EX-99.4 7 a05-13354_1ex99d4.htm EX-99.4

 

Exhibit 99.4

 

CENTRO CORPORATION
NOTICE OF GRANT OF STOCK OPTION

 

Notice is hereby given of the following option grant (the “Option”) to purchase shares of the Common Stock of Centro Corporation (the “Corporation”):

 

Optionee:

 

Grant Date:

 

Vesting Commencement Date:

 

Exercise Price:  $                           per share

 

Number of Option Shares:                              shares

 

Expiration Date:  09/30/07

 

Type of Option:  Non-Statutory Stock Option

 

Exercise Schedule:  The Option shall become exercisable for the Option Shares in a series of four (4) successive equal annual installments upon Optionee’s completion of each year of Service over the four (4) year period measured from the Vesting Commencement Date. In no event shall the Option become exercisable for any additional Option Shares after Optionee’s cessation of Service.

 

Optionee agrees to be bound by the terms of the Option as set forth in the Stock Option Agreement attached hereto as Exhibit A. Optionee understands that any Option Shares purchased under the Option will be subject to the terms set forth in the Stock Purchase Agreement attached hereto as Exhibit B.

 

No Employment or Service Contract.  Nothing in this Notice shall confer upon Optionee any right to continue in Service for any period of specific duration or interfere with or otherwise restrict in any way the rights of the Corporation (or any Parent or Subsidiary employing or retaining Optionee) or of Optionee, which rights are hereby expressly reserved by each, to terminate Optionee’s Service at any time for any reason, with or without cause.

 



 

Definitions.  All capitalized terms in this Notice shall have the meaning assigned to them in this Notice or in the attached Stock Option Agreement.

 

DATED AS OF:

9/30/97

 

 

 

 

CENTRO CORPORATION

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Jack Johnson

 

 

 

 

Title:

PRESIDENT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OPTIONEE

 

 

 

 

Address:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ATTACHMENTS

Exhibit A – Stock Option Agreement

Exhibit B – Stock Purchase Agreement

 

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Schedule of 1997 Stock Option Agreements

 

Optionee

 

Grant Date

 

Vesting Period

 

Exercise Price

 

Option Shares

 

Gregory McKhann

 

09/30/97

 

48

 

$

0.53

 

37,500

 

Thomas Bartholet

 

09/30/97

 

48

 

$

0.53

 

74,998

 

Gary Smith

 

09/30/97

 

48

 

$

0.53

 

74,998

 

Richard Crawshaw

 

09/30/97

 

48

 

$

0.53

 

112,496

 

Francis Memole

 

09/30/97

 

48

 

$

0.53

 

112,496

 

James Barbaresso

 

09/30/97

 

48

 

$

0.53

 

93,746

 

Cliff Heise

 

09/30/97

 

48

 

$

0.53

 

93,746

 

Richard Hooper

 

09/30/97

 

48

 

$

0.53

 

93,746

 

Stephen Rowe

 

09/30/97

 

48

 

$

0.53

 

374,984

 

John Johnson

 

09/30/97

 

48

 

$

0.53

 

449,980

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,518,690

 

 



 

STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT

 

RECITALS

 

A.                                   The Board has adopted the Plan for the purpose of retaining the services of selected Employees, non-employee members of the Board or of the board of directors of any Parent or Subsidiary and consultants and other independent advisors who provide services to the Corporation (or any Parent or Subsidiary).

 

B.                                     Optionee is to render valuable services to the Corporation (or a Parent or Subsidiary), and this Agreement is executed pursuant to, and is intended to carry out the purposes of, the Plan in connection with the Corporation’s grant of an option to Optionee.

 

C.                                     All capitalized terms in this Agreement shall have the meaning assigned to them in the attached Appendix.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, it is hereby agreed as follows:

 

1.                                       Grant of Option.  The Corporation hereby grants to Optionee, as of the Grant Date, an option to purchase up to the number of Option Shares specified in the Grant Notice.  The Option Shares shall be purchasable from time to time during the option term specified in Paragraph 2 at the Exercise Price.

 

2.                                       Option Term.  This option shall have a maximum term of ten (10) years measured from the Grant Date and shall accordingly expire at the close of business on the Expiration Date, unless sooner terminated in accordance with Paragraph 5 or 6.

 

3.                                       Limited Transferability.  This option shall be neither transferable nor assignable by Optionee other than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution following Optionee’s death and may be exercised, during Optionee’s lifetime, only by Optionee.  However, if this option is designated a Nonstatutory Option in the Grant Notice, then this option may, in connection with the Optionee’s estate plan, be assigned in whole or in part during Optionee’s lifetime to one or more members of the Optionee’s immediate family or to a trust established for the exclusive benefit of one or more such family members.  The assigned portion shall be exercisable only by the person or persons who acquire a proprietary interest in the option pursuant to such assignment.  The terms applicable to the assigned portion shall be the same as those in effect for this option immediately prior to such assignment.

 

4.                                       Dates of Exercise.  This option shall become exercisable for the Option Shares in one or more installments as specified in the Grant Notice.  As the option becomes exercisable for such installments, those installments shall accumulate, and the option shall remain exercisable for the accumulated installments until the Expiration Date or sooner termination of the option term under Paragraph 5 or 6.

 



 

5.                                       Cessation of Service.  The option term specified in Paragraph 2 shall terminate (and this option shall cease to be outstanding) prior to the Expiration Date should any of the following provisions become applicable:

 

(a)                                  Should Optionee cease to remain in Service for any reason (other than death, Permanent Disability or Misconduct) while this option is outstanding, then the period for which this options shall remain exercisable shall be limited to a period of three (3) months commencing with the date of such cessation of Service, but in no event shall this option be exercisable at any time after the Expiration Date.

 

(b)                                 Should Optionee die while holding this option, then the personal representative of Optionee’s estate or the person or persons to whom the option is transferred pursuant to Optionee’s will or in accordance with the laws of inheritance shall have the right to exercise this option.  Such right shall lapse, and this option shall cease to be outstanding, upon the earlier of (i) the expiration of the twelve (12)-month period measured from the date of Optionee’s death or (ii) the Expiration Date.

 

(c)                                  Should Optionee cease Service by reason of Permanent Disability while this option is outstanding, then the period for exercising this option shall be limited to a period of twelve (12) months commencing with the date of such cessation of Service.  In no event, however, shall this option be exercisable at any time after the Expiration Date.

 

(d)                                 During the limited period of post-Service exercisability, this option may not be exercised in the aggregate for more than the number of vested Option Shares for which the option is exercisable at the time of Optionee’s cessation of Service.  Upon the expiration of such limited exercise period or (if earlier) upon the Expiration Date, this option shall terminate and cease to be outstanding for any vested Option Shares for which the option has not been exercised.  However, this option shall, immediately upon Optionee’s cessation of Service for any reason, terminate and cease to be outstanding with respect to any Option Shares in which Optionee is not otherwise at that time vested or for which this option is not otherwise at that time exercisable.

 

(e)                                  Should Optionee’s Service be terminated for Misconduct, then this option shall terminate immediately and cease to remain outstanding.

 

6.                                       Special Acceleration of Option.

 

(a)                                  This option to the extent outstanding at the time of a Corporate Transaction, but not otherwise fully exercisable, shall automatically accelerate so that this option shall, immediately prior to the effective date of such Corporate Transaction, become exercisable for all of the Option Shares at the time subject to this option and may be exercised for any or all of those Option Shares as fully vested shares of Class A Common Stock.  No such acceleration of this option shall occur, however, if and to the extent:  (i) this option is, in connection with the Corporate Transaction, to be assumed by the successor corporation (or parent thereof) or (ii) this option is to be replaced with a cash incentive program of the successor corporation which preserves the spread existing at the time of the Corporate Transaction on the Option Shares for which this option is not otherwise at that time exercisable (the excess of the Fair Market Value of

 

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those Option Shares over the aggregate Exercise Price payable for such shares) and provides for subsequent payout in accordance with the same option exercise/vesting schedule set forth in the Grant Notice.

 

(b)                                 Immediately following the Corporate Transaction, this option shall terminate and cease to be outstanding, except to the extent assumed by the successor corporation (or parent thereof) in connection with the Corporate Transaction.

 

(c)                                  If this option is assumed in connection with a Corporate Transaction, then this option shall be appropriately adjusted, immediately after such Corporate Transaction, to apply to the number and class of securities which would have been issuable to Optionee in consummation of such Corporate Transaction had the option been exercised immediately prior to such Corporate Transaction, and appropriate adjustments shall also be made to the Exercise Price, provided the aggregate Exercise Price shall remain the same.

 

(d)                                 This Agreement shall not in any way affect the right of the Corporation to adjust, reclassify, reorganize or otherwise change its capital or business structure or to merge, consolidate, dissolve, liquidate or sell or transfer all or any part of its business or assets.

 

7.                                       Adjustment to Option Shares.

 

(a)                                  Should any change be made to the Class A Common Stock by reason of any stock split, stock dividend, recapitalization, combination of shares, exchange of shares or other change affecting the outstanding Class A Common Stock as a class without the Corporation’s receipt of consideration, appropriate adjustments shall be made to (i) the total number and/or class of securities subject to this option and (ii) the Exercise Price in order to reflect such change and thereby preclude a dilution or enlargement of benefits hereunder.

 

(b)                                 Should the Corporation effect a divestiture of one or more Subsidiaries through a distribution or spin-off to the Corporation’s stockholders of the securities of the Subsidiary held by the Corporation (“Divestiture”), then the Plan Administrator may, in its sole discretion, make appropriate adjustments to the number and/or class of securities subject. to this option and the Exercise Price in order to reflect the effect of the Divestiture on the Corporation’s capital structure and the relative Fair Market Values of the Class A Common Stock and the distributed securities of the Subsidiary following the Divestiture.  Such adjustment may include, without limitation, the division of this option into two separate options, one for the shares of Class A Common Stock at the time subject to this option and a second option for the securities of the Subsidiary distributable with respect to those shares.  The Plan Administrator may also, in its sole discretion, accelerate the vesting and exercisability of this option (or any separated option) for one or more shares of the Class A Common Stock or distributed securities at the time subject to this option (or any separated option), if and to the extent the Optionee is to remain in the Corporation’s Service following such Divestiture or is otherwise to provide services to the divested Subsidiary.

 

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8.                                       Stockholder Rights.  The holder of this option shall not have any stockholder rights with respect to the Option Shares until such person shall have exercised the option, paid the Exercise Price and become a holder of record of the purchased shares.

 

9.                                       Manner of Exercising Option.

 

(a)                                  In order to exercise this option with respect to all or any part of the Option Shares for which this option is at the time exercisable, Optionee (or any other person or persons exercising the option) must take the following actions:

 

(i)                                     Execute and deliver to the Corporation a Notice of Exercise for the Option Shares for which the option is exercised.

 

(ii)                                  Pay the aggregate Exercise Price for the purchased shares in one or more of the following forms:

 

(A)                              cash or check made payable to the Corporation;

 

(B)                                a promissory note payable to the Corporation, but only to the extent authorized by the Plan Administrator in accordance with Paragraph 13;

 

(C)                                shares of Class A Common Stock held by Optionee (or any other person or persons exercising the option) for the requisite period necessary to avoid a charge to the Corporation’s earnings for financial reporting purposes and valued at Fair Market Value on the Exercise Date; or

 

(D)                               through a special sale and remittance procedure pursuant to which Optionee (or any other person or persons exercising the option) shall concurrently provide irrevocable instructions (I) to a Corporation-designated brokerage firm to effect the immediate sale of the purchased shares and remit to the Corporation, out of the sale proceeds available on the settlement date, sufficient funds to cover the aggregate Exercise Price payable for the purchased shares plus all applicable Federal, state and local income and employment taxes required to be withheld by the Corporation by reason of such exercise and (II) to the Corporation to deliver the certificates for the purchased shares directly to such brokerage firm in order to complete the sale.

 

Except to the extent the sale and remittance procedure is utilized in connection with the option exercise, payment of the Exercise Price must accompany the Notice of Exercise delivered to the Corporation in connection with the option exercise.

 

(iii)                               Furnish to the Corporation appropriate documentation that the person or persons exercising the option (if other than Optionee) have the right to exercise this option.

 

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(iv)                              Make appropriate arrangements with the Corporation (or Parent or Subsidiary employing or retaining Optionee) for the satisfaction of all Federal, state and local income and employment tax withholding requirements applicable to the option exercise.

 

(b)                                 As soon as practical after the Exercise Date, the Corporation shall issue to or on behalf of Optionee (or any other person or persons exercising this option) a certificate for the purchased Option Shares, with the appropriate legends affixed thereto.

 

(c)                                  In no event may this option be exercised for any fractional shares.

 

10.                                 Compliance with Laws and Regulations.

 

(a)                                  The exercise of this option and the issuance of the Option Shares upon such exercise shall be subject to compliance by the Corporation and Optionee with all applicable requirements of law relating thereto and with all applicable regulations of any stock exchange (or the Nasdaq National Market, if applicable) on which the Class A Common Stock may be listed for trading at the time of such exercise and issuance.

 

(b)                                 The inability of the Corporation to obtain approval from any regulatory body having authority deemed by the Corporation to be necessary to the lawful issuance and sale of any Class A Common Stock pursuant to this option shall relieve the Corporation of any liability with respect to the non-issuance or sale of the Class A Common Stock as to which such approval shall not have been obtained.  The Corporation, however, shall use its best efforts to obtain all such approvals.

 

11.                                 Successors and Assigns.  Except to the extent otherwise provided in Paragraphs 3 and 6, the provisions of this Agreement shall inure to the benefit of, and be binding upon, the Corporation and its successors and assigns and Optionee, Optionee’s assigns and the legal representatives, heirs and legatees of Optionee’s estate.

 

12.                                 Notices.  Any notice required to be given or delivered to the Corporation under the terms of this Agreement shall be in writing and addressed to the Corporation at its principal corporate offices.  Any notice required to be given or delivered to Optionee shall be in writing and addressed to Optionee at the address indicated below Optionee’s signature line on the Grant Notice.  All notices shall be deemed effective upon personal delivery or upon deposit in the U.S. mail, postage prepaid and properly addressed to the party to be notified.

 

13.                                 Financing.  The Plan Administrator may, in its absolute discretion and without any obligation to do so, permit Optionee to pay the Exercise Price for the purchased Option Shares by delivering a full-recourse promissory note payable to the Corporation.  The terms of any such promissory note (including the interest rate, the requirements for collateral and the terms of repayment) shall be established by the Plan Administrator in its sole discretion.

 

14.                                 Construction.  This Agreement and the option evidenced hereby are made and granted pursuant to the Plan and are in all respects limited by and subject to the terms of the Plan.  All decisions of the Plan Administrator with respect to any question or issue arising under the Plan or this Agreement shall be conclusive and binding on all persons having an interest in this option.

 

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15.                                 Governing Law.  The interpretation, performance and enforcement of this Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of California without resort to that State’s conflict-of-laws rules.

 

16.                                 Excess Shares.  If the Option Shares covered by this Agreement exceed, as of the Grant Date, the number of shares of Class A Common Stock which may without stockholder approval be issued under the Plan, then this option shall be void with respect to those excess shares, unless stockholder approval of an amendment sufficiently increasing the number of shares of Class A Common Stock issuable under the Plan is obtained in accordance with the provisions of the Plan.

 

17.                                 Additional Terms Applicable to an Incentive Option.  In the event this option is designated an Incentive Option in the Grant Notice, the following terms and conditions shall also apply to the grant:

 

(a)                                  This option shall cease to qualify for favorable tax treatment as an Incentive Option if (and to the extent) this option is exercised for one or more Option Shares:  (A) more than three (3) months after the date Optionee ceases to be an Employee for any reason other than death or Permanent Disability or (B) more than twelve (12) months after the date Optionee ceases to be an Employee by reason of Permanent Disability.

 

(b)                                 No installment under this option shall qualify for favorable tax treatment as an Incentive Option if (and to the extent) the aggregate Fair Market Value (determined at the Grant Date) of the Class A Common Stock for which such installment first becomes exercisable hereunder would, when added to the aggregate value (determined as of the respective date or dates of grant) of the Class A Common Stock or other securities for which this option or any other Incentive Options granted to Optionee prior to the Grant Date (whether under the Plan or any other option plan of the Corporation or any Parent or Subsidiary) first become exercisable during the same calendar year, exceed One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000) in the aggregate.  Should such One Hundred Thousand Dollar ($100,000) limitation be exceeded in any calendar year, this option shall nevertheless become exercisable for the excess shares in such calendar year as a Nonstatutory Option.

 

(c)                                  Should the exercisability of this option be accelerated upon a Corporate Transaction, then this option shall qualify for favorable tax treatment as an Incentive Option only to the extent the aggregate Fair Market Value (determined at the Grant Date) of the Class A Common Stock for which this option first becomes exercisable in the calendar year in which the Corporate Transaction occurs does not, when added to the aggregate value (determined as of the respective date or dates of grant) of the Class A Common Stock or other securities for which this option or one or more other Incentive Options granted to Optionee prior to the Grant Date (whether under the Plan or any other option plan of the Corporation or any Parent or Subsidiary) first become exercisable during the same calendar year, exceed One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000) in the aggregate.  Should the applicable One Hundred Thousand Dollar ($100,000) limitation be exceeded in the calendar year of such Corporate Transaction, the option may nevertheless be exercised for the excess shares in such calendar year as a Nonstatutory Option.

 

(d)                                 Should Optionee hold, in addition to this option, one or more other options to purchase Class A Common Stock which become exercisable for the first time in the same calendar year as this option, then the foregoing limitations on the exercisability of such options as Incentive Options shall be applied on the basis of the order in which such options are granted.

 

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APPENDIX

 

The following definitions shall be in effect under the Agreement:

 

A.                                   Agreement shall mean this Stock Option Agreement.

 

B.                                     Board shall mean the Corporation’s Board of Directors.

 

C.                                     Class A Common Stock shall mean shares of the Corporation’s Class A common stock.

 

D.                                    Code shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

 

E.                                      Corporate Transaction shall mean either of the following stockholder-approved transactions to which the Corporation is a party:

 

(i)                                     a merger or consolidation in which securities possessing more than fifty percent (50%) of the total combined voting power of the Corporation’s outstanding securities are transferred to a person or persons different from the persons holding those securities immediately prior to such transaction, or

 

(ii)                                  the sale, transfer or other disposition of all or substantially all of the Corporation’s assets in complete liquidation or dissolution of the Corporation

 

F.                                      Corporation shall mean Odetics, Inc., a Delaware corporation.

 

G.                                     Divestiture shall have the meaning assigned to such term in Paragraph 7(b).

 

H.                                    Employee shall mean an individual who is in the employ of the Corporation (or any Parent or Subsidiary), subject to the control and direction of the employer entity as to both the work to be performed and the manner and method of performance.

 

I.                                         Exercise Date shall mean the date on which the option shall have been exercised in accordance with Paragraph 9 of the Agreement.

 

J.                                        Exercise Price shall mean the exercise price per Option Share as specified in the Grant Notice.

 

K.                                    Expiration Date shall mean the date on which the option expires as specified in the Grant Notice.

 

L.                                      Fair Market Value per share of Class A Common Stock on any relevant date shall be determined in accordance with the following provisions:

 

(i)                                     If the Class A Common Stock is at the time traded on the Nasdaq National Market, then the Fair Market Value shall be deemed equal to the closing selling price per share of Class A Common Stock on the date in question, as the price is reported by the National Association of Securities Dealers on the Nasdaq National Market or any

 

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successor system If there is no closing selling price for the Class A Common Stock on the date in question, then the Fair Market Value shall be the closing selling price on the last preceding date for which such quotation exists.

 

(ii)                                  If the Class A Common Stock is at the time listed on any Stock Exchange, then the Fair Market Value shall be deemed equal to the closing selling price per share of Class A Common Stock on the date in question on the Stock Exchange determined by the Plan Administrator to be the primary market for the Class A Common Stock, as such price is officially quoted in the composite tape of transactions on such exchange.  If there is no closing selling price for the Class A Common Stock on the date in question, then the Fair Market Value shall be the closing selling price on the last preceding date for which such quotation exists.

 

M.                                 Grant Date shall mean the date of grant of the option as specified in the Grant Notice.

 

N.                                    Grant Notice shall mean the Notice of Grant of Stock Option accompanying the Agreement, pursuant to which Optionee has been informed of the basic terms of the option evidenced hereby.

 

O.                                    Incentive Option shall mean an option which satisfies the requirements of Code Section 422.

 

P.                                      Misconduct shall mean the commission of any act of fraud, embezzlement or dishonesty by Optionee, any unauthorized use or disclosure by Optionee of confidential information or trade secrets of the Corporation (or any Parent or Subsidiary), or any other intentional misconduct by Optionee adversely affecting the business or affairs of the Corporation (or any Parent or Subsidiary) in a material manner.  The foregoing definition shall not be deemed to be inclusive of all the acts or omissions which the Corporation (or any Parent or Subsidiary) may consider as grounds for the dismissal or discharge of Optionee or any other individual in the Service of the Corporation (or any Parent or Subsidiary).

 

Q.                                    Nonstatutory Option shall mean an option not intended to satisfy the requirements of Code Section 422.

 

R.                                     Notice of Exercise shall mean the notice of exercise in the form attached hereto as Exhibit I.

 

S.                                      Option Shares shall mean the number of shares of Class A Common Stock subject to the option as specified in the Grant Notice.

 

T.                                     Optionee shall mean the person to whom the option is granted as specified in the Grant Notice.

 

U.                                    Parent shall mean any corporation (other than the Corporation) in an unbroken chain of corporations ending with the Corporation, provided each corporation in the unbroken chain (other than the Corporation) owns, at the time of the determination, stock possessing fifty percent (50%) or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock in one of the other corporations in such chain.

 

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V.                                     Permanent Disability shall mean the inability of Optionee to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which is expected to result in death or has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of twelve (12) months or more.

 

W.                                Plan shall mean the Corporation’s 1997 Stock Incentive Plan

 

X.                                    Plan Administrator shall mean either the Board or a committee of the Board acting in its capacity as administrator of the Plan.

 

Y.                                     Service shall mean the Optionee’s performance of services for the Corporation (or any Parent or Subsidiary) in the capacity of an Employee, a non-employee member of the board of directors or a consultant or independent advisor.

 

Z.                                     Stock Exchange shall mean the American Stock Exchange or the New York Stock Exchange.

 

AA.                         Subsidiary shall mean any corporation (other than the Corporation) in an unbroken chain of corporations beginning with the Corporation, provided each corporation (other than the last corporation) in the unbroken chain owns, at the time of the determination, stock possessing fifty percent (50%) or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock in one of the other corporations in such chain.

 

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