s office at 8863 E. 34th Street North, Wichita, Kansas 67226 during the 10-day period preceding the Special
Meeting.
It
is anticipated that on or about October 11, 2023, the Company shall commence mailing to all shareholders of record, as of the
Record Date, a Notice of Availability of Proxy Materials (the “Notice”). Please carefully review the Notice for information
on how to access the Notice of Special Meeting and access the Proxy Statement on https://web.viewproxy.com/uavs/2023, in addition to
instructions on how you may request to receive a paper or email copy of these documents. There is no charge to you for requesting a paper
copy of these documents.
IMPORTANT:
Please mark, date, and sign the enclosed proxy card and promptly return it in the accompanying postage-paid envelope or vote by telephone
or by Internet to assure that your shares are represented at the meeting.
IMPORTANT
NOTICE REGARDING THE INTERNET AVAILABILITY OF PROXY MATERIALS FOR THE SPECIAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS TO BE HELD ON NOVEMBER 14,
2023: Our Proxy Statement is enclosed. A complete set of proxy materials relating to our Special Meeting, consisting of the Notice
of the Special Meeting of Shareholders, the Proxy Statement is available on the Internet. The Proxy Statement may be viewed at https://web.viewproxy.com/uavs/2023.
GENERAL
INFORMATION ABOUT VOTING
Proxy
Materials
Why
am I receiving these materials?
The
Board of Directors (the “Board”) of AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc. (the “Company”) has made these proxy materials
available to you on the Internet, or, upon your request, has delivered printed versions of these materials to you by mail, in connection
with the solicitation of proxies for use at the Company’s Special Meeting, which will take place on November 14, 2023, at
11:00 a.m. local time at 700 NW 1st Avenue, Ste. 1200, Miami, Florida 33136-4118.
As
a shareholder, you are invited to participate in the Special Meeting and are requested to vote on the proposals described in this Proxy
Statement. This Proxy Statement includes information that we are required to provide to you under Securities and Exchange Commission
(“SEC”) rules and is designed to assist you in voting your shares.
What
is included in these materials?
The
proxy materials include:
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this
Proxy Statement for the Special Meeting; and |
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the
proxy card or a voting instruction card for the Special Meeting. |
Why
did I receive a notice in the mail regarding the Internet availability of the proxy materials instead of a paper copy of the proxy materials?
In
accordance with rules adopted by the SEC, we may furnish proxy materials, including this Proxy Statement, to our shareholders by providing
access to such documents over the Internet instead of mailing printed copies. Most shareholders will not receive printed copies of the
proxy materials unless they request them. Instead, the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials (“Notice”), which
was mailed to most of our shareholders, will instruct you as to how you may access and review all of the proxy materials on the Internet.
If you would like to receive a paper copy of our proxy materials, you should follow the instructions for requesting such materials in
the Notice.
How
can I access the proxy materials over the Internet?
The
Notice of Internet Availability, proxy card or voting instructions card will contain instructions on how to:
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access
and view our proxy materials for the Special Meeting over the Internet; and |
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how
to vote your shares. |
If
you choose to receive our future proxy materials electronically, it will save us the cost of printing and mailing documents to you and
will reduce the impact of printing and mailing these materials on the environment. If you choose to receive future proxy materials electronically,
you will receive an e-mail next year with instructions containing a link to the website where those materials are available. Your election
to receive proxy materials electronically will remain in effect until you terminate it.
How
may I obtain a paper copy of the proxy materials?
Shareholders
receiving a Notice will find instructions in that notice about how to obtain a paper copy of the proxy materials. Shareholders receiving
a Notice by e-mail will find instructions in that e-mail about how to obtain a paper copy of the proxy materials. Shareholders who have
previously submitted a standing request to receive paper copies of our proxy materials will receive a paper copy of the proxy materials
by mail.
What
shares are included on the proxy card?
If
you are a shareholder of record, you will receive only one proxy card for all the shares you hold of record in certificate form and in
book-entry form.
If
you are a beneficial owner, you will receive voting instructions from your broker, bank or other holder of record.
What
is “householding” and how does it affect me?
We
have adopted a procedure approved by the SEC called “householding.” Under this procedure, shareholders of record who have
the same address and last name and do not participate in electronic delivery of proxy materials will receive only one copy of the Notice
of the Special Meeting of Stockholders and this Proxy Statement, unless we are notified that one or more of these stockholders wishes
to continue receiving individual copies. This procedure will reduce our printing costs and postage fees.
Shareholders
who participate in householding will continue to receive separate proxy cards.
If
you are eligible for householding, but you and other shareholders of record with whom you share an address currently receive multiple
copies of the Notice the Special Meeting of Shareholders and the Proxy Statement, or if you hold stock of the Company in more than one
account, and in either case you wish to receive only a single copy of each of these documents for your household, please contact the
Corporate Secretary of the Company by sending a written request to AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc., Corporate Secretary, 8863 E. 34th Street
North, Wichita, Kansas 67226.
If
you participate in householding and wish to receive, free of charge, a separate copy of the Notice of Special Meeting of Shareholders
and this Statement, or if you do not wish to continue to participate in householding and prefer to receive separate copies of these documents
in the future, please contact the Corporate Secretary of the Company, as set forth above.
If
you are a beneficial owner, you can request information about householding from your broker, bank, or other holder of record.
Voting
Information
What
items of business will be voted on at the Special Meeting?
The
items of business scheduled to be voted on at the Special Meeting are:
(1)
To authorize the Board of Directors (the “Board”), at the discretion of the Board, to file an amendment to the Company’s
Articles of Incorporation, as amended to date, to authorize a reverse stock split of the Company’s Common Stock with a ratio in
the range between and including 1-for-10 shares and 1-for-20 shares, for the primary purpose of maintaining the Company’s listing
on NYSE American (the “Reverse Split Proposal”);
(2)
To amend the Company’s 2017 Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan to increase the number of shares of Common Stock authorized for issuance
under the plan from 10,000,000 shares to 15,000,000 shares before the Reverse Split (the “Plan Amendment Proposal”);
and
(3)
To consider and vote upon a proposal to adjourn the Special Meeting to a later date or dates, if necessary, to permit further solicitation
and vote of proxies if, based upon the tabulated vote at the time of the Special Meeting, there are not sufficient votes to approve the
foregoing Proposals (the “Adjournment Proposal”).
How
does the Board recommend that I vote?
The
Board unanimously recommends that you vote your shares:
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“FOR”
authorizing the Board, at its discretion, to file an amendment to the Company’s Articles of Incorporation, as amended to date,
to authorize a reverse stock split of the Company’s Common Stock with a ratio in the range between and including 1-for-10 shares
and 1-for-20 shares, for the primary purpose of maintaining the Company’s listing on NYSE American (the “Reverse
Split Proposal”); |
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“FOR”
the amendment to 2017 Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan to increase the number of shares of Common Stock authorized for issuance under
the plan from 10,000,000 shares to 15,000,000 shares before the Reverse Split (the “Plan Amendment Proposal”); |
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“FOR”
adjourning the Special Meeting to a later date or dates, if necessary, to permit further solicitation and vote of proxies if, based
upon the tabulated vote at the time of the Special Meeting, there are not sufficient votes to approve the foregoing Proposals (the
“Adjournment Proposal”). |
Who
is entitled to vote at the Special Meeting?
Only
shareholders of record at the close of business on October 6, 2023 (the “Record Date”) will be entitled to vote at
the Special Meeting. As of the Record Date, 117,878,831 shares of the Common Stock were outstanding and entitled to vote. Each
share of Common Stock outstanding on the Record Date is entitled to one vote on each proposal.
Is
there a list of shareholders entitled to vote at the Special Meeting?
The
names of shareholders of record entitled to vote at the Special Meeting will be available for ten days prior to the Special Meeting at
our principal executive offices at 8863 E. 34th Street North, Wichita, Kansas 67226. If you would like to examine the list for any purpose
germane to the Special Meeting prior to the meeting date, please contact our Corporate Secretary.
How
can I vote if I own shares directly?
Most
shareholders do not own shares registered directly in their name, but rather are “beneficial holders” of shares held in a
stock brokerage account or by a bank or other nominee (that is, shares held “in street name”). Those shareholders should
refer to “How can I vote if my shares are held in a stock brokerage account, or by a bank or other nominee?” below for instructions
regarding how to vote their shares.
If,
however, your shares are registered directly in your name with our transfer agent, Equiniti Trust Company, you are considered, with respect
to those shares, the shareholder of record, and these proxy materials are being sent directly to you. You may vote in the following ways:
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By
Mail: Votes may be cast by mail, as long as the proxy card or voting instruction card is delivered in accordance with its
instructions prior to 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on November 13, 2023. Shareholders who have received a paper copy of a proxy
card or voting instruction card by mail may submit proxies by completing, signing, and dating their proxy card or voting instruction
card and mailing it in the accompanying pre-addressed envelope. |
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By
Attending the Meeting: Please follow the instructions in the “How can I participate and vote in the Special Meeting”
section of this proxy statement. |
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By
Phone or Internet: Stockholders may vote by phone or Internet by following the instructions included in the proxy card they
received. Your vote must be received by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time on November 13, 2023 to be counted. If you received a Notice
by mail, you may vote by proxy over the Internet by going to www.fcrvote.com/UAVS to complete an electronic proxy card or vote your
proxy by phone by calling 1 866-402-3905. Have your proxy card available when you access the website or when you call. We provide
Internet and telephone proxy voting to allow you to vote your shares on-line or by phone, with procedures designed to ensure the
authenticity and correctness of your proxy vote instructions. However, please be aware that you must bear any costs or usage charges
from Internet access providers and telephone companies. |
If
you vote by proxy, your vote must be received by 11:59 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time on November 13, 2023, to be counted.
Whichever
method you select to transmit your instructions, the proxy holders will vote your shares in accordance with those instructions. If no
specific instructions are given, the shares will be voted in accordance with the recommendation of our Board and as the proxy holders
may determine in their discretion with respect to any other matters that properly come before the meeting.
How
can I vote if my shares are held in a stock brokerage account, or by a bank or other nominee?
If
your shares are held in a stock brokerage account or by a bank or other nominee, you are considered the “beneficial owner”
of shares held in “street name,” and your broker or nominee is considered the “stockholder of record” with respect
to those shares. Your broker or nominee should be forwarding these proxy materials to you. As the beneficial owner, you have the right
to direct your broker, bank, or other nominee how to vote, and you are also invited to participate in the Special Meeting. However, since
you are not the stockholder of record, you may not vote these shares in person unless you obtain a legal proxy from your brokerage firm
or bank. If a broker, bank, or other nominee holds your shares, you will receive instructions from them that you must follow in order
to have your shares voted.
What
is a quorum for the Special Meeting?
The
presence of the holders of 33-1/3% of the issued and outstanding shares of the Company’s Common Stock entitled to vote as
of the Record Date, represented in person or by proxy, is necessary to constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at the Special
Meeting. Your shares will be counted towards the quorum only if you submit a valid proxy (or one is submitted on your behalf by your
broker) or if you participate in, and vote electronically at, the Special Meeting. Abstentions and broker non-votes will be counted as
present for purposes of determining a quorum.
What
is the voting requirement to approve each of the proposals?
Proposal |
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Vote
Required |
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Broker
Discretionary Voting Allowed |
No.
1 – Approval of a reverse stock split of the Company’s Common Stock with a ratio in the range between and including 1-for-10
shares and 1-for-20 shares, with the final ratio to be determined by the Company’s Board; |
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Affirmative
vote of a majority of votes cast in person or by proxy |
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Yes |
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No.
2 – Approval of the amendment to the Company’s 2017 Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan to increase the number of shares of
Common Stock authorized for issuance under the plan from 10,000,000 shares to 15,000,000 shares before the Reverse
Split; and |
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Affirmative
vote of a majority of votes cast in person or by proxy |
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No |
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No.
3 – Adjourn the Special Meeting to solicit more votes to approve the foregoing Proposals |
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Affirmative
vote of a majority of shares present and entitled to vote in person or by proxy |
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Yes |
What
is the effect of abstentions and broker non-votes?
For
the Reverse Stock Split Proposal and the Plan Amendment Proposal, abstentions and broker non-votes
will not be counted as votes cast and, accordingly, will not have an effect on such matters. For the Adjournment Proposal, abstentions will have the same effect as an “AGAINST” vote while broker
non-votes will not have any effect on the proposal.
If
you are a beneficial owner and hold your shares in “street name” in an account at a bank or brokerage firm, it is critical
that you cast your vote if you want it to count in the vote on the above proposals. Under the rules governing banks and brokers who submit
a proxy card with respect to shares held in “street name,” such banks and brokers have the discretion to vote on routine
matters, but not on non-routine matters. Banks and brokers may not vote any of the proposals being presented at the Special Meeting if
you do not provide specific voting instructions. Accordingly, we encourage you to vote promptly, even if you plan to participate in the
Special Meeting.
Can
I change my vote or revoke my proxy?
Subject
to any rules and deadlines your broker, trustee or nominee may have, you may change your proxy instructions at any time before your proxy
is voted at the Special Meeting. If you are a shareholder of record, you may change your vote by (1) delivering to the Company’s
Corporate Secretary, prior to your shares being voted at Special Meeting, a written notice of revocation dated later than the prior proxy
card relating to the same shares, (2) delivering a valid, later-dated proxy in a timely manner, (3) attending the Special Meeting and
voting electronically (although attendance at the Special Meeting will not, by itself, revoke a proxy), or (4) voting again via phone
or Internet at a later date.
If
you are a beneficial owner of shares held in street name, you may change your vote (1) by submitting new voting instructions to your
broker, trustee or other nominee, or (2) if you have obtained a legal proxy from the broker, trustee or other nominee that holds your
shares giving you the right to vote the shares and provided a copy to our transfer agent and registrar, Equiniti, together with your
email address as described below, by attending the Special Meeting and voting electronically.
Any
written notice of revocation or subsequent proxy card must be received by the Company’s Corporate Secretary prior to the taking
of the vote at the Special Meeting.
Who
will bear the cost of soliciting votes for the Special Meeting?
The
Company will bear the cost of preparing, assembling, printing, mailing, and distributing these proxy materials and soliciting votes.
If you access the proxy materials over the Internet, you are responsible for Internet access charges you may incur. In addition, we will
request banks, brokers and other intermediaries holding shares of our Common Stock beneficially owned by others to obtain proxies from
the beneficial owners and will reimburse them for their reasonable expenses in so doing. Solicitation of proxies by mail may be supplemented
by telephone, by electronic communications and personal solicitation by our Executive Officers, Directors, and employees. No additional
compensation will be paid to our Executive Officers, Directors or employees for such solicitation.
Proxies
with respect to the Special Meeting may be solicited by telephone, by mail on the Internet or in person. AgEagle has engaged Alliance
Advisors to assist in the solicitation of proxies.
Who
Can Answer Your Questions About Voting Your Shares?
If
you are a holder of AgEagle’s shares and have any questions about how to vote or direct a vote in respect of your securities, you
may call Alliance Advisors, AgEagle’s proxy solicitor, at 866-620-1197 (toll free); or email at UAVS@AllianceAdvisors.com.
PROPOSAL
NO. 1
APPROVAL
TO EFFECT A REVERSE SPLIT OF THE COMPANY’S COMMON STOCK
Purpose
of the Reverse Split
On September 12, 2023, the
Company received written notice (the “Notice”) from the NYSE American LLC (the “NYSE American”) stating that
it is not in compliance with the continued listing standard set forth in Section 1003(f)(v) of the NYSE American Company Guide (the “Company
Guide”) because the Company’s shares of common stock have been selling for a substantial period of time at a low price per
share, which NYSE American determined to be a 30-trading day average of less than $0.20 per share.
The primary purpose of the
Reverse Split is to increase the per share price of our Common Stock in order to maintain the listing of our Common Stock on the NYSE
American. Our Board believes that, in addition to increasing the price of our common stock, the Reverse Split would make our Common Stock
more attractive to a broader range of institutional and other investors. Accordingly, for these and other reasons discussed below, we
believe that effecting the Reverse Split is in the Company’s and our stockholders’ best interests. We believe proposing multiple
ratios for the Reverse Split, rather than proposing that stockholders approve a specific ratio at this time, provides the Board with
the most flexibility to achieve the desired results of the Reverse Split. At this time, the Board is seeking approval from the shareholders
to authorize a reverse split in the range between and including 1-for-10 shares and 1-for-20 shares for all outstanding shares with all
fractional shares rounded up to the next whole share.
No further action on the part
of stockholders will be required to implement the Reverse Split, or to select the specific ratio for the Reverse Split. If the Reverse
Split Proposal is approved, the Board would make the determination as to the final ratio of the Reverse Split which will be accomplished
by amending the Company’s Articles of Incorporation (the “Charter Amendment”). See “Procedure for Effecting a
Reverse Split and Exchange of Stock Certificates” below.
Except for adjustments that
may result from the treatment of fractional shares as described below, each stockholder will hold the same percentage of Common Stock
outstanding immediately following the Reverse Split as that stockholder held immediately before the Reverse Split.
Certain
Risks Associated with the Reverse Split
While
the Board believes that the Company’s Common Stock would trade at higher prices after the consummation of the Reverse Split, there
can be no assurance that the increase in the trading price will occur, or, if it does occur, that it will equal or exceed 10 to 20 times
the market price of the Common Stock prior to the Reverse Split. In some cases, the total market value of a company following a reverse
stock split is lower, and may be substantially lower, than the total market value before the reverse stock split. In addition, the fewer
number of shares that will be available to trade could possibly cause the trading market of the Common Stock to become less liquid, which
could have an adverse effect on the price of the Common Stock. The market price of the Common Stock is based on our performance and other
factors, some of which may be unrelated to the number of our shares outstanding. In addition, there can be no assurance that the Reverse
Split will result in a per share price that will attract brokers and investors who do not trade in lower priced stock.
Principal
Effects of the Reverse Split
The
Reverse Split would have the following effects based upon 117,878,831 shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding as of the
Record Date. In the following discussion, we provide examples of the effects of the Reverse Split at the lower-end of the Reverse Split
range and at the higher-end of the Reverse Split range.
If
the Reverse Split is approved at the lower end of the Reverse Split range:
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in
a 1-for-10 Reverse Split, every ten shares of our Common Stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Reverse Split effective
date (the “Old Shares”) owned by a shareholder will automatically and without any action on the part of the shareholders
be converted into one (1) share of our Common Stock (the “New Shares”); and |
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the
number of shares of our Common Stock issued and outstanding will be reduced from 117,878,831 shares to approximately 11,787,883
shares. |
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If
the Reverse Split is approved at the higher end of the Reverse Split range: |
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in
a 1-for-20 Reverse Split, every twenty of our Old Shares owned by a shareholder would be exchanged for one (1) New Share; and |
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the
number of shares of our Common Stock issued and outstanding will be reduced from 117,878,831 shares to approximately 5,893,942
shares. |
The
Reverse Split will be effected simultaneously for all of our outstanding Common Stock and the exchange ratio will be the same for all
of our outstanding Common Stock. The Reverse Split will affect all of our shareholders uniformly and will not affect any shareholder’s
percentage ownership interests in the Company, except to the extent that the Reverse Split results in any of our shareholders owning
a fractional share. As described below, shareholders and holders of options and warrants holding fractional shares will have their shares
rounded up to the nearest whole number. Common Stock issued pursuant to the Reverse Split will remain fully paid and non-assessable.
Fractional
Shares. No scrip or fractional share certificates will be issued in connection with the Reverse Split. Shareholders who otherwise
would be entitled to receive fractional shares because they hold a number of Old Shares not evenly divisible by 1-for-10 or by 1-for-20
Reverse Split ratio, will be entitled, upon surrender of certificate(s) representing these shares, to a number of shares of New Shares
rounded up to the nearest whole number. The ownership of a fractional interest will not give the shareholder any voting, dividend or
other rights except to have his or her fractional interest rounded up to the nearest whole number when the New Shares are issued.
Options
and Warrants. All outstanding options, warrants, notes, debentures and other securities convertible into Common Stock will be adjusted
as a result of the Reverse Split, as required by the terms of these securities. In particular, the conversion ratio for each instrument
will be reduced, and the conversion price or exercise price, if applicable, will be increased, in accordance with the terms of each instrument
and based on the ratio in the range between and including 1-for-10 shares and 1-for-20 shares, with the final ratio to be determined
by the Company’s Board.
Authorized
Shares. The Company is presently authorized under its Articles of Incorporation to issue 250,000,000 shares of Common Stock. Upon
effectiveness of the Reverse Split, the number of authorized shares of Common Stock would remain the same, although the number of shares
of Common Stock issued and outstanding will decrease. Because the number of issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock will decrease,
the number of shares of Common Stock remaining authorized and available for issuance will increase. The issuance in the future of additional
shares of our Common Stock may have the effect of diluting the earnings per share and book value per share, as well as the stock ownership
and voting rights of the currently outstanding shares of our Common Stock. The effective increase in the number of authorized but unissued
and unreserved shares of the Company’s Common Stock may be construed as having an anti-takeover effect as further discussed below.
Authorized but unissued shares will be available for issuance, and we may issue such shares in future financings or otherwise. If we
issue additional shares, the ownership interest of holders of our Common Stock would be diluted. Also, the issued shares may have rights,
preferences or privileges senior to those of our Common Stock.
Impact
of the Reverse Split on Awards Issued under our 2017 Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”). The Company currently
has reserved a total of 10,000,000 shares of Common Stock for issuance as awards to be made under the Plan. As of the date hereof, the
Company has 8,107,790 awards granted under the Plan, and has 1,892,210 shares of Common Stock remaining for future issuance
under the Plan. The aggregate number of shares of Common Stock available under the Plan will be appropriately reduced in the same Reverse
Split ratio as our Common Stock. The effect of the Reverse Split on the awards issued under the Plan based on the range is as follows:
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in
a 1-for-10 Reverse Split, the number of shares previously issued under the award granted under the Plan will be reduced from 8,107,790
to 810,779 and |
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in
a 1-for-20 Reverse Split, the number of shares previously issued under the award granted under the Plan will be reduced from 8,107,790
to 405,390. |
The
effect of the Reverse Split on the shares of Common Stock reserved for issuance under the Plan based on the range is as follows:
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in
a 1-for-10 Reverse Split, the number of shares of Common Stock reserved for issuance under the Plan will be reduced from 1,892,210
to 189,221 with 189,221 shares of Common Stock available for future issuance under the Plan; and |
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in
a 1-for-20 Reverse Split, the number of shares of Common Stock reserved for issuance under the Plan will be reduced from 1,892,210
to 94,611, with 94,611 shares of Common Stock available for future issuance under the Plan. |
If
the Reverse Split is approved, at the lower end of the Reverse Split range, the total authorized number of shares under the Plan will
represent approximately 8.5% of the issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Company as of the date hereof.
If
the Reverse Split is approved, at the higher end of the Reverse Split range, the total authorized number of shares under the Plan will
represent approximately 8.5% of the issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Company as of the date hereof.
Accounting
Matters. The Reverse Split will not affect the par value of our Common Stock. As a result, on the effective date of the Reverse Split,
the stated capital on our balance sheet attributable to our Common Stock will be reduced in proportion to the Reverse Split ratio (that
is, in a 1-for-10 Reverse Split, the stated capital attributable to our Common Stock will be reduced to one-tenth of its existing amount
and in a 1-for-20 Reverse Split, the stated capital attributable to our Common Stock will be reduced to one-twentieth of its existing
amount) and the additional paid-in capital account shall be credited with the amount by which the stated capital is reduced. The per
share net income or loss and net book value of our Common Stock will also be increased because there will be fewer shares of our Common
Stock outstanding.
Potential
Anti-Takeover Effect. Although the increased proportion of unissued authorized shares to issued shares could, under certain circumstances,
have an anti-takeover effect (for example, by permitting issuances that would dilute the stock ownership of a person seeking to effect
a change in the composition of our Board or contemplating a tender offer or other transaction for the combination of the Company with
another company), the Reverse Split was not proposed in response to any effort of which we are aware to accumulate our shares of Common
Stock or obtain control of us, nor is it part of a plan by management to recommend a series of similar actions having an anti-takeover
effect to our Board and shareholders. Other than the Reverse Split, our Board does not currently contemplate recommending the adoption
of any other corporate action that could be construed to affect the ability of third parties to take over or change control of the Company.
The
number of shares held by each individual shareholder will be reduced if the Reverse Split is implemented. This will increase the number
of shareholders who hold less than a “round lot,” or 100 shares. Typically, the transaction costs to shareholders selling
“odd lots” are higher on a per share basis. Consequently, the Reverse Split could increase the transaction costs to existing
shareholders in the event they wish to sell all or a portion of their shares.
The
Company is subject to the periodic reporting and other requirements of the Exchange Act. If the proposed Reverse Split is implemented,
our Common Stock will continue to be reported on The NYSE American under the symbol “UAVS.” We will continue to be subject
to the periodic reporting requirements of the Exchange Act.
Procedure
for Effecting a Reverse Split and Exchange of Stock Certificates
The
Reverse Split will be accomplished by amending the Company’s Articles of Incorporation to effect the split. The Reverse Split will
become effective at such future date and the exact ratio to be as determined by the Board, as evidenced by the filing of an amendment
to the Company’s Articles of Incorporation with the Secretary of State of the State of Nevada (which we refer to as the “Effective
Time”) following the affirmative vote of the Company’s shareholders at the Special Meeting. Beginning at the Effective Time,
each certificate representing Old Shares will be deemed for all corporate purposes to evidence ownership of New Shares. As soon as practicable
after the Effective Time, shareholders will be notified that the Reverse Split has been effected. The Company expects that its transfer
agent, Equiniti Trust, will act as exchange agent for purposes of implementing the exchange of stock certificates. Holders of Old Shares
will be asked to surrender to the exchange agent certificates representing Old Shares in exchange for certificates representing New Shares
in accordance with the procedures to be set forth in the letter of transmittal the Company sends to its shareholders. No new certificates
will be issued to any shareholder until such shareholder has surrendered such shareholder’s outstanding certificate(s), together
with the properly completed and executed letter of transmittal, to the exchange agent. Any Old Shares submitted for transfer, whether
pursuant to a sale, other disposition or otherwise, will automatically be exchanged for New Shares. Equiniti Trust, does not charge a
fee for each certificate issued representing New Shares.
SHAREHOLDERS
SHOULD NOT DESTROY ANY STOCK CERTIFICATE(S)
AND
SHOULD NOT SUBMIT ANY CERTIFICATE(S) UNTIL REQUESTED TO DO SO.
Material
U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences of the Reverse Split
The
following is a general discussion of the material U.S. federal income tax consequences of the Reverse Split to a current shareholder
of the Company that is a U.S. Holder (as defined below), and who holds stock of the Company as a “capital asset,” as defined
in Section 1221 of the Code (generally, property held for investment). This discussion does not purport to be a complete analysis of
all of the potential tax effects of the Reverse Split. Tax considerations applicable to a particular shareholder will depend on that
shareholder’s individual circumstances.
This
discussion is based on provisions of the Code, the Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder (whether final, temporary, or proposed),
administrative rulings of the IRS, and judicial decisions, all as in effect on the date hereof, and all of which are subject to differing
interpretations or change, possibly with retroactive effect. This discussion does not purport to be a complete analysis or listing of
all potential U.S. federal income tax considerations that may apply to a holder as a result of the Reverse Split. In addition, this discussion
does not address all aspects of U.S. federal income taxation that may be relevant to particular holders nor does it take into account
the individual facts and circumstances of any particular holder that may affect the U.S. federal income tax consequences to such holder,
and accordingly, is not intended to be, and should not be construed as, tax advice. This discussion does not address the U.S. federal
3.8% Medicare tax imposed on certain net investment income or any aspects of U.S. federal taxation other than those pertaining to the
income tax, nor does it address any tax consequences arising under any tax laws other than the U.S. federal income tax law, such as gift
or estate tax laws, U.S. state and local, or non-U.S. tax laws.
This
discussion does not address all aspects of U.S. federal income taxation that may be important to holders in light of their individual
circumstances, including holders subject to special treatment under the U.S. tax laws, such as, for example:
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banks
or other financial institutions, underwriters, or insurance companies; |
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traders
in securities who elect to apply a mark-to-market method of accounting; |
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real
estate investment trusts and regulated investment companies; |
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tax-exempt
organizations, qualified retirement plans, individual retirement accounts, or other tax- deferred accounts; |
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expatriates
or former long-term residents of the United States; |
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subchapter
S corporations, partnerships or other pass-through entities or investors in such entities; |
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dealers
or traders in securities, commodities or currencies; |
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grantor
trusts; |
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persons
subject to the alternative minimum tax; |
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U.S.
persons whose “functional currency” is not the U.S. dollar; |
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persons
who received stock of the Company through the issuance of restricted stock under an incentive plan or through a tax-qualified retirement
plan or otherwise as compensation; |
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persons
who own (directly or through attribution) 5% or more (by vote or value) of the outstanding stock of the Company; |
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holders
who hold stock of the Company, as a position in a “straddle,” as part of a “synthetic security” or “hedge,”
as part of a “conversion transaction,” or other integrated investment or risk reduction transaction; or |
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controlled
foreign corporations, passive foreign investment companies, or foreign corporations with respect to which there are one or more United
States shareholders within the meaning of Treasury Regulation Section 1.367(b)-3(b)(1)(ii). |
As
used in this proxy statement/consent solicitation statement/prospectus, the term “U.S. Holder” means a beneficial owner of
stock of the Company that is, for U.S. federal income tax purposes:
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an
individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States; |
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a
corporation (or other entity that is classified as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes) that is created or organized
in or under the laws of the United States or any state thereof or the District of Columbia; |
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an
estate the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income tax regardless of its source; or |
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a
trust (i) if a court within the United States is able to exercise primary supervision over the administration of the trust and one
or more U.S. persons have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust, or (ii) that has a valid election in effect
under applicable Treasury Regulations to be treated as a U.S. person for U.S. federal income tax purposes. |
If
a partnership, including for this purpose any entity or arrangement that is treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes,
holds stock of the Company, the U.S. federal income tax treatment of a partner in such partnership will generally depend on the status
of the partner and the activities of the partner and the partnership. A holder that is a partnership and the partners in such partnership
should consult their own tax advisors with regard to the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the Reverse Split.
The
Reverse Split should constitute a “recapitalization” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As a recapitalization, no gain
or loss should be recognized by a U.S. Holder upon such shareholder’s deemed exchange of Old Shares for New Shares pursuant to
the Reverse Split. A U.S. Holder’s aggregate tax basis of the New Shares received in the Reverse Split should be the same as such
shareholder’s aggregate tax basis in the Old Shares being exchanged, and the holding period of the New Shares should include the
holding period of such shareholder in the Old Shares.
A
U.S. Holder whose fractional shares resulting from the Reverse Split are rounded up to the nearest whole share may recognize gain for
U.S. federal income tax purposes equal to the value of the additional fractional share. The treatment of the exchange of a fractional
share for a whole share in the Reverse Split is not clear under current law and a U.S. Holder may recognize gain for U.S. federal income
tax purposes equal to the value of the additional fraction of a share of Common Stock received by such U.S. Holder.
Because
of the complexity of the tax laws and because the tax consequences to the Company or to any particular shareholder may be affected by
matters not discussed herein, shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisors as to the specific tax consequences to them in
connection with the Reverse Split, including tax reporting requirements, the applicability and effect of non-U.S., U.S. federal, state
and local and other applicable tax laws and the effect of any proposed changes in the tax laws.
Dissenters’
Rights of Appraisal
We
are a Nevada corporation and are governed by the Nevada Revised Statutes. Holders of the Company’s Common Stock will not have appraisal
or dissenter’s rights under Nevada law in connection with the Reverse Split.
Interest
of Certain Persons in Matters to be Acted Upon
No
director, executive officer, associate of any director or executive officer or any other person has any substantial interest, direct
or indirect, by security holdings or otherwise, in the Reverse Split that is not shared by all other shareholders of ours.
Approval
Required for Approval
The
affirmative vote of a majority of votes cast in person or represented by proxy at the Special Meeting is required to approve the
Reverse Split Proposal. Abstentions and broker non-votes will not be counted as votes cast and, accordingly, will have no effect
with respect to the approval of the Reverse Split Proposal.
THE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS THAT YOU VOTE “FOR” THE REVERSE SPLIT PROPOSAL.
PROPOSAL
NO. 2
AMENDMENT
TO AGEAGLE AERIAL SYSTEMS INC. 2017 OMNIBUS EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN
Summary
and Purpose of the Amendment to AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc. 2017 Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan
The
Board of Directors has voted to amend the Company’s 2017 Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) to increase
the number of shares of Common Stock authorized for issuance under the Plan by 5,000,000 shares to 15,000,000 shares.
Increase
in Number of Authorized Shares
The
Plan has been in place since 2017. Currently, there are 10,000,000 shares of Common Stock authorized for issuance under the Plan. However,
as of the date hereof, the Company has 8,107,790 awards granted under the Plan, and only has 1,892,210 shares of Common
Stock remaining for future issuance under the Plan. After the effectiveness of the Reverse Split, there will be only 189,221 shares
of Common Stock available for future issuance under the Plan in the case of a 1-for-10 Reverse Split, and 94,611 shares in the
case of a 1-for-20 Reverse Split. The Board of Directors believes that the Company’s success depends in large part on its ability
to attract, retain, and motivate its executive officers and other key personnel and that grants of awards under the Plan may be a significant
element of compensation for such persons. In addition, as the Company considers future acquisitions it will need flexibility to grant
awards to employees of such companies. The Board of Directors believes that the proposed increase in the number of shares of Common Stock
available for issuance as provided in the Plan will provide the Compensation Committee with greater flexibility in the administration
of the Plan and is appropriate in light of the growth of the Company in order to attract and retain key individuals. Following the proposed
increase, the total authorized number of shares under the Plan will be 1,500,000 shares under the Plan in the case of a 1-for-10
Reverse Split, and 750,000 shares under the Plan in the case of a 1-for-20 Reverse Split which shall represent approximately 12.7%
of the issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Company after the Reverse Split under both scenarios.
The
amendment to the Plan is attached as Appendix A to this Proxy Statement.
Company
2017 Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan
The
2017 Omnibus Equity Plan is a comprehensive incentive compensation plan under which the Company can grant equity-based and other incentive
awards to officers, employees and directors of, and consultants and advisers to, the Company The purpose of the Plan is to help the Company
attract, motivate and retain such persons and thereby enhance shareholder value. The Plan provides for the grant of awards which are
incentive stock options (“ISOs”), non-qualified stock options (“NQSOs”), unrestricted shares, restricted shares,
restricted stock units, performance stock, performance units, SARs, tandem stock appreciation rights, distribution equivalent rights,
or any combination of the foregoing, to key management employees, non-employee directors, and non-employee consultants of the Company
or any of its subsidiaries (each a “participant”) (however, solely Company employees or employees of the Company’s
subsidiaries are eligible for incentive stock option awards). The Company currently has reserved a total of 10,000,000 shares of common
stock for issuance as or under awards to be made under the Plan.
Types
of Stock Awards
The
Plan provides for the grant of incentive stock options and non-qualified stock options. Stock options may be granted to employees, including
officers, non-employee directors and consultants of the Company or its affiliates, except that incentive stock options may be granted
only to employees.
Share
Reserve
The
aggregate number of shares of Common Stock that have been reserved for issuance under the Plan is 10,000,000. As of the Record Date,
there are 8,107,790 awards granted under the Plan, and only has 1,892,210 shares of Common Stock remaining for future issuance
under the Plan. If a stock option award expires, terminates, is canceled or is forfeited for any reason, the number of shares subject
to the stock option award will again be available for issuance. In addition, if stock awards are settled in cash, the share reserve will
be reduced by the number of shares of common stock with a value equal to the amount of the cash distributions as of the time that such
amount was determined and if stock options are exercised using net exercise, the share reserve will be reduced by the gross number of
shares of common stock subject to the exercised portion of the option. We also had no underlying options that have been granted
outside of the Plan.
Administration
The
Board of Directors or a duly authorized committee thereof, has the authority to administer the Plan. Subject to the terms of the Plan,
the Board of Directors or the authorized committee, referred to herein as the committee, determines recipients, dates of grant, the numbers
and types of stock awards to be granted and the terms and conditions of the stock option awards, including the period of exercisability
and vesting schedule applicable to a stock option award. Subject to the limitations set forth below, the committee will also determine
the exercise price and the types of consideration to be paid for the award. The committee has the authority to modify outstanding awards
under the Plan. The committee has the authority to adopt, alter and repeal administrative rules, guidelines and practices governing the
Plan and to perform all other acts, including delegating administrative responsibilities, as it deems advisable to construe and interpret
the terms and provisions of the Plan and any stock option award granted under the Plan. Decisions and interpretations or other actions
by the committee are in the discretion of the committee and are final binding and conclusive on the company and all participants in the
Plan.
Stock
Options
Incentive
stock options and non-qualified stock options are granted pursuant to stock option award agreements adopted by the committee. The committee
determines the exercise price for a stock option, within the terms and conditions of the Plan, provided that the exercise price shall
not be less than (i) in the case of a grant of any NQSO or an ISO to a key employee who at the time of the grant does not own stock representing
more than ten percent (10%) of the total combined voting power of all classes of our stock or of any subsidiary, one hundred percent
(100%) of the fair market value of a share of common stock as determined on the date the stock option award is granted; (ii) in the case
of a grant of an ISO to a key employee who, at the time of grant, owns stock representing more than ten percent (10%) of the total combined
voting power of all classes of our stock or of any subsidiary, one hundred ten percent (110%) of the fair market value of a share of
common stock, as determined on the date the stock option award is granted. The fair market value of the common stock for purposes of
determining the exercise price shall be determined by the committee in accordance with any reasonable method of valuation consistent
with applicable requirements of Federal tax law, including, as applicable, the provisions of Code Section 422(c)(8) and 409A as applicable.
Stock options granted under the Plan will become exercisable at the rate specified by the committee and may be exercisable for restricted
stock, if determined by the committee.
The
committee determines the term of stock options granted under the Plan, up to a maximum of ten years. The option holder’s stock
option agreement shall provide the rights, if any, that such holder has to exercise the stock option at such time that such holder’s
service relationship with us, or any of our affiliates, ceases for any reason, including disability, death, with or without cause, or
voluntary resignation. All unvested stock option awards are forfeited if the participant’s employment or service is terminated
for any reason, unless our compensation committee determines otherwise.
Acceptable
consideration for the purchase of common stock issued upon the exercise of a stock option will be determined by the committee and may
include (i) check, bank draft or money order, or wire transfer, (ii) if the company’s common stock is publicly traded, a broker-assisted
cashless exercise, or (iii) such other methods as may be approved by the committee, including without limitation, the tender of shares
of our common stock previously owned by the option holder or a net exercise of the option.
Unless
the committee provides otherwise, options generally are not transferable except by will, the laws of descent and distribution. The committee
may provide that a non-qualified stock option may be transferred to a family member, as such term is defined under the applicable securities
laws.
Tax
Limitations on Incentive Stock Options
The
aggregate fair market value, determined at the time of grant, of our common stock with respect to incentive stock options that are exercisable
for the first time by an option holder during any calendar year may not exceed $100,000. Options or portions thereof that exceed such
limit will generally be treated as non-qualified stock options. No incentive stock option may be granted to any person who, at the time
of the grant, owns or is deemed to own stock possessing more than 10% of our total combined voting power or that of any of our affiliates
unless (i) the option exercise price is at least 110% of the fair market value of the stock subject to the option on the date of grant,
and (ii) the term of the incentive stock option does not exceed five years from the date of grant.
Adjustments
for Changes in Capital Structure and other Special Transactions
In
the event of a stock dividend, stock split, or recapitalization, or a corporate reorganization in which we are a surviving corporation
(and our shareholders prior to such transaction continue to own at least 50% of our capital stock after such transaction), including
without limitation a merger, consolidation, split-up or spin-off, or a liquidation, or distribution of securities or assets other than
cash dividends, the number or kinds of shares subject to the Plan or to any stock option award previously granted, and the exercise price,
shall be adjusted proportionately by the committee to reflect such event.
In
the event of a merger, consolidation, or other form of reorganization with or into another corporation (other than a merger, consolidation,
or other form of reorganization in which we are the surviving corporation and our shareholders prior to such transaction continue to
own at least 50% of the capital stock after such transaction), a sale or transfer of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company
or a tender or exchange offer made by any corporation, person or entity (other than an offer made by us), all stock options held by any
option holder shall be fully vested and exercisable by the option holder.
Furthermore,
the committee, either before or after the merger, consolidation or other form of reorganization, may take such action as it determines
in its sole discretion with respect to the number or kinds of shares subject to the Plan or any option under the Plan.
Amendment,
Suspension or Termination
The
committee may at any time amend, suspend, or terminate any and all parts of the Plan, any stock option award granted under the Plan,
or both in such respects as the committee shall deem necessary or desirable, except that no such action may be taken which would impair
the rights of any option holder with respect to any stock option award previously granted under the Plan without the option holder’s
consent.
Executive
Compensation Discussion and Analysis
This
Compensation Discussion and Analysis describes our executive compensation philosophy and objectives, provides context for the compensation
actions approved by the Compensation Committee, and explains the compensation of each of our NEOs. AgEagle’s Compensation Committee,
which is made up of entirely of independent directors, oversees AgEagle’s compensation plans and policies, approves the compensation
for executive officers and administers our equity compensation plans, as well as our organizational development activities and human
capital management.
Summary
Compensation Table (“SCT”)
The
following information is furnished for the Principal Executive Officer (“PEO”) of the Company or its subsidiaries and the
two most highly-compensated executive officers (other than the principal executive officer) of the Company and its subsidiaries whose
total compensation for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, exceeded $100,000. These individuals are sometimes referred to in this
proxy statement as the “Named Executive Officers (“NEOs”).
Name
& Principal Position | |
Year | | |
Salary | | |
Bonus | | |
Stock
Awards (5) | | |
Option
Awards (7) | | |
All
Other Compensation (8) | | |
Total | |
Barrett
Mooney (1) | |
2022 | | |
$ | 361,000 | | |
$ | - | | |
$ | - | | |
$ | 31,725 | | |
$ | 21,745 | | |
$ | 414,470 | |
Chairman
and CEO | |
2021 | | |
$ | - | | |
$ | - | | |
$ | - | | |
$ | - | | |
$ | - | | |
$ | - | |
| |
| | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | |
Nicole
Fernandez-McGovern | |
2022 | | |
$ | 308,462 | | |
$ | 110,000 | | |
$ | 225,750 | | |
$ | 31,725 | | |
$ | 24,257 | | |
$ | 700,194 | |
CFO
& EVP of Operations | |
2021 | | |
$ | 220,000 | | |
$ | 66,700 | | |
$ | 1,594,700 | | |
$ | 182,800 | (6) | |
$ | - | | |
$ | 2,064,200 | |
| |
| | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | |
Michael
O’Sullivan (2) | |
2022 | | |
$ | 259,372 | | |
$ | 110,233 | | |
$ | 93,661 | | |
$ | 7,070 | | |
$ | - | | |
$ | 470,336 | |
Chief
Commercial Officer | |
2021 | | |
$ | - | | |
$ | - | | |
$ | - | | |
$ | - | | |
$ | - | | |
$ | - | |
| |
| | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | |
Brandon
Torres Declet (3) | |
2022 | | |
$ | 23,726 | | |
$ | 5,000 | | |
$ | 173,025 | | |
$ | - | | |
$ | 119,380 | | |
$ | 321,131 | |
Former
CEO | |
2021 | | |
$ | 157,211 | | |
$ | 10,000 | | |
$ | 895,500 | | |
$ | 132,325 | (6) | |
$ | - | | |
$ | 1,195,036 | |
| |
| | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | |
J.
Michael Drozd (4) | |
2022 | | |
$ | - | | |
$ | - | | |
$ | - | | |
$ | - | | |
$ | - | | |
$ | - | |
Former
CEO | |
2021 | | |
$ | 103,044 | | |
$ | 49,130 | | |
$ | 1,220,763 | | |
$ | 50,475 | (6) | |
$ | 117,500 | | |
$ | 1,540,912 | |
|
(1) |
Mr.
Mooney was reappointed by the Board of Director to serve as Chief Executive Officer of the Company on January 17, 2022. |
|
(2) |
Mr.
O’Sullivan’s termination will be effective on September 20, 2023. He joined the Company in October 2021 upon the acquisition
of senseFly and thereafter served as Managing Director of AgEagle’s Swiss Operations, and was promoted to Chief Commercial
Officer on April 11, 2022. |
|
(3) |
Mr.
Torres Declet served as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer between May 24, 2021 and January 17, 2022. In connection with
Mr. Torres Declet’s departure from AgEagle in January 2022, he received stock awards valued at $125,000 and other compensation
of $117,500 in severance considerations. |
|
(4) |
Mr.
Drozd served as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer between May 1, 2020 and May 23, 2021. In connection with Mr. Drozd’s
departure from AgEagle in May 2021, he received stock awards valued at $125,000 and other compensation of $117,500 in severance considerations.
|
|
(5) |
Represents
RSUs granted to Ms. Fernandez-McGovern, Mr. O’Sullivan, Mr. Torres Declet and Mr. Drozd. Reflects the aggregate grant date
fair value for restricted stock awards computed in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification
(“FASB ASC”) Topic 718 - Share Based Payment, based on the closing price of the Company’s common stock underlying
the respective RSU at the date of grant. Restricted stock awards were issued under AgEagle’s 2017 Omnibus Equity Plan (the
Plan”) and vest over one year of service or immediately if determined to be a performance-based award. |
|
(6) |
The
Company had incorrectly reported the fair market value of the option awards in 2021. These amounts have been corrected to properly
reflect the fair market value in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718 – Share Based Payment. |
|
(7) |
Represents
options granted to Mr. Mooney, Ms. Fernandez-McGovern, Mr. O’Sullivan, Mr. Torres Declet and Mr. Drozd. The aggregate grant
date fair value of the options awarded to each executive officer is computed in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718. The assumptions
used to calculate the fair value of stock option awards are based on the Black-Scholes option valuation model and excludes the effect
of forfeiture assumptions. These awards generally vest over a two-year period from the date of grant. Although the full grant date
fair value of the stock option awards are reflected in the above table, the actual value of the stock options, if any, realized by
the named executive officers will depend on the extent to which the market value of the Company common stock exceeds the exercise
price of the stock option on the date of exercise. Accordingly, there is no assurance that the option value realized by a named executive
officer will be at or near the estimated value reflected in the above table. |
|
(8) |
All
Other Compensation includes health insurance premiums and employer contributions to 401(k) plan. |
Pay
Versus Performance
In
accordance with the SEC’s disclosure requirements pursuant to Item 402(v) of Regulation S-K promulgated under the Exchange Act,
regarding Pay Versus Performance (PVP), provided below is the Company’s PVP disclosures. As required by Item 402(v) for Smaller
Reporting Companies, we have included a table that compares the total compensation of our principal executive officer (“PEO”)
and average other named executive officers (“Non-PEO NEOs”), as presented in the Summary Compensation Table (“SCT”),
to Compensation Actually Paid (“CAP”). The table and disclosure below also compares CAP to our indexed TSR and GAAP Net Income.
This
disclosure has been prepared in accordance with Item 402(v) and does not necessarily reflect value actually realized by the executives
or how our Compensation Committee evaluates compensation decisions in light of Company or individual performance. In particular, our
Compensation Committee has not used CAP as a basis for making compensation decisions, nor does it use GAAP Net Income for purposes of
determining incentive compensation.
Pay
Versus Performance Table – Compensation Definitions
Salary,
Bonus, Stock Awards, and All Other Compensation are each calculated in the same manner for purposes of both CAP and SCT values. The primary
difference between the calculation of CAP and SCT total compensation is the calculation of the value of “Stock Awards,” with
the table below describing the differences in how these awards are valued for purposes of SCT total and CAP.
Pay
Versus Performance Table
In
accordance with the SEC’s new PVP rules, the following table below shows for 2021 and 2022 executive compensation actually
paid to Mr. Barrett Mooney, Mr. Brandon Torres Declet and Mr. J. Michael Drozd, our principle executive officers (our “PEO s
”); and Nicole Fernandez-McGovern and Michael O’Sullivan, the Company’s other named executive officers (our
“non-PEO NEOs”):
Year | |
Summary
Compensation Table Total for PEO - Mooney ($) (1) | | |
Compensation
Actually Paid to PEO - Mooney ($) (1) (2) (3) | | |
Average
Summary Compensation Table Total for Non-PEO NEOs ($) (1) | | |
Average
Compensation Actually Paid to Non-PEO NEOs ($) (1) (2) (3) | | |
Value
of Initial Fixed $100 Investment Based on Total Shareholder Return ($) (4) | | |
Net
Loss ($) | |
2022 | |
| 414,470 | | |
| 382,745 | | |
| 585,265 | | |
| 262,750 | | |
| 22.29 | | |
| (58,253,723 | ) |
2021 | |
| - | | |
| - | | |
| 2,064,200 | | |
| 1,320,974 | | |
| 26.11 | | |
| (30,108,680 | ) |
Year | |
Summary
Compensation Table Total for PEO - Torres Declet ($) (1) | | |
Compensation
Actually Paid to PEO - Torres Declet ($) (1) (2) (3) | | |
Average
Summary Compensation Table Total for Non-PEO NEOs ($) (1) | | |
Average
Compensation Actually Paid to Non-PEO NEOs ($) (1) (2) (3) | | |
Value
of Initial Fixed $100 Investment Based on Total Shareholder Return ($) (4) | | |
Net
Loss ($) | |
2022 | |
| 321,131 | | |
| 270,304 | | |
| 585,265 | | |
| 262,750 | | |
| 22.29 | | |
| (58,253,723 | ) |
2021 | |
| 1,195,036 | | |
| 317,675 | | |
| 2,064,200 | | |
| 1,320,974 | | |
| 26.11 | | |
| (30,108,680 | ) |
Year | |
Summary
Compensation Table Total for PEO -Drozd ($) (2) | | |
Compensation
Actually Paid to PEO -Drozd ($) (1) (2) (3) | | |
Average
Summary Compensation Table Total for Non-PEO NEOs ($) (1) | | |
Average
Compensation Actually Paid to Non-PEO NEOs ($) (1) (2) (3) | | |
Value
of Initial Fixed $100 Investment Based on Total Shareholder Return ($) (4) | | |
Net
Loss ($) | |
2022 | |
| - | | |
| - | | |
| 585,265 | | |
| 262,750 | | |
| 22.29 | | |
| (58,253,723 | ) |
2021 | |
| 1,540,912 | | |
| 1,141,501 | | |
| 2,064,200 | | |
| 1,320,974 | | |
| 26.11 | | |
| (30,108,680 | ) |
(1)
|
The
PEO (CEO) in the 2022 reporting year is Mr. Mooney. The PEOs (CEOs) in the 2021 reporting year was Mr. Torres Declet and Mr. Drozd.
The non-PEO NEOs in the 2022 reporting year are Ms. Fernandez-McGovern and Mr. O’Sullivan. The non-PEO NEO in the 2021 reporting
year was Ms. Fernandez-McGovern. |
(2)
|
The
amounts shown for CAP have been calculated in accordance with Item 402(v) of Regulation S-K and do not reflect compensation actually
earned, realized or received by the Company’s NEOs. These amounts reflect the SCT Total with certain adjustments noted in the
below table and described in footnote 5. |
(3)
|
Compensation
Actually Paid reflects the exclusions and inclusions of certain amounts for the PEOs and the Non-PEO NEOs as set forth below. Equity
values are calculated in accordance with ASC 718, Compensation - Stock Compensation. Amounts in the Exclusion of Stock Awards column
are the totals from the Stock Awards columns set forth in the Summary Compensation Table, which reflect the fair market values of
equity awards as of each grant date. |
(4)
|
The
total shareholder return (“TSR”) is calculated by taking the difference of the Company’s stock price from the beginning
of the measurement period, December 31, 2020 at $6.00, and the ending of the measurement periods of December 31, 2021 and 2022 at
$1.57 and $0.35, respectively ; then dividing by the respective measurement period’s initial stock price. |
| |
2022
- PEO - Mooney ($) | | |
2021
- PEO - Mooney ($) | | |
2022
- PEO - Torres Declet ($) | | |
2021
- PEO - Torres Declet ($) | | |
2022
- PEO - Drozd ($) | | |
2021
- PEO -Drozd ($) | | |
2022
- Non-PEO NEOs ($) | | |
2021
- Non-PEO NEOs ($) | |
Summary
Compensation Table (“SCT”) Total Compensation | |
$ | 414,470 | | |
$ | - | | |
$ | 321,131 | | |
$ | 1,195,036 | | |
$ | - | | |
$ | 1,540,912 | | |
$ | 585,265 | | |
$ | 2,064,200 | |
Less:
Equity awards reported in SCT | |
| (31,725 | ) | |
| - | | |
| (173,025 | ) | |
| (1,027,825 | ) | |
| - | | |
| (1,271,238 | ) | |
| (179,103 | ) | |
| (1,777,500 | ) |
Change
in Fair Value of Outstanding and Unvested Stock Awards Granted in Prior and Fiscal Years | |
| - | | |
| - | | |
| (76,670 | ) | |
| - | | |
| - | | |
| - | | |
| (111,687 | ) | |
| (44,078 | ) |
Fair
Value of Equity Compensation Granted in Current Year at Year-End | |
| - | | |
| - | | |
| 198,868 | | |
| 435,521 | | |
| - | | |
| 871,827 | | |
| 124,949 | | |
| 1,128,671 | |
Change
in Fair Value from End of Prior Fiscal Year to Vesting Date for Awards Made in Prior Fiscal Years that Vested During Current Fiscal
Year | |
| - | | |
| - | | |
| - | | |
| - | | |
| - | | |
| 23,000 | | |
| 205,875 | | |
| 432,689 | |
Change
in Fair Value as of the Current Fiscal Year (From the End of Prior Fiscal Year) of Awards Granted in Prior Fiscal Years that remain
Outstanding and Unvested as of the End of the Current Fiscal Year | |
| - | | |
| - | | |
| - | | |
| (285,057 | ) | |
| - | | |
| - | | |
| (362,550 | ) | |
| (483,009 | ) |
Compensation
Actually Paid | |
$ | 382,745 | | |
$ | - | | |
$ | 270,304 | | |
$ | 317,675 | | |
$ | - | | |
$ | 1,164,501 | | |
$ | 262,750 | | |
$ | 1,320,974 | |
Outstanding
Equity Awards at 2022 Fiscal Year-End
The
following table lists the outstanding equity incentive awards held by the Named Executive Officers as of the fiscal year ended December
31, 2022:
| |
| |
Option
Awards (1) | |
Stock
Awards |
Name
& Principal Position | |
Year | |
Number
of securities underlying unexercised options
(#) Exercisable | |
Number
of securities underlying unexercised options
(#) Unexercisable | |
Options Exercise price
($) | |
Expiration Date | |
Number of
shares or
units of
stock that
have not Vested
(#) | |
Market value
of shares
or units
of stock
that have
not Vested
($) |
Barrett
Mooney | |
2022 | |
| — | | |
| 25,000 | | |
$ | 0.35 | | |
12/30/2027 | |
| — | | |
$ | — | |
Chief
Executive Officer | |
2022 | |
| 3,125 | | |
| 21,875 | | |
$ | 0.46 | | |
9/29/2027 | |
| — | | |
$ | — | |
| |
2022 | |
| 6,250 | | |
| 18,750 | | |
$ | 0.65 | | |
6/29/2027 | |
| — | | |
$ | — | |
| |
2022 | |
| 9,375 | | |
| 15,625 | | |
$ | 1.19 | | |
3/30/2027 | |
| — | | |
$ | — | |
| |
2021 | |
| 12,500 | | |
| 12,500 | | |
$ | 1.57 | | |
12/30/2026 | |
| — | | |
$ | — | |
| |
2021 | |
| 15,625 | | |
| 9,375 | | |
$ | 3.01 | | |
9/29/2026 | |
| — | | |
$ | — | |
| |
2021 | |
| 18,750 | | |
| 6,250 | | |
$ | 5.27 | | |
6/29/2026 | |
| — | | |
$ | — | |
| |
2021 | |
| 21,875 | | |
| 3,125 | | |
$ | 6.26 | | |
3/30/2026 | |
| — | | |
$ | — | |
| |
2020 | |
| 25,000 | | |
| — | | |
$ | 6.00 | | |
12/30/2025 | |
| — | | |
$ | — | |
| |
2020 | |
| 25,000 | | |
| — | | |
$ | 2.28 | | |
9/29/2025 | |
| — | | |
$ | — | |
| |
2020 | |
| 15,000 | | |
| — | | |
$ | 1.19 | | |
6/29/2025 | |
| — | | |
$ | — | |
| |
2020 | |
| 15,000 | | |
| — | | |
$ | 0.41 | | |
3/30/2025 | |
| — | | |
$ | — | |
| |
2019 | |
| 15,000 | | |
| — | | |
$ | 0.45 | | |
12/29/2024 | |
| — | | |
$ | — | |
| |
2019 | |
| 100,000 | | |
| — | | |
$ | 0.31 | | |
9/28/2024 | |
| — | | |
$ | — | |
| |
| |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| |
| | | |
| | |
Nicole
Fernandez-McGovern | |
2022 | |
| — | | |
| 25,000 | | |
$ | 0.35 | | |
12/30/2027 | |
| — | | |
$ | — | |
Chief
Financial Officer and EVP of Operations | |
2022 | |
| 3,125 | | |
| 21,875 | | |
$ | 0.46 | | |
9/29/2027 | |
| — | | |
$ | — | |
| |
2022 | |
| 6,250 | | |
| 18,750 | | |
$ | 0.65 | | |
6/29/2027 | |
| — | | |
$ | — | |
| |
2022 | |
| 9,375 | | |
| 15,625 | | |
$ | 1.19 | | |
3/30/2027 | |
| 50,000 | (2) | |
$ | 17,500 | |
| |
2021 | |
| 12,500 | | |
| 12,500 | | |
$ | 1.57 | | |
12/30/2026 | |
| — | | |
$ | — | |
| |
2021 | |
| 15,625 | | |
| 9,375 | | |
$ | 3.01 | | |
9/29/2026 | |
| — | | |
$ | — | |
| |
2021 | |
| 18,750 | | |
| 6,250 | | |
$ | 5.27 | | |
6/29/2026 | |
| — | | |
$ | — | |
| |
2021 | |
| 13,125 | | |
| 1,875 | | |
$ | 6.26 | | |
3/30/2026 | |
| — | | |
$ | — | |
| |
2020 | |
| 15,000 | | |
| — | | |
$ | 6.00 | | |
12/30/2025 | |
| — | | |
$ | — | |
| |
2020 | |
| 125,000 | | |
| — | | |
$ | 5.20 | | |
12/20/2025 | |
| — | | |
$ | — | |
| |
2020 | |
| 15,000 | | |
| — | | |
$ | 2.28 | | |
9/29/2025 | |
| — | | |
$ | — | |
| |
2020 | |
| 12,500 | | |
| — | | |
$ | 1.19 | | |
6/29/2025 | |
| — | | |
$ | — | |
| |
2020 | |
| 125,000 | | |
| — | | |
$ | 1.27 | | |
5/13/2025 | |
| — | | |
$ | — | |
| |
2020 | |
| 12,500 | | |
| — | | |
$ | 0.41 | | |
3/30/2025 | |
| — | | |
$ | — | |
| |
2019 | |
| 12,500 | | |
| — | | |
$ | 0.45 | | |
12/29/2024 | |
| — | | |
$ | — | |
| |
2019 | |
| 50,000 | | |
| — | | |
$ | 0.31 | | |
9/28/2024 | |
| — | | |
$ | — | |
| |
2019 | |
| 25,000 | | |
| — | | |
$ | 0.31 | | |
9/28/2024 | |
| — | | |
$ | — | |
| |
2019 | |
| 12,500 | | |
| — | | |
$ | 0.31 | | |
9/28/2024 | |
| — | | |
$ | — | |
| |
2019 | |
| 12,500 | | |
| — | | |
$ | 0.29 | | |
6/28/2024 | |
| — | | |
$ | — | |
| |
2019 | |
| 150,000 | | |
| — | | |
$ | 0.41 | | |
3/28/2029 | |
| — | | |
$ | — | |
| |
2019 | |
| 12,500 | | |
| — | | |
$ | 0.41 | | |
3/29/2024 | |
| — | | |
$ | — | |
| |
2019 | |
| 50,000 | | |
| — | | |
$ | 0.54 | | |
12/31/2023 | |
| — | | |
$ | — | |
| |
2018 | |
| 12,500 | | |
| — | | |
$ | 0.56 | | |
12/30/2023 | |
| — | | |
$ | — | |
| |
| |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| |
| | | |
| | |
Michael
O’Sullivan(3) | |
2022 | |
| 0 | | |
| 10,000 | | |
$ | 0.35 | | |
12/30/2027 | |
| — | | |
$ | — | |
Chief
Commercial Officer | |
2022 | |
| 1,250 | | |
| 8,750 | | |
$ | 0.46 | | |
9/29/2027 | |
| — | | |
$ | — | |
| |
2022 | |
| 2,500 | | |
| 7,500 | | |
$ | 0.65 | | |
6/29/2027 | |
| — | | |
$ | — | |
(1) |
All
options vest equally over two years with a one-year cliff vest. |
(2) |
Restricted
stock awards vests equally over a year period. |
(3) |
Mr.
O’Sullivan’s termination will be effective on September 20, 2023. |
Compensation
of Directors
The
following table sets forth information regarding compensation of each director as of the fiscal years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021:
Name | |
Year | | |
Fees
Earned or Paid
in Cash $ | | |
Stock
Awards (4) | | |
Total
$ | |
Barrett
Mooney (1) | |
2022 | | |
$ | 15,000 | | |
$ | - | | |
$ | 15,000 | |
Director
and Chairman of the Board | |
2021 | | |
$ | 60,000 | | |
$ | 216,450 | (5) | |
$ | 276,450 | |
| |
| | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | |
Thomas
Gardner | |
2022 | | |
$ | 60,000 | | |
$ | 31,725 | | |
$ | 91,725 | |
Director | |
2021 | | |
$ | 60,000 | | |
$ | 216,450 | (5) | |
$ | 276,450 | |
| |
| | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | |
Grant
Begley | |
2022 | | |
$ | 60,000 | | |
$ | 31,725 | | |
$ | 91,725 | |
Director | |
2021 | | |
$ | 60,000 | | |
$ | 216,450 | (5) | |
$ | 276,450 | |
| |
| | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | |
Kelly
Anderson(2) | |
2022 | | |
$ | - | | |
$ | 1,194 | | |
$ | 1,194 | |
Director | |
2021 | | |
$ | - | | |
$ | - | | |
$ | - | |
| |
| | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | |
Luisa
Ingargiola (3) | |
2022 | | |
$ | 60,000 | | |
$ | 27,500 | | |
$ | 87,500 | |
Former
Director | |
2021 | | |
$ | 60,000 | | |
$ | 216,450 | (5) | |
$ | 276,450 | |
(1) |
Mr.
Barrett Mooney served solely as the Company’s Chairman of the Board in 2021 and was appointed to serve as Chief Executive Officer
in January 2022. |
(2) |
Ms.
Anderson joined the Company’s Board on December 6, 2022. Pursuant to Ms. Kelly Anderson’s offer letter dated December
6, 2022, she was entitled to receive for her service on the Board five-year options to purchase 25,000 shares of Common Stock per
calendar quarter of service at an exercise price per share equal to the market price of our Common Stock at the time of issuance
that will vest in equal installments every calendar quarter for the two-year period after date the grant. |
(3) |
Ms.
Ingargiola ceased to be a director of the Company effective December 5, 2022. |
(4) |
Reflects
the aggregate grant date fair value for restricted stock awards computed in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board
Accounting Standards Codification (“FASB ASC”) Topic 718 - Share Based Payment, based on the closing price of the Company’s
common stock on the grant date and vest over a two-year period. |
(5) |
The
Company had incorrectly reported the fair market value of the option awards in 2021. These amounts have been corrected to properly
reflect the fair market value in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718 – Share Based Payment. |
Compensation
Committee Report
The
Compensation Committee approves the compensation objectives for the Company, approves the compensation of the chief executive officer
and approves or recommends to the Board for approval the compensation of other executives. The Compensation Committee reviews all compensation
components, including base salary, bonus, benefits and other perquisites.
For
the year ended December 31, 2022, the Compensation Committee held two meetings.
The
members of the compensation committee are Messrs. Begley and Gardner and Ms. Anderson. Mr. Begley serves as chair of the compensation
committee. Each member of the compensation committee is a non-employee director within the meaning of Rule 16b-3 of the rules promulgated
under the Exchange Act, each is an outside director as defined by Section 162(m) of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986,
as amended, or the Code, and each is an independent director as defined by the NYSE American. The compensation committee has adopted
a written charter that satisfies the applicable standards of the SEC and the NYSE American, which is available on our website.
Compensation
Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation
None
of the members of the Compensation Committee has ever been an officer or employee of the Company. None of the Company’s executive
officers serves, or has served since inception, as a member of the Board, compensation committee or other Board committee performing
equivalent functions of any entity that has one or more executive officers serving as one of the Company’s directors or on the
Company’s compensation committee.
Approval
Required for Approval
The
affirmative vote of a majority of votes cast in person or represented by proxy at the Special Meeting is required to approve the Plan Amendment Proposal. Abstentions and broker non-votes will not be counted as votes cast and, accordingly, will have no effect with respect
to the approval of the Plan Amendment Proposal.
THE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS THAT YOU VOTE “FOR” THE PLAN AMENDMENT PROPOSAL.
PROPOSAL
NO. 3
THE
ADJOURNMENT PROPOSAL
Overview
The
Adjournment Proposal, if adopted, will allow the Board to adjourn the Special Meeting to a later date or dates to permit further solicitation
of proxies. The Adjournment Proposal will only be presented to the Company’s shareholders, in the event that, based upon the tabulated
vote at the time of the Special Meeting there are insufficient votes for, or otherwise in connection with, the approval of the Reverse
Split Proposal and the Plan Amendment Proposal.
Consequences
if the Adjournment Proposal is Not Approved
If
the Adjournment Proposal is not approved by the shareholders, the Board may not be able to adjourn the Special Meeting to a later date
in the event that there are insufficient votes for, or otherwise in connection with, the approval of the Reverse Split Proposal and
the Plan Amendment Proposal.
Vote
Required for Approval
The
affirmative vote of a majority of shares present in person or represented by proxy at the Special Meeting and entitled to vote is
required to approve Adjournment Proposal.
Abstentions will have the effect of a vote “AGAINST” the Adjournment Proposal and broker “non-votes” will
have no effect with respect to the approval of the Adjournment Proposal.
THE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE “FOR” THE ADJOURNMENT PROPOSAL.
OTHER
INFORMATION
Important
Notice Regarding Delivery of Shareholder Documents
If
your shares are held in street name, your broker, bank, custodian, or other nominee holder may, upon request, deliver only one copy of
this proxy statement to shareholders to multiple shareholders sharing an address, absent contrary instructions from one or more of the
shareholders. The Company will, upon request, deliver a separate copy of the proxy materials to a shareholder at a shared address to
which a single copy was delivered, upon written or oral request, to Nicole Fernandez-McGovern, Secretary, AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc.,
8863 E. 34th Street North, Wichita, Kansas 67226. Shareholders sharing an address and receiving multiple copies of the proxy
materials who wish to receive a single copy should contact their broker, bank, custodian, or other nominee holder.
|
By
Order of the Board of Directors, |
|
|
|
/s/
Barrett Mooney |
|
Barrett
Mooney |
|
Chairman
of the Board of Directors |
|
|
October
10, 2023 |
|
APPENDIX
A
AGEAGLE
AERIAL SYSTEMS INC.
2017
OMNIBUS EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN
(Amendment
No. 4)
ARTICLE
I
PURPOSE
The
purpose of this AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc. 2017 Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan, as amended (the “Plan”) is to benefit
AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc, a Nevada corporation (the “Company”) and its stockholders, by assisting the Company and
its subsidiaries to attract, retain and provide incentives to key management employees, directors, and consultants of the Company and
its Affiliates, and to align the interests of such service providers with those of the Company’s stockholders. Accordingly, the
Plan provides for the granting of Non-qualified Stock Options, Incentive Stock Options, Restricted Stock Awards, Restricted Stock Unit
Awards, Stock Appreciation Rights, Performance Stock Awards, Performance Unit Awards, Unrestricted Stock Awards, Distribution Equivalent
Rights or any combination of the foregoing.
ARTICLE
II
DEFINITIONS
The
following definitions shall be applicable throughout the Plan unless the context otherwise requires:
2.1
“Affiliate” shall mean any corporation which, with respect to the Company, is a “subsidiary corporation”
within the meaning of Section 424(f) of the Code or other entity in which the Company has a controlling interest in such entity or another
entity which is part of a chain of entities in which the Company or each entity has a controlling interest in another entity in the unbroken
chain of entities ending with the applicable entity.
2.2
“Award” shall mean, individually or collectively, any Option, Restricted Stock Award, Restricted Stock Unit Award,
Performance Stock Award, Performance Unit Award, Stock Appreciation Right, Distribution Equivalent Right or Unrestricted Stock Award.
2.3
“Award Agreement” shall mean a written agreement between the Company and the Holder with respect to an Award, setting
forth the terms and conditions of the Award, as amended.
2.4
“Board” shall mean the Board of Directors of the Company.
2.5
“Base Value” shall have the meaning given to such term in Section 14.2.
2.6
“Cause” shall mean (i) if the Holder is a party to an employment or service agreement with the Company or an Affiliate
which agreement defines “Cause” (or a similar term), “Cause” shall have the same meaning as provided for
in such agreement, or (ii) for a Holder who is not a party to such an agreement, “Cause” shall mean termination by
the Company or an Affiliate of the employment (or other service relationship) of the Holder by reason of the Holder’s (A) intentional
failure to perform reasonably assigned duties, (B) dishonesty or willful misconduct in the performance of the Holder’s duties,
(C) involvement in a transaction which is materially adverse to the Company or an Affiliate, (D) breach of fiduciary duty involving personal
profit, (E) willful violation of any law, rule, regulation or court order (other than misdemeanor traffic violations and misdemeanors
not involving misuse or misappropriation of money or property), (F) commission of an act of fraud or intentional misappropriation or
conversion of any asset or opportunity of the Company or an Affiliate, or (G) material breach of any provision of the Plan or the Holder’s
Award Agreement or any other written agreement between the Holder and the Company or an Affiliate, in each case as determined in good
faith by the Board, the determination of which shall be final, conclusive and binding on all parties.
2.7
“Change of Control” shall mean: (i) for a Holder who is a party to an employment or consulting agreement with the
Company or an Affiliate which agreement defines “Change of Control” (or a similar term), “Change of Control”
shall have the same meaning as provided for in such agreement, or (ii) for a Holder who is not a party to such an agreement, “Change
of Control” shall mean the satisfaction of any one or more of the following conditions (and the “Change of Control”
shall be deemed to have occurred as of the first day that any one or more of the following conditions shall have been satisfied):
(a)
Any person (as such term is used in paragraphs 13(d) and 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act, hereinafter in this definition, “Person”),
other than the Company or an Affiliate or an employee benefit plan of the Company or an Affiliate, becomes the beneficial owner (as defined
in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act), directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing more than fifty percent (50%)
of the combined voting power of the Company’s then outstanding securities;
(b)
The closing of a merger, consolidation or other business combination (a “Business Combination”) other than a Business
Combination in which holders of the Shares immediately prior to the Business Combination have substantially the same proportionate ownership
of the common stock or ordinary shares, as applicable, of the surviving corporation immediately after the Business Combination as immediately
before;
(c)
The closing of an agreement for the sale or disposition of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets to any entity that
is not an Affiliate;
(d)
The approval by the holders of shares of Shares of a plan of complete liquidation of the Company, other than a merger of the Company
into any subsidiary or a liquidation as a result of which persons who were stockholders of the Company immediately prior to such liquidation
have substantially the same proportionate ownership of shares of common stock of the surviving corporation immediately after such liquidation
as immediately before; or
(e)
Within any twenty-four (24) month period, the Incumbent Directors shall cease to constitute at least a majority of the Board or the board
of directors of any successor to the Company; provided, however, that any director elected to the Board, or nominated for
election, by a majority of the Incumbent Directors then still in office, shall be deemed to be an Incumbent Director for purposes of
this paragraph (e), but excluding, for this purpose, any such individual whose initial assumption of office occurs as a result of either
an actual or threatened election contest with respect to the election or removal of directors or other actual or threatened solicitation
of proxies or consents by or on behalf of an individual, entity or “group” other than the Board (including, but not limited
to, any such assumption that results from paragraphs (a), (b), (c), or (d) of this definition).
2.8
“Code” shall mean the United States of America Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. Reference in the Plan to
any section of the Code shall be deemed to include any amendments or successor provisions to any section and any regulation under such
section.
2.9
“Committee” shall mean a committee comprised of two (2) or more members of the Board who are selected by the Board
as provided in Section 4.1.
2.10
“Company” shall have the meaning given to such term in the introductory paragraph, including any successor thereto.
2.11
“Consultant” shall mean any non-Employee (individual or entity) advisor to the Company or an Affiliate who or which
has contracted directly with the Company or an Affiliate to render bona fide consulting or advisory services thereto.
2.12
“Director” shall mean a member of the Board or a member of the board of directors of an Affiliate, in either case,
who is not an Employee.
2.13
“Distribution Equivalent Right” shall mean an Award granted under Article XIII of the Plan which entitles the Holder
to receive bookkeeping credits, cash payments and/or Share distributions equal in amount to the distributions that would have been made
to the Holder had the Holder held a specified number of Shares during the period the Holder held the Distribution Equivalent Right.
2.14
“Distribution Equivalent Right Award Agreement” shall mean a written agreement between the Company and a Holder with
respect to a Distribution Equivalent Right Award.
2.15
“Effective Date” shall mean [●]
2.16
“Employee” shall mean any employee, including any officer, of the Company or an Affiliate.
2.17
“Exchange Act” shall mean the United States of America Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
2.18
“Fair Market Value” shall mean, as of any specified date, the closing sales price of the Shares for such date (or,
in the event that the Shares are not traded on such date, on the immediately preceding trading date) on the NYSE American, LLC (“NYSE
American”), as reported by the NYSE American, or such other domestic or foreign national securities exchange on which the Shares
may be listed. If the Shares are not listed on the NYSE American or on a national securities exchange, but are quoted on the OTC Markets
or by the National Quotation Bureau, the Fair Market Value of the Shares shall be the mean of the highest bid and lowest asked prices
per Share for such date. If the Shares are not quoted or listed as set forth above, Fair Market Value shall be determined by the Board
in good faith by any fair and reasonable means (which means may be set forth with greater specificity in the applicable Award Agreement).
The Fair Market Value of property other than Shares shall be determined by the Board in good faith by any fair and reasonable means consistent
with the requirements of applicable law.
2.19
“Family Member” of an individual shall mean any child, stepchild, grandchild, parent, stepparent, 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 Holder’s household (other than a tenant or employee of the Holder), a trust in which such
persons have more than fifty percent (50%) of the beneficial interest, a foundation in which such persons (or the Holder) control the
management of assets, and any other entity in which such persons (or the Holder) own more than fifty percent (50%) of the voting interests.
2.20
“Holder” shall mean an Employee, Director or Consultant who has been granted an Award or any such individual’s
beneficiary, estate or representative, who has acquired such Award in accordance with the terms of the Plan, as applicable.
2.21
“Incentive Stock Option” shall mean an Option which is intended by the Committee to constitute an “incentive
stock option” and conforms to the applicable provisions of Section 422 of the Code.
2.22
“Incumbent Director” shall mean, with respect to any period of time specified under the Plan for purposes of determining
whether or not a Change of Control has occurred, the individuals who were members of the Board at the beginning of such period.
2.23
“Non-qualified Stock Option” shall mean an Option which is not an Incentive Stock Option or which is designated as
an Incentive Stock Option but does not meet the applicable requirements of Section 422 of the Code.
2.24
“Option” shall mean an Award granted under Article VII of the Plan of an option to purchase Shares and shall include
both Incentive Stock Options and Non-qualified Stock Options.
2.25
“Option Agreement” shall mean a written agreement between the Company and a Holder with respect to an Option.
2.26
“Performance Criteria” shall mean the criteria selected by the Committee for purposes of establishing the Performance
Goal(s) for a Holder for a Performance Period.
2.27
“Performance Goals” shall mean, for a Performance Period, the written goal or goals established by the Committee for
the Performance Period based upon the Performance Criteria, which may be related to the performance of the Holder, the Company or an
Affiliate.
2.28
“Performance Period” shall mean one or more periods of time, which may be of varying and overlapping durations, selected
by the Committee, over which the attainment of the Performance Goals shall be measured for purposes of determining a Holder’s right
to, and the payment of, a Qualified Performance-Based Award.
2.29
“Performance Stock Award” or “Performance Stock” shall mean an Award granted under Article XII
of the Plan under which, upon the satisfaction of predetermined Performance Goals, Shares are paid to the Holder.
2.30
“Performance Stock Agreement” shall mean a written agreement between the Company and a Holder with respect to a Performance
Stock Award.
2.31
“Performance Unit” shall mean a Unit awarded to a Holder pursuant to a Performance Unit Award.
2.32
“Performance Unit Award” shall mean an Award granted under Article XI of the Plan under which, upon the satisfaction
of predetermined Performance Goals, a cash payment shall be made to the Holder, based on the number of Units awarded to the Holder.
2.33
“Performance Unit Agreement” shall mean a written agreement between the Company and a Holder with respect to a Performance
Unit Award.
2.34
“Plan” shall mean this AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc. 2017 Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan, as amended from time to time,
together with each of the Award Agreements utilized hereunder.
2.35
“Qualified Performance-Based Award” shall mean an Award that is intended to qualify as “performance-based”
compensation under Section 162(m) of the Code.
2.36
“Restricted Stock Award” and “Restricted Stock” shall mean an Award granted under Article VIII
of the Plan of Shares, the transferability of which by the Holder is subject to Restrictions.
2.37
“Restricted Stock Agreement” shall mean a written agreement between the Company and a Holder with respect to a Restricted
Stock Award.
2.38
“Restricted Stock Unit Award” and “RSUs” shall refer to an Award granted under Article X of the
Plan under which, upon the satisfaction of predetermined individual service-related vesting requirements, a cash payment shall be made
to the Holder, based on the number of Units awarded to the Holder.
2.39
“Restricted Stock Unit Agreement” shall mean a written agreement between the Company and a Holder with respect to
a Restricted Stock Award.
2.40
“Restriction Period” shall mean the period of time for which Shares subject to a Restricted Stock Award shall be subject
to Restrictions, as set forth in the applicable Restricted Stock Agreement.
2.41
“Restrictions” shall mean the forfeiture, transfer and/or other restrictions applicable to Shares awarded to an Employee,
Director or Consultant under the Plan pursuant to a Restricted Stock Award and set forth in a Restricted Stock Agreement.
2.42
“Rule 16b-3” shall mean Rule 16b-3 promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Exchange Act, as
such may be amended from time to time, and any successor rule, regulation or statute fulfilling the same or a substantially similar function.
2.43
“Shares” or “Stock” shall mean the common stock of the Company, par value $0.001 per share.
2.44
“Stock Appreciation Right” or “SAR” shall mean an Award granted under Article XIV of the Plan of
a right, granted alone or in connection with a related Option, to receive a payment equal to the increase in value of a specified number
of Shares between the date of Award and the date of exercise.
2.45
“Stock Appreciation Right Agreement” shall mean a written agreement between the Company and a Holder with respect
to a Stock Appreciation Right.
2.46
“Tandem Stock Appreciation Right” shall mean a Stock Appreciation Right granted in connection with a related Option,
the exercise of some or all of which results in termination of the entitlement to purchase some or all of the Shares under the related
Option, all as set forth in Article XIV.
2.47
“Ten Percent Stockholder” shall mean an Employee who, at the time an Option is granted to him or her, owns shares
possessing more than ten percent (10%) of the total combined voting power of all classes of shares of the Company or of any parent corporation
or subsidiary corporation thereof (both as defined in Section 424 of the Code), within the meaning of Section 422(b)(6) of the Code.
2.48
“Termination of Service” shall mean a termination of a Holder’s employment with, or status as a Director or
Consultant of, the Company or an Affiliate, as applicable, for any reason, including, without limitation, Total and Permanent Disability
or death, except as provided in Section 6.4. In the event Termination of Service shall constitute a payment event with respect to any
Award subject to Code Section 409A, Termination of Service shall only be deemed to occur upon a “separation from service”
as such term is defined under Code Section 409A and applicable authorities.
2.49
“Total and Permanent Disability” of an individual shall mean the inability of such individual to engage in any substantial
gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or which
has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than twelve (12) months, within the meaning of Section 22(e)(3)
of the Code.
2.50
“Unit” shall mean a bookkeeping unit, which represents such monetary amount as shall be designated by the Committee
in each Performance Unit Agreement, or represents one Share for purposes of each Restricted Stock Unit Award.
2.51
“Unrestricted Stock Award” shall mean an Award granted under Article IX of the Plan of Shares which are not subject
to Restrictions.
2.52
“Unrestricted Stock Agreement” shall mean a written agreement between the Company and a Holder with respect to an
Unrestricted Stock Award.
ARTICLE
III
EFFECTIVE DATE OF PLAN
The
Plan shall be effective as of the Effective Date, provided that the Plan is approved by the stockholders of the Company within twelve
(12) months of such date.
ARTICLE
IV
ADMINISTRATION
4.1
Composition of Committee. The Plan shall be administered by the Committee, which shall be appointed by the Board. If necessary,
in the Board’s discretion, to comply with Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act and Section 162(m) of the Code, the Committee shall
consist solely of two (2) or more Directors who are each (i) “outside directors” within the meaning of Section 162(m) of
the Code (“Outside Directors”), (ii) “non-employee directors” within the meaning of Rule 16b-3 (“Non-Employee
Directors”) and (iii) “independent” for purposes of any applicable listing requirements; provided, however,
that the Board or the Committee may delegate to a committee of one or more members of the Board who are not (x) Outside Directors, the
authority to grant Awards to eligible persons who are not (A) then “covered employees” within the meaning of Section 162(m)
of the Code and are not expected to be “covered employees” at the time of recognition of income resulting from such Award,
or (B) persons with respect to whom the Company wishes to comply with the requirements of Section 162(m) of the Code, and/or (y) Non-Employee
Directors, the authority to grant Awards to eligible persons who are not then subject to the requirements of Section 16 of the Exchange
Act. If a member of the Committee shall be eligible to receive an Award under the Plan, such Committee member shall have no authority
hereunder with respect to his or her own Award.
4.2
Powers. Subject to the other provisions of the Plan, the Committee shall have the sole authority, in its discretion, to make all
determinations under the Plan, including but not limited to (i) determining which Employees, Directors or Consultants shall receive an
Award, (ii) the time or times when an Award shall be made (the date of grant of an Award shall be the date on which the Award is awarded
by the Committee), (iii) what type of Award shall be granted, (iv) the term of an Award, (v) the date or dates on which an Award vests,
(vi) the form of any payment to be made pursuant to an Award, (vii) the terms and conditions of an Award (including the forfeiture of
the Award, and/or any financial gain, if the Holder of the Award violates any applicable restrictive covenant thereof), (viii) the Restrictions
under a Restricted Stock Award, (ix) the number of Shares which may be issued under an Award, (x) Performance Goals applicable to any
Award and certification of the achievement of such goals, and (xi) the waiver of any Restrictions or Performance Goals, subject in all
cases to compliance with applicable laws. In making such determinations the Committee may take into account the nature of the services
rendered by the respective Employees, Directors and Consultants, their present and potential contribution to the Company’s (or
the Affiliate’s) success and such other factors as the Committee in its discretion may deem relevant.
4.3
Additional Powers. The Committee shall have such additional powers as are delegated to it under the other provisions of the Plan.
Subject to the express provisions of the Plan, the Committee is authorized to construe the Plan and the respective Award Agreements executed
hereunder, to prescribe such rules and regulations relating to the Plan as it may deem advisable to carry out the intent of the Plan,
to determine the terms, restrictions and provisions of each Award and to make all other determinations necessary or advisable for administering
the Plan. The Committee may correct any defect or supply any omission or reconcile any inconsistency in any Award Agreement in the manner
and to the extent the Committee shall deem necessary, appropriate or expedient to carry it into effect. The determinations of the Committee
on the matters referred to in this Article IV shall be conclusive and binding on the Company and all Holders.
4.4
Committee Action. Subject to compliance with all applicable laws, action by the Committee shall require the consent of a majority
of the members of the Committee, expressed either orally at a meeting of the Committee or in writing in the absence of a meeting. No
member of the Committee shall have any liability for any good faith action, inaction or determination in connection with the Plan.
ARTICLE
V
SHARES SUBJECT TO PLAN AND LIMITATIONS THEREON
5.1
Authorized Shares and Award Limits. The Committee may from time to time grant Awards to one or more Employees, Directors and/or
Consultants determined by it to be eligible for participation in the Plan in accordance with the provisions of Article VI. Subject to
Article XV, the aggregate number of Shares that may be issued under the Plan shall not exceed Fifteen Million (15,000,000)
Shares). Shares shall be deemed to have been issued under the Plan solely to the extent actually issued and delivered pursuant
to an Award. To the extent that an Award lapses, expires, is canceled, is terminated unexercised or ceases to be exercisable for any
reason, or the rights of its Holder terminate, any Shares subject to such Award shall again be available for the grant of a new Award.
Notwithstanding any provision in the Plan to the contrary, the maximum number of Shares that may be subject to Awards of Options under
Article VII and/or Stock Appreciation Rights under Article XIV, in either or both cases granted to any one person during any calendar
year, shall be 500,000 Shares (subject to adjustment in the same manner as provided in Article XV with respect to Shares subject to Awards
then outstanding). The limitation set forth in the preceding sentence shall be applied in a manner which shall permit compensation generated
in connection with the exercise of Options or Stock Appreciation Rights to constitute “performance-based” compensation for
purposes of Section 162(m) of the Code, including, but not limited to, counting against such maximum number of Shares, to the extent
required under Section 162(m) of the Code, any Shares subject to Options or Stock Appreciation Rights that are canceled or re-priced.
5.2
Types of Shares . The Shares to be issued pursuant to the grant or exercise of an Award may consist of authorized but unissued
Shares, Shares purchased on the open market or Shares previously issued and outstanding and reacquired by the Company.
ARTICLE
VI
ELIGIBILITY AND TERMINATION OF SERVICE
6.1
Eligibility. Awards made under the Plan may be granted solely to individuals or entities who, at the time of grant, are Employees,
Directors or Consultants. An Award may be granted on more than one occasion to the same Employee, Director or Consultant, and, subject
to the limitations set forth in the Plan, such Award may include, a Non-qualified Stock Option, a Restricted Stock Award, a Restricted
Stock Unit Award, an Unrestricted Stock Award, a Distribution Equivalent Right Award, a Performance Stock Award, a Performance Unit Award,
a Stock Appreciation Right, a Tandem Stock Appreciation Right, or any combination thereof, and solely for Employees, an Incentive Stock
Option.
6.2
Termination of Service. Except to the extent inconsistent with the terms of the applicable Award Agreement and/or the provisions
of Section 6.3 or 6.4, the following terms and conditions shall apply with respect to a Holder’s Termination of Service with the
Company or an Affiliate, as applicable:
(a)
The Holder’s rights, if any, to exercise any then exercisable Options and/or Stock Appreciation Rights shall terminate:
(i)
If such termination is for a reason other than the Holder’s Total and Permanent Disability or death, ninety (90) days after the
date of such Termination of Service;
(ii)
If such termination is on account of the Holder’s Total and Permanent Disability, one (1) year after the date of such Termination
of Service; or
(iii)
If such termination is on account of the Holder’s death, one (1) year after the date of the Holder’s death.
Upon
such applicable date the Holder (and such Holder’s estate, designated beneficiary or other legal representative) shall forfeit
any rights or interests in or with respect to any such Options and Stock Appreciation Rights. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Committee,
in its sole discretion, may provide for a different time period in the Award Agreement, or may extend the time period, following a Termination
of Service, during which the Holder has the right to exercise any vested Non-qualified Stock Option or Stock Appreciation Right, which
time period may not extend beyond the expiration date of the Award term.
(b)
In the event of a Holder’s Termination of Service for any reason prior to the actual or deemed satisfaction and/or lapse of the
Restrictions, vesting requirements, terms and conditions applicable to a Restricted Stock Award and/or Restricted Stock Unit Award, such
Restricted Stock and/or RSUs shall immediately be canceled, and the Holder (and such Holder’s estate, designated beneficiary or
other legal representative) shall forfeit any rights or interests in and with respect to any such Restricted Stock and/or RSUs. Notwithstanding
the immediately preceding sentence, the Committee, in its sole discretion, may determine, prior to or within thirty (30) days after the
date of such Termination of Service that all or a portion of any such Holder’s Restricted Stock and/or RSUs shall not be so canceled
and forfeited.
6.3
Special Termination Rule. Except to the extent inconsistent with the terms of the applicable Award Agreement, and notwithstanding
anything to the contrary contained in this Article VI, if a Holder’s employment with, or status as a Director of, the Company or
an Affiliate shall terminate, and if, within ninety (90) days of such termination, such Holder shall become a Consultant, such Holder’s
rights with respect to any Award or portion thereof granted thereto prior to the date of such termination may be preserved, if and to
the extent determined by the Committee in its sole discretion, as if such Holder had been a Consultant for the entire period during which
such Award or portion thereof had been outstanding. Should the Committee effect such determination with respect to such Holder, for all
purposes of the Plan, such Holder shall not be treated as if his or her employment or Director status had terminated until such time
as his or her Consultant status shall terminate, in which case his or her Award, as it may have been reduced in connection with the Holder’s
becoming a Consultant, shall be treated pursuant to the provisions of Section 6.2, provided, however, that any such Award which is intended
to be an Incentive Stock Option shall, upon the Holder’s no longer being an Employee, automatically convert to a Non-qualified
Stock Option. Should a Holder’s status as a Consultant terminate, and if, within ninety (90) days of such termination, such Holder
shall become an Employee or a Director, such Holder’s rights with respect to any Award or portion thereof granted thereto prior
to the date of such termination may be preserved, if and to the extent determined by the Committee in its sole discretion, as if such
Holder had been an Employee or a Director, as applicable, for the entire period during which such Award or portion thereof had been outstanding,
and, should the Committee effect such determination with respect to such Holder, for all purposes of the Plan, such Holder shall not
be treated as if his or her Consultant status had terminated until such time as his or her employment with the Company or an Affiliate,
or his or her Director status, as applicable, shall terminate, in which case his or her Award shall be treated pursuant to the provisions
of Section 6.2.
6.4
Termination of Service for Cause. Notwithstanding anything in this Article VI or elsewhere in the Plan to the contrary, and unless
a Holder’s Award Agreement specifically provides otherwise, in the event of a Holder’s Termination of Service for Cause,
all of such Holder’s then outstanding Awards shall expire immediately and be forfeited in their entirety upon such Termination
of Service.
ARTICLE
VII
OPTIONS
7.1
Option Period. The term of each Option shall be as specified in the Option Agreement; provided, however, that except
as set forth in Section 7.3, no Option shall be exercisable after the expiration of ten (10) years from the date of its grant.
7.2
Limitations on Exercise of Option. An Option shall be exercisable in whole or in such installments and at such times as specified
in the Option Agreement.
7.3
Special Limitations on Incentive Stock Options. To the extent that the aggregate Fair Market Value (determined at the time the
respective Incentive Stock Option is granted) of Shares with respect to which Incentive Stock Options are exercisable for the first time
by an individual during any calendar year under all plans of the Company and any parent corporation or subsidiary corporation thereof
(both as defined in Section 424 of the Code) which provide for the grant of Incentive Stock Options exceeds One Hundred Thousand Dollars
($100,000) (or such other individual limit as may be in effect under the Code on the date of grant), the portion of such Incentive Stock
Options that exceeds such threshold shall be treated as Non-qualified Stock Options. The Committee shall determine, in accordance with
applicable provisions of the Code, Treasury Regulations and other administrative pronouncements, which of a Holder’s Options, which
were intended by the Committee to be Incentive Stock Options when granted to the Holder, will not constitute Incentive Stock Options
because of such limitation, and shall notify the Holder of such determination as soon as practicable after such determination. No Incentive
Stock Option shall be granted to an Employee if, at the time the Incentive Stock Option is granted, such Employee is a Ten Percent Stockholder,
unless (i) at the time such Incentive Stock Option is granted the Option price is at least one hundred ten percent (110%) of the Fair
Market Value of the Shares subject to the Incentive Stock Option, and (ii) such Incentive Stock Option by its terms is not exercisable
after the expiration of five (5) years from the date of grant. No Incentive Stock Option shall be granted more than ten (10) years from
the earlier of the Effective Date or date on which the Plan is approved by the Company’s stockholders. The designation by the Committee
of an Option as an Incentive Stock Option shall not guarantee the Holder that the Option will satisfy the applicable requirements for
“incentive stock option” status under Section 422 of the Code.
7.4
Option Agreement. Each Option shall be evidenced by an Option Agreement in such form and containing such provisions not inconsistent
with the other provisions of the Plan as the Committee from time to time shall approve, including, but not limited to, provisions intended
to qualify an Option as an Incentive Stock Option. An Option Agreement may provide for the payment of the Option price, in whole or in
part, by the delivery of a number of Shares (plus cash if necessary) that have been owned by the Holder for at least six (6) months and
having a Fair Market Value equal to such Option price, or such other forms or methods as the Committee may determine from time to time,
in each case, subject to such rules and regulations as may be adopted by the Committee. Each Option Agreement shall, solely to the extent
inconsistent with the provisions of Sections 6.2, 6.3, and 6.4, as applicable, specify the effect of Termination of Service on the exercisability
of the Option. Moreover, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, a Non-qualified Stock Option Agreement may provide for a “cashless
exercise” of the Option, in whole or in part, by (a) establishing procedures whereby the Holder, by a properly-executed written
notice, directs (i) an immediate market sale or margin loan as to all or a part of Shares to which he is entitled to receive upon exercise
of the Option, pursuant to an extension of credit by the Company to the Holder of the Option price, (ii) the delivery of the Shares from
the Company directly to a brokerage firm and (iii) the delivery of the Option price from sale or margin loan proceeds from the brokerage
firm directly to the Company, or (b) reducing the number of Shares to be issued upon exercise of the Option by the number of such Shares
having an aggregate Fair Market Value equal to the Option price (or portion thereof to be so paid) as of the date of the Option’s
exercise. An Option Agreement may also include provisions relating to: (i) subject to the provisions hereof, accelerated vesting of Options,
including but not limited to, upon the occurrence of a Change of Control, (ii) tax matters (including provisions covering any applicable
Employee wage withholding requirements and requiring additional “gross-up” payments to Holders to meet any excise taxes or
other additional income tax liability imposed as a result of a payment made upon a Change of Control resulting from the operation of
the Plan or of such Option Agreement) and (iii) any other matters not inconsistent with the terms and provisions of the Plan that the
Committee shall in its sole discretion determine. The terms and conditions of the respective Option Agreements need not be identical.
7.5
Option Price and Payment. The price at which an Share may be purchased upon exercise of an Option shall be determined by the Committee;
provided, however, that such Option price (i) shall not be less than the Fair Market Value of an Share on the date such
Option is granted (or 110% of Fair Market Value for an Incentive Stock Option held by Ten Percent Stockholder, as provided in Section
7.3), and (ii) shall be subject to adjustment as provided in Article XV. The Option or portion thereof may be exercised by delivery of
an irrevocable notice of exercise to the Company. The Option price for the Option or portion thereof shall be paid in full in the manner
prescribed by the Committee as set forth in the Plan and the applicable Option Agreement, which manner, with the consent of the Committee,
may include the withholding of Shares otherwise issuable in connection with the exercise of the Option. Separate share certificates shall
be issued by the Company for those Shares acquired pursuant to the exercise of an Incentive Stock Option and for those Shares acquired
pursuant to the exercise of a Non-qualified Stock Option.
7.6
Stockholder Rights and Privileges. The Holder of an Option shall be entitled to all the privileges and rights of a stockholder
of the Company solely with respect to such Shares as have been purchased under the Option and for which share certificates have been
registered in the Holder’s name.
7.7
Options and Rights in Substitution for Stock or Options Granted by Other Corporations. Options may be granted under the Plan from
time to time in substitution for stock options held by individuals employed by entities who become Employees, Directors or Consultants
as a result of a merger or consolidation of the employing entity with the Company or any Affiliate, or the acquisition by the Company
or an Affiliate of the assets of the employing entity, or the acquisition by the Company or an Affiliate of stock or shares of the employing
entity with the result that such employing entity becomes an Affiliate.
7.8
Prohibition Against Re-Pricing. Except to the extent (i) approved in advance by holders of a majority of the shares of the Company
entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, or (ii) as a result of any Change of Control or any adjustment as provided in
Article XV, the Committee shall not have the power or authority to reduce, whether through amendment or otherwise, the exercise price
under any outstanding Option or Stock Appreciation Right, or to grant any new Award or make any payment of cash in substitution for or
upon the cancellation of Options and/or Stock Appreciation Rights previously granted.
ARTICLE
VIII
RESTRICTED STOCK AWARDS
8.1
Award. A Restricted Stock Award shall constitute an Award of Shares to the Holder as of the date of the Award which are subject
to a “substantial risk of forfeiture” as defined under Section 83 of the Code during the specified Restriction Period. At
the time a Restricted Stock Award is made, the Committee shall establish the Restriction Period applicable to such Award. Each Restricted
Stock Award may have a different Restriction Period, in the discretion of the Committee. The Restriction Period applicable to a particular
Restricted Stock Award shall not be changed except as permitted by Section 8.2.
8.2
Terms and Conditions. At the time any Award is made under this Article VIII, the Company and the Holder shall enter into a Restricted
Stock Agreement setting forth each of the matters contemplated thereby and such other matters as the Committee may determine to be appropriate.
The Company shall cause the Shares to be issued in the name of Holder, either by book-entry registration or issuance of one or more stock
certificates evidencing the Shares, which Shares or certificates shall be held by the Company or the stock transfer agent or brokerage
service selected by the Company to provide services for the Plan. The Shares shall be restricted from transfer and shall be subject to
an appropriate stop-transfer order, and if any certificate is issued, such certificate shall bear an appropriate legend referring to
the restrictions applicable to the Shares. After any Shares vest, the Company shall deliver the vested Shares, in book-entry or certificated
form in the Company’s sole discretion, registered in the name of Holder or his or her legal representatives, beneficiaries or heirs,
as the case may be, less any Shares withheld to pay withholding taxes. If provided for under the Restricted Stock Agreement, the Holder
shall have the right to vote Shares subject thereto and to enjoy all other stockholder rights, including the entitlement to receive dividends
on the Shares during the Restriction Period. At the time of such Award, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, prescribe additional
terms and conditions or restrictions relating to Restricted Stock Awards, including, but not limited to, rules pertaining to the effect
of Termination of Service prior to expiration of the Restriction Period. Such additional terms, conditions or restrictions shall, to
the extent inconsistent with the provisions of Sections 6.2, 6.3 and 6.4, as applicable, be set forth in a Restricted Stock Agreement
made in conjunction with the Award. Such Restricted Stock Agreement may also include provisions relating to: (i) subject to the provisions
hereof, accelerated vesting of Awards, including but not limited to accelerated vesting upon the occurrence of a Change of Control, (ii)
tax matters (including provisions covering any applicable Employee wage withholding requirements and requiring additional “gross-up”
payments to Holders to meet any excise taxes or other additional income tax liability imposed as a result of a payment made in connection
with a Change of Control resulting from the operation of the Plan or of such Restricted Stock Agreement) and (iii) any other matters
not inconsistent with the terms and provisions of the Plan that the Committee shall in its sole discretion determine. The terms and conditions
of the respective Restricted Stock Agreements need not be identical. All Shares delivered to a Holder as part of a Restricted Stock Award
shall be delivered and reported by the Company or the Affiliate, as applicable, to the Holder at the time of vesting.
8.3
Payment for Restricted Stock. The Committee shall determine the amount and form of any payment from a Holder for Shares received
pursuant to a Restricted Stock Award, if any, provided that in the absence of such a determination, a Holder shall not be required to
make any payment for Shares received pursuant to a Restricted Stock Award, except to the extent otherwise required by law.
ARTICLE
IX
UNRESTRICTED STOCK AWARDS
9.1
Award. Shares may be awarded (or sold) to Employees, Directors or Consultants under the Plan which are not subject to Restrictions
of any kind, in consideration for past services rendered thereby to the Company or an Affiliate or for other valid consideration.
9.2
Terms and Conditions. At the time any Award is made under this Article IX, the Company and the Holder shall enter into an Unrestricted
Stock Agreement setting forth each of the matters contemplated hereby and such other matters as the Committee may determine to be appropriate.
9.3
Payment for Unrestricted Stock. The Committee shall determine the amount and form of any payment from a Holder for Shares received
pursuant to an Unrestricted Stock Award, if any, provided that in the absence of such a determination, a Holder shall not be required
to make any payment for Shares received pursuant to an Unrestricted Stock Award, except to the extent otherwise required by law.
ARTICLE
X
RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT AWARDS
10.1
Award. A Restricted Stock Unit Award shall constitute a promise to grant Shares (or cash equal to the Fair Market Value of Shares)
to the Holder at the end of a specified Restriction Period. At the time a Restricted Stock Unit Award is made, the Committee shall establish
the Restriction Period applicable to such Award. Each Restricted Stock Unit Award may have a different Restriction Period, in the discretion
of the Committee. A Restricted Stock Unit shall not constitute an equity interest in the Company and shall not entitle the Holder to
voting rights, dividends or any other rights associated with ownership of Shares prior to the time the Holder shall receive a distribution
of Shares pursuant to Section 10.3.
10.2
Terms and Conditions. At the time any Award is made under this Article X, the Company and the Holder shall enter into a Restricted
Stock Unit Agreement setting forth each of the matters contemplated thereby and such other matters as the Committee may determine to
be appropriate. The Restricted Stock Unit Agreement shall set forth the individual service-based vesting requirement which the Holder
would be required to satisfy before the Holder would become entitled to distribution pursuant to Section 10.3 and the number of Units
awarded to the Holder. Such conditions shall be sufficient to constitute a “substantial risk of forfeiture” as such term
is defined under Section 409A of the Code. At the time of such Award, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, prescribe additional
terms and conditions or restrictions relating to Restricted Stock Unit Awards in the Restricted Stock Unit Agreement, including, but
not limited to, rules pertaining to the effect of Termination of Service prior to expiration of the applicable vesting period. The terms
and conditions of the respective Restricted Stock Unit Agreements need not be identical.
10.3
Distributions of Shares. The Holder of a Restricted Stock Unit shall be entitled to receive a cash payment equal to the Fair Market
Value of an Share, or one Share, as determined in the sole discretion of the Committee and as set forth in the Restricted Stock Unit
Agreement, for each Restricted Stock Unit subject to such Restricted Stock Unit Award, if the Holder satisfies the applicable vesting
requirement. Such distribution shall be made no later than by the fifteenth (15th) day of the third (3rd) calendar
month next following the end of the calendar year in which the Restricted Stock Unit first becomes vested (i.e., no longer subject to
a “substantial risk of forfeiture”).
ARTICLE
XI
PERFORMANCE UNIT AWARDS
11.1
Award. A Performance Unit Award shall constitute an Award under which, upon the satisfaction of predetermined individual and/or
Company (and/or Affiliate) Performance Goals based on selected Performance Criteria, a cash payment shall be made to the Holder, based
on the number of Units awarded to the Holder. At the time a Performance Unit Award is made, the Committee shall establish the Performance
Period and applicable Performance Goals. Each Performance Unit Award may have different Performance Goals, in the discretion of the Committee.
A Performance Unit Award shall not constitute an equity interest in the Company and shall not entitle the Holder to voting rights, dividends
or any other rights associated with ownership of Shares.
11.2
Terms and Conditions. At the time any Award is made under this Article XI, the Company and the Holder shall enter into a Performance
Unit Agreement setting forth each of the matters contemplated thereby and such other matters as the Committee may determine to be appropriate.
The Committee shall set forth in the applicable Performance Unit Agreement the Performance Period, Performance Criteria and Performance
Goals which the Holder and/or the Company would be required to satisfy before the Holder would become entitled to payment pursuant to
Section 11.3, the number of Units awarded to the Holder and the dollar value or formula assigned to each such Unit. Such payment shall
be subject to a “substantial risk of forfeiture” under Section 409A of the Code. At the time of such Award, the Committee
may, in its sole discretion, prescribe additional terms and conditions or restrictions relating to Performance Unit Awards, including,
but not limited to, rules pertaining to the effect of Termination of Service prior to expiration of the applicable performance period.
The terms and conditions of the respective Performance Unit Agreements need not be identical.
11.3
Payments. The Holder of a Performance Unit shall be entitled to receive a cash payment equal to the dollar value assigned to such
Unit under the applicable Performance Unit Agreement if the Holder and/or the Company satisfy (or partially satisfy, if applicable under
the applicable Performance Unit Agreement) the Performance Goals set forth in such Performance Unit Agreement. If necessary to satisfy
the requirements of Code Section 162(m), if applicable, the achievement of such Performance Goals shall be certified in writing by the
Committee prior to any payment. All payments shall be made no later than by the fifteenth (15th) day of the third (3rd)
calendar month next following the end of the Company’s fiscal year to which such performance goals and objectives relate.
ARTICLE
XII
PERFORMANCE STOCK AWARDS
12.1
Award. A Performance Stock Award shall constitute a promise to grant Shares (or cash equal to the Fair Market Value of Shares)
to the Holder at the end of a specified Performance Period subject to achievement of specified Performance Goals. At the time a Performance
Stock Award is made, the Committee shall establish the Performance Period and applicable Performance Goals based on selected Performance
Criteria. Each Performance Stock Award may have different Performance Goals, in the discretion of the Committee. A Performance Stock
Award shall not constitute an equity interest in the Company and shall not entitle the Holder to voting rights, dividends or any other
rights associated with ownership of Shares unless and until the Holder shall receive a distribution of Shares pursuant to Section 11.3.
12.2
Terms and Conditions. At the time any Award is made under this Article XII, the Company and the Holder shall enter into a Performance
Stock Agreement setting forth each of the matters contemplated thereby and such other matters as the Committee may determine to be appropriate.
The Committee shall set forth in the applicable Performance Stock Agreement the Performance Period, selected Performance Criteria and
Performance Goals which the Holder and/or the Company would be required to satisfy before the Holder would become entitled to the receipt
of Shares pursuant to such Holder’s Performance Stock Award and the number of Shares subject to such Performance Stock Award. Such
distribution shall be subject to a “substantial risk of forfeiture” under Section 409A of the Code. If such Performance Goals
are achieved, the distribution of Shares (or the payment of cash, as determined in the sole discretion of the Committee), shall be made
no later than by the fifteenth (15th) day of the third (3rd) calendar month next following the end of the Company’s
fiscal year to which such goals and objectives relate. At the time of such Award, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, prescribe
additional terms and conditions or restrictions relating to Performance Stock Awards, including, but not limited to, rules pertaining
to the effect of the Holder’s Termination of Service prior to the expiration of the applicable performance period. The terms and
conditions of the respective Performance Stock Agreements need not be identical.
12.3
Distributions of Shares. The Holder of a Performance Stock Award shall be entitled to receive a cash payment equal to the Fair
Market Value of a Share, or one Share, as determined in the sole discretion of the Committee, for each Performance Stock Award subject
to such Performance Stock Agreement, if the Holder satisfies the applicable vesting requirement. If necessary to satisfy the requirements
of Code Section 162(m), if applicable, the achievement of such Performance Goals shall be certified in writing by the Committee prior
to any payment. Such distribution shall be made no later than by the fifteenth (15th) day of the third (3rd) calendar
month next following the end of the Company’s fiscal year to which such performance goals and objectives relate.
ARTICLE
XIII
DISTRIBUTION EQUIVALENT RIGHTS
13.1
Award. A Distribution Equivalent Right shall entitle the Holder to receive bookkeeping credits, cash payments and/or Share distributions
equal in amount to the distributions that would have been made to the Holder had the Holder held a specified number of Shares during
the specified period of the Award.
13.2
Terms and Conditions. At the time any Award is made under this Article XIII, the Company and the Holder shall enter into a Distribution
Equivalent Rights Award Agreement setting forth each of the matters contemplated thereby and such other matters as the Committee may
determine to be appropriate. The Committee shall set forth in the applicable Distribution Equivalent Rights Award Agreement the terms
and conditions, if any, including whether the Holder is to receive credits currently in cash, is to have such credits reinvested (at
Fair Market Value determined as of the date of reinvestment) in additional Shares or is to be entitled to choose among such alternatives.
Such receipt shall be subject to a “substantial risk of forfeiture” under Section 409A of the Code and, if such Award becomes
vested, the distribution of such cash or Shares shall be made no later than by the fifteenth (15th) day of the third (3rd)
calendar month next following the end of the Company’s fiscal year in which the Holder’s interest in the Award vests. Distribution
Equivalent Rights Awards may be settled in cash or in Shares, as set forth in the applicable Distribution Equivalent Rights Award Agreement.
A Distribution Equivalent Rights Award may, but need not be, awarded in tandem with another Award (other than an Option or a SAR), whereby,
if so awarded, such Distribution Equivalent Rights Award shall expire, terminate or be forfeited by the Holder, as applicable, under
the same conditions as under such other Award.
13.3
Interest Equivalents. The Distribution Equivalent Rights Award Agreement for a Distribution Equivalent Rights Award may provide
for the crediting of interest on a Distribution Rights Award to be settled in cash at a future date (but in no event later than by the
fifteenth (15th) day of the third (3rd) calendar month next following the end of the Company’s fiscal year
in which such interest is credited and vested), at a rate set forth in the applicable Distribution Equivalent Rights Award Agreement,
on the amount of cash payable thereunder.
ARTICLE
XIV
STOCK APPRECIATION RIGHTS
14.1
Award. A Stock Appreciation Right shall constitute a right, granted alone or in connection with a related Option, to receive a
payment equal to the increase in value of a specified number of Shares between the date of Award and the date of exercise.
14.2
Terms and Conditions. At the time any Award is made under this Article XIV, the Company and the Holder shall enter into a Stock
Appreciation Right Agreement setting forth each of the matters contemplated thereby and such other matters as the Committee may determine
to be appropriate. The Committee shall set forth in the applicable Stock Appreciation Right Agreement the terms and conditions of the
Stock Appreciation Right, including (i) the base value (the “Base Value”) for the Stock Appreciation Right, which
shall be not less than the Fair Market Value of an Share on the date of grant of the Stock Appreciation Right, (ii) the number of Shares
subject to the Stock Appreciation Right, (iii) the period during which the Stock Appreciation Right may be exercised; provided,
however, that no Stock Appreciation Right shall be exercisable after the expiration of ten (10) years from the date of its grant,
and (iv) any other special rules and/or requirements which the Committee imposes upon the Stock Appreciation Right. Upon the exercise
of some or all of the portion of a Stock Appreciation Right, the Holder shall receive a payment from the Company, in cash or in the form
of Shares having an equivalent Fair Market Value or in a combination of both, as determined in the sole discretion of the Committee,
equal to the product of:
(a)
The excess of (i) the Fair Market Value of an Share on the date of exercise, over (ii) the Base Value, multiplied by,
(b)
The number of Shares with respect to which the Stock Appreciation Right is exercised.
14.3
Tandem Stock Appreciation Rights. If the Committee grants a Stock Appreciation Right which is intended to be a Tandem Stock Appreciation
Right, the Tandem Stock Appreciation Right shall be granted at the same time as the related Option, and the following special rules shall
apply:
(a)
The Base Value shall be equal to or greater than the per Share exercise price under the related Option;
(b)
The Tandem Stock Appreciation Right may be exercised for all or part of the Shares which are subject to the related Option, but solely
upon the surrender by the Holder of the Holder’s right to exercise the equivalent portion of the related Option (and when a Share
is purchased under the related Option, an equivalent portion of the related Tandem Stock Appreciation Right shall be canceled);
(c)
The Tandem Stock Appreciation Right shall expire no later than the date of the expiration of the related Option;
(d)
The value of the payment with respect to the Tandem Stock Appreciation Right may be no more than one hundred percent (100%) of the difference
between the per Share exercise price under the related Option and the Fair Market Value of the Shares subject to the related Option at
the time the Tandem Stock Appreciation Right is exercised, multiplied by the number of the Shares with respect to which the Tandem Stock
Appreciation Right is exercised; and
(e)
The Tandem Stock Appreciation Right may be exercised solely when the Fair Market Value of the Shares subject to the related Option exceeds
the per Share exercise price under the related Option.
ARTICLE
XV
RECAPITALIZATION OR REORGANIZATION
15.1
Adjustments to Shares. The shares with respect to which Awards may be granted under the Plan are Shares as presently constituted;
provided, however, that if, and whenever, prior to the expiration or distribution to the Holder of Shares underlying an
Award theretofore granted, the Company shall effect a subdivision or consolidation of the Shares or the payment of an Share dividend
on Shares without receipt of consideration by the Company, the number of Shares with respect to which such Award may thereafter be exercised
or satisfied, as applicable, (i) in the event of an increase in the number of outstanding Shares, shall be proportionately increased,
and the purchase price per Share shall be proportionately reduced, and (ii) in the event of a reduction in the number of outstanding
Shares, shall be proportionately reduced, and the purchase price per Share shall be proportionately increased. Notwithstanding the foregoing
or any other provision of this Article XV, any adjustment made with respect to an Award (x) which is an Incentive Stock Option, shall
comply with the requirements of Section 424(a) of the Code, and in no event shall any adjustment be made which would render any Incentive
Stock Option granted under the Plan to be other than an “incentive stock option” for purposes of Section 422 of the Code,
and (y) which is a Non-qualified Stock Option, shall comply with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code, and in no event shall
any adjustment be made which would render any Non-qualified Stock Option granted under the Plan to become subject to Section 409A of
the Code.
15.2
Recapitalization. If the Company recapitalizes or otherwise changes its capital structure, thereafter upon any exercise or satisfaction,
as applicable, of a previously granted Award, the Holder shall be entitled to receive (or entitled to purchase, if applicable) under
such Award, in lieu of the number of Shares then covered by such Award, the number and class of shares and securities to which the Holder
would have been entitled pursuant to the terms of the recapitalization if, immediately prior to such recapitalization, the Holder had
been the holder of record of the number of Shares then covered by such Award.
15.3
Other Events. In the event of changes to the outstanding Shares by reason of an extraordinary cash dividend, reorganization, merger,
consolidation, combination, split-up, spin-off, exchange or other relevant change in capitalization occurring after the date of the grant
of any Award and not otherwise provided for under this Article XV, any outstanding Awards and any Award Agreements evidencing such Awards
shall be adjusted by the Board in its discretion in such manner as the Board shall deem equitable or appropriate taking into consideration
the applicable accounting and tax consequences, as to the number and price of Shares or other consideration subject to such Awards. In
the event of any adjustment pursuant to Sections 15.1, 15.2 or this Section 15.3, the aggregate number of Shares available under the
Plan pursuant to Section 5.1 (and the Code Section 162(m) limit set forth therein) may be appropriately adjusted by the Board, the determination
of which shall be conclusive. In addition, the Committee may make provision for a cash payment to a Holder or a person who has an outstanding
Award. In addition, the Committee may make provision for a cash payment to a Holder or a person who has an outstanding Award.
15.4
Change of Control. The Committee may, in its sole discretion, at the time an Award is made or at any time prior to, coincident
with or after the time of a Change of Control, cause any Award either (i) to be canceled in consideration of a payment in cash or other
consideration in amount per share equal to the excess, if any, of the price or implied price per Share in the Change of Control over
the per Share exercise, base or purchase price of such Award, which may be paid immediately or over the vesting schedule of the Award;
(ii) to be assumed, or new rights substituted therefore, by the surviving corporation or a parent or subsidiary of such surviving corporation
following such Change of Control; (iii) accelerate any time periods, or waive any other conditions, relating to the vesting, exercise,
payment or distribution of an Award so that any Award to a Holder whose employment has been terminated as a result of a Change of Control
may be vested, exercised, paid or distributed in full on or before a date fixed by the Committee; (iv) to be purchased from a Holder
whose employment has been terminated as a result of a Change of Control, upon the Holder’s request, for an amount of cash equal
to the amount that could have been obtained upon the exercise, payment or distribution of such rights had such Award been currently exercisable
or payable; or (v) terminate any then outstanding Award or make any other adjustment to the Awards then outstanding as the Committee
deems necessary or appropriate to reflect such transaction or change. The number of Shares subject to any Award shall be rounded to the
nearest whole number.
15.5
Powers Not Affected. The existence of the Plan and the Awards granted hereunder shall not affect in any way the right or power
of the Board or of the stockholders of the Company to make or authorize any adjustment, recapitalization, reorganization or other change
of the Company’s capital structure or business, any merger or consolidation of the Company, any issue of debt or equity securities
ahead of or affecting Shares or the rights thereof, the dissolution or liquidation of the Company or any sale, lease, exchange or other
disposition of all or any part of its assets or business or any other corporate act or proceeding.
15.6
No Adjustment for Certain Awards. Except as hereinabove expressly provided, the issuance by the Company of shares of any class
or securities convertible into shares of any class, for cash, property, labor or services, upon direct sale, upon the exercise of rights
or warrants to subscribe therefor or upon conversion of shares or obligations of the Company convertible into such shares or other securities,
and in any case whether or not for fair value, shall not affect previously granted Awards, and no adjustment by reason thereof shall
be made with respect to the number of Shares subject to Awards theretofore granted or the purchase price per Share, if applicable.
ARTICLE
XVI
AMENDMENT AND TERMINATION OF PLAN
The
Plan shall continue in effect, unless sooner terminated pursuant to this Article XVI, until the tenth (10th) anniversary of
the date on which it is adopted by the Board (except as to Awards outstanding on that date). The Board in its discretion may terminate
the Plan at any time with respect to any shares for which Awards have not theretofore been granted; provided, however,
that the Plan’s termination shall not materially and adversely impair the rights of a Holder with respect to any Award theretofore
granted without the consent of the Holder. The Board shall have the right to alter or amend the Plan or any part hereof from time to
time; provided, however, that without the approval by a majority of the votes cast at a meeting of stockholders at which
a quorum representing a majority of the shares of the Company entitled to vote generally in the election of directors is present in person
or by proxy, no amendment or modification of the Plan may (i) materially increase the benefits accruing to Holders, (ii) except as otherwise
expressly provided in Article XV, materially increase the number of Shares subject to the Plan or the individual Award Agreements specified
in Article V, (iii) materially modify the requirements for participation in the Plan, or (iv) amend, modify or suspend Section 7.7 (re-pricing
prohibitions) or this Article XVI. In addition, no change in any Award theretofore granted may be made which would materially and adversely
impair the rights of a Holder with respect to such Award without the consent of the Holder (unless such change is required in order to
cause the benefits under the Plan to qualify as “performance-based” compensation within the meaning of Section 162(m) of
the Code or to exempt the Plan or any Award from Section 409A of the Code).
ARTICLE
XVII
MISCELLANEOUS
17.1
No Right to Award. Neither the adoption of the Plan by the Company nor any action of the Board or the Committee shall be deemed
to give an Employee, Director or Consultant any right to an Award except as may be evidenced by an Award Agreement duly executed on behalf
of the Company, and then solely to the extent and on the terms and conditions expressly set forth therein.
17.2
No Rights Conferred. Nothing contained in the Plan shall (i) confer upon any Employee any right with respect to continuation of
employment with the Company or any Affiliate, (ii) interfere in any way with any right of the Company or any Affiliate to terminate the
employment of an Employee at any time, (iii) confer upon any Director any right with respect to continuation of such Director’s
membership on the Board, (iv) interfere in any way with any right of the Company or an Affiliate to terminate a Director’s membership
on the Board at any time, (v) confer upon any Consultant any right with respect to continuation of his or her consulting engagement with
the Company or any Affiliate, or (vi) interfere in any way with any right of the Company or an Affiliate to terminate a Consultant’s
consulting engagement with the Company or an Affiliate at any time.
17.3
Other Laws; No Fractional Shares; Withholding. The Company shall not be obligated by virtue of any provision of the Plan to recognize
the exercise of any Award or to otherwise sell or issue Shares in violation of any laws, rules or regulations, and any postponement of
the exercise or settlement of any Award under this provision shall not extend the term of such Award. Neither the Company nor its directors
or officers shall have any obligation or liability to a Holder with respect to any Award (or Shares issuable thereunder) (i) that shall
lapse because of such postponement, or (ii) for any failure to comply with the requirements of any applicable law, rules or regulations,
including but not limited to any failure to comply with the requirements of Section 409A of this Code. No fractional Shares shall be
delivered, nor shall any cash in lieu of fractional Shares be paid. The Company shall have the right to deduct in cash (whether under
this Plan or otherwise) in connection with all Awards any taxes required by law to be withheld and to require any payments required to
enable it to satisfy its withholding obligations. In the case of any Award satisfied in the form of Shares, no Shares shall be issued
unless and until arrangements satisfactory to the Company shall have been made to satisfy any tax withholding obligations applicable
with respect to such Award. Subject to such terms and conditions as the Committee may impose, the Company shall have the right to retain,
or the Committee may, subject to such terms and conditions as it may establish from time to time, permit Holders to elect to tender,
Shares (including Shares issuable in respect of an Award) to satisfy, in whole or in part, the amount required to be withheld.
17.4
No Restriction on Corporate Action. Nothing contained in the Plan shall be construed to prevent the Company or any Affiliate from
taking any corporate action which is deemed by the Company or such Affiliate to be appropriate or in its best interest, whether or not
such action would have an adverse effect on the Plan or any Award made under the Plan. No Employee, Director, Consultant, beneficiary
or other person shall have any claim against the Company or any Affiliate as a result of any such action.
17.5
Restrictions on Transfer. No Award under the Plan or any Award Agreement and no rights or interests herein or therein, shall or
may be assigned, transferred, sold, exchanged, encumbered, pledged or otherwise hypothecated or disposed of by a Holder except (i) by
will or by the laws of descent and distribution, or (ii) where permitted under applicable tax rules, by gift to any Family Member of
the Holder, subject to compliance with applicable laws. An Award may be exercisable during the lifetime of the Holder only by such Holder
or by the Holder’s guardian or legal representative unless it has been transferred by gift to a Family Member of the Holder, in
which case it shall be exercisable solely by such transferee. Notwithstanding any such transfer, the Holder shall continue to be subject
to the withholding requirements provided for under Section 17.3 hereof.
17.6
Beneficiary Designations. Each Holder may, from time to time, name a beneficiary or beneficiaries (who may be contingent or successive
beneficiaries) for purposes of receiving any amount which is payable in connection with an Award under the Plan upon or subsequent to
the Holder’s death. Each such beneficiary designation shall serve to revoke all prior beneficiary designations, be in a form prescribed
by the Company and be effective solely when filed by the Holder in writing with the Company during the Holder’s lifetime. In the
absence of any such written beneficiary designation, for purposes of the Plan, a Holder’s beneficiary shall be the Holder’s
estate.
17.7
Rule 16b-3. It is intended that the Plan and any Award made to a person subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act shall meet all
of the requirements of Rule 16b-3. If any provision of the Plan or of any such Award would disqualify the Plan or such Award under, or
would otherwise not comply with the requirements of, Rule 16b-3, such provision or Award shall be construed or deemed to have been amended
as necessary to conform to the requirements of Rule 16b-3.
17.8
Section 162(m). The following conditions shall apply if it is intended that the requirements of Section 162(m) of the Code be
satisfied such that Awards under the Plan which are made to Holders who are “covered employees” (as defined in Section 162(m)
of the Code) shall constitute “performance-based” compensation within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Code: Any Performance
Goal(s) applicable to Qualified Performance-Based Awards shall be objective, shall be established not later than ninety (90) days after
the beginning of any applicable Performance Period (or at such other date as may be required or permitted for “performance-based”
compensation under Section 162(m) of the Code) and shall otherwise meet the requirements of Section 162(m) of the Code, including the
requirement that the outcome of the Performance Goal or Goals be substantially uncertain (as defined in the regulations under Section
162(m) of the Code) at the time established. The Performance Criteria to be utilized under the Plan to establish Performance Goals shall
consist of objective tests based on one or more of the following: earnings or earnings per share, cash flow or cash flow per share, operating
cash flow or operating cash flow per share revenue growth, product revenue growth, financial return ratios (such as return on equity,
return on investment and/or return on assets), share price performance, stockholder return, equity and/or value, operating income, operating
margins, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, earnings, pre- or post-tax income, economic value added (or
an equivalent metric), profit returns and margins, credit quality, sales growth, market share, working capital levels, comparisons with
various share market indices, year-end cash, debt reduction, assets under management, operating efficiencies, strategic partnerships
or transactions (including co-development, co-marketing, profit sharing, joint venture or other similar arrangements), and/or financing
and other capital raising transaction. Performance criteria may be established on a Company-wide basis or with respect to one or more
Company business units or divisions or subsidiaries; and either in absolute terms, relative to the performance of one or more similarly
situated companies, or relative to the performance of an index covering a peer group of companies. When establishing Performance Goals
for the applicable Performance Period, the Committee may exclude any or all “extraordinary items” as determined under U.S.
generally accepted accounting principles including, without limitation, the charges or costs associated with restructurings of the Company,
discontinued operations, other unusual or non-recurring items, and the cumulative effects of accounting changes, and as identified in
the Company’s financial statements, notes to the Company’s financial statements or management’s discussion and analysis
of financial condition and results of operations contained in the Company’s most recent annual report filed with the U.S. Securities
and Exchange Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act. Holders who are “covered employees” (as defined in Section 162(m) of
the Code) shall be eligible to receive payment under a Qualified Performance-Based Award which is subject to achievement of a Performance
Goal or Goals only if the applicable Performance Goal or Goals are achieved within the applicable Performance Period, as determined by
the Committee. If any provision of the Plan would disqualify the Plan or would not otherwise permit the Plan to comply with Section 162(m)
of the Code as so intended, such provision shall be construed or deemed amended to conform to the requirements or provisions of Section
162(m) of the Code. The Committee may postpone the exercising of Awards, the issuance or delivery of Shares under any Award or any action
permitted under the Plan to prevent the Company or any subsidiary from being denied a federal income tax deduction, provided that such
deferral satisfies the requirements of Section 409A of the Code. For purposes of the requirements of Treasury Regulation Section 1.162-27(e)(4)(i),
the maximum aggregate amount that may be paid in cash during any calendar year to any one person (measured from the date of any payment)
with respect to one or more Awards payable in cash shall be $500,000.
17.9
Clawback Policy. Notwithstanding any contained herein or in any incentive “performance based” Awards under the Plan
shall be subject to reduction, forfeiture or repayment by reason of a correction or restatement of the Company’s financial information
if and to the extent such reduction or repayment is required by any applicable law.
17.10
Section 409A. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, the Committee shall have no authority to issue an Award under the
Plan with terms and/or conditions which would cause such Award to constitute non-qualified “deferred compensation” under
Section 409A of the Code unless such Award shall be structured to be exempt from or comply with all requirements of Code Section 409A.
The Plan and all Award Agreements are intended to comply with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code (or to be exempt therefrom)
and shall be so interpreted and construed and no amount shall be paid or distributed from the Plan unless and until such payment complies
with all requirements of Code Section 409A. It is the intent of the Company that the provisions of this Agreement and all other plans
and programs sponsored by the Company be interpreted to comply in all respects with Code Section 409A, however, the Company shall have
no liability to the Holder, or any successor or beneficiary thereof, in the event taxes, penalties or excise taxes may ultimately be
determined to be applicable to any payment or benefit received by the Holder or any successor or beneficiary thereof.
17.11
Indemnification. Each person who is or shall have been a member of the Committee or of the Board shall be indemnified and held
harmless by the Company against and from any loss, cost, liability, or expense that may be imposed upon or reasonably incurred thereby
in connection with or resulting from any claim, action, suit, or proceeding to which such person may be made a party or may be involved
by reason of any action taken or failure to act under the Plan and against and from any and all amounts paid thereby in settlement thereof,
with the Company’s approval, or paid thereby in satisfaction of any judgment in any such action, suit, or proceeding against such
person; provided, however, that such person shall give the Company an opportunity, at its own expense, to handle and defend
the same before he or she undertakes to handle and defend it on his or her own behalf. The foregoing right of indemnification shall not
be exclusive and shall be independent of any other rights of indemnification to which such persons may be entitled under the Company’s
Articles of Incorporation or By-laws, by contract, as a matter of law, or otherwise.
17.12
Other Benefit Plans. No Award, payment or amount received hereunder shall be taken into account in computing an Employee’s
salary or compensation for the purposes of determining any benefits under any pension, retirement, life insurance or other benefit plan
of the Company or any Affiliate, unless such other plan specifically provides for the inclusion of such Award, payment or amount received.
Nothing in the Plan shall be construed to limit the right of the Company to establish other plans or to pay compensation to its employees,
in cash or property, in a manner which is not expressly authorized under the Plan.
17.13
Limits of Liability. Any liability of the Company with respect to an Award shall be based solely upon the contractual obligations
created under the Plan and the Award Agreement. None of the Company, any member of the Board nor any member of the Committee shall have
any liability to any party for any action taken or not taken, in good faith, in connection with or under the Plan.
17.14
Governing Law. Except as otherwise provided herein, the Plan shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Nevada,
without regard to principles of conflicts of law.
17.15
Severability of Provisions. If any provision of the Plan is held invalid or unenforceable, such invalidity or unenforceability
shall not affect any other provision of the Plan, and the Plan shall be construed and enforced as if such invalid or unenforceable provision
had not been included in the Plan.
17.16
No Funding. The Plan shall be unfunded. The Company shall not be required to establish any special or separate fund or to make
any other segregation of funds or assets to ensure the payment of any Award. Prior to receipt of Shares or a cash distribution pursuant
to the terms of an Award, such Award shall represent an unfunded unsecured contractual obligation of the Company and the Holder shall
have no greater claim to the Shares underlying such Award or any other assets of the Company or Affiliate than any other unsecured general
creditor.
17.17
Headings. Headings used throughout the Plan are for convenience only and shall not be given legal significance.
AgEagle Aerial Systems (AMEX:UAVS)
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From Dec 2024 to Jan 2025
AgEagle Aerial Systems (AMEX:UAVS)
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From Jan 2024 to Jan 2025