UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No.)

 

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

 

Sonim Technologies, 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.

 

 

 

 
 

 

PRELIMINARY PROXY STATEMENT — SUBJECT TO COMPLETION

 

SONIM TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 

6500 River Place Blvd. 

Building 7, Suite 250 

Austin, TX 78730

 

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

 

To Be Held on October 26, 2022

 

Dear Stockholder:

 

The 2022 annual meeting of stockholders of Sonim Technologies, Inc., a Delaware corporation, (the “Company,” “we”) will be held online on October 26, 2022, at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time.

 

Stockholders may participate in the meeting only by logging in at:

 

www.virtualshareholdermeeting/SONM2022

 

Stockholders will be able to listen to the meeting live, vote, and submit questions. There will be no physical location for stockholders to attend the annual meeting. 

 

By hosting the annual meeting online, the Company is able to ensure the health and safety of its directors, officers, employees, and provide a consistent experience to all stockholders regardless of location. Attendance at the virtual annual meeting will provide you with the same rights to participate as you would have at an in-person meeting. Once admitted to the annual meeting, you should follow the instructions that will be available on the meeting website in order to exercise your rights.

 

The annual meeting will be held for the following purposes as more fully described in the accompanying proxy statement:

 

1.To elect the seven (7) directors to our Board of Directors, each to serve until the next annual meeting and until his or her successor has been duly elected and qualified;
   
2.To approve an amendment to our 2019 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended, to increase the aggregate number of shares of common stock authorized for issuance by 5,000,000 shares;
   
3.To approve an amendment to our Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, to effect a reverse stock split of the Company’s common stock pursuant to which any whole number of outstanding shares between and including two (2) and fifteen (15) shares would be combined, converted, and changed into one share of common stock, with the final exchange ratio to be determined by the Board of Directors in its discretion;
   
4.To ratify the appointment of Moss Adams as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2022; and
   
5.To conduct any other business properly brought before the meeting.

 

Our Board of Directors has fixed the close of business on [September 15], 2022, as the record date for the annual meeting. This means that holders of record of our common stock at the close of business on that date are entitled to receive notice of the annual meeting and to vote their shares at the annual meeting and any related adjournments or postponements.

 

This Notice of Annual Meeting and Proxy Statement is being first mailed to our stockholders on or after [XX], 2022.

 

YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT. Whether or not you plan to participate in the annual meeting, we urge you to submit your vote via the Internet, telephone, or mail in advance of the annual meeting. If you plan to participate in the annual meeting, please see the instructions in the accompanying proxy statement.

 

  By Order of the Board of Directors
   
     
  Name: Clay Crolius
  Title: Secretary
   
  Austin, Texas
  [XX], 2022

 

 
 

 

SONIM TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

6500 River Place Blvd.

Building 7, Suite 250

Austin, TX 78730

 

PROXY STATEMENT 

FOR THE 2022 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

 

To Be Held on October 26, 2022

 

MEETING AGENDA

 

Proposals

 

Page

 

Voting Standard

 

Board Recommendation

             
Proposal 1 – Election of Directors   8   Plurality of the votes of the holders of shares present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote on the election of directors   FOR all director nominees
             
Proposal 2 – Amendment of the 2019 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended, to increase the aggregate number of shares of common stock authorized for issuance under the 2019 Equity Incentive Plan   19   Majority of shares present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote on the matter   FOR
             
Proposal 3 – Amendment to the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, to effect a reverse stock split of the Company’s common stock   31   Majority of outstanding shares entitled to vote on the matter   FOR
             
Proposal 4 – Ratification of the selection of Moss Adams as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal year ending December 31, 2022   39   Majority of shares present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote on the matter   FOR

 

 
 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

Questions and Answers about These Proxy Materials and Voting 1
Proposal 1 Election of Directors 8
Information Regarding the Board of Directors and Corporate Governance 12
  Independence of The Board of Directors 12
  Board Leadership Structure 12
  Role of the Board in Risk Oversight 12
  Meetings of The Board of Directors; Attendance 13
  Information Regarding Committees of the Board of Directors 13
  Arrangements in Connection with Directors’ Election and Nomination 17
  Stockholder Communications With The Board Of Directors 18
  Code of Business Conduct and Ethics 18
  Corporate Governance Guidelines 18
  Employee, Officer and Director Hedging 18
Proposal 2 Amendment to the Company’s 2019 Equity Incentive Plan 19
Proposal 3 Amendment to the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, as Amended to Effect a Reverse Stock Split 31
Proposal 4 Ratification of Selection of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm 39
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management 41
  Change in Control 41
Executive Compensation 42
  Summary Compensation Table 42
  Outstanding Equity Awards at December 31, 2021 43
  Agreements with Our Named Executive Officers for Fiscal Year 2021 44
  Potential Payments upon Termination or Change in Control 44
  Transaction Bonus Plan 45
  Executive Bonus Plan 46
  Pension Benefits 46
  Nonqualified Deferred Compensation 46
  Employee Benefit Plans 46
  Health and Welfare Benefits 46
  Director Compensation 47
  Agreements with Our Named Executive Officers Following the Change of Control 49
  Directors’ Indemnification and Insurance 49
Transactions with Related Persons and Indemnification 51
Related-Person Transactions Policy and Procedures 51
Certain Related-Person Transactions 51
Householding of Proxy Materials 52
Other Matters 53
Appendix A – Amended 2019 Plan 54
Appendix B – Amendment to the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation 78

 

 
 

 

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THESE PROXY MATERIALS AND VOTING

 

The information provided in the “question and answer” format below is for your convenience only and is merely a summary of the information contained in this proxy statement. You should read this entire proxy statement carefully.

 

Why am I receiving these materials? 

 

We have sent you these proxy materials because the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Sonim Technologies, Inc., a Delaware corporation, (“Company,” “Sonim,” or “we”) is soliciting your proxy to vote at the 2022 annual meeting of stockholders, including at any adjournments or postponements of the annual meeting. You are invited to vote on the proposals described in this proxy statement. See below under “How do I vote?

 

How can I participate in the annual meeting?

 

To participate in the annual meeting, visit www.virtualshareholdermeeting/SONM2022 and enter your control number as indicated. You can find your control number on your Notice of Meeting (the “Notice”), proxy card (if you received a printed copy of the proxy materials) or the instructions that accompanied your proxy materials. You will be able to log into the virtual meeting platform beginning at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time on October 26, 2022. The annual meeting will begin promptly at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time on October 26, 2022. We encourage you to log into the virtual meeting platform and ensure you can hear streaming audio prior to the annual meeting start time.

 

The virtual meeting platform is supported across browsers (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, and Safari) and devices (desktops, laptops, tablets, and cell phones) running the most updated version of applicable software and plugins. Participants should ensure that they have a strong WiFi connection wherever they intend to participate in the annual meeting.

 

If you wish to submit a question during the annual meeting, log into the virtual meeting platform, type your question into the “Ask a Question” field, and click “Submit.” Questions pertinent to meeting matters will be answered during the annual meeting, subject to time constraints. Questions regarding personal matters, including those related to employment, product or service issues, or suggestions for product innovations, should be addressed to the appropriate party on the sonimtech.com website; these questions are not pertinent to meeting matters and, therefore, will not be answered at the annual meeting. If we receive substantially similar questions, we may group such questions together and provide a single response to avoid repetition.

 

If you encounter any difficulties accessing the annual meeting, please call the technical support number that will be posted on the virtual meeting platform’s log in page.

 

Who can vote at the annual meeting?

 

Only stockholders of record at the close of business on [September 15], 2022 (the “Record Date”) will be entitled to vote at the annual meeting. Each share of common stock is entitled to one vote on each matter voted upon at the annual meeting. On the record date, there were [XX] shares of common stock outstanding and entitled to vote.

 

Stockholder of Record: Shares Registered in Your Name

 

If your shares are registered directly in your name with Sonim’s transfer agent, American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC, then you are a stockholder of record with respect to those shares. As a stockholder of record, you may fill out and return the enclosed proxy card, vote by proxy over the telephone, or vote by proxy through the Internet.

 

1

 

 

Beneficial Owner: Shares Registered in the Name of a Broker or Bank

 

If your shares are held in an account at a brokerage firm, bank or other similar organization, then you are the beneficial owner of shares held in “street name” and these proxy materials are being forwarded to you by that organization. The organization holding your account is considered to be the stockholder of record for purposes of voting at the annual meeting. As a beneficial owner, you have the right to direct your broker, bank, or other nominee regarding how to vote the shares in your account.

 

What am I voting on?

 

The following matters are scheduled for a vote:

 

1.To elect the seven (7) directors to our Board of Directors, each to serve until the next annual meeting and until his or her successor has been duly elected and qualified;
   
2.To approve an amendment to our 2019 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended, to increase the aggregate number of shares of common stock authorized for issuance by 5,000,000 shares;
   
3.To approve an amendment to our Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, to effect a reverse stock split of the Company’s common stock pursuant to which any whole number of outstanding shares between and including two (2) and fifteen (15) shares would be combined, converted, and changed into one share of common stock, with the final exchange ratio to be determined by the Board of Directors in its discretion;
   
4.To ratify the appointment of Moss Adams as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2022; and
   
5.To conduct any other business properly brought before the meeting.

 

What if another matter is properly brought before the annual meeting?

 

The Board knows of no other matters that will be presented for consideration at the annual meeting. If any other matters are properly brought before the annual meeting, it is the intention of the persons named in the accompanying proxy to vote on those matters in accordance with their best judgment.

 

How do I vote?

 

You may either vote “For all” the nominees to the Board or you may “Withhold” your vote for any nominee you specify. For each of the other matters to be voted on, you may vote “For” or “Against” or abstain from voting.

 

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The procedures for voting are as follows:

 

Stockholder of Record: Shares Registered in Your Name

 

If you are a stockholder of record, there are several ways for you to vote your shares:

 

  Via the Internet—Before the annual meeting. You may vote at www.proxyvote.com, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on [XX]. You will need the control number included on your Notice or your proxy card (if you received a printed copy of the proxy materials).
     
  Via the Internet—During the annual meeting. You may vote live at the annual meeting through the virtual meeting platform by logging into www.virtualshareholdermeeting/SONM2022. You will need the control number included on your Notice or your proxy card (if you received a printed copy of the proxy materials).
     
  By Telephone. You may vote using a touch-tone telephone by calling toll-free 1-800-690-6903 24 hours a day, seven days a week, until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on [XX]. You will need the control number included on your Notice or your proxy card (if you received a printed copy of the proxy materials).
     
  By Mail. If you received printed proxy materials, you may submit your vote by completing, signing and dating each proxy card received and returning it in the prepaid envelope. Sign your name exactly as it appears on the proxy card. Proxy cards submitted by mail must be received no later than [XX], to be voted at the annual meeting.

 

Beneficial Owners.

 

If you are a beneficial owner, you should have received a Notice or voting instructions from the broker or other nominee holding your shares. You should follow the instructions in the Notice or voting instructions provided by your broker or nominee in order to instruct your broker or other nominee on how to vote your shares. The availability of telephone and Internet voting will depend on the voting process of the broker or nominee.

 

If I am a stockholder of record and I do not vote, or if I return a proxy card or otherwise vote without giving specific voting instructions, what happens?

 

If you are a stockholder of record and do not vote by completing your proxy card, by telephone or through the Internet, your shares will not be voted.

 

If you return a signed and dated proxy card or otherwise vote without marking voting selections, your shares will be voted in accordance with the Board’s recommendation, which means:

 

“FOR” the election of all seven nominees for directors;
   
“FOR” the amendment of the 2019 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended, to increase the aggregate number of shares of common stock authorized for issuance under the 2019 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended, by 5,000,000 shares on a pre-reverse stock split basis;
   
“FOR” the approval of an amendment to the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, to effect a reverse stock split of the Company’s common stock; and
   
“FOR” the ratification of the selection of Moss Adams as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for fiscal year ending December 31, 2022.

 

If any other matter is properly presented at the meeting, your proxyholder (one of the individuals named on your proxy card) will vote your shares using his or her best judgment.

 

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If I am a beneficial owner of shares held in street name and I do not provide my broker with voting instructions, what happens?

 

If you are a beneficial owner of shares held in street name and you do not instruct your broker, bank or other agent how to vote your shares, your broker, bank or other agent may still be able to vote your shares in its discretion. In this regard, under the rules of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), brokers, banks and other securities intermediaries that are subject to NYSE rules may use their discretion to vote your “uninstructed” shares with respect to matters considered to be “routine” under NYSE rules, but not with respect to “non-routine” matters. In this regard, Proposals 1 and 2 are considered to be “non-routine” under NYSE rules meaning that your broker may not vote your shares on those proposals in the absence of your voting instructions. However, Proposals 3 and 4 are considered to be “routine” matters under NYSE rules meaning that if you do not return voting instructions to your broker by its deadline, your shares may be voted by your broker in its discretion on Proposals 3 and 4.

 

If you are a beneficial owner of shares held in street name, in order to ensure your shares are voted in the way you would prefer, you must provide voting instructions to your broker, bank, or other nominee by the deadline provided in the materials you receive from your broker, bank or other nominee.

 

Who is paying for this proxy solicitation?

 

We will pay for the entire cost of soliciting proxies. In addition to these proxy materials, our directors and employees may also solicit proxies in person, by telephone, or by other means of communication. Directors and employees will not be paid any additional compensation for soliciting proxies. We may also reimburse brokerage firms, banks, and other nominees for the cost of forwarding proxy materials to beneficial owners.

 

What does it mean if I receive more than one set of proxy materials?

 

If you receive more than one set of proxy materials, your shares may be registered in more than one name or in different accounts. Please follow the voting instructions on each proxy card you receive to ensure that all of your shares are voted.

 

Can I change my vote after submitting my proxy?

 

Stockholder of Record: Shares Registered in Your Name

 

Yes. You can revoke your proxy at any time before the final vote at the annual meeting. If you are the record holder of your shares, you may revoke your proxy in any one of the following ways:

 

You may submit another properly completed proxy card with a later date;

 

You may grant a subsequent proxy by telephone or through the Internet; and

 

You may send a timely written notice that you are revoking your proxy to Sonim’s Secretary at 6500 River Place Blvd., Building 7, Suite 250, Austin, TX 78730, attention Clay Crolius.

 

Your most current proxy card or telephone or Internet proxy is the one that will be counted.

 

Beneficial Owner: Shares Registered in the Name of Broker, Bank or Other Nominee

 

If your shares are held by your broker, bank or other nominee, you should follow the instructions provided by your broker, bank or other nominee to revoke your proxy.

 

When are stockholder proposals due for next year’s annual meeting?

 

Requirements for stockholder proposals to be brought before an annual meeting

 

Our amended and restated bylaws provide that, for stockholder director nominations or other proposals to be considered at an annual meeting, the stockholder must give timely notice thereof in writing to our Secretary at 6500 River Place Blvd., Building 7, Suite 250, Austin, TX 78730. To be timely for the 2023 annual meeting of Stockholders, a stockholder’s notice must be received by our Secretary at our principal executive offices between the close of business June 28, 2023, and close of business July 28, 2023; provided that if the date of the 2023 annual meeting of stockholders is earlier than September 26, 2023, or later than November 25, 2023, you must give the required notice not earlier than the 120th day prior to the 2023 annual meeting date and not later than the 90th day prior to the 2023 annual meeting date or, if later, the 10th day following the day on which public disclosure of that annual meeting date is first made. A stockholder’s notice to the Secretary must also set forth the information required by our amended and restated bylaws. In addition to satisfying the deadlines in the advance notice provisions of our bylaws, a stockholder who intends to solicit proxies in support of nominees submitted under these advance notice provisions for the 2023 annual meeting must provide the notice required under Rule 14a-19 to the Company’s corporate secretary not later than August 27, 2023 (provided that if the date of the 2023 annual meeting of stockholders is earlier than September 26, 2023, or later than November 25, 2023, you must give the required notice not later than sixty (60) days prior to our 2023 annual meeting or the 10th day following the day on which public announcement of the date of the annual meeting is first made).

 

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Requirements for stockholder proposals to be considered for inclusion in our proxy materials.

 

Stockholder proposals submitted pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) and intended to be presented at the 2023 annual meeting of Stockholders must be received by us not later than [XX] in order to be considered for inclusion in our proxy materials for that annual meeting.

 

How are votes counted?

 

Votes will be counted by the inspector of election appointed for the annual meeting, who will separately count, for the proposal to elect directors, votes “For,” “Withhold” and broker non-votes; and, with respect to the other proposals, votes “For” and “Against,” abstentions and, if applicable, broker non-votes.

 

Abstentions will be counted towards the vote total for each of Proposals 2, 3, and 4 and will have the same effect as “Against” votes.

 

Broker non-votes will be counted for purposes of calculating whether a quorum is present at our 2022 annual meeting, but will not be counted for purposes of determining the number of votes present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote with respect to a particular proposal as to which that broker “non-vote” occurs. Thus, a broker “non-vote” will not impact our ability to obtain a quorum for the annual meeting and will not otherwise affect the approval by a majority of the votes present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote on any of the Proposals. Broker non-votes on Proposals 1, and 2 will have no effect and will not be counted towards the vote total for any of those proposals. With respect to Proposals 3 and 4, broker non-votes are not expected because Proposals 3 and 4 are routine proposals.

 

Votes will be counted by the inspector of election appointed for the annual meeting. With respect to Proposal 1, you may vote “For” all the nominees to the Board, “Withhold” your vote for all nominees, or you may “Withhold” your vote for any nominee you specify. With respect to Proposals 2, 3 and 4, you may vote “For” or “Against” or abstain from voting.

 

What are “broker non-votes?”

 

As discussed above, when a beneficial owner of shares held in street name does not give voting instructions to his or her broker, bank or other securities intermediary holding his or her shares as to how to vote on matters deemed to be “non-routine” under NYSE rules, the broker, bank or other such agent cannot vote the shares. These un-voted shares are counted as “broker non-votes.” Proposals 1 and 2 are considered to be “non-routine” and we, therefore, expect broker non-votes to exist in connection with those proposals.

 

As a reminder, if you are a beneficial owner of shares held in street name, in order to ensure your shares are voted in the way you would prefer, you must provide voting instructions to your broker, bank or other agent by the deadline provided in the materials you receive from your broker, bank or other agent.

 

5

 

 

How many votes are needed to approve each proposal?

 

For the election of directors, the seven nominees receiving the most “FOR” votes from the holders of shares present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote on the election of directors will be elected. Only votes “FOR” will affect the outcome. Broker non-votes are not counted for the purpose of determining the number of votes cast and will therefore not have any effect on the outcome of the vote on Proposal 1.

 

Approval of Proposal 2 requires the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of shares present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote on the matter. Abstentions will have the same effect as a vote “Against” Proposal 2. Broker non-votes are not counted for the purpose of determining the number of votes cast and will therefore not have any effect on the outcome of the vote on Proposal 2.

 

Approval of Proposal 3 requires the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of our common stock entitled to vote thereon. Abstentions will have the same effect as a vote “Against” Proposal 3. If you hold your shares in “street name” (that is, your shares are held in an account at and registered in the name of a brokerage firm, bank, broker-dealer, or similar organization), your broker or other organization may vote your shares under limited circumstances if you do not provide voting instructions before the annual meeting. These circumstances include voting your shares on so-called “routine matters.” Proposal 3 is a “routine” matter.

 

Approval of Proposal 4 requires the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of shares present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote on the matter. Abstentions will have the same effect as a vote “Against” Proposal 4. If you hold your shares in “street name” (that is, your shares are held in an account at and registered in the name of a brokerage firm, bank, broker-dealer or similar organization), your broker or other organization may vote your shares under limited circumstances if you do not provide voting instructions before the annual meeting. These circumstances include voting your shares on so-called “routine matters.” Proposal 4 is a “routine” matter.

 

Please carefully review the table below.

 

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#   Proposal   Vote Required   Effect of  Abstentions   Routine or non-routine  Broker Non-Votes
1   Election of Directors   Plurality of votes cast.   No effect.  

The matter is not routine.

No effect.

                 
2   Amendment to the Company’s 2019 Equity Incentive Plan   Affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of shares present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote on the matter.   Same effect as an “Against” vote.  

The matter is not routine.

No effect.

                 
3   Amendment to the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, as Amended to Effect a Reverse Stock Split   Affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of our common stock entitled to vote thereon.   Same effect as an “Against” vote.  

The matter is routine.

Broker’s non-votes are not expected.

                 
4   Ratification of Selection of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm   Affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of shares present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote on the matter.   Same effect as an “Against” vote.  

The matter is routine.

Broker’s non-votes are not expected.

 

What is the quorum requirement?

 

A quorum of stockholders is necessary to hold a valid meeting. The presence at the annual meeting, in person or represented by proxy, of the holders of one-third of our common stock issued and outstanding and entitled to vote at the annual meeting constitutes a quorum for the transaction of business at the annual meeting. On the record date, there were [XX] shares outstanding and entitled to vote. Thus, the holders of at least [XX] shares must be present in person or represented by proxy at the annual meeting to have a quorum.

 

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, bank or other nominee) or if you vote in person at the annual meeting. Abstentions and broker non-votes will be counted towards the quorum requirement. If there is no quorum, the holders of a majority of shares present at the annual meeting in person or represented by proxy may adjourn the annual meeting to another date.

 

How can I find out the results of the voting at the annual meeting?

 

Preliminary voting results will be announced at the annual meeting. In addition, final voting results will be published in a current report on Form 8-K that we expect to file within four business days after the annual meeting. If final voting results are not available to us in time to file a Form 8-K within four business days after the annual meeting, we intend to file a Form 8-K to publish preliminary results and, within four business days after the final results are known to us, file an additional Form 8-K to publish the final results.

 

What proxy materials are available on the Internet?

 

The proxy statement and annual report to stockholders are available at www.sonimtech.com under Investor Relations.

 

7

 

 

PROPOSAL 1
ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

 

Sonim’s Board consists of seven directors. Our Board has selected all seven of our directors for election at the annual meeting. Each director to be elected and qualified will hold office until the next annual meeting of stockholders and until his or her respective successor is elected, or, if sooner, until the director’s death, resignation, or removal. Each of the nominees listed below is currently a director of the Company, and Mr. Howe and Mr. Mulica were previously elected by the stockholders. Messrs. Cassano, Wang, and Steenstra were appointed as directors by the Company’s then-current non-management directors, Mr. Howe and Mr. Mulica in accordance with the terms of certain subscription agreement dated April 13, 2022 (the “Subscription Agreement”), by and between the Company and AJP Holding Company, LLC, following the approval of the Subscription Agreement by the stockholders of the Company on June 28, 2022. Messrs. and Principe and Liu were appointed as directors by the Company’s then-current non-management directors, Messrs. Howe, Mulica, Wang, Cassano, and Steenstra.

 

Nominees

 

The Board, together with the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, seeks to assemble a Board that, as a whole, possesses the appropriate balance of professional and industry knowledge, financial expertise, and high-level management experience necessary to oversee and direct the Company’s business. To that end, the Board and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee have identified and evaluated nominees in the broader context of the Board’s overall composition, with the goal of recruiting members who complement and strengthen the skills of other members and who also exhibit integrity, collegiality, sound business judgment and other qualities viewed as critical to effective functioning of the Board. The brief biographies below include information, as of the date of this proxy statement, regarding the specific and particular experience, qualifications, attributes, or skills of each director or nominee that led the Board to believe that that nominee should continue to serve on the Board. However, each of the members of the Board may have a variety of reasons why he or she believes a particular person would be an appropriate nominee for the Board, and these views may differ from the views of other members.

 

The current composition of the Board is illustrated in the table below. The Company’s diversity matrix is available on the Company’s website.

 

Name, Current Position and Occupation   Year First
Became
Director
  Age   Independent   Audit
Committee
  Compensation
Committee
  Nominating
and Governance
Committee
Mike Mulica,
Director
  2021   59   Yes       Chairman  
Alan Howe,
Director
  2017   61   Yes   ✓ *        
Jeffrey Wang,
Director, Chairman of the Board
  2022   29   Yes            
Jack Steenstra,
Director
  2022   60   Yes       Chairman
James Cassano,
Director
  2022   76   Yes   Chairman, *      

Peter Liu,

Director, Chief Executive Officer

  2022   54   No            

Jose C. Principe

Director

  2022   72   Yes            

 

* Audit Committee Financial Expert

 

8

 

 

Jeffrey Wang has served as Chairman of our Board since July 2022. Mr. Wang has served as a Software Engineer at Plaid Inc., a California-based financial services company, since April 2022. Previously he was a Senior Software Engineer at Waymo LLC, Google LLC’s autonomous driving technology company, from August 2019 to April 2022 with the data warehouse team, a Senior Software Engineer with the search ads backend infrastructure at Google LLC from February 2015 to August 2019. Mr. Wang holds a BA in Computer Science from the University of California, Berkeley. The Board believes that Mr. Wang’s experience at technology companies qualifies him to serve on our Board.

 

Peter Liu has served as a member of our Board since July 2022. Mr. Liu has served as our Chief Executive Officer since April 2022. Mr. Liu previously served as our Executive Vice President for Global Operations from September 2010 to April 2022. From 2007 to 2010, Mr. Liu served as Global Quality Director for LOM/Perlos, an international VI supplier of mobile phones. From 2005 to 2007, Mr. Liu was the Head of Quality for the Strategic Growth Engine business at Motorola Solutions, Inc., a multinational telecommunications company. Mr. Liu received an M.B.A. from Lawrence Technological University and a Bachelor’s in Engineering from Tianjin University. The Board believes that Mr. Lui’s experience as our Executive Vice President for Global Operations and his knowledge of our Company qualifies him to serve on our Board.

 

James Cassano has served as a member of our Board since July 2022. Mr. Cassano is currently a Partner & Chief Financial Officer of CoActive Health Solutions, LLC, a worldwide contract research organization, supporting the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. He also has been serving as a board member of Ideanomics, a global electric vehicle company, since January 2008. Mr. Cassano has served as executive vice president, chief financial officer, secretary, and director of Jaguar Acquisition Corporation, a blank check company, since its formation in June 2005. Mr. Cassano has served as a managing director of Katalyst LLC, a company which provides certain administrative services to Jaguar Acquisition Corporation, since January 2005. In June 1998, Mr. Cassano founded New Forum Publishers, an electronic publisher of educational material for secondary schools, and served as its chairman of the Board and chief executive officer until it was sold to Apex Learning, Inc., a company controlled by Warburg Pincus, in August 2003. He remained with Apex until November 2003 in transition as vice president business development and served as a consultant to the company through February 2004. In June 1995, Mr. Cassano co-founded Advantix, Inc., a high volume electronic ticketing software and transaction services company which handled event related client and customer payments, that was renamed Tickets.com and went public through an IPO in 1999. From March 1987 to June 1995, Mr. Cassano served as senior vice president and chief financial officer of the Hill Group, Inc., a privately-held engineering and consulting organization, and from February 1986 to March 1987, Mr. Cassano served as vice president of investments and acquisitions for Safeguard Scientifics, Inc., a public venture development company. From May 1973 to February 1986, Mr. Cassano served as partner and director of strategic management services (Europe) for the strategic management group of Hay Associates. Mr. Cassano received a BS in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Purdue University and an MBA from Wharton Graduate School at the University of Pennsylvania. The Board believes that Mr. Cassano’s extensive financial and executive experience with multiple private and public companies qualifies him to serve on our Board.

 

Alan Howe has served as a member of our Board since October 2017. Since April 2001, Mr. Howe has served as co-founder and Managing Partner of Broadband Initiatives, LLC, a boutique corporate development and strategic consulting firm. Previously, Mr. Howe held various executive management positions at Covad Communications, Inc., a provider of broadband voice and data communications, Teletrac, Inc., a location-tracking software company, Sprint Corporation, a telecommunications company, and Manufacturers Hanover Trust Company, a commercial bank. Mr. Howe currently serves on the boards of Babcock and Wilcox, a company providing environmental technologies for the power industry, Orion Energy Systems, Inc., a LED lighting and intelligent controls company, and NextNav, a developer of 3D geolocation services. Mr. Howe previously served on the board of directors for Data I/O Corporation, magicJack, VocalTec, Ltd., a cloud communications company, CafePress, an online retailer of user customized products, Urban Communications, a provider of fiber optic services, Qualstar Corporation, a data storage products manufacturer, Determine. Inc., a provider of life cycle management solutions software, Widepoint Corporation, a provider of technology products and services, and Resonant Inc., a hardware development company for mobile devices. The Board believes that Mr. Howe’s extensive financial, executive and board experience with multiple private and public companies qualifies him to serve on our Board.

 

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Mike Mulica has served as a member of our Board since April 2021. Mr. Mulica has served as Chairman at AlefEdge since March 2018 and as its Chief Executive Officer since August 2021. From May 2018 to present, Mr. Mulica has served as the Global Management Advisor at Mulica Consulting, advising public and private companies on global mobile Internet and application platforms. From May 2016 to August 2018, Mr. Mulica served as Chief Executive Officer and President of Actility Technologies, Inc., an IoT communications and software company. From June 2014 to May 2016, Mr. Mulica served as the President, Worldwide Sales and Business Development at Real Networks, Inc., a content and Internet software company. From October 2011 to July 2014, Mr. Mulica served as the Chief Executive Officer and President of Openwave Systems, Inc., a mobile Internet software company. Prior to his service at Openwave Systems, he held various leadership positions at Motorola, Inc., a communications systems company, Synchronoss Technologies, an Internet software and services company, FusionOne, Inc., a mobile Internet software company, BridgePort Technologies, Inc., a mobile Internet software company, Phone.com, Inc., inventor of the mobile Internet, California Microwave, Inc., a microwave and satellite systems company, and Tandem Computers, a fault tolerant computer manufacturer. Mr. Mulica holds a BS in Finance from Marquette University and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. The Board believes that Mr. Mulica’s extensive operational, executive and board experience with numerous private and public companies at various Internet, mobile and software companies qualifies him to serve on our Board.

 

Jose C. Principe Dr. Principe, has served as a Distinguished Professor and Eckis Chair of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Florida, Gainesville, where he has been teaching statistical signal processing and advanced machine learning, since 1987. During his career, he innovated many aspects of adaptive systems and integrated information theory with machine learning. Dr. Principe is the Founding Director of the Computational NeuroEngineering Laboratory, a University of Florida, Gainesville laboratory dedicated to interfacing machine learning with the brain. Throughout his academic career, he also explored technology transfer and has been awarded 43 U.S. patents. With his graduate students, Dr. Principe created NeuroDimension in 1991, a software development company specializing in neural networks, adaptive systems, and genetic optimization, in addition to being involved in two other startups with unique products: fetal heart rate monitoring and ultra-low power e-pills. He is active in the International Electrical and Electronic Engineer Society (IEEE) and the International Neural Network Society, has been awarded the IEEE Neural Network Pioneer Award and the IEEE Claude Shannon Henry Nyquist Award. He was also named a Fellow of the IEEE, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and the National Academy of Inventors. The Board believes that Dr. Principe’s comprehensive engineering experience with signal monitoring and processing qualified him to serve on our Board.

 

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Jack Steenstra has served as a member of our Board since July 2022. Mr. Steenstra has served as the Chief Technology Officer of Meta Technologies Inc. since August 2017. From November 2015 to August 2017, he was a freelance technology consultant with various startups including VRx Medical, an immersive digital therapeutics company, contributing to the technical, business, and product innovation of new products, services, and associated businesses developing new wireless devices. From July 1995 to November 2015, Mr. Steenstra was Vice President of Engineering at Qualcomm, where he led a cross-functional department developing new products to support new business opportunities. Prior to that, he was an engineer at Abbott Laboratories, where he developed digital surveillance systems, software, and medical devices. Since January 2012, he has been a board member of Stepping Stone San Diego, a drug and alcohol rehabilitation and treatment program specializing in the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender community. Mr. Steenstra holds a BS in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the University of Michigan and a MS in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the University of Southern California. The Board believes that Mr. Steenstra’s extensive leadership experience and business consulting experience qualifies him to serve on our Board.

 

Vote Required

 

Directors are elected by a plurality of the votes of the holders of shares present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote on the election of directors. Accordingly, the seven nominees receiving the highest number of affirmative votes will be elected.

 

The Board Recommends

A Vote “FOR ALL” the Seven Director Nominees.

 

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INFORMATION REGARDING THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

 

Independence of The Board of Directors

 

As required under the Nasdaq Capital Market (“Nasdaq”), and our Corporate Governance Guidelines, a majority of the members of a listed company’s board of directors must qualify as “independent,” as affirmatively determined by the board of directors. In addition, applicable Nasdaq rules require that, subject to specified exceptions, each member of a listed company’s audit, compensation and nominating committees be independent within the meaning of applicable Nasdaq rules. Audit committee members must also satisfy the independence criteria set forth in Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act.

 

Consistent with these considerations, our Board undertook a review of the independence of each director and considered whether any director has a relationship which, in the opinion of the Board, would interfere with the exercise of judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director. After review of all relevant transactions or relationships between each director, or any of his or her family members, and the Company, its senior management, and its independent registered public accounting firm, the Board has affirmatively determined that the following directors are independent directors within the meaning of the applicable Nasdaq listing standards: Messrs. Cassano, Howe, Mulica, Principe, Steenstra, and Wang.

 

In making these determinations, our Board considered certain relationships and transactions that occurred in the ordinary course of business between the Company and entities with which some of our directors are or have been affiliated. The Board determined that such transactions would not impair the particular director’s independence or interfere with the exercise of independent judgment in carrying out director responsibilities. The Board determined that Mr. Liu, by virtue of his employment with the Company as Chief Executive Officer, is not an independent director.

 

Board Leadership Structure

 

The Board of the Company has an independent chair, Jeffrey Wang. As Board Chair, Mr. Wang has broad authority, among other things, to call and preside over Board meetings, including meetings of the independent directors, to set meeting agendas and to determine materials to be distributed to the Board. Accordingly, the Board Chair has substantial ability to shape the work of the Board. Peter Liu, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, currently serves as our principal executive officer. The Company believes that having an independent Board Chair reinforces the independence of the Board in its oversight of the business and affairs of the Company. In addition, the Company believes that having an independent Board Chair creates an environment that is more conducive to objective evaluation and oversight of management’s performance, increasing management accountability and improving the ability of the Board to monitor whether management’s actions are in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders. As a result, the Company believes that having an independent Board Chair can enhance the effectiveness of the Board as a whole.

 

Role of the Board in Risk Oversight

 

One of the Board’s key functions is informed oversight of the Company’s risk management process. The Board does not have a standing risk management committee, but rather administers this oversight function directly through the Board as a whole, as well as through various Board standing committees that address risks inherent in their respective areas of oversight. In particular, our Board is responsible for monitoring and assessing strategic risk exposure, including a determination of the nature and level of risk appropriate for the Company. Our Audit Committee has the responsibility to consider and discuss our major financial risk exposures and the steps our management has taken to monitor and control these exposures, including guidelines and policies to govern the process by which risk assessment and management is undertaken. The Audit Committee also monitors compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, in addition to oversight of the performance of our internal audit function. Audit Committee responsibilities also include oversight of cybersecurity risk management, and, to that end, the committee typically meets annually with IT or business personnel responsible for cybersecurity risk management. Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee monitors the effectiveness of our corporate governance guidelines, including whether they are successful in preventing illegal or improper liability-creating conduct. Our Compensation Committee assesses and monitors whether any of our compensation policies and programs has the potential to encourage excessive risk-taking. Typically, the applicable Board committees meet at least annually with the employees responsible for risk management in the committees’ respective areas of oversight. It is the responsibility of the committee chairs to report findings regarding material risk exposures to the Board as quickly as possible. The Board has delegated to the Board’s Chair the responsibility of coordinating between the Board and management with regard to the determination and implementation of responses to any problematic risk management issues.

 

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Meetings of The Board of Directors; Attendance

 

The Board met 26 times during the last fiscal year. Each Board member attended 75% or more of the aggregate number of meetings of the Board and of the committees on which she or he served, held during the portion of the last fiscal year for which she or he was a director or committee member.

 

It is the Company’s policy to invite nominees for director to attend the annual meeting. All of our then-current directors attended our 2021 annual meeting of stockholders.

 

Information Regarding Committees of the Board of Directors

 

The Board has three committees: an Audit Committee, a Compensation Committee, and a Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. The following table provides meeting information for fiscal 2021 for each of the Board committees:

 

Committee:

 

Audit

 

Compensation

 

Nominating and Corporate Governance

Total meetings in the fiscal year 2021:  

4

  1   0

 

Below is a description of each committee of the Board. Each of the committees has adopted a written charter that is available to stockholders on our website at www.sonimtech.com.

 

Audit Committee

 

The Audit Committee of the Board oversees the Company’s corporate accounting and financial reporting processes and audits of its financial statements. The Audit Committee performs several functions, including:

 

  recommending and retaining an independent registered public accounting firm to serve as independent auditor to audit our financial statements, overseeing the independent auditor’s work and determining the independent auditor’s compensation;
     
  approving in advance all audit services and non-audit services to be provided to us by our independent auditor;
     
  establishing procedures for the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints received by us regarding accounting, internal accounting controls, auditing or compliance matters, as well as for the confidential, anonymous submission by our employees of concerns regarding questionable accounting or auditing matters;
     
  overseeing our risk assessment and risk management processes;
     
  reviewing and ratifying all related party transactions, based on the standards set forth in our related party transactions policy;
     
  reviewing and discussing with management and our independent auditor the results of the annual audit and the independent auditor’s review of our quarterly financial statements; and
     
  conferring with management and our independent auditor about the scope, adequacy and effectiveness of our internal accounting controls, the objectivity of our financial reporting and our accounting policies and practices.

 

The Audit Committee currently consists of James Cassano, Alan Howe and Jack Steenstra, each of whom is “independent” under applicable SEC rules and Nasdaq listing standards for Audit Committee membership, as determined by our Board. Our Board has further determined that each member of the Audit Committee satisfies the financial literacy and sophistication requirements of the SEC and Nasdaq listing rules. In addition, our Board has determined that Mr. Cassano and Mr. Howe are each an audit committee financial expert, as defined by SEC rules and regulations.

 

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REPORT OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS(1)

 

The Audit Committee has reviewed and discussed the audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, with the management of the Company. The Audit Committee has discussed with the independent registered public accounting firm the matters required to be discussed by the applicable requirements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (“PCAOB”) and the SEC. The Audit Committee has also received the written disclosures and the letter from the independent registered public accounting firm required by applicable requirements of the PCAOB regarding the independent accountants’ communications with the audit committee concerning independence, and has discussed with the independent registered public accounting firm the accounting firm’s independence. Based on the foregoing, the Audit Committee has recommended to the Board that the audited financial statements be included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021.

 

  Members of the Audit Committee:
   
  Mr. James Cassano (Chairperson)
  Mr. Alan Howe
  Mr. Jack Steenstra

 

(1) The material in this report is not “soliciting material,” is not deemed “filed” with the SEC and is not to be incorporated by reference in any filing of the Company under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, whether made before or after the date hereof and irrespective of any general incorporation language in any such filing.

 

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Compensation Committee

 

The primary purpose of our Compensation Committee is to discharge the responsibilities of our Board in overseeing our compensation policies, plans and programs and to review and determine the compensation to be paid to our executive officers, directors and other senior management, as appropriate.

 

The principal duties and responsibilities, among others, of our Compensation Committee include:

 

  establishing and approving, and making recommendations to the board of directors regarding, performance goals and objectives relevant to the compensation of our chief executive officer, evaluating the performance of our chief executive officer in light of those goals and objectives and setting, or recommending to the full board of directors for approval, the chief executive officer’s compensation, including incentive-based and equity-based compensation, based on that evaluation;  
     
  setting the compensation of our other executive officers, based in part on recommendations of the chief executive officer;  
     
  exercising administrative authority under our equity incentive plan and employee benefit plans;
     
  establishing policies and making recommendations to our board of directors regarding director compensation;
     
  overseeing risks and exposures associated with executive and director compensation plans and arrangements; reviewing and discussing with management the compensation discussion and analysis that we may be required from time to time to include in SEC filings; and  
     
  preparing a compensation committee report on executive and director compensation as may be required from time to time to be included in future annual proxy statements or annual reports on Form 10-K filed with the SEC.

 

The Compensation Committee currently consists of Mike Mulica, James Cassano, and Jack Steenstra, each of whom are independent directors under applicable Nasdaq listing standards. In making this determination, the Board considered whether the director has a relationship with the Company that is material to the director’s ability to be independent from management in connection with the duties of a member of the Compensation Committee.

 

Compensation Committee Processes and Procedures

 

The agenda for each meeting of the Compensation Committee is usually developed by the Chair of the Compensation Committee in consultation with the CEO. The Compensation Committee generally meets in executive session. However, from time to time, various members of management and other employees as well as outside advisors or consultants may be invited by the Compensation Committee to make presentations, to provide financial or other background information or advice or to otherwise participate in Compensation Committee meetings. The CEO may not participate in, or be present during, any deliberations or determinations of the Compensation Committee regarding his compensation or individual performance objectives. The charter of the Compensation Committee grants the Compensation Committee full access to all books, records, facilities and personnel of the Company. In addition, under the charter, the Compensation Committee has the authority to obtain, at the expense of the Company, advice and assistance from compensation consultants and internal and external legal, accounting or other advisors and other external resources that the Compensation Committee considers necessary or appropriate in the performance of its duties. The Compensation Committee has direct responsibility for the oversight of the work of any consultants or advisers engaged for the purpose of advising the Committee. In particular, the Compensation Committee has the sole authority to retain, in its sole discretion, compensation consultants to assist in its evaluation of executive and director compensation, including the authority to approve the consultant’s reasonable fees and other retention terms. Under the charter, the Compensation Committee may select, or receive advice from, a compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser to the compensation committee, other than in-house legal counsel and certain other types of advisers, only after taking into consideration six factors, prescribed by the SEC and Nasdaq, that bear upon the adviser’s independence; however, there is no requirement that any adviser be independent.

 

15

 

 

The Compensation Committee considers matters related to individual compensation, such as compensation for new executive hires, as well as high-level strategic issues, such as the efficacy of the Company’s compensation strategy, potential modifications to that strategy and new trends, plans or approaches to compensation, at various meetings throughout the year. Generally, the Compensation Committee’s process comprises two related elements: the determination of compensation levels and the establishment of performance objectives for the current year. For executives other than the CEO, the Compensation Committee solicits and considers evaluations and recommendations submitted to the Committee by the CEO. In the case of the CEO, the evaluation of his performance is conducted by the Compensation Committee, which determines any adjustments to his compensation as well as awards to be granted. For all executives as part of its deliberations, the Compensation Committee may review and consider, as appropriate, materials such as financial reports and projections, operational data, tax and accounting information, tally sheets that set forth the total compensation that may become payable to executives in various hypothetical scenarios, executive and director stock ownership information, company stock performance data, analyses of historical executive compensation levels and current Company-wide compensation levels and recommendations of the Compensation Committee’s compensation consultant, including analyses of executive and director compensation paid at other companies identified by the consultant.

 

Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee

 

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee currently consists of Mike Mulica and Jack Streenstra, each of whom qualifies as an independent director under the listing standards of Nasdaq. The principal duties and responsibilities, among others, of our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee include:

 

  ●  assessing the need for new directors and identifying individuals qualified to become directors;

 

●  recommending to the Board of Directors the persons to be nominated for election as directors and to each of the board’s committees;

 

●  assessing individual director performance, participation and qualifications;

 

developing, recommending, overseeing the implementation of and monitoring compliance with our corporate governance guidelines, and periodically reviewing and recommending any necessary or appropriate changes to our corporate governance guidelines;

 

●  monitoring the effectiveness of the Board and the quality of the relationship between management and the board; and

 

● 

overseeing an annual evaluation of the Board’s performance. 

 

16

 

 

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee believes that candidates for director should have certain minimum qualifications, including the ability to read and understand basic financial statements, being over 21 years of age and having the highest personal integrity and ethics. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee also intends to consider such factors as possessing relevant expertise upon which to be able to offer advice and guidance to management, having sufficient time to devote to the affairs of the Company, demonstrated excellence in his or her field, having the ability to exercise sound business judgment and having the commitment to rigorously represent the long-term interests of the Company’s stockholders. However, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee retains the right to modify these qualifications from time to time. Candidates for director nominees are reviewed in the context of the current composition of the Board, the operating requirements of the Company and the long-term interests of stockholders. In conducting this assessment, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee considers skills, age, diversity (including gender, racial and ethnic diversity) and such other factors as it deems appropriate, given the current needs of the Board and the Company, to maintain a balance of knowledge, experience and capability.

 

At this time, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee does not have a policy with regard to the consideration of director candidates recommended by stockholders. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee believes that it is in the best position to identify, review, evaluate and select qualified candidates for Board membership, based on the comprehensive criteria for Board membership approved by the Board.

 

Arrangements in Connection with Directors’ Election and Nomination

 

Messrs. Cassano, Wang, and Steenstra were appointed as directors by the Company’s then-current non-management directors, Mr. Howe and Mr. Mulica, following the approval of the Subscription Agreement by the stockholders of the Company on June 28, 2022, and consummation of the first closing under the terms of the Subscription Agreement. The Subscription Agreement does not contemplate a duty of the Company to re-nominate any of Messrs. Cassano, Wang, and Steenstra.

 

On July 13, 2022, contemporaneously with the first closing of the Subscription Agreement, AJP Holding Company, LLC and Mr. Liu entered into a certain support agreement (the “Support Agreement”) with the Company pursuant to which they agreed among other things, to vote the shares of common stock owned by them in favor of the election of Mr. Howe and Mr. Mulica (or other Continuing Directors, as such term defined in the Subscription Agreement). The Support Agreement also requires, as a condition to AJP Holding Company, LLC and Mr. Liu transferring any shares of common stock owned by them that are subject to the Support Agreement, that the acquirer of such shares of common stock agree to be bound by the terms of the Support Agreement. The Support Agreement will terminate upon the Director End Time (as such term defined in the Subscription Agreement).

 

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Stockholder Communications With The Board Of Directors

 

Historically, the Company has not provided a formal process related to stockholder communications with the Board. Nevertheless, efforts have been made to ensure that the views of stockholders are heard by the Board or individual directors, as applicable, and that appropriate responses are provided to stockholders in a timely manner. The Company believes its responsiveness to stockholder communications to the Board has been excellent.

 

Code of Business Conduct and Ethics

 

We have adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, or the Code of Conduct, applicable to all of our employees, executive officers, and directors. The Code of Conduct is available on our website at www.sonimtech.com. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of our Board of Directors will be responsible for overseeing the Code of Conduct and must approve any waivers of the Code of Conduct for employees, executive officers, and directors. We expect that any amendments to the Code of Conduct, or any waivers of its requirements, will be disclosed on our website.

 

Corporate Governance Guidelines

 

Our Board of Directors adopted Corporate Governance Guidelines to assure that the Board will have the necessary authority and practices in place to review and evaluate the Company’s business operations as needed and to make decisions that are independent of the Company’s management. The guidelines are also intended to align the interests of directors and management with those of the Company’s stockholders. The Corporate Governance Guidelines set forth the practices the Board intends to follow with respect to board composition and selection, including diversity, board meetings and involvement of senior management, CEO performance evaluation and succession planning, corporate social responsibility and board committees and compensation. The Corporate Governance Guidelines may be viewed at www.sonimtech.com.

 

Employee, Officer and Director Hedging

 

No officer, director, employee, or consultant to the Company may engage in short sales, transactions in put or call options, hedging transactions, margin accounts, pledges, or other inherently speculative transactions with respect to the Company’s stock at any time in accordance with the Company’s insider trading policy dated as of March 26, 2019.

 

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PROPOSAL 2
AMENDMENT TO THE COMPANY’S 2019 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN

 

In May 2020, our Board approved an amendment to the 2019 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2019 Plan”) which was approved by the stockholders in September 2020. We refer to the 2019 Plan, as subsequently amended, as the Amended 2019 Plan throughout this proxy statement.

 

On September 15, our Board approved a second amendment to the 2019 Plan, subject to stockholder approval. The material terms of the Second Amended 2019 Plan are summarized below. The Second Amended 2019 Plan contains the following material changes from the Amended 2019 Plan:

 

 

Subject to adjustment for certain changes in our capitalization (including the reverse stock split described in Proposal 3), the aggregate number of shares of our common stock that may be issued under the Amended 2019 Plan will not exceed [6,862,683] shares, which is an increase of 5,000,000 shares over the aggregate number of shares of our common stock that may be issued under the 2019 Plan. 

     
  ●  Such increase also constitutes a corresponding increase in the number of shares available for issuance under the Second Amended 2019 Plan pursuant to the exercise of incentive stock options.

 

As of the Record Date the number of shares of common stock authorized for issuance but unissued under the 2019 Plan is [318,458], and the number of shares of common stock authorized for issuance but unissued under the 2019 Plan is [32,857]. As of the Record Date, the Company has outstanding stock options to purchase approximately [83,356] shares of common stock, [235,102] shares of common stock subject to outstanding restricted stock units and warrants to purchase [2] shares of common stock, all of which were granted under the 2019 Plan and various other prior plans and non-plan agreements.

 

Why You Should Vote for the Second Amended 2019 Plan

 

Equity Awards Are an Important Part of Our Compensation Philosophy

 

The Board believes that it is very important that our eligible employees, consultants and directors receive part of their compensation in the form of equity awards to foster their investment in us, reinforce the link between their financial interests and those of our other stockholders and maintain a competitive compensation program. Equity compensation fosters an employee ownership culture, motivates employees to create stockholder value and, because the awards are typically subject to vesting and other conditions, promotes a focus on long-term value creation. The equity incentive programs we have in place have worked to build stockholder value by attracting and retaining extraordinarily talented employees, consultants and directors. The Board believes we must continue to offer competitive equity compensation packages in order to attract and motivate the talent necessary for our continued growth and success.

 

We Expect to Continue to Experience Substantial Growth in Our Business

 

Our Board approved the Second Amended 2019 Plan to help ensure that we have sufficient shares available to attract and retain qualified employees to support our operations.

 

The Second Amended 2019 Plan Combines Compensation and Governance Best Practices Designed to Protect our Stockholders’ Interests

 

We recognize that equity compensation awards dilute stockholder equity and must be used judiciously. Our equity compensation practices are designed to be in line with industry norms, and we believe our historical share usage has been responsible and mindful of stockholder interests. Certain provisions in the Second Amended 2019 Plan are designed to protect our stockholders’ interests and to reflect corporate governance best practices including:

 

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  Flexibility in designing equity compensation scheme. The Second Amended 2019 Plan allows us to provide a broad array of equity incentives, including traditional stock option grants, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock awards, restricted stock unit (“RSU”) awards, performance stock awards and performance cash awards. By providing this flexibility we can quickly and effectively react to trends in compensation practices and continue to offer competitive compensation arrangements to attract and retain the talent necessary for the success of our business.
     
  No discounted stock options or stock appreciation rights. All stock options and stock appreciation rights granted under the Second Amended 2019 Plan must have an exercise price or strike price equal to or greater than the fair market value of our common stock on the date the stock option or stock appreciation right is granted.
     
  Limits on non-employee director compensation. The maximum number of shares of common stock subject to awards granted under the Second Amended 2019 Plan or otherwise during any one calendar year to any non-employee director, taken together with any cash fees paid by us to the non-employee director during that year for service on our board of directors, will not exceed $600,000 in total value (calculating the value of the awards based on the grant date fair value for financial reporting purposes), or, with respect to the calendar year in which a non-employee director is first appointed or elected to our board of directors, $1,000,000.
     
 

Awards subject to forfeiture/clawback. Awards granted under the Second Amended 2019 Plan are subject to recoupment in accordance with any clawback policy that we are required to adopt pursuant to the listing standards of any national securities exchange or association on which our securities are listed or as is otherwise required by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act or other applicable law. In addition, we may impose other clawback, recovery or recoupment provisions in a stock award agreement, including a reacquisition right in respect of previously acquired shares or other cash or property upon the occurrence of cause.

     
  No single trigger accelerated vesting upon change in control. The Second Amended 2019 Plan does not provide for any automatic mandatory vesting of awards upon a change in control.
     
  No liberal change in control definition. The change in control definition in the Second Amended 2019 Plan is not a “liberal” definition. A change in control transaction must actually occur in order for the change in control provisions in the Second Amended 2019 Plan to be triggered.
     
  Termination of stock options and stock appreciation rights on a participant’s termination for cause. If a participant’s service is terminated for cause, which is defined under the Second Amended 2019 Plan as (i) the participant’s commission of any felony or any crime involving fraud, dishonesty or moral turpitude under the laws of the United States, any state thereof, or any applicable foreign jurisdiction; (ii) the participant’s attempted commission of or participation in a fraud or act of dishonesty against us; (iii) the participant’s intentional, material violation of any contract or agreement with us, or any statutory duty the participant owes to us; (iv) the participant’s unauthorized use or disclosure of our confidential information or trade secrets; or (v) the participant’s gross misconduct, the participant’s stock options and stock appreciation rights terminate immediately, and the participant is prohibited from exercising his or her stock options and stock appreciation rights.

 

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We Manage Our Equity Award Usage Carefully

 

The following table provides certain additional information regarding our equity incentive plans as of the Record Date.

 

   

As of

[September 15, 2022]

 
Total number of shares of common stock subject to outstanding stock options     [1,774,231 ]
Weighted-average exercise price of outstanding stock options     [$3.46 ]
Weighted-average remaining term of outstanding stock options     [$7.33 ]
Total number of shares of common stock subject to outstanding full value awards     [2,150,000 ]
Total number of shares of common stock available for grant under the 2019 Plan     [385,259 ]
Total number of shares of common stock available for grant under other equity incentive plans (1)     [408,453 ]
Total number of shares of common stock outstanding     [65,930,191 ]
Per-share closing price of common stock as reported on Nasdaq Capital Market     [$1.09 ]

 

(1) Represents shares issuable pursuant to our 2019 Plan.

 

The following table provides detailed information regarding the activity related to our equity incentive plans for fiscal years 2019, 2020, and 2021.

 

   Fiscal Year
2021
   Fiscal Year
2020
   Fiscal Year
2019
 
Total number of shares of common stock subject to stock options granted   1,635,853    458,156    591,518 
Total number of shares of common stock subject to full value awards granted   287,500    0    0 
                
Weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding   18,603,582    3,447,283    1,026,616 
Burn Rate (1)   10%   13%   58%

 

(1) Burn rate is the summation of the total number of stock options granted and full value awards granted divided by the weighted-average shares outstanding]

 

 

 

If Proposal 2 Is Not Approved, We Will Not Have Enough Shares Available under the Second Amended 2019 Plan to Make Grants to Help Us Attract and Retain Top Employees.

 

 

 

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If our stockholders approve this Proposal 2, the Second Amended 2019 Plan will become effective on the date of the annual meeting. If our stockholders fail to approve this Proposal 2, the Amended 2019 Plan will remain as is without any changes thereto. If this Proposal 2 is not approved, we will not have sufficient shares available under the Amended 2019 Plan to make grants to help us retain top employees and, unless we adopt a new inducement plan without the approval of our stockholders (pursuant to Rule 5635(c)(4) of the Nasdaq Listing Rules), we will not be able to use equity compensation awards to attract new employees.

 

Description of the Amended 2019 Plan

 

The material features of the Amended 2019 Plan are outlined below. This summary is qualified in its entirety by reference to the complete text of the Amended 2019 Plan. Stockholders are encouraged to read the actual text of the Amended 2019 Plan, which is appended to this proxy statement as Appendix A and may be accessed from the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

 

Awards. The Second Amended 2019 Plan provides for the grant of incentive stock options, or ISOs, nonstatutory stock options, or NSOs, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock awards, restricted stock unit awards, performance-based stock awards, and other stock awards, or collectively, stock awards.

 

Eligibility. Employees, non-employee directors, and consultants are eligible to participate in the Second Amended 2019 Plan. All of our 55 employees, six non-employee directors, and 23 consultants are currently eligible to participate in the Second Amended 2019 Plan and may receive all types of stock awards, other than ISOs, under the Second Amended 2019 Plan. ISOs may be granted under the Second Amended 2019 Plan only to our employees in the United States.

 

Authorized Shares. If this Proposal 2 is approved, the total number of our common stock reserved for issuance under the Amended 2019 Plan will not exceed [6,862,683], which number is the sum of (i) [188,503] shares that were approved in connection with the 2019 Plan’s initial adoption, (ii) the number of shares subject to outstanding stock options or other stock awards that were granted under our 2012 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended, as of the initial adoption of the 2019 Plan, to the extent such awards are forfeited, terminated, expire or are otherwise not issued, (iii) 300,000 shares that were approved at the Company’s 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, (iv) the entirety of the shares added pursuant the evergreen provision of the 2019 Plan and (v) 5,000,000 shares to be added pursuant to this Proposal No. 2. Additionally, the number of shares of our common stock reserved for issuance under the Amended 2019 Plan automatically increases on January 1 of each calendar year for ten (10) years ending on and including January 1, 2029, in an amount equal to 5% of the total number of shares of our capital stock outstanding on December 31 of the prior calendar year, unless our board of directors or compensation committee determines prior to the date of increase that there will be a lesser increase, or no increase. The foregoing share amounts do not reflect the effect of the reverse stock split described in Proposal 3 and such amounts would be adjusted pursuant to the terms of the Amended 2019 Plan to account for the changes to our capital structure resulting from such reverse stock split, as described below under “Changes to Capital Structure” below.

 

Shares subject to stock awards granted under our Second Amended 2019 Plan that expire or terminate without being exercised in full, or that are paid out in cash rather than in shares, do not reduce the number of shares available for issuance under our Second Amended 2019 Plan. Additionally, shares become available for future grant under our Second Amended 2019 Plan if they were issued under stock awards under our Second Amended 2019 Plan and we repurchase them or they are forfeited. This includes shares used to pay the exercise price of a stock award or to satisfy the tax withholding obligations related to a stock award.

 

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Plan Administration. Our board of directors, or a duly authorized committee of our board of directors, will administer our Second Amended 2019 Plan. Our board of directors may also delegate to one or more of our officers the authority to (i) designate employees (other than officers) to receive specified stock awards, and (ii) determine the number of shares subject to such stock awards. Under our Second Amended 2019 Plan, our board of directors has the authority to determine and amend the terms of awards, including:

 

  ●  recipients;
     
  the exercise, purchase or strike price of stock awards, if any;
     
  the number of shares subject to each stock award;
     
  the fair market value of a share of our common stock in the event no public market exists for our common stock;
     
  the vesting schedule applicable to the awards, together with any vesting acceleration; and
     
  the form of consideration, if any, payable upon exercise or settlement of the award.

 

Under our Second Amended 2019 Plan, our board of directors also generally has the authority to effect, with the consent of any adversely affected participant:

 

  the reduction of the exercise, purchase or strike price of any outstanding award;
     
  the cancellation of any outstanding stock award and the grant in substitution therefor of other awards, cash or other consideration; or
     
  any other action that is treated as a repricing under generally accepted accounting principles.

 

Non-Employee Director Limitation. The maximum number of shares of common stock subject to awards granted under the Second Amended 2019 Plan or otherwise during any one calendar year to any non-employee director, taken together with any cash fees paid by us to the non-employee director during that year for service on our board of directors, will not exceed $600,000 in total value (calculating the value of the awards based on the grant date fair value for financial reporting purposes), or, with respect to the calendar year in which a non-employee director is first appointed or elected to our board of directors, $1,000,000.

 

Stock Options. ISOs and NSOs are granted pursuant to stock option agreements adopted by the plan administrator. The plan administrator determines the exercise price for stock options, within the terms and conditions of our Second Amended 2019 Plan, provided that the exercise price of a stock option generally cannot be less than 100% of the fair market value of our common stock on the date of grant. Options granted under our Second Amended 2019 Plan vest at the rate specified in the stock option agreement as determined by the plan administrator. The plan administrator determines the term of stock options granted under the Second Amended 2019 Plan, up to a maximum of ten years. Unless the terms of an optionholder’s stock option agreement provide otherwise, if an optionholder’s service relationship with us, or any of our affiliates, ceases for any reason other than disability, death or cause, the optionholder may generally exercise any vested options for a period of three months following the cessation of service. The option term may be extended in the event that exercise of the option following such a termination of service is prohibited by applicable securities laws or our insider trading policy. If an optionholder’s service relationship with us or any of our affiliates ceases due to disability or death, or an optionholder dies within a certain period following cessation of service, the optionholder or a beneficiary may generally exercise any vested options for a period of 12 months in the event of disability and 18 months in the event of death. Except as otherwise provided in the applicable stock option agreement or other written agreement between us or any of our affiliates and the participant, options terminate immediately upon the termination of the individual’s employment for cause. In no event may an option be exercised beyond the expiration of its term. Acceptable consideration for the purchase of common stock issued upon the exercise of a stock option will be determined by the plan administrator and may include (1) cash, check, bank draft or money order, (2) a broker-assisted cashless exercise, (3) the tender of shares of our common stock previously owned by the optionholder, (4) a net exercise of the option if it is an NSO, and (5) other legal consideration approved by the plan administrator.

 

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Tax Limitations on ISOs. The aggregate fair market value, determined at the time of grant, of our common stock with respect to ISOs that are exercisable for the first time by an optionholder during any calendar year under all of our stock plans may not exceed $100,000. Options or portions thereof that exceed such limit will generally be treated as NSOs. No ISO 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 ISO does not exceed five years from the date of grant. The maximum number of shares of our common stock that may be issued upon the exercise of ISOs under our Second Amended 2019 Plan is equal to three times the aggregate number of shares reserved under the Second Amended 2019 Plan.

 

Restricted Stock Unit Awards. Restricted stock unit awards are granted pursuant to restricted stock unit award agreements adopted by the plan administrator. Restricted stock unit awards may be granted in consideration for any form of legal consideration that may be acceptable to our board of directors and permissible under applicable law. A restricted stock unit award may be settled by cash, delivery of stock, a combination of cash and stock as deemed appropriate by the plan administrator or in any other form of consideration set forth in the restricted stock unit award agreement. Additionally, dividend equivalents may be credited in respect of shares covered by a restricted stock unit award. Except as otherwise provided in the applicable award agreement, restricted stock units that have not vested will be forfeited once the participant’s continuous service ends for any reason.

 

Restricted Stock Awards. Restricted stock awards are granted pursuant to restricted stock award agreements adopted by the plan administrator. A restricted stock award may be awarded in consideration for cash, check, bank draft or money order, past services to us or any other form of legal consideration (including future services) that may be acceptable to our board of directors and permissible under applicable law. The plan administrator determines the terms and conditions of restricted stock awards, including vesting and forfeiture terms. If a participant’s service relationship with us ceases for any reason, we may receive any or all of the shares of common stock held by the participant that have not vested as of the date the participant terminates service with us through a forfeiture condition or a repurchase right.

 

Performance Awards. The Second Amended 2019 Plan permits the grant of performance awards. A performance award is a stock or cash award that is payable (including that may be granted, may vest, or may be exercised) contingent upon the achievement of pre-determined performance goals during a performance period. A performance award may require the completion of a specified period of continuous service. The length of any performance period, the performance goals to be achieved during the performance period, and the measure of whether and to what degree such performance goals have been attained will generally be determined by the plan administrator.

 

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Performance goals under the Second Amended 2019 Plan will be based on any one or more of the following performance criteria: (1) earnings (including earnings per share and net earnings); (2) earnings before interest, taxes and depreciation; (3) earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization; (4) total stockholder return; (5) return on equity or average stockholder’s equity; (6) return on assets, investment, or capital employed; (7) stock price; (8) margin (including gross margin); (9) income (before or after taxes); (10) operating income; (11) operating income after taxes; (12) pre-tax profit; (13) operating cash flow; (14) sales or revenue targets; (15) increases in revenue or product revenue; (16) expenses and cost reduction goals; (17) improvement in or attainment of working capital levels; (18) economic value added (or an equivalent metric); (19) market share; (20) cash flow; (21) cash flow per share; (22) share price performance; (23) debt reduction; (24) implementation or completion of projects or processes; (25) subscriber satisfaction; (26) stockholders’ equity; (27) capital expenditures; (28) debt levels; (29) operating profit or net operating profit; (30) workforce diversity; (31) growth of net income or operating income; (32) billings; (33) the number of subscribers, including but not limited to unique subscribers; (34) employee retention; and (35) other measures of performance selected by the plan administrator.

 

Performance goals may be based on a company-wide basis, with respect to one or more business units, divisions, affiliates or business segments, and in either absolute terms or relative to the performance of one or more comparable companies or the performance of one or more relevant indices. Unless specified otherwise by the plan administrator at the time the performance goals are established, the plan administrator will appropriately make adjustments in the method of calculating the attainment of performance goals for a performance period as follows:: (1) to exclude restructuring and/or other nonrecurring charges; (2) to exclude exchange rate effects; (3) to exclude the effects of changes to generally accepted accounting principles; (4) to exclude the effects of items that are “unusual” in nature or occur “infrequently” as determined under generally accepted accounting principles; (6) to exclude the dilutive effects of acquisitions or joint ventures; (7) to assume that any business divested by us achieved performance objectives at targeted levels during the balance of a performance period following such divestiture; (8) to exclude the effect of any change in the outstanding shares of our common stock by reason of any stock dividend or split, stock repurchase, reorganization, recapitalization, merger, consolidation, spin-off, combination or exchange of shares or other similar corporate change, or any distributions to common stockholders other than regular cash dividends; (9) to exclude the effects of stock based compensation and the award of bonuses under our bonus plans; (10) to exclude costs incurred in connection with potential acquisitions or divestitures that are required to be expensed under generally accepted accounting principles; and (11) to exclude the goodwill and intangible asset impairment charges that are required to be recorded under generally accepted accounting principles.

 

Stock Appreciation Rights. Stock appreciation rights are granted pursuant to stock appreciation grant agreements adopted by the plan administrator. The plan administrator determines the purchase price or strike price for a stock appreciation right, which generally cannot be less than 100% of the fair market value of our common stock on the date of grant. A stock appreciation right granted under our Second Amended 2019 Plan vests at the rate specified in the stock appreciation right agreement as determined by the plan administrator.

 

Other Stock Awards. Our plan administrator may grant other awards based in whole or in part by reference to our common stock. Our plan administrator will set the number of shares under the stock award and all other terms and conditions of such awards.

 

Changes to Capital Structure. In the event that there is a specified type of change in our capital structure, such as a stock split or recapitalization, appropriate adjustments will be made to (i) the class and the maximum number of shares reserved for issuance under our Second Amended 2019 Plan, (ii) the class and the maximum number of shares that may be issued upon the exercise of ISOs, and (iii) the class and the number of shares and exercise price, strike price, or purchase price, if applicable, of all outstanding stock awards.

 

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Corporate Transactions. Our Second Amended 2019 Plan provides that in the event of certain specified significant corporate transactions including: (i) a sale of all or substantially all of our assets, (ii) the sale or disposition of more than 50% of our outstanding securities, (iii) the consummation of a merger or consolidation where we do not survive the transaction and (iv) the consummation of a merger or consolidation where we do survive the transaction but the shares of our common stock outstanding prior to such transaction are converted or exchanged into other property by virtue of the transaction, each outstanding award will be treated as the plan administrator determines unless otherwise provided in an award agreement or other written agreement between us and the award holder. The plan administrator may take one of the following actions with respect to such awards:

 

  arrange for the assumption, continuation or substitution of a stock award by a successor corporation;
     
  arrange for the assignment of any reacquisition or repurchase rights held by us to a successor corporation;
     
  accelerate the vesting, in whole or in part, of the stock award and provide for its termination prior to the transaction;
     
  arrange for the lapse, in whole or in part, of any reacquisition or repurchase rights held by us;
     
  cancel or arrange for the cancellation of the stock award, to the extent not vested or not exercised prior to the effective time of the transaction, in exchange for such cash consideration, if any, as the plan administrator may deem appropriate; or
     
  make a payment, in the form determined by the plan administrator, equal to the excess, if any, of the value of the property the participant would have received on exercise of the awards before the transaction over any exercise price payable by the participant in connection with the exercise, multiplied by the number of shares subject to the stock award. Any escrow, holdback, earnout or similar provisions in the definitive agreement for the transaction may apply to such payment to the holder of a stock award to the same extent and in the same manner as such provisions apply to holders of our common stock.

 

The plan administrator is not obligated to treat all stock awards or portions of stock awards, even those that are of the same type, in the same manner in the event of a corporate transaction.

 

In the event of a change in control, awards granted under our Second Amended 2019 Plan will not receive automatic acceleration of vesting and/or exercisability, although this treatment may be provided for in an award agreement or in any other written agreement between us and the participant. Under our Second Amended 2019 Plan, a change in control generally will be deemed to occur in the event: (i) the acquisition by any a person or company of more than 50% of the combined voting power of our then outstanding stock; (ii) a merger, consolidation, or similar transaction in which our stockholders immediately before the transaction do not own, directly or indirectly, more than 50% of the combined outstanding voting power of the surviving entity or the parent of the surviving entity; (iii) a sale, lease, exclusive license or other disposition of all or substantially all of our assets other than to an entity more than 50% of the combined voting power of which is owned by our stockholders; or (iv) an unapproved change in the majority of our board of directors.

 

Transferability. A participant generally may not transfer stock awards under our Second Amended 2019 Plan other than by will, the laws of descent and distribution, or as otherwise provided under our Second Amended 2019 Plan.

 

Amendment or Termination. Our board of directors has the authority to amend, suspend, or terminate our Second Amended 2019 Plan, provided that such action does not materially impair the existing rights of any participant without such participant’s written consent. Certain material amendments also require the approval of our stockholders. No ISOs may be granted after the tenth anniversary of the date our board of directors originally adopted our Second Amended 2019 Plan. No stock awards may be granted under our Second Amended 2019 Plan while it is suspended or after it is terminated.

 

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U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences

 

The following is a summary of the principal United States federal income tax consequences to participants and us with respect to participation in the Second Amended 2019 Plan. This summary is not intended to be exhaustive and does not discuss the income tax laws of any local, state or foreign jurisdiction in which a participant may reside. The information is based upon current federal income tax rules and therefore is subject to change when those rules change. Because the tax consequences to any participant may depend on his or her particular situation, each participant should consult the participant’s tax adviser regarding the federal, state, local and other tax consequences of the grant or exercise of an award or the disposition of stock acquired the Second Amended 2019 Plan. The Second Amended 2019 Plan is not qualified under the provisions of Section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) and is not subject to any of the provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. Our ability to realize the benefit of any tax deductions described below depends on our generation of taxable income as well as the requirement of reasonableness, the provisions of Section 162(m) of the Code and the satisfaction of our tax reporting obligations.

 

Nonstatutory Stock Options

 

Generally, there is no taxation upon the grant of an NSO if the stock option is granted with an exercise price equal to the fair market value of the underlying stock on the grant date. Upon exercise, a participant will recognize ordinary income equal to the excess, if any, of the fair market value of the underlying stock on the date of exercise of the stock option over the exercise price. If the participant is employed by us or one of our affiliates, that income will be subject to withholding taxes. The participant’s tax basis in those shares will be equal to their fair market value on the date of exercise of the stock option, and the participant’s capital gain holding period for those shares will begin on that date.

 

Subject to the requirement of reasonableness, the provisions of Section 162(m) of the Code and the satisfaction of a tax reporting obligation, we will generally be entitled to a tax deduction equal to the taxable ordinary income realized by the participant.

 

Incentive Stock Options

 

The Second Amended 2019 Plan provides for the grant of stock options that are intended to qualify as “incentive stock options,” as defined in Section 422 of the Code. Under the Code, a participant generally is not subject to ordinary income tax upon the grant or exercise of an ISO. If the participant holds a share received upon exercise of an ISO for more than two years from the date the stock option was granted and more than one year from the date the stock option was exercised, which is referred to as the required holding period, the difference, if any, between the amount realized on a sale or other taxable disposition of that share and the participant’s tax basis in that share will be long-term capital gain or loss. If, however, a participant disposes of a share acquired upon exercise of an ISO before the end of the required holding period, which is referred to as a disqualifying disposition, the participant generally will recognize ordinary income in the year of the disqualifying disposition equal to the excess, if any, of the fair market value of the share on the date of exercise of the stock option over the exercise price. However, if the sales proceeds are less than the fair market value of the share on the date of exercise of the stock option, the amount of ordinary income recognized by the participant will not exceed the gain, if any, realized on the sale. If the amount realized on a disqualifying disposition exceeds the fair market value of the share on the date of exercise of the stock option, that excess will be short-term or long-term capital gain, depending on whether the holding period for the share exceeds one year.

 

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For purposes of the alternative minimum tax, the amount by which the fair market value of a share of stock acquired upon exercise of an ISO exceeds the exercise price of the stock option generally will be an adjustment included in the participant’s alternative minimum taxable income for the year in which the stock option is exercised. If, however, there is a disqualifying disposition of the share in the year in which the stock option is exercised, there will be no adjustment for alternative minimum tax purposes with respect to that share. In computing alternative minimum taxable income, the tax basis of a share acquired upon exercise of an ISO is increased by the amount of the adjustment taken into account with respect to that share for alternative minimum tax purposes in the year the stock option is exercised.

 

We are not allowed an income tax deduction with respect to the grant or exercise of an ISO or the disposition of a share acquired upon exercise of an ISO after the required holding period. If there is a disqualifying disposition of a share, however, we will generally be entitled to a tax deduction equal to the taxable ordinary income realized by the participant, subject to the requirement of reasonableness and the provisions of Section 162(m) of the Code, and provided that either the employee includes that amount in income or we timely satisfy our reporting requirements with respect to that amount.

 

Restricted Stock Awards

 

Generally, the recipient of a restricted stock award will recognize ordinary income at the time the stock is received equal to the excess, if any, of the fair market value of the stock received over any amount paid by the recipient in exchange for the stock. If, however, the stock is not vested when it is received (for example, if the employee is required to work for a period of time in order to have the right to sell the stock), the recipient generally will not recognize income until the stock becomes vested, at which time the recipient will recognize ordinary income equal to the excess, if any, of the fair market value of the stock on the date it becomes vested over any amount paid by the recipient in exchange for the stock. A recipient may, however, file an election with the Internal Revenue Service, within 30 days following his or her receipt of the stock award, to recognize ordinary income, as of the date the recipient receives the award, equal to the excess, if any, of the fair market value of the stock on the date the award is granted over any amount paid by the recipient for the stock.

 

The recipient’s basis for the determination of gain or loss upon the subsequent disposition of shares acquired from a restricted stock award will be the amount paid for such shares plus any ordinary income recognized either when the stock is received or when the stock becomes vested.

 

Subject to the requirement of reasonableness, the provisions of Section 162(m) of the Code and the satisfaction of a tax reporting obligation, we will generally be entitled to a tax deduction equal to the taxable ordinary income realized by the recipient of the stock award.

 

Restricted Stock Unit Awards

 

Generally, the recipient of a restricted stock unit award structured to conform to the requirements of Section 409A of the Code or an exception to Section 409A of the Code will recognize ordinary income at the time the stock is delivered equal to the excess, if any, of the fair market value of the stock received over any amount paid by the recipient in exchange for the stock. To conform to the requirements of Section 409A of the Code, the stock subject to a restricted stock unit award may generally only be delivered upon one of the following events: a fixed calendar date (or dates), separation from service, death, disability or a change in control. If delivery occurs on another date, unless the restricted stock unit award otherwise complies with or qualifies for an exception to the requirements of Section 409A of the Code, in addition to the tax treatment described above, the recipient will owe an additional 20% federal tax and interest on any taxes owed.

 

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The recipient’s basis for the determination of gain or loss upon the subsequent disposition of shares acquired from a restricted stock unit award will be the amount paid for such shares plus any ordinary income recognized when the stock is delivered.

 

Subject to the requirement of reasonableness, the provisions of Section 162(m) of the Code and the satisfaction of a tax reporting obligation, we will generally be entitled to a tax deduction equal to the taxable ordinary income realized by the recipient of the restricted stock unit award.

 

Stock Appreciation Rights

 

Generally, if a stock appreciation right is granted with an exercise price equal to the fair market value of the underlying stock on the grant date, the recipient will recognize ordinary income equal to the fair market value of the stock or cash received upon such exercise. Subject to the requirement of reasonableness, the provisions of Section 162(m) of the Code, and the satisfaction of a tax reporting obligation, we will generally be entitled to a tax deduction equal to the taxable ordinary income realized by the recipient of the stock appreciation right.

 

New Plan Benefits

 

Name and Position  Number of Shares
Hao (Peter) Liu, Chief Executive Officer  4,014,419 (1)
Clayton Crolius, Chief Financial Officer  (1)
Charles Becher, Chief Commercial Officer  400,000 (1)
All current executive officers as a group  (1)
All current directors who are not executive officers as a group  $189,000 per calendar year (2)
All employees, including all current officers who are not executive officers, as a group  (1)

 

 

  (1) Awards granted under the Second Amended 2019 Plan to our executive officers and other employees are discretionary and are not subject to set benefits or amounts under the terms of the Second Amended 2019 Plan. However, in August 2022, our board of directors approved for grant a number of stock option awards to certain employees (including our executive officers) under the 2019 Plan subject to stockholder approval of this Proposal 2, and the number of shares subject to each such award is indicated in this table.
  (2) Awards granted under the Amended 2019 Plan to our non-employee directors are discretionary and are not subject to set benefits or amounts under the terms of the Second Amended 2019 Plan. However, pursuant to our current non-employee director compensation program, each of our current non-employee directors automatically will be granted an annual RSU award on the date of each of our annual meetings of stockholders, provided that such individual will be continuing as a non-employee director following such date. Each non-employee director who will continue as a non-employee director following such annual meeting will be granted an award of RSUs under our 2019 Equity Incentive Plan having an aggregate grant date fair value of $60,000. The grant date fair value if prorated for directors that were appointed during the prior twelve months. The number of shares of our common stock subject to each such award is not determinable at this time. On and after the date of the annual meeting, any such RSU awards will be granted under the Second Amended 2019 Plan if this Proposal 2 is approved by our stockholders. For additional information regarding our current director compensation program, see the “Director Compensation” section below.

 

Equity Compensation Plan Information

 

The following table provides certain information with respect to all of the Company’s equity compensation plans in effect as of the end of the fiscal year 2021.

 

Plan Category  Number of
Securities
to be Issued upon
Exercise of
Outstanding
Options,
Warrants and Rights
(a)
   Weighted-Average
Exercise Price of
Outstanding
Options,
Warrants and
Rights
(b)
   Number of Securities
Remaining Available for Future
Issuance Under Equity
Compensation Plans (Excluding
Securities Reflected in Column
(a))
(c)
 
Equity compensation plans approved by security holders   442,524(1)  $39.9972(2)   596,580(3)
Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders   -    -    - 
Total   442,524   $39.9972    596,580 

 

(1) The aggregate number consists of the following: 40,738 shares subject to options to purchase common stock issued pursuant to our 2012 Equity Incentive Plan as of December 31, 2021, 54,675 shares subject to options to purchase common stock issued pursuant to our 2019 Equity Incentive Plan as of December 31, 2021, and 347,111 shares issuable upon vesting of outstanding RSUs issued pursuant to our 2019 Equity Incentive Plan as of December 31, 2021.
   
(2) This weighted average exercise price does not reflect shares that will be issued upon the vesting of outstanding RSUs.

 

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(3) Includes 538,243 shares authorized for future issuance under our 2019 Equity Incentive Plan and 58,337 shares authorized for future issuance under our 2019 Employee Stock Purchase Plan as of December 31, 2021. Under 2019 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, the number of shares of common stock reserved for issuance will automatically increase on January 1 of each calendar year for 10 years, starting January 1, 2020, and ending on, and including, January 1, 2029, in an amount equal to the lesser of 1% of the total number of shares of capital stock outstanding on December 31st of the prior calendar year, and (ii) 50,000 shares, unless the Board of Directors or Compensation Committee determines prior to such date that there will be a lesser increase, or no increase. Effective January 1, 2022, 50,000 additional shares were added to the 2019 Employee Stock Purchase Plan. Under the 2019 Equity Incentive Plan, the number of shares subject to outstanding stock options or other stock awards that were granted under the 2012 Option Plan that are forfeited, terminated, expire, or are otherwise not issued are available for issuance. Additionally, the number of shares of common stock reserved for issuance under the 2019 Equity Incentive Plan will automatically increase on January 1 of each calendar year for 10 years, starting January 1, 2020 and ending on and including January 1, 2029, in an amount equal to 5% of the total number of shares of capital stock outstanding on December 31 of the prior calendar year, unless the Board of Directors or Compensation Committee determines prior to the date of increase that there will be a lesser increase, or no increase. Effective January 1, 2022, 940,444 additional shares were added to the 2019 Equity Incentive Plan. Subject to certain express limits of the 2019 Equity Incentive Plan, shares available for award purposes under the 2019 Equity Incentive Plan generally may be used for any type of award authorized under that plan, including options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, RSUs, performance-based stock or cash awards or other similar rights to purchase or acquire shares of our common stock.

 

Vote Required

 

Provided that the quorum is present, the affirmative vote of the majority of shares present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote on Proposal 2 is required for approval of Proposal 2.

 

The Board of Directors Recommends

a Vote in Favor of Proposal 2.

 

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PROPOSAL 3

AMENDMENT TO THE COMPANY’S CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION, AS AMENDED TO EFFECT A REVERSE STOCK SPLIT

 

The Board has approved to submit for the stockholders’ vote and approval the amendment to the Company’s amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as amended (the “Certificate of Incorporation”) that would effect a reverse stock split whereby a number of outstanding shares of our common stock between and including two (2) and fifteen (15), such number consisting only of whole shares, will be combined into one share of our common stock, (the “Reverse Stock Split”).

 

Under the proposed amendment, any whole number of outstanding shares between and including two (2) and fifteen (15) shares would be combined, converted and changed into one share of common stock. The Board believes that stockholder approval of the range of potential exchange ratios (rather than a single exchange ratio) provides the Board with the flexibility to achieve the desired results of the Reverse Stock Split and, therefore, is in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders. If the stockholders approve this proposal, the Board would effect the Reverse Stock Split only upon the Board’s determination that such Reverse Stock Split would be in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders at that time.

 

The effectiveness of this amendment or the abandonment of this amendment will be determined by the Board in its discretion. To effect the Reverse Stock Split, the Board would set the timing for such a split and select the specific ratio from the range of ratios described in this Proposal 3. No further action on the part of stockholders will be required to either implement or abandon the Reverse Stock Split.

 

Upon receiving stockholder approval of the proposed amendment, the Board will have the sole discretion to elect pursuant to Section 242(c) of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”) as it determines to be in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders, whether to effect a Reverse Stock Split and, if so, the number of shares of our common stock between and including two (2) and fifteen (15) that will be combined into one share of our common stock, at any time before the first anniversary of the annual meeting. If the proposal is approved by stockholders, and the Board determines to implement a Reverse Stock Split, we would communicate to the public the specific ratio the Board selects.

 

If the Board determines to effect a Reverse Stock Split by filing the amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, the Certificate of Incorporation would be amended accordingly. The text of the form of amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation, which would be filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware to effect the Reverse Stock Split reflected therein, is set forth in Appendix B to this proxy statement. However, such text is subject to amendment to include such changes as may be required by the office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware or as the Board deems necessary and advisable to effect one of the Reverse Stock Split, if any.

 

Except for adjustments that may result from the treatment of fractional shares as described below, each stockholder will hold the same percentage of outstanding common stock immediately following the Reverse Stock Split as such stockholder held immediately prior to such Reverse Stock Split. The par value of the common stock would remain unchanged at $0.0001 per share. The amendment would not change the number of authorized shares of common stock. Accordingly, the Reverse Stock Split selected, if any, will have the effect of creating additional unreserved shares of our authorized common stock. These additional shares may be used by us for various purposes in the future without further stockholder approval, including, among other things:

 

  raising capital to fund our development of our next generation of products or otherwise;
     
  establishing strategic relationships with other companies;
     
  providing equity incentives to our employees, officers or directors; and
     
  expanding our business through the acquisition of other businesses or products.

 

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You should keep in mind that the implementation of a Reverse Stock Split does not have an effect on the actual or intrinsic value of the Company’s business or your proportional ownership in the Company. You should also consider that in many cases, the market price of a company’s shares declines after events similar to the Reverse Stock Split.

 

Reasons for the Reverse Stock Split

 

Our common stock is listed on Nasdaq under the symbol “SONM.” Nasdaq has several continued listing criteria that companies must satisfy in order to remain listed on the exchange. One criteria for continued listing is that we maintain a closing bid price that is greater than or equal to $1.00 per share.

 

We announced on February 18, 2022, that we had received a letter dated February 16, 2022, from the Listing Qualifications Department of the Nasdaq Capital Market (the “Staff”) notifying the Company that, for thirty (30) consecutive business days, the bid price for the Company’s common stock had closed below $1.00 per share, which is the minimum closing price required to maintain continued listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market pursuant to the Nasdaq Listing Rules, or the “Minimum Bid Requirement.” In accordance with the Nasdaq Listing Rules, the Company was given one hundred and eighty (180) calendar days, which expired on August 15, 2022, to regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Requirement. On August 10, 2022, the Company provided written notice to the Staff of the Company’s intention to cure the deficiency mentioned in the letter dated February 16, 2022, and requested an additional one hundred and eighty (180) calendar days to regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Requirement by effecting a reverse stock split, if necessary. On August 16, 2022, the Company received a letter from the Staff notifying the Company that the Staff had agreed to provide the additional one hundred and eighty (180) calendar days. In order to regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Requirement, the closing bid price of the Company’s common stock must be at least $1.00 per share for a minimum of ten (10) consecutive business days during the additional one hundred and eighty (180)-day compliance period, which will expire on February 13, 2023, unless the Staff exercises its discretion to extend this period pursuant to the Nasdaq Listing Rules. If we do not regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Requirement by February 13, 2023, our common stock could be subject to delisting.

 

Our Board believes that the continued listing of our common stock on Nasdaq is in the best interests of our stockholders. If our common stock was delisted from Nasdaq, trading, if any, in our securities may then continue to be conducted in the over-the-counter market on the OTC bulletin board, OTC Markets or in the “pink sheets.” In this case, we could face significant material adverse consequences, including:

 

● the issuance of our securities may require compliance with the individual securities laws or “blue sky” laws of several states, which may be time-consuming and costly;

 

● limited availability of market quotations for our securities;

 

● the determination that our common stock is a “penny stock,” which would require brokers trading in our common stock to adhere to more stringent rules, possibly resulting in a reduced level of trading activity in the secondary trading market for our common stock;

 

● more limited amount of news and analyst coverage for us;

 

● decreased ability to issue additional securities or obtain additional financing in the future; and

 

● decreased ability of our security holders to sell their securities in certain states.

 

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The purpose of the Reverse Stock Split is to increase the market price of our common stock. The Board intends to implement a Reverse Stock Split with a specific conversion ratio only if it believes that a decrease in the number of shares outstanding is likely to improve the trading price for our common stock and improve the likelihood that we will be allowed to maintain our listing on Nasdaq. If the trading price of our common stock increases without implementing one of the Reverse Stock Split exchange ratios, the Board may exercise its discretion not to implement any of the Reverse Stock Split exchange ratios.

 

Further, the Board also believes that the increased market price of our common stock expected as a result of implementing a Reverse Stock Split will improve the marketability and liquidity of our common stock and will encourage interest and trading in our common stock. Because of the trading volatility often associated with low-priced stocks, many brokerage houses and institutional investors have internal policies and practices that either prohibit them from investing in low-priced stocks or tend to discourage individual brokers from recommending low-priced stocks to their customers. Some of these policies and practices may function to make the processing of trades in low-priced stocks economically unattractive to brokers. Additionally, because brokers’ commissions on low-priced stocks generally represent a higher percentage of the stock price than commissions on higher-priced stocks, the current average price per share of our common stock can result in individual stockholders paying transaction costs representing a higher percentage of their total share value than would be the case if the share price were substantially higher. It should be noted that the liquidity of our common stock may be harmed by the proposed Reverse Stock Split given the reduced number of shares that would be outstanding after the Reverse Stock Split. The Board is hopeful, however, that the anticipated higher market price will reduce, to some extent, the negative effects on the liquidity and marketability of the common stock inherent in some of the policies and practices of institutional investors and brokerage houses described above.

 

The Board does not intend for this transaction to be the first step in a series of plans or proposals of a “going private” transaction within the meaning of Rule 13e-3 of the Exchange Act.

 

Board Discretion to Implement the Reverse Stock Split

 

If the Reverse Stock Split is approved by the Company’s stockholders at the annual meeting, the actual Reverse Stock Split will be effected, if at all, only upon a subsequent determination by the Board that a Reverse Stock Split (with a reverse split ratio determined by the Board as described above) is in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders at the time. Such determination will be based upon many factors, including existing and expected marketability and liquidity of the common stock, prevailing market conditions and the likely effect on the market price of the common stock. Notwithstanding approval of the Reverse Stock Split by the stockholders, the Board may, in its sole discretion, abandon the proposed amendment and determine prior to the effectiveness of any filing with the Delaware Secretary of State not to effect the Reverse Stock Split prior to the one (1)-year anniversary of the annual meeting, as permitted under Section 242(c) of the DGCL. If the Board fails to implement the Reverse Stock Split prior to the one (1)-year anniversary of the annual meeting, stockholder approval would again be required prior to implementing any Reverse Stock Split.

 

Discretionary Authority of the Board to Abandon Reverse Stock Split

 

The Board reserves the right to abandon the Reverse Stock Split without further action by our stockholders at any time before the effectiveness of the certificate of amendment, even if the Reverse Stock Split has been authorized by our stockholders. By voting in favor of the Reverse Stock Split, you are expressly authorizing our Board to determine not to proceed with, and abandon, the Reverse Stock Split if it should so decide.

 

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Criteria to be Used for Decision to Effect a Reverse Stock Split

 

If the stockholders approve the Reverse Stock Split, the Board will be authorized to proceed with any of the alternative Reverse Stock Split exchange ratios that it selects in its sole discretion. In determining whether to proceed with one of the Reverse Stock Split exchange ratios, the Board expects to consider a number of factors, including market conditions, existing and expected trading prices of our common stock, the Nasdaq listing requirements, our additional funding requirements and the amount of our authorized but unissued common stock.

 

Effects of the Reverse Stock Split

 

After the Effective Time (as defined below) of the Reverse Stock Split, each stockholder will own a reduced number of shares of common stock. This would affect all of the Company’s stockholders uniformly and would not affect any stockholder’s percentage ownership in the Company, except to the extent that the Reverse Stock Split results in a stockholder owning a fractional share as described below. The number of stockholders of record would not be affected by the Reverse Stock Split, except to the extent that any stockholder holds only a fractional share interest and receives cash for such interest after the Reverse Stock Split.

 

Proportionate voting rights and other rights of the holders of common stock would not be affected by the Reverse Stock Split (other than as a result of the payment of cash in lieu of fractional shares as described below). For example, a holder of 2% of the voting power of the outstanding shares of common stock immediately prior to the Reverse Stock Split would continue to hold 2% of the voting power of the outstanding shares of common stock after the Reverse Stock Split.

 

The Reverse Stock Split would reduce the number of shares of common stock available for issuance under our 2019 Plan, in proportion to the reverse split ratio of the Reverse Stock Split.

 

Similarly, under the terms of the 2019 Plan and the agreements governing the Company’s outstanding restricted stock units, the Reverse Stock Split will effect a reduction in the number of shares of the Company’s common stock issuable upon the vesting of such restricted stock units in proportion to the reverse split ratio of the Reverse Stock Split. In connection with the Reverse Stock Split, the number of shares of the Company’s common stock issuable upon the vesting of outstanding restricted stock units will be rounded down to the nearest whole share, and no cash payment will be made in respect of such rounding.

 

The following table contains approximate information relating to the common stock under three specific ratios within the range, based on share information as of the record date:

 

    Number of Shares of Common Stock Before Reverse    

Estimated Number of

Shares of Common

Stock After the Reverse

Stock Split

 
    Stock Split     2:1     6:1       15:1  
Issued and outstanding (1)     [XX]       [XX]       [XX]       [XX]  
Reserved for future issuance pursuant to 2019 Plan and 2019 Plan (2)     [XX]       [XX]       [XX]       [XX]  
Reserved for future issuance pursuant to outstanding options, RSUs, and warrants     [XX]       [XX]       [XX]       [XX]  

 

(1) The shares presented are an estimate as we do not know the number of fractional shares that will be required to be paid out in cash following the Reverse Stock Split.
   
(2) Share reserve for 2019 Plan does not include additional shares that would be available for future issuance.

 

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No fractional shares of common stock will be issued in connection with any of the proposed Reverse Stock Split exchange ratios. Holders of a common stock who would otherwise receive a fractional share of common stock pursuant to the Reverse Stock Split will receive cash in lieu of the fractional share as described below.

 

The common stock is currently registered under Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act, and the Company is subject to the periodic reporting and other requirements of the Exchange Act. The Reverse Stock Split would not affect the registration of the common stock under the Exchange Act. After the Reverse Stock Split, provided that the Company continues to meet the minimum bid price and other listing requirements, the common stock would continue to be reported on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “SONM.”

 

Certain Risks and Potential Disadvantages Associated with the Reverse Stock Split

 

If the Reverse Stock Split is implemented, some stockholders may consequently own less than one hundred (100) shares of common stock. A purchase or sale of less than one hundred (100) shares (an “odd lot” transaction) may result in incrementally higher trading costs through certain brokers, particularly “full service” brokers. Therefore, those stockholders who own less than one hundred (100) shares following the Reverse Stock Split may be required to pay modestly higher transaction costs should they then determine to sell their shares in the Company.

 

The effect of the Reverse Stock Split upon the market prices for the common stock cannot be accurately predicted, and the history of similar stock split combinations for companies in like circumstances is varied. In particular, there is no assurance that the price per share of the common stock after the Reverse Stock Split will be two (2) to fifteen (15) times, as applicable, the price per share of the common stock immediately prior to the Reverse Stock Split. Furthermore, there can be no assurance that the market price of the common stock immediately after the proposed Reverse Stock Split will be maintained for any period of time. Even if an increased share price can be maintained, the Reverse Stock Split may not achieve the other desired results which have been outlined above. Moreover, because some investors may view a Reverse Stock Split negatively, there can be no assurance that approval of the Reverse Stock Split will not adversely impact the market price of the common stock or, alternatively, that the market price following the Reverse Stock Split will either exceed or remain in excess of the current market price.

 

In addition, although we believe the Reverse Stock Split may enhance the desirability of our common stock to certain potential investors, we cannot assure you that, if implemented, our common stock will be more attractive to institutional and other long-term investors or that the liquidity of our common stock will increase since there would be a reduced number of shares outstanding after the Reverse Stock Split. The increase in the number of shares of authorized but unissued and unreserved common stock may have an anti-takeover effect by permitting the issuance of shares to purchasers who might oppose a hostile takeover bid or oppose any efforts to amend or repeal certain provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation or the Bylaws of the Company.

 

The increased number of available authorized but unissued shares as a result of the Reverse Stock Split would give the Company’s management more flexibility to resist or impede a third-party takeover bid that provides an above-market premium that is favored by a majority of the independent stockholders. Any such anti-takeover effect of the Reverse Stock Split would be in addition to existing anti-takeover provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws.

 

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Effective Time

 

If the proposed Reverse Stock Split is approved at the annual meeting and the Board elects to proceed with one of the Reverse Stock Split in one of the approved ratios, the Reverse Stock Split would become effective as of the filing (which we refer to as the “Effective Time”) of the applicable Certificate of Amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation with the office of the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware. Except as explained below with respect to fractional shares, at the Effective Time, all shares of common stock issued and outstanding immediately prior thereto will be, automatically and without any action on the part of the stockholders, combined and converted into new shares of common stock in accordance with the Reverse Stock Split ratio determined by the Board among the choices set forth in this Proposal 3.

 

Cash Payment In Lieu of Fractional Shares

 

No fractional shares of common stock will be issued as a result of the Reverse Stock Split. Instead, in lieu of any fractional shares to which a holder of common stock would otherwise be entitled as a result of the Reverse Stock Split, the Company shall pay cash equal to the closing sales price of the Company’s common stock as reported on Nasdaq on the date the Certificate of Amendment to the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company is filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware.

 

Exchange of Stock Certificates

 

As soon as practicable after the effective date of the Reverse Stock Split, stockholders will be notified that the Reverse Stock Split has been effected. American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, our transfer agent, will act as exchange agent for purposes of implementing the exchange of stock certificates. Holders of pre-split shares will be asked to surrender to the exchange agent certificates representing pre-split shares in exchange for certificates representing post-split shares in accordance with the procedures to be set forth in a letter of transmittal that will be delivered to our stockholders. No new certificates will be issued to a stockholder until the stockholder has surrendered to the exchange agent his, her or its outstanding certificate(s) together with the properly completed and executed letter of transmittal. STOCKHOLDERS SHOULD NOT DESTROY ANY STOCK CERTIFICATES AND SHOULD NOT SUBMIT THEIR STOCK CERTIFICATES UNTIL THEY RECEIVE A TRANSMITTAL FORM FROM OUR EXCHANGE AGENT. STOCKHOLDERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO PROMPTLY SURRENDER CERTIFICATES TO THE EXCHANGE AGENT FOLLOWING RECEIPT OF TRANSMITTAL FORMS IN ORDER TO AVOID HAVING SHARES POSSIBLY BECOMING SUBJECT TO ESCHEAT LAWS. Stockholders whose shares are held in book-entry form or by their stockbroker do not need to submit old share certificates for exchange. These stockholders’ book-entry records or brokerage accounts will automatically reflect the new quantity of shares based on the selected Reverse Stock Split ratio. As soon as practicable after the Effective Time, our transfer agent will send to such stockholders or their brokers a transmittal letter along with a statement of ownership indicating the number of post-Reverse Stock Split shares of common stock held. As of the Effective Time, each certificate or other share ownership record representing pre-split shares will be deemed for all corporate purposes to evidence ownership of post-split shares.

 

No Appraisal Rights

 

Under the DGCL, our stockholders do not have a right to dissent and are not entitled to appraisal rights with respect to the proposed amendment to our Certificate of Incorporation to effect the Reverse Stock Split, and we will not independently provide our stockholders with any such rights.

 

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Certain Material Federal Income Tax Consequences of the Reverse Stock Split to U.S. Holders

 

The following is a summary of certain material federal income tax considerations of the proposed Reverse Stock Split to certain U.S. Holders (as defined below) of our common stock but does not purport to be a complete analysis of all potential tax effects. This summary is based on provisions of the Code, Treasury Regulations thereunder and administrative rulings, court decisions and other legal authorities related thereto, each as in effect as of the date of this proposal and all of which are subject to change or differing interpretations. Any such change or differing interpretation, which may or may not be retroactive, could alter the tax consequences to the stockholders described herein. This discussion is included for general informational purposes only and does not purport to consider all aspects of U.S. federal income taxation that might be relevant to a U.S. Holder. It addresses only stockholders who hold the pre-Reverse Stock Split shares and post-Reverse Stock Split shares as capital assets. It does not purport to be complete and does not address stockholders subject to special rules, such as financial institutions, tax-exempt organizations, insurance companies, dealers in securities, mutual funds, real estate investment trusts, regulated investment companies, stockholders who hold their pre-Reverse Stock Split shares through individual retirement or other tax-deferred accounts, stockholders who are not U.S. Holders (as defined below), stockholders who have a functional currency other than the U.S. dollar, partnerships or other entities classified as partnerships or disregarded entities for U.S. federal income tax purposes (or persons holding pre-Reverse Stock Split shares through such entities), stockholders who hold the pre-Reverse Stock Split shares as part of a straddle, hedge or conversion transaction, stockholders who hold the pre-Reverse Stock Split shares as qualified small business stock within the meaning of Section 1202 of the Code or Section 1244 stock for purposes of Section 1244 of the Code, stockholders who acquired their stock in a transaction subject to the gain rollover provisions of Section 1045 of the Code, stockholders who are subject to the alternative minimum tax or Medicare contribution tax provisions of the Code or stockholders who acquired their pre-Reverse Stock Split shares pursuant to the exercise of employee stock options or otherwise as compensation. In addition, this summary does not address any tax consequences other than certain U.S. federal income tax consequences of the Reverse Stock Split, including the tax consequences of the Reverse Stock Split under state, local or non-U.S. tax laws, or under estate, gift, excise or other non-income tax laws, the tax consequences of transactions effectuated prior or subsequent to, or concurrently with, the Reverse Stock Split (whether or not any such transactions are consummated in connection with the Reverse Stock Split) including, without limitation, the tax consequences to holders of options, warrants or similar rights to acquire our common stock. Furthermore, we have not obtained a ruling from the Internal Revenue Service or an opinion of legal or tax counsel with respect to the consequences of the Reverse Stock Split. There can be no assurance that the IRS will not take a position contrary to these statements or that a contrary position taken by the IRS would not be sustained by a court. Each stockholder is advised to consult his, her or its tax advisor as to the federal income tax consequences of the Reverse Stock Split in such stockholder’s situation.

 

For purposes of this discussion, a “U.S. Holder” means a beneficial owner of shares of our common stock that is any of the following:

 

an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States or someone treated as a U.S. citizen or resident for U.S. federal income tax purposes;
   
a corporation (or other entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes) created or organized in or under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia;
   
an estate, the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source; or
   
a trust if (i) a U.S. court can exercise primary supervision over the trust’s administration and one or more “United States persons” (within the meaning of Section 7701(a)(30) of the Code) are authorized or have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust or (ii) it has a valid election in effect under applicable U.S. Treasury Regulations to be treated as a United States person for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

 

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The Reverse Stock Split is intended to be treated as a “recapitalization” for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and the remainder of this discussion assumes the Reverse Stock Split so qualifies. The federal income tax consequences of the Reverse Stock Split will vary depending on whether a stockholder receives solely a reduced number of shares in the Reverse Stock Split or receives cash for fractional shares. A stockholder who solely receives a reduced number of shares generally will not recognize gain or loss in the Reverse Stock Split. A stockholder who receives cash for fractional shares generally should recognize gain (but not loss) equal to the difference between the portion of the tax basis of the pre-Reverse Stock Split shares allocated to the fractional share interest and the cash received for such fractional shares. Such gain will be a capital gain and will be short-term if the pre-Reverse Stock Split shares were held for one (1) year or less and long-term if held more than one (1) year at the time of the Reverse Stock Split. Long-term capital gains of non-corporate U.S. Holders are generally subject to preferential tax rates. The aggregate tax basis of the post-Reverse Stock Split shares received will be equal to the aggregate tax basis of the pre-Reverse Stock Split shares exchanged therefor (excluding any portion of the holder’s basis allocated to fractional shares), and the holding period of the post-Reverse Stock Split shares received will include the holding period of the pre-Reverse Stock Split shares exchanged. U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors as to application of the foregoing rules where shares of common stock were acquired at different times or at different prices.

 

No gain or loss will be recognized by the Company as a result of the Reverse Stock Split.

 

STOCKHOLDERS SHOULD CONSULT THEIR TAX ADVISORS WITH RESPECT TO THE APPLICATION OF THE U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX LAWS TO THEIR PARTICULAR SITUATIONS AS WELL AS ANY TAX CONSEQUENCES OF THE REVERSE STOCK SPLIT ARISING UNDER U.S. FEDERAL ESTATE OR GIFT TAX LAWS OR UNDER THE LAWS OF ANY STATE, LOCAL OR NON-U.S. TAXING JURISDICTION OR UNDER ANY APPLICABLE INCOME TAX TREATY.

 

Vote Required

 

The affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock will be required to approve Proposal 3 and the corresponding amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation to effect the Reverse Stock Split.

 

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS

A VOTE IN FAVOR OF PROPOSAL 3.

 

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PROPOSAL 4

RATIFICATION OF SELECTION OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

The Audit Committee of the Board of Directors has selected Moss Adams as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2022, and has further directed that management submit the selection of its independent registered public accounting firm for ratification by the stockholders at the annual meeting. Moss Adams has audited the Company’s financial statements since 2013. Representatives of Moss Adams are expected to be present at the annual meeting. They will have an opportunity to make a statement if they so desire and will be available to respond to appropriate questions.

 

Neither the Company’s Bylaws nor other governing documents or law require stockholder ratification of the selection of Moss Adams as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm. However, the Audit Committee of the Board is submitting the selection of Moss Adams to the stockholders for ratification as a matter of good corporate practice. If the stockholders fail to ratify the selection, the Audit Committee of the Board will reconsider whether or not to retain that firm. Even if the selection is ratified, the Audit Committee of the Board in its discretion may direct the appointment of different independent auditors at any time during the year if they determine that such a change would be in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders.

 

Principal Accountant Fees and Services

 

The following table presents fees for professional audit services rendered by Moss Adams LLP (Campbell, CA, PCAOB ID: 659) for the audit of our annual financial statements for fiscal 2021 and fiscal 2020, and fees billed for other services rendered by Moss Adams LLP during fiscal 2021 and fiscal 2020.

 

Type of Fees  Fees for Fiscal 2021   Fees for Fiscal 2020 
Audit Fees (1)  $664,250   $734,425 
Audit-Related Fees   -    - 
Tax Fees (2)   39,108    72,991 
All Other Fees   -    - 
Total Fees  $703,358   $807,416 

 

The Audit Committee must pre-approve all audit related services and permissible non-audit services (unless in compliance with exceptions available under applicable laws and rules related to immaterial aggregate amounts of services) provided by our independent registered public accounting firm. However, the Audit Committee may delegate preapproval authority to one or more committee members so long as any such preapproval decisions are presented to the full committee at the next scheduled meeting.

 

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Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures

 

The Audit Committee must pre-approve all audit related services and permissible non-audit services (unless in compliance with exceptions available under applicable laws and rules related to immaterial aggregate amounts of services) provided by our independent registered public accounting firm. However, the Audit Committee may delegate preapproval authority to one or more committee members so long as any such preapproval decisions are presented to the full committee at the next scheduled meeting.

 

The Audit Committee has determined that all such services rendered by the independent registered public accounting firm are permissible under applicable laws and regulations, and during 2020 and 2021, were pre-approved by the Audit Committee in accordance with the Audit Committee pre-approval policy. A copy of our pre-approval policy is attached as Exhibit A to our audit committee charter which is available in the investor relations section of our website at www.sonimtech.com.

 

The Audit Committee has determined the services provided by Moss Adams are compatible with maintaining the independence of Moss Adams.

 

Vote Required

 

The affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the shares present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote on the matter at the annual meeting will be required to ratify the selection of Moss Adams.

 

The Board Of Directors Recommends

 

A Vote “FOR” Proposal 4.

 

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SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF

CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT

 

The following table sets forth certain information with respect to the beneficial ownership of our capital stock as of the Record Date for:

 

  each of our named executive officers;
     
  each of our directors;
     
  all of our current directors and executive officers as a group; and
     
  each person known by us to be the beneficial owner of more than 5% of the outstanding shares of our common stock.

 

We have determined beneficial ownership in accordance with the rules of the SEC, and thus it represents sole or shared voting or investment power with respect to our securities. Unless otherwise indicated below, to our knowledge, the persons and entities named in the table have sole voting and sole investment power with respect to all shares that they beneficially owned, subject to community property laws where applicable. The information does not necessarily indicate beneficial ownership for any other purpose, including for purposes of Sections 13(d) and 13(g) of the Securities Act.

 

We have based our calculation of the percentage of beneficial ownership on [XX] shares of our common stock outstanding as of the Record Date. In accordance with SEC rules, we have deemed shares of our common stock subject to stock options that are currently exercisable or exercisable within sixty (60) days of the Record Date and shares of our common stock underlying RSUs that are currently releasable or releasable within sixty (60) days of the Record Date to be outstanding and to be beneficially owned by the person holding the common stock options or RSUs for the purpose of computing the percentage ownership of that person. We did not deem these shares outstanding, however, for the purpose of computing the percentage ownership of any other person.

 

Unless otherwise indicated, the address of each beneficial owner listed in the table below is c/o Sonim Technologies, Inc., 6500 River Place Blvd., Building 7, Suite 250, Austin, TX 78730. The information provided in the table is based on our records, information filed with the SEC, and information provided to us, except where otherwise noted.

 

   Shares Beneficially Owned 
Beneficial Owner Name  Number   Percentage 
Directors and Named Executive Officers          
Peter Liu(1)   [952,381]   [1.65]%
Clay Crolius   -    * 
Jose Carlos Principe   [85,714]   * 
Jeffrey Wang (2)   [19,549,166]   [51]%
Alan Howe (3)   [126,853]   * 
Jack Steenstra   [85,714]   * 
Mike Mulica (4)   [181,293]   * 
James Cassano   [85,714]   * 
All executive officers and directors as a group (8 persons)   [$21,066,835]   [53]%
Other 5% Stockholders          
AJP Holding Company, LLC (5)   [19,463,452]   [51]%

 

*Represents beneficial ownership of less than one percent (1%) of the outstanding shares of our common stock.
   
(1)Consists of [99,336] shares held directly by Peter Liu, [2,038] shares subject to RSUs vesting and exercisable within 60 days of April 26, 2022, and [8,229] shares issuable upon the exercise of outstanding options held by Peter Liu exercisable within 60 days of April 26, 2022.
   
  (2) Includes shares purchased and held by AJP Holding Company, LLC (“AJP”) immediately after the second closing pursuant to the subscription agreement dated April 13, 2022, by and between the AJP and the Company. Mr. Wong is the sole manager of AJP and disclaims beneficial ownership of such shares except to the extent of his pecuniary interest therein. Address of AJP is P.O. Box 2729 Sunnyvale, CA 94087.
     
(3)Consists of [4,933], shares held directly by Alan Howe and 3,100 shares subject to RSUs vesting and exercisable within 60 days of April 26, 2022, and 233 shares issuable upon the exercise of outstanding options that are fully vested.
   
(4)Consists of [6,626] shares subject to RSUs held by Mike Mulica exercisable within 60 days of April 26, 2022.
   
  (5) Mr. Wong is the sole manager of AJP and disclaims beneficial ownership of such shares except to the extent of his pecuniary interest therein. Address of AJP is P.O. Box 2729 Sunnyvale, CA 94087.

 

There are no arrangements, known to the Company, the operation of which would result in a change in control of the Company.

 

Change in Control

 

On April 13, 2022, the Company entered into a Subscription Agreement with AJP Holding Company, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Purchaser”), pursuant to which Purchaser agreed to purchase from the Company an aggregate of 20,833,333 shares of the Company’s common stock for a purchase price of $17,500,000.

 

On July 13, 2022, the Company and the Purchaser consummated the first closing pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Subscription Agreement, and the Company issued and sold 14,880,952 shares of the Company’s common stock for the aggregate purchase price of twelve million five hundred thousand dollars ($12,500,000). Of 14,880,952 shares of common stock, 13,928,571 shares of common stock were issued to the Purchaser and 952,381 shares of common stock were issued to Peter Liu, Chief Executive Officer of the Company. The entirety of the purchase price paid by the Purchaser was comprised of the funds remitted by or for the benefit of the members of the Purchaser and was transferred to the Purchaser in the form of capital contribution.

 

On August 8, 2022, the Company and the Purchaser consummated the second closing pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Subscription Agreement, and the Company issued 208,750 shares of Common Stock to each of the two assignees of the Purchaser, and 5,534,881 shares of Common Stock to the Purchaser for the aggregate purchase price of five million dollars ($5,000,000). The entirety of the purchase price paid by the Purchaser was comprised of the funds remitted by or for the benefit of the members of the Purchaser and was transferred to the Purchaser in the form of capital contribution. Our director Jeffrey Wang is the sole manager and the owner of 40% of the membership interests in the Purchaser.

 

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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

 

Our named executive officers for the year ended December 31, 2021, consisting of one individual who served as an executive officer at year-end and one former executive officer for whom disclosure would have been provided but for the fact that such individual was not serving as an executive officer as of December 31, 2021, are: Robert Tirva, our President, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer, and Thomas W. Wilkinson, our former Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Liu is not considered a named executive officer for the year ended December 31, 2021 because he was not an executive officer of the Company during 2021.

 

Summary Compensation Table

 

The following table sets forth information regarding compensation earned during the years ended December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020 by our named executive officers, or NEOs.

 

Name and Principal
Position
  Year   Salary ($)   Bonus ($)   Stock
Awards
($)(1)
   Option
Awards
($)(1)
   Non-Equity
Incentive Plan
Compensation ($)
   All Other
Compensation
($)
   Total ($) 
Robert Tirva   2021   $325,000   $400,000(2)  $199,999   $-   $         -   $-   $924,999 
President, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer   2020   $300,000   $90,000   $531,252   $-   $-   $-   $921,252 
Thomas W. Wilkinson   2021   $166,667   $-   $-   $-   $-   $440,364(3)  $607,031 
Former Chief Executive Officer   2020   $400,000   $160,000   $475,050   $-   $-   $8,650(4)  $1,043,700 

 

(1) This column reflects the full grant date fair value for stock awards or options, respectively, granted during the fiscal year as measured pursuant to ASC Topic 718 as stock-based compensation in our consolidated financial statements. The grant date fair value of stock awards were based on the closing price per share of our common stock on the applicable grant date. These amounts do not necessarily correspond to the actual value that may be recognized from the stock options and stock awards by the NEOs.
   
(2) 50% of Mr. Tirva’s net (after applicable withholding taxes) bonus for 2021 was paid in fully-vested shares of our common stock awarded under our 2019 Equity Incentive Plan (233,638 shares of our common stock granted on January 27, 2022).
   
(3) Represents (a) severance benefits (including estimated cost of reimbursement of premiums to continue health insurance under COBRA for one year) of $430,714 payable to Mr. Wilkinson pursuant to his Separation and Release Agreement with the Company, and (b) $9,650 for World Presidents Organization activities to which Mr. Wilkinson was entitled pursuant to his employment agreement.
   
(4) Represents $8,650 for World Presidents Organization activities to which Mr. Wilkinson was entitled pursuant to his employment agreement.

 

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Outstanding Equity Awards at December 31, 2021

 

The following tables provide information about outstanding equity awards held by each of our named executive officers at December 31, 2021. Awards for the named executive officers were granted under our 2019 Plan.

 

Option Awards

 

Name   Grant Date   Exercisable     Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options (#)
    Option
Exercise
Price
    Option
Expiration
Date
Robert Tirva   11/1/2019     9,510 (1)     16,899     $ 22.60     10/31/2029

 

(1) 25% of the shares of common stock underlying the option, or 4,225 shares, vested in September 2020, the first anniversary of the vesting commencement date, and the remainder will vest in 36 equal monthly installments thereafter, subject to Mr. Tirva’s continuous service through the relevant vesting dates. During the 13 months following a change in control, if we terminate Mr. Tirva’s employment without cause or if Mr. Tirva resigns for good reason, vesting of this option will accelerate in full.

 

Stock Awards

 

Name  Grant Date 

Number of Shares or

Units of Stock that

Have Not Vested
(#)

  

Market Value of Shares or Units of

Stock That Have Not Vested
($)(4)

 
Robert Tirva  11/1/2019   4,224(1)  $3,894 
   6/9/2020   34,350(2)  $31,664 
   9/29/2020   7,500(2)  $6,914 
   06/18/2021   33,495(3)  $30,876 

 

(1) 25% of the shares, or 2,113 shares, vested in September 2020, the first anniversary of the vesting commencement date, and the remainder will vest in 3 equal annual installments thereafter, subject to Mr. Tirva’s continuous service through the relevant vesting dates. During the 13 months following a change in control, if we terminate Mr. Tirva’s employment without cause or if Mr. Tirva’s resigns for good reason, vesting of this award will accelerate in full.

 

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(2) 25% of the shares, or 13,950 shares, vested in June 2021, the first anniversary of the vesting commencement date, and the remainder will vest in 3 equal annual installments thereafter, subject to Mr. Tirva’s continuous service through the relevant vesting dates. During the 13 months following a change in control, if we terminate employment without cause or individual resigns for good reason, vesting of these awards will accelerate in full.
   
(3) 100% of the shares are scheduled to vest on June 18, 2022, subject to continuous employment thru the relevant vest date. During the 13 months following a change in control, if we terminate employment without cause or individual resigns for good reason, vesting of these awards will accelerate in full.
   
(4) Based on closing price of our common stock as reported on the Nasdaq Global Market on December 31, 2021 ($0.9218).

 

Agreements with Our Named Executive Officers for Fiscal Year 2021

 

Set forth below are descriptions of our employment agreements with our named executive officers. For a discussion of the severance pay and other benefits to be provided in connection with a termination of employment and/or a change in control under the arrangements with our named executive officers that were providing services to the Company as of December 31, 2021, See “Potential Payments upon Termination or Change in Control.”

 

Mr. Wilkinson. In October 2019, we entered into an employment agreement with Mr. Wilkinson. Under the terms of the employment agreement, Mr. Wilkinson received an annual base salary of $400,000. Further, he was eligible, beginning in the fiscal year 2020, for an annual bonus of 100% of his base salary based on performance against targets determined by the Board of Directors at the beginning of each year. In the Wilkinson employment agreement, the Company agreed to establish a transaction bonus plan (as further described below), which will be funded by 10% of the consideration payable to company stockholders in the event of a change in control after deducting transaction expenses, of which Mr. Wilkinson shall have a 50% interest. In addition, Mr. Wilkinson was entitled to receive up to $15,000 each year for his participation in World Presidents Organization activities and a monthly stipend of $2,000 indefinitely while employed by the Company for office space in Austin, Texas. Mr. Wilkinson was eligible to participate in the employee benefit plans generally available to our employees, as well as in discretionary bonuses (if any) approved by the Board of Directors from time to time.

 

Mr. Tirva. In September 2019, we entered into an employment agreement with Mr. Tirva, which was first amended in December 2019. Under the terms of the employment agreement, Mr. Tirva was entitled to an annual base salary of $300,000 and was eligible to receive an annual bonus of 50% of his base salary based on performance against targets to be determined by the Board of Directors at the beginning of each year.

 

On October 14, 2021, we entered into an amended employment agreement with Mr. Tirva. The amended employment agreement reflects Mr. Tirva’s position as the Company’s President, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer and provides that Mr. Tirva will receive an annual base salary of $400,000. The amended employment agreement also provides that Mr. Tirva’s target annual bonus opportunity is 100% of his base salary, with the actual annual bonus amount to be determined each year based on performance against performance targets determined by the Board of Directors. Mr. Tirva is also eligible to participate in the employee benefit plans generally available to our employees.

 

Potential Payments upon Termination or Change in Control

 

Each of our named executive officers that were providing services to the Company as of December 31, 2021 is eligible to receive certain benefits pursuant to his employment agreement with us, as described below. “Cause,” “good reason,” “enterprise value,” “financial investors” and “change in control” are defined in the applicable employment agreements with each of our named executive officers.

 

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Mr. Wilkinson. Mr. Wilkinson’s employment agreement provided that, upon Mr. Wilkinson’s termination without cause, or due to his death, permanent disability or for good reason, in either case at any time prior to a change in control or more than 13 months after a change in control, Mr. Wilkinson would receive 12 months of continued base salary and reimbursement for COBRA health insurance premiums for up to 12 months following the date of termination. If Mr. Wilkinson’s employment was terminated without cause, or his employment was terminated for good reason, in either case at any time within 13 months after a change in control, Mr. Wilkinson would have received 18 months of continued base salary, reimbursement for COBRA health insurance premiums for a period of up to 18 months, 150% of his target bonus for the year of termination (assuming full achievement, but no over-achievement, of performance targets under the bonus plan), and accelerated vesting of any then outstanding options or stock awards.

 

In connection with his separation with the Company, on May 31, 2021 we entered into a Separation and Release Agreement with Mr. Wilkinson (the “Separation Agreement”). Pursuant to the Separation Agreement, we agreed to provide severance benefits (consisting of total cash severance pay of $400,000 and reimbursement of premiums to continue health insurance under COBRA for up to one year) to Mr. Wilkinson which were consistent with the severance benefits provided for in his employment agreement. In consideration for such severance benefits, the Separation Agreement includes a general release of claims by Mr. Wilkinson in favor of the Company. All of the stock options and stock awards that we had granted to Mr. Wilkinson prior to his separation terminated upon his separation to the extent that they had not vested prior to the date of his separation. In accordance with the Separation Agreement, Mr. Wilkinson’s participation in our transaction bonus plan terminated on November 30, 2021.

 

Mr. Tirva. Mr. Tirva’s amended employment agreement provides that if his employment with us is terminated by us without cause or by Mr. Tirva for good reason, in any such case prior to a change in control or more than 13 months after a change in control, or due to Mr. Tirva’s death or permanent disability, Mr. Tirva will receive 12 months of continued base salary and reimbursement for COBRA health insurance premiums for up to 12 months following the date of termination. If Mr. Tirva’s employment with us is terminated by us without cause, or if he terminates his employment with us for good reason, in either case at any time within 13 months after a change in control, Mr. Tirva will receive 18 months of continued base salary, reimbursement for COBRA health insurance premiums for a period of up to 18 months, 150% of his target bonus for the year of termination (assuming full achievement, but no over-achievement, of performance targets under the bonus plan), and accelerated vesting of any then-outstanding options or stock awards granted by the Company to him. The severance benefits described above would, if triggered, be conditioned on Mr. Tirva providing us with a release of claims in a form acceptable to us. The amended employment agreement also provides that if Mr. Tirva’s employment with us is terminated by us without cause, by Mr. Tirva for good reason, or due to his death or permanent disability, he will receive a pro-rated target annual bonus for the year in which the termination of employment occurs.

 

Transaction Bonus Plan

 

In December 2019, our Board of Directors approved a transaction bonus plan that is intended to incentivize Company employees who are in a position to significantly impact the value received by the Company’s stockholders in a change of control transaction. Pursuant to the plan, upon consummation of a change of control transaction, 10% of the consideration payable to Company stockholders, after deducting transaction expenses, will be distributed to plan participants, including Mr. Wilkinson and Mr. Tirva. The plan has a three-year term and may be extended by the administrator. Subject to the terms of the plan, participants must be continuously providing services to the Company through the date of the closing of a change in control transaction to be eligible to receive a bonus thereunder, and payment is contingent upon delivery and non-revocation of a general release of claims. Our Board of Directors has allocated a 50% interest in the plan to Mr. Wilkinson and a 10% interest in the plan to Mr. Tirva.

 

As noted above, Mr. Wilkinson’s participation in the transaction bonus plan terminated on November 30, 2021.

 

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Executive Bonus Plan

 

Given the uncertainties of the global pandemic that existed during most of 2021, our Board of Directors did not approve bonus plan metrics or targets for 2021. Instead, the Board of Directors met at the end of the year and considered the Company’s performance during the year. The Board of Directors determined that Mr. Tirva would be paid a bonus of $400,000 based on the Company’s performance and his contributions during 2021.

 

Pension Benefits

 

Our named executive officers did not participate in, or otherwise receive any benefits under, any pension or retirement plan sponsored by us during 2021.

 

Nonqualified Deferred Compensation

 

Our named executive officers did not participate in, or earn any benefits under, a nonqualified deferred compensation plan sponsored by us during 2021.

 

Employee Benefit Plans

 

We believe that our ability to grant equity-based awards is a valuable and necessary compensation tool that aligns the long-term financial interests of our executive officers with the financial interests of our stockholders. In addition, we believe that our ability to grant options and other equity-based awards helps us to attract, retain and motivate executive officers and encourages them to devote their best efforts to our business and financial success. Vesting of equity awards (other than awards granted in lieu of cash salary or bonus) is generally tied to continuous service with us and serves as an additional retention measure. Our executive officers generally are awarded an initial new hire grant upon commencement of employment.

 

Each of our named executive officers currently employed by us holds equity awards under our 2019 Equity Incentive Plan that were granted subject to the general terms thereof and the applicable forms of award agreement thereunder. The specific vesting terms of each named executive officer’s equity awards are described above under “Outstanding Equity Awards as of December 31, 2021.”

 

Prior to our initial public offering, we granted all equity awards pursuant to our 2012 Equity Incentive Plan. We currently grant all equity awards pursuant to our 2019 Equity Incentive Plan. All options are granted with a per share exercise price equal to no less than the fair market value of a share of our Common Stock on the date of the grant, and generally vest on a monthly basis over 48 months, subject to the continued service with us through each vesting date. All options have a maximum term of up to 10 years from the date of grant, subject to earlier expiration following the cessation of an executive officer’s continuous service with us. Option vesting is subject to acceleration as described above under “Potential Payments upon Termination or Change in Control.” Options generally remain exercisable for three months following an executive officer’s termination, except in the event of a termination for cause or due to disability or death. RSUs generally vest annually over four (4) years (other than awards granted in lieu of cash salary or bonus, which may be vested at grant), subject to the continued service with us through each vesting date.

 

Health and Welfare Benefits

 

We pay premiums for medical insurance, dental insurance, and vision insurance for all full-time employees, including our named executive officers. These benefits are available to all full-time employees, subject to applicable laws.

 

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401(k) Plan

 

We maintain a defined contribution retirement plan that provides eligible U.S. employees with an opportunity to save for retirement on a tax advantaged basis. Eligible employees may defer eligible compensation on a pre-tax, or after-tax, basis, up to the statutorily prescribed annual limits on contributions under the Code. Contributions are allocated to each participant’s individual account and are then invested in selected investment alternatives according to the participants’ directions. Employees are immediately and fully vested in their contributions. The 401(k) plan is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code with the 401(k) plan’s related trust intended to be tax exempt under Section 501(a) of the Code. As a tax-qualified retirement plan, contributions to the 401(k) plan are deductible by us when made, and contributions and earnings on those amounts are not taxable to the employees until withdrawn or distributed from the 401(k) plan. We currently provide a matching contribution under the 401(k) plan.

 

Director Compensation

 

The following table sets forth information regarding compensation earned during the year ended December 31, 2021 by our non-employee directors who served as directors during such year. Mr. Wilkinson, our former Chief Executive Officer, served on our Board of Directors but did not receive compensation for his service as a director and the compensation paid to Mr. Wilkinson for his service as an employee during the year ended December 31, 2021, is set forth in the “Summary Compensation Table” above.

 

Name 

Fees earned or
Paid in Cash

($)

  

Stock
awards(1)(4)

($)

   Option
awards(1)
($)
   Total($) 
Alan Howe  $50,000   $59,998(2)   -   $109,998 
John Kneuer  $64,667   $59,998(2)       -   $124,665 
Sue Swenson  $57,000   $59,998(2)   -   $116,998 
Kenny Young(5)   -    -    -   $0 
Michael Mulica  $21,500   $224,349(3)   -   $245,849 
Ken Naumann(6)   -   $39,100(6)   -   $39,100 

 

(1) This column reflects the full grant date fair value for stock awards or options, respectively, granted during the year ended December 31, 2021 as measured pursuant to ASC Topic 718 as stock-based compensation in our consolidated financial statements. The grant date fair value of stock awards were based on the closing price per share of our common stock on the applicable grant date. These amounts do not necessarily correspond to the actual value that may be recognized from the stock awards by the non-employee directors.
   
(2) Each non-employee director was awarded 27,906 RSUs on November 12, 2021 having a grant date fair value of $59,998.
   
(3) Mr. Mulica was awarded 6,626 RSUs on June 17, 2021 for his initial appointment to the Board of Directors having a grant date fair value of $39,100, 75,000 RSUs on October 18, 2021 having a grant date fair value of $155,250, and 13,953 RSUs on November 12, 2021 having a grant date fair value of $29,999.
   
(4) As of December 31, 2021, each non-director employee held the following number of RSUs: (i) Mr. Howe (36,206); (ii) Mr. Kneuer (36,206); (iii) Ms. Swenson (36,206); and Mr. Mulica (95,579) Messrs. Young and Naumann, did not hold any RSUs at the end of fiscal 2021. As of December 31, 2021, each non-director employee held the following number stock options: (i) Mr. Howe (4,625); (ii) Mr. Kneuer (4,392); and (iii) Ms. Swenson (4,392). Messrs. Young, Mulica and Naumann did not hold any stock options at the end of fiscal 2021.
   
(5) Mr. Young declined to receive any compensation for his services as a member of the Board of Directors and any committee thereof. Mr. Young resigned from the Board of Directors effective February 3, 2022.
   
(6) Mr. Naumann was awarded 6,626 RSUs on June 17, 2021 for his initial appointment to the Board of Directors having a grant date fair value of $39,100. Mr. Naumann resigned from the Board of Directors effective July 16, 2021.

 

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Non-Employee Director Compensation Policy

 

We maintain a non-employee director compensation policy pursuant to which our non-employee directors are eligible to receive compensation for service on our Board of Directors and committees of our Board of Directors. Our Board of Directors or Compensation Committee may amend the non-employee director compensation policy from time to time.

 

Equity Compensation

 

Each new non-employee director who joins our Board of Directors is granted an initial award of RSUs under our 2019 Equity Incentive Plan. Messrs. Mulica and Naumann each received an initial award of 6,626 RSUs under our 2019 Equity Incentive Plan in June 2021. Each of these annual awards vest in full on the earlier of the first anniversary of the grant date, immediately prior to the next annual meeting of the Company’s stockholders, a change in control of the Company, or the director’s death or disability, subject to the director’s continued service through the applicable vesting date.

 

Each of our non-employee directors continuing to serve on the Board of Directors also receives an annual equity award of RSUs under our 2019 Equity Incentive Plan. As noted above, for 2021 these awards were granted on November 12, 2021 and had a grant date fair value of $59,998. Mr. Mulica’s annual grant was pro-rated based on his 2021 service period and had a grant date fair value of $29,999. On the date of each annual meeting of our stockholders beginning in 2022, if an annual meeting is held, each non-employee director who will continue as a non-employee director following such meeting will be granted an award of RSUs under our 2019 Equity Incentive Plan having an aggregate grant date fair value of $60,000. Each of these annual awards vest in full on the earlier of the first anniversary of the grant date, immediately prior to the next annual meeting of the Company’s stockholders, a change in control of the Company, or the director’s death or disability, subject to the director’s continued service through the applicable vesting date.

 

If a non-employee director is appointed or elected to our Board of Directors other than in connection with an annual meeting of stockholders, then such non-employee director shall be awarded the full initial grant upon such non-employee director’s appointment or election, and the annual grant to be awarded to such non-employee director at the first annual meeting of stockholders following such appointment or election shall be pro-rated for the number of months served prior to such annual meeting of stockholders.

 

In addition to the above compensation, on October 18, 2021, in recognition of additional committee work and board of Directors assignments, Mr. Mulica was granted an additional 75,000 RSUs with a grant date fair value of $155,250.

 

Each RSUs award granted under the policy will fully vest upon a change of control or the non-employee director’s death or disability.

 

Cash Compensation

 

Each non-employee director will receive an annual cash retainer of $35,000 for serving on our Board of Directors. The non-executive chairperson of our Board of Directors will receive an additional annual cash retainer of $25,000.

 

The chairperson and members of the three principal standing committees of our Board of Directors will be entitled to the following annual cash retainers:

 

Board Committee  Chairperson Fee   Member Fee 
Audit Committee  $15,000   $7,500 
Compensation Committee  $10,000   $5,000 
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee  $7,500   $3,750 

 

All annual cash compensation amounts will be payable in equal quarterly installments in arrears, pro-rated based on the days served in the applicable fiscal quarter.

 

We also reimburse all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by non-employee directors for their attendance at meetings of our Board of Directors or any committee thereof.

 

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Agreements with Our Named Executive Officers Following the Change of Control

 

Set forth below are descriptions of our employment agreements with our named executive officers following our change of control pursuant to the Subscription Agreement.

 

Mr. Liu. In April 2022, the Board appointed Peter Liu, who had been serving as the Company’s Executive VP for Global Operations, as Chief Executive Officer of the Company. On August 20, 2022, the Company entered an employment agreement with Mr. Liu (the “Employment Agreement”). Under the Employment Agreement, Mr. Liu receives an annual base salary of $450,000 (the “Base Salary”). The Base Salary is conditioned to be retroactively effective as of April 14, 2022, and Mr. Liu is entitled to receive, following the execution of the Employment Agreement, a lump sum payment of the difference between the Base Salary and the base salary pursuant to Mr. Liu’s previous employment arrangements.

 

Additionally, under the Employment Agreement, Mr. Liu will be eligible to participate in the Company’s 2019 Equity Incentive Plan (the “EIP”) in connection with Mr. Liu’s equity awards. Under the EIP, Mr. Liu will be entitled to receive stock option grants, to purchase in the aggregate a total of 4,014,419 shares of the Company’s common stock (the “Options”), provided that the following conditions are satisfied: (i) Mr. Liu remains continuously employed by the Company; (ii) the Company’s board of directors approves the issuance of Options; and (iii) the EIP shall have been amended (pursuant to all applicable laws and regulations including the approval of the stockholders of the Company of such amendment) to increase the number of shares available under the EIP to permit the issuance of the Options. Each Option will vest over four (4) years, with one-fourth (1/4th) of the shares underlying such Option vesting on the one-year anniversary of the date of Mr. Liu’s appointment as CEO, and one-twelfth (1/12th) of the shares underlying such Option vesting in quarterly installments thereafter. The Options will have a maximum term of ten (10) years from each grant date and will terminate earlier upon termination of employment prior to the ten-year period. The Options will be issued pursuant to the terms and conditions of the EIP, at an exercise price equal to 100% of the fair market value of the Company’s common stock on the date of each grant.

 

Mr. Crolius. On July 13, 2022, the Board appointed Clay Crolius as Chief Financial Officer (principal financial and accounting officer) of the Company. In connection with Mr. Crolius’ appointment, the Company and Mr. Crolius entered into a letter agreement dated July 13, 2022, delineating the terms of his employment: Mr. Crolius is entitled to a base salary of $275,000 per year, a discretionary bonus, and to other benefits generally applicable to all employees of the Company.

 

Directors’ Indemnification and Insurance

 

General Indemnification by the Company

 

The Company provides indemnification for its directors and officers so that they will be free from undue concern about personal liability in connection with their service to the Company. Under the Company’s Bylaws, the Company is required to indemnify its directors and officers to the extent not prohibited under Delaware or other applicable law. The Company has also entered into indemnity agreements with its executive officers and directors. These agreements provide, among other things, that the Company will indemnify the officer or director, under the circumstances and to the extent provided for in the agreement, for expenses, damages, judgments, fines and settlements he or she may be required to pay in actions or proceedings which he or she is or may be made a party by reason of his or her position as a director, officer or other agent of the Company, and otherwise to the fullest extent permitted under Delaware law and the Company’s Bylaws.

 

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Indemnification as a result of Subscription Agreement

 

Additionally, pursuant to the terms of the Subscription Agreement for six (6) years after the first closing, the Company shall, and the Purchaser shall, if applicable, vote its shares of common stock to cause the Company to indemnify and hold harmless all indemnified persons comprising of the directors and officers having resigned as a result of the Subscription Agreementto the fullest extent permitted by the Delaware law in the event of any threatened or actual claim, suit, action, proceeding or investigation, whether civil, criminal or administrative, based in whole or in part on, or arising in whole or in part out of, or pertaining to (i) the fact that such indemnified person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the Company, its subsidiaries or any of their respective predecessors prior to the first closing or (ii) the Subscription Agreement or any of the transactions contemplated thereby, against any losses, claims, damages, liabilities, costs, expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses) in advance of the final disposition of any claim, suit, proceeding or investigation to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law. The Company shall not settle or consent to the entry of a judgment in any threatened or actual claim for which indemnification could be sought by an indemnified person under the Subscription Agreement, unless such settlement or consent includes an unconditional release of such indemnified person from all liability arising out of such claim or such indemnified person otherwise consents in writing to such settlement or consent. The Company will cooperate with an indemnified person in the defense of any matter for which such indemnified person could seek indemnification under the Subscription Agreement.

 

Prior to the first closing, the Company obtained and fully paid the premium for the non-cancellable extension of the directors’ and officers’ liability coverage of the Company’s existing directors’ and officers’ insurance policies and the Company’s existing fiduciary liability insurance policies (collectively, we refer to such insurance as the “D&O insurance”), in each case for a claims reporting or discovery period of at least six (6) years from and after the first closing with respect to any claim related to any period of time at or prior to the first closing from an insurance carrier with the same or better credit rating as the Company’s current insurance carrier with respect to D&O insurance with terms, conditions, retentions and limits of liability that are no less favorable than the coverage provided under the Company’s existing policies; provided that in no event will the Company be obligated to pay annual premiums for insurance in excess of $1,100,000.

 

The indemnified persons have the right to enforce the provisions of the Subscription Agreement relating to their indemnification. Such provisions may not be terminated, amended or otherwise modified in such a manner as to adversely affect any indemnified person without the prior written consent of such person. In addition, the Company shall pay all reasonable expenses, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, that may be incurred by any indemnified person in enforcing the indemnity and other obligations provided in the Subscription Agreement.

 

If the Company (i) consolidates with or merges into any other person and is not the continuing or surviving corporation or entity of such consolidation or merger or (ii) transfers all or substantially all of its properties and assets to any person, then proper provision must be made so that such continuing or surviving corporation or entity or transferee of such assets, as the case may be, assumes the obligations set forth above relating to the indemnified person.]

 

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TRANSACTIONS WITH RELATED PERSONS AND INDEMNIFICATION

 

Related-Person Transactions Policy and Procedures

 

In 2019, the Company adopted a written Related-Person Transactions Policy that sets forth the Company’s policies and procedures regarding the identification, review, consideration and approval or ratification of “related-persons transactions.” For purposes of the Company’s policy only, a “related-person transaction” is a transaction, arrangement, or relationship (or any series of similar transactions, arrangements or relationships) in which the Company and any “related person” are participants involving an amount that exceeds $120,000. Transactions involving compensation for services provided to the Company as an employee, director, consultant, or similar capacity by a related person are not covered by this policy. A related person is any executive officer, director, or more than 5% stockholder of the Company, including any of their immediate family members, and any entity owned or controlled by such persons.

 

Under the policy, where a transaction has been identified as a related-person transaction, management must present information regarding the proposed related-person transaction to the Audit Committee (or, where Audit Committee approval would be inappropriate, to another independent body of the Board) for consideration and approval or ratification. The presentation must include a description of, among other things, the material facts, the interests, direct and indirect, of the related persons, the benefits to the Company of the transaction and whether any alternative transactions were available. To identify related-person transactions in advance, the Company relies on information supplied by its executive officers, directors and certain significant stockholders. In considering related-person transactions, the Committee takes into account the relevant available facts and circumstances including, but not limited to (a) the risks, costs and benefits to the Company, (b) the impact on a director’s independence in the event the related person is a director, immediate family member of a director or an entity with which a director is affiliated, (c) the terms of the transaction, (d) the availability of other sources for comparable services or products and (e) the terms available to or from, as the case may be, unrelated third parties or to or from employees generally. In the event a director has an interest in the proposed transaction, the director must recuse himself or herself form the deliberations and approval. The policy requires that, in determining whether to approve, ratify or reject a related-person transaction, the Committee consider, in light of known circumstances, whether the transaction is in, or is not inconsistent with, the best interests of the Company and its stockholders, as the Committee determines in the good faith exercise of its discretion.

 

Certain Related-Person Transactions

 

The following is a description of transactions since January 1, 2021, to which we have been a participant and in which (i) the amount involved exceeded or will exceed the lesser of $120,000 or one percent of the average of our total assets as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, and (ii) any of our directors, executive officers or holders of more than 5% of our common stock, or any members of their immediate family, had or will have a direct or indirect material interest, other than compensation arrangements which are described in the sections titled “Executive Compensation” and “Management—Non-Employee Director Compensation” and other than the transactions described in the section titled “Change in Control.”

 

Registration Rights Agreement

 

We are party to a registration rights agreement which provides, among other things, that within 30 days of the Second Closing, as defined in the Subscription Agreement, we were obligated to file with the SEC a registration statement to register the resale of all registrable securities held by Purchaser or any person that receives Registrable Securities (as that term is defined in the Registration Rights Agreement) (each a “Holder”). The Company’s obligation to register the Registrable Securities for sale under the Securities Act of 1933 terminates upon the first to occur of (i) the date that is five years from the effective date of the shelf registration statement filed by the Company pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement, (ii) the date on which all Holders can sell shares of common stock of the Company under Rule 144 without volume restrictions, and (iii) the date on which no registrable securities are held by any Holder.

 

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HOUSEHOLDING OF PROXY MATERIALS

 

The SEC has adopted rules that permit companies and intermediaries (e.g., brokers) to satisfy the delivery requirements for annual meeting materials with respect to two or more stockholders sharing the same address by delivering a single set of annual meeting materials addressed to those stockholders. This process, which is commonly referred to as “householding,” potentially means extra convenience for stockholders and cost savings for companies.

 

This year, a number of brokers with account holders who are Sonim stockholders will be “householding” the Company’s proxy materials. A single set of annual meeting materials will be delivered to multiple stockholders sharing an address unless contrary instructions have been received from the affected stockholders. Once you have received notice from your broker that they will be “householding” communications to your address, “householding” will continue until you are notified otherwise or until you revoke your consent. If, at any time, you no longer wish to participate in “householding” and would prefer to receive a separate set of annual meeting materials, please notify your broker or Sonim. Direct your written request to Sonim Technologies, Inc., Attention: Clay Crolius, CFO, 6500 River Place Blvd., Building 7, Suite 250, Austin, TX 78730 or contact Clay Crolius at (650) 378-8100. Stockholders who currently receive multiple copies of the annual meeting materials at their addresses and would like to request “householding” of their communications should contact their brokers.

 

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OTHER MATTERS

 

The Board of Directors knows of no other matters that will be presented for consideration at the annual meeting. If any other matters are properly brought before the annual meeting, it is the intention of the persons named in the accompanying proxy to vote on such matters in accordance with their best judgment.

 

  By Order of the Board of Directors
   
   
   
  [Secretary]

 

[September [XX], 2022]

 

A copy of the Company’s Annual Report to the Securities and Exchange Commission on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, as amended, is available without charge upon written request to: Corporate Secretary, Sonim Technologies, Inc., 6500 River Place Blvd., Building 7, Suite 250, Austin, TX 78730.

 

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APPENDIX A

 

Amended 2019 Plan

 

Sonim Technologies, Inc.

 

2019 Equity Incentive Plan

 

Adopted by the Board of Directors: March 2019

Approved by the Stockholders: May 2019

IPO Date/Effective Date: May 9, 2019

Amended by the Board of Directors: May 31, 2020

Approved by the Stockholders: September 29, 2020

Restated to illustrate the effect of the reverse stock split: September 15, 2021

Amended by the Board of Directors: September 15, 2022

 

1. General.

 

(a) Successor to and Continuation of Prior Plan. The Plan is the successor to and continuation of the Sonim Technologies, Inc. 2012 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Prior Plan”). From and after 12:01 a.m. Pacific time on the Effective Date, no additional stock awards will be granted under the Prior Plan. All Awards granted on or after 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time on the Effective Date will be granted under this Plan. All stock awards granted under the Prior Plan will remain subject to the terms of the Prior Plan.

 

(i) Any shares that would otherwise remain available for future grants under the Prior Plan as of 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time on the Effective Date (the “Prior Plan’s Available Reserve”) will cease to be available under the Prior Plan at such time. Instead, that number of shares of Common Stock equal to the Prior Plan’s Available Reserve will be added to the Share Reserve (as further described in Section 3(a) below) and will be immediately available for grants and issuance pursuant to Stock Awards hereunder, up to the maximum number set forth in Section 3(a) below.

 

(ii) In addition, from and after 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time on the Effective Date, with respect to the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock subject, at such time, to outstanding stock awards granted under the Prior Plan that (1) expire or terminate for any reason prior to exercise; (2) are forfeited or repurchased because of the failure to meet a contingency or condition required to vest such shares or otherwise return to the Company; or (3) are reacquired, withheld (or not issued) to satisfy a tax withholding obligation in connection with an award (such shares the “Returning Shares”) will immediately be added to the Share Reserve as shares of Common Stock (as further described in Section 3(a) below) as and when such a share becomes a Returning Share, up to the maximum number set forth in Section 3(a) below.

 

(b) Eligible Award Recipients. Employees, Directors and Consultants are eligible to receive Awards.

 

(c) Available Awards. The Plan provides for the grant of the following Awards: (i) Incentive Stock Options, (ii) Nonstatutory Stock Options, (iii) Stock Appreciation Rights (iv) Restricted Stock Awards, (v) Restricted Stock Unit Awards, (vi) Performance Stock Awards, (vii) Performance Cash Awards, and (viii) Other Stock Awards.

 

(d) Purpose. The Plan, through the grant of Awards, is intended to help the Company secure and retain the services of eligible award recipients, provide incentives for such persons to exert maximum efforts for the success of the Company and any Affiliate, and provide a means by which the eligible recipients may benefit from increases in value of the Common Stock.

 

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2. Administration.

 

(a) Administration by Board. The Board will administer the Plan. The Board may delegate administration of the Plan to a Committee or Committees, as provided in Section 2(c).

 

(b) Powers of Board. The Board will have the power, subject to, and within the limitations of, the express provisions of the Plan:

 

(i) To determine: (A) who will be granted Awards; (B) when and how each Award will be granted; (C) what type of Award will be granted; (D) the provisions of each Award (which need not be identical), including when a person will be permitted to exercise or otherwise receive cash or Common Stock under the Award; (E) the number of shares of Common Stock subject to, or the cash value of, an Award; and (F) the Fair Market Value applicable to a Stock Award.

 

(ii) To construe and interpret the Plan and Awards granted under it, and to establish, amend and revoke rules and regulations for administration of the Plan and Awards. The Board, in the exercise of these powers, may correct any defect, omission or inconsistency in the Plan or in any Award Agreement or in the written terms of a Performance Cash Award, in a manner and to the extent it will deem necessary or expedient to make the Plan or Award fully effective.

 

(iii) To settle all controversies regarding the Plan and Awards granted under it.

 

(iv) To accelerate, in whole or in part, the time at which an Award may be exercised or vest (or the time at which cash or shares of Common Stock may be issued in settlement thereof).

 

(v) To suspend or terminate the Plan at any time. Except as otherwise provided in the Plan or an Award Agreement, suspension or termination of the Plan will not impair a Participant’s rights under the Participant’s then-outstanding Award without the Participant’s written consent, except as provided in subsection (viii) below.

 

(vi) To amend the Plan in any respect the Board deems necessary or advisable, including, without limitation, by adopting amendments relating to Incentive Stock Options and certain nonqualified deferred compensation under Section 409A of the Code and/or to make the Plan or Awards granted under the Plan compliant with the requirements for Incentive Stock Options or exempt from, or compliant with, the requirements for nonqualified deferred compensation under Section 409A of the Code, subject to the limitations, if any, of applicable law. If required by applicable law or listing requirements, and except as provided in Section 9(a) relating to Capitalization Adjustments, the Company will seek stockholder approval of any amendment of the Plan that (A) materially increases the number of shares of Common Stock available for issuance under the Plan, (B) materially expands the class of individuals eligible to receive Awards under the Plan, (C) materially increases the benefits accruing to Participants under the Plan, (D) materially reduces the price at which shares of Common Stock may be issued or purchased under the Plan, (E) materially extends the term of the Plan, or (F) materially expands the types of Awards available for issuance under the Plan. Except as provided in the Plan (including subsection (viii) below) or an Award Agreement, no amendment of the Plan will impair a Participant’s rights under an outstanding Award unless (1) the Company requests the consent of the affected Participant, and (2) such Participant consents in writing.

 

(vii) To submit any amendment to the Plan for stockholder approval, including, but not limited to, amendments to the Plan intended to satisfy the requirements of (A) Section 422 of the Code regarding “incentive stock options” or (B) Rule 16b-3.

 

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(viii) To approve forms of Award Agreements for use under the Plan and to amend the terms of any one or more Awards, including, but not limited to, amendments to provide terms more favorable to the Participant than previously provided in the Award Agreement, subject to any specified limits in the Plan that are not subject to Board discretion; provided, however, that a Participant’s rights under any Award will not be impaired by any such amendment unless (A) the Company requests the consent of the affected Participant, and (B) such Participant consents in writing. Notwithstanding the foregoing, (1) a Participant’s rights will not be deemed to have been impaired by any such amendment if the Board, in its sole discretion, determines that the amendment, taken as a whole, does not materially impair the Participant’s rights, and (2) subject to the limitations of applicable law, if any, the Board may amend the terms of any one or more Awards without the affected Participant’s consent (A) to maintain the qualified status of the Award as an Incentive Stock Option under Section 422 of the Code; (B) to change the terms of an Incentive Stock Option, if such change results in impairment of the Award solely because it impairs the qualified status of the Award as an Incentive Stock Option under Section 422 of the Code; (C) to clarify the manner of exemption from, or to bring the Award into compliance with, Section 409A of the Code; or (D) to comply with other applicable laws or listing requirements.

 

(ix) Generally, to exercise such powers and to perform such acts as the Board deems necessary or expedient to promote the best interests of the Company and that are not in conflict with the provisions of the Plan or Awards.

 

(x) To adopt such rules, procedures and sub-plans related to the operation and administration of the Plan as are necessary or appropriate under local laws and regulations to permit participation in the Plan by Employees, Directors or Consultants who are foreign nationals or employed outside the United States (provided that Board approval will not be necessary for immaterial modifications to the Plan or any Award Agreement made to ensure or facilitate compliance with the laws or regulations of the relevant foreign jurisdiction).

 

(xi) To effect, with the consent of any adversely affected Participant, (A) the reduction of the exercise, purchase or strike price of any outstanding Stock Award; (B) the cancellation of any outstanding Stock Award and the grant in substitution therefor of a new (1) Option or SAR, (2) Restricted Stock Award, (3) Restricted Stock Unit Award, (4) Other Stock Award, (5) cash and/or (6) other valuable consideration determined by the Board, in its sole discretion, with any such substituted award (x) covering the same or a different number of shares of Common Stock as the cancelled Stock Award and (y) granted under the Plan or another equity or compensatory plan of the Company; or (C) any other action that is treated as a repricing under generally accepted accounting principles (collectively (A) through (C), an “Exchange Program”).

 

(c) Delegation to Committee.

 

(i) General. The Board may delegate some or all of the administration of the Plan to a Committee or Committees. If administration of the Plan is delegated to a Committee, the Committee will have, in connection with the administration of the Plan, the powers theretofore possessed by the Board that have been delegated to the Committee, including the power to delegate to a subcommittee of the Committee any of the administrative powers the Committee is authorized to exercise (and references in this Plan to the Board will thereafter be to the Committee or subcommittee, as applicable). Any delegation of administrative powers will be reflected in resolutions, not inconsistent with the provisions of the Plan, adopted from time to time by the Board or Committee (as applicable). The Board may retain the authority to concurrently administer the Plan with the Committee and may, at any time, revest in the Board some or all of the powers previously delegated.

 

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(ii) Rule 16b-3 Compliance. The Committee may consist solely of two or more Non-Employee Directors, in accordance with Rule 16b-3.

 

(d) Delegation to an Officer. The Board may delegate to one (1) or more Officers the authority to do one or both of the following (i) designate Employees who are not Officers to be recipients of Options and SARs (and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, other Stock Awards) and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, the terms of such Awards, and (ii) determine the number of shares of Common Stock to be subject to such Stock Awards granted to such Employees; provided, however, that the Board resolutions regarding such delegation will specify the total number of shares of Common Stock that may be subject to the Stock Awards granted by such Officer and that such Officer may not grant a Stock Award to himself or herself. Any such Stock Awards will be granted on the form of Stock Award Agreement most recently approved for use by the Committee or the Board, unless otherwise provided in the resolutions approving the delegation authority. The Board may not delegate authority to an Officer who is acting solely in the capacity of an Officer (and not also as a Director) to determine the Fair Market Value pursuant to Section 13(x)(iii) below.

 

(e) Effect of Board’s Decision. All determinations, interpretations and constructions made by the Board in good faith will not be subject to review by any person and will be final, binding and conclusive on all persons.

 

3. Shares Subject to the Plan.

 

(a) Share Reserve.

 

(i) Subject to Section 9(a) relating to Capitalization Adjustments, and the following sentence regarding the annual increase, the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock that may be issued pursuant to Stock Awards will not exceed 6,862,683, which number is the sum of (A) 188,503 shares that were approved in connection with the initial adoption of the Plan on the Effective Date, plus (B) the number of shares that remained available for issuance under the Prior Plan’s Available Reserve as of the initial adoption of the Plan on the Effective Date, plus (C) the Returning Shares, if any, which become available for grant under this Plan from time to time, plus (D) 300,000 shares that were approved at the Company’s 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, plus (E) the entirety of the evergreen increases under the Plan; plus (F) 5,000,000 shares approved at the Company’s 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (such aggregate number of shares described in (A), (B), (C), (D), (E) and (F) above, the “Share Reserve”). In addition, the Share Reserve will automatically increase on January 1st of each calendar year, beginning on January 1 in the calendar year following the calendar year in which the IPO Date occurs and ending on (and including) January 1, 2029 (each, an “Evergreen Date”) in an amount equal to five percent (5%) of the total number of shares of Capital Stock outstanding on the last day of the preceding calendar year. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board may act prior to the Evergreen Date of a given year to provide that there will be no increase in the Share Reserve for such year or that the increase in the Share Reserve for such year will be a lesser number of shares of Common Stock than would otherwise occur pursuant to the preceding sentence.

 

(i) For clarity, the Share Reserve in this Section 3(a) is a limitation on the number of shares of Common Stock that may be issued pursuant to the Plan. As a single share may be subject to grant more than once (e.g., if a share subject to a Stock Award is forfeited, it may be made subject to grant again as provided in Section 3(b) below), the Share Reserve is not a limit on the number of Stock Awards that can be granted.

 

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(ii) Shares may be issued in connection with a merger or acquisition as permitted by NASDAQ Listing Rule 5635(c) or, if applicable, NYSE Listed Company Manual Section 303A.08, AMEX Company Guide Section 711 or other applicable rule, and such issuance will not reduce the number of shares available for issuance under the Plan.

 

(b) Reversion of Shares to the Share Reserve. If a Stock Award or any portion thereof (i) expires or otherwise terminates without all of the shares covered by such Stock Award having been issued or (ii) is settled in cash (i.e., the Participant receives cash rather than stock), such expiration, termination or settlement will not reduce (or otherwise offset) the number of shares of Common Stock that may be available for issuance under the Plan. If any shares of Common Stock issued pursuant to a Stock Award are forfeited back to or repurchased by the Company because of the failure to meet a contingency or condition required to vest such shares in the Participant or shares of Common Stock that are surrendered to the Company pursuant to an Exchange Program, then the shares that are forfeited, repurchased or so surrendered will again become available for issuance under the Plan. Any shares reacquired by the Company in satisfaction of tax withholding obligations on a Stock Award or as consideration for the exercise or purchase price of a Stock Award will again become available for issuance under the Plan.

 

(c) Incentive Stock Option Limit. Subject to the provisions of Section 9(a) relating to Capitalization Adjustments, the aggregate maximum number of shares of Common Stock that may be issued pursuant to the exercise of Incentive Stock Options will be will be a number of shares of Common Stock equal to three (3) multiplied by the Share Reserve.

 

(d) Limitation on Compensation of Non-Employee Directors. During any one calendar year, no Non-Employee Director may receive Stock Awards under the Plan that, when combined with cash compensation received for service as a Non-Employee Director, exceeds $600,000 in a calendar year, increased to $1,000,000 in the calendar year of his or her initial services as a Non-Employee Director (calculating the value of any such Stock Awards based on the grant date fair value of such Stock Awards for financial reporting purposes). Stock Awards granted to an individual while he or she was serving in the capacity as an Employee or Consultant but not a Non-Employee Director will not count for purposes of the limitations set forth in this Section 3(d).

 

(e) Source of Shares. The stock issuable under the Plan will be shares of authorized but unissued or reacquired Common Stock, including shares repurchased by the Company on the open market or otherwise.

 

4. Eligibility.

 

(a) Eligibility for Specific Stock Awards. Incentive Stock Options may be granted only to employees of the Company or a “parent corporation” or “subsidiary corporation” thereof (as such terms are defined in Sections 424(e) and 424(f) of the Code). Stock Awards other than Incentive Stock Options may be granted to Employees, Directors and Consultants; provided, however, that Stock Awards may not be granted to Employees, Directors and Consultants who are providing Continuous Service only to any “parent” of the Company, as such term is defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act, unless (i) the stock underlying such Stock Awards is treated as “service recipient stock” under Section 409A of the Code (for example, because the Stock Awards are granted pursuant to a corporate transaction such as a spin off transaction), (ii) the Company, in consultation with its legal counsel, has determined that such Stock Awards are otherwise exempt from Section 409A of the Code, or (iii) the Company, in consultation with its legal counsel, has determined that such Stock Awards comply with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code.

 

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(b) Ten Percent Stockholders. A Ten Percent Stockholder will not be granted an Incentive Stock Option unless the exercise price of such Option is at least 110% of the Fair Market Value on the date of grant and the Option is not exercisable after the expiration of five years from the date of grant.

 

5. Provisions Relating to Options and Stock Appreciation Rights.

 

Each Option or SAR will be in such form and will contain such terms and conditions as the Board deems appropriate. All Options will be separately designated Incentive Stock Options or Nonstatutory Stock Options at the time of grant, and, if certificates are issued, a separate certificate or certificates will be issued for shares of Common Stock purchased on exercise of each type of Option. If an Option is not specifically designated as an Incentive Stock Option, or if an Option is designated as an Incentive Stock Option but some portion or all of the Option fails to qualify as an Incentive Stock Option under the applicable rules, then the Option (or portion thereof) will be a Nonstatutory Stock Option. The provisions of separate Options or SARs need not be identical; provided, however, that each Award Agreement will conform to (through incorporation of provisions hereof by reference in the applicable Award Agreement or otherwise) the substance of each of the following provisions:

 

(a) Term. Subject to the provisions of Section 4(b) regarding Ten Percent Stockholders, no Option or SAR will be exercisable after the expiration of ten years from the date of its grant or such shorter period specified in the Award Agreement.

 

(b) Exercise Price. Subject to the provisions of Section 4(b) regarding Ten Percent Stockholders, the exercise or strike price of each Option or SAR will be not less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock subject to the Option or SAR on the date the Award is granted. Notwithstanding the foregoing, an Option or SAR may be granted with an exercise or strike price lower than 100% of the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock subject to the Award if such Award is granted pursuant to an assumption of or substitution for another option or stock appreciation right pursuant to a Corporate Transaction and in a manner consistent with the provisions of Section 409A of the Code and, if applicable, Section 424(a) of the Code. Each SAR will be denominated in shares of Common Stock equivalents.

 

(c) Purchase Price for Options. The purchase price of Common Stock acquired pursuant to the exercise of an Option may be paid, to the extent permitted by applicable law and as determined by the Board in its sole discretion, by any combination of the methods of payment set forth below. The Board will have the authority to grant Options that do not permit all of the following methods of payment (or otherwise restrict the ability to use certain methods) and to grant Options that require the consent of the Company to use a particular method of payment. The permitted methods of payment are as follows:

 

(i) by cash, check, bank draft or money order payable to the Company;

 

(ii) pursuant to a program developed under Regulation T as promulgated by the Federal Reserve Board that, prior to the issuance of the stock subject to the Option, results in either the receipt of cash (or check) by the Company or the receipt of irrevocable instructions to pay the aggregate exercise price to the Company from the sales proceeds;

 

(iii) by delivery to the Company (either by actual delivery or attestation) of shares of Common Stock;

 

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(iv) if an Option is a Nonstatutory Stock Option, by a “net exercise” arrangement pursuant to which the Company will reduce the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise by the largest whole number of shares with a Fair Market Value that does not exceed the aggregate exercise price; provided, however, that the Company will accept a cash or other payment from the Participant to the extent of any remaining balance of the aggregate exercise price not satisfied by such reduction in the number of whole shares to be issued. Shares of Common Stock will no longer be subject to an Option and will not be exercisable thereafter to the extent that (A) shares issuable upon exercise are used to pay the exercise price pursuant to the “net exercise,” (B) shares are delivered to the Participant as a result of such exercise, and (C) shares are withheld to satisfy tax withholding obligations; or

 

(v) in any other form of legal consideration that may be acceptable to the Board and specified in the applicable Award Agreement.

 

(d) Exercise and Payment of a SAR. To exercise any outstanding SAR, the Participant must provide written notice of exercise to the Company in compliance with the provisions of the Stock Appreciation Right Agreement evidencing such SAR. The appreciation distribution payable on the exercise of a SAR will be not greater than an amount equal to the excess of (A) the aggregate Fair Market Value (on the date of the exercise of the SAR) of a number of shares of Common Stock equal to the number of Common Stock equivalents in which the Participant is vested under such SAR, and with respect to which the Participant is exercising the SAR on such date, over (B) the aggregate strike price of the number of Common Stock equivalents with respect to which the Participant is exercising the SAR on such date. The appreciation distribution may be paid in Common Stock, in cash, in any combination of the two or in any other form of consideration, as determined by the Board and contained in the Award Agreement evidencing such SAR.

 

(e) Transferability of Options and SARs. The Board may, in its sole discretion, impose such limitations on the transferability of Options and SARs as the Board will determine. In the absence of such a determination by the Board to the contrary, the following restrictions on the transferability of Options and SARs will apply:

 

(i) Restrictions on Transfer. An Option or SAR will not be transferable except by will or by the laws of descent and distribution (or pursuant to subsections (ii) and (iii) below), and will be exercisable during the lifetime of the Participant only by the Participant. The Board may permit transfer of the Option or SAR in a manner that is not prohibited by applicable laws or regulations. Except as explicitly provided in the Plan, neither an Option nor a SAR may be transferred for consideration.

 

(ii) Domestic Relations Orders. Subject to the approval of the Board or a duly authorized Officer, an Option or SAR may be transferred pursuant to the terms of a domestic relations order, official marital settlement agreement or other divorce or separation instrument as permitted by Treasury Regulations Section 1.421-1(b)(2) or comparable non-U.S. law. If an Option is an Incentive Stock Option, such Option may be deemed to be a Nonstatutory Stock Option as a result of such transfer.

 

(iii) Beneficiary Designation. Subject to the approval of the Board or a duly authorized Officer, a Participant may, by delivering written notice to the Company or to any third party designated by the Company, in a form approved by the Company (or the designated broker), designate a third party who, upon the death of the Participant, will thereafter be entitled to exercise the Option or SAR and receive the Common Stock or other consideration resulting from such exercise. In the absence of such a designation, upon the death of the Participant, the executor or administrator of the Participant’s estate or the Participant’s legal heirs will be entitled to exercise the Option or SAR and receive the Common Stock or other consideration resulting from such exercise. However, the Company may prohibit designation of a beneficiary at any time, including due to any conclusion by the Company that such designation would be inconsistent with the provisions of applicable laws.

 

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(f) Vesting Generally. The total number of shares of Common Stock subject to an Option or SAR may vest and become exercisable in periodic installments that may or may not be equal. The Option or SAR may be subject to such other terms and conditions on the time or times when it may or may not be exercised (which may be based on the satisfaction of Performance Goals or other criteria) as the Board may deem appropriate. The vesting provisions of individual Options or SARs may vary. The provisions of this Section 5(f) are subject to any Option or SAR provisions governing the minimum number of shares of Common Stock as to which an Option or SAR may be exercised.

 

(g) Termination of Continuous Service. Except as otherwise provided in the applicable Award Agreement or other agreement between the Participant and the Company, if a Participant’s Continuous Service terminates (other than for Cause and other than upon the Participant’s death or Disability), the Participant may exercise his or her Option or SAR (to the extent that the Participant was entitled to exercise such Award as of the date of termination of Continuous Service) within the period of time ending on the earlier of (i) the date which occurs three (3) months following the termination of the Participant’s Continuous Service (or such longer or shorter period specified in the applicable Award Agreement), and (ii) the expiration of the term of the Option or SAR as set forth in the Award Agreement. If, after termination of Continuous Service, the Participant does not exercise his or her Option or SAR (as applicable) within the applicable time frame, the Option or SAR will terminate.

 

(h) Extension of Termination Date. Except as otherwise provided in the applicable Award Agreement or other agreement between the Participant and the Company, if the exercise of an Option or SAR following the termination of the Participant’s Continuous Service (other than for Cause and other than upon the Participant’s death or Disability) would be prohibited at any time solely because the issuance of shares of Common Stock would violate the registration requirements under the Securities Act, then the Option or SAR will terminate on the earlier of (i) the expiration of a total period of time (that need not be consecutive) equal to the applicable post termination exercise period after the termination of the Participant’s Continuous Service during which the exercise of the Option or SAR would not be in violation of such registration requirements, and (ii) the expiration of the term of the Option or SAR as set forth in the applicable Award Agreement. In addition, unless otherwise provided in a Participant’s Award Agreement, if the sale of any Common Stock received upon exercise of an Option or SAR following the termination of the Participant’s Continuous Service (other than for Cause) would violate the Company’s insider trading policy, then the Option or SAR will terminate on the earlier of (i) the expiration of the period of months (that need not be consecutive) equal to the applicable post-termination exercise period after the termination of the Participant’s Continuous Service during which the sale of the Common Stock received upon exercise of the Option or SAR would not be in violation of the Company’s insider trading policy, or (ii) the expiration of the term of the Option or SAR as set forth in the applicable Award Agreement.

 

(i) Disability of Participant. Except as otherwise provided in the applicable Award Agreement or other agreement between the Participant and the Company, if a Participant’s Continuous Service terminates as a result of the Participant’s Disability, the Participant may exercise his or her Option or SAR (to the extent that the Participant was entitled to exercise such Option or SAR as of the date of termination of Continuous Service), but only within such period of time ending on the earlier of (i) the date which occurs 12 months following such termination of Continuous Service (or such longer or shorter period specified in the Award Agreement), and (ii) the expiration of the term of the Option or SAR as set forth in the Award Agreement. If, after termination of Continuous Service, the Participant does not exercise his or her Option or SAR within the applicable time frame, the Option or SAR (as applicable) will terminate.

 

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(j) Death of Participant. Except as otherwise provided in the applicable Award Agreement or other agreement between the Participant and the Company, if (i) a Participant’s Continuous Service terminates as a result of the Participant’s death, or (ii) the Participant dies within the period (if any) specified in the Award Agreement for exercisability after the termination of the Participant’s Continuous Service for a reason other than death, then the Option or SAR may be exercised (to the extent the Participant was entitled to exercise such Option or SAR as of the date of death) by the Participant’s estate, by a person who acquired the right to exercise the Option or SAR by bequest or inheritance or by a person designated to exercise the Option or SAR upon the Participant’s death, but only within the period ending on the earlier of (i) the date 18 months following the date of death (or such longer or shorter period specified in the Award Agreement), and (ii) the expiration of the term of such Option or SAR as set forth in the Award Agreement. If, after the Participant’s death, the Option or SAR is not exercised within the applicable time frame, the Option or SAR (as applicable) will terminate.

 

(k) Termination for Cause. Except as explicitly provided otherwise in the applicable Award Agreement or other written agreement between the Participant and the Company, if a Participant’s Continuous Service is terminated for Cause, the Option or SAR will terminate immediately upon such Participant’s termination of Continuous Service, and the Participant will be prohibited from exercising his or her Option or SAR from and after the date of such termination of Continuous Service. If a Participant’s Continuous Service is suspended pending an investigation of the existence of Cause, all of the Participant’s rights under the Option or SAR will also be suspended during the investigation period.

 

(l) Non-Exempt Employees. If an Option or SAR is granted to an Employee who is a non-exempt employee for purposes of the U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, as amended, the Option or SAR will not be first exercisable for any shares of Common Stock until at least six months following the date of grant of the Option or SAR (although the Award may vest prior to such date). Consistent with the provisions of the U.S. Worker Economic Opportunity Act, (i) if such non-exempt Employee dies or suffers a Disability, (ii) upon a Corporate Transaction in which such Option or SAR is not assumed, continued, or substituted, (iii) upon a Change in Control, or (iv) upon the Participant’s retirement (as such term may be defined in the Participant’s Award Agreement in another agreement between the Participant and the Company, or, if no such definition, in accordance with the Company’s then current employment policies and guidelines), the vested portion of any Options and SARs may be exercised earlier than six months following the date of grant. The foregoing provision is intended to operate so that any income derived by a non-exempt employee in connection with the exercise or vesting of an Option or SAR will be exempt from his or her regular rate of pay. To the extent permitted and/or required for compliance with the U.S. Worker Economic Opportunity Act to ensure that any income derived by a non-exempt employee in connection with the exercise, vesting or issuance of any shares under any other Stock Award will be exempt from the employee’s regular rate of pay, the provisions of this Section 5(l) will apply to all Stock Awards and are hereby incorporated by reference into such Stock Award Agreements.

 

6. Provisions of Stock Awards other than Options and SARs.

 

(a) Restricted Stock Awards. Each Restricted Stock Award Agreement will be in such form and will contain such terms and conditions as the Board will deem appropriate. To the extent consistent with the Company’s bylaws, at the Board’s election, shares of Common Stock may be (x) held in book entry form subject to the Company’s instructions until any restrictions relating to the Restricted Stock Award lapse; or (y) evidenced by a certificate, which certificate will be held in such form and manner as determined by the Board. The terms and conditions of Restricted Stock Award Agreements may change from time to time, and the terms and conditions of separate Restricted Stock Award Agreements need not be identical. Each Restricted Stock Award Agreement will conform to (through incorporation of the provisions hereof by reference in the agreement or otherwise) the substance of each of the following provisions:

 

(i) Consideration. A Restricted Stock Award may be awarded in consideration for (A) cash, check, bank draft or money order payable to the Company, (B) past services to the Company or an Affiliate, or (C) any other form of legal consideration (including future services) that may be acceptable to the Board, in its sole discretion, and permissible under applicable law.

 

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(ii) Vesting. Shares of Common Stock awarded under the Restricted Stock Award Agreement may be subject to forfeiture to the Company in accordance with a vesting schedule to be determined by the Board.

 

(iii) Termination of Participant’s Continuous Service. If a Participant’s Continuous Service terminates, the Company may receive through a forfeiture condition or a repurchase right any or all of the shares of Common Stock held by the Participant that have not vested as of the date of termination of Continuous Service under the terms of the Restricted Stock Award Agreement.

 

(iv) Transferability. Rights to acquire shares of Common Stock under the Restricted Stock Award Agreement will be transferable by the Participant only upon such terms and conditions as are set forth in the Restricted Stock Award Agreement, as the Board will determine in its sole discretion, so long as Common Stock awarded under the Restricted Stock Award Agreement remains subject to the terms of the Restricted Stock Award Agreement.

 

(v) Dividends. A Restricted Stock Award Agreement may provide that any dividends paid on Restricted Stock will be subject to the same vesting and forfeiture restrictions as apply to the shares of Common Stock subject to the Restricted Stock Award to which they relate.

 

(b) Restricted Stock Unit Awards. Each Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement will be in such form and will contain such terms and conditions as the Board will deem appropriate. The terms and conditions of Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreements may change from time to time, and the terms and conditions of separate Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreements need not be identical. Each Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement will conform to (through incorporation of the provisions hereof by reference in the Agreement or otherwise) the substance of each of the following provisions:

 

(i) Consideration. At the time of grant of a Restricted Stock Unit Award, the Board will determine the consideration, if any, to be paid by the Participant upon delivery of each share of Common Stock subject to the Restricted Stock Unit Award. The consideration to be paid (if any) by the Participant for each share of Common Stock subject to a Restricted Stock Unit Award may be paid in any form of legal consideration that may be acceptable to the Board, in its sole discretion, and permissible under applicable law.

 

(ii) Vesting. At the time of the grant of a Restricted Stock Unit Award, the Board may impose such restrictions on or conditions to the vesting of the Restricted Stock Unit Award as it, in its sole discretion, deems appropriate.

 

(iii) Payment. A Restricted Stock Unit Award may be settled by the delivery of shares of Common Stock, their cash equivalent, any combination thereof or in any other form of consideration, as determined by the Board and contained in the Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement.

 

(iv) Additional Restrictions. At the time of the grant of a Restricted Stock Unit Award, the Board, as it deems appropriate, may impose such restrictions or conditions that delay the delivery of the shares of Common Stock (or their cash equivalent) subject to a Restricted Stock Unit Award to a time after the vesting of such Restricted Stock Unit Award.

 

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(v) Dividend Equivalents. Dividend equivalents may be credited in respect of shares of Common Stock covered by a Restricted Stock Unit Award, as determined by the Board and contained in the Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement. At the sole discretion of the Board, such dividend equivalents may be converted into additional shares of Common Stock covered by the Restricted Stock Unit Award in such manner as determined by the Board. Any additional shares covered by the Restricted Stock Unit Award credited by reason of such dividend equivalents will be subject to all of the same terms and conditions of the underlying Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement to which they relate.

 

(vi) Termination of Participant’s Continuous Service. Except as otherwise provided in the applicable Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement, such portion of the Restricted Stock Unit Award that has not vested will be forfeited upon the Participant’s termination of Continuous Service.

 

(c) Performance Awards.

 

(i) Performance Stock Awards. A Performance Stock Award is a Stock Award that is payable (including that may be granted, may vest or may be exercised) contingent upon the attainment during a Performance Period of certain Performance Goals. A Performance Stock Award may but need not require the Participant’s completion of a specified period of Continuous Service. The length of any Performance Period, the Performance Goals to be achieved during the Performance Period, and the measure of whether and to what degree such Performance Goals have been attained will be conclusively determined by the Board or Committee, in its sole discretion. In addition, to the extent permitted by applicable law and the applicable Award Agreement, the Board may determine that cash may be used in payment of Performance Stock Awards.

 

(ii) Performance Cash Awards. A Performance Cash Award is a cash award that is payable contingent upon the attainment during a Performance Period of certain Performance Goals. A Performance Cash Award may also require the completion of a specified period of Continuous Service. At the time of grant of a Performance Cash Award, the length of any Performance Period, the Performance Goals to be achieved during the Performance Period, and the measure of whether and to what degree such Performance Goals have been attained will be conclusively determined by the Board or Committee, in its sole discretion. The Board may specify the form of payment of Performance Cash Awards, which may be cash or other property, or may provide for a Participant to have the option for his or her Performance Cash Award, or such portion thereof as the Board may specify, to be paid in whole or in part in cash or other property.

 

(iii) Board Discretion. The Board retains the discretion to adjust or eliminate the compensation or economic benefit due upon attainment of Performance Goals and to define the manner of calculating the Performance Criteria it selects to use for a Performance Period.

 

(d) Other Stock Awards. Other forms of Stock Awards valued in whole or in part by reference to, or otherwise based on, Common Stock, including the appreciation in value thereof (e.g., options or stock rights with an exercise price or strike price less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock at the time of grant) may be granted either alone or in addition to Stock Awards provided for under Section 5 and the preceding provisions of this Section 6. Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Board will have sole and complete authority to determine the persons to whom and the time or times at which such Other Stock Awards will be granted, the number of shares of Common Stock (or the cash equivalent thereof) to be granted pursuant to such Other Stock Awards and all other terms and conditions of such Other Stock Awards.

 

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7. Covenants of the Company.

 

(a) Availability of Shares. The Company will keep available at all times the number of shares of Common Stock reasonably required to satisfy then-outstanding Stock Awards.

 

(b) Compliance with Law. The Company will seek to obtain from each regulatory commission or agency, as necessary, such authority as may be required to grant Stock Awards and to issue and sell shares of Common Stock upon exercise or vesting of the Stock Awards; provided, however, that this undertaking will not require the Company to register under the Securities Act the Plan or other securities or applicable laws, any Stock Award or any Common Stock issued or issuable pursuant to any such Stock Award. If, after reasonable efforts and at a reasonable cost, the Company is unable to obtain from any such regulatory commission or agency the authority that counsel for the Company deems necessary or advisable for the lawful issuance and sale of Common Stock under the Plan, the Company will be relieved from any liability for failure to issue and sell Common Stock upon exercise or vesting of such Stock Awards unless and until such authority is obtained. A Participant will not be eligible for the grant of an Award or the subsequent issuance of cash or Common Stock pursuant to the Award if such grant or issuance would be in violation of any applicable law.

 

(c) No Obligation to Notify or Minimize Taxes. The Company will have no duty or obligation to any Participant to advise such holder as to the time or manner or tax treatment of exercising such Stock Award. Furthermore, the Company will have no duty or obligation to warn or otherwise advise such holder of a pending termination or expiration of an Award or a possible period in which the Award may not be exercised. The Company has no duty or obligation to minimize the tax consequences of an Award to the holder of such Award.

 

8. Miscellaneous.

 

(a) Use of Proceeds from Sales of Common Stock. Proceeds from the sale of shares of Common Stock pursuant to Stock Awards will constitute general funds of the Company.

 

(b) Corporate Action Constituting Grant of Awards. Corporate action constituting a grant by the Company of an Award to any Participant will be deemed completed as of the date of such corporate action, unless otherwise determined by the Board, regardless of when the instrument, certificate, or letter evidencing the Award is communicated to, or actually received or accepted by, the Participant. In the event that the corporate records (e.g., Board consents, resolutions or minutes) documenting the corporate action constituting the grant contain terms (e.g., exercise price, vesting schedule or number of shares) that are inconsistent with those in the Award Agreement or related grant documents as a result of a clerical error in the papering of the Award Agreement or related grant documents, the corporate records will control and the Participant will have no legally binding right to the incorrect term in the Award Agreement or related grant documents.

 

(c) Stockholder Rights. No Participant will be deemed to be the holder of, or to have any of the rights of a holder with respect to, any shares of Common Stock subject to an Award unless and until (i) such Participant has satisfied all requirements for exercise of, or the issuance of shares of Common Stock under, the Award pursuant to its terms, and (ii) the issuance of the Common Stock subject to such Award has been entered into the books and records of the Company.

 

(d) No Employment or Other Service Rights. Nothing in the Plan, any Award Agreement or any other instrument executed thereunder or in connection with any Award granted pursuant thereto will confer upon any Participant any right to continue to serve the Company or an Affiliate in the capacity in effect at the time the Award was granted or will affect the right of the Company or an Affiliate to terminate (i) the employment of an Employee with or without notice and with or without cause, (ii) the service of a Consultant pursuant to the terms of such Consultant’s agreement with the Company or an Affiliate, or (iii) the service of a Director pursuant to the bylaws of the Company or an Affiliate, and any applicable provisions of the corporate law of the state or foreign jurisdiction in which the Company or the Affiliate is domiciled or incorporated, as the case may be. Furthermore, to the extent the Company is not the employer of a Participant, the grant of an Award will be not establish an employment or other service relationship between the Company and the Participant.

 

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(e) Change in Time Commitment. In the event a Participant’s regular level of time commitment in the performance of his or her services for the Company and any Affiliates is reduced (for example, and without limitation, if the Participant is an Employee of the Company and the Employee has a change in status from a full-time Employee to a part-time Employee or takes an extended leave of absence) after the date of grant of any Award to the Participant, the Board has the right in its sole discretion to (x) make a corresponding reduction in the number of shares or cash amount subject to any portion of such Award that is scheduled to vest or become payable after the date of such change in time commitment, and (y) in lieu of or in combination with such a reduction, extend the vesting or payment schedule applicable to such Award. In the event of any such reduction, the Participant will have no right with respect to any portion of the Award that is so reduced or extended.

 

(f) Incentive Stock Option Limitations. To the extent that the aggregate Fair Market Value (determined at the time of grant) of Common Stock with respect to which Incentive Stock Options are exercisable for the first time by any Optionholder during any calendar year (under all plans of the Company and any Affiliates) exceeds U.S. $100,000 (or such other limit established in the Code) or otherwise does not comply with the rules governing Incentive Stock Options, the Options or portions thereof that exceed such limit (according to the order in which they were granted) or otherwise do not comply with such rules will be treated as Nonstatutory Stock Options, notwithstanding any contrary provision of the applicable Option Agreement(s).

 

(g) Investment Assurances. The Company may require a Participant, as a condition of exercising or acquiring Common Stock under any Award, (i) to give written assurances satisfactory to the Company as to the Participant’s knowledge and experience in financial and business matters and/or to employ a purchaser representative reasonably satisfactory to the Company who is knowledgeable and experienced in financial and business matters and that such Participant is capable of evaluating, alone or together with the purchaser representative, the merits and risks of exercising the Award; and (ii) to give written assurances satisfactory to the Company stating that the Participant is acquiring Common Stock subject to the Award for the Participant’s own account and not with any present intention of selling or otherwise distributing the Common Stock. The foregoing requirements, and any assurances given pursuant to such requirements, will be inoperative if (A) the issuance of the shares upon the exercise or acquisition of Common Stock under the Award has been registered under a then currently effective registration statement under the Securities Act, or (B) as to any particular requirement, a determination is made by counsel for the Company that such requirement need not be met in the circumstances under the then applicable securities laws. The Company may, upon advice of counsel to the Company, place legends on stock certificates issued under the Plan as such counsel deems necessary or appropriate in order to comply with applicable securities laws, including, but not limited to, legends restricting the transfer of the Common Stock.

 

(h) Withholding Obligations. Unless prohibited by the terms of an Award Agreement, the Company may, in its sole discretion, satisfy any U.S. and non-U.S. federal, state or local tax withholding obligation relating to an Award by any of the following means or by a combination of such means: (i) causing the Participant to tender a cash payment; (ii) withholding shares of Common Stock from the shares of Common Stock issued or otherwise issuable to the Participant in connection with the Stock Award; provided, however, that (A) no shares of Common Stock are withheld with a value exceeding the maximum amount of tax that may be required to be withheld by law (or such other amount as may be permitted while still avoiding classification of the Stock Award as a liability for financial accounting purposes) ), and (B) with respect to a Stock Award held by any Participant who is subject to the filing requirements of Section 16 of the Exchange Act, any such share withholding must be specifically approved by the Compensation Committee as the applicable method that must be used to satisfy the tax withholding obligation or such share withholding procedure must otherwise satisfy the requirements for an exempt transaction under Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act; (iii) withholding cash from a Stock Award settled in cash; (iv) withholding payment from any amounts otherwise payable to the Participant; (v) by means of a “cashless exercise” pursuant to a program developed under Regulation T as promulgated by the Federal Reserve Board, or (vi) by such other method as may be set forth in the Award Agreement.

 

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(i) Electronic Delivery. Any reference herein to a “written” agreement or document will include any agreement or document delivered electronically, filed publicly at www.sec.gov (or any successor website thereto) or posted on the Company’s intranet (or other shared electronic medium controlled by the Company to which the Participant has access).

 

(j) Deferrals. To the extent permitted by applicable law, the Board, in its sole discretion, may determine that the delivery of Common Stock or the payment of cash, upon the exercise, vesting or settlement of all or a portion of any Award may be deferred and may establish programs and procedures for deferral elections to be made by Participants. Deferrals by Participants will be made in accordance with Section 409A of the Code. Consistent with Section 409A of the Code, the Board may provide for distributions while a Participant is still an employee or otherwise providing services to the Company. The Board is authorized to make deferrals of Awards and determine when, and in what annual percentages, Participants may receive payments, including lump sum payments, following the Participant’s termination of Continuous Service, and implement such other terms and conditions consistent with the provisions of the Plan and in accordance with applicable law.

 

(k) Compliance with Section 409A of the Code. Unless otherwise expressly provided for in an Award Agreement, the Plan and Award Agreements will be interpreted to the greatest extent possible in a manner that makes the Plan and the Awards granted hereunder exempt from Section 409A of the Code, and, to the extent not so exempt, in compliance with Section 409A of the Code. If the Board determines that any Award granted hereunder is not exempt from and is therefore subject to Section 409A of the Code, the Award Agreement evidencing such Award will incorporate the terms and conditions necessary to avoid the consequences specified in Section 409A(a)(1) of the Code, and to the extent an Award Agreement is silent on terms necessary for compliance, such terms are hereby incorporated by reference into the Award Agreement. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Plan (and unless the Award Agreement specifically provides otherwise), if the shares of Common Stock are publicly traded, and if a Participant holding an Award that constitutes “deferred compensation” under Section 409A of the Code is a “specified employee” for purposes of Section 409A of the Code, no distribution or payment of any amount that is due because of a “separation from service” (as defined in Section 409A of the Code without regard to alternative definitions thereunder) will be issued or paid before the date that is six months following the date of such Participant’s “separation from service” or, if earlier, the date of the Participant’s death, unless such distribution or payment can be made in a manner that complies with Section 409A of the Code, and any amounts so deferred will be paid in a lump sum on the day after such six month period elapses, with the balance paid thereafter on the original schedule.

 

(l) Exchange Program. Without prior stockholder approval, the Board may engage in an Exchange Program.

 

(m) Clawback/Recovery. All Awards granted under the Plan will be subject to recoupment in accordance with any clawback policy that the Company is required to adopt pursuant to the listing standards of any national securities exchange or association on which the Company’s securities are listed or as is otherwise required by the U.S. Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act or other applicable law. In addition, the Board may impose such other clawback, recovery or recoupment provisions in an Award Agreement as the Board determines necessary or appropriate, including but not limited to a reacquisition right in respect of previously acquired shares of Common Stock or other cash or property upon the occurrence of an event constituting Cause. No recovery of compensation under such a clawback policy will be an event giving rise to a right to resign for “good reason” or “constructive termination” (or similar term) under any agreement with the Company or an Affiliate.

 

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9. Adjustments upon Changes in Common Stock; Other Corporate Events.

 

(a) Capitalization Adjustments. In the event of a Capitalization Adjustment, the Board will appropriately and proportionately adjust: (i) the class(es) and maximum number of securities subject to the Plan pursuant to Section 3(a), (ii) the class(es) and maximum number of securities that may be issued pursuant to the exercise of Incentive Stock Options pursuant to Section 3(c), and (iii) the class(es) and number of securities and price per share of stock subject to outstanding Stock Awards. The Board will make such adjustments, and its determination will be final, binding and conclusive.

 

(b) Dissolution or Liquidation. Except as otherwise provided in the Stock Award Agreement, in the event of a dissolution or liquidation of the Company, all outstanding Stock Awards (other than Stock Awards consisting of vested and outstanding shares of Common Stock not subject to a forfeiture condition or the Company’s right of repurchase) will terminate immediately prior to the completion of such dissolution or liquidation, and the shares of Common Stock subject to the Company’s repurchase rights or subject to a forfeiture condition may be repurchased or reacquired by the Company notwithstanding the fact that the holder of such Stock Award is providing Continuous Service; provided, however, that the Board may, in its sole discretion, cause some or all Stock Awards to become fully vested, exercisable and/or no longer subject to repurchase or forfeiture (to the extent such Stock Awards have not previously expired or terminated) before the dissolution or liquidation is completed but contingent on its completion.

 

(c) Corporate Transaction. The following provisions will apply to Stock Awards in the event of a Corporate Transaction unless otherwise provided in the Stock Award Agreement or any other written agreement between the Company or any Affiliate and the Participant or unless otherwise expressly provided by the Board at the time of grant of a Stock Award. In the event of a Corporate Transaction, then, notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, the Board may take one or more of the following actions with respect to Stock Awards, contingent upon the closing or completion of the Corporate Transaction:

 

(i) arrange for the surviving corporation or acquiring corporation (or the surviving or acquiring corporation’s parent company) to assume or continue the Stock Award or to substitute a similar stock award for the Stock Award (including, but not limited to, an award to acquire the same consideration paid to the stockholders of the Company pursuant to the Corporate Transaction);

 

(ii) arrange for the assignment of any reacquisition or repurchase rights held by the Company in respect of Common Stock issued pursuant to the Stock Award to the surviving corporation or acquiring corporation (or the surviving or acquiring corporation’s parent company);

 

(iii) accelerate the vesting, in whole or in part, of the Stock Award (and, if applicable, the time at which the Stock Award may be exercised) to a date prior to the effective time of such Corporate Transaction as the Board determines (or, if the Board does not determine such a date, to the date that is five days prior to the effective date of the Corporate Transaction), which exercise is contingent upon the effectiveness of such Corporate Transaction with such Stock Award terminating if not exercised (if applicable) at or prior to the effective time of the Corporate Transaction; provided, however, that the Board may require Participants to complete and deliver to the Company a notice of exercise before the effective date of a Corporate Transaction

 

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(iv) arrange for the lapse, in whole or in part, of any reacquisition or repurchase rights held by the Company with respect to the Stock Award;

 

(v) cancel or arrange for the cancellation of the Stock Award, to the extent not vested or not exercised prior to the effective time of the Corporate Transaction, in exchange for such cash consideration, if any, as the Board, in its sole discretion, may consider appropriate; and

 

(vi) make a payment, in such form as may be determined by the Board equal to the excess, if any, of (A) the per share amount (or value of property per share) payable to holders of Common Stock in connection with the Corporate Transaction, over (B) the per share exercise price under the applicable Stock Award, multiplied by the number of shares subject to the Stock Award. For clarity, this payment may be zero (U.S. $0) if the amount per share (or value of property per share) payable to the holders of the Common Stock is equal to or less than the exercise price of the Stock Award. In addition, any escrow, holdback, earnout or similar provisions in the definitive agreement for the Corporate Transaction may apply to such payment to the holder of the Stock Award to the same extent and in the same manner as such provisions apply to the holders of Common Stock.

 

The Board need not take the same action or actions with respect to all Stock Awards or portions thereof or with respect to all Participants. The Board may take different actions with respect to the vested and unvested portions of a Stock Award.

 

(d) Change in Control. A Stock Award may be subject to additional acceleration of vesting and exercisability upon or after a Change in Control as may be provided in the Stock Award Agreement for such Stock Award or as may be provided in any other written agreement between the Company or any Affiliate and the Participant, but in the absence of such provision, no such acceleration will occur.

 

10. Termination or Suspension of the Plan.

 

The Board may suspend or terminate the Plan at any time. No Incentive Stock Options may be granted after the tenth anniversary of the earlier of (i) the Adoption Date, or (ii) the date the Plan is approved by the stockholders of the Company. No Awards may be granted under the Plan while the Plan is suspended or after it is terminated.

 

11. Existence of the Plan; Timing of First Grant or Exercise.

 

The Plan will come into existence on the Adoption Date; provided, however, no Stock Award may be granted prior to the IPO Date (that is, the Effective Date). In addition, no Stock Award will be exercised (or, in the case of a Restricted Stock Award, Restricted Stock Unit Award, Performance Stock Award, or Other Stock Award, will be granted) and no Performance Cash Award will be settled unless and until the Plan has been approved by the stockholders of the Company, which approval will be within 12 months after the Adoption Date.

 

12. Choice of Law.

 

The law of the State of Delaware will govern all questions concerning the construction, validity and interpretation of this Plan, without regard to that state’s conflict of laws rules.

 

13. Definitions. As used in the Plan, the following definitions will apply to the capitalized terms indicated below:

 

(a) Adoption Date” means the date the Plan is adopted by the Board.

 

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(b) Affiliate” means, at the time of determination, any “parent” or “subsidiary” of the Company as such terms are defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. The Board will have the authority to determine the time or times at which “parent” or “subsidiary” status is determined within the foregoing definition.

 

(c) Award” means a Stock Award or a Performance Cash Award.

 

(d) Award Agreement” means a written agreement between the Company and a Participant evidencing the terms and conditions of an Award.

 

(e) Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.

 

(f) Capital Stock” means each and every class of common stock of the Company, regardless of the number of votes per share.

 

(g) Capitalization Adjustment” means any change that is made in, or other events that occur with respect to, the Common Stock subject to the Plan or subject to any Stock Award after the Adoption Date without the receipt of consideration by the Company through merger, consolidation, reorganization, recapitalization, reincorporation, stock dividend, dividend in property other than cash, large nonrecurring cash dividend, stock split, reverse stock split, liquidating dividend, combination of shares, exchange of shares, change in corporate structure or any similar equity restructuring transaction, as that term is used in Statement of Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Topic 718 (or any successor thereto). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the conversion of any convertible securities of the Company will not be treated as a Capitalization Adjustment.

 

(h) Cause” will have the meaning ascribed to such term in any written agreement between the Participant and the Company defining such term and, in the absence of such agreement, such term means, with respect to a Participant, the occurrence of any of the following events: (i) such Participant’s commission of any felony or any crime involving fraud, dishonesty or moral turpitude under the laws of the United States, any state thereof, or any applicable foreign jurisdiction; (ii) such Participant’s attempted commission of, or participation in, a fraud or act of dishonesty against the Company or any Affiliate; (iii) such Participant’s intentional, material violation of any contract or agreement between the Participant and the Company or any Affiliate or of any statutory duty owed to the Company or any Affiliate; (iv) such Participant’s unauthorized use or disclosure of the Company’s or any Affiliate’s confidential information or trade secrets; or (v) such Participant’s gross misconduct. The determination that a termination of the Participant’s Continuous Service is either for Cause or without Cause shall be made by the Company in its sole discretion. Any determination by the Company that the Continuous Service of a Participant was terminated by reason of dismissal without Cause for the purposes of outstanding Stock Awards held by such Participant shall have no effect upon any determination of the rights or obligations of the Company or such Participant for any other purpose.

 

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(i) Change in Control” means the occurrence, in a single transaction or in a series of related transactions, of any one or more of the following events:

 

(i) any Exchange Act Person becomes the Owner, directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing more than 50% of the combined voting power of the Company’s then outstanding securities other than by virtue of a merger, consolidation or similar transaction. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a Change in Control will not be deemed to occur (A) on account of the acquisition of securities of the Company directly from the Company, (B) on account of the acquisition of securities of the Company by an investor, any affiliate thereof or any other Exchange Act Person that acquires the Company’s securities in a transaction or series of related transactions the primary purpose of which is to obtain financing for the Company through the issuance of equity securities, (C) on account of the acquisition of securities of the Company by any individual who is, on the IPO Date, either an executive officer or a Director (either, an “IPO Investor”) and/or any entity in which an IPO Investor has a direct or indirect interest (whether in the form of voting rights or participation in profits or capital contributions) of more than 50% (collectively, the “IPO Entities”) or on account of the IPO Entities continuing to hold shares that come to represent more than 50% of the combined voting power of the Company’s then outstanding securities as a result of the conversion of any class of the Company’s securities into another class of the Company’s securities having a different number of votes per share pursuant to the conversion provisions set forth in the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation; or (D) solely because the level of Ownership held by any Exchange Act Person (the “Subject Person”) exceeds the designated percentage threshold of the outstanding voting securities as a result of a repurchase or other acquisition of voting securities by the Company reducing the number of shares outstanding, provided that if a Change in Control would occur (but for the operation of this sentence) as a result of the acquisition of voting securities by the Company, and after such share acquisition, the Subject Person becomes the Owner of any additional voting securities that, assuming the repurchase or other acquisition had not occurred, increases the percentage of the then outstanding voting securities Owned by the Subject Person over the designated percentage threshold, then a Change in Control will be deemed to occur;

 

(ii) there is consummated a merger, consolidation or similar transaction involving (directly or indirectly) the Company and, immediately after the consummation of such merger, consolidation or similar transaction, the stockholders of the Company immediately prior thereto do not Own, directly or indirectly, either (A) outstanding voting securities representing more than 50% of the combined outstanding voting power of the surviving Entity in such merger, consolidation or similar transaction or (B) more than 50% of the combined outstanding voting power of the parent of the surviving Entity in such merger, consolidation or similar transaction, in each case in substantially the same proportions as their Ownership of the outstanding voting securities of the Company immediately prior to such transaction; provided, however, that a merger, consolidation or similar transaction will not constitute a Change in Control under this prong of the definition if the outstanding voting securities representing more than 50% of the combined voting power of the surviving Entity or its parent are owned by the IPO Entities;

 

(iii) there is consummated a sale, lease, exclusive license or other disposition of all or substantially all of the consolidated assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries, other than a sale, lease, license or other disposition of all or substantially all of the consolidated assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries to an Entity, more than 50% of the combined voting power of the voting securities of which are Owned by stockholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their Ownership of the outstanding voting securities of the Company immediately prior to such sale, lease, license or other disposition; provided, however, that a sale, lease, exclusive license or other disposition of all or substantially all of the consolidated assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries will not constitute a Change in Control under this prong of the definition if the outstanding voting securities representing more than 50% of the combined voting power of the acquiring Entity or its parent are owned by the IPO Entities; or

 

(iv) individuals who, on the date the Plan is adopted by the Board, are members of the Board (the “Incumbent Board”) cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the members of the Board; provided, however, that if the appointment or election (or nomination for election) of any new Board member was approved or recommended by a majority vote of the members of the Incumbent Board then still in office, such new member will, for purposes of this Plan, be considered as a member of the Incumbent Board.

 

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Notwithstanding the foregoing or any other provision of the Plan, the term Change in Control will not include a sale of assets, merger or other transaction effected exclusively for the purpose of changing the domicile of the Company and the definition of Change in Control (or any analogous term) in an individual written agreement between the Company or any Affiliate and the Participant will supersede the foregoing definition with respect to Awards subject to such agreement; provided, however, that if no definition of Change in Control or any analogous term is set forth in such an individual written agreement, the foregoing definition will apply. To the extent required for compliance with Section 409A of the Code, in no event will a Change in Control be deemed to have occurred if such transaction is not also a “change in the ownership or effective control of” the Company or “a change in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets of” the Company as determined under Treasury Regulations Section 1.409A-3(i)(5) (without regard to any alternative definition thereunder). The Board may, in its sole discretion and without a Participant’s consent, amend the definition of “Change in Control” to conform to the definition of “Change in Control” under Section 409A of the Code, and the regulations thereunder.

 

(j) Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, including any applicable regulations and guidance thereunder.

 

(k) Committee” means a committee of one or more Directors to whom authority has been delegated by the Board in accordance with Section 2(c).

 

(l) Common Stock” means, as of the IPO Date, the common stock of the Company, having one vote per share.

 

(m) Company” means Sonim Technologies, Inc., a Delaware corporation.

 

(n) Consultant” means any person, including an advisor, who is (i) engaged by the Company or an Affiliate to render consulting or advisory services and is compensated for such services, or (ii) serving as a member of the board of directors of an Affiliate and is compensated for such services. However, service solely as a Director, or payment of a fee for such service, will not cause a Director to be considered a “Consultant” for purposes of the Plan. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a person is treated as a Consultant under this Plan only if a Form S-8 Registration Statement under the Securities Act is available to register either the offer or the sale of the Company’s securities to such person.

 

(o) Continuous Service” means that the Participant’s service with the Company or an Affiliate, whether as an Employee, Director or Consultant, is not interrupted or terminated. A change in the capacity in which the Participant renders service to the Company or an Affiliate as an Employee, Consultant or Director or a change in the entity for which the Participant renders such service, provided that there is no interruption or termination of the Participant’s service with the Company or an Affiliate, will not terminate a Participant’s Continuous Service; provided, however, that if the Entity for which a Participant is rendering services ceases to qualify as an Affiliate, as determined by the Board, in its sole discretion, such Participant’s Continuous Service will be considered to have terminated on the date such Entity ceases to qualify as an Affiliate. For example, a change in status from an Employee of the Company to a Consultant of an Affiliate or to a Director will not constitute an interruption of Continuous Service. To the extent permitted by law, the Board or the chief executive officer of the Company, in that party’s sole discretion, may determine whether Continuous Service will be considered interrupted in the case of (i) any leave of absence approved by the Board or chief executive officer, including sick leave, military leave or any other personal leave, or (ii) transfers between the Company, an Affiliate, or their successors. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a leave of absence will be treated as Continuous Service for purposes of vesting in an Award only to such extent as may be provided in the Company’s leave of absence policy, in the written terms of any leave of absence agreement or policy applicable to the Participant, or as otherwise required by law. In addition, to the extent required for exemption from or compliance with Section 409A of the Code, the determination of whether there has been a termination of Continuous Service will be made, and such term will be construed, in a manner that is consistent with the definition of “separation from service” as defined under Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(h) (without regard to any alternative definition thereunder).

 

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(p) Corporate Transaction” means the consummation, in a single transaction or in a series of related transactions, of any one or more of the following events:

 

(i) a sale or other disposition of all or substantially all, as determined by the Board, in its sole discretion, of the consolidated assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries;

 

(ii) a sale or other disposition of more than 50% of the outstanding securities of the Company;

 

(iii) a merger, consolidation or similar transaction following which the Company is not the surviving corporation; or

 

(iv) a merger, consolidation or similar transaction following which the Company is the surviving corporation but the shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately preceding the merger, consolidation or similar transaction are converted or exchanged by virtue of the merger, consolidation or similar transaction into other property, whether in the form of securities, cash or otherwise.

 

If required for compliance with Section 409A of the Code, in no event will a Corporate Transaction be deemed to have occurred if such transaction is not also a “change in the ownership or effective control of” the Company or “a change in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets of” the Company as determined under Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-3(i)(5) (without regard to any alternative definition thereunder).

 

(q) Director” means a member of the Board.

 

(r) Disability” means, with respect to a Participant, the inability of such Participant to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment that can be expected to result in death or that has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months, as provided in Sections 22(e)(3) and 409A(a)(2)(c)(i) of the Code, and will be determined by the Board on the basis of such medical evidence as the Board deems warranted under the circumstances.

 

(s) Effective Date” means the IPO Date.

 

(t) Employee” means any person employed by the Company or an Affiliate. However, service solely as a Director, or payment of a fee for such services, will not cause a Director to be considered an “Employee” for purposes of the Plan.

 

(u) Entity” means a corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other entity.

 

(v) Exchange Act” means the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

(w) Exchange Act Person” means any natural person, Entity or “group” (within the meaning of Section 13(d) or 14(d) of the Exchange Act), except that “Exchange Act Person” will not include (i) the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company, (ii) any employee benefit plan of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company or any trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under an employee benefit plan of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company, (iii) an underwriter temporarily holding securities pursuant to a registered public offering of such securities, (iv) an Entity Owned, directly or indirectly, by the stockholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their Ownership of stock of the Company; or (v) any natural person, Entity or “group” (within the meaning of Section 13(d) or 14(d) of the Exchange Act) that, as of the Effective Date, is the Owner, directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing more than 50% of the combined voting power of the Company’s then outstanding securities.

 

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(x) Fair Market Value” means, as of any date, the value of the Common Stock determined as follows:

 

(i) If the Common Stock is listed on any established stock exchange or traded on any established market, the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock will be, unless otherwise determined by the Board, the closing sales price for such stock as quoted on such exchange or market (or the exchange or market with the greatest volume of trading in the Common Stock) on the date of determination, as reported in a source the Board deems reliable.

 

(ii) Unless otherwise provided by the Board, if there is no closing sales price for the Common Stock on the date of determination, then the Fair Market Value will be the closing selling price on the last preceding date for which such quotation exists.

 

(iii) In the absence of such markets for the Common Stock, the Fair Market Value will be determined by the Board in good faith and in a manner that complies with Sections 409A and 422 of the Code.

 

(y) Incentive Stock Option” means an option granted pursuant to Section 5 of the Plan that is intended to be, and qualifies as, an “incentive stock option” within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code.

 

(z) IPO Date” means the date of the underwriting agreement between the Company and the underwriter(s) managing the initial public offering of the Common Stock, pursuant to which the Common Stock is priced for the initial public offering.

 

(aa) Non-Employee Director” means a Director who either (i) is not a current employee or officer of the Company or an Affiliate, does not receive compensation, either directly or indirectly, from the Company or an Affiliate for services rendered as a consultant or in any capacity other than as a Director (except for an amount as to which disclosure would not be required under Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K promulgated pursuant to the Securities Act (“Regulation S-K”)), does not possess an interest in any other transaction for which disclosure would be required under Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K, and is not engaged in a business relationship for which disclosure would be required pursuant to Item 404(b) of Regulation S-K; or (ii) is otherwise considered a “non-employee director” for purposes of Rule 16b-3.

 

(bb) Nonstatutory Stock Option” means any Option granted pursuant to Section 5 of the Plan that does not qualify as an Incentive Stock Option.

 

(cc) Officer” means a person who is an officer of the Company within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act.

 

(dd) Option” means an Incentive Stock Option or a Nonstatutory Stock Option to purchase shares of Common Stock granted pursuant to the Plan.

 

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(ee) Option Agreement” means a written agreement between the Company and an Optionholder evidencing the terms and conditions of an Option grant. Each Option Agreement will be subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan.

 

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

 

(gg) Other Stock Award” means an award based in whole or in part by reference to the Common Stock which is granted pursuant to the terms and conditions of Section 6(d).

 

(hh) Other Stock Award Agreement” means a written agreement between the Company and a holder of an Other Stock Award evidencing the terms and conditions of an Other Stock Award grant. Each Other Stock Award Agreement will be subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan.

 

(ii) Own,” “Owned,” “Owner,” “Ownership” means a person or Entity will be deemed to “Own,” to have “Owned,” to be the “Owner” of, or to have acquired “Ownership” of securities if such person or Entity, directly or indirectly, through any contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship or otherwise, has or shares voting power, which includes the power to vote or to direct the voting, with respect to such securities.

 

(jj) Parent” means any corporation (other than the Company) in an unbroken chain of corporations ending with the Company, if each of the corporations other than the Company owns stock possessing 50% or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock in one of the other corporations in such chain. A corporation that attains the status of a Parent on a date after the adoption of the Plan shall be considered a Parent commencing as of such date.

 

(kk) “Participant” means a person to whom an Award is granted pursuant to the Plan or, if applicable, such other person who holds an outstanding Stock Award.

 

(ll) Performance Cash Award” means an award of cash granted pursuant to the terms and conditions of Section 6(c)(ii).

 

(mm) Performance Criteria” means the one or more criteria that the Board or Committee (as applicable) will select for purposes of establishing the Performance Goals for a Performance Period. The Performance Criteria that will be used to establish such Performance Goals may be based on any one of, or combination of, the following as determined by the Board or Committee (as applicable): (1) earnings (including earnings per share and net earnings); (2) earnings before interest, taxes and depreciation; (3) earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization; (4) total stockholder return; (5) return on equity or average stockholder’s equity; (6) return on assets, investment, or capital employed; (7) stock price; (8) margin (including gross margin); (9) income (before or after taxes); (10) operating income; (11) operating income after taxes; (12) pre-tax profit; (13) operating cash flow; (14) sales or revenue targets; (15) increases in revenue or product revenue; (16) expenses and cost reduction goals; (17) improvement in or attainment of working capital levels; (18) economic value added (or an equivalent metric); (19) market share; (20) cash flow; (21) cash flow per share; (22) share price performance; (23) debt reduction; (24) implementation or completion of projects or processes; (25) subscriber satisfaction; (26) stockholders’ equity; (27) capital expenditures; (28) debt levels; (29) operating profit or net operating profit; (30) workforce diversity; (31) growth of net income or operating income; (32) billings; (33) the number of subscribers, including but not limited to unique subscribers; (34) employee retention; and (35) other measures of performance selected by the Board.

 

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(nn) Performance Goals” means, for a Performance Period, the one or more goals established by the Board or Committee (as applicable) for the Performance Period based upon the Performance Criteria. Performance Goals may be based on a Company-wide basis, with respect to one or more business units, divisions, Affiliates, or business segments, and in either absolute terms or relative to the performance of one or more comparable companies or the performance of one or more relevant indices. Unless specified otherwise by the Board or Committee (as applicable) (i) in the Award Agreement at the time the Award is granted or (ii) in such other document setting forth the Performance Goals at the time the Performance Goals are established, the Board or Committee (as applicable) will appropriately make adjustments in the method of calculating the attainment of Performance Goals for a Performance Period as follows: (1) to exclude restructuring and/or other nonrecurring charges; (2) to exclude exchange rate effects; (3) to exclude the effects of changes to generally accepted accounting principles; (4) to exclude the effects of items that are “unusual” in nature or occur “infrequently” as determined under generally accepted accounting principles; (6) to exclude the dilutive effects of acquisitions or joint ventures; (7) to assume that any business divested by the Company achieved performance objectives at targeted levels during the balance of a Performance Period following such divestiture; (8) to exclude the effect of any change in the outstanding shares of common stock of the Company by reason of any stock dividend or split, stock repurchase, reorganization, recapitalization, merger, consolidation, spin-off, combination or exchange of shares or other similar corporate change, or any distributions to common stockholders other than regular cash dividends; (9) to exclude the effects of stock based compensation and the award of bonuses under the Company’s bonus plans; (10) to exclude costs incurred in connection with potential acquisitions or divestitures that are required to be expensed under generally accepted accounting principles; and (11) to exclude the goodwill and intangible asset impairment charges that are required to be recorded under generally accepted accounting principles. In addition, the Board or Committee (as applicable) retains the discretion to reduce or eliminate the compensation or economic benefit due upon attainment of Performance Goals and to define the manner of calculating the Performance Criteria it selects to use for such Performance Period. Partial achievement of the specified criteria may result in the payment or vesting corresponding to the degree of achievement as specified in the Stock Award Agreement or the written terms of a Performance Cash Award.

 

(oo) Performance Period” means the period of time selected by the Board or Committee (as applicable) over which the attainment of one or more Performance Goals will be measured for the purpose of determining a Participant’s right to and the payment of a Stock Award or a Performance Cash Award. Performance Periods may be of varying and overlapping duration, at the sole discretion of the Board or Committee (as applicable).

 

(pp) Performance Stock Award” means a Stock Award granted under the terms and conditions of Section 6(c)(i).

 

(qq) Plan” means this Sonim Technologies, Inc. 2019 Equity Incentive Plan, as it may be amended from time to time.

 

(rr) Restricted Stock Award” means an award of shares of Common Stock which is granted pursuant to the terms and conditions of Section 6(a).

 

(ss) Restricted Stock Award Agreement” means a written agreement between the Company and a holder of a Restricted Stock Award evidencing the terms and conditions of a Restricted Stock Award grant. Each Restricted Stock Award Agreement will be subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan.

 

(tt) Restricted Stock Unit Award” means a right to receive shares of Common Stock which is granted pursuant to the terms and conditions of Section 6(b).

 

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(uu) Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement” means a written agreement between the Company and a holder of a Restricted Stock Unit Award evidencing the terms and conditions of a Restricted Stock Unit Award grant. Each Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement will be subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan.

 

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

 

(ww) Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

(xx) Stock Appreciation Right” or “SAR” means a right to receive the appreciation on Common Stock that is granted pursuant to the terms and conditions of Section 5.

 

(yy) Stock Appreciation Right Agreement” means a written agreement between the Company and a holder of a Stock Appreciation Right evidencing the terms and conditions of a Stock Appreciation Right grant. Each Stock Appreciation Right Agreement will be subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan.

 

(zz) Stock Award” means any right to receive Common Stock granted under the Plan, including an Incentive Stock Option, a Nonstatutory Stock Option, a Restricted Stock Award, a Restricted Stock Unit Award, a Stock Appreciation Right, a Performance Stock Award or any Other Stock Award.

 

(aaa) Stock Award Agreement” means a written agreement between the Company and a Participant evidencing the terms and conditions of a Stock Award grant. Each Stock Award Agreement will be subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan.

 

(bbb) Subsidiary” means, with respect to the Company, (i) any corporation of which more than 50% of the outstanding capital stock having ordinary voting power to elect a majority of the board of directors of such corporation (irrespective of whether, at the time, stock of any other class or classes of such corporation will have or might have voting power by reason of the happening of any contingency) is at the time, directly or indirectly, Owned by the Company, and (ii) any partnership, limited liability company or other entity in which the Company has a direct or indirect interest (whether in the form of voting or participation in profits or capital contribution) of more than 50%.

 

(ccc) Ten Percent Stockholder” means a person who Owns (or is deemed to Own pursuant to Section 424(d) of the Code) stock possessing more than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or any Affiliate.

 

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APPENDIX B

 

Amendment to the Company’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation

 

CERTIFICATE OF AMENDMENT TO THE

AMENDED AND RESTATED

CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

OF SONIM TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

 

The undersigned, [XX], hereby certifies that:

 

1. He is the [title] of Sonim Technologies, Inc. (the “Corporation”), a Delaware corporation, and is duly authorized by resolution of the Board of Directors of the Corporation to execute this instrument.

 

2. The present name of the Corporation is “Sonim Technologies, Inc.” The Corporation filed its Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on May 14, 2019.

 

3. This Certificate of Amendment to the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation was duly approved by the Corporation’s Board of Directors and duly adopted by the stockholders of the Corporation at the meeting of the stockholders of the Corporation duly called and held upon notice in accordance with the applicable provisions of Sections 222 and 242 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.

 

4. Article IV, Section A of the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation is hereby amended to read in its entirety as follows:

 

A. This Company is authorized to issue two classes of stock to be designated, respectively, “Common Stock” and “Preferred Stock.” The total number of shares of all classes of capital stock which the Corporation shall have authority to issue is 105,000,000. 100,000,000 shares shall be Common Stock of the par value of $0.001 per share and 5,000,000 shares shall be Preferred Stock of the par value of $0.001 per share.

 

Upon the filing and effectiveness (the “Effective Time”) pursuant to the Delaware General Corporation Law of this Certificate of Amendment to the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation, each [XX] shares of Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share, issued and outstanding prior to the Effective Time shall, automatically and without any action on the part of the respective holders thereof, be combined and converted into one (1) share of Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Company. No fractional shares shall be issued and, in lieu thereof, any holder of less than one (1) share of Common Stock shall, upon surrender after the Effective Time of a certificate, which formerly represented shares of Common Stock that were issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time, be entitled to receive cash (without interest or deduction) from the Corporation’s transfer agent for such holder’s fractional share in an amount equal to the product obtained by multiplying (a) the closing price per share of the Common Stock as reported on the The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC as of the date of the Effective Time, by (b) the fraction of one share owned by the stockholder. Each certificate that immediately prior to the Effective Time represented shares of Common Stock, shall thereafter represent that number of shares of Common Stock into which the shares of Common Stock represented by such certificate shall have been combined, subject to the elimination of fractional share interests as described above.

 

****

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Corporation has caused this Certificate of Amendment to the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to be executed this day of [date].

 

  SONIM TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
     
  By:  
  Name:                       
  Title:  

 

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