ex_471035.htm

EX-10.4 3 ex_471035.htm EXHIBIT 10.4 ex_471035.htm

Exhibit 10.4

INNOVATIVE FOOD HOLDINGS, INC.

2011 Stock Option Plan

1. Purpose. The purpose of this 2011 Stock Option Plan (the “Plan”) is to aid Innovative Food Holdings, Inc., a Florida corporation (the “Company”), in attracting, retaining, motivating and rewarding employees (including executive officers and employee directors) and non-employee directors and consultants who provide substantial services to the Company or its subsidiaries or affiliates, to provide for equitable and competitive compensation opportunities, to recognize individual contributions and reward achievement of Company goals, and promote the creation of long-term value for stockholders by closely aligning the interests of Participants with those of stockholders. The Plan authorizes stock-based incentives for Participants.

2. Definitions. In addition to the terms defined in Section 1 above and elsewhere in the Plan, the following capitalized terms used in the Plan have the respective meanings set forth in this Section:

(a) “Award” means an Incentive Stock Option, together with any related right or interest, granted to a Participant under the Plan.

(b) “Beneficiary” means the legal representatives of the Participant’s estate entitled by will or the laws of descent and distribution to receive the benefits under a Participant’s Award upon a Participant’s death, provided that, if and to the extent authorized by the Committee, a Participant may be permitted to designate a Beneficiary, in which case the “Beneficiary” instead will be the person, persons, trust or trusts (if any are then surviving) which have been designated by the Participant in his or her most recent written beneficiary designation filed with the Committee to receive the benefits specified under the Participant’s Award upon such Participant’s death, provided such person, if an individual, is such Participant’s parent, grand-parent, parent-in-law, child, sibling, grandchild or other lineal descendant or the current spouse of each of the foregoing, and if an entity, is a family partnership or a trust or estate of which the primary beneficiary is the Participant or any of the aforementioned individuals. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, the designation of a Beneficiary other than a Participant’s spouse shall be subject to the written consent of such spouse.

(d) “Change of Control” means (i) the sale of all of the Company’s outstanding capital stock to a person(s) or entity(ies) not previously a 5% owner (directly or indirectly) of any class of the Company’s equity (on a fully diluted basis) and is not controlling, controlled by or under common control with such a 5% owner, nor the spouse or descendant (by birth or adoption) of such a 5% owner, nor a trust for the beneficiary of such a 5% owner or (ii) a transaction that qualifies as a “Deemed Liquidation Event” as defined in the Company’s Restated Certificate of Incorporation.

(e) “Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. References to any provision of the Code or regulation (including a proposed regulation) thereunder shall include any successor provisions and regulations.

(f) “Committee” means (i) the Company’s Compensation Committee or (ii) a committee of two or more directors designated by the Board to administer the Plan. In appointing members of the Committee, the Board will consider whether a member is or will be a Qualified Member, but such members are not required to be Qualified Members at the time of appointment or during their term of service on the Committee.

(g) “Effective Date” means the effective date specified in Section 8(o).

(h) “Eligible Person” has the meaning specified in Section 5.

(i) “Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. References to any provision of the Exchange Act or rule (including a proposed rule) thereunder shall include any successor provisions and rules.

(j) “Fair Market Value” shall mean the amount determined by the Committee, except that if the Stock is listed on a national securities exchange (or traded on the over-the-counter market), the fair market value shall be the closing price of the Stock on such exchange (or market as reported by the National Quotation Bureau) on the day on which an Award is granted hereby (or with respect to another event requiring the valuation of the Stock, the closing price on the appropriate date as determined by the Committee), or, if there is no trading or closing price on that day, the closing price on the most recent day preceding the day for which such prices are available.

(k) “Incentive Stock Option” or “ISO” means any Option designated as an incentive stock option within the meaning of Code Section 422 or any successor provision thereto and qualifying thereunder.

(l) “Option” means a right, granted to a Participant under Section 6(b), to purchase Stock at a specified price during specified time periods.

(m) “Qualified Member” means a member of the Committee who is a “Non-Employee Director” within the meaning of Rule 16b-3(b)(3) and an “outside director” within the meaning of Regulation 1.162-27 under Code Section 162(m).

(n) “Rule 16b-3” means Rule 16b-3, as from time to time in effect and applicable to Participants, promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission under Section 16 of the Exchange Act.

(o) “Section 16(b)” means Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act.

(p) “Stock” means the Company’s Common Stock, par value $.0001 per share, and any other equity securities of the Company that may be substituted or resubstituted for Stock pursuant to Section 8(c).

3. Administration.

(a) Authority of the Committee. The Plan shall be administered by the Committee (subject to the Board’s authority to restrict the Committee), which shall have full and final authority, in each case subject to and consistent with the provisions of the Plan, to select Eligible Persons to become Participants; to grant Awards; to determine the type and number of Awards, the dates on which Awards may be exercised and on which the risk of forfeiture or deferral period relating to Awards shall lapse or terminate, the acceleration of any such dates, the expiration date of any Award, whether, to what extent, and under what circumstances an Award may be settled, or the exercise price of an Award may be paid, in cash, Stock, or other property, and other terms and conditions of, and all other matters relating to, Awards; to prescribe documents evidencing or setting terms of Awards (such Award documents need not be identical for each Participant), amendments thereto, and rules and regulations for the administration of the Plan and amendments thereto; to construe and interpret the Plan and Award documents and correct defects, supply omissions or reconcile inconsistencies therein; and to make all other decisions and determinations as the Committee may deem necessary or advisable for the administration of the Plan. Decisions of the Committee with respect to the administration and interpretation of the Plan shall be final, conclusive, and binding upon all persons interested in the Plan, including Participants, Beneficiaries, transferees under Section 8(b) and other persons claiming rights from or through a Participant, and stockholders. The foregoing notwithstanding, the Board shall perform the functions of the Committee if the Committee is not established.

(b) Manner of Exercise of Committee Authority. At any time that a member of the Committee is not a Qualified Member, (i) any action of the Committee relating to an Award intended by the Committee to qualify as “performance-based compensation” within the meaning of Code Section 162(m) and regulations thereunder may be taken by a subcommittee, designated by the Committee or the Board, composed solely of two or more Qualified Members, and (ii) any action relating to an Award granted or to be granted to a Participant who is then subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act in respect of the Company may be taken either by such a subcommittee or by the Committee but with each such member who is not a Qualified Member abstaining or recusing himself or herself from such action, provided that, upon such abstention or recusal, the Committee remains composed solely of two or more Qualified Members.

Such action, authorized by such a subcommittee or by the Committee upon the abstention or recusal of such non-Qualified Member(s), shall be the action of the Committee for purposes of the Plan. The express grant of any specific power to the Committee, and the taking of any action by the Committee, shall not be construed as limiting any power or authority of the Committee. The Committee may delegate to officers or managers of the Company or any subsidiary or affiliate, or committees thereof, the authority, subject to such terms as the Committee shall determine, to perform such functions, including administrative functions, as the Committee may determine. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no action may be taken pursuant to this Section 3(b) if such action would result in the loss of an exemption under Rule 16b-3(d) for Awards granted to Participants subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act in respect of the Company and would cause Awards intended to qualify as “performance-based compensation” under Code Section 162(m) to fail to so qualify.

(c) Limitation of Liability. The Committee and each member thereof, and any person acting pursuant to authority delegated by the Committee, shall be entitled, in good faith, to rely or act upon any report or other information furnished by any executive officer, other officer or employee of the Company or a subsidiary or affiliate, the Company’s independent auditors, consultants or any other agents assisting in the administration of the Plan. Members of the Committee, any person acting pursuant to authority delegated by the Committee, and any officer or employee of the Company or a subsidiary or affiliate acting at the direction or on behalf of the Committee or a delegee shall not be personally liable for any action or determination taken or made in good faith with respect to the Plan, and shall, to the extent permitted by law, be fully indemnified and protected by the Company with respect to any such action or determination.

4. Stock Subject to Plan.

(a) Overall Number of Shares Available for Delivery. Subject to adjustment as provided in Section 11(c), the total number of shares of Stock reserved and available for delivery in connection with Awards under the Plan shall be 100 million, of which a maximum of 85 million can be ISOs and the balance will be non-qualified or non-incentive stock options pursuant to Code section 423. Any shares of Stock delivered under the Plan shall consist of authorized and unissued shares or treasury shares.

(b) Share Counting Rules. The Committee may adopt reasonable counting procedures to ensure appropriate counting, avoid double counting (as, for example, in the case of tandem or substitute awards) and make adjustments if the number of shares of Stock actually delivered differs from the number of shares previously counted in connection with an Award. Shares subject to an Award that is canceled, expired, forfeited, settled in cash or otherwise terminated without a delivery of shares to the Participant will again be available for Awards, and shares withheld in payment of the exercise price or taxes relating to an Award and shares equal to the number surrendered in payment of any exercise price or taxes relating to an Award shall be deemed to constitute shares not delivered to the Participant and shall be deemed to again be available for Awards under the Plan. In addition, in the case of any Award granted in substitution for an award of a company or business acquired by the Company or a subsidiary or affiliate, shares issued or issuable in connection with such substitute Award shall not be counted against the number of shares reserved under the Plan, but shall be available under the Plan by virtue of the Company’s assumption of the plan or arrangement of the acquired company or business. This Section 4(b) shall apply to the number of shares reserved and available for ISOs only to the extent consistent with applicable regulations relating to ISOs under the Code.

5. Eligibility. Awards may be granted under the Plan only to Eligible Persons. For purposes of the Plan, an “Eligible Person” means an employee of the Company or any subsidiary or affiliate, including any executive officer and an employee director of the Company or a subsidiary or affiliate, and any person who has been offered employment by the Company or a subsidiary or affiliate, provided that such prospective employee may not receive any payment or exercise any right relating to an Award until such person has commenced employment with the Company or a subsidiary or affiliate. An employee on leave of absence may be considered as still in the employ of the Company or a subsidiary or affiliate for purposes of eligibility for participation in the Plan. For purposes of the Plan, a joint venture in which the Company or a subsidiary has a substantial direct or indirect equity investment shall be deemed an affiliate, if so determined by the Committee.

6. Specific Terms of Awards.

(a) General. Awards may be granted on the terms and conditions set forth in this Section 6. In addition, the Committee may impose on any Award or the exercise thereof, at the date of grant or thereafter (subject to Section 8(e)), such additional terms and conditions, not inconsistent with the provisions of the Plan, as the Committee shall determine, including terms requiring total or partial forfeiture of Awards (at no cost to the Company) in the event of termination of employment or service by the Participant and terms permitting a Participant to make elections relating to his or her Award. The Committee shall retain full power and discretion with respect to any term or condition of an Award that is not mandatory under the Plan. The Committee shall require the payment of lawful consideration for an Award to the extent necessary to satisfy the requirements of the New York Business Corporation Law, and may otherwise require payment of consideration for an Award except as limited by the Plan.

(b) Options. The Committee is authorized to grant Options to Eligible Persons on the following terms and conditions:


	(i) Exercise Price. The exercise price per share of Stock purchasable under an Option shall be determined by the Committee, provided that such exercise price shall be not less than the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock on the date of grant of such Option (or 110% of the Fair Market Value with respect to an Award to a 10% shareholder).

	(ii) Option Term; Time and Method of Exercise. The Committee shall determine the term of each Option, provided that in no event shall the term of any ISO exceed a period of ten years from the date of grant (or five years for a person owning 10% or more of the Company’s outstanding Stock. The Committee shall determine the time or times at which or the circumstances under which an Option may be exercised in whole or in part (including based on achievement of performance goals and/or future service requirements), the methods by which such exercise price may be paid or deemed to be paid and the form of such payment (subject to Section 8(k)), including, without limitation, cash, stock or awards granted under other plans of the Company or any subsidiary or affiliate, or other property (including notes and other contractual obligations of Participants to make payment on a deferred basis, such as through “cashless exercise” arrangements, to the extent permitted by applicable law), and the methods by or forms in which Stock will be delivered or deemed to be delivered in satisfaction of Options to Participants (including deferred delivery of shares representing the Option “profit,” at the election of the Participant or as mandated by the Committee, with such deferred shares subject to any vesting, forfeiture or other terms as the Committee may specify), provided that no arrangement shall be valid if it shall have the effect of causing the Award to lose its status as an ISO under Code Section 422.

	(iii) ISOs. The terms of any ISO granted under the Plan shall comply in all respects with the provisions of Code Section 422, including but not limited to the requirements that (i) no ISO shall be granted more than ten years after the Effective Date, (ii) no Participant may have more than $100,000 of stock underlying ISOs vest in any calendar year, based upon the value of the underlying stock on the date of grant and (iii) upon the termination of a Participant’s employment with the Company for any reason other than death, the ISO will expire at the earlier of (x) the ISO’s Expiration Date or (y) three months from the date of the Participant’s termination or twelve months if the termination was for a permanent disability.

7. Certain Provisions Applicable to Awards.

(a) Stand-Alone, Additional, Tandem, and Substitute Awards. Awards granted under the Plan may, in the discretion of the Committee, be granted either alone or in addition to, in tandem with, or in substitution or exchange for, any other Award or any award granted under another plan of the Company, any subsidiary or affiliate, or any business entity to be acquired by the Company or a subsidiary or affiliate, or any other right of a Participant to receive payment from the Company or any subsidiary or affiliate. Awards granted in addition to or in tandem with other Awards or awards may be granted either as of the same time as or a different time from the grant of such other Awards or awards. Subject to Section 8(k), the Committee may determine that, in granting a new Award, the in-the-money value of any surrendered Award or Award may be applied to reduce the exercise price of any Option.

(b) Exemptions from Section 16(b) Liability. With respect to a Participant who is then subject to the reporting requirements of Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act in respect of the Company, the Committee shall implement transactions under the Plan and administer the Plan in a manner that will attempt to ensure that each transaction with respect to such a Participant is exempt from liability under Rule 16b-3 (or otherwise not subject to liability under Section 16(b)), except that this provision shall not limit sales by such a Participant, and such a Participant may engage in other non-exempt transactions under the Plan. The Committee may authorize the Company to repurchase any Award or shares of Stock deliverable or delivered in connection with any Award (subject to Section 8(k)) to avoid a Participant who is subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act incurring liability under Section 16(b). Unless otherwise specified by the Participant, equity securities or derivative securities acquired under the Plan which are disposed of by a Participant shall be deemed to be disposed of in the order acquired by the Participant.

(c) Loan Provisions. With the Committee’s consent, and subject at all times to, and only to the extent, if any, permitted under and in accordance with, laws and regulations and other binding obligations or provisions applicable to the Company (including without limitation, the applicable provisions of the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation), the Company may make, guarantee, or arrange for a loan or loans to a Participant with respect to the exercise of any Option, including the payment by a Participant of any or all federal, state, or local income or other taxes due in connection with any Award. Subject to such limitations, the Committee shall have full authority to decide whether to make a loan or loans hereunder and to determine the amount, terms, and provisions of any such loan or loans, including the interest rate, if any, to be charged in respect of any such loan or loans, whether the loan or loans are to be with or without recourse against the borrower, the terms on which the loan is to be repaid and conditions, if any, under which the loan or loans may be forgiven.

(d) Cash-Out of Awards. Except as otherwise provided in the Plan or as otherwise provided by the Committee, in connection with a Change in Control in which holders of Stock will receive upon consummation a payment (whether cash, non-cash or a combination of the foregoing), the Committee may, in its discretion, provide for payment (a "cash-out") with respect to some or all Awards, equal in the case of each affected Award to the excess, if any, of (i) the Fair Market Value of one share of Stock (as determined by the Committee in its reasonable discretion) multiplied by the number of shares of Stock subject to the Award, over (ii) the aggregate exercise price, if any, under the Award, in each case on such payment terms (which need not be the same as the terms of payment to holders of Stock) and other terms, and subject to such conditions, as the Committee determines.

8. General Provisions.

(a) Compliance with Legal and Other Requirements. The Company may, to the extent deemed necessary or advisable by the Committee, postpone the issuance or delivery of Stock or payment of other benefits under any Award until completion of such registration or qualification of such Stock or other required action under any federal or state law, rule or regulation, listing or other required action with respect to any stock exchange or automated quotation system upon which the Stock or other securities of the Company are listed or quoted, or compliance with any other obligation of the Company, as the Committee may consider appropriate, and may require any Participant to make such representations, furnish such information and comply with or be subject to such other conditions as it may consider appropriate in connection with the issuance or delivery of Stock or payment of other benefits in compliance with applicable laws, rules, and regulations, listing requirements, or other obligations.

(b) Limits on Transferability; Beneficiaries. No Award or other right or interest of a Participant under the Plan shall be pledged, hypothecated or otherwise encumbered or subject to any lien, obligation or liability of such Participant to any party (other than the Company or a subsidiary or affiliate thereof), or assigned or transferred by such Participant otherwise than by will or the laws of descent and distribution or to a Beneficiary upon the death of a Participant, and such Awards or rights that may be exercisable shall be exercised during the lifetime of the Participant only by the Participant or his or her guardian or legal representative. A Beneficiary, transferee, or other person claiming any rights under the Plan from or through any Participant shall be subject to all terms and conditions of the Plan and any Award document applicable to such Participant, except as otherwise determined by the Committee, and to any additional terms and conditions deemed necessary or appropriate by the Committee.

(c) Adjustments. In the event that any large, special and non-recurring dividend or other distribution (whether in the form of cash or property other than Stock), recapitalization, forward or reverse split, Stock dividend, reorganization, merger, consolidation, spin-off, combination, repurchase, share exchange, liquidation, dissolution or other similar corporate transaction or event affects the Stock such that an adjustment is determined by the Committee to be appropriate under the Plan, then the Committee shall, in such manner as it may deem equitable, adjust any or all of (i) the number and kind of shares of Stock which may be delivered in connection with Awards granted thereafter, (ii) the number and kind of shares of Stock subject to or deliverable in respect of outstanding Awards and (iii) the exercise price, grant price or purchase price relating to any Award or, if deemed appropriate, the Committee may make provision for a payment of cash or property to the holder of an outstanding Option (subject to Section 8(k)).

(d) Tax Provisions.

(i) Withholding. The Company and any subsidiary or affiliate is authorized to withhold from any Award granted, any payment relating to an Award under the Plan, including any payroll or other payment to a Participant, amounts of withholding and other taxes due or potentially payable in connection with any transaction involving an Award, and to take such other action as the Committee may deem advisable to enable the Company and Participants to satisfy obligations for the payment of withholding taxes and other tax obligations relating to any Award. This authority shall include authority to withhold or receive Stock or other property and to make cash payments in respect thereof in satisfaction of a Participant’s withholding obligations, either on a mandatory or elective basis in the discretion of the Committee. Other provisions of the Plan notwithstanding, only the minimum amount of Stock deliverable in connection with an Award necessary to satisfy statutory withholding requirements will be withheld.

(ii) Requirement of Notification of Code Section 83(b) Election. If any Participant shall make an election under Section 83(b) of the Code (to include in gross income in the year of transfer the amounts specified in Code Section 83(b)) or under a similar provision of the laws of a jurisdiction outside the United States, such Participant shall notify the Company of such election within ten days of filing notice of the election with the Internal Revenue Service or other governmental authority, in addition to any filing and notification required pursuant to regulations issued under Code Section 83(b) or other applicable provision.

(iii) Requirement of Notification Upon Disqualifying Disposition Under Code Section 421(b). If any Participant shall make any disposition of shares of Stock delivered pursuant to the exercise of an Incentive Stock Option under the circumstances described in Code Section 421(b) (relating to certain disqualifying dispositions), such Participant shall notify the Company of such disposition within ten days thereof.

(e) Changes to the Plan. The Board may amend, suspend or terminate the Plan or the Committee’s authority to grant Awards under the Plan without the consent of stockholders or Participants; provided, however, that any amendment to the Plan shall be submitted to the Company’s stockholders for approval not later than the earliest annual meeting for which the record date is after the date of such Board action if such stockholder approval is required by any federal or state law or regulation or the rules of any stock exchange or automated quotation system on which the Stock may then be listed or quoted, and the Board may otherwise, in its discretion, determine to submit other amendments to the Plan to stockholders for approval; and provided further, that, without the consent of an affected Participant, no such Board action may have a material adverse affect on the rights of such Participant under any outstanding Award.

(f) Right of Setoff. The Company or any subsidiary or affiliate may, to the extent permitted by applicable law, deduct from and set off against any amounts the Company or a subsidiary or affiliate may owe to the Participant from time to time, including amounts payable in connection with any Award, owed as wages, fringe benefits, or other compensation owed to the Participant, such amounts as may be owed by the Participant to the Company, although the Participant shall remain liable for any part of the Participant’s payment obligation not satisfied through such deduction and setoff. By accepting any Award granted hereunder, the Participant agrees to any deduction or setoff under this Section 8(f).

(g) Unfunded Status of Awards; Creation of Trusts. The Plan is intended to constitute an “unfunded” plan for incentive and deferred compensation. With respect to any payments not yet made to a Participant or obligation to deliver Stock pursuant to an Award, nothing contained in the Plan or any Award shall give any such Participant any rights that are greater than those of a general creditor of the Company; provided that the Committee may authorize the creation of trusts and deposit therein cash, Stock, or other property, or make other arrangements to meet the Company’s obligations under the Plan. Such trusts or other arrangements shall be consistent with the “unfunded” status of the Plan unless the Committee otherwise determines with the consent of each affected Participant.

(h) Nonexclusivity of the Plan. Neither the adoption of the Plan by the Board nor its submission to the stockholders of the Company for approval shall be construed as creating any limitations on the power of the Board or a committee thereof to adopt such other incentive arrangements, apart from the Plan, as it may deem desirable, including incentive arrangements and awards which do not qualify under Code Section 162(m), and such other arrangements may be either applicable generally or only in specific cases.

(i) Payments in the Event of Forfeitures; Fractional Shares. No fractional shares of Stock shall be issued or delivered pursuant to the Plan or any Award. The Committee shall determine whether cash, other Awards or other property shall be issued or paid in lieu of such fractional shares or whether such fractional shares or any rights thereto shall be forfeited or otherwise eliminated.

(j) [Intentionally Omitted]

(k) Certain Limitations Relating to Accounting Treatment of Awards. Other provisions of the Plan notwithstanding, the Committee’s authority under the Plan is limited to the extent necessary to ensure that any Option or other Award of a type that the Committee has intended to be subject to fixed accounting with a measurement date at the date of grant or the date performance conditions are satisfied under APB 25 shall not become subject to “variable” accounting solely due to the existence of such authority, unless the Committee specifically determines that the Award shall remain outstanding despite such “variable” accounting.

(l) Governing Law. The validity, construction, and effect of the Plan, any rules and regulations relating to the Plan and any Award document shall be determined in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without giving effect to principles of conflicts of laws, and applicable provisions of federal law.

(m) Limitation on Rights Conferred under Plan. Neither the Plan nor any action taken hereunder shall be construed as (i) giving any Eligible Person or Participant the right to continue as an Eligible Person or Participant or in the employ or service of the Company or a subsidiary or affiliate, (ii) interfering in any way with the right of the Company or a subsidiary or affiliate to terminate any Eligible Person’s or Participant’s employment or service at any time, (iii) giving an Eligible Person or Participant any claim to be granted any Award under the Plan or to be treated uniformly with other Participants and employees, or (iv) subject to the specific terms of the Award, conferring on a Participant any of the rights of a stockholder of the Company unless and until the Participant is duly issued or transferred shares of Stock in accordance with the terms of an Award or an Option is duly exercised. Except as expressly provided in the Plan and an Award document, neither the Plan nor any Award document shall confer on any person other than the Company and the Participant any rights or remedies thereunder.

(n) Severability; Entire Agreement. If any of the provisions of this Plan or any Award document is finally held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable (whether in whole or in part), such provision shall be deemed modified to the extent, but only to the extent, of such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability, and the remaining provisions shall not be affected thereby; provided, that, if any of such provisions is finally held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable because it exceeds the maximum scope determined to be acceptable to permit such provision to be enforceable, such provision shall be deemed to be modified to the minimum extent necessary to modify such scope in order to make such provision enforceable hereunder. The Plan and any Award documents contain the entire agreement of the parties with respect to the subject matter thereof and supersede all prior agreements, promises, covenants, arrangements, communications, representations and warranties between them, whether written or oral with respect to the subject matter thereof.

(o) Plan Effective Date and Termination. The Plan shall become effective if, and at such time as, the stockholders of the Company have approved it by the affirmative votes of the holders of a majority of the voting securities of the Company present, or represented, and entitled to vote on the subject matter at a duly held meeting of stockholders. Unless earlier terminated by action of the Board, the Plan will remain in effect until such time as no Stock remains available for delivery under the Plan and the Company has no further rights or obligations under the Plan with respect to outstanding Awards under the Plan.

(p) Repricing. No award that could be characterized as a “repricing” shall be made pursuant to this Plan without shareholder approval.

(q) Waiver of Jury Trial. AS A CONDITION OF RECEIVING AN AWARD, EACH PARTICIPANT SHALL BE DEEMED TO HAVE IRREVOCABLY WAIVED, TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT NOT PROHIBITED BY LAW, ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN RESPECT OF ANY LITIGATION DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY AT ANY TIME ARISING OUT OF, UNDER OR IN CONNECTION WITH ANY AWARD GRANTED UNDER THIS PLAN.

(r) Intentionally Omitted.

(s) Compliance With Code Sections 409A and 422. Notwithstanding any provision of this Plan to the contrary, the Committee shall be authorized to amend this Plan or any Award to bring the Plan and such Award into compliance with Code Sections 409A and 422 and the acceptance by any Participant of an Award shall be deemed consent to any such change even if such change would have a material adverse effect on the Participant, provided, however, that any change required by law (or by the Code to maintain the status of an Award as an ISO) to be approved by the Company’s shareholders shall not be effective until such approval is obtained, unless the applicable Award provides otherwise.

9. Non-Incentive options. The prior provisions of this Plan notwithstanding, the Committee is also authorized to issue non-qualified stock options to non-employee directors of the Company (or its subsidiaries) and to consultants who provide services to the Company (or its subsidiaries). The persons to whom options under this Section 9 shall be issued to as well as the terms of any such grants shall be at the discretion of the Committee.