EXHIBIT 10.3
FORM OF
CONSULTANT STOCK OPTION
AGREEMENT
This Non-Qualified Stock Option
Agreement (this “Agreement”) is made and entered into
as of January 10, 2008 (the “Grant Date”) by and
between BioLargo, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the
“Company”), whose address is 2603 Main Street, Suite
1155, Irvine, California 92614, and
________________________________, an individual
(“Optionee”). Capitalized terms used herein without
definition shall have the meanings given to them in Appendix
“A” attached hereto and incorporated herein by this
reference).
RECITALS
A. The Board of Directors of the
Company (the “Board”) has authorized granting to
Optionee, effective as of the date of this Agreement, a
non-qualified stock option under such terms and conditions as are
hereinafter set forth.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of
the mutual covenants, agreements, representations and warranties
herein set forth and for other good and valuable consideration, the
receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the
parties hereto, intending to be legally bound hereby, agree as
follows:
1. Grant of Stock Option .
The Company hereby grants to Optionee a Non-Qualified Stock Option
(the “Option”) to purchase, upon and subject to the
terms and conditions of this Agreement, all or any part of One
Million Two Hundred Thousand (1,200,000) shares of Stock at a
per share exercise price of $0.99 (the “Per Share Exercise
Price”).
2. Vesting . Subject to
Sections 4.2 and 6 hereof, the Option shall become exercisable with
respect to the following percentages of the number of shares
subject to the Option on the following dates (each, a
“Vesting Date”) and at any time thereafter until such
Option shall terminate in accordance with the terms of this
Agreement:
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Vesting Date
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Percentage Vested
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January 10, 2008
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25%
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December 31, 2008
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25%
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December 31, 2009
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25%
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December 31, 2010
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25%
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Notwithstanding the foregoing, no
portion of this Option shall vest if the Optionee is not, on a
Vesting Date, providing services to the Company pursuant to his
related consulting agreement.
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3. Manner of Exercise and
Payment . Optionee shall exercise the Option by giving
(a) written notice of such exercise to the Board (or, if so
authorized by the Board, to the Compensation Committee of the Board
(the “Committee”), specifying the number of shares of
Stock with respect to which such Option is being exercised,
together with (b) payment of the full purchase price for such
shares, by wire transfer to a Company account designated by the
Board (or the Committee) or by unendorsed certified or
cashier’s check, equal to the number of shares to be
purchased multiplied by the Per Share Exercise Price.
3.1. Effective Date of
Exercise . The date upon which such written notice is given and
payment of the full purchase price is received by the Company shall
be the exercise date for the Option. From such exercise date,
Optionee shall be entitled to the issuance of a stock certificate
evidencing Optionee’s ownership of the shares of Stock
acquired pursuant to such exercise (but subject to Section 8
hereof). Optionee shall not have any of the rights or privileges of
a stockholder of the Company (including, without limitation, rights
to distributions, voting rights, inspection rights,
dissenter’s rights, rights to bring a derivative action, or
other rights of a shareholder under applicable corporate law) in
respect of any shares of Stock issuable upon exercise of such
Option until and only to the extent such Option is exercised and
certificates representing such shares shall have been issued and
delivered.
3.2. No Fractional Shares .
No installment of such Stock Option shall be exercisable except
with respect to whole shares.
4. Termination .
4.1. In General . The Option
granted under Section 1 hereof, to the extent unexercised,
shall terminate at the close of business on the fifth (5th )
anniversary of the Grant Date, subject to Section 6 or
Section 7 hereof (as applicable).
4.2. Change of Control. If,
in connection with the Change of Control, this Option is not
assumed, or if a substitute Option is not issued, or if the assumed
or substituted awards fail to contain similar terms and conditions
as the Option prior to the Change of Control or fail to preserve,
to the extent applicable, the benefit to be provided to the
Optionee as of the date of the Change of Control, including but not
limited to the right of the Optionee to receive shares upon
exercise of the Option that are registered for sale to the public
pursuant to an effective registration statement filed with the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission, then each holder of an Option
that is outstanding as of the date of the Change of Control shall
have the right, exercisable by written notice to the Company (or
its successor in the Change of Control transaction) within 30 days
after the Change of Control (but not beyond the Option’s
expiration date), to receive, in exchange for the surrender of the
Option, an amount of cash equal to the excess of the greater of the
Fair Market Value of the Shares determined on the Change of Control
date or the Fair Market Value of the Shares on the date of
surrender covered by the Option (to the extent vested and not yet
exercised) that is so surrendered over the purchase or grant price
of such Shares under the Award. If the Board (or the Committee) so
determines prior to the Change of Control, any such Option that is
not exercised or surrendered prior to the end of such 30-day period
will be cancelled.
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5. Non-Transferability .
Neither Optionee nor any successor or assignee thereof shall have
any power or right to transfer, assign, anticipate, hypothecate or
otherwise encumber any part or all of the Option granted under
Section 1 hereof, other than by will or by the laws of descent
and distribution, and such Option shall be exercisable during
Optionee’s lifetime only by Optionee; nor shall all or any
part of such Option be subject to seizure by any creditor of any
such person, by a proceeding at law or in equity, and no such
benefit shall be transferable by operation of law in the event of
the bankruptcy or insolvency of Optionee or any successor or
assignee thereof. Any such attempted assignment or transfer shall
be void and shall terminate this Agreement, and the Company shall
thereupon have no further liability hereunder.
6. Cessation of Employment
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6.1. In General . Subject to
Sections 6.2 and 7 hereof, if Optionee ceases to be employed by the
Company or any of Subsidiary, Optionee may, subject to the time
limitations of Section 4 hereof, exercise the Option granted
under Section 1 hereof to the extent that Optionee was
entitled to exercise it under Section 2 hereof on the date of
such cessation at any time (a) within one (1) year after
such cessation if such cessation results from the Disability of
Optionee, or (b) otherwise within ninety (90) days after
such cessation.
6.2. Termination for Cause .
If Optionee is terminated as an employee of the Company or any
Subsidiary for Cause, the right to exercise any unexercised portion
of the Option granted under Section 1 hereof shall terminate
immediately. For the purposes of this Agreement “Cause”
with respect to an Optionee means (a) a material breach by
Optionee of any employment agreement between such Optionee on the
one hand and the Company or Subsidiary on the other hand, together
with failure to correct such breach within thirty (30) days
after notice of such breach is given to such Optionee by the
employer; (b) gross malfeasance by Optionee in the performance
of Optionee’s duties on behalf of the Company or Subsidiary;
or (c) the conviction of or plea of guilty or nolo contendere
by Optionee with respect to any misdemeanor or felony arising from
or related to the conduct of the affairs of the Company or
Subsidiary.
7. Death of Optionee . If
Optionee dies while employed by the Company or Subsidiary, or
during the period described in clause (a) or clause
(b) of Section 6.1 hereof as applicable, then, subject to
the time limitations of Section 4 hereof, the Option granted
under Section 1 hereof shall expire within one (1) year
after the date of death; and the executor or administrator of
Optionee’s estate, or the person or persons to whom
Optionee’s rights under such Option shall have passed by will
or by the applicable laws of descent and distribution, shall have
the right to exercise the Option to the extent that Optionee was
entitled to exercise the Option under Section 2 hereof on the
date of death.
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8. Compliance With Securities and
Tax Laws . No shares of Stock shall be issued pursuant to the
exercise of the Option except in compliance with all applicable
federal and state securities and tax laws and regulations and in
compliance with rules of stock exchanges