Registration
Number 333-
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM S-8
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
under
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
COGNEX CORPORATION
(Exact name of issuer as specified in its charter)
Massachusetts 04-2713778
(State of Incorporation) (IRS Employer Identification Number)
One Vision Drive, Natick, MA 01760
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)
(508) 650-3000
(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)
Cognex Corporation
1998 Stock Incentive Plan
Cognex Corporation 1998 Non-Employee Director
Stock Option Plan
(Full title of the Plans)
Anthony J. Medaglia, Jr., Esquire
Hutchins, Wheeler & Dittmar
A Professional Corporation
101 Federal Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02110
(617) 951-6600
(Name, address and telephone number of agent for service)
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
<TABLE>
Proposed Proposed
Title of Maximum Maximum
Securities Amount Offering Aggregate Amount of
to be to be Price Offering Registration
Registered Registered(l) Per Share Price Fee(2)
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Common Stock 4,250,000 shares $16.125 $68,531,250 $20,216.72
</TABLE>
(1) Also registered hereunder are such additional number of shares of
Common Stock, presently indeterminable, as may be necessary to satisfy
the antidilution provisions of the Plan to which this Registration
Statement relates. Four million (4,000,000) shares shall be issued
under the 1998 Stock Incentive Plan. Two Hundred Fifty Thousand
(250,000) shares shall be issued under the 1998 Stock Option Plan for
Non-Employee Directors.
(2) The registration fee has been calculated with respect to 67,750,000
shares registered on the basis of the average of the high and low
sale prices on the Nasdaq National Market on August 4, 1998.
<PAGE>
PART II
INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT
Item 3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference
The Company hereby incorporates by reference the documents listed in
(a) through (c) below. In addition, all documents subsequently filed by the
Company pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 (prior to filing of a post-effective amendment which
indicates that all securities offered have been sold or which deregisters all
securities then remaining unsold) shall be deemed to be incorporated by
reference in this Registration Statement and to be a part thereof from the date
of filing of such documents.
(a) The Company's latest annual report filed pursuant to Section 13(a)
or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or the latest prospectus filed
pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, which contains either
directly or by incorporation by reference, audited financial statements for the
Company's latest fiscal year for which such statements have been filed.
(b) All of the reports filed by the Company pursuant to Section 13(a)
or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 since the end of the fiscal year
covered by the annual report or the prospectus referred to in (a) above.
(c) The description of the Company's Common Stock which is contained in
the Registration Statement filed by the Company under the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, including any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating
such description.
Item 4. Description of Securities
Inapplicable.
Item 5. Interests of Named Experts and Counsel
The validity of the authorization and issuance of the Common Stock
offered hereby will be passed upon for the Company by Hutchins, Wheeler &
Dittmar, A Professional Corporation, Boston, Massachusetts. Anthony J. Medaglia,
Jr., who is a stockholder of Hutchins, Wheeler & Dittmar, A Professional
Corporation, is the Clerk of the Company.
Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers
The Massachusetts General Corporate Law and the Company's Article of
Incorporation and By-Laws allow for indemnification of the Company's directors
and officers for liabilities and expenses that they may incur in such
capacities. In general, directors and officers are indemnified with respect to
actions taken in good faith in a manner reasonably believed to be in, or not
opposed to, the best interests of the Company, and with respect to any criminal
action or proceeding, actions that the indemnitee has no reasonable cause to
believe were unlawful.
Article 7 of the Amended By-Laws of the Company provides as follows:
<PAGE>
(a) "Director/officer" means any person who is serving or has served as
a Director, officer or employee of the Corporation appointed or elected by the
Board of Directors or the stockholders of the Corporation, or any Director,
officer or employee of the Corporation who is serving or has served at the
request of the Corporation as a Director, officer, trustee, principal, partner,
employee or other agent of any other organization.
(b) "Proceeding" means any action, suit or proceeding, civil or
criminal, brought or threatened in or before any court, tribunal, administrative
or legislative body or agency.
(c) "Expense" means any fine or penalty, and any liability fixed by a
judgment, order, decree or award in a Proceeding, any amount reasonably paid in
settlement of a Proceeding and any professional fees and other disbursements
reasonably incurred in connection with a Proceeding.
Section 7.2 Right to Indemnification
Except as limited by law or as provided in Sections 7.3 and 7.4 of this
Article 7, each Director/officer (and his heirs and personal representatives)
shall be indemnified by the Corporation against any Expense incurred by him in
connection with each Proceeding in which he is involved as a result of his
serving or having served as a Director/officer.
Section 7.3 Indemnification Not Available
No indemnification shall be provided to a Director/officer with respect
to a Proceeding as to which it shall have been adjudicated that he did not act
in good faith in the reasonable belief that his action was in the best interests
of the Corporation.
Section 7.4 Compromise or Settlement
In the event that a Proceeding is compromised or settled so as to
impose any liability or obligation on a Director/officer or upon the
Corporation, no indemnification shall be provided as to said Director/officer
with respect to such Proceeding if such Director/officer shall have been
adjudicated not to have acted in good faith in the reasonable belief that his
action was in the best interests of the Corporation.
Section 7.5 Advances
The Corporation shall pay sums on account of indemnification in advance
of a final disposition of a Proceeding upon receipt of an undertaking by the
Director/officer to repay such sums if it is subsequently established that he is
not entitled to indemnification pursuant to Sections 7.3 and 7.4 hereof, which
undertaking may be accepted without reference to the financial ability of such
person to make repayment.
Section 7.6 Not Exclusive
Nothing in this Article 7 shall limit any lawful rights to
indemnification existing independently of this Article 7.
<PAGE>
Section 7.7 Insurance
The provisions of this Article 7 shall not limit the power of the Board
of Directors to authorize the purchase and maintenance of insurance on behalf of
any Director/officer against any Expense, whether or not the Corporation would
have the power to indemnify him against such Expense under this Article 7.
Item 7. Exemption from Registration Claimed
Not applicable.
Item 8. Exhibits
Number Description
4.1 1998 Non-Employee Director Stock Option Plan
(filed herewith).
4.2 1998 Stock Incentive Plan (filed herewith)
5 Opinion of Hutchins, Wheeler & Dittmar, A
Professional Corporation, as to legality of shares
being registered and consent of Hutchins, Wheeler &
Dittmar, A Professional Corporation (filed
herewith).
23 Consent of Independent Accountants -
included in Registration Statement under heading
"Consent of Independent Accountants."
Item 9. Undertakings
The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes the following:
(a) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:
(1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are
being made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:
(i) To include any prospectus required by Section
10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;
(ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or
events arising after the effective date of
this Registration Statement (or the most
recent post-effective amendment thereof)
which, individually or in the aggregate,
represent a fundamental change in the
information set forth in this Registration
Statement. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume
of securities offered (if the total dollar
value of securities offered would not exceed
that which was registered) and any deviation
from the low or high end of the estimated
maximum offering range may be reflected in the
form of prospectus filed with the Commission
pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate,
the changes in volume and price
represent no more than 20 percent change in
the maximum aggregate offering price set
forth in the "Calculation of Registration
Fee" table in the effective registration
statement;
<PAGE>
(iii) To include any material information with
respect to the plan of distribution not
previously disclosed in this Registration
Statement or any material change to such
information in this Registration Statement.
Provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(l)(i) and (a)(l)(ii) do not apply if the
information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those
paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed by the Registrant pursuant to
Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are
incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement.
(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be
a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.
(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective
amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the
termination of the offering.
(b) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the
Registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an
employee benefit plan's annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in this
Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement
relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities
at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(c) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes, that, insofar as
indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be
permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant
pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been
advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such
indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act of
1933 and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for
indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the
Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling
person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or
proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in
connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in
the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent,
submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such
indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities
Act of 1933 and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
<PAGE>
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the
Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all
of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in Natick, Massachusetts on August 6, 1998.
COGNEX CORPORATION
By: /s/Robert J. Shillman
Name: Robert J. Shillman
Title: President
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the
capacities and on the dates indicated.
<TABLE>
Signature Title Date
<S> <C> <C>
/s/ Robert J. Shillman Director, President August 6, 1998
Robert J. Shillman and Chief Executive Officer
(principal executive officer)
/s/ John Rogers Chief Financial Officer and August 6, 1998
John Rogers Treasurer (principal financial
and accounting officer)
/s/William A. Krivsky Director August 6, 1998
William A. Krivsky
/s/Reuben Wasserman Director August 6, 1998
Reuben Wasserman
/s/Anthony Sun Director August 6, 1998
Anthony Sun
/s/Jerald Fishman Director August 6, 1998
Jerald Fishman
</TABLE>
<PAGE>
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
EXHIBITS
to
FORM S-8
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
under
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
COGNEX CORPORATION
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
COGNEX CORPORATION
1998 NON-EMPLOYEE DIRECTOR STOCK OPTION PLAN
1. Purpose of the Plan.
The purpose of this 1998 Non-Employee Director Stock Option Plan (the
"Plan") is to promote the interests of Cognex Corporation (the "Company") by
providing an inducement to attract and retain the services of qualified persons
who are not employees or officers of the Company to serve as members of its
Board of Directors.
2. Shares Subject to the Plan.
The total number of the authorized but unissued shares of common stock,
par value $.002 per share, of the Company (the "Common Stock") for which options
may be granted under this Plan shall not exceed 250,000 shares in the aggregate,
subject to adjustment in accordance with Section 9 hereof.
3. Administration.
This Plan shall be administered by the Board of Directors (the "Board").
The Board shall, subject to the provisions of this Plan, have the power to
construe this Plan, to determine all questions hereunder, and to adopt and amend
such rules and regulations for the administration of this Plan as it may deem
desirable. No member of the Board shall be liable for any action or
determination made in good faith with respect to this Plan or any option granted
under it.
4. Eligibility; Grant of Option.
Existing Director Options. Each of Jerald G. Fishman, William A.
Krivsky, Anthony Sun, Reuben Wasserman, who are the current non-employee
directors of the Company who are not otherwise employees of the Company, shall
be granted initially an option to acquire the number of Shares under this Plan
(the "Existing Director Options") set forth below opposite their respective
names. The date of grant for such options granted to the four (4) current
non-employee directors named above shall be February 28, 1998, the date of
adoption of this Plan by the Board:
Name Number of Shares
Jerald G. Fishman 20,000
William A. Krivsky 40,000
Anthony Sun 40,000
Reuben Wasserman 40,000
<PAGE>
New Director Options. Subject to the availability of shares of Common
Stock under this Plan, each person who is first elected as a member of the Board
after the adoption of this Plan and during the term of this Plan and who is not
an employee or officer of the Company on the date of such election may be
granted an option to purchase shares of Common Stock (the "New Director
Options") as determined by the Board.
The Existing Director Options and the New Director Options
(collectively, the "Options") shall be non-qualified options not intended to
meet the requirements of Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended (the "Code").
5. Option Agreement.
Each Option granted under this Plan shall be evidenced by an option
agreement (the "Agreement") duly executed on behalf of the Company and by the
director to whom such Option is granted, which Agreement shall (i) comply with
and be subject to the terms and conditions of this Plan and (ii) provide that
the optionee agrees to continue to serve as a director of the Company during the
term for which he was elected.
6. Option Exercise Price.
Existing Director Options. The option exercise price for the
Existing Director Options granted this date shall be $23.66 .
New Director Options. Subject to the provisions of Section 9
hereof, the option exercise price for New Director Options granted under this
Plan shall be the fair market value of the shares of Common Stock covered by the
option on the date of grant of the option. If such shares are then listed on any
national securities exchange, the fair market value shall be the mean between
the high and low sales prices, if any, on such exchange on the business day
immediately preceding the date of the grant of the option or, if none, shall be
determined by taking a weighted average of the means between the highest and
lowest sales prices on the nearest date before and the nearest date after the
date of grant. If the shares are not then listed on any such exchange, the fair
market value of such shares shall be the mean between the high and low sales
prices, if any, as reported in the National Association of Securities Dealers
Automated Quotation System National Market System ("NASDAQ/NMS") for the
business day immediately preceding the date of the grant of the option, or, if
none, shall be determined by taking a weighted average of the means between the
highest and lowest sales on the nearest date before and the nearest date after
the date of grant. If the shares are not then either listed on any such exchange
or quoted in NASDAQ/NMS, the fair market value shall be the mean between the
average of the "Bid" and the average of the "Ask" prices, if any, as reported in
the National Daily Quotation Service for
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<PAGE>
the business day immediately preceding the date of the grant of the option, or,
if none, shall be determined by taking a weighted average of the means between
the highest and lowest sales prices on the nearest date before and the nearest
date after the date of grant. If the fair market value cannot be determined
under the preceding three sentences, it shall be determined in good faith by the
Board.
7. Vesting of Shares and Transferability of Options.
(a) Vesting. Options granted under the Plan shall not be
exercisable until they become vested. Existing Director Options and New Director
Options granted under the Plan shall be vested by the optionee and thus become
exercisable, in accordance with the following schedules provided that the
optionee has continuously served as a member of the Board through such vesting
date:
Existing
Director Options:
<TABLE>
Cumulative Number of Shares
for which Existing Director
Name Date of Vesting Option will be Exercisable
<S> <C> <C>
William A. Krivsky
Anthony Sun
Reuben Wasserman 12/14/00 10,000
12/14/01 20,000
12/14/02 30,000
12/14/03 40,000
Jerald Fishman 1/26/04 10,000
1/26/05 20,000
</TABLE>
New Director Options: Will vest as determined by the Board.
Change of Control: In the event the Company undergoes a change of
control all of the Options granted pursuant to this Plan shall immediately vest
and become fully exercisable upon the change of control. For purposes of the
Plan, a "Change of Control" shall be deemed to have occurred if any of the
following conditions have occurred: (1) the merger or consolidation of the
Company with another entity where the Company is not the surviving entity and
where after the merger or consolidation (i) its stockholders prior to the merger
or consolidation hold less than 50% of the voting stock of the surviving entity
and (ii) its Directors prior to the merger or
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<PAGE>
consolidation are less than a majority of the Board of the surviving entity; (2)
the sale of all or substantially all of the Company's assets to a third party
and subsequent to the transaction (i) its stockholders hold less than 50% of the
stock of said third party and (ii) its Directors are less than a majority of the
Board of said third party; (3) a transaction or series of related transactions,
including a merger of the Company with another entity where the Company is the
surviving entity, whereby (i) 50% or more of the voting stock of the Company
after the transaction(s) is owned actually or beneficially by parties who held
less than thirty percent (30%) of the voting stock, actually or beneficially,
prior to the transaction(s) and (ii) its Board of Directors after the
transaction(s) or within 60 days thereof, is comprised of less than a majority
of the Directors serving prior to the transaction(s); or (4) the Continuing
Directors shall not constitute a majority of the Board of Directors of the
Company. The term "Continuing Directors" shall mean a member of the Board of
Directors of the Company who either was a member of the Board of Directors of
the Company on the date this Plan was adopted by the Board of Directors or who
subsequently became a director of the Company and whose initial appointment,
initial election or initial nomination for election by the Company's
shareholders subsequent to such date was approved by a vote of a majority of the
Continuing Directors then on the Board of Directors of the Company.
(b) Exercise. To the extent that the right to exercise an Option
has accrued and is in effect, the Option may be exercised in full at one time or
in part from time to time by giving written notice, signed by the person or
persons exercising the Option, to the Company, stating the number of shares of
Common Stock with respect to which the Option is being exercised, accompanied by
payment in full for such shares, which payment may be in cash or in whole or in
part in shares of Common Stock already owned for a period of at least six (6)
months by the person or persons exercising the Option, valued at fair market
value, as determined under Section 6 hereof, on the date of exercise; provided,
however, that there shall be no such exercise at any one time as to fewer than
two hundred fifty (250) shares or all of the remaining shares then purchasable
by the person or persons exercising the Option, if fewer than two hundred fifty
(250) shares. Upon such exercise, delivery of a certificate for paid-up
non-assessable shares shall be made at the principal office of the Company to
the person or persons exercising the Option at such time, during ordinary
business hours, not more than thirty (30) days from the date of receipt of the
notice by the Company, as shall be designated in such notice, or at such time,
place and manner as may be agreed upon by the Company and the person or persons
exercising the Option.
(c) Legend on Certificates. The certificates representing such
shares shall carry such appropriate legend, and such written instructions shall
be given to the Company's transfer agent, as may be deemed necessary or
advisable by counsel to the Company in order to comply with the requirements of
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any state securities laws.
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<PAGE>
(d) Transferability. Any Option granted pursuant to this Plan
shall not be assignable or transferable other than by will or the laws of
descent and distribution, except that an optionee may transfer Options granted
under this Plan to the optionee's spouse or children or to a trust for the
benefit of the optionee or the optionee's spouse or children.
8. Term of Options.
(a) Each Option shall expire ten (10) years from the date of the
granting thereof, but shall be subject to earlier termination as herein
provided.
(b) Except as otherwise provided in this Section 8, in the event
that an optionee ceases to be a director of the Company, the Option granted to
such optionee may be exercised by him, but only to the extent that under Section
6 hereof the right to exercise the Option has accrued and is in effect. Such
Option may be exercised at any time within ninety (90) days after the date such
optionee ceases to be a director of the Company, at which time the Option shall
terminate, or prior to the date on which the Option expires by its terms,
whichever is earlier.
(c) If the optionee ceases to be a director of the Company
because the optionee has become permanently disabled (within the meaning of
Section 22(e)(3) of the Code), the Option granted to such optionee may be
exercised by the optionee, to the extent the optionee was entitled to do so on
the date such optionee ceases to be a director. Such Option may be exercised at
any time within six months after the date the optionee ceases to be a director,
at which time the Option shall terminate, or prior to the date on which the
Option otherwise expires by its terms, whichever is earlier.
(d) In the event of the death of an optionee, the Option granted
to such optionee may be exercised, to the extent the optionee was entitled to do
so on the date of such optionee's death, by the estate of such optionee or by
any person or persons who acquired the right to exercise such Option by bequest
or inheritance or otherwise by reason of the death of such optionee. Such Option
may be exercised at any time within one (1) year after the date of death of such
optionee, at which time the Option shall terminate, or prior to the date on
which the Option otherwise expires by its terms, whichever is earlier.
9. Adjustments.
Subject to the right to acceleration upon a change of control, as set
forth in Section 7(a) hereof, upon the occurrence of any of the following
events, an optionee's rights with respect to Options granted to him or her
hereunder shall be adjusted as hereinafter provided, unless
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<PAGE>
otherwise specifically provided in the written agreement between the optionee
and the Company relating to such Option:
(a) Stock Dividends and Stock Splits. If, the shares of Common
Stock shall be subdivided or combined into a greater or smaller number of shares
or if the Company shall issue any shares of Common Stock as a stock dividend on
its outstanding Common Stock, the number of shares of Common Stock deliverable
upon the exercise of Options shall be appropriately increased or decreased
proportionately, and appropriate adjustments shall be made in the purchase price
per share to reflect such subdivision, combination or stock dividend.
(b) Recapitalization or Reorganization. In the event of a
recapitalization or reorganization of the Company pursuant to which securities
of the Company or of another corporation are issued with respect to the
outstanding shares of Common Stock, an optionee upon exercising an Option shall
be entitled to receive for the purchase price paid upon such exercise the
securities he would have received if he had exercised his Option prior to such
recapitalization or reorganization.
(c) Dissolution or Liquidation. In the event of the proposed
dissolution or liquidation of the Company, each Option will terminate
immediately prior to the consummation of such proposed action or at such other
time and subject to such other conditions as shall be determined by the
Committee.
(d) Issuances of Securities. Except as expressly provided
herein, no issuance by the Company of shares of stock of any class, or
securities convertible into shares of stock of any class, shall affect, and no
adjustment by reason thereof shall be made with respect to, the number or price
of shares subject to Options. No adjustments shall be made for dividends paid in
cash or in property other than securities of the Company.
(e) Fractional Shares. No fractional shares shall be
issued under this Plan and the optionee shall receive from the Company cash in
lieu of such fractional shares.
(f) Adjustments. Upon the happening of any of the events
described in subparagraphs (a) or (b) above, the class and aggregate number of
shares set forth in Section 2 hereof that are subject to Options which
previously have been or subsequently may be granted under this Plan shall also
be appropriately adjusted to reflect the events described in such subparagraphs.
The Board shall determine the specific adjustments to be made under this
paragraph 9 and, subject to Section 3, its determination shall be conclusive.
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<PAGE>
10. Restrictions on Issue of Shares.
Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 7 hereof, the Company may
delay the issuance of shares of Common Stock covered by the exercise of any
Option and the delivery of a certificate for such shares until one of the
following conditions shall be satisfied:
(i) the shares with respect to which an Option
has been exercised are at the time of the issue of such shares effectively
registered under applicable Federal and state securities acts now in force or
hereafter amended; or
(ii) counsel for the Company shall have given an
opinion, which opinion shall not be unreasonably conditioned or withheld,
that such shares are exempt from registration under applicable Federal and
state securities acts now in force or hereafter amended.
It is intended that all exercises of Options shall be effective.
Accordingly, the Company shall use its best efforts to bring about compliance
with the above conditions within a reasonable time, except that the Company
shall be under no obligation to cause a registration statement or a
post-effective amendment to any registration statement to be prepared at its
expense solely for the purpose of covering the issue of shares in respect of
which any Option may be exercised, except as otherwise agreed to by the Company
in writing.
11. Rights of Holder on Purchase for Investment; Subsequent
Registration.
Unless the shares of Common Stock to be issued upon exercise of an
Option granted under this Plan have been effectively registered under the
Securities Act of 1933 as now in force or hereafter amended, the Company shall
be under no obligation to issue any shares covered by any Option unless the
person who exercises such Option, in whole or in part, shall give a written
representation and undertaking to the Company which is satisfactory in form and
scope to counsel to the Company and upon which, in the opinion of such counsel,
the Company may reasonably rely, that he is acquiring the shares issued to him
pursuant to such exercise of the Option for his own account as an investment and
not with a view to, or for sale in connection with, the distribution of any such
shares, and that he will make no transfer of the same except in compliance with
any rules and regulations in force at the time of such transfer under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any other applicable law, and that if
shares are issued without such registration a legend to this effect may be
endorsed upon the securities so issued. In the event that the Company shall,
nevertheless, deem it necessary or desirable to register under the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended, or other applicable statutes any shares with respect to
which an Option shall have been exercised, or to qualify any such shares for
exemption from the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or other applicable
statutes, then the Company shall take
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<PAGE>
such action at its own expense and may require from each optionee such
information in writing for use in any registration statement, prospectus,
preliminary prospectus or offering circular as is reasonably necessary for such
purpose and may require reasonable indemnity to the Company and its officers and
directors from such holder against all losses, claims, damages and liabilities
arising from such use of the information so furnished and caused by any untrue
statement of any material fact therein or caused by the omission to state a
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements
therein not misleading in light of the circumstances under which they were made.
12. Loans Prohibited.
The Company shall not, directly or indirectly, lend money to an optionee
or to any person or persons entitled to exercise an Option by reason of the
death of an optionee for the purpose of assisting him or them in the acquisition
of shares covered by an Option granted under this Plan.
13. Termination and Amendment of Plan.
Unless sooner terminated as herein provided, this Plan shall terminate
ten (10) years from the date upon which this Plan was duly approved by the
shareholders. The Board may at any time terminate this Plan or make such
modification or amendment thereof as it deems advisable.
14. Limitation of Rights in the Option Shares.
An optionee shall not be deemed for any purpose to be a shareholder of
the Company with respect to any of the Options except to the extent that the
Option shall have been exercised with respect thereto and, in addition, a
certificate shall have been issued theretofore and delivered to the optionee.
15. Notices.
Any communication or notice required or permitted to be given under this
Plan shall be in writing, and mailed by registered or certified mail or
delivered by hand, if to the Company, to its principal place of business,
attention: President, and, if to an optionee, to the address as appearing on the
records of the Company.
Adopted by the Approved by the Shareholders
Board of Directors April 21, 1998
February 28, 1998
280536-2
COGNEX CORPORATION
1998 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN
1. Purpose of the Plan.
This stock option plan (the "Plan") is intended to provide incentives:
(a) to the employees of Cognex Corporation (the "Company") and any present or
future subsidiaries of the Company by providing them with opportunities to
purchase stock in the Company pursuant to options granted hereunder which
qualify as "incentive stock options" under Section 422 of the Internal Revenue
Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code") ("ISO" or "ISOs"); and (b) to officers,
employees, consultants and directors of the Company and any subsidiaries by
providing them with opportunities to purchase stock in the Company pursuant to
options granted hereunder which do not qualify as ISOs ("Non-Qualified Option"
or "Non-Qualified Options"). As used herein, the terms "parent" and "subsidiary"
mean "parent corporation" and "subsidiary corporation," respectively, as those
terms are defined in Section 424 of the Code and the Treasury Regulations
promulgated thereunder (the "Regulations").
2. Stock Subject to the Plan.
(a) The initial maximum number of shares of common stock, par value
$.002 per share, of the Company ("Common Stock") available for stock options and
stock awards granted under the Plan through the end of the Company's fiscal year
ending December 31, 1998 shall be 1,700,000 shares of Common Stock. In addition,
effective January 1, 1999 and each January 1 thereafter during the term of this
Plan, the number of shares of Common Stock available for grants of stock options
and stock awards made after such January 1 under this Plan shall be increased
automatically to an amount equal to 4.5% of the total number of issued and
outstanding shares of Common Stock (including shares held in treasury) as of the
close of business on December 31 of the preceding year. The Board of Directors
shall initially reserve for issuance under this Plan 1,700,000 shares of Common
Stock. Effective January 1, 1999 and effective on each succeeding January 1
thereafter during the term of this Plan, the Board of Directors shall reserve
for issuance under this Plan such number of shares of Common Stock as is equal
to the sum of (i) the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon the
exercise of options then outstanding under the Plan; and (ii) the number of
shares of Common Stock resulting from the calculation set forth in the second
sentence of this paragraph. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the maximum
cumulative number of shares of Common Stock available for grants of ISOs under
the Plan shall be 1,500,000. The maximum number of shares of Common Stock
available for grants shall be subject to adjustment in accordance with Section
12 hereof. Shares issued under the Plan may be authorized but unissued shares of
Common Stock or shares of Common Stock held in treasury.
(b) To the extent that any stock option shall lapse, terminate, expire
or otherwise be cancelled without the issuance of shares of Common Stock, or any
stock award is settled in cash, the shares of Common Stock covered by such
option(s) or award shall again be available for the granting of stock options or
awards.
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(c) Common Stock issuable under the Plan may be subject to such
restrictions on transfer, repurchase rights or other restrictions as shall be
determined by the Committee (as defined in Section 3 below).
3. Stock Awards.
(a) The Committee may grant, subject to the limitation on the number of
shares of Common Stock available under Section 2 hereof, stock awards to
employees of and other key individuals engaged to provide services to the
Company and its subsidiaries. A stock award may be made in stock or denominated
in stock subject to final settlement in cash or stock. Each stock award granted
shall be subject to such terms and conditions as the Committee, in its sole
discretion, shall determine and establish. These may include, but are not
limited to, establishing a holding period during which stock issued pursuant to
an award may not be transferred, requiring forfeiture of the stock award because
of termination of employment or failure to achieve specific objectives such as
measures of individual, business unit or Company performance, including stock
price appreciation. In determining a person's eligibility to be granted an
award, as well as in determining the number of shares to be awarded to any
person, the Committee shall take into account the person's position and
responsibilities, the nature and value to the Company or its subsidiaries of
such person's service and accomplishments, such person's present and potential
contribution to the success of the Company or its subsidiaries, and such other
factors as the Committee may deem relevant.
(b) The Committee may provide that a stock award earn dividends or
dividend equivalents, which may be paid currently or may be deferred in payment,
including reinvestment in additional shares covered by the applicable stock
award, all on such terms and conditions as the Committee shall deem appropriate.
(c) The Committee shall require that for any stock award to be
effective, the recipient of the award shall execute an Award Agreement at such
time and in such form as the Committee shall determine. Any Award Agreement may
require that for any or some of the shares issued, the awardee must pay a
minimum consideration, whether in cash, property or services, as may be required
by applicable law or the Committee, as the Committee shall determine.
(d) A stock award may be granted singly or in combination or in tandem
with another stock award or stock option. A stock award may also be granted as
the payment form in settlement of a grant or right under any other Company
employee benefit or compensation plan, including the plan of an acquired entity.
(e) Directors who are not otherwise employees of the
Company or a subsidiary shall not be eligible to receive stock awards pursuant
to the Plan.
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<PAGE>
(f) No award granted to any person under the Plan shall be assignable
or transferable otherwise than by will or the laws of descent and distribution.
Any award granted under the Plan shall be null and void and without effect upon
any attempted assignment or transfer, except as herein provided, including
without limitation any purported assignment, whether voluntary or by operation
of law, pledge, hypothecation or other disposition, attachment, trustee process
or similar process, whether legal or equitable, upon such award.
4. Administration of the Plan.
(a) At the discretion of the Company's Board of Directors, the Plan
shall be administered either (i) by the full Board of Directors of the Company
or (ii) by a committee (the "Committee") consisting of two or more members of
the Company's Board of Directors. In the event the full Board of Directors is
the administrator of the Plan, references herein to the Committee shall be
deemed to include the full Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may from
time to time appoint a member or members of the Committee in substitution for or
in addition to the member or members then in office and may fill vacancies on
the Committee however caused. The Committee shall choose one of its members as
Chairman and shall hold meetings at such times and places as it shall deem
advisable. A majority of the members of the Committee shall constitute a quorum
and any action may be taken by a majority of those present and voting at any
meeting.
(b) Any action may also be taken without the necessity of a meeting by
a written instrument signed by a majority of the Committee. The decision of the
Committee as to all questions of interpretation and application of the Plan
shall be final, binding and conclusive on all persons. The Committee shall have
the authority to adopt, amend and rescind such rules and regulations as, in its
opinion, may be advisable in the administration of the Plan. The Committee may
correct any defect or supply any omission or reconcile any inconsistency in the
Plan or in any option agreement granted hereunder in the manner and to the
extent it shall deem expedient to carry the Plan into effect and shall be the
sole and final judge of such expediency. No Committee member shall be liable for
any action or determination made in good faith.
(c) Subject to the terms of the Plan, the Committee shall have the
authority to (i) determine the employees of the Company and its subsidiaries
(from among the class of employees eligible under Section 5 to receive ISOs) to
whom ISOs may be granted, and to determine (from the class of individuals
eligible under Section 5 to receive Non-Qualified Options) to whom Non-Qualified
Options may be granted; (ii) determine the time or times at which options may be
granted; (iii) determine the option price of shares subject to each option which
price shall not be less than the minimum price specified in Section 7; (iv)
determine whether each option granted shall be an ISO or a Non-Qualified Option;
(v) determine (subject to Section 10) the time or times when each option shall
become exercisable and the duration of the exercise period; (vi) determine
whether restrictions such as repurchase options are to be imposed on shares
subject to options and the nature of such restrictions; and (vii) determine the
size of any Options under the Plan, taking into account the position or office
of the optionee with the
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<PAGE>
Company, the job performance of the optionee and such other factors as the
Committee may deem relevant in the good faith exercise of its independent
business judgment. Subject to the provisions of Section 3 the Committee shall
also have the authority to grant stock awards under this Plan.
5. Options.
Options designated as ISOs may be granted only to employees of the
Company or any subsidiary. Non-Qualified Options may be granted to any officer,
employee, consultant or director of the Company or of any of its subsidiaries.
"Subsidiary" or "subsidiaries" shall be as defined in Section 424 of the Code
and the Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder (the "Regulations") and
shall include subsidiaries which became such after adoption of the Plan.
In determining the eligibility of an individual to be granted an
option, as well as in determining the number of shares to be optioned to any
individual, the Committee shall take into account the position and
responsibilities of the individual being considered, the nature and value to the
Company or its subsidiaries of his or her service and accomplishments, his or
her present and potential contribution to the success of the Company or its
subsidiaries, and such other factors as the Committee may deem relevant.
No option designated as an ISO shall be granted to any employee of the
Company or any subsidiary if such employee owns, immediately prior to the grant
of an option, stock representing more than 10% of the combined voting power of
all classes of stock of the Company or a parent or a subsidiary, unless the
purchase price for the stock under such option shall be at least 110% of its
fair market value at the time such option is granted and the option, by its
terms, shall not be exercisable more than five years from the date it is
granted. In determining the stock ownership under this paragraph, the provisions
of Section 424(d) of the Code shall be controlling. In determining the fair
market value under this paragraph, the provisions of Section 7 hereof shall
apply.
The maximum number of shares of the Company's Common Stock with respect
to which an option or options may be granted to any employee in any calendar
year shall not exceed 500,000 shares, taking into account shares subject to
options granted and terminated, or repriced, during such calendar year.
6. Option Agreement.
Each option shall be evidenced by an option agreement (the "Agreement")
duly executed on behalf of the Company and by the optionee to whom such option
is granted, which Agreement shall comply with and be subject to the terms and
conditions of the Plan. The Agreement may contain such other terms, provisions
and conditions which are not inconsistent with the Plan as may be determined by
the Committee, provided that options designated as incentive stock options shall
meet all of the conditions for incentive stock options as defined in Section 422
of
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<PAGE>
the Code. The date of grant of an option shall be as determined by the
Committee. More than one option may be granted to an individual.
7. Option Price.
The option price or prices of shares of the Company's Common Stock for
options designated as non-qualified stock options shall be determined by the
Committee, but in no event shall the option price of a non-qualified stock
option be less than the par value of such Common Stock at the time the option is
granted. The option price or prices of shares of the Company's Common Stock for
incentive stock options shall be no less than the fair market value of such
Common Stock at the time the option is granted as determined by the Committee in
accordance with Section 422 of the Code and the Regulations promulgated
thereunder
8. Manner of Payment; Manner of Exercise.
(a) The option agreement may provide for the payment of the exercise
price by delivery of (i) cash or a check payable to the order of the Company in
an amount equal to the exercise price of such options, (ii) shares of Common
Stock of the Company owned by the optionee having a fair market value equal in
amount to the exercise price of the options being exercised, or (iii) any
combination of (i) and (ii), provided, however, that payment of the exercise
price by delivery of shares of Common Stock of the Company owned by such
optionee may be made only if such payment does not result in a charge to
earnings for financial accounting purposes as determined by the Committee. The
fair market value of any shares of the Company's Common Stock which may be
delivered upon exercise of an option shall be determined by the Committee in
accordance with Section 7 hereof. With the consent of the Committee, payment may
also be made by delivery of a properly executed exercise notice to the Company,
together with a copy of irrevocable instruments to a broker to deliver promptly
to the Company the amount of sale or loan proceeds to pay the exercise price. To
facilitate the foregoing, the Company may enter into agreements for coordinated
procedures with one or more brokerage firms.
(b) To the extent that the right to purchase shares under an option has
accrued and is in effect, options may be exercised in full at one time or in
part from time to time, by giving written notice, signed by the person or
persons exercising the option, to the Company, stating the number of shares with
respect to which the option is being exercised, accompanied by payment in full
for such shares as provided in subparagraph (a) above. Upon such exercise,
delivery of a certificate for paid-up non-assessable shares shall be made at the
principal office of the Company to the person or persons exercising the option
at such time, during ordinary business hours, not earlier than ten business days
from the date of receipt of the notice by the Company, as shall be designated in
such notice, or at such time, place and manner as may be agreed upon by the
Company and the person or persons exercising the option.
9. Exercise of Options.
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<PAGE>
Each option granted under the Plan shall, subject to Section 10(b) and
Section 12 hereof, be exercisable at such time or times and during such period
as shall be set forth in the Agreement; provided, however, that no incentive
stock option granted under the Plan shall have a term in excess of ten (10)
years from the date of grant, and no non-qualified stock option granted under
the Plan shall have a term in excess of fifteen (15) years from the date of
grant.
To the extent that an option to purchase shares is not exercised by an
optionee when it becomes initially exercisable, it shall not expire but shall be
carried forward and shall be exercisable, on a cumulative basis, until the
expiration of the exercise period. No partial exercise may be made for less than
two hundred fifty (250) full shares of Common Stock.
10. Term of Options; Exercisability.
(a) Term.
(1) Each incentive stock option shall expire not more than ten
(10) years from the date of the granting thereof, but shall be subject
to earlier termination as herein provided. Each non-qualified stock
option shall expire not more than fifteen (15) years from the date of
the granting thereof, but shall be subject to earlier termination as
herein provided.
(2) Except as otherwise provided in this Section 10, an option
granted to any employee optionee who ceases to be an employee of the
Company or one of its subsidiaries shall terminate on the seventh
business day after the date such optionee ceases to be an employee of
the Company or one of its subsidiaries, or on the date on which the
option expires by its terms, whichever occurs first.
(3) If such termination of employment is because of dismissal
for cause or because the employee is in breach of any employment
agreement, such option will terminate immediately on the date the
optionee ceases to be an employee of the Company or one of its
subsidiaries.
(4) If such termination of employment is because the optionee
has become permanently disabled (within the meaning of Section 22(e)(3)
of the Code), such option shall terminate on the last day of the
twelfth month from the date such optionee ceases to be an employee, or
on the date on which the option expires by its terms, whichever occurs
first.
(5) In the event of the death of any optionee, any option
granted to such optionee shall terminate on the last day of the twelfth
month from the date of death, or on the date on which the option
expires by its terms, whichever occurs first.
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<PAGE>
(6) Notwithstanding subparagraphs (2), (3), (4) and (5) above,
the Committee shall have the authority to extend the expiration date of
any outstanding option in circumstances in which it deems such action
to be appropriate, provided that no such extension shall extend the
term of an option beyond the date on which the option would have
expired if no termination of the optionee's employment had occurred.
(b) Exercisability.
(1) An option granted to an employee optionee who ceases to be
an employee of the Company or one of its subsidiaries shall be
exercisable only to the extent that the right to purchase shares under
such option has accrued and is in effect on the date such optionee
ceases to be an employee of the Company or one of its subsidiaries.
(2) In the event of the death of any optionee, the option
granted to such optionee may be exercised by the estate of such
optionee, or by any person or persons who acquired the right to
exercise such option by bequest or inheritance or by reason of the
death of such optionee.
11. Transferability.
The right of any optionee to exercise any option granted to him or her
shall not be assignable or transferable by such optionee otherwise than by will
or the laws of descent and distribution, except that an optionee may transfer
options that are not ISOs granted under Plan to the optionee's spouse or
children or to a trust for the benefit of the optionee or the optionee's spouse
or children. ISOs shall be exercisable during the lifetime of such optionee only
by him/her. Any option granted under the Plan shall be null and void and without
effect upon the bankruptcy of the optionee to whom the option is granted, or
upon any attempted assignment or transfer, except as herein provided, including
without limitation any purported assignment, whether voluntary or by operation
of law, pledge, hypothecation or other disposition, attachment, divorce, trustee
process or similar process, whether legal or equitable, upon such option.
12. Recapitalizations, Reorganizations and the Like.
(a) In the event that the outstanding shares of the Common Stock of the
Company are changed into or exchanged for a different number or kind of shares
or other securities of the Company or of another corporation by reason of any
reorganization, merger, consolidation, recapitalization, reclassification, stock
split-up, combination of shares, or dividends payable in capital stock,
appropriate adjustment shall be made in the number and kind of shares as to
which options and stock awards may be granted under the Plan and as to which
outstanding options or awards or portions thereof then unexercised shall be
exercisable, to the end that the proportionate interest of the optionee or award
recipient shall be maintained as before the occurrence of such event; such
adjustment in outstanding options shall be made without change in the total
price
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<PAGE>
applicable to the unexercised portion of such options and with a corresponding
adjustment in the option price per share.
(b) In addition, unless otherwise determined by the Committee in its
sole discretion, in the case of any (i) sale or conveyance to another entity of
all or substantially all of the property and assets of the Company or (ii)
Change in Control (as hereinafter defined) of the Company, the purchaser(s) of
the Company's assets or stock may, in his, her or its discretion, deliver to the
optionee the same kind of consideration that is delivered to the shareholders of
the Company as a result of such sale, conveyance or Change in Control, or the
Committee may cancel all outstanding options in exchange for consideration in
cash or in kind, which consideration in both cases shall be equal in value to
the value of those shares of stock or other securities the optionee would have
received had the option been exercised (to the extent then exercisable) and no
disposition of the shares acquired upon such exercise been made prior to such
sale, conveyance or Change in Control, less the option price therefor. Upon
receipt of such consideration by the optionee, his or her option shall
immediately terminate and be of no further force and effect. The value of the
stock or other securities the optionee would have received if the option had
been exercised shall be determined in good faith by the Committee of the
Company, and in the case of shares of the Common Stock of the Company, in
accordance with the provisions of Section 7 hereof. The Committee shall also
have the power and right to accelerate the exercisability of any options,
notwithstanding any limitations in this Plan or in the Agreement upon such a
sale, conveyance or Change in Control. Upon such acceleration, any options or
portion thereof originally designated as incentive stock options that no longer
qualify as incentive stock options under Section 422 of the Code as a result of
such acceleration shall be redesignated as non-qualified stock options. To the
extent permitted by law, upon such a sale, conveyance or a Change of Control the
Committee may, in its sole discretion, amend any Award Agreement issued under
the Plan in such manner as it deems appropriate, including without limitation,
by amendments that advance the dates upon which any or all outstanding awards
shall become free of restrictions or shall become issued or payable, or that
advance the dates upon which any or all outstanding awards shall terminate. A
"Change in Control" shall be deemed to have occurred if any person, or any two
or more persons acting as a group, and all affiliates of such person or persons,
who prior to such time owned less than fifty percent (50%) of the then
outstanding Common Stock of the Company, shall acquire such additional shares of
the Company's Common Stock in one or more transactions, or series of
transactions, such that following such transaction or transactions, such person
or group and affiliates beneficially own fifty percent (50%) or more of the
Company's Common Stock outstanding.
(c) Upon dissolution or liquidation of the Company, all options granted
under this Plan shall terminate, but each optionee (if at such time in the
employ of or otherwise associated with the Company or any of its subsidiaries)
shall have the right, immediately prior to such dissolution or liquidation, to
exercise his or her option to the extent then exercisable. The Committee shall
have the right to accelerate the vesting of any award or take such other action
with respect thereto as the Committee shall in its sole discretion determine in
the event of any contemplated dissolution or liquidation of the Company.
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<PAGE>
(d) No fraction of a share shall be purchasable or deliverable upon the
exercise of any option or stock award, but in the event any adjustment hereunder
of the number of shares covered by the option or award shall cause such number
to include a fraction of a share, such fraction shall be adjusted to the nearest
smaller whole number of shares.
13. No Special Employment Rights.
Nothing contained in the Plan or in any option granted under the Plan
shall confer upon any option holder any right with respect to the continuation
of his employment by the Company (or any subsidiary) or interfere in any way
with the right of the Company (or any subsidiary), subject to the terms of any
separate employment agreement to the contrary, at any time to terminate such
employment or to increase or decrease the compensation of the option holder from
the rate in existence at the time of the grant of an option. Whether an
authorized leave of absence, or absence in military or government service, shall
constitute termination of employment shall be determined by the Committee at the
time.
14. Withholding.
The Company's obligation to deliver shares upon settlement of an award
or upon the exercise of any option granted under the Plan, or to make any cash
payment in connection with an award, and any payments or transfers under Section
12 hereof, shall be subject to the option or award holder's satisfaction of all
applicable Federal, state and local governmental tax withholding requirements.
Whenever cash is to be paid pursuant to an award under the Plan, the Company
shall be entitled to deduct therefrom an amount sufficient in its opinion to
satisfy all federal, state and local tax withholding requirements related to
such payment. Whenever shares of Common Stock are to be delivered pursuant to an
award or the exercise of an option under the Plan, the Company shall be entitled
to require as a condition of delivery that the option or award holder remit to
the Company an amount sufficient in the opinion of the Company to satisfy all
federal, state and local governmental tax withholding requirements related
thereto. With the approval of the Committee, which it shall have sole discretion
to grant, and on such terms and conditions as the Committee may impose, the
option or award holder may satisfy the foregoing condition by electing to have
the Company withhold from delivery shares having a value equal to the amount of
tax to be withheld. The Committee shall also have the right to require that
shares be withheld from delivery to satisfy such condition.
15. Restrictions on Issue of Shares.
(a) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 8, the Company may delay
the issuance of shares covered by the exercise of an option and the delivery of
a certificate for such shares until one of the following conditions shall be
satisfied:
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<PAGE>
(i) The shares with respect to which such option
has been exercised are at the time of the issue of such shares effectively
registered or qualified under applicable Federal and state securities acts now
in force or as hereafter amended; or
(ii) Counsel for the Company shall have given an
opinion, which opinion shall not be unreasonably conditioned or withheld, that
such shares are exempt from registration and qualification under applicable
Federal and state securities acts now in force or as hereafter amended.
(b) It is intended that all exercises of options shall be effective,
and the Company shall use its best efforts to bring about compliance with the
above conditions within a reasonable time, except that the Company shall be
under no obligation to qualify shares or to cause a registration statement or a
post-effective amendment to any registration statement to be prepared for the
purpose of covering the issue of shares in respect of which any option may be
exercised, except as otherwise agreed to by the Company in writing.
16. Purchase for Investment; Rights of Holder on Subsequent
Registration.
Unless the shares to be issued upon exercise of an option granted under
the Plan have been effectively registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as
now in force or hereafter amended, the Company shall be under no obligation to
issue any shares covered by any option unless the person who exercises such
option, in whole or in part, shall give a written representation and undertaking
to the Company which is satisfactory in form and scope to counsel for the
Company and upon which, in the opinion of such counsel, the Company may
reasonably rely, that he or she is acquiring the shares issued pursuant to such
exercise of the option for his or her own account as an investment and not with
a view to, or for sale in connection with, the distribution of any such shares,
and that he or she will make no transfer of the same except in compliance with
any rules and regulations in force at the time of such transfer under the
Securities Act of 1933, or any other applicable law, and that if shares are
issued without such registration, a legend to this effect may be endorsed upon
the securities so issued. In the event that the Company shall, nevertheless,
deem it necessary or desirable to register under the Securities Act of 1933 or
other applicable statutes any shares with respect to which an option shall have
been exercised, or to qualify any such shares for exemption from the Securities
Act of 1933 or other applicable statutes, then the Company may take such action
and may require from each optionee such information in writing for use in any
registration statement, supplementary registration statement, prospectus,
preliminary prospectus or offering circular as is reasonably necessary for such
purpose and may require reasonable indemnity to the Company and its officers and
directors and controlling persons from such holder against all losses, claims,
damages and liabilities arising from such use of the information so furnished
and caused by any untrue statement of any material fact therein or caused by the
omission to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to
make the statements therein not misleading in the light of the circumstances
under which they were made.
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<PAGE>
17. Loans.
The Company may not make loans to optionees to permit them to exercise
options.
18. Modification of Outstanding Options.
The Committee may authorize the amendment of any outstanding option
with the consent of the optionee when and subject to such conditions as are
deemed to be in the best interests of the Company and in accordance with the
purposes of this Plan.
19. Approval of Shareholders.
The Plan shall be subject to approval by the vote of shareholders
holding at least a majority of the voting stock of the Company voting in person
or by proxy at a duly held shareholders' meeting, or by written consent of
shareholders holding at least a majority of the voting stock of the Company,
within twelve (12) months after the adoption of the Plan by the Board of
Directors and shall take effect as of the date of adoption by the Board of
Directors upon such approval. The Committee may grant options under the Plan
prior to such approval, but any such option shall become effective as of the
date of grant only upon such approval and, accordingly, no such option may be
exercisable prior to such approval.
20. Termination and Amendment.
Unless sooner terminated as herein provided, the Plan shall terminate
ten (10) years from the date upon which the Plan was duly adopted by the Board
of Directors of the Company. The Board of Directors may at any time terminate
the Plan or make such modification or amendment thereof as it deems advisable;
provided, however, that except as provided in this Section 20, the Board of
Directors may not, without the approval of the shareholders of the Company
obtained in the manner stated in Section 19, increase the maximum number of
shares for which options may be granted or change the designation of the class
of persons eligible to receive options under the Plan. The Committee may
terminate, amend or modify any outstanding option without the consent of the
option holder, provided, however, that, except as provided in Section 12,
without the consent of the optionee, the Committee shall not change the number
of shares subject to an option, nor the exercise price thereof, nor extend the
term of such option.
21. Reservation of Stock.
The Company shall at all times during the term of the Plan reserve and
keep available such number of shares of stock as will be sufficient to satisfy
the requirements of the Plan and shall pay all fees and expenses necessarily
incurred by the Company in connection therewith.
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<PAGE>
22. Notices.
Any communication or notice required or permitted to be given under the
Plan shall be in writing, and mailed by registered or certified mail or
delivered by hand, if to the Company, to its principal place of business,
attention: President, and, if to an optionee, to the address as appearing on the
records of the Company.
Approved by the Directors: February 27, 1998
Approved by the Stockholders: April 21, 1998
330789-1
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August 6, 1998
Cognex Corporation
One Vision Drive
Natick, MA 01760
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We are general counsel to Cognex Corporation, a Massachusetts
corporation (the "Company"), and as such counsel we are familiar with the
corporate proceedings taken in connection with the adoption of the Company's
1998 Stock Incentive Plan and 1997 Stock Option Plan for Non-Employee Directors
(collectively the "Plans"). We are also familiar with the registration statement
on Form S-8 to which a copy of this opinion will be attached as an exhibit.
As such counsel, we have examined the corporate records of the Company,
including the Restated Articles of Organization, By-laws, stock records, minutes
of meetings of its Board of Directors and stockholders and such other documents
as we have deemed necessary as a basis for the opinions herein expressed.
Based upon the foregoing, and having regard for such legal
considerations as we deem relevant, we are of the opinion that:
1. The Company is duly organized and validly existing under the
laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts;
2. The Company has authorized the issuance of 120,000,000 shares of
common stock having a par value of $.002 per share and 400,000 shares of
preferred stock having a par value of $.01 per share.
3. The shares of common stock issuable pursuant to the Plans, when sold
in accordance with the terms thereof, will be legally issued, fully paid and
non-assessable.
<PAGE>
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the
Registration Statement on Form S-8 and to the reference to us under the caption
"Interests of Named Experts and Counsel" in the Registration Statement.
Very truly yours,
/s/Hutchins, Wheeler & Dittmar
HUTCHINS, WHEELER & DITTMAR
A Professional Corporation
AJM/LXD/332069-1
Exhibit 23
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS
We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement of
Cognex Corporation on Form S-8 of our reports dated January 23, 1998, on our
audits of the consolidated financial statements and financial statement
schedule of Cognex Corporation as of December 31, 1997 and 1996, and for each
of the three years in the period ended December 31, 1997, which
reports are included in the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Cognex Corporation
for the year ended December 31, 1997.
/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP
PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP
Boston, Massachusetts
August 6, 1998
