EX-99.2 8 a2054331zex-99_2.txt EXHIBIT 99.2 Exhibit 99-2 AURORA BIOSCIENCES CORPORATION EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN ADOPTED FEBRUARY 4, 1997 AS AMENDED AND RESTATED AS OF MAY 4, 1999 AS AMENDED AND RESTATED AS OF FEBRUARY 27, 2001, AND MARCH 21, 2001 (SHARE NUMBERS HEREIN HAVE BEEN ADJUSTED TO REFLECT THE FOUR FOR FIVE REVERSE STOCK SPLIT EFFECTED ON APRIL 25, 1997) 1. PURPOSE. (a) The purpose of the Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the "Plan") is to provide a means by which employees of Aurora Biosciences Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and its Affiliates, as defined in subparagraph 1(b), which are designated as provided in subparagraph 2(b), may be given an opportunity to purchase stock of the Company. (b) The word "Affiliate" as used in the Plan means any parent corporation or subsidiary corporation of the Company, as those terms are defined in Sections 424(e) and (f), respectively, of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"). (c) The Company, by means of the Plan, seeks to retain the services of its employees, to secure and retain the services of new employees, and to provide incentives for such persons to exert maximum efforts for the success of the Company. (d) The Company intends that the rights to purchase stock of the Company granted under the Plan be considered options issued under an "employee stock purchase plan" as that term is defined in Section 423(b) of the Code. 2. ADMINISTRATION. (a) The Plan shall be administered by the Board of Directors (the "Board") of the Company unless and until the Board delegates administration to a Committee, as provided in subparagraph 2(c). Whether or not the Board has delegated administration, the Board shall have the final power to determine all questions of policy and expediency that may arise in the administration of the Plan. (b) The Board shall have the power, subject to, and within the limitations of, the express provisions of the Plan: (i) To determine when and how rights to purchase stock of the Company shall be granted and the provisions of each offering of such rights (which need not be identical). (ii) To designate from time to time which Affiliates of the Company shall be eligible to participate in the Plan. (iii) To construe and interpret the Plan and rights granted under it, and to establish, amend and revoke rules and regulations for its administration. The Board, in the exercise of this 1 power, may correct any defect, omission or inconsistency in the Plan, in a manner and to the extent it shall deem necessary or expedient to make the Plan fully effective. (iv) To amend the Plan as provided in paragraph 13. (v) Generally, to exercise such powers and to perform such acts as the Board deems necessary or expedient to promote the best interests of the Company and its Affiliates. (c) The Board may delegate administration of the Plan to a Committee composed of not fewer than two (2) members of the Board (the "Committee"). If administration is delegated to a Committee, the Committee shall have, in connection with the administration of the Plan, the powers theretofore possessed by the Board, subject, however, to such resolutions, not inconsistent with the provisions of the Plan, as may be adopted from time to time by the Board. The Board may abolish the Committee at any time and revest in the Board the administration of the Plan. 3. SHARES SUBJECT TO THE PLAN. (a) Subject to the provisions of paragraph 12 relating to adjustments upon changes in stock, the stock that may be sold pursuant to rights granted under the Plan shall not exceed in the aggregate one million two hundred thousand (1,200,000) shares of the Company's common stock (the "Common Stock"). If any right granted under the Plan shall for any reason terminate without having been exercised, the Common Stock not purchased under such right shall again become available for the Plan. (b) The stock subject to the Plan may be unissued shares or reacquired shares, bought on the market or otherwise. 4. GRANT OF RIGHTS; OFFERING. (a) The Board or the Committee may from time to time grant or provide for the grant of rights to purchase Common Stock of the Company under the Plan to eligible employees (an "Offering") on a date or dates (the "Offering Date(s)") selected by the Board or the Committee. Each Offering shall be in such form and shall contain such terms and conditions as the Board or the Committee shall deem appropriate, which shall comply with the requirements of Section 423(b)(5) of the Code that all employees granted rights to purchase stock under the Plan shall have the same rights and privileges. The provisions of separate Offerings need not be identical, but each Offering shall include (through incorporation of the provisions of this Plan by reference in the Offering or otherwise) the period during which the Offering shall be effective, which period shall not exceed twenty-seven (27) months beginning with the Offering Date, and the substance of the provisions contained in paragraphs 5 through 8, inclusive. (b) If an employee has more than one right outstanding under the Plan, unless he or she otherwise indicates in agreements or notices delivered hereunder: (1) each agreement or notice delivered by that employee will be deemed to apply to all of his or her rights under the Plan, and (2) a right with a lower exercise price (or an earlier-granted right, if two rights have identical exercise prices), will be exercised to the fullest possible extent before a right with a higher exercise price (or a later-granted right, if two rights have identical exercise prices) will be exercised. 2 5. ELIGIBILITY. (a) Rights may be granted only to employees of the Company or, as the Board or the Committee may designate as provided in subparagraph 2(b), to employees of any Affiliate of the Company. Except as provided in subparagraph 5(b), an employee of the Company or any Affiliate shall not be eligible to be granted rights under the Plan, unless, on the Offering Date, such employee is in the employ of the Company and has been in the employ of the Company or any Affiliate for such continuous period preceding such grant as the Board or the Committee may require, but in no event shall the required period of continuous employment be greater than two (2) years. In addition, unless otherwise determined by the Board or the Committee and set forth in the terms of the applicable Offering, no employee of the Company or any Affiliate shall be eligible to be granted rights under the Plan, unless, on the Offering Date, such employee's customary employment with the Company or such Affiliate is for at least twenty (20) hours per week and at least five (5) months per calendar year. (b) Each person who, during the course of an Offering, first becomes an eligible employee of the Company or designated Affiliate shall not be eligible to be granted rights under such Offering. (c) No employee shall be eligible for the grant of any rights under the Plan if, immediately after any such rights are granted, such employee owns stock possessing five percent (5%) or more of the total combined voting power or value of all classes of stock of the Company or of any Affiliate. For purposes of this subparagraph 5(c), the rules of Section 424(d) of the Code shall apply in determining the stock ownership of any employee, and stock which such employee may purchase under all outstanding rights and options shall be treated as stock owned by such employee. (d) An eligible employee may be granted rights under the Plan only if such rights, together with any other rights granted under "employee stock purchase plans" of the Company and any Affiliates, as specified by Section 423(b)(8) of the Code, do not permit such employee's rights to purchase stock of the Company or any Affiliate to accrue at a rate which exceeds twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) of fair market value of such stock (determined at the time such rights are granted) for each calendar year in which such rights are outstanding at any time. (e) Officers of the Company and any designated Affiliate shall be eligible to participate in Offerings under the Plan, provided, however, that the Board may provide in an Offering that certain employees who are highly compensated employees within the meaning of Section 423(b)(4)(D) of the Code shall not be eligible to participate. 6. RIGHTS; PURCHASE PRICE. (a) On each Offering Date, each eligible employee, pursuant to an Offering made under the Plan, shall be granted the right to purchase up to the number of shares of Common Stock of the Company purchasable with a percentage designated by the Board or the Committee not exceeding fifteen percent (15%) of such employee's Earnings (as defined in subparagraph 7(a)) during the period which begins on the Offering Date (or such later date as the Board or the Committee determines for a particular Offering) and ends on the date stated in the Offering, which date shall be no later than the end of the Offering. The Board or the Committee shall 3 establish one or more dates during an Offering (the "Purchase Date(s)") on which rights granted under the Plan shall be exercised and purchases of Common Stock effected in accordance with such Offering. (b) In connection with each Offering made under this Plan, the Board or the Committee shall specify a maximum number of shares which may be purchased by any employee as well as a maximum aggregate number of shares which may be purchased by all eligible employees pursuant to such Offering. In addition, in connection with each Offering which contains more than one Purchase Date, the Board or the Committee may specify a maximum aggregate number of shares which may be purchased by all eligible employees on any given Purchase Date under the Offering. If the aggregate purchase of shares upon exercise of rights granted under the Offering would exceed any such maximum aggregate number, the Board or the Committee shall make a pro rata allocation of the shares available in as nearly a uniform manner as shall be practicable and as it shall deem to be equitable. (c) The purchase price of stock acquired pursuant to rights granted under the Plan shall be not less than the lesser of: (i) an amount equal to eighty-five percent (85%) of the fair market value of the stock on the Offering Date; or (ii) an amount equal to eighty-five percent (85%) of the fair market value of the stock on the Purchase Date. 7. PARTICIPATION; WITHDRAWAL; TERMINATION. (a) An eligible employee may become a participant in the Plan pursuant to an Offering by delivering a participation agreement to the Company within the time specified in the Offering, in such form as the Company provides; provided, however, that an eligible employee shall be entitled to participate in no more than one (1) Offering at any time. Each such agreement shall authorize payroll deductions of up to the maximum percentage specified by the Board or the Committee of such employee's Earnings during the Offering. "Earnings" is defined as an employee's regular salary or wages (including amounts thereof elected to be deferred by the employee, that would otherwise have been paid, under any cash or deferred arrangement established by the Company), which shall include commissions and overtime pay, but shall exclude bonuses, incentive pay, profit sharing, other remuneration paid directly to the employee, the cost of employee benefits paid for by the Company or an Affiliate, education or tuition reimbursements, imputed income arising under any group insurance or benefit program, traveling expenses, business and moving expense reimbursements, income received in connection with stock options, contributions made by the Company or an Affiliate under any employee benefit plan, and similar items of compensation. The payroll deductions made for each participant shall be credited to an account for such participant under the Plan and shall be deposited with the general funds of the Company or an Affiliate. A participant may reduce (including to zero) or increase such payroll deductions after the beginning of any Offering only as provided for in the Offering. A participant may not make additional payments into his or her account. 4 (b) At any time during an Offering, a participant may terminate his or her payroll deductions under the Plan and withdraw from the Offering by delivering to the Company a notice of withdrawal in such form as the Company provides. Such withdrawal may be elected at any time prior to the end of the Offering except as provided by the Board or the Committee in the Offering. Upon such withdrawal from the Offering by a participant, the Company shall distribute to such participant all of his or her accumulated payroll deductions (reduced to the extent, if any, such deductions have been used to acquire stock for the participant) under the Offering, without interest, and such participant's interest in that Offering shall be automatically terminated. A participant's withdrawal from an Offering will have no effect upon such participant's eligibility to participate in any other Offerings under the Plan but such participant will be required to deliver a new participation agreement in order to participate in subsequent Offerings under the Plan. A reduction of payroll deductions to zero shall not, by itself, constitute a withdrawal from an Offering. (c) Rights granted pursuant to any Offering under the Plan shall terminate immediately upon cessation of any participating employee's employment with the Company and any designated Affiliate, for any reason, and the Company shall distribute to such terminated employee all of his or her accumulated payroll deductions (reduced to the extent, if any, such deductions have been used to acquire stock for the terminated employee), under the Offering, without interest. (d) Rights granted under the Plan shall not be transferable, and, except as provided in paragraph 14, shall be exercisable only by the person to whom such rights are granted. 8. EXERCISE. (a) On each date specified therefor in the relevant Offering ("Purchase Date"), each participant's accumulated payroll deductions (without any increase for interest) will be applied to the purchase of whole shares of stock of the Company, up to the maximum number of shares permitted pursuant to the terms of the Plan and the applicable Offering, at the purchase price specified in the Offering. No fractional shares shall be issued upon the exercise of rights granted under the Plan. The amount, if any, of accumulated payroll deductions remaining in each participant's account after the purchase of shares on the final Purchase Date of an Offering shall be distributed to the participant after such final Purchase Date, without interest. (b) No rights granted under the Plan may be exercised to any extent unless the Plan (including rights granted thereunder) is covered by an effective registration statement pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") and the Plan is in material compliance with all applicable state, foreign and other securities and other laws applicable to the Plan. If on a Purchase Date in any Offering hereunder the Plan is not so registered, no rights granted under the Plan or any Offering shall be exercised on such Purchase Date, and the Purchase Date shall be delayed until the Plan is subject to such an effective registration statement and in such compliance, except that the Purchase Date shall not be delayed more than twelve (12) months and the Purchase Date shall in no event be more than twenty-seven (27) months from the Offering Date. If on the Purchase Date of any Offering hereunder, as delayed to the maximum extent permissible, the Plan is not registered and in such compliance, no rights granted under the Plan or any Offering shall be exercised and all payroll deductions accumulated during the Offering (reduced to the extent, if any, such deductions have been used to acquire stock) shall be distributed to the participants, without interest. 5 9. COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY. (a) During the terms of the rights granted under the Plan, the Company shall keep available at all times the number of shares of stock required to satisfy such rights. (b) The Company shall seek to obtain from each regulatory commission or agency having jurisdiction over the Plan such authority as may be required to issue and sell shares of stock upon exercise of the rights granted under the Plan. If, after reasonable efforts, the Company is unable to obtain from any such regulatory commission or agency the authority which counsel for the Company deems necessary for the lawful issuance and sale of stock under the Plan, the Company shall be relieved from any liability for failure to issue and sell stock upon exercise of such rights unless and until such authority is obtained. 10. USE OF PROCEEDS FROM STOCK. Proceeds from the sale of stock pursuant to rights granted under the Plan shall constitute general funds of the Company. 11. RIGHTS AS A STOCKHOLDER. A participant shall not be deemed to be the holder of, or to have any of the rights of a holder with respect to, any shares subject to rights granted under the Plan unless and until the participant's stockholdings acquired upon exercise of rights under the Plan are recorded in the books of the Company. 12. ADJUSTMENTS UPON CHANGES IN STOCK. (a) If any change is made in the stock subject to the Plan, or subject to any rights granted under the Plan (through merger, consolidation, reorganization, recapitalization, stock dividend, dividend in property other than cash, stock split, liquidating dividend, combination of shares, exchange of shares, change in corporate structure or otherwise), the Plan and outstanding rights will be appropriately adjusted in the class(es) and maximum number of shares subject to the Plan and the class(es) and number of shares and price per share of stock subject to outstanding rights. (b) In the event of: (1) a dissolution or liquidation of the Company; (2) a merger or consolidation in which the Company is not the surviving corporation; (3) a reverse merger in which the Company is the surviving corporation but the shares of the Company's 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; or (4) any other capital reorganization in which more than fifty percent (50%) of the shares of the Company entitled to vote are exchanged, then, as determined by the Board in its sole discretion (i) any surviving corporation may assume outstanding rights or substitute similar rights for those under the Plan, (ii) such rights may continue in full force and effect, or (iii) participants' accumulated payroll deductions may be used to purchase Common Stock immediately prior to the transaction described above and the participants' rights under the ongoing Offering terminated. 6 13. AMENDMENT OF THE PLAN. (a) The Board at any time, and from time to time, may amend the Plan. However, except as provided in paragraph 12 relating to adjustments upon changes in stock, no amendment shall be effective unless approved by the stockholders of the Company within twelve (12) months before or after the adoption of the amendment, where the amendment will: (i) Increase the number of shares reserved for rights under the Plan; (ii) Modify the provisions as to eligibility for participation in the Plan (to the extent such modification requires stockholder approval in order for the Plan to obtain employee stock purchase plan treatment under Section 423 of the Code or to comply with the requirements of Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended ("Rule 16b-3")); or (iii) Modify the Plan in any other way if such modification requires stockholder approval in order for the Plan to obtain employee stock purchase plan treatment under Section 423 of the Code or to comply with the requirements of Rule 16b-3. It is expressly contemplated that the Board may amend the Plan in any respect the Board deems necessary or advisable to provide eligible employees with the maximum benefits provided or to be provided under the provisions of the Code and the regulations promulgated thereunder relating to employee stock purchase plans and/or to bring the Plan and/or rights granted under it into compliance therewith. (b) Rights and obligations under any rights granted before amendment of the Plan shall not be impaired by any amendment of the Plan, except with the consent of the person to whom such rights were granted or except as necessary to comply with any laws or governmental regulation. 14. DESIGNATION OF BENEFICIARY. (a) A participant may file a written designation of a beneficiary who is to receive any shares and cash, if any, from the participant's account under the Plan in the event of such participant's death subsequent to the end of an Offering but prior to delivery to him of such shares and cash. In addition, a participant may file a written designation of a beneficiary who is to receive any cash from the participant's account under the Plan in the event of such participant's death during an Offering. (b) Such designation of beneficiary may be changed by the participant at any time by written notice. In the event of the death of a participant and in the absence of a beneficiary validly designated under the Plan who is living at the time of such participant's death, the Company shall deliver such shares and/or cash to the executor or administrator of the estate of the participant, or if no such executor or administrator has been appointed (to the knowledge of the Company), the Company, in its discretion, may deliver such shares and/or cash to the spouse or to any one or more dependents or relatives of the participant, or if no spouse, dependent or relative is known to the Company, then to such other person as the Company may designate. 7 15. TERMINATION OR SUSPENSION OF THE PLAN. (a) The Board may suspend or terminate the Plan at any time. No rights may be granted under the Plan while the Plan is suspended or after it is terminated. (b) Rights and obligations under any rights granted while the Plan is in effect shall not be impaired by suspension or termination of the Plan, except as expressly provided in the Plan or with the consent of the person to whom such rights were granted or except as necessary to comply with any laws or governmental regulation. 16. EFFECTIVE DATE OF PLAN. The Plan shall become effective upon the effectiveness of the Company's initial public offering of shares of common stock, but no rights granted under the Plan shall be exercised unless and until the Plan has been approved by the stockholders of the Company. 8 AURORA BIOSCIENCES CORPORATION EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN OFFERING, AS AMENDED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS ON APRIL 28, 2001 1. GRANT; OFFERING DATE. (a) The Board of Directors of Aurora Biosciences Corporation (the "Company"), pursuant to the Company's Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the "Plan"), hereby authorizes the grant of rights to purchase shares of the common stock of the Company ("Common Stock") to all Eligible Employees, as defined below (an "Offering"). The first Offering shall begin simultaneously with the initial public offering of the Company's Common Stock, or the effective date of such initial public offering (the "Effective Date") and end on April 30, 1999 (the "Initial Offering"). Thereafter, for Offerings commencing before March 21, 2001, an Offering shall begin on May 1st and November 1st, every year, beginning with November 1, 1997, and shall end on the day prior to the second annual anniversary of each respective Offering Date and, for the Offering commencing after March 21, 2001, such Offering shall not commence on May 1, 2001 but, rather, shall commence on June 1, 2001 and shall end on March 31, 2002. "Offering Date" shall be defined as follows: (i) with respect to an Offering commencing prior to March 21, 2001, each of May 1 and November 1, as the case may be for each respective Offering or (ii) with respect to the Offering commencing after March 21, 2001, then June 1, 2001. (b) Prior to the commencement of any Offering, the Board of Directors (or the Committee described in subparagraph 2(c) of the Plan, if any) may change any or all terms of such Offering and any subsequent Offerings. The granting of rights pursuant to each Offering hereunder shall occur on each respective Offering Date unless, prior to such date (a) the Board of Directors (or such Committee) determines that such Offering shall not occur, or (b) no shares remain available for issuance under the Plan in connection with the Offering. 2. ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEES. (a) All employees of the Company and each of its Affiliates (as defined in the Plan) incorporated in the United States shall be granted rights to purchase Common Stock under each Offering on the Offering Date of such Offering (an "Eligible Employee"); provided, however, that an Eligible Employee shall not be entitled to participate in more than one (1) Offering at any time. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no employee who is disqualified by subparagraph 5(c) or 5(d) of the Plan shall be an Eligible Employee or be granted rights under an Offering. To be an Eligible Employee granted rights under an Offering, an employee need NOT be in the employ of the Company for any continuous period, but such employ must be customarily employed by the Company for at least twenty (20) hours per week and at least five (5) months per calendar year. (b) Each person who, with respect to any Offering, first becomes an Eligible Employee subsequent to the Offering Date of such Offering, shall not receive any right under such Offering. 3. RIGHTS. (a) Subject to the limitations contained herein and in the Plan, on each Offering Date each Eligible Employee shall be granted the right to purchase the number of shares of Common Stock purchasable with up to fifteen percent (15%) of such employee's Earnings paid during the period of such Offering beginning after such Eligible Employee first commences participation; provided, however, that no employee may purchase Common Stock in a particular year with more than fifteen percent (15%) of such employee's Earnings in such year under all ongoing Offerings under the Plan and all other Company plans intended to qualify as "employee stock purchase plans" under Section 423 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"). "Earnings" for this purpose means an employee's regular salary or wages (including amounts the employee elected to defer, but which would otherwise have been paid under a 401(k) plan or similar arrangement), commissions and overtime pay. The maximum number of shares of Common Stock an Eligible Employee may purchase on any Purchase Date, as defined in Section 6 below, in an Offering shall be such number of shares as has a fair market value (determined as of the Offering Date 9 for such Offering) equal to (x) $25,000 multiplied by the number of calendar years in which the right under such Offering has been outstanding at any time, minus (y) the fair market value of any other shares of Common Stock (determined as of the relevant Offering Date with respect to such shares) which, for purposes of the limitation of Section 423(b)(8) of the Code, are attributed to any of such calendar years in which the right is outstanding. The amount in clause (y) of the previous sentence shall be determined in accordance with regulations applicable under Section 423(b)(8) of the Code based on (i) the number of shares previously purchased with respect to such calendar years pursuant to such Offering or any other Offering under the Plan, or pursuant to any other Company plans intended to qualify as "employee stock purchase plans" under Section 423 of the Code, and (ii) the number of shares subject to other rights outstanding on the Offering Date for such Offering pursuant to the Plan or any other such Company plan. (b) The maximum aggregate number of shares available to be purchased by all Eligible Employees under an Offering on any Purchase Date shall be the number of shares remaining available under the Plan on the applicable Purchase Date. If the aggregate purchase of shares of Common Stock upon exercise of rights granted under the Offering would exceed the maximum aggregate number of shares available, the Board shall make a pro rata allocation of the shares available in a uniform and equitable manner. 4. PURCHASE PRICE. The purchase price of the Common Stock under the Offering shall be the lesser of eighty-five percent (85%) of the fair market value of the Common Stock on the Offering Date or eighty-five percent (85%) of the fair market value of the Common Stock on the Purchase Date, in each case rounded up to the nearest whole cent per share. For the Initial Offering, the fair market value of the Common Stock at the time when the Offering commences shall be the price per share at which shares of Common Stock are first sold to the public in the Company's initial public offering as specified in the final prospectus with respect to that offering. As otherwise used herein, "fair market value" means, as of any date, the value of the Common Stock of the Company determined as follows: (i) If the Common Stock is listed on any established stock exchange or a national market system, including without limitation the Nasdaq National Market, the fair market value of a share of Common Stock shall be the closing sales price for such stock (or the closing bid, if no sales were reported) as quoted on such system or exchange (or the exchange with the greatest volume of trading in Common Stock) on the last market trading day prior to the day of determination, as reported in the Wall Street Journal or such other source as the Board deems reliable; (ii) If the Common Stock is quoted on Nasdaq (but not on the National Market thereof) or is regularly quoted by a recognized securities dealer but selling prices are not reported, the fair market value of a share of Common Stock shall be the mean between the bid and asked prices for the Common Stock on the last market trading day prior to the day of determination, as reported in the Wall Street Journal or such other source as the Board deems reliable; (iii) In the absence of an established market for the Common Stock, the fair market value shall be determined in good faith by the Board. 5. PARTICIPATION. (a) An Eligible Employee may elect to participate in an Offering on the Offering Date; provided, however, that the Company may determine a later time for filing the enrollment form for all Eligible Employees with respect to a given Offering Date. An Eligible Employee shall become a participant in an Offering by delivering an agreement authorizing payroll deductions. Such deductions may be in whole percentages only, with a minimum percentage of one percent (1%), and a maximum percentage of fifteen percent (15%). A participant may not make additional payments into his or her account. The agreement shall be made on such enrollment form as the Company provides, and must be delivered to the Company before the Offering Date to be effective for that Offering, unless a later time for filing the enrollment form is set by the Board for all Eligible Employees with respect to a given Offering Date. As to the Initial Offering, the time for filing an enrollment form and commencing participation for individuals who are Eligible Employees on the Offering Date for the Initial Offering shall be determined by the Company and communicated to such Eligible Employees. 10 (b) A participant may increase his or her participation level during the course of an Offering, but only effective as of the day immediately following the next Purchase Date occurring after the requested increase (i.e., either (i) for Offerings commencing before March 21, 2001, May 1 or November 1 or (ii) for the Offering commencing after March 21, 2001, then December 1, 2001. A participant may reduce (including to zero) his or her participation level only once during any six-month period ending on a Purchase Date by delivering a notice to the Company in such form and at such time as the Company provides. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a participant may make a second reduction during such six-month period if such second reduction is to zero. A participant may withdraw from an Offering and receive his or her accumulated payroll deductions from the Offering (reduced to the extent, if any, such deductions have been used to acquire Common Stock for the participant on any prior Purchase Dates), without interest, at any time prior to the end of the Offering by delivering a withdrawal notice to the Company in such form as the Company provides. A reduction of payroll deductions to zero shall not, by itself, constitute a withdrawal from an Offering. 6. PURCHASES. Subject to the limitations contained herein, on each Purchase Date, each participant's accumulated payroll deductions (without any increase for interest) shall be applied to the purchase of whole shares of Common Stock, up to the maximum number of shares permitted under the Plan and the Offering. "Purchase Date" shall be defined as (i) with respect to an Offering commencing prior to March 21, 2001, each of April 30 (excluding April 30, 1997) and October 31 or (ii) with respect to the Offering commencing after March 21, 2001, each of November 30, 2001 and March 31, 2002. 7. TERMINATION. Rights granted under the Offering shall terminate immediately upon cessation of any participating employee's employment with the Company and any designated Affiliate, for any reason, and the Company shall distribute to such terminated employee all of his or her accumulated payroll deductions (reduced to the extent, if any, such deductions have been used to acquire stock for the terminated employee), under the Offering, without interest. 8. NOTICES AND AGREEMENTS. Any notices or agreements provided for in an Offering or the Plan shall be given in writing, in a form provided by the Company, and unless specifically provided for in the Plan or this Offering shall be deemed effectively given upon receipt or, in the case of notices and agreements delivered by the Company, five (5) days after deposit in the United States mail, postage prepaid. 9. EXERCISE CONTINGENT ON STOCKHOLDER APPROVAL. The rights granted under an Offering are subject to the approval of the Plan by the stockholders as required for the Plan to obtain treatment as a tax-qualified employee stock purchase plan under Section 423 of the Code and to comply with the requirements of the exemption from potential liability under Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), set forth in Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act. 10. OFFERING SUBJECT TO PLAN. Each Offering is subject to all the provisions of the Plan, and its provisions are hereby made a part of the Offering, 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 an Offering and those of the Plan (including interpretations, amendments, rules and regulations which may from time to time be promulgated and adopted pursuant to the Plan), the provisions of the Plan shall control. 11