Vastera Inc. Contracts
Sample Business Contracts
Stock Option Agreement - Vastera Inc.
VASTERA, INC.
STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT
RECITALS
A. The Board has adopted the Plan for the purpose of retaining the
services of selected Employees, non-employee members of the Board (or the board
of directors of any Parent or Subsidiary) and consultants and other independent
advisors who provide services to the Corporation (or any Parent or Subsidiary).
B. Optionee is to render valuable services to the Corporation (or a
Parent or Subsidiary), and this Agreement is executed pursuant to, and is
intended to carry out the purposes of, the Plan in connection with the
Corporation's grant of an option to Optionee.
C. All capitalized terms in this Agreement shall have the meaning
assigned to them in the attached Appendix.
NOW, THEREFORE, it is hereby agreed as follows:
1. GRANT OF OPTION. The Corporation hereby grants to Optionee,
as of the Grant Date, an option to purchase up to the number of Option Shares
specified in the Grant Notice. The Option Shares shall be purchasable from time
to time during the option term specified in Paragraph 2 at the Exercise Price.
2. OPTION TERM. This option shall have a maximum term of ten
(10) years measured from the Grant Date and shall accordingly expire at the
close of business on the Expiration Date, unless sooner terminated in accordance
with Paragraph 5 or 6.
3. LIMITED TRANSFERABILITY.
(a) This option shall be neither transferable nor
assignable by Optionee other than by will or the laws of inheritance following
Optionee's death and may be exercised, during Optionee's lifetime, only by
Optionee. However, Optionee may designate one or more persons as the beneficiary
or beneficiaries of this option, and this option shall, in accordance with such
designation, automatically be transferred to such beneficiary or beneficiaries
upon the Optionee's death while holding this option. Such beneficiary or
beneficiaries shall take the transferred option subject to all the terms and
conditions of this Agreement, including (without limitation) the limited time
period during which this option may, pursuant to Paragraph 5, be exercised
following Optionee's death.
<PAGE>
(b) If this option is designated a Non-Statutory Option in
the Grant Notice, then this option may be assigned in whole or in part during
Optionee's lifetime to one or more members of Optionee's family or to a trust
established for the exclusive benefit of one or more such family members or to
Optionee's former spouse, to the extent such assignment is in connection with
the Optionee's estate plan or pursuant to a domestic relations order. The
assigned portion shall be exercisable only by the person or persons who acquire
a proprietary interest in the option pursuant to such assignment. The terms
applicable to the assigned portion shall be the same as those in effect for this
option immediately prior to such assignment.
4. DATES OF EXERCISE. This option shall become exercisable for
the Option Shares in one or more installments as specified in the Grant Notice.
As the option becomes exercisable for such installments, those installments
shall accumulate, and the option shall remain exercisable for the accumulated
installments until the Expiration Date or sooner termination of the option term
under Paragraph 5 or 6.
5. CESSATION OF SERVICE. The option term specified in
Paragraph 2 shall terminate (and this option shall cease to be outstanding)
prior to the Expiration Date should any of the following provisions become
applicable:
(a) Should Optionee cease to remain in Service for any
reason (other than death, Permanent Disability or Misconduct) while holding this
option, then Optionee shall have a period of three (3) months (commencing with
the date of such cessation of Service) during which to exercise this option, but
in no event shall this option be exercisable at any time after the Expiration
Date.
(b) Should Optionee die while holding this option, then the
personal representative of Optionee's estate or the person or persons to whom
the option is transferred pursuant to Optionee's will or the laws of inheritance
shall have the right to exercise this option. However, if Optionee has
designated one or more beneficiaries of this option, then those persons shall
have the exclusive right to exercise this option following Optionee's death. Any
such right to exercise this option shall lapse, and this option shall cease to
be outstanding, upon the EARLIER of (i) the expiration of the twelve (12)-month
period measured from the date of Optionee's death or (ii) the Expiration Date.
(c) Should Optionee cease Service by reason of Permanent
Disability while holding this option, then Optionee shall have a period of
twelve (12) months (commencing with the date of such cessation of Service)
during which to exercise this option. In no event shall this option be
exercisable at any time after the Expiration Date.
(d) During the limited period of post-Service
exercisability, this option may not be exercised in the aggregate for more than
the number of Option Shares for which the option is exercisable at the time of
Optionee's cessation of Service. Upon the expiration of such limited exercise
period or (if earlier) upon the Expiration Date, this option shall terminate and
2
<PAGE>
cease to be outstanding for any exercisable Option Shares for which the option
has not been exercised. However, this option shall, immediately upon Optionee's
cessation of Service for any reason, terminate and cease to be outstanding with
respect to any Option Shares for which this option is not otherwise at that time
exercisable.
(e) Should Optionee's Service be terminated for Misconduct
or should Optionee otherwise engage in any Misconduct while this option is
outstanding, then this option shall terminate immediately and cease to remain
outstanding.
6. SPECIAL ACCELERATION OF OPTION.
(a) This option, to the extent outstanding at the time of a
Corporate Transaction but not otherwise fully exercisable, shall automatically
accelerate so that this option shall, immediately prior to the effective date of
such Corporate Transaction, become exercisable for all of the Option Shares at
the time subject to this option and may be exercised for any or all of those
Option Shares as fully vested shares of Common Stock. However, this option shall
NOT become exercisable on such an accelerated basis, if and to the extent: (i)
this option is, in connection with the Corporate Transaction, to be assumed by
the successor corporation (or parent thereof) or (ii) this option is to be
replaced with a cash incentive program of the successor corporation which
preserves the spread existing at the time of the Corporate Transaction on any
Option Shares for which this option is not otherwise at that time exercisable
(the excess of the Fair Market Value of those Option Shares over the aggregate
Exercise Price payable for such shares) and provides for subsequent payout in
accordance with the same option exercise/vesting schedule for those Option
Shares set forth in the Grant Notice.
(b) Immediately following the Corporate Transaction, this
option shall terminate and cease to be outstanding, except to the extent assumed
by the successor corporation (or parent thereof) in connection with the
Corporate Transaction.
(c) If this option is assumed in connection with a
Corporate Transaction, then this option shall be appropriately adjusted,
immediately after such Corporate Transaction, to apply to the number and class
of securities which would have been issuable to Optionee in consummation of such
Corporate Transaction had the option been exercised immediately prior to such
Corporate Transaction, and appropriate adjustments shall also be made to the
Exercise Price, PROVIDED the aggregate Exercise Price shall remain the same. To
the extent the actual holders of the Corporation's outstanding Common Stock
receive cash consideration for their Common Stock in consummation of the
Corporate Transaction, the successor corporation may, in connection with the
assumption of this option, substitute one or more shares of its own common stock
with a fair market value equivalent to the cash consideration paid per share of
Common Stock in such Corporate Transaction.
(d) This Agreement shall not in any way affect the right of
the Corporation to adjust, reclassify, reorganize or otherwise change its
capital or business structure or to merge, consolidate, dissolve, liquidate or
sell or transfer all or any part of its business or assets.
3
<PAGE>
7. ADJUSTMENT IN OPTION SHARES. Should any change be made to
the Common Stock by reason of any stock split, stock dividend, recapitalization,
combination of shares, exchange of shares or other change affecting the
outstanding Common Stock as a class without the Corporation's receipt of
consideration, appropriate adjustments shall be made to (i) the total number
and/or class of securities subject to this option and (ii) the Exercise Price in
order to reflect such change and thereby preclude a dilution or enlargement of
benefits hereunder.
8. STOCKHOLDER RIGHTS. The holder of this option shall not
have any stockholder rights with respect to the Option Shares until such person
shall have exercised the option, paid the Exercise Price and become a holder of
record of the purchased shares.
9. MANNER OF EXERCISING OPTION.
(a) In order to exercise this option with respect to all or
any part of the Option Shares for which this option is at the time exercisable,
Optionee (or any other person or persons exercising the option) must take the
following actions:
(i) Execute and deliver to the Corporation a Notice of
Exercise for the Option Shares for which the option is exercised.
(ii) Pay the aggregate Exercise Price for the purchased
shares in one or more of the following forms:
(A) cash or check made payable to the Corporation;
(B) a promissory note payable to the Corporation,
but only to the extent authorized by the Plan Administrator in
accordance with Paragraph 13;
(C) shares of Common Stock held by Optionee (or
any other person or persons exercising the option) for the
requisite period necessary to avoid a charge to the
Corporation's earnings for financial reporting purposes and
valued at Fair Market Value on the Exercise Date; or
(D) through a special sale and remittance
procedure pursuant to which Optionee (or any other person or
persons exercising the option) shall concurrently provide
irrevocable instructions (i) to a Corporation-designated
brokerage firm to effect the immediate sale of the purchased
shares and remit to the Corporation, out of the sale proceeds
available on the settlement date, sufficient funds to cover
the aggregate Exercise Price payable for the purchased shares
plus all
4
<PAGE>
applicable Federal, state and local income and employment
taxes required to be withheld by the Corporation by reason of
such exercise and (ii) to the Corporation to deliver the
certificates for the purchased shares directly to such
brokerage firm in order to complete the sale.
Except to the extent the sale and remittance
procedure is utilized in connection with the option exercise,
payment of the Exercise Price must accompany the Notice of
Exercise delivered to the Corporation in connection with the
option exercise.
(iii) Furnish to the Corporation appropriate
documentation that the person or persons exercising the option (if
other than Optionee) have the right to exercise this option.
(iv) Make appropriate arrangements with the Corporation
(or Parent or Subsidiary employing or retaining Optionee) for the
satisfaction of all Federal, state and local income and employment tax
withholding requirements applicable to the option exercise.
(b) As soon as practical after the Exercise Date, the
Corporation shall issue to or on behalf of Optionee (or any other person or
persons exercising this option) a certificate for the purchased Option Shares,
with the appropriate legends affixed thereto.
(c) In no event may this option be exercised for any
fractional shares.
10. COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS AND REGULATIONS.
(a) The exercise of this option and the issuance of the
Option Shares upon such exercise shall be subject to compliance by the
Corporation and Optionee with all applicable requirements of law relating
thereto and with all applicable regulations of any stock exchange (or the Nasdaq
National Market, if applicable) on which the Common Stock may be listed for
trading at the time of such exercise and issuance.
(b) The inability of the Corporation to obtain approval
from any regulatory body having authority deemed by the Corporation to be
necessary to the lawful issuance and sale of any Common Stock pursuant to this
option shall relieve the Corporation of any liability with respect to the
non-issuance or sale of the Common Stock as to which such approval shall not
have been obtained. The Corporation, however, shall use its best efforts to
obtain all such approvals.
11. SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS. Except to the extent otherwise
provided in Paragraphs 3 and 6, the provisions of this Agreement shall inure to
the benefit of, and be binding upon, the Corporation and its successors and
assigns and Optionee, Optionee's assigns, the legal representatives, heirs and
legatees of Optionee's estate and any beneficiaries of this option designated by
Optionee.
5
<PAGE>
12. NOTICES. Any notice required to be given or delivered to
the Corporation under the terms of this Agreement shall be in writing and
addressed to the Corporation at its principal corporate offices. Any notice
required to be given or delivered to Optionee shall be in writing and addressed
to Optionee at the address indicated below Optionee's signature line on the
Grant Notice. All notices shall be deemed effective upon personal delivery or
upon deposit in the U.S. mail, postage prepaid and properly addressed to the
party to be notified.
13. FINANCING. The Plan Administrator may, in its absolute
discretion and without any obligation to do so, permit Optionee to pay the
Exercise Price for the purchased Option Shares (to the extent such Exercise
Price is in excess of the par value of those shares) by delivering a
full-recourse promissory note payable to the Corporation. The terms of any such
promissory note (including the interest rate, the requirements for collateral
and the terms of repayment) shall be established by the Plan Administrator in
its sole discretion.
14. CONSTRUCTION. This Agreement and the option evidenced
hereby are made and granted pursuant to the Plan and are in all respects limited
by and subject to the terms of the Plan. All decisions of the Plan Administrator
with respect to any question or issue arising under the Plan or this Agreement
shall be conclusive and binding on all persons having an interest in this
option.
15. GOVERNING LAW. The interpretation, performance and
enforcement of this Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the Commonwealth
of Virginia without resort to the Commonwealth's conflict-of-laws rules.
16. EXCESS SHARES. If the Option Shares covered by this
Agreement exceed, as of the Grant Date, the number of shares of Common Stock
which may without stockholder approval be issued under the Plan, then this
option shall be void with respect to those excess shares, unless stockholder
approval of an amendment sufficiently increasing the number of shares of Common
Stock issuable under the Plan is obtained in accordance with the provisions of
the Plan.
17. ADDITIONAL TERMS APPLICABLE TO AN INCENTIVE OPTION. In the
event this option is designated an Incentive Option in the Grant Notice, the
following terms and conditions shall also apply to the grant:
(a) This option shall cease to qualify for favorable tax
treatment as an Incentive Option if (and to the extent) this option is exercised
for one or more Option Shares: (A) more than three (3) months after the date
Optionee ceases to be an Employee for any reason other than death or Permanent
Disability or (B) more than twelve (12) months after the date Optionee ceases to
be an Employee by reason of Permanent Disability.
(b) No installment under this option shall qualify for
favorable tax treatment as an Incentive Option if (and to the extent) the
aggregate Fair Market Value (determined at the Grant Date) of the Common Stock
for which such installment first becomes exercisable hereunder would, when added
to the aggregate value (determined as of the respective date or dates of grant)
of the Common Stock or other securities for which this option or any other
6
<PAGE>
Incentive Options granted to Optionee prior to the Grant Date (whether under the
Plan or any other option plan of the Corporation or any Parent or Subsidiary)
first become exercisable during the same calendar year, exceed One Hundred
Thousand Dollars ($100,000) in the aggregate. Should such One Hundred Thousand
Dollar ($100,000) limitation be exceeded in any calendar year, this option shall
nevertheless become exercisable for the excess shares in such calendar year as a
Non-Statutory Option.
(c) Should the exercisability of this option be accelerated
upon a Corporate Transaction, then this option shall qualify for favorable tax
treatment as an Incentive Option only to the extent the aggregate Fair Market
Value (determined at the Grant Date) of the Common Stock for which this option
first becomes exercisable in the calendar year in which the Corporate
Transaction occurs does not, when added to the aggregate value (determined as of
the respective date or dates of grant) of the Common Stock or other securities
for which this option or one or more other Incentive Options granted to Optionee
prior to the Grant Date (whether under the Plan or any other option plan of the
Corporation or any Parent or Subsidiary) first become exercisable during the
same calendar year, exceed One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000) in the
aggregate. Should the applicable One Hundred Thousand Dollar ($100,000)
limitation be exceeded in the calendar year of such Corporate Transaction, the
option may nevertheless be exercised for the excess shares in such calendar year
as a Non-Statutory Option.
(d) Should Optionee hold, in addition to this option, one
or more other options to purchase Common Stock which become exercisable for the
first time in the same calendar year as this option, then the foregoing
limitations on the exercisability of such options as Incentive Options shall be
applied on the basis of the order in which such options are granted.
7
<PAGE>
EXHIBIT I
NOTICE OF EXERCISE
I hereby notify Vastera, Inc. (the "Corporation") that I
elect to purchase ______________ shares of the Corporation's Common Stock
(the "Purchased Shares") at the option exercise price of $_______ per share
(the "Exercise Price") pursuant to that certain option (the "Option") granted
to me under the Corporation's 2000 Stock Incentive Plan on _______, _______.
Concurrently with the delivery of this Exercise Notice to the
Corporation, I shall hereby pay to the Corporation the Exercise Price for the
Purchased Shares in accordance with the provisions of my agreement with the
Corporation (or other documents) evidencing the Option and shall deliver
whatever additional documents may be required by such agreement as a condition
for exercise. Alternatively, I may utilize the special broker-dealer sale and
remittance procedure specified in my agreement to effect payment of the Exercise
Price.
____________________, _________
Date
________________________________________
Optionee
Address:________________________________
________________________________________
Print name in exact manner it is to ________________________________________
appear on the stock certificate:
Address to which certificate is to
be sent, if different from address
above: ________________________________________
________________________________________
Social Security Number: ________________________________________
<PAGE>
APPENDIX
The following definitions shall be in effect under the
Agreement:
A. AGREEMENT shall mean this Stock Option Agreement.
B. BOARD shall mean the Corporation's Board of Directors.
C. COMMON STOCK shall mean shares of the Corporation's common
stock.
D. CODE shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
E. CORPORATE TRANSACTION shall mean either of the following
stockholder-approved transactions to which the Corporation is a party:
(i) a merger or consolidation in which securities
possessing more than fifty percent (50%) of the total combined voting
power of the Corporation's outstanding securities are transferred to a
person or persons different from the persons holding those securities
immediately prior to such transaction, or
(ii) the sale, transfer or other disposition of all or
substantially all of the Corporation's assets in complete liquidation
or dissolution of the Corporation.
F. CORPORATION shall mean Vastera, Inc., a Delaware corporation,
and any successor corporation to all or substantially all of the assets or
voting stock of Vastera, Inc. which shall by appropriate action adopt the Plan.
G. EMPLOYEE shall mean an individual who is in the employ of the
Corporation (or any Parent or Subsidiary), subject to the control and direction
of the employer entity as to both the work to be performed and the manner and
method of performance.
H. EXERCISE DATE shall mean the date on which the option shall
have been exercised in accordance with Paragraph 9 of the Agreement.
I. EXERCISE PRICE shall mean the exercise price per Option Share
as specified in the Grant Notice.
J. EXPIRATION DATE shall mean the date on which the option
expires as specified in the Grant Notice.
A-1
<PAGE>
K. FAIR MARKET VALUE per share of Common Stock on any relevant
date shall be determined in accordance with the following provisions:
(i) If the Common Stock is at the time traded on the Nasdaq
National Market, then the Fair Market Value shall be deemed equal to
the closing selling price per share of Common Stock on the date in
question, as the price is reported by the National Association of
Securities Dealers on the Nasdaq National Market and published in THE
WALL STREET JOURNAL. If there is no closing selling price for the
Common Stock on the date in question, then the Fair Market Value shall
be the closing selling price on the last preceding date for which such
quotation exists, or
(ii) If the Common Stock is at the time listed on any Stock
Exchange, then the Fair Market Value shall be deemed equal to the
closing selling price per share of Common Stock on the date in question
on the Stock Exchange determined by the Plan Administrator to be the
primary market for the Common Stock, as such price is officially quoted
in the composite tape of transactions on such exchange and published in
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. If there is no closing selling price for the
Common Stock on the date in question, then the Fair Market Value shall
be the closing selling price on the last preceding date for which such
quotation exists.
L. GRANT DATE shall mean the date of grant of the option as
specified in the Grant Notice.
M. GRANT NOTICE shall mean the Notice of Grant of Stock Option
accompanying the Agreement, pursuant to which Optionee has been informed of the
basic terms of the option evidenced hereby.
N. INCENTIVE OPTION shall mean an option which satisfies the
requirements of Code Section 422.
O. MISCONDUCT shall mean the commission of any act of fraud,
embezzlement or dishonesty by Optionee, any unauthorized use or disclosure by
Optionee of confidential information or trade secrets of the Corporation (or any
Parent or Subsidiary), or any other intentional misconduct by Optionee adversely
affecting the business or affairs of the Corporation (or any Parent or
Subsidiary) in a material manner. The foregoing definition shall not in any way
preclude or restrict the right of the Corporation (or any Parent or Subsidiary)
to discharge or dismiss any Optionee, Participant or other person in the Service
of the Corporation (or any Parent or Subsidiary) for any other acts or
omissions, but such other acts or omissions shall not be deemed, for purposes of
the Plan or this Agreement, to constitute grounds for termination for
Misconduct.
P. NON-STATUTORY OPTION shall mean an option not intended to
satisfy the requirements of Code Section 422.
A-2
<PAGE>
Q. NOTICE OF EXERCISE shall mean the notice of exercise in the
form attached hereto as Exhibit I.
R. OPTION SHARES shall mean the number of shares of Common Stock
subject to the option as specified in the Grant Notice.
S. OPTIONEE shall mean the person to whom the option is granted
as specified in the Grant Notice.
T. PARENT shall mean any corporation (other than the Corporation)
in an unbroken chain of corporations ending with the Corporation, provided each
corporation in the unbroken chain (other than the Corporation) owns, at the time
of the determination, stock possessing fifty percent (50%) or more of the total
combined voting power of all classes of stock in one of the other corporations
in such chain.
U. PERMANENT DISABILITY shall mean the inability of Optionee to
engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically
determinable physical or mental impairment which is expected to result in death
or has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of twelve (12)
months or more.
V. PLAN shall mean the Corporation's 2000 Stock Incentive Plan.
W. PLAN ADMINISTRATOR shall mean either the Board or a committee
of the Board acting in its capacity as administrator of the Plan.
X. SERVICE shall mean the Optionee's performance of services for
the Corporation (or any Parent or Subsidiary) in the capacity of an Employee, a
non-employee member of the board of directors or a consultant or independent
advisor.
Y. STOCK EXCHANGE shall mean the American Stock Exchange or the
New York Stock Exchange.
Z. SUBSIDIARY shall mean any corporation (other than the
Corporation) in an unbroken chain of corporations beginning with the
Corporation, provided each corporation (other than the last corporation) in the
unbroken chain owns, at the time of the determination, stock possessing fifty
percent (50%) or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock
in one of the other corporations in such chain.
A-3