Exhibit 4.1
ONEOK, INC.
EQUITY COMPENSATION
PLAN
Amended and Restated
February 21, 2008
1.1 Purposes . The
purposes of this Plan are (a) to provide competitive
incentives that will enable the Company to attract, retain,
motivate, and reward eligible Employees and Non-Employee Directors
of the Company, and (b) to give the Company’s eligible
Employees and Non-Employee Directors an interest parallel to the
interests of the Company’s shareholders generally.
1.2 Duration of Plan
. The date of adoption and term of the Plan are as
follows:
(a) The Plan was initially adopted
and effective on February 17, 2005, the date of its first
adoption and approval by the Board of Directors, such adoption of
the Plan having been approved by the shareholders of the Company
within one (1) year of that date, on May 19, 2005. The
term of the Plan as so initially adopted and approved was until a
termination date of February 17, 2015, or until sooner
terminated by the Board of Directors.
(b) The Plan, as amended and
restated in and by this instrument, is effective on an Effective
Date of February 21, 2008, the date of its adoption and
approval by the Board of Directors, provided that the shareholders
of the Company thereafter approve it within one (1) year of
that date. If the Plan, as so amended and restated, is so approved
by the shareholders of the Company, it shall have an extended term
and shall terminate on a termination date of February 21,
2018, or until sooner terminated by the Board of
Directors.
(c) If the Plan, as so amended and
restated in and by this instrument, is not so approved by the
shareholders of the Company, the amendments thereto and this
instrument shall not become effective and shall be of no force and
effect, and the Plan shall remain in effect in accordance with its
written terms and provisions as initially adopted and
approved.
(d) The Plan shall remain in effect
until its termination date, or until the Plan is sooner terminated
by the Board of Directors, and upon its termination shall continue
to be administered thereafter with respect to any Stock Incentive
granted prior to the date of such termination.
(e) In no event shall a Stock
Incentive be granted under the Plan more than ten (10) years
from February 21, 2008, the date the Plan, as amended and
restated in and by this instrument, is adopted.
Unless otherwise required by the
context, the following terms, when and wherever used in this Plan,
shall have the meanings set forth in this
Section 2.
2.1 “Beneficiary” means
a person or entity (including a trust or estate), designated in
writing by a Participant on such forms and in accordance with such
terms and conditions as the Committee may prescribe, to whom the
Participant’s rights under the Plan shall pass in the event
of the death of the Participant.
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2.2 “Board” or a
“Board of Directors” means the Board of Directors of
the Company, as constituted from time to time.
2.3 A “Change in
Control” shall mean the occurrence of any of the
following:
(a) An acquisition (other than
directly from the Company) of any voting securities of the Company
(the “Voting Securities”) by any “Person”
(as the term person is used for purposes of Section 13(d) or
14(d) of the Exchange Act), immediately after which such Person has
“Beneficial Ownership” (within the meaning of Rule
13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act) of twenty percent
(20%) or more of the then outstanding Shares or the combined
voting power of the Company’s then outstanding Voting
Securities; provided, however, in determining whether a Change in
Control has occurred pursuant to this Section 2(c), Shares or
Voting Securities which are acquired in a “Non-Control
Acquisition” (as hereinafter defined) shall not constitute an
acquisition which would cause a Change in Control. A
“Non-Control Acquisition” shall mean an acquisition by
(i) an employee benefit plan (or a trust forming a part
thereof) maintained by (A) the Company or (B) any company
or other Person of which a majority of its voting power or its
voting equity securities or equity interest is owned or controlled,
directly or indirectly, by the Company (for purposes of this
definition, a “Related Entity”), (ii) the Company
or any Related Entity, or (iii) any Person in connection with
a “Non-Control Transaction” (as hereinafter
defined);
(b) The individuals who, as of
February 15, 2001, are members of the Board of Directors (the
“Incumbent Board”), cease for any reason to constitute
at least a majority of the members of the Board of Directors; or,
following a Merger which results in a Parent Company, the board of
directors of the ultimate Parent Company; provided, however, that
if the election, or nomination for election by the Company’s
common stockholders, of any new director was approved by a vote of
at least two-thirds of the Incumbent Board, such new director
shall, for purposes of this Plan, be considered as a member of the
Incumbent Board; provided further, however, that no individual
shall be considered a member of the Incumbent Board if such
individual initially assumed office as a result of either an actual
or threatened “Election Contest” (as described in Rule
14a-11 promulgated under the Exchange Act) or other actual or
threatened solicitation of proxies or consents by or on behalf of a
Person other than the Board of Directors (a “Proxy
Contest”), including by reason of any agreement intended to
avoid or settle any Election Contest or Proxy Contest;
or
(c) The consummation of:
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(1)
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A merger,
consolidation or reorganization with or into the Company or in
which securities of the Company are issued (a
“Merger”), unless such Merger is a “Non-Control
Transaction.” A “Non-Control Transaction” shall
mean a Merger where:
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(A)
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the
stockholders of the Company, immediately before such Merger, own
directly or indirectly immediately following such Merger at least
fifty percent (50%) of the combined voting power of the
outstanding voting securities of (x) the company resulting
from such Merger (the “Surviving Company”) if fifty
percent (50%) or more of the combined voting power of the then
outstanding voting securities of the Surviving Company is not
Beneficially Owned, directly or indirectly by another Person (a
“Parent Company”), or (y) if there is one or more
Parent Companies, the ultimate Parent Company;
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(B)
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the individuals
who were members of the Incumbent Board immediately prior to the
execution of the agreement providing for such Merger constitute at
least a majority of the members of the board of directors of
(i) the Surviving Company, if there is no Parent Company, or
(ii) if there is one or more Parent Companies, the ultimate
Parent Company; and
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(C)
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no Person other
than (1) the Company, (2) any Related Entity,
(3) any employee benefit plan (or any trust forming a part
thereof) that, immediately prior to such Merger was maintained by
the Company or any Related Entity, or (4) any Person who,
immediately prior to such Merger had Beneficial Ownership of thirty
percent (30%) or more of the then outstanding Voting
Securities or Shares, has Beneficial Ownership of thirty percent
(30%) or more of the combined voting power of the outstanding
voting securities or common stock of (i) the Surviving Company
if there is no Parent Company, or (ii) if there is one or more
Parent Companies, the ultimate Parent Company.
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(2)
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A complete
liquidation or dissolution of the Company; or
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(3)
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The sale or
other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the
Company to any Person (other than a transfer to a Related Entity or
under conditions that would constitute a Non-Control Transaction
with the disposition of assets being regarded as a Merger for this
purpose or the distribution to the Company’s stockholders of
the stock of a Related Entity or any other assets).
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Notwithstanding the foregoing, a
Change in Control shall not be deemed to occur solely because any
Person (the “Subject Person”) acquired Beneficial
Ownership of more than the permitted amount of the then outstanding
Shares or Voting Securities if: (1) such acquisition occurs as
a result of the acquisition of Shares or Voting Securities by the
Company which, by reducing the number of Shares or Voting
Securities then outstanding, increases the proportional number of
shares Beneficially Owned by the Subject Person, provided that if a
Change in Control would occur (but for the operation of this
subparagraph) as a result of the acquisition of Shares or Voting
Securities by the Company, and after such share acquisition by the
Company, the Subject Person becomes the Beneficial Owner of any
additional Shares or Voting Securities which increases the
percentage of the then outstanding Shares or Voting Securities
Beneficially Owned by the Subject Person, then a Change in Control
shall occur, or (2) (A) within five business days after a
Change in Control would have occurred (but for the operation of
this subparagraph), or if the Subject Person acquired Beneficial
Ownership of twenty percent (20%) or more of the then
outstanding Shares or the combined voting power of the
Company’s then
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outstanding Voting Securities inadvertently,
then after the Subject Person discovers or is notified by the
Company that such acquisition would have triggered a Change in
Control (but for the operation of this subparagraph), the Subject
Person notifies the Board of Directors that it did so
inadvertently, and (B) within two business days after such
notification, the Subject Person divests itself of a sufficient
number of Shares or Voting Securities so that the Subject Person is
the Beneficial Owner of less than twenty percent (20%) of the
then outstanding Shares or the combined voting power of the
Company’s then outstanding Voting Securities.
Notwithstanding anything in this
Plan to the contrary, if an eligible Employee’s employment is
terminated by the Company without Just Cause prior to the date of a
Change in Control but the eligible Employee reasonably demonstrates
that the termination (1) was at the request of a third party
who has indicated an intention or taken steps reasonably calculated
to effect a Change in Control or (2) otherwise arose in
connection with, or in anticipation of, a Change in Control which
has been threatened or proposed, such termination shall be deemed
to have occurred after a Change in Control for purposes of this
Plan, provided a Change in Control shall actually have
occurred.
2.4 “Code” means the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended and in effect from time
to time. References to a particular section of the Code shall
include references to any related Treasury Regulations and to
successor provisions.
2.5 “Committee” means
the Committee appointed by the Board of Directors to administer the
Plan pursuant to the provisions of section 12.1 below.
2.6 “Common Stock” means
common stock, $0.01 par value, of the Company.
2.7 “Company” means
ONEOK, Inc., an Oklahoma corporation, its successors and assigns,
or any division or Subsidiary thereof.
2.8 “Director Fees”
means all compensation and fees paid to a Non-Employee Director by
the Company for his or her services as a member of the Board of
Directors.
2.9 “Director Stock
Award” means an award of ONEOK, Inc. Common Stock granted to
a Non-Employee Director.
2.10 “Effective Date”
means February 21, 2008, the date the Plan, as amended and
restated in and by this instrument, is adopted, as provided in
Section 1.2, above.
2.11 “Employee” means an
employee of the Company, including an officer or director who is
such an employee.
2.12 “Exchange Act”
means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended from time to
time.
2.13 “Fair Market Value”
on a particular date means the average of the high and low sale
prices of a share of Common Stock in consolidated trading on the
date in question as reported by The Wall Street Journal or another
reputable source designated by the Committee; provided that if
there were no sales on such date reported as provided above, the
respective prices on the most recent
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prior day for which a sale was so reported. In
the case of an Incentive Stock Option, if the foregoing method of
determining Fair Market Value should be inconsistent with section
422 of the Code, or in the case of any other type of Stock
Incentive the foregoing method is determined by the Committee, in
its discretion, to not be applicable, a “Fair Market
Value” shall be determined by the Committee in a manner
consistent with such section of the Code, or in such other manner
as the Committee, in its discretion, determines to be appropriate,
and shall mean the value as so determined.
2.14 “General Counsel”
means the General Counsel of the Company serving from time to
time.
2.15 “Incentive Stock
Option” means an option, including an Option as the context
may require, intended to qualify for the tax treatment applicable
to incentive stock options under section 422 of the
Code.
2.16 “Just Cause” shall
mean the Employee’s conviction in a court of law of a felony,
or any crime or offense in a court of law of a felony, or any crime
or offense involving misuse or misappropriation of money or
property, the Employee’s violation of any covenant, agreement
or obligation not to disclose confidential information regarding
the business of the Company (or a division or Subsidiary); any
violation by the Employee of any covenant not to compete with the
Company (or a division or Subsidiary); any act of dishonesty by the
Employee which adversely affects the business of the Company (or a
division or subsidiary); any willful or intentional act of the
Employee which adversely affects the business of, or reflects
unfavorably on the reputation of the Company (or a division or
Subsidiary); the Employee’s use of alcohol or drugs which
interferes with the Employee’s performance of duties as an
employee of the Company (or a division or Subsidiary); or the
Employee’s failure or refusal to perform the specific
directives of the Company’s Board of Directors, or its
officers which directives are consistent with the scope and nature
of the Employee’s duties and responsibilities with the
existence and occurrence of all of such causes to be determined by
the Company in its sole discretion; provided, that nothing
contained in the foregoing provisions of this paragraph shall be
deemed to interfere in any way with the right of the Company (or a
division or Subsidiary), which is hereby acknowledged, to terminate
the Employee’s employment at any time without
cause.
2.17 “Non-Employee
Director” means a member of the Board of Directors of the
Company who is not an employee of the Company, and who qualifies as
a “Non-Employee Director” under the definition of that
term in SEC Rule 16b-3.
2.18 “Non-Qualified
Performance Stock Incentive” means a Performance Stock
Incentive granted under the Plan that is not intended to qualify as
qualified performance based compensation under Section 162(m)
of the Code, as described in Section 13.9.
2.19 “Non-Statutory Stock
Option” means an option, including an Option as the context
may require, which is not intended to qualify for the tax treatment
applicable to incentive stock options under section 422 of the
Code.
2.20 “Option” means an
option granted under this Plan to purchase shares of Common Stock.
Options may be Incentive Stock Options or Non-Statutory Stock
Options.
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2.21 “Participant” means
an Employee who the Committee determines is in a position to
contribute significantly to the growth and profitability of, or to
perform services of major importance to the Company, its divisions
and subsidiaries, or Non-Employee Director, who is selected by the
Committee to be a Participant in the Plan and to be granted a Stock
Incentive under the Plan.
2.22 “Performance Goal”
means one or more criteria or standards established by the
Committee to determine, in whole or in part, whether a Performance
Stock Incentive shall be awarded or earned, which may include the
criteria and standards established pursuant to
Section 13.9.
2.23 “Performance
Period” means the time period designated by the Committee
during which Performance Goals must be met.
2.24 “Performance Stock
Award” means a Stock Incentive providing for a grant of
shares of Common Stock the award or delivery of which is subject to
specified Performance Goals.
2.25 “Performance Stock
Incentive” means a Stock Incentive, including without
limitation, a Performance Stock Award, Performance Unit Award,
Restricted Stock Award, or Restricted Unit Award providing for the
award, delivery or payment of shares of Common Stock or cash, or a
combination of each, that is subject to specified Performance
Goals.
2.26 “Performance Unit
Award” means a Stock Incentive providing for a grant of a
unit or units representing an amount of cash or shares of Common
Stock (including a Stock Unit as defined in Section 2.39), or
a combination of each, that will be distributed in the future if
continued employment and/or other specified Performance Goals or
other performance criteria specified by the Committee are attained;
and which Performance Goals or other performance criteria may
include, without limitation, corporate, divisional or business unit
financial or operating performance measures, as more particularly
described in Section 13.9; and which other contingencies may
include the Participant’s depositing with the Company,
acquiring or retaining for stipulated time periods specified
amounts of Common Stock; and the amount of Stock Incentive may, but
need not be determined by reference to the market value of Common
Stock.
2.27 “Plan” means the
ONEOK, Inc. Equity Compensation Plan set forth in these pages, as
amended from time to time.
2.28 “Plan Year” means
the calendar year beginning on January 1 and ending the next
December 31.
2.29 “Qualified Performance
Stock Incentive” means a Performance Stock Incentive granted
under the Plan that is intended to qualify as qualified performance
based compensation under Section 162(m) of the Code, as
described in Section 13.9.
2.30 “Restricted Stock
Award” means shares of Common Stock which are issued or
transferred to a Participant under Section 6, below, and which
will become free of restrictions specified by the Committee if
continued employment and/or Performance Goals or other performance
criteria specified by the Committee are attained; and which
Performance Goals or other criteria, circumstances or conditions
arise, exist or are satisfied; and which may but need not include,
without limitation, corporate, divisional or business unit
financial or operating performance measures, as more particularly
described in Section 13.9.
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2.31 “Restricted Unit
Award” means a Stock Incentive providing for a grant of a
unit or units representing an amount of cash or shares of Common
Stock or a combination of each, which become free of restrictions
specified by the Committee if continued employment and/or
Performance Goals or other criteria, circumstances or conditions
arise, exist or are attained; and which may but need not include,
without limitation, corporate, divisional or business unit
financial or operating performance measures, as more particularly
described in Section 13.9.
2.32 “SEC Rule 16b-3”
means Rule 16b-3 of the Securities and Exchange Commission
promulgated under the Exchange Act, as such rule or any successor
rule may be in effect from time to time.
2.33 “Secretary” means
the Secretary of the Company.
2.34 “Section 16 Person”
means a person subject to Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act
with respect to transactions involving equity securities of the
Company.
2.35 “Share” or
“shares” means a share or shares of Common Stock, par
value $.01 per share of the Company.
2.36 “Stock Appreciation
Right” means a right granted to a Participant denominated in
shares of Common Stock, to receive, upon exercise of the right (or
both the right and a related Option, if applicable in the case of
issuance in tandem with an Option), an amount, payable in shares of
Common Stock, in cash, or a combination thereof that does not
exceed the excess of the Fair Market Value of the share or shares
of Common Stock on the date such right is exercised over the base
price of such share or shares provided in and for such right on the
date such right is granted, as determined by the
Committee.
2.37 “Stock Bonus Award”
means an amount of cash or shares of Common Stock which is
distributed to a Participant or which the Committee agrees to
distribute in the future to a Participant in lieu of, or as a
supplement to, any other compensation that may have been earned by
services rendered prior to the date the distribution is made.
Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, the amount of the
award shall be determined by reference to the Fair Market Value of
Common Stock. Performance Stock Awards, Performance Unit Awards,
Restricted Stock Awards and Restricted Unit Awards are specific
types of Stock Bonus Awards.
2.38 “Stock Incentive”
means an award granted under this Plan in one of the forms provided
for in Section 3.
2.39 “Stock Unit” means
a unit evidencing the right to receive under certain conditions or
in specified circumstances one (1) share of Common Stock or
equivalent value, as determined by the Committee.
2.40 “Subsidiary” means
a corporation or other form of business association of which shares
(or other ownership interest) having more than fifty percent
(50%) of the voting power are or in the future become owned or
controlled, directly or indirectly, by the Company; provided,
however, that in the case of an Incentive Stock Option, the term
“Subsidiary” shall mean a Subsidiary (as defined by the
preceding clause) which is also a “subsidiary
corporation” as defined in Section 424(f) of the
Code.
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2.41 “Time-Lapse Restricted
Stock Incentive” means a Restricted Stock Award, Restricted
Unit Award, or any other Stock Incentive the award of which is
based solely on continued employment with the Company for a
specified period of time.
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3.
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Grants of
Stock Incentives
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3.1 Stock Incentives to
Employees/Participants . Subject to the provisions of the
Plan, the Committee may at any time, or from time to time, grant
Stock Incentives to one or more Employees that the Committee
selects to be a Participant in the Plan, which may be
(i) Stock Bonus Awards, which may, but need not be Performance
Stock Awards, Performance Unit Awards or Restricted Stock Awards,
Restricted Unit Awards and/or (ii) Options, which may be
Incentive Stock Options or Non-Statutory Stock Options, and/or
(ii) Stock Appreciation Rights.
3.2 Non-Employee Director
Awards . Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the
Committee shall grant Director Stock Awards to Non-Employee
Directors in accordance with Section 9 of the Plan.
Notwithstanding anything else otherwise expressed or implied in the
Plan, no other form of Stock Incentive shall be granted to
Non-Employee Directors under the Plan, and in no event shall any
grant of an Incentive Stock Option be made to a Non-Employee
Director.
3.3 Modifications
. After a Stock Incentive has been granted,
(a) the Committee may waive any term
or condition thereof that could have been excluded from such Stock
Incentive when it was granted, and
(b) with the written consent of the
affected Participant, may amend any Stock Incentive after it has
been granted to include (or exclude) any provision which could have
been included in (or excluded from) such Stock Incentive when it
was granted, and no additional consideration need be received by
the Company in exchange for such waiver or amendment;
(c) provided, that modification of
any Option granted under the Plan shall be subject to the
prohibition of repricing of Options stated in
Section 7.9.
3.4 Forms of Stock Incentives
. A particular form of Stock Incentive may be granted to a
Participant either alone or in addition to other Stock Incentives
hereunder. The provisions of particular forms of Stock Incentives
need not be the same for each Participant.
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4.
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Stock
Subject to the Plan
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4.1 Shares Authorized
. The maximum number of shares of Common Stock authorized to
be issued or transferred pursuant to all Stock Incentives granted
under the Plan shall be five million (5,000,000) shares,
subject to the provisions governing restoration of shares stated
below in Section 4.4 and the provisions for adjustment in
Section 11. The maximum number of five million
(5,000,000) shares authorized consists of the three million
(3,000,000) shares authorized to be issued or transferred on
and after the date of initial adoption of the Plan on
February 17, 2005, as approved by shareholders of the Company
on May 19, 2005, and an additional two million
(2,000,000) shares authorized to be issued and transferred by
amendment of the Plan and this Section 4.1, adopted and
approved by the Board of Directors on February 21, 2008, and
approved by shareholders of the Company on May 15,
2008.
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4.2 Grant, Award Limitations
. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in addition to the overall
maximum limitation in Section 4.1,
(a) The maximum number of shares of
Common Stock with respect to which Options or Stock Appreciation
Rights may be granted or issued to any one (1) Employee or
Participant in any Plan Year is five hundred thousand
(500,000);
(b) The maximum number of shares of
Common Stock with respect to which Stock Incentives other than
Options or Stock Appreciation Rights may be granted or issued to
any one (1) Employee or Participant in any Plan Year is five
hundred thousand (500,000);
(c) The maximum aggregate number of
shares of Common Stock and the maximum dollar amount that may be
issued or paid as Performance Stock Incentives to any one
(1) Employee or Participant in any Plan Year are five hundred
thousand (500,000) shares of Common Stock, and Ten Million
Dollars ($10,000,000), respectively;
(d) The maximum aggregate number
shares of Common Stock that may be issued under the Plan through
the granting of Time-Lapse Restricted Stock Incentives is two
million (2,000,000);
(e) The maximum aggregate number of
shares of Common Stock that may be issued under the Plan through
the granting of Incentive Stock Options is one million seven
hundred thousand (1,700,000); and
(f) The exercise of Incentive Stock
Options is also subject to the calendar year dollar limitation
provided in Section 422(d) of the Code and
Section 7.6.
4.3 Source of Shares
. Such shares may be authorized but unissued shares of Common
Stock, shares of Common Stock held in treasury, whether acquired by
the Company specifically for use under this Plan or otherwise, or
shares issued or transferred to, or otherwise acquired by, a trust
pursuant to Section 13.5, as the Committee may from time to
time determine, provided, however, that any shares acquired or held
by the Company for the purposes of this Plan shall, unless and
until issued or transferred to a trust pursuant to
Section 13.5, or to a Participant in accordance with the terms
and conditions of a Stock Incentive, be and at all times remain
authorized but unissued shares or treasury shares (as the case may
be), irrespective of whether such shares are entered in a special
account for purposes of this Plan, and shall be available for any
corporate purpose.
4.4 Restoration and Retention of
Shares . If any shares of Common Stock subject to a Stock
Incentive shall not be issued or transferred to a Participant and
shall cease to be issuable or transferable to a Participant because
of the termination, expiration or cancellation, in whole or in
part, of such Stock Incentive or for any other reason, or if any
such shares shall, after issuance or transfer, be reacquired by the
Company because of the Participant’s failure to comply with
the terms and conditions of a Stock Incentive or for any other
reason, the shares not so issued or transferred, or the shares so
reacquired by the Company, as the case may be, shall no longer be
charged against the limitation provided for in Section 4.1 and
may be used thereafter for additional Stock Incentives under the
Plan; to the extent a Stock Incentive under the Plan is settled or
paid in cash, shares subject to such Stock Incentive will not
be
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considered to have been issued and will not be
applied against the maximum number of shares of Common Stock
provided for in Section 4.1. If a Stock Incentive may be
settled in shares of Common Stock or cash, such shares shall be
deemed issued only when and to the extent that settlement or
payment is actually made in shares of Common Stock; to the extent a
Stock Incentive is settled or paid in cash, and not shares of
Common Stock, any shares previously reserved for issuance or
transfer pursuant to such Stock Incentive will again be deemed
available for issuance or transfer under the Plan; and the maximum
number of shares of Common Stock that may be issued or transferred
under the Plan shall be reduced only by the number of shares
actually issued and transferred to the Participant. If a
Participant pays the purchase price of shares subject to an Option
or applicable taxes by surrender