▇▇▇▇▇▇ LEASE FINANCE CORPORATION
AUTOMATIC STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT
RECITALS
A. The Corporation has implemented an automatic option grant
program under the Corporation's 1996 Stock Incentive Plan (the "Plan") pursuant
to which eligible non-associate members of the Corporation's Board of Directors
(the "Board") will automatically receive special option grants at periodic
intervals over their period of Board service in order to provide such
individuals with a meaningful incentive to continue to serve as a member of the
Board.
B. Optionee is an eligible non-associate Board member, and
this Agreement is executed pursuant to, and is intended to carry out the
purposes of, the Plan in connection with the automatic grant of a stock option
to purchase shares of the Corporation's common stock ("Common Stock") under the
Plan.
C. The granted option is intended to be a non-statutory option
which does not meet the requirements of Section 422 of the Internal Revenue
Code.
D. All capitalized terms in this Agreement, to the extent not
otherwise defined in the 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, a Non-Statutory 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, 6 or 7.
3. Limited Transferability. 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 Corporation may
deem appropriate. Should the Optionee die while holding this option, then this
option shall be transferred in accordance with Optionee's will or the laws of
descent and distribution.
4. Exercisability/Vesting.
A. This option shall be immediately exercisable for any or all
of the Option Shares, whether or not the Option Shares are vested in accordance
with the Vesting Schedule set forth in the Grant Notice, and shall remain so
exercisable until the Expiration Date or the sooner termination of the option
term under Paragraph 5,6 or 7.
B. Optionee shall, in accordance with the Vesting Schedule set
forth in the Grant Notice, vest in the Option Shares in one or more installments
over his or her period of Board service. Vesting in the Option Shares may be
accelerated pursuant to the provisions of Paragraph 5, 6 or 7. In no event,
however, shall any additional Option Shares vest following Optionee's cessation
of service as a Board member.
5. Cessation of Board Service. Should Optionee's service as a
Board member cease while this option remains outstanding, then the option term
specified in Paragraph 2 shall terminate (and this option shall cease to be
outstanding) prior to the Expiration Date in accordance with the following
provisions:
- Should Optionee cease to serve as a Board member for any
reason (other than death or Permanent Disability) while holding this
option, then the period for exercising this option shall be reduced to
a twelve (12)-month period commencing with the date of such cessation
of Board service, but in no event shall this option be exercisable at
any time after the Expiration Date. During such limited period of
exercisability, this option may not be exercised in the aggregate for
more than the number of Option Shares (if any) in which the Optionee is
vested on the date Optionee ceases service as a Board member. Upon the
earlier of (i) the expiration of such twelve (12)-month period or (ii)
the specified Expiration Date, the option shall terminate and cease to
be exercisable with respect to any vested Option Shares for which the
option has not been exercised.
- Should Optionee die during the twelve (12)-month period
following his or her cessation of Board service, 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 for any or all of the Option Shares in which the
Optionee is vested at the time of Optionee's cessation of Board service
(less any Option Shares purchased
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by Optionee after such cessation of Board service but prior to death).
Such right of exercise shall terminate, and this option shall
accordingly cease to be exercisable for such vested Option Shares, upon
the earlier of (A) the expiration of the twelve (12)-month period
measured from the date of Optionee's cessation of Board service or (B)
the specified Expiration Date of the option term.
- Should Optionee cease service as a Board member by reason of
death or Permanent Disability, then all Option Shares at the time
subject to this option but not otherwise vested shall immediately vest
in full so that the Optionee (or the personal representative of the
Optionee's estate or the person or persons to whom the option is
transferred upon the Optionee's death) shall have the right to exercise
this option for any or all of the Option Shares as fully-vested shares
of Common Stock at any time prior to the earlier of (A) the expiration
of the twelve (12)-month period measured from the date of the
Optionee's cessation of Board service or (B) the specified Expiration
Date.
- Upon Optionee's cessation of Board service for any reason
other than death or Permanent Disability, this option shall immediately
terminate and cease to be outstanding with respect to any and all
Option Shares in which the Optionee is not otherwise at that time
vested in accordance with the normal Vesting Schedule set forth in the
Grant Notice or the special vesting acceleration provisions of
Paragraph 6 or 7 below.
6. Corporate Transaction.
A. In the event of a Corporate Transaction, the shares of
Common Stock at the time subject to each outstanding option but not otherwise
vested shall automatically vest in full so that each option shall, immediately
prior to the specified effective date for the Corporate Transaction, become
fully exercisable for all of the shares of Common Stock at the time subject to
such option and may be exercised for all of any portion of those shares as
fully-vested shares of Common Stock. Immediately following the consummation of
the Corporate Transaction, this option shall terminate and cease to be
outstanding, except to the extent assumed by the successor corporation or its
parent company.
B. Each option which is assumed in connection with a Corporate
Transaction 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.
Appropriate adjustments shall also be made to the Exercise Price payable per
share under each outstanding option, provided the aggregate Exercise Price for
such securities shall remain the same.
3.
7. Change in Control/Hostile Take-Over.
A. All Option Shares subject to this option at the time of a
Change in Control but not otherwise vested shall automatically vest so that this
option shall, immediately prior to the effective date of such Change in Control,
become exercisable for any or all of those Option Shares as fully-vested shares
of Common Stock. This option shall remain exercisable for such fully-vested
Option Shares until the earliest to occur of (i) the specified Expiration Date,
(ii) the sooner termination of this option in accordance with Paragraph 5 or 6
or (iii) the surrender of this option under Paragraph 7.B.
B. Provided this option has been outstanding for at least six
(6) months prior to the occurrence of a Hostile Take-Over, Optionee shall have
an unconditional right (exercisable during the thirty (30)-day period
immediately following the consummation of such Hostile Take-Over) to surrender
this option to the Corporation in exchange for a cash distribution from the
Corporation in an amount equal to the excess of (i) the Take-Over Price of the
Option Shares at the time subject to the surrendered option (whether or not
those Option Shares are otherwise at the time vested) over (ii) the aggregate
Exercise Price payable for such shares. This Paragraph 7.B limited stock
appreciation right shall in all events terminate upon the expiration or sooner
termination of the option term and may not be assigned or transferred by
Optionee.
C. To exercise the Paragraph 7.B limited stock appreciation
right, Optionee must, during the applicable thirty (30)-day exercise period,
provide the Corporation with written notice of the option surrender in which
there is specified the number of Option Shares as to which the Option is being
surrendered. Such notice must be accompanied by the return of Optionee's copy of
this Agreement, together with any written amendments to such Agreement. The
exercise of such limited right in accordance with the provisions of this
Paragraph 7 is hereby pre-approved by the Plan Administrator. The cash
distribution shall be paid to Optionee within five (5) days following such
delivery date, and neither the approval of the Plan Administrator nor the
consent of the Board shall be required in connection with such option surrender
and cash distribution. Upon receipt of such cash distribution, this option shall
be cancelled with respect to the shares subject to the surrendered option (or
the surrendered portion), and Optionee shall cease to have any further right to
acquire those Option Shares under this Agreement. The option shall, however,
remain outstanding for the balance of the Option Shares (if any) in accordance
with the terms and provisions of this Agreement, and the Corporation shall
accordingly issue a new stock option agreement (substantially in the same form
as this Agreement) for those remaining Option Shares.
8. 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
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Exercise Price in order to reflect such change and thereby preclude a dilution
or enlargement of benefits hereunder; provided, however, that the aggregate
Exercise Price shall remain the same.
9. 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.
10. Manner of Exercising Option.
A. In order to exercise this option for all or any part of the
Option Shares for which the option is at the time exercisable, Optionee (or in
the case of exercise after Optionee's death, Optionee's executor, administrator,
heir or legatee, as the case may be) must take the following actions:
(i) To the extent the option is exercised for vested
Option Shares, the Secretary of the Corporation shall be provided with
written notice of the option exercise (the "Exercise Notice"), in
substantially the form of Exhibit I attached hereto, in which there is
specified the number of vested Option Shares to be purchased under the
exercised option. To the extent the option is exercised for one or more
unvested Option Shares, the Optionee (or other person exercising the
option) shall deliver to the Secretary of the Corporation a Purchase
Agreement for those unvested Option Shares.
(ii) The aggregate Exercise Price for the purchased
shares shall be paid in one or more of the following alternative forms:
- full payment in cash or check made payable to the
Corporation's order; or
- full payment in 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
- to the extent the option is exercised for vested
Option Shares, full payment effected through a broker-dealer sale and
remittance procedure pursuant to which Optionee shall provide
irrevocable written instructions (A) to a Corporation-designated
brokerage firm to effect the immediate sale of the vested shares
purchased under the option 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 those shares plus the
applicable Federal, State and local income taxes required to be
withheld by the Corporation by reason of such exercise
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and (B) to the Corporation to deliver the certificates for the
purchased shares directly to such brokerage firm in order to complete
the sale.
(iii) Appropriate documentation evidencing the right to
exercise this option shall be furnished the Corporation if the person
or persons exercising the option is other than the Optionee.
(iv) Appropriate arrangement must be made with the
Corporation for the satisfaction of all Federal, State and local income
tax withholding requirements applicable to the option exercise.
B. Except to the extent the sale and remittance procedure
specified above is utilized in connection with the exercise of the option for
vested shares, payment of the Exercise Price for the purchased shares must
accompany the Exercise Notice or Purchase Agreement delivered to the Corporation
in connection with the option exercise.
C. 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 or certificates representing the
purchased Option Shares. To the extent any such Option Shares are unvested, the
certificates for those Option Shares shall be endorsed with an appropriate
legend evidencing the Corporation's repurchase rights and may be held in escrow
with the Corporation until such shares vest.
D. In no event may this option be exercised for any fractional
shares.
11. No Impairment of Rights. This Agreement shall not in any
way affect the right of the Corporation to adjust, reclassify, reorganize or
otherwise make changes in its capital or business structure or to merge,
consolidate, dissolve, liquidate or sell or transfer all or any part of its
business or assets. Nor shall this Agreement in any way be construed or
interpreted so as to affect adversely or otherwise impair the right of the
Corporation or the stockholders to remove Optionee from the Board at any time in
accordance with the provisions of applicable law.
12. 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
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liability with respect to the non-issuance or sale of the Common Stock as to
which such approval shall not have been obtained. However, the Corporation shall
use its best efforts to obtain all such applicable approvals.
13. Successors and Assigns. Except to the extent otherwise
provided in Paragraph 3 or 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.
14. Construction/Governing Law. This Agreement and the option
evidenced hereby are made and granted pursuant to the Automatic Option Grant
Program in effect under the Plan and are in all respects limited by and subject
to the express terms and provisions of that Program. 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.
15. 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.
7.
EXHIBIT I
NOTICE OF EXERCISE
I hereby notify ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Lease Finance Corporation (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 1996 Stock Incentive Plan on _________,
199__.
Concurrently with the delivery of this Exercise Notice to the
Secretary of 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 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 for
any Purchased Shares in which I am vested at the time of exercise.
-------------------------- ----------------------------------
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: ----------------------------------
APPENDIX
The following definitions shall be in effect under the Agreement:
A. Agreement shall mean this Automatic Stock Option Agreement.
B. Board shall mean the Corporation's Board of Directors.
C. Change in Control shall mean a change in ownership or control
of the Corporation effected through either of the following transactions:
- the acquisition, directly or indirectly, by any person or
related group of persons (other than the Corporation or a person that
directly or indirectly controls, is controlled by, or is under common
control with, the Corporation) of beneficial ownership (within the
meaning of Rule 13d-3 of the 1934 Act) of securities possessing more
than fifty percent (50%) of the total combined voting power of the
Corporation's outstanding securities pursuant to a tender or exchange
offer made directly to the Corporation's stockholders which the Board
does not recommend such stockholders to accept, or
- a change in the composition of the Board over a period of
thirty-six (36) consecutive months or less such that a majority of the
Board members ceases, by reason of one or more contested elections for
Board membership, to be comprised of individuals who either (A) have
been Board members continuously since the beginning of such period or
(B) have been elected or nominated for election as Board members during
such period by at least a majority of the Board members described in
clause (A) who were still in office at the time the Board approved such
election or nomination.
D. Code shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
E. Common Stock shall mean the Corporation's common stock.
F. Corporate Transaction shall mean either of the following
stockholder-approved transactions to which the Corporation is a party:
- 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
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- the sale, transfer or other disposition of all or
substantially all of the Corporation's assets in complete liquidation
or dissolution of the Corporation.
G. Corporation shall mean ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Lease Finance Corporation, a
California corporation.
H. Exercise Date shall mean the date on which the option shall
have been exercised in accordance with Paragraph 10 of the Agreement.
I. Exercise Price shall mean the exercise price payable per share
as specified in the Grant Notice.
J. Expiration Date shall mean the date on which the option term
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:
(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 Automatic Stock
Option accompanying the Agreement, pursuant to which Optionee has been informed
of the basic terms of the option evidenced hereby.
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N. Hostile Take-Over shall mean a change in ownership of the
Corporation effected through the following transaction:
- the acquisition, directly or indirectly, by any person or
related group of persons (other than the Corporation or a person that
directly or indirectly controls, is controlled by, or is under common
control with, the Corporation) of beneficial ownership (within the
meaning of Rule 13d-3 of the 1934 Act) of securities possessing more
than fifty percent (50%) of the total combined voting power of the
Corporation's outstanding securities pursuant to a tender or exchange
offer made directly to the Corporation's stockholders which the Board
does not recommend such stockholders to accept, and
- more than fifty percent (50%) of the acquired securities are
accepted from holders other than the officers and directors of the
Corporation subject to the short-swing profit restrictions of Section
16 of the 1934 Act.
O. 1934 Act shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended.
P. Non-Statutory Option shall mean an option not intended to
satisfy the requirements of Code Section 422.
Q. Option Shares shall mean the number of shares of Common Stock
subject to the option.
R. Optionee shall mean the person to whom the option is granted
as specified in the Grant Notice.
S. Permanent Disability shall mean the inability of Optionee to
perform his or her usual duties as a Board member 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.
T. Plan shall mean the Corporation's 1996 Stock Option Stock
Issuance Plan.
U. Purchase Agreement shall mean the stock purchase agreement (in
form and substance satisfactory to the Corporation) which must be executed at
the time the option is exercised for any unvested Option Shares and which will
accordingly (i) grant the Corporation the right to repurchase, at the Exercise
Price, any and all of those Option Shares in which the Optionee is not otherwise
vested at the time of his or her cessation of service as a Board member and (ii)
preclude the sale, transfer or other disposition of any of the Option Shares
purchased under such agreement while those Option Shares remain subject to the
repurchase right.
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V. Stock Exchange shall mean the American Stock Exchange or the
New York Stock Exchange.
W. Take-Over Price shall mean the greater of (i) the Fair Market
Value per share of Common Stock on the date the option is surrendered to the
Corporation in connection with a Hostile Take-Over or (ii) the highest reported
price per share of Common Stock paid by the tender offeror in effecting the
Hostile Take-Over.
X. Vesting Schedule shall mean the vesting schedule specified in
the Grant Notice, pursuant to which Optionee will vest in the Option Shares in
one or more annual installments over his or her period of Board service, subject
to acceleration in accordance with the provisions of the Agreement.
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