EX-10.24 3 f20992exv10w24.htm EXHIBIT 10.24 exv10w24
 

Exhibit 10.24
Ixys Corporation
1999 Equity Incentive Plan
Stock Option Agreement
(Nonstatutory Stock Options)
     Pursuant to your Stock Option Grant Notice (“Grant Notice”) and this Stock Option Agreement, Ixys Corporation (the “Company”) has granted you an option under its 1999 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) to purchase the number of shares of the Company’s Common Stock indicated in your Grant Notice at the exercise price indicated in your Grant Notice. Defined terms not explicitly defined in this Stock Option Agreement but defined in the Plan shall have the same definitions as in the Plan.
     The details of your option are as follows:
     1.       Vesting.
          (a)       General. Subject to the limitations contained herein, your option will vest as provided in your Grant Notice, provided that vesting will cease upon the termination of your Continuous Service and that your vesting may be accelerated as provided in the Plan and in Section 1(b) below.
          (b)       Vesting Acceleration.
                              (i)       Change in Control — Asset Sale, Merger, Consolidation or Reverse Mergers. In the event of (1) a sale of substantially all of the assets of the Company, (2) a merger or consolidation in which the Company is not the surviving corporation or (3) a reverse merger in which the Company is the surviving corporation but the share of Common Stock outstanding immediately preceding the merger are converted by virtue of the merger into other property, whether in the form of securities, cash or otherwise, then, to the extent your Continuous Service has not terminated, the vesting of your option and the time during which your option may be exercised shall be accelerated in full, and your option shall terminate if not exercised at or prior to such event.
                              (ii)       Change in Control — Securities Acquisition. In the event of an acquisition by any person, entity or group within the meaning of Section 13(d) or 14 (d) of the Exchange Act, or any comparable successor provisions (excluding any employee benefit plan, or related trust, sponsored or maintained by the Company or an Affiliate) of the beneficial ownership (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act, or comparable successor rule) of securities of the Company representing at least fifty percent (50%) of the combined voting power entitled to vote in the election of directors, then, to the extent your Continuous Service has not terminated, the vesting of your option and the time during which your option may be exercised shall be accelerated in full.

 


 

                              (iii)       Change in Control — Change in Incumbent Board. In the event that the individual who, as of the date of the adoption of this Plan, are members of the Board (the “Incumbent Board”), cease for any reason to constitute at least fifty percent (50%) of the Board, then, to the extent your Continuous Service has not terminated, the vesting of your option and the time during which your option may be exercised shall be accelerated in full. If the election, or nomination for election, by the Company’s stockholders of any new director was approved by a vote of at least fifty percent (50%) of the Incumbent Board, such new director shall be considered as a member of the Incumbent Board.
     2.       Number of Shares and Exercise Price. The number of shares of Common Stock subject to your option and your exercise price per share referenced in your Grant Notice may be adjusted from time to time for Capitalization Adjustments.
     3.       Method of Payment. Payment of the exercise price is due in full upon exercise of all or any part of your option. You may elect to make payment of the exercise price in cash or by check or in any other manner permitted by your Grant Notice, which may include one or more of the following:
                              (i)       In the Company’s sole discretion at the time your option is exercised and provided that at the time of exercise the Common Stock is publicly traded and quoted regularly in The Wall Street Journal, pursuant to a program developed under Regulation T as promulgated by the Federal Reserve Board that, prior to the issuance of Common Stock, results in either the receipt of cash (or check) by the Company or the receipt of irrevocable instructions to pay the aggregate exercise price to the Company from the sales proceeds.
                              (ii)       In the Company’s sole discretion at the time your option is exercised, by cancellation of a number of the shares of Common Stock to be issued upon the exercise, where such cancelled number equals the largest number of whole shares that has a Fair Market Value that does not exceed the aggregate exercise price. With respect to any remaining balance of the aggregate exercise price, you may either pay by cash or through a broker assisted exercise pursuant to Section 3(i). The shares of Common Stock used to pay the exercise price of this option under this “net exercise” provision will be considered to have resulted from the exercise of this option, and accordingly, this option will not again be exercisable with respect to such shares, as well as any shares actually delivered to you.
                              (iii)       Provided that at the time of exercise the Common Stock is publicly traded and quoted regularly in The Wall Street Journal, by delivery of already-owned shares of Common Stock either that you have held for the period required to avoid a charge to the Company’s reported earnings (generally six (6) months) or that you did not acquire, directly or indirectly from the Company, that are owned free and clear of any liens, claims, encumbrances or security interests, and that are valued at Fair Market Value on the date of exercise. “Delivery” for these purposes, in the sole discretion of the Company at the time you exercise your option, shall include delivery to the Company of your attestation of ownership of such shares of Common Stock in a form approved by the Company. Notwithstanding the foregoing, you may not exercise your option by tender to the Company of Common Stock to the extent such tender would violate the provisions of any law, regulation or agreement restricting the redemption of the Company’s stock.

 


 

     4.       Whole Shares. You may exercise your option only for whole shares of Common Stock that have vested.
     5.       Securities Law Compliance. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, you may not exercise your option unless the shares of Common Stock issuable upon such exercise are then registered under the Securities Act or, if such shares of Common Stock are not then so registered, the Company has determined that such exercise and issuance would be exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act. The exercise of your option also must comply with other applicable laws and regulations governing your option, and you may not exercise your option if the Company determines that such exercise would not be in material compliance with such laws and regulations.
     6.       Term. You may not exercise your option before the commencement or after the expiration of its term. The term of your option commences on the Date of Grant and expires upon the earliest of the following:
                              (i)       three (3) months after the termination of your Continuous Service for any reason other than your Disability or death, provided that if during any part of such three (3) month period your option is not exercisable solely because of the condition set forth in Section 5, your option shall not expire until the earlier of the Expiration Date or until it shall have been exercisable for an aggregate period of three (3) months after the termination of your Continuous Service;
                              (ii)       twelve (12) months after the termination of your Continuous Service due to your Disability;
                              (iii)       eighteen (18) months after your death if you die either during your Continuous Service or within three (3) months after your Continuous Service terminates;
                              (iv)       the Expiration Date indicated in your Grant Notice; or
                              (v)       the day before the tenth (10th) anniversary of the Date of Grant.
     7.       Exercise.
                              (i)       You may exercise the vested portion of your option (and the unvested portion of your option if your Grant Notice so permits) during its term by delivering a Notice of Exercise (in a form designated by the Company) together with the exercise price to the Secretary of the Company, or to such other person as the Company may designate, during regular business hours, together with such additional documents as the Company may then require.
                              (ii)       By exercising your option you agree that, as a condition to any exercise of your option, the Company may require you to enter into an arrangement providing for the payment by you to the Company of any tax withholding obligation of the Company arising by reason of (1) the exercise of your option, (2) the lapse of any substantial risk of forfeiture to

 


 

which the shares of Common Stock are subject at the time of exercise, or (3) the disposition of shares of Common Stock acquired upon such exercise.
     8.       Transferability. Your option is not transferable, except by will or by the laws of descent and distribution, and is exercisable during your life only by you. Notwithstanding the foregoing, by delivering written notice to the Company, in a form satisfactory to the Company, you may designate a third party who, in the event of your death, shall thereafter be entitled to exercise your option.
     9.       Option not a Service Contract. Your option is not an employment or service contract, and nothing in your option shall be deemed to create in any way whatsoever any obligation on your part to continue in the employ of the Company or an Affiliate, or of the Company or an Affiliate to continue your employment. In addition, nothing in your option shall obligate the Company or an Affiliate, their respective stockholders, Boards of Directors, Officers or Employees to continue any relationship that you might have as a Director or Consultant for the Company or an Affiliate.
     10.       Withholding Obligations.
                              (i)       At the time you exercise your option, in whole or in part, or at any time thereafter as requested by the Company, you hereby authorize withholding from payroll and any other amounts payable to you, and otherwise agree to make adequate provision for (including by means of a “cashless exercise” pursuant to a program developed under Regulation T as promulgated by the Federal Reserve Board to the extent permitted by the Company), any sums required to satisfy the federal, state, local and foreign tax withholding obligations of the Company or an Affiliate, if any, which arise in connection with the exercise of your option.
                              (ii)       Either upon your request and subject to approval by the Company, in its sole discretion, or at the request of the Company, in its sole discretion, and, in either case, in compliance with any applicable legal conditions or restrictions, the Company may withhold from fully vested shares of Common Stock otherwise issuable to you upon the exercise of your option a number of whole shares of Common Stock having a Fair Market Value, determined by the Company as of the date of exercise, not in excess of the minimum amount of tax required to be withheld by law (or such lower amount as may be necessary to avoid variable award accounting). If the date of determination of any tax withholding obligation is deferred to a date later than the date of exercise of your option, share withholding pursuant to the preceding sentence shall not be permitted unless you make a proper and timely election under Section 83(b) of the Code, covering the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock acquired upon such exercise with respect to which such determination is otherwise deferred, to accelerate the determination of such tax withholding obligation to the date of exercise of your option. Notwithstanding the filing of such election, shares of Common Stock shall be withheld solely from fully vested shares of Common Stock determined as of the date of exercise of your option that are otherwise issuable to you upon such exercise. Any adverse consequences to you arising in connection with such share withholding procedure shall be your sole responsibility.
                              (iii)       You may not exercise your option unless the tax withholding obligations of the Company and/or any Affiliate are satisfied. Accordingly, you may not be able to

 


 

exercise your option when desired even though your option is vested, and the Company shall have no obligation to issue a certificate for such shares of Common Stock or release such shares of Common Stock from any escrow provided for herein unless such obligations are satisfied.
     11.       Notices. Any notices provided for in your option or the Plan shall be given in writing and shall be deemed effectively given upon receipt or, in the case of notices delivered by mail by the Company to you, five (5) days after deposit in the United States mail, postage prepaid, addressed to you at the last address you provided to the Company.
     12.       Governing Plan Document. Your option is subject to all the provisions of the Plan, the provisions of which are hereby made a part of your option, and is further subject to all interpretations, amendments, rules and regulations, which may from time to time be promulgated and adopted pursuant to the Plan. In the event of any conflict between the provisions of your option and those of the Plan, the provisions of the Plan shall control.

 


 

Ixys Corporation
1999 Equity Incentive Plan
Stock Option Grant Notice
Ixys Corporation (the “Company”), pursuant to its 1999 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”), hereby grants to Optionholder an option to purchase the number of shares of the Company’s Common Stock set forth below. This option is subject to all of the terms and conditions as set forth herein and in the Stock Option Agreement, the Plan and the Notice of Exercise, all of which are attached hereto and incorporated herein in their entirety.
       
Optionholder:
   
Date of Grant:
   
Vesting Commencement Date:
   
Number of Shares Subject to Option:
   
Exercise Price (Per Share):
   
Total Exercise Price:
   
Expiration Date:1
   
     
Type of Grant:
  Nonstatutory Stock Option
 
   
Exercise Schedule:
  Same as Vesting Schedule,
 
   
Vesting Schedule:
 
.
 
  In addition, the Option is subject to vesting acceleration as provided in Section 1(b) of the Stock Option Agreement.
 
   
Payment:
  By one or a combination of the following items (described in Section 3 of the Stock Option Agreement):
 
   
 
  ¨    By cash or check;
 
  ¨    At the discretion of the Company, pursuant to a Regulation T Program if the Shares are publicly traded;
 
  ¨    At the discretion of the Company, through a “net exercise”;
 
  ¨    At the discretion of the Company, by delivery of already-owned shares if the Shares are publicly traded.
Additional Terms/Acknowledgements: The undersigned Optionholder acknowledges receipt of, and understands and agrees to, this Stock Option Grant Notice, the Stock Option Agreement and the Plan. Optionholder further acknowledges that as of the Date of Grant, this Stock Option Grant Notice, the Stock Option Agreement and the Plan set forth the entire understanding between Optionholder and the Company regarding the acquisition of stock in the Company and supersede all prior oral and written agreements on that subject with the exception of (i) options previously granted and delivered to Optionholder under the Plan, and (ii) the following agreements only:
     
Other Agreements:
   
 
   
 
   
             
Ixys Corporation   Optionholder:
 
By:
           
         
    Signature   Signature
 
Title:
      Date:    
 
           
 
Date:
           
 
           
Attachments: Stock Option Agreement, 1999 Equity Incentive Plan and Notice of Exercise
 
1   Subject to earlier termination as provided in Section 6 of the Option Agreement.