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EXHIBIT 4.4
ELASTIC NETWORKS INC.
l999 Stock Incentive Plan
1. Purpose
The purpose of this 1999 Stock Incentive Plan (the Plan") of Elastic
Networks Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), is to advance the
interests of the Company's stockholders by enhancing the Company's ability to
attract, retain and motivate persons who make (or are expected to make)
important contributions to the Company by providing such persons with equity
ownership opportunities and performance-based incentives and thereby better
aligning the interests of such persons with those of the Company's stockholders.
Except where the context otherwise requires, the term "Company" shall include
any present or future subsidiary corporations of Elastic Networks Inc. as
defined in Section 424(f) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and
any regulations promulgated thereunder the "Code").
2. Eligibility
All of the Company's employees, officers, directors, consultants and
advisors are eligible to be granted options, restricted stock or other
stock-based awards (each, an "Award") under the Plan. Any person who has been
granted an Award under the Plan shall be deemed a "Participant."
3. Administration, Delegation
a. Administration by Board of Directors. The Plan will be administered by
the Board of Directors of the Company (the "Board"). The Board shall have
authority to grant Awards and to adopt, amend and repeal such administrative
rules, guidelines and practices relating to the Plan as it shall deem advisable.
The Board may correct any defect, supply any omission or reconcile any
inconsistency in the Plan or any Award in manner and to the extent it shall deem
expedient to carry the Plan into effect and it shall be the role and final judge
of such expediency. All decisions by the Board shall be made in the Board's sole
discretion and shall be final and binding on all persons having or claiming any
interest in the Plan or in any Award. No director or person acting pursuant to
the authoring delegated by the Board shall be liable for any action or
determination relating to or under the Plan made in good faith.
b. Delegation to Executive Officers. To the extent permitted by
applicable law, the Board may delegate to one or more executive officers of
the Company the power to make Awards and exercise such other powers under the
Plan as the Board may determine, provided that the Board shall fix the maximum
number of shares subject to Awards and the maximum number of shares for any one
Participant to be made by such executive officers.
c. Appointment of Committees. To the extent permitted by applicable law,
the Board may delegate any or all of its powers under the Plan to one or more
committees or subcommittees
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of the Board (a "Committee"). If and when the common stock, $.01 par value per
share, of the Company (the "Common Stock") is registered under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act"), the Board shall appoint one such
Committee of not less than two members, each member of which shall be an
"outside director" within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Code and a
"non-employee director" as defined in Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Exchange
Act. All references in the Plan to the "Board" shall mean the Board or a
Committee of the Board or the executive officer referred to in Section 3(b) to
the extent that the Board's powers or authority under the Plan have been
delegated to such Committee or executive officer.
4. Stock Available for Awards
a. Number of Shares. Subject to adjustment under Section 4(c), Awards may
be made under the Plan for up to 5,136,766 shares of Common Stock. If any Award
expires or is terminated, surrendered or canceled without having been fully
exercised or is forfeited in whole or in part or results in any Common Stock not
being issued, the unused Common Stock covered by such Award shall again be
available for the grant of Awards under the Plan, subject, however, in the case
of Incentive Stock 0ptions is hereinafter defined), to any limitation required
under the Code. Shares issued under the Plan may consist in whole or in part of
authorized but unissued shares or treasury shares.
b. Per-Participant Limit. Subject to adjustment under Section 4(c), for
Awards granted after the Common Stock is registered under the Exchange Act, the
maximum number of shares with respect to which an Award may be granted to any
Participant under the Plan shall be 2,000,000 per calendar year. The
per-participant limit described in this Section 4(b) shall be construed and
applied consistently with Section 162(m) of the Code.
c. Adjustment of Common Stock. In the event of any stock split, stock
dividend, recapitalization, reorganization, merger, consolidation, combination,
exchange of shares, liquidation, spin-off or other similar changes in
capitalization or event, or any distribution to holders of Common Stock other
than a normal cash dividend, (i) the number and class of securities available
under this Plan, (ii) the number and class of security and exercise price per
share subject to each outstanding Option, (iii) the repurchase price per
security subject to each outstanding Restricted Stock Award and (iv) the terms
of each other outstanding stock-based Award shall be appropriately adjusted by
the Company (or substituted Awards may be made, if applicable) to the extent the
Board shall determine, in good faith, that such an adjustment (or substitution)
is necessary and appropriate. If this Section 4(c) applies and Section 8(e)(i)
also applies to any event, Section 8(e)(i) shall be applicable to such event and
this Section 4(c) shall not be applicable.
5. Stock Options
a. General. The Board may grant options to purchase Common Stock (each,
an "Option") and determine the number of shares of Common Stock to be covered by
each Option, the exercise price of each Option and the conditions and
limitations applicable to the exercise of each
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Option, including conditions relating to applicable federal or state securities
laws, as it considers necessary or advisable. An option which is not intended to
be an Incentive Stock Option (as hereinafter defined) shall be designated a
"Nonstatutory Stock Option."
b. Incentive Stock Options. An Option that the Board intends to be an
"incentive stock option" as defined in Section 422 of the Code (an "Incentive
Stock Option") shall only be granted to employees of the Company and shall be
subject to and shall be construed consistently with the requirements of Section
422 of the Code. The Company shall have no liability to a Participant, or any
other party, if an Option (or any part thereof) which is intended to be an
Incentive Stock Option is not an Incentive Stock Option.
c. Exercise Price. The Board shall establish the exercise price at the
time each Option is granted and specify it in the applicable option agreement.
d. Duration of Options. Each Option shall be exercisable at such times
and subject to such terms and conditions as the Board may specify in the
applicable option agreement.
e. Exercise of Options. Options may be exercised only by delivery to the
Company of a written notice of exercised by the proper person together with
payment in full as specified in Section 5(f) for the number of shares for which
the Option is exercised.
f. Payment Upon Exercise. Common Stock purchased upon the exercise of an
Option granted under the Plan shall be paid for as follows:
i. in cash or by check, payable to the order of the Company;
ii. except as the Board may, in its sole discretion, otherwise
provide in an option agreement, by (A) delivery of an irrevocable and
unconditional undertaking by a creditworthy broker to deliver promptly to the
Company sufficient funds to pay the exercise price or (B) delivery by the
Participant to the Company or a copy of irrevocable and unconditional
instructions to a creditworthy broker to deliver promptly to the Company cash
or a check sufficient to pay the exercise price;
iii. when the Common Stock is registered under the Exchange Act, by
delivery of shares of Common Stock owned by the Participant valued at their fair
market value as determined by (or in a manner approved by) the Board in good
faith ("Fair Market Value"), which Common Stock was owned by the Participant at
least six months prior to such delivery;
iv. to the extent permitted by the Board, in its sole discretion by
(A) delivery of a promissory note of the Participant to the Company on terms
determined by the Board, or (B) payment of such other lawful consideration as
the Board may determine; or
v. by any combination of the above permitted forms of payment.
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6. Restricted Stock
a. Grants. The Board may grant Awards entitling recipients to acquire
shares of Common Stock, subject to the right of the Company to repurchase all or
part of such shares at their issue price or other stated or formula price (or to
require forfeiture of such shares if issued at no cost) from the recipient in
the event that conditions specified by the Board in the applicable Award are not
satisfied prior to the end of the applicable restriction period or periods
established by the Board for such Award (each, "Restricted Stock Award").
b. Terms and Conditions. The Board shall determine the terms and
conditions of any such Restricted Stock Award, including the conditions for
repurchase (or forfeiture) and the issue price, if any. Any stock certificates
issued in respect of a Restricted Stock Award shall be registered in the name of
the Participant and unless otherwise determined by the Board, deposited by the
Participant, together with a stock power endorsed in blank, with the Company (or
its designee). At the expiration of the applicable restriction periods, the
Company (or such designee) shall deliver the certificates no longer subject to
such restrictions to the Participant or, if the Participant has died, to the
beneficiary designated, in a manner determined by the Board, by a Participant to
receive amounts due or exercise rights of the Participant in the event of the
Participant's death (the "Designated Beneficiary"). In the absence of an
effective designation by a Participant, Designated Beneficiary shall mean the
Participant's estate.
7. Other Stock-Based Awards.
The Board shall have the right to grant other Awards based upon the
Common Stock having such terms and conditions as the Board may determine,
including the grant of shares based upon certain conditions, the grant of
securities convertible into Common Stock and the grant of stock appreciation
rights.
8. General Provisions Applicable to Awards
a. Transferability of Awards. Except as the Board may otherwise determine
or provide in an Award. Awards shall not be sold, assigned, transferred, pledged
or otherwise encumbered by the person to whom they are granted, either
voluntarily or by operation of law, except by will or the laws of descent and
distribution, and, during the life of the Participant, shall be exercisable only
by the Participant. References to a Participant, to the extent relevant in the
context, shall include references to authorized transferees.
b. Documentation. Each Award under the Plan shall be evidenced by a
written instrument in such form as the Board shall determine. Each Award may
contain terms and conditions in addition to those set forth in the Plan.
c. Board Discretion. Except as otherwise provided by the Plan, each type
of Award may be made alone or in addition in relation to any other type of
Award. The terms of each type of
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Award need not be identical and the Board need not treat Participants uniformly.
d. Termination of Status. The Board shall determine the effect on an
Award of the disability, death, retirement, authorized leave of absence or other
change in the employment or other status of a Participant and the extent to
which, and the period during which, the Participant, the Participant's legal
representative, conservator, guardian or Designated Beneficiary may exercise
rights under the Award.
e. Acquisition Events
i. Consequences of Acquisition Events. Upon the occurrence of an
Acquisition Event (as defined below), each outstanding Option or Award shall be
assumed or an equivalent option or award substituted by the successor
corporation or a parent or subsidiary of the successor corporation, provided
that any such Options substituted for Incentive Stock Options shall satisfy, in
the determination of the Board the requirements of Section 424(a) of the Code,
unless the successor corporation refuses to assume, or substitute for the Option
or Award, in which case (i) the Participant shall have the right to exercise the
Option in full, including with respect to shares of Common Stock as to which it
would not otherwise be exercisable, (ii) all Restricted Stock Awards then
outstanding shall become free of all restrictions prior to the consummation of
the Acquisition Event and (iii) any other stock-based Awards outstanding shall
become exercisable, realizable or vested in full, or shall be free of all
conditions or restrictions, as applicable to each such Award, prior to the
consummation of the Acquisition Event. If an Option or Award is exercisable in
lieu of assumption or substitution in the event of an Acquisition Event, the
Board shall notify the Participant in writing or electronically that the Option
or Award shall be fully exercisable for a period of not less than 45 days from
the date of such notice, and the Option or Award shall terminate upon the
expiration of such period.
Each Option or other Award assumed or substituted pursuant to the
immediately preceding paragraph shall include a provision to the effect that
such Option or Award shall become immediately exercisable (or vested) in full
if, on or prior to the first anniversary of the Acquisition Event, the
Participant terminates his or her employment for Good Reason or is terminated
without Cause by the surviving or acquiring corporation. "Good Reason" shall
mean a reduction of 20% or more in the annual Total Target Cash Compensation for
which the Participant is eligible or, with respect to the Participants who are
employed in the position of Vice President or higher, assignment to
responsibilities which are not substantially equivalent in the aggregate to
those responsibilities to which they were assigned prior to the Acquisition
Event. "Total Target Cash Compensation" shall mean annual base salary plus
target short term incentive compensation payable at 100% Participant
performance, whether sales incentive, bonus or otherwise. "Cause" shall mean any
act or omission by the Participant which is or is likely to be injurious to the
Company or the business reputation of the Company, failure by the Participant to
perform his or her material responsibilities to the Company (including, without
limitation, breach by the Participant of any provision of any employment,
consulting, advisory, nondisclosure, non-competition or other similar agreement
between the Participant and the Company), violation by the Participant of the
Company's
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rules, policies or procedures, or refusal by the Participant to obey the lawful
direction (consistent with the Participant's responsibilities) of the Board or
any person to whom the Participant reports. The Participant shall be considered
to have been discharged for "Cause" if the Company determines, within 30 days
after the Participant's resignation, that discharge for Cause was warranted. as
determined by the Company, which determination shall be conclusive.
An "Acquisition Event" shall mean: (a) any merger or consolidation
which results in the voting securities of the Company outstanding immediately
prior thereto representing immediately thereafter (either by remaining
outstanding or by being converted into voting securities of the surviving or
acquiring entity) less than 50% of the combined voting power of the voting
securities of the Company or such surviving or acquiring entity outstanding
immediately after such merger or consolidation; (b) any safe of all or
substantially all of the assets of the Company; or (c) the complete liquidation
of the Company.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the election of any Purchaser (as
defined in the Right of First Offer and Co-Sale Agreement, dated as of May 1999
and as amended from time to time, by and among the Company, Nortel Networks Inc.
("Nortel Networks") and the persons and entities listed on Exhibit A thereto
(the "Right of First Offer Agreement")) to sell its Shares (as defined in the
Right of First Offer Agreement) to Nortel Networks pursuant to Section 6 of the
Right of First Offer Agreement, and the purchase of any such Shares by Nortel
Networks, shall not be deemed to be an Acquisition Event.
ii. Assumption of Options Upon Certain Events. The Board may grant
Awards under the Plan in substitution for stock and stock-based awards held by
employees of another corporation who become employees of the Company as a result
of a merger or consolidation of the employing corporation with the Company or
the acquisition by the Company of property or stock of the employing
corporation. The Substitute Awards shall be granted on such terms and conditions
as the Board considers appropriate in the circumstances.
(f) Withholding. Each Participant shall pay to the Company, or make
provision satisfactory to the Board for payment of, any taxes required by law to
be withheld in connection with Awards to such Participant no later than the date
of the event creating the tax liability. Except as the Board may otherwise
provide in an Award, when the Common Stock is registered under the Exchange Act,
Participants may satisfy such tax obligations in whole or in part by delivery of
shares of Common Stock, including shares retained from the Award creating the
tax obligation, valued at their Fair Market Value. The Company may, to the
extent permitted by law, deduct any such tax obligations from any payment of any
kind otherwise due to a Participant.
(g) Amendment of Award. The Board may amend, modify or terminate any
outstanding Award, including but not limited to substituting therefor another
Award of the same or a different type, changing the date exercise or
realization, and converting an Incentive Stock Option to a Nonstatutory Stock
Option, provided that the Participant's consent to such action shall be required
unless the Board determines that the action, taking into account any related
action, would not
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materially and adversely affect the Participant.
(h) Conditions on Delivery of Stock. The Company will not be obligated
to deliver any shares of Common Stock pursuant to the Plan or to remove
restrictions from shares previously delivered under the Plan until all
conditions of the Award have been met or removed to the satisfaction of the
Company, in the opinion of the Company's counsel, all other legal matters in
connection with the issuance and delivery of such shares have been satisfied,
including any applicable securities laws and any applicable stock exchange or
stock market rules and regulations, and (iii) the Participant has executed
and delivered to the Company such representations or agreements as the
Company may consider appropriate to satisfy the requirements of any
applicable laws, rules or regulations.
(i) Acceleration. The Board may at any time provide that any Options
shall become immediately exercisable in full or in part, that any Restricted
Stock Awards shall be free of all restrictions or that any other stock-based
Awards may become exercisable in full or in part or free of some or all
restrictions or conditions, or otherwise realizable in full or in part, as the
case may be.
9. Miscellaneous
a. No Right To Employment or Other Status. No person shall have any claim
or right to be granted an Award, and the grant of an Award shall not be
construed as giving a Participant the right to continued employment or any other
relationship with the Company or affecting the ability of the Company or the
Participant to terminate the employment relationship, if any, for any reason,
including, but not limited to, without Cause or without Good Reason, as
applicable. The Company expressly reserves the right at any time to dismiss or
otherwise terminate its relationship with a Participant free from any liability
or claim under the Plan, except as expressly provided in the applicable Award.
b. No Rights As Stockholder. Subject to the provisions of the applicable
Award, no Participant or Designated Beneficiary shall have any rights as a
stockholder with respect to any shares of Common Stock to be distributed with
respect to an Award until becoming the record holder of such shares.
c. Effective Date and Term of Plan. The Plan shall become effective on
the date on which it is adopted by the Board, but no Award granted to a
Participant designated by the Board as subject to Section 162(m) of the Code by
the Board shall become exercisable, vested or realizable. as applicable to such
Award, unless and until the Plan has been approved by the Company's stockholders
to the extent stockholder approval is required by Section 162(m) in the manner
required under Section 162(m) (including the vote required under Section
162(m)). No Awards shall be granted under the Plan after the completion of ten
years from the earlier of (i) the date on which the Plan was adopted by the
Board or (ii) the date the Plan was approved by the Company's stockholders, but
Awards previously granted may extend beyond that date.
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d. Amendment of Plan. The Board may amend, suspend or terminate the Plan
or any portion thereof at any time, provided that to the extent required by
Section 162(m) of the Code, no Award granted to a Participant designated as
subject to Section 162(m) by the Board after the date of such amendment shall
become exercisable, realizable or vested, as applicable to such Award (to the
extent that such amendment to the Plan was required to grant such Award to a
particular Participant), unless and until such amendment shall have been
approved by the Company's stockholders as required by Section 162(m) (including
the vote required under Section 162(m)).
e. Governing Law. The provisions of the Plan and all Awards made
hereunder shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of
the State of Delaware, without regard to any applicable conflicts of law.
Adopted by the Board of Directors
on May 12, 1999
Approved by the Stockholders
on May 12, 1999
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