NON-QUALIFIED STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT FOR COMPANY EMPLOYEES UNDER THE MODERNA, INC. 2018 STOCK OPTION AND INCENTIVE PLAN
Exhibit 10.23
NON-QUALIFIED STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT
FOR COMPANY EMPLOYEES
UNDER THE MODERNA, INC.
2018 STOCK OPTION AND INCENTIVE PLAN
FOR COMPANY EMPLOYEES
UNDER THE MODERNA, INC.
2018 STOCK OPTION AND INCENTIVE PLAN
Name of Optionee: [Participant Name]
No. of Option Shares: [Number of Shares Granted]
Option Exercise Price per Share: $[▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇]
▇▇▇▇▇ Date: [Grant date]
Expiration Date: [Expiration Date]
Pursuant to the Moderna, Inc. 2018 Stock Option and Incentive Plan as amended through the date hereof (the “Plan”), Moderna, Inc. (the “Company”) hereby grants to the Optionee named above an option (the “Stock Option”) to purchase on or prior to the Expiration Date specified above all or part of the number of shares of Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Stock”) of the Company specified above at the Option Exercise Price per Share specified above subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein and in the Plan. This Stock Option is not intended to be an “incentive stock option” under Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
1.Exercisability Schedule. No portion of this Stock Option may be exercised until such portion shall have become exercisable. Except as set forth below in Appendix A, and subject to the discretion of the Administrator (as defined in Section 2 of the Plan) to accelerate the exercisability schedule hereunder, this Stock Option shall be exercisable with respect to the following number of Option Shares on the dates indicated on Appendix A to this Agreement so long as the Optionee continues to have a Service Relationship with the Company or a Subsidiary on such dates.
Once exercisable, this Stock Option shall continue to be exercisable at any time or times prior to the close of business on the Expiration Date, subject to the provisions hereof and of the Plan.
If, at the time of a Sale Event, the Optionee does not participate in the Company’s Amended and Restated Executive Severance Plan, as amended from time to time (the “Severance Plan”), then notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, in the event (and only in the event) that this Stock Option or the Option Shares are assumed, continued or substituted by the Company or its successor entity in the sole discretion of the parties to a Sale Event and thereafter remains in effect following such Sale Event, 100% of the then-unvested Stock Option shall be deemed vested in full upon the date on which the Optionee’s Service Relationship with the Company and its Subsidiaries or successor entity terminates if (A) such termination occurs in
connection with and effective as of the date of, or within 12 months following the date of, such Sale Event and (B) such termination is either by the Company other than due to Cause, death or disability or by the Optionee for Good Reason. If, at the time of a Sale Event, the Optionee participates in the Severance Plan, then the Stock Option shall be subject to the acceleration of vesting provisions as provided in such plan.
For purposes of this Agreement,
“Cause” shall mean, unless otherwise provided in an employment or other service agreement between the Company and the Optionee, a determination by the Administrator that the Optionee shall be dismissed as a result of (i) any material breach by the Optionee of any agreement between the Optionee and the Company; (ii) the conviction of, indictment for or plea of nolo contendere by the Optionee to a felony or a crime involving moral turpitude; or (iii) any material misconduct or willful and deliberate non-performance (other than by reason of disability) by the Optionee of the Optionee’s duties to the Company.
“Good Reason” shall mean, unless otherwise provided in an employment or other service agreement between the Company and the Optionee, (i) a diminution of at least 20% in the Optionee’s annual base salary except for across-the-board reductions in annual base salary similarly affecting all or substantially all similarly situated employees of the Company, (ii) a change of more than 50 miles in the geographic location at which the Optionee provides services to the Company, so long as the Optionee provides at least 90 days’ notice to the Company following the initial occurrence of any such event and the Company fails to cure such event within 30 days thereafter, or (iii) any material diminution in the Optionee’s position, responsibilities, authority or duties.
2.Manner of Exercise.
(a)The Optionee may exercise this Stock Option only in the following manner: from time to time on or prior to the Expiration Date of this Stock Option, the Optionee may give written notice to the Administrator of his or her election to purchase some or all of the Option Shares purchasable at the time of such notice. This notice shall specify the number of Option Shares to be purchased.
Payment of the purchase price for the Option Shares may be made by one or more of the following methods: (i) in cash, by certified or bank check or other instrument acceptable to the Administrator; (ii) if permitted by the Administrator, through the delivery (or attestation to the ownership) of shares of Stock that have been purchased by the Optionee on the open market or that are beneficially owned by the Optionee and are not then subject to any restrictions under any Company plan and that otherwise satisfy any holding periods as may be required by the Administrator; (iii) by the Optionee delivering to the Company a properly executed exercise notice together with irrevocable instructions to a broker to promptly deliver to the Company cash or a check payable and acceptable to the Company to pay the option purchase price, provided that in the event the Optionee chooses to pay the option purchase price as so provided, the Optionee and the broker shall comply with such procedures and enter into such agreements of indemnity and other agreements as the Administrator shall prescribe as a condition of such
payment procedure; (iv) if permitted by the Administrator, by a “net exercise” arrangement pursuant to which the Company will reduce the number of shares of Stock issuable upon exercise by the largest whole number of shares with a Fair Market Value that does not exceed the aggregate exercise price; or (v) a combination of (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) above. Payment instruments will be received subject to collection.
The transfer to the Optionee on the records of the Company or of the transfer agent of the Option Shares will be contingent upon (i) the Company’s receipt from the Optionee of the full purchase price for the Option Shares, as set forth above, (ii) the fulfillment of any other requirements contained herein or in the Plan or in any other agreement or provision of laws, and (iii) the receipt by the Company of any agreement, statement or other evidence that the Company may require to satisfy itself that the issuance of Stock to be purchased pursuant to the exercise of Stock Options under the Plan and any subsequent resale of the shares of Stock will be in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. In the event the Optionee chooses to pay the purchase price by previously-owned shares of Stock through the attestation method, the number of shares of Stock transferred to the Optionee upon the exercise of the Stock Option shall be net of the Shares attested to.
(b)The shares of Stock purchased upon exercise of this Stock Option shall be transferred to the Optionee on the records of the Company or of the transfer agent upon compliance to the satisfaction of the Administrator with all requirements under applicable laws or regulations in connection with such transfer and with the requirements hereof and of the Plan. The determination of the Administrator as to such compliance shall be final and binding on the Optionee. The Optionee shall not be deemed to be the holder of, or to have any of the rights of a holder with respect to, any shares of Stock subject to this Stock Option unless and until this Stock Option shall have been exercised pursuant to the terms hereof, the Company or the transfer agent shall have transferred the shares to the Optionee, and the Optionee’s name shall have been entered as the stockholder of record on the books of the Company. Thereupon, the Optionee shall have full voting, dividend and other ownership rights with respect to such shares of Stock.
(c)The minimum number of shares with respect to which this Stock Option may be exercised at any one time shall be 100 shares, unless the number of shares with respect to which this Stock Option is being exercised is the total number of shares subject to exercise under this Stock Option at the time.
(d)Notwithstanding any other provision hereof or of the Plan, no portion of this Stock Option shall be exercisable after the Expiration Date hereof.
3.Termination of Service Relationship. If the Optionee’s Service Relationship with the Company or a Subsidiary (as defined in the Plan) is terminated, the period within which to exercise the Stock Option may be subject to earlier termination as set forth below.
(a)Termination Due to Death. If the Optionee’s Service Relationship with the Company or a Subsidiary terminates by reason of the Optionee’s death, then any portion of this Stock Option that has not vested as of the Optionee’s death shall immediately vest in full as of the date of death. Following any termination due to death, this Stock Option may thereafter be
exercised by the Optionee’s legal representative or legatee for a period of 12 months from the date of death or until the Expiration Date, if earlier.
(b)Termination Due to Permanent Disability. If the Optionee’s Service Relationship with the Company or a Subsidiary terminates by reason of the Optionee’s permanent disability (as defined below), then any portion of this Stock Option that has not vested as of the last date of the Optionee’s Service Relationship (the “Accelerated Vesting Date”) shall immediately vest in full as of the Accelerated Vesting Date. Following any termination due to disability, this Stock Option may thereafter be exercised by the Optionee for a period of 12 months from the Accelerated Vesting Date or until the Expiration Date, if earlier. For purposes of this Stock Option, “permanent disability” shall mean the inability of the Optionee to continue in his or her position for the Company (or an Affiliate) by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or which has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months, as determined by the Company in its sole discretion.
(c)Termination for Cause. If the Optionee’s Service Relationship with the Company or a Subsidiary terminates for Cause, any portion of this Stock Option outstanding on such date shall terminate immediately and be of no further force and effect.
(d)Other Termination. If the Optionee’s Service Relationship with the Company or a Subsidiary terminates for any reason other than the Optionee’s death, the Optionee’s permanent disability or Cause, and unless otherwise determined by the Administrator, any portion of this Stock Option outstanding on such date may be exercised, to the extent exercisable on the date of termination, for a period of three months from the date of termination or until the Expiration Date, if earlier. Any portion of this Stock Option that is not exercisable on the date of termination shall terminate immediately and be of no further force or effect.
The Administrator’s determination of the reason for termination of the Optionee’s Service Relationship with the Company or a Subsidiary shall be conclusive and binding on the Optionee and his or her representatives or legatees.
4.Incorporation of Plan. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, this Stock Option shall be subject to and governed by all the terms and conditions of the Plan, including the powers of the Administrator set forth in Section 2(b) of the Plan. Capitalized terms in this Agreement shall have the meaning specified in the Plan, unless a different meaning is specified herein.
5.Transferability. This Agreement is personal to the Optionee, is non-assignable and is not transferable in any manner, by operation of law or otherwise, other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution. This Stock Option is exercisable, during the Optionee’s lifetime, only by the Optionee, and thereafter, only by the Optionee’s legal representative or legatee.
▇.▇▇▇ Withholding. The Optionee shall, not later than the date as of which the exercise of this Stock Option becomes a taxable event for Federal income tax purposes, pay to the Company or make arrangements satisfactory to the Administrator for payment of any Federal, state, and
local taxes required by law to be withheld on account of such taxable event. The Company shall have the authority to cause the minimum required tax withholding obligation to be satisfied, in whole or in part, by withholding from shares of Stock to be issued to the Optionee a number of shares of Stock with an aggregate Fair Market Value that would satisfy the minimum withholding amount due.
▇.▇▇ Obligation to Continue Service Relationship. Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary is obligated by or as a result of the Plan or this Agreement to continue the Optionee in a Service Relationship with the Company or a Subsidiary and neither the Plan nor this Agreement shall interfere in any way with the right of the Company or any Subsidiary to terminate the Optionee’s Service Relationship with the Company or a Subsidiary at any time.
8.Integration. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties with respect to this Stock Option and supersedes all prior agreements and discussions between the parties concerning such subject matter.
▇.▇▇▇▇ Privacy Consent. In order to administer the Plan and this Agreement and to implement or structure future equity grants, the Company, its subsidiaries and affiliates and certain agents thereof (together, the “Relevant Companies”) may process any and all personal or professional data, including but not limited to Social Security or other identification number, home address and telephone number, date of birth and other information that is necessary or desirable for the administration of the Plan and/or this Agreement (the “Relevant Information”). By entering into this Agreement, the Optionee (i) authorizes the Company to collect, process, register and transfer to the Relevant Companies all Relevant Information; (ii) waives any privacy rights the Optionee may have with respect to the Relevant Information; (iii) authorizes the Relevant Companies to store and transmit such information in electronic form; and (iv) authorizes the transfer of the Relevant Information to any jurisdiction in which the Relevant Companies consider appropriate. The Optionee shall have access to, and the right to change, the Relevant Information. Relevant Information will only be used in accordance with applicable law.
10.Notices. Notices hereunder shall be mailed or delivered to the Company at its principal place of business and shall be mailed or delivered to the Optionee at the address on file with the Company or, in either case, at such other address as one party may subsequently furnish to the other party in writing.
By:
Name:
Title:
The foregoing Agreement is hereby accepted and the terms and conditions thereof hereby agreed to by the undersigned. Electronic acceptance of this Agreement pursuant to the Company’s instructions to the Optionee (including through an online acceptance process) is acceptable.
Acceptance Date: [Acceptance Date]
Appendix A: Vesting Schedule
[Vesting Schedule]