Exhibit 10.07
Special Option Program under
the
1997 Long Term Incentive
Plan
Option Award
Agreement
Agreement , dated as of January 23, 2009, among
AllianceBernstein L.P. (“Partnership”),
AllianceBernstein Holding L.P. (“Holding”) and
<PARTC_NAME> (“Participant”), an employee of the
Partnership or a subsidiary of the Partnership.
Whereas, The Compensation Committee
(“Committee” or “Administrator”) of the
Board of Directors (“Board”) of AllianceBernstein
Corporation (“Corporation”), pursuant to the
Partnership’s Amended and Restated 1997 Long Term Incentive
Plan (“Plan”), a copy of which has been delivered
electronically to the Participant, has granted to the Participant
an award (“Award”) consisting of options
(“Options”) to purchase units representing assignments
of the beneficial ownership of limited partnership interests
in Holding (“Units”) that vest over the first five
anniversaries of grant date;
Now, Therefore , in accordance with the grant of the Award, and
as a condition thereto, the Partnership, Holding and the
Participant agree as follows:
1.
Grant . Subject to and under the terms and
conditions set forth in this Agreement and the Plan, the Committee
hereby awards to the Participant Options, which permit the
Participant to purchase from the Partnership the number of Units
set forth in Section 1 of Schedule A, at the per Unit price set
forth in Section 2 of Schedule A, subject to the vesting schedule
set forth in Section 3 of Schedule A.
2.
Term and Vesting Schedule . (a) The Options shall
not be exercisable to any extent prior to January 23, 2010 or after
January 23, 2019 (“Option Expiration
Date”). Subject to the terms and conditions
of this Agreement and the Plan, the Participant shall be entitled
to exercise the Options prior to the Option Expiration Date and to
purchase Units pursuant to the Options in accordance with the
schedule set forth in Section 3 of Schedule A.
(b) The right to
exercise the Options shall be cumulative so that to the extent the
Options are not exercised when they become initially exercisable
with respect to any Units, they shall be exercisable with respect
to such Units at any time thereafter until the Option Expiration
Date, subject to any guidelines or restrictions in the
Partnership’s Code of Business Conduct and Ethics or
the U.S. federal securities laws. Options
awarded hereunder may not be exercised after the Option Expiration
Date ( i.e ., any Units subject to the Options that have not
been purchased on or before the Option Expiration Date may no
longer be purchased). A Unit shall be considered to have
been purchased on or before the Option Expiration Date if the
Partnership has been given notice of the purchase and the
Partnership has actually received payment therefor, pursuant to
Sections 3, 7 and 15, on or before the Option Expiration
Date.
3. Notice
of Exercise, Payment, Certificate and Account
. Exercise of the Options, in whole or in part, shall be
by delivery of a written notice to the Partnership and Holding
pursuant to Section 15, which specifies the number of Units being
purchased and is accompanied by payment therefor in
cash. The Participant may pay the Partnership as many as
three business days subsequent to exercise date and may pay the
Partnership directly or through a financial
intermediary. Promptly after receipt of such notice and
purchase price, the Partnership shall cause the Partnership’s
transfer agent to deliver the number of Units
purchased. Units to be issued upon the exercise of
Options may be authorized and newly-issued Units or Units that have
been reacquired by the Partnership, a subsidiary of the
Partnership, Holding or a subsidiary of Holding.
4.
Termination . The Options may be exercised
by the Participant only while the Participant is employed full-time
by the Partnership, except as follows:
(a)
Disability . If the Participant’s
employment with the Partnership terminates because of Disability,
the Participant (or the Participant’s personal
representative) shall have the right to exercise all outstanding
Options held by the Participant (and not previously cancelled or
expired) for a period which ends not later than the
earlier of (i) three months after such termination, and (ii) the
Option Expiration Date. The Participant shall be deemed to
have incurred a “Disability” if the Participant is
unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of
any medically determinable physical or mental impairment that can
be expected to last for a continuous period of not less
than 12 months, as determined by the carrier of the long-term
disability insurance program maintained by the Partnership or its
affiliate that covers the Participant, or such other person or
entity designated by the Administrator in its sole discretion. In
order to assist in the process described in this paragraph (a), the
Participant shall, as reasonably requested by the
Administrator, (A) be available for medical examinations by one or
more physicians chosen by the long-term disability insurance
provider or the Administrator and approved by the Participant,
whose approval shall not unreasonably be withheld, and (B) grant
the long-term disability insurance provider, the Administrator
and any such physicians access to all relevant medical information
concerning the Participant, arrange to furnish copies of medical
records to them, and use best efforts to cause the
Participant’s own physicians to be available to discuss the
Participant’s health with them.
(b)
Death . If the Participant dies (i) while in the
employ of the Partnership, (ii) within one month after incurring a
Disability (as determined in accordance with paragraph (a) above),
(iii) at any time after the Participant’s Retirement (as
defined in paragraph (c) below), or (iv) within one month after
the Participant’s employment is terminated for any
reason other than Disability, Retirement or for Cause (as
determined in accordance with paragraph (d) below), all
outstanding Options held by the Participant (and not
previously cancelled or expired) may be exercised by the person or
persons to whom the Options shall have been transferred by will or
by the laws of descent and distribution for a period which ends not
later than the earlier of (A) six months from the date of the
Participant’s death, and (B) the Option Expiration
Date.
(c)
Retirement . If the Participant’s employment with the
Partnership terminates because of the Participant’s
Retirement, the outstanding Options held by the Participant (and
not previously cancelled or expired) on his or her Retirement date
shall expire on the earlier of the Option Expiration Date and the
date that is five years from the date of such
Retirement. Furthermore, to the extent any such Options
are not fully vested on the Participant’s Retirement date,
the Options shall continue to vest as specified in Section 3 of
Schedule A. “Retirement” with respect to a
Participant means that the employment of the Participant with the
Partnership or any subsidiary of the Partnership has terminated
either (i) on