Exhibit 10.1
AVALONBAY COMMUNITIES,
INC.
2009 STOCK OPTION AND INCENTIVE
PLAN
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SECTION 1.
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GENERAL PURPOSE OF THE PLAN;
DEFINITIONS
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The name of the plan is the
AvalonBay Communities, Inc. 2009 Stock Option and Incentive
Plan (the “Plan”). The purpose of the Plan is to
encourage and enable the officers, employees, Non-Employee
Directors and other key persons (including consultants and
prospective employees) of AvalonBay Communities, Inc. (the
“Company”) and its Subsidiaries upon whose judgment,
initiative and efforts the Company largely depends for the
successful conduct of its business to acquire a proprietary
interest in the Company. It is anticipated that providing
such persons with a direct stake in the Company’s welfare
will assure a closer identification of their interests with those
of the Company and its stockholders, thereby stimulating their
efforts on the Company’s behalf and strengthening their
desire to remain with the Company.
The following terms shall be defined
as set forth below:
“Act”
means the Securities Act of 1933,
as amended, and the rules and regulations
thereunder.
“Administrator”
means either the Board or the
compensation committee of the Board or a similar committee
performing the functions of the compensation committee and which is
comprised of not less than two Non-Employee Directors who are
independent.
“Award”
or “Awards,”
except where referring to a particular category of grant under the
Plan, shall include Incentive Stock Options, Non-Qualified Stock
Options, Stock Appreciation Rights, Restricted Stock Units,
Restricted Stock Awards, Unrestricted Stock Awards, Cash-Based
Awards, Performance Share Awards and Dividend Equivalent
Rights.
“Award
Certificate” means
a written or electronic document setting forth the terms and
provisions applicable to an Award granted under the Plan.
Each Award Certificate is subject to the terms and conditions of
the Plan.
“Board”
means the Board of Directors of the
Company.
“Cash-Based
Award” means an
Award entitling the recipient to receive a cash-denominated
payment.
“Code”
means the Internal Revenue Code of
1986, as amended, and any successor Code, and related rules,
regulations and interpretations.
“Covered
Employee” means an
employee who is a “Covered Employee” within the meaning
of Section 162(m) of the Code.
“Dividend Equivalent
Right” means an
Award entitling the grantee to receive credits based on cash
dividends that would have been paid on the shares of Stock
specified in the Dividend Equivalent Right (or other award to which
it relates) if such shares had been issued to and held by the
grantee.
“Effective
Date” means the
date on which the Plan is approved by stockholders as set forth in
Section 21.
“Exchange
Act” means the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and
regulations thereunder.
“Fair Market
Value” of the Stock
on any given date means the last reported sale price at which Stock
is traded on such date or, if no Stock is traded on such date, the
most recent date on which Stock was traded, as reflected on the New
York Stock Exchange or, if applicable, any other national exchange
on which the Stock is traded.
“Incentive Stock
Option” means any
Stock Option designated and qualified as an “incentive stock
option” as defined in Section 422 of the
Code.
“Non-Employee
Director” means a
member of the Board who is not also an employee of the Company or
any Subsidiary.
“Non-Qualified Stock
Option” means any
Stock Option that is not an Incentive Stock Option.
“Option”
or “Stock
Option” means any option to purchase shares of Stock
granted pursuant to Section 5.
“Performance-Based
Award” means any
Restricted Stock Award, Restricted Stock Units, Performance Share
Award or Cash-Based Award granted to a Covered Employee that is
intended to qualify as “performance-based compensation”
under Section 162(m) of the Code and the regulations
promulgated thereunder.
“Performance
Criteria” means the
criteria that the Administrator selects for purposes of
establishing the Performance Goal or Performance Goals for an
individual for a Performance Cycle. The Performance Criteria
(which shall be applicable to the organizational level specified by
the Administrator, including, but not limited to, the Company or a
unit, division, group, or Subsidiary of the Company) that will be
used to establish Performance Goals are limited to the
following: (i) earnings before interest, taxes,
depreciation and amortization; (ii) net income (loss) (either
before or after interest, taxes, depreciation and/or amortization);
(iii) changes in the market price of the Stock; (iv) cash
flow; (v) funds from operations or similar measure;
(vi) sales or revenue; (vii) acquisitions or strategic
transactions; (viii) operating income (loss); (ix) return
on capital, assets, equity, or investment; (x) total
stockholder returns or total returns to stockholders; (xi) gross or
net profit levels; (xii) productivity; (xiii) expense; (xiv)
margins; (xv) operating efficiency; (xvi) customer satisfaction;
(xvii) working capital; (xviii) earnings per share of Stock; or
(xix) lease up performance, net operating income performance or
yield on development or redevelopment communities, any of which
under the preceding clauses (i)
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through (xix) may be measured either in absolute
terms or as compared to any incremental increase or as compared to
results of a peer group.
“Performance
Cycle” means one or
more periods of time, which may be of varying and overlapping
durations, as the Administrator may select, over which the
attainment of one or more Performance Criteria will be measured for
the purpose of determining a grantee’s right to and the
payment of a Restricted Stock Award, Restricted Stock Units,
Performance Share Award or Cash-Based Award. Each such period
shall not be less than 12 months.
“Performance
Goals” means, for a
Performance Cycle, the specific goals established in writing by the
Administrator for a Performance Cycle based upon the Performance
Criteria.
“Performance Share
Award” means an
Award entitling the recipient to acquire shares of Stock upon the
attainment of specified Performance Goals.
“Restricted Stock
Award” means an
Award entitling the recipient to acquire, at such purchase price
(which may be zero) as determined by the Administrator, shares of
Stock subject to such restrictions and conditions as the
Administrator may determine at the time of grant.
“Restricted Stock
Units” means an
Award of phantom stock units to a grantee.
“Sale
Event” shall mean
(i) the sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the
Company on a consolidated basis to one or more unrelated persons or
entities, or (ii) the sale or other transfer of all or
substantially all of the Stock of the Company to one or more
unrelated persons or entities (including by way of a merger,
reorganization or consolidation in which the outstanding shares of
Stock are converted into or exchanged for securities of the
successor entity).
“ Sale Price ”
means the value as determined by the Administrator of the
consideration payable, or otherwise to be received by stockholders,
per share of Stock pursuant to a Sale Event.
“Section 409A”
means Section 409A of the Code
and the regulations and other guidance promulgated
thereunder.
“Stock”
means the Common Stock, par value
$.01 per share, of the Company, subject to adjustments pursuant to
Section 3.
“Stock Appreciation
Right” means an
Award entitling the recipient to receive shares of Stock having a
value equal to the excess of the Fair Market Value of the Stock on
the date of exercise over the exercise price of the Stock
Appreciation Right multiplied by the number of shares of Stock with
respect to which the Stock Appreciation Right shall have been
exercised.
“Subsidiary” means any corporation or other entity (other
than the Company) in which the Company has at least a 50 percent
interest, either directly or indirectly.
“Ten Percent
Owner” means an
employee who owns or is deemed to own (by reason of the attribution
rules of Section 424(d) of the Code) more than 10
percent of the combined voting power of all classes of stock of the
Company or any parent or subsidiary corporation.
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“Unrestricted Stock
Award” means an
Award of shares of Stock free of any restrictions.
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SECTION 2.
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ADMINISTRATION OF PLAN; ADMINISTRATOR AUTHORITY
TO SELECT GRANTEES AND DETERMINE AWARDS
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(a)
Administration
of Plan . The Plan shall be
administered by the Administrator, provided that the amount, timing
and terms of the grants of Awards to Non-Employee Directors shall
be determined by the compensation committee or similar committee
comprised solely of Non-Employee Directors.
(b)
Powers of
Administrator . The Administrator
shall have the power and authority to grant Awards consistent with
the terms of the Plan, including the power and
authority:
(i)
to select the
individuals to whom Awards may from time to time be
granted;
(ii)
to determine the
time or times of grant, and the extent, if any, of Incentive Stock
Options, Non-Qualified Stock Options, Stock Appreciation Rights,
Restricted Stock Awards, Restricted Stock Units, Unrestricted Stock
Awards, Cash-Based Awards, Performance Share Awards and Dividend
Equivalent Rights, or any combination of the foregoing, granted to
any one or more grantees;
(iii)
to determine the
number of shares of Stock to be covered by any Award;
(iv)
to determine and
modify from time to time the terms and conditions, including
restrictions, not inconsistent with the terms of the Plan, of any
Award, which terms and conditions may differ among individual
Awards and grantees, and to approve the forms of Award
Certificates;
(v)
to accelerate at
any time the exercisability or vesting of all or any portion of any
Award provided that the Administrator generally shall not exercise
such discretion to accelerate Awards subject to Sections 7 and 8
except in the event of the grantee’s death, disability,
retirement or termination of employment without cause, or a Sale
Event;
(vi)
subject to the
provisions of Section 5(c), to extend at any time the period
in which Stock Options may be exercised; and
(vii)
at any time to
adopt, alter and repeal such rules, guidelines and practices for
administration of the Plan and for its own acts and proceedings as
it shall deem advisable; to interpret the terms and provisions of
the Plan and any Award (including related written instruments); to
make all determinations it deems advisable for the administration
of the Plan; to decide all disputes arising in connection with the
Plan; and to otherwise supervise the administration of the
Plan.
All decisions and interpretations of
the Administrator shall be binding on all persons, including the
Company and Plan grantees.
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(c)
Delegation of
Authority to Grant Awards . Subject to
applicable law, the Administrator, in its discretion, may delegate
to the Chief Executive Officer of the Company (or other executive
officers of the Company to the extent permitted under applicable
law) all or part of the Administrator’s authority and duties
with respect to the granting of Awards to individuals who are
(i) not subject to the reporting and other provisions of
Section 16 of the Exchange Act and (ii) not Covered
Employees. Any such delegation by the Administrator shall
include a limitation as to the amount of Awards that may be granted
during the period of the delegation and shall contain guidelines as
to the determination of the exercise price and the vesting
criteria. The Administrator may revoke or amend the terms of
a delegation at any time but such action shall not invalidate any
prior actions of the Administrator’s delegate or delegates
that were consistent with the terms of the Plan.
(d)
Award
Certificate . Awards under the Plan
shall be evidenced by Award Certificates that set forth the terms,
conditions and limitations for each Award which may include,
without limitation, the term of an Award and the provisions
applicable in the event employment or service
terminates.
(e)
Indemnification
. Neither
the Board nor the Administrator, nor any member of either or any
delegate thereof, shall be liable for any act, omission,
interpretation, construction or determination made in good faith in
connection with the Plan, and the members of the Board and the
Administrator (and any delegate thereof) shall be entitled in all
cases to indemnification and reimbursement by the Company in
respect of any claim, loss, damage or expense (including, without
limitation, reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising or resulting
therefrom to the fullest extent permitted by law and/or under the
Company’s articles or bylaws or any directors’ and
officers’ liability insurance coverage which may be in effect
from time to time and/or any indemnification agreement between such
individual and the Company.
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SECTION 3.
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STOCK ISSUABLE UNDER THE PLAN; MERGERS;
SUBSTITUTION
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(a)
Stock
Issuable . The maximum number of
shares of Stock reserved and available for issuance under the Plan
shall be the sum of (i) 2,930,000 shares, plus (ii) a
number of shares equal to the number of shares available under the
Company’s 1994 Stock Incentive Plan as of the Effective Date,
subject to adjustment as provided in Section 3. For
purposes of this limitation, the shares of Stock underlying any
Awards under this Plan or awards under the Company’s 1994
Stock Incentive Plan that are forfeited, canceled or otherwise
terminated (other than by exercise) shall be added back to the
shares of Stock available for issuance under the Plan.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the following shares of Stock shall
not be added to the shares authorized for grant under the
Plan: (1) shares tendered or held back upon exercise of
an Option or settlement of an Award to cover the exercise price or
tax withholding, and (2) shares subject to a Stock
Appreciation Right that are not issued in connection with the stock
settlement of the Stock Appreciation Right upon exercise
thereof. Subject to such overall limitations, shares of Stock
may be issued up to such maximum number pursuant to any type or
types of Award; provided, however, that Stock Options or Stock
Appreciation Rights with respect to no more than 600,000 shares of
Stock may be granted to any one individual grantee during any one
calendar year period, and no more than 2,930,000 shares of
the Stock may be issued in the form of Incentive Stock
Options. The shares available for issuance under the Plan may
be authorized but unissued shares of Stock or shares of Stock
reacquired by the Company.
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(b)
Effect of
Awards . The grant of any full
value Award (i.e., an Award other than an Option or a Stock
Appreciation Right) shall be deemed, for purposes of determining
the number of shares of Stock available for issuance under
Section 3(a), as an Award of 2.17 shares of Stock for each
such share of Stock actually subject to the Award. The grant
of an Option or a Stock Appreciation Right shall be deemed, for
purposes of determining the number of shares of Stock available for
issuance under Section 3(a), as an Award for one share of
Stock for each such share of Stock actually subject to the
Award. Any forfeitures, cancellation or other termination of
such Awards shall be returned to the reserved pool of shares of
Stock under the Plan in the same manner.
(c)
Changes in
Stock . Subject to
Section 3(d) hereof, if, as a result of any
reorganization, recapitalization, reclassification, stock dividend,
stock split, reverse stock split or other similar change in the
Company’s capital stock, the outstanding shares of Stock are
increased or decreased or are exchanged for a different number or
kind of shares or other securities of the Company, or additional
shares or new or different shares or other securities of the
Company or other non-cash assets are distributed with respect to
such shares of Stock or other securities, or, if, as a result of
any merger or consolidation, sale of all or substantially all of
the assets of the Company, the outstanding shares of Stock are
converted into or exchanged for securities of the Company or any
successor entity (or a parent or subsidiary thereof), the
Administrator shall make an appropriate or proportionate adjustment
in (i) the maximum number of shares reserved for issuance
under the Plan, including the maximum number of shares that may be
issued in the form of Incentive Stock Options, (ii) the number
of Stock Options or Stock Appreciation Rights that can be granted
to any one individual grantee and the maximum number of shares that
may be granted under a Performance-Based Award, (iii) the
number and kind of shares or other securities subject to any then
outstanding Awards under the Plan, (iv) the repurchase price,
if any, per share subject to each outstanding Restricted Stock
Award, and (v) the price for each share subject to any then
outstanding Stock Options and Stock Appreciation Rights under the
Plan, without changing the aggregate exercise price (i.e., the
exercise price multiplied by the number of Stock Options and Stock
Appreciation Rights) as to which such Stock Options and Stock
Appreciation Rights remain exercisable. The Administrator
shall also make equitable or proportionate adjustments in the
number of shares subject to outstanding Awards and the exercise
price and/or the terms of outstanding Awards to take into
consideration cash dividends declared and paid other than in the
ordinary course or any other extraordinary corporate event, other
than those contemplated by Section 3(d) hereof, to the
extent determined to be necessary by the Administrator to avoid
distortion in the value of the Awards. The adjustment by the
Administrator shall be final, binding and conclusive. No
fractional shares of Stock shall be issued under the Plan resulting
from any such adjustment, but the Administrator in its discretion
may make a cash payment in lieu of fractional shares.
(d)
Mergers and
Other Transactions . Except as the
Administrator may otherwise specify with respect to particular
Awards in the relevant Award Certificate, in the case of and
subject to the consummation of a Sale Event, the Plan and all
outstanding Awards granted hereunder shall terminate, unless
provision is made in connection with the Sale Event in the sole
discretion of the parties thereto for the assumption or
continuation of Awards theretofore granted by the successor entity,
or the substitution of such Awards with new Awards of the successor
entity or parent thereof, with appropriate adjustment as to the
number and kind of shares and, if appropriate, the per share
exercise prices, as such parties shall agree (after taking into
account
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any acceleration
hereunder). In the event of such termination, (i) the
Company shall have the option (in its sole discretion) to make or
provide for a cash payment to the grantees holding Options and
Stock Appreciation Rights, in exchange for the cancellation
thereof, in an amount equal to the difference between (A) the
Sale Price multiplied by the number of shares of Stock subject to
outstanding Options and Stock Appreciation Rights (to the extent
then exercisable (after taking into account any acceleration
hereunder) at prices not in excess of the Sale Price) and
(B) the aggregate exercise price of all such outstanding
Options and Stock Appreciation Rights; or (ii) each grantee
shall be permitted, within a specified period of time prior to the
consummation of the Sale Event as determined by the Administrator,
to exercise all outstanding Options and Stock Appreciation Rights
held by such grantee.
(e)
Substitute
Awards . The Administrator may
grant Awards under the Plan in substitution for stock and stock
based awards held by employees, directors or other key persons of
another corporation in connection with the merger or consolidation
of the employing corporation with the Company or a Subsidiary or
the acquisition by the Company or a Subsidiary of property or stock
of the employing corporation. The Administrator may direct
that the substitute awards be granted on such terms and conditions
as the Administrator considers appropriate in the
circumstances. Any substitute Awards granted under the Plan
shall not count against the share limitation set forth in
Section 3(a).
Grantees under the Plan will be such
full or part-time officers and other employees, Non-Employee
Directors and key persons (including consultants and prospective
employees) of the Company and its Subsidiaries as are selected from
time to time by the Administrator in its sole
discretion.
(a)
Grants of
Stock Options . Any Stock Option
granted under the Plan shall be in such form as the Administrator
may from time to time approve.
Stock Options granted under the Plan
may be either Incentive Stock Options or Non-Qualified Stock
Options. Incentive Stock Options may be granted only to
employees of the Company or any Subsidiary that is a
“subsidiary corporation” within the meaning of
Section 424(f) of the Code. To the extent that any
Option does not qualify as an Incentive Stock Option, it shall be
deemed a Non-Qualified Stock Option.
The Administrator in its discretion
may grant Stock Options to eligible employees and key persons of
the Company or any Subsidiary. Stock Options granted pursuant
to this Section 5(a) shall be subject to the following
terms and conditions and shall contain such additional terms and
conditions, not inconsistent with the terms of the Plan, as the
Administrator shall deem desirable. If the Administrator so
determines, Stock Options may be granted in lieu of cash
compensation at the optionee’s election, subject to such
terms and conditions as the Administrator may establish.
(b)
Exercise
Price . The exercise price
per share for the Stock covered by a Stock Option granted pursuant
to this Section 5(b) shall be determined by the
Administrator at the time
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of grant but shall not be
less than 100 percent of the Fair Market Value on the date of
grant. In the case of an Incentive Stock Option that is
granted to a Ten Percent Owner, the option price of such Incentive
Stock Option shall be not less than 110 percent of the Fair Market
Value on the grant date.
(c)
Option
Term . The term of each
Stock Option shall be fixed by the Administrator, but no Stock
Option shall be exercisable more than ten years after the date the
Stock Option is granted. In the case of an Incentive Stock
Option t