EXHIBIT 99.2
ADVANCED TISSUE SCIENCES, INC.
FORM OF STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT
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RECITALS
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A. The Board has adopted the Plan for the purpose of retaining the
services of selected Employees, non-employee members of the Board or of 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. This option shall be neither
transferable nor assignable by Optionee other than by will or by the laws of
descent and distribution following Optionee's death and may be exercised,
during Optionee's lifetime, only by Optionee. However, if this option is
designated a Non-Statutory Option in the Grant Notice, then this option may,
in connection with the Optionee's estate plan, be assigned in whole or in part
during Optionee's lifetime to one or more members of the Optionee's immediate
family or to a trust established for the exclusive benefit of one or more such
family members. 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 and shall
be set forth in such documents issued to the assignee as the Plan
Administrator may deem appropriate.
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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:
(1) Should Optionee cease to remain in Service for any
reason (other than death, Permanent Disability or Misconduct) while
this option is outstanding, 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.
(2) If Optionee dies while this option is outstanding,
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 in accordance with the laws of descent and distribution shall
have the right to exercise this option. Such right shall lapse, and
this option shall cease to be outstanding, upon the earlier of (A) the
expiration of the twelve (12)- month period measured from the date of
Optionee's death or (B) the Expiration Date.
(3) Should Optionee cease Service by reason of
Permanent Disability while this option is outstanding, 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.
(4) During the limited period of post-Service
exercisability, this option may not be exercised in the aggregate for
more than the number of vested 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 cease to be outstanding
for any vested 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 in which Optionee is
not otherwise at that time vested or for which this option is not
otherwise at that time exercisable.
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(5) Should Optionee's Service be terminated for
Misconduct, 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 the 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. No such
acceleration of this option, however, shall occur 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 pay-out in
accordance with the same option exercise/vesting schedule 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.
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.
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.
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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:
(1) Execute and deliver to the Corporation a Notice of
Exercise for the Option Shares for which the option is exercised.
(2) 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) to the extent the option is exercised for
vested Option Shares, 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 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 transaction.
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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.
(3) 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.
(4) 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 and the legal representatives, heirs
and legatees of Optionee's estate.
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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 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 State of
California without resort to that State'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:
(i) 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.
(ii) No installment under this option shall
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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
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.
(iii) 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.
(iv) 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.
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EXHIBIT I
NOTICE OF EXERCISE
I hereby notify Advanced Tissue Sciences, 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 1997 Stock Incentive Plan on _________, 199_.
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.
_________________, 199_
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: ______________________________
Employee Number: ______________________________
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APPENDIX
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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. CODE shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
D. COMMON STOCK shall mean the Corporation's common stock.
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 Advanced Tissue Sciences, Inc., a Delaware
corporation.
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 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.
K. FAIR MARKET VALUE per share of Common Stock on any relevant date
shall be determined in accordance with the following provisions:
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(i) If the Common Stock is at the time traded on the Nasdaq
National Market, then the Fair Market Value shall be 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 or any successor system. 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.
(ii) If the Common Stock is at the time listed on any Stock
Exchange, then the Fair Market Value shall be 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. 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.
▇. ▇▇▇▇▇ DATE shall mean the date of grant of the option as specified
in the Grant Notice.
▇. ▇▇▇▇▇ 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 be
deemed to be inclusive of all the acts or omissions which the Corporation (or
any Parent or Subsidiary) may consider as grounds for the dismissal or
discharge of Optionee or any other individual in the Service of the
Corporation (or any Parent or Subsidiary).
P. NON-STATUTORY OPTION shall mean an option not intended to satisfy
the requirements of Code Section 422.
Q. NOTICE OF EXERCISE shall mean the notice of exercise in the form
attached hereto as Exhibit I.
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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 1997 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.
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