EXHIBIT 10.1
BAKBONE SOFTWARE
INCORPORATED
2003 EQUITY INCENTIVE
PLAN
(amended and restated May 7,
2009 and
formerly known as BakBone
Software Incorporated 2003 Stock Option Plan)
1. Purposes of the Plan . The
purposes of this Plan are to attract and retain the best available
personnel, to provide additional incentives to Employees, Directors
and Consultants and to promote the success of the Company’s
business.
2. Definitions . The
following definitions shall apply as used herein and in the
individual Award Agreements except as defined otherwise in an
individual Award Agreement. In the event a term is separately
defined in an individual Award Agreement, such definition shall
supersede the definition contained in this
Section 2.
(a) “ Administrator
” means the Board or any of the Committees appointed to
administer the Plan.
(b) “ Affiliate ”
and “ Associate ” shall have the respective
meanings ascribed to such terms in Rule 12b-2 promulgated
under the Exchange Act.
(c) “ Applicable Laws
” means the legal requirements relating to the Plan and the
Awards under applicable provisions of Canadian law, U.S. federal
and state securities laws, the corporate laws of Canada, the Code,
the rules of any applicable stock exchange or national market
system, and the rules of any other non-U.S. jurisdiction applicable
to Awards granted to residents therein.
(d) “ Assumed ”
means that pursuant to a Corporate Transaction either (i) the
Award is expressly affirmed by the Company or (ii) the
contractual obligations represented by the Award are expressly
assumed (and not simply by operation of law) by the successor
entity or its Parent in connection with the Corporate Transaction
with appropriate adjustments to the number and type of securities
of the successor entity or its Parent subject to the Award and the
exercise or purchase price thereof which at least preserves the
compensation element of the Award existing at the time of the
Corporate Transaction as determined in accordance with the
instruments evidencing the agreement to assume the
Award.
(e) “ Award ”
means the grant of an Option, SAR, Dividend Equivalent Right,
Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Unit or other right or benefit
under the Plan.
(f) “ Award Agreement
” means the written agreement evidencing the grant of an
Award executed by the Company and the Grantee, including any
amendments thereto.
(g) “ Board ”
means the Board of Directors of the Company.
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(h) “ Cause ”
means, with respect to the termination by the Company or a Related
Entity of the Grantee’s Service, that such termination is for
“Cause” as such term (or word of like import) is
expressly defined in a then-effective written agreement between the
Grantee and the Company or such Related Entity, or in the absence
of such then-effective written agreement and definition, is based
on, in the determination of the Administrator, the Grantee’s:
(i) performance of any act or failure to perform any act in
bad faith and to the detriment of the Company or a Related Entity;
(ii) dishonesty, intentional misconduct or material breach of
any agreement with the Company or a Related Entity; or
(iii) commission of a crime involving dishonesty, breach of
trust, or physical or emotional harm to any person; provided,
however, that with regard to any agreement that defines
“Cause” on the occurrence of or in connection with a
Corporate Transaction or a Change in Control, such definition of
“Cause” shall not apply until a Corporate Transaction
or a Change in Control actually occurs.
(i) “ Change in Control
” means a change in ownership or control of the Company
effected through either of the following transactions:
(i) the direct or indirect
acquisition by any person or related group of persons (other than
an acquisition from or by the Company or by a Company-sponsored
employee benefit plan or by a person that directly or indirectly
controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, the
Company) of beneficial ownership (within the meaning of
Rule 13d-3 of the Exchange Act) of securities possessing more
than fifty percent (50%) of the total combined voting power of
the Company’s outstanding securities pursuant to a tender or
exchange offer made directly to the Company’s shareholders
which a majority of the Continuing Directors who are not Affiliates
or Associates of the offeror do not recommend such shareholders
accept, or
(ii) a change in the composition of
the Board over a period of twelve (12) months or less such
that a majority of the Board members (rounded up to the next whole
number) ceases, by reason of one or more contested elections for
Board membership, to be comprised of individuals who are Continuing
Directors.
(j) “ Code ”
means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
(k) “ Committee ”
means any committee composed of members of the Board appointed by
the Board to administer the Plan.
(l) “ Common Stock
” means the common stock of the Company.
(m) “ Company ”
means BakBone Software Incorporated, a Canada corporation, or any
successor entity that adopts the Plan in connection with a
Corporate Transaction.
(n) “ Consultant
” means any person (other than an Employee or a Director,
solely with respect to rendering services in such person’s
capacity as a Director) who is engaged by the Company or any
Related Entity to render consulting or advisory services to the
Company or such Related Entity.
(o) “ Continuing
Directors ” means members of the Board who either
(i) have been Board members continuously for a period of at
least twelve (12) months or (ii) have been Board members
for less than twelve (12) months and were elected or nominated
for election as Board members by at least a majority of the Board
members described in clause (i) who were still in office at
the time such election or nomination was approved by the
Board.
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(p) “ Corporate
Transaction ” means any of the following transactions,
provided, however, that the Administrator shall determine under
parts (iv) and (v) whether multiple transactions are
related, and its determination shall be final, binding and
conclusive:
(i) a merger or consolidation in
which the Company is not the surviving entity, except for a
transaction the principal purpose of which is to change the state
in which the Company is incorporated;
(ii) the sale, transfer or other
disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the
Company;
(iii) the complete liquidation or
dissolution of the Company;
(iv) any reverse merger or series of
related transactions culminating in a reverse merger (including,
but not limited to, a tender offer followed by a reverse merger) in
which the Company is the surviving entity but (A) the shares
of Common Stock outstanding immediately prior to such merger are
converted or exchanged by virtue of the merger into other property,
whether in the form of securities, cash or otherwise, or
(B) in which securities possessing more than fifty percent
(50%) of the total combined voting power of the
Company’s outstanding securities are transferred to a person
or persons different from those who held such securities
immediately prior to such merger or the initial transaction
culminating in such merger; or
(v) acquisition in a single or
series of related transactions by any person or related group of
persons (other than the Company or by a Company-sponsored employee
benefit plan) of beneficial ownership (within the meaning of Rule
13d-3 of the Exchange Act) of securities possessing more than fifty
percent (50%) of the total combined voting power of the
Company’s outstanding securities.
(q) “ Covered Employee
” means an Employee who is a “covered employee”
under Section 162(m)(3) of the Code.
(r) “ Director ”
means a member of the Board or the board of directors of any
Related Entity.
(s) “ Disability
” means as defined under the long-term disability policy of
the Company or the Related Entity to which the Grantee provides
services regardless of whether the Grantee is covered by such
policy. If the Company or the Related Entity to which the Grantee
provides service does not have a long-term disability plan in
place, “Disability” means that a Grantee is unable to
carry out the responsibilities and functions of the position held
by the Grantee by reason of any medically determinable physical or
mental impairment for a period of not less than ninety
(90) consecutive days. A Grantee will not be considered to
have incurred a Disability unless he or she furnishes proof of such
impairment sufficient to satisfy the Administrator in its
discretion.
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(t) “ Dividend Equivalent
Right ” means a right entitling the Grantee to
compensation measured by dividends paid with respect to Common
Stock.
(u) “ Employee ”
means any person, including an Officer or Director, who is in the
employ of the Company or any Related Entity, subject to the control
and direction of the Company or any Related Entity as to both the
work to be performed and the manner and method of performance. The
payment of a director’s fee by the Company or a Related
Entity shall not be sufficient to constitute
“employment” by the Company.
(v) “ Exchange Act
” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended.
(w) “ Fair Market Value
” means, as of any date, the value of Common Stock determined
as follows:
(i) If the Common Stock is listed on
one or more established stock exchanges or national market systems,
including without limitation the Toronto Stock Exchange, The NASDAQ
Global Select Market, The NASDAQ Global Market or The NASDAQ
Capital Market of The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC, its Fair Market
Value shall be the closing sales price for such stock (or the
closing bid, if no sales were reported) as quoted on the principal
exchange or system on which the Common Stock is listed (as
determined by the Administrator) on the date of determination (or,
if no closing sales price or closing bid was reported on that date,
as applicable, on the last trading date such closing sales price or
closing bid was reported), as reported in The Wall Street Journal
or such other source as the Administrator deems
reliable;
(ii) If the Common Stock is
regularly quoted on an automated quotation system (including the
OTC Bulletin Board) or by a recognized securities dealer, its Fair
Market Value shall be the closing sales price for such stock as
quoted on such system or by such securities dealer on the date of
determination, but if selling prices are not reported, the Fair
Market Value of a share of Common Stock shall be the mean between
the high bid and low asked prices for the Common Stock on the date
of determination (or, if no such prices were reported on that date,
on the last date such prices were reported), as reported in The
Wall Street Journal or such other source as the Administrator deems
reliable; or
(iii) In the absence of an
established market for the Common Stock of the type described in
(i) and (ii), above, the Fair Market Value thereof shall be
determined by the Administrator in good faith and in a manner
consistent with Applicable Laws.
(x) “ Grantee ”
means an Employee, Director or Consultant who receives an Award
under the Plan.
(y) “ Immediate Family
” means any child, stepchild, grandchild, parent, stepparent,
grandparent, spouse, former spouse, sibling, niece, nephew,
mother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in law, daughter-in-law,
brother-in-law, or sister-in-law, including adoptive relationships,
any person sharing the Grantee’s household (other than a
tenant or employee), a trust in which these persons (or the
Grantee) have more than fifty percent (50%) of the beneficial
interest, a foundation in which these persons (or the Grantee)
control the management of assets, and any other entity in which
these persons (or the Grantee) own more than fifty percent
(50%) of the voting interests.
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(z) “ Incentive Stock
Option ” means an Option intended to qualify as an
incentive stock option within the meaning of Section 422 of
the Code.
(aa) “ Insider ”
means an individual who would be considered an
“insider” of the Company for purposes of the Ontario
Act or Section 16 of the Exchange Act, and the rules and
regulations promulgated thereunder.
(bb) “ Non-Statutory Stock
Option ” means an Option not intended to qualify as an
Incentive Stock Option.
(cc) “ Officer ”
means a person who is an officer of the Company or a Related Entity
within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act and the
rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
(dd) “ Ontario Act
” means the Securities Act (Ontario).
(ee) “ Option ”
means an option to purchase Shares pursuant to an Award Agreement
granted under the Plan.
(ff) “ Parent ”
means a “parent corporation”, whether now or hereafter
existing, as defined in Section 424(e) of the Code.
(gg) “ Performance-Based
Compensation ” means compensation qualifying as
“performance-based compensation” under
Section 162(m) of the Code.
(hh) “ Plan ”
means this 2003 Equity Incentive Plan, formerly known as the 2003
Stock Option Plan.
(ii) “ Post-Termination
Exercise Period ” means the period specified in the Award
Agreement of not less than thirty (30) days commencing on the
date of termination (other than termination by the Company or any
Related Entity for Cause) of the Grantee’s Service, or such
longer period as may be applicable upon death or
Disability.
(jj) “ Related Entity
” means any Parent or Subsidiary of the Company.
(kk) “ Replaced ”
means that pursuant to a Corporate Transaction the Award is
replaced with a comparable stock award or a cash incentive program
of the Company, the successor entity (if applicable) or Parent of
either of them which preserves the compensation element of such
Award existing at the time of the Corporate Transaction and
provides for subsequent payout in accordance with the same (or a
more favorable) vesting schedule applicable to such Award. The
determination of Award comparability shall be made by the
Administrator and its determination shall be final, binding and
conclusive.
(ll) “ Restricted Stock
” means Shares issued under the Plan to the Grantee for such
consideration, if any, and subject to such restrictions on
transfer, rights of first refusal, repurchase provisions,
forfeiture provisions, and other terms and conditions as
established by the Administrator.
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(mm) “ Restricted Stock
Units ” means an Award which may be earned in whole or in
part upon the passage of time or the attainment of performance
criteria established by the Administrator and which may be settled
for cash, Shares or other securities or a combination of cash,
Shares or other securities as established by the
Administrator.
(nn) “ Rule 16b-3
” means Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act or
any successor thereto.
(oo) “ SAR ”
means a stock appreciation right entitling the Grantee to Shares or
cash compensation, as established by the Administrator, measured by
appreciation in the value of Common Stock.
(pp) “ Service ”
means that the provision of services to the Company or a Related
Entity in any capacity of Employee, Director or Consultant is not
interrupted or terminated. In jurisdictions requiring notice in
advance of an effective termination as an Employee, Director or
Consultant, Service shall be deemed terminated upon the actual
cessation of providing services to the Company or a Related Entity
notwithstanding any required notice period that must be fulfilled
before a termination as an Employee, Director or Consultant can be
effective under Applicable Laws. A Grantee’s Service shall be
deemed to have terminated either upon an actual termination of
Service or upon the entity for which the Grantee provides services
ceasing to be a Related Entity. Service shall not be considered
interrupted in the case of (i) any approved leave of absence,
(ii) transfers among the Company, any Related Entity, or any
successor, in any capacity of Employee, Director or Consultant, or
(iii) any change in status as long as the individual remains
in the service of the Company or a Related Entity in any capacity
of Employee, Director or Consultant (except as otherwise provided
in the Award Agreement). Notwithstanding the foregoing, except as
otherwise determined by the Administrator, in the event of any
spin-off of a Related Entity, service as an Employee, Director or
Consultant for such Related Entity following such spin-off shall be
deemed to be Service for purposes of the Plan and any Award under
the Plan. An approved leave of absence shall include sick leave,
military leave, or any other authorized personal leave. For
purposes of each Incentive Stock Option granted under the Plan, if
such leave exceeds three (3) months, and reemployment upon
expiration of such leave is not guaranteed by statute or contract,
then the Incentive Stock Option shall be treated as a Non-Statutory
Stock Option on the day three (3) months and one (1) day
following the expiration of such three (3) month
period.
(qq) “ Share ”
means a share of the Common Stock.
(rr) “ Stock ”
means Common Stock.
(ss) “ Subsidiary
” means a “subsidiary corporation”, whether now
or hereafter existing, as defined in Section 424(f) of the
Code.
3. Stock Subject to the Plan
.
(a) Subject to the provisions of
Section 10 below, the maximum aggregate number of Shares which
may be issued pursuant to all Awards is ten million three hundred
thirty-one thousand five hundred sixteen (10,331,516) Shares;
provided, however, that the maximum aggregate number of Shares
which may be issued under the Plan at any time shall be reduced by
the number of
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Shares subject to any outstanding
options granted pursuant to either the BakBone Software
Incorporated Stock Option Plan, as amended, or the BakBone Software
Incorporated 2002 Stock Option Plan. The Shares may be authorized,
but unissued, or reacquired Common Stock.
(b) Any Shares covered by an Award
(or portion of an Award) which is forfeited, canceled (including by
reason of surrender under Section 8(f) below) or expires,
whether voluntarily or involuntarily, shall be deemed not to have
been issued for purposes of determining the maximum aggregate
number of Shares which may be issued under the Plan; provided,
however, that Shares covered by Incentive Stock Options surrendered
pursuant to Section 8(f) shall not be available for future
grants of Incentive Stock Options under the Plan. Shares that
actually have been issued under the Plan pursuant to an Award shall
not be returned to the Plan and shall not become available for
future issuance under the Plan, except that if unvested Shares are
forfeited or repurchased by the Company, such Shares shall become
available for future grant under the Plan.
4. Administration of the Plan
.
(a) Plan Administrator
.
(i) Administration with Respect
to Directors and Officers . With respect to grants of Awards to
Directors or Employees (i) who are also Officers or Directors
of the Company or (ii) who would also be considered
“insiders” for purposes of the Ontario Act, the Plan
shall be administered by (A) the Board or (B) a Committee
designated by the Board, which Committee shall be constituted in
such a manner as to satisfy the Applicable Laws and to permit such
grants and related transactions under the Plan to be exempt from
Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act in accordance with
Rule 16b-3. Once appointed, such Committee shall continue to
serve in its designated capacity until otherwise directed by the
Board.
(ii) Administration With Respect
to Consultants and Other Employees . With respect to grants of
Awards to Employees or Consultants who are neither Directors nor
Officers of the Company, the Plan shall be administered by
(A) the Board or (B) a Committee designated by the Board,
which Committee shall be constituted in such a manner as to satisfy
the Applicable Laws. Once appointed, such Committee shall continue
to serve in its designated capacity until otherwise directed by the
Board.
(iii) Administration With Respect
to Covered Employees . Notwithstanding the foregoing, grants of
Awards to any Covered Employee intended to qualify as
Performance-Based Compensation shall be made only by a Committee
(or subcommittee of a Committee) which is comprised solely of two
or more Directors eligible to serve on a committee making Awards
qualifying as Performance-Based Compensation. In the case of such
Awards granted to Covered Employees, references to the
“Administrator” or to a “Committee” shall
be deemed to be references to such Committee or
subcommittee.
(b) Multiple Administrative
Bodies . The Plan may be administered by different bodies with
respect to Directors, Officers, Consultants, and Employees who are
neither Directors nor Officers.
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(c) Powers of the
Administrator . Subject to Applicable Laws and the provisions
of the Plan (including any other powers given to the Administrator
hereunder), and except as otherwise provided by the Board, the
Administrator shall have the authority, in its
discretion:
(i) to select the Employees,
Directors and Consultants to whom Awards may be granted from time
to time hereunder;
(ii) to determine whether and to
what extent Awards are granted hereunder;
(iii) to determine the number of
Shares or the amount of other consideration to be covered by each
Award granted hereunder;
(iv) to approve forms of Award
Agreements for use under the Plan;
(v) to determine the terms and
conditions of any Award granted hereunder;
(vi) to establish additional terms,
conditions, rules or procedures to accommodate the rules or laws of
applicable non-U.S. jurisdictions and to afford Grantees favorable
treatment under such rules or laws; provided, however, that no
Award shall be granted under any such additional terms, conditions,
rules or procedures with terms or conditions which are inconsistent
with the provisions of the Plan;
(vii) to amend the terms of any
outstanding Award granted under the Plan, provided that any
amendment that would adversely affect the Grantee’s rights
under an outstanding Award shall not be made without the
Grantee’s written consent, provided, however, that an
amendment or modification that may cause an Incentive Stock Option
to become a Non-Statutory Stock Option shall not be treated as
adversely affecting the rights of the Grantee. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, shareholder approval shall not be required for
(A) the reduction or increase of the exercise price or base
appreciation amount (as applicable) of any Option or SAR awarded
under the Plan and (B) canceling an Option or SAR at a time
when its exercise price or base appreciation amount (as applicable)
exceeds (or is less than) the Fair Market Value of the underlying
Shares, in exchange for another Option, SAR, Restricted Stock, or
other Award;
(viii) to construe and interpret the
terms of the Plan and Awards, including without limitation, any
notice of award or Award Agreement, granted pursuant to the Plan;
and
(ix) to take such other action, not
inconsistent with the terms of the Plan, as the Administrator deems
appropriate.
The express grant in the Plan of any
specific power to the Administra