DIRECTOR COMPENSATION
Annual Compensation
In 2019, the compensation of non-employee directors consisted of an annual $50,000 cash retainer, earned at a rate of $12,500 per quarter. The compensation of the Company’s current Chairman of the Board, Mr. Cryan, consisted of $27,500 per quarter. All of the Company’s directors are also reimbursed for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses related to attendance at Board and Committee meetings.
In addition, each non-employee director earned $1,250 per quarter for each committee served upon, with the Chairman of each committee earning either an additional $2,500 per quarter (in the case of the Audit and Compensation Committees) or $1,250 per quarter (in the case of the Nominating and Corporate Governance and the Health, Safety, Environment and Public Affairs Committees) for such service.
The following table summarizes all compensation earned by directors, excluding Mr. Jones, whose compensation is set forth in the 2019 Summary Compensation Table, in the year ended December 31, 2019.
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Fees Earned
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or
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Stock
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Paid in Cash
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Awards
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Total
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Name
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($)
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($) (1)
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($)
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Terence J. Cryan
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120,000
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—
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120,000
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Marvin K. Kaiser
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75,000
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—
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75,000
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Patrick N. Burke
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21,766
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—
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21,766
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Tracy D. Pagliara
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65,000
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—
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65,000
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Karli S. Anderson
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72,295
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—
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72,295
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(1)
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Represents the grant date fair value of equity awards granted during 2019 in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718. See Note 9—Stock Based Compensation of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10‑K for a discussion of valuation assumptions for stock and option awards.
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The number of RSUs and vested and unvested stock options held by each non-employee director at fiscal year-end 2019 is shown below:
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Number of
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Number of
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Restricted
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Name
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Vested Options
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Unvested Options
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Stock Units
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Terence J. Cryan
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946
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—
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—
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Marvin K. Kaiser
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957
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—
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—
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Patrick N. Burke
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946
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—
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—
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Tracy D. Pagliara
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946
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—
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—
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Karli S. Anderson
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—
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—
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—
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EXECUTIVES AND EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
Executive Officers
The executive officers serve at the discretion of the Board. All officers are employed on a full-time basis.
Name
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Age
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Position
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Christopher M. Jones
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61
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President and Chief Executive Officer
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Jeffrey L. Vigil
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66
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Vice President—Finance and Chief Financial Officer
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Dain A. McCoig
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40
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Vice President—Operations
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Christopher M. Jones – please see above under “Proposal 3: Election of Directors” for information about Christopher M. Jones, the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer.
Jeffrey L. Vigil joined the Company as Vice President—Finance and Chief Financial Officer in June 2013. Mr. Vigil is a mining industry financial veteran with more than thirty years of financial management experience in both production stage and development stage enterprises. Previously, he served in various financial positions, including Chief Financial Officer, at Energy Fuels, a uranium company, from April 2009 to May 2013, where he was responsible for financial and management reporting, equity financings, tax planning and compliance, treasury functions and risk management. Mr. Vigil also managed financial, operational and legal due diligence for a number of acquisitions. Prior to Energy Fuels, he served as Chief Financial Officer for Koala Corporation. Mr. Vigil is a graduate of the University of Wyoming with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in the state of Colorado.
Dain A. McCoig joined the Company in 2004 as Plant Engineer and was promoted to Kingsville Dome Plant Supervisor in 2005, Senior Engineer in August 2008, Manager—South Texas Operations in April 2010, Vice President—South Texas Operations in January 2013 and Vice President—Operations in May 2018. Mr. McCoig earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Colorado School of Mines in 2002 and attained his certification as a Professional Engineer from the Texas Board of Professional Engineers in 2010.
Compensation Discussion and Analysis
In this section, we discuss the Company’s compensation philosophy and describe the compensation program for the senior executive team. We explain how the Board’s Compensation Committee determines compensation for its senior executives and its rationale for specific 2019 decisions. We also discuss numerous changes the Compensation Committee has made to its program over the last two years to address recent failed “Say-on-Pay” proposals and to advance its fundamental objective: aligning executive compensation with the long-term interests of stockholders.
The Compensation Discussion and Analysis describes the compensation of the following named executive officers (“NEOs”):
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Name
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Title
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Christopher M. Jones
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President, Chief Executive Officer and Director
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Jeffrey L. Vigil
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Vice President—Finance and Chief Financial Officer
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Dain A. McCoig
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Vice President—Operations
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Executive Summary
The Company’s executive compensation program is designed to attract and retain qualified management personnel, to align the Company’s management interests with that of its stockholders, and to reward exceptional organizational and individual performance. Performance of the Company’s executives is evaluated based on financial and non-financial goals that balance achievement of short-terms goals related to the continued improvement of the Company’s business and long-term goals that seek to maximize stockholder value.
As a result of a negative outcome on Westwater’s “Say-on-Pay” vote at the annual meetings of stockholders in April 2018 and April 2019, the Board and Compensation Committee took the following actions:
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maintained the NEO base salaries in fiscal year 2019 at the same level as fiscal year 2018;
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did not award short term incentive payouts for our executive team for fiscal year 2018;
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determined that the 2017 long-term incentive restricted stock unit (“RSU”) awards did not meet the performance criteria in both fiscal years 2018 and 2019, for failure of vesting conditions based on shareholder return and specific performance objectives, and a portion of the awards were forfeited;
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restructured the Compensation Committee membership and leadership;
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developed a survey for stockholders to specifically address equity-based executive compensation, posted that survey on the Company’s website in December 2019, and then collected the results of that survey and incorporated those results into executive compensation decision-making;
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established specific goals and objectives for short-term incentive (STI) and long-term incentive (LTI) awards in early 2019; and
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measured NEO performance (in January 2020) against the 2019 STIs.
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Further discussion regarding Westwater’s specific performance and goal attainment, and changes made to its executive compensation program in response to the negative “Say-on Pay” vote, are included below.
Philosophy and Objectives of Our Compensation Plan
The Company’s compensation program is centered around a philosophy that focuses on management retention, alignment of interests between management and the stockholders and pay-for-performance compensation. The Company believes this philosophy allows the Company to compensate its NEOs competitively, while simultaneously ensuring continued development and achievement of key business strategy goals. The Compensation Committee firmly believes that the Company’s pay-for-performance philosophy should recognize both short- and long-term performance and should include both cash and equity compensation arrangements that are supported by strong corporate governance, including active and effective oversight by the Compensation Committee.
The Compensation Committee has outlined the following objectives for compensation of our NEOs and considers such objectives in making compensation decisions:
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Objective
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Description
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Attraction and Retention
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The Company provides competitive compensation to its NEOs and tie a significant portion of compensation to time-based and performance-based vesting requirements. Together, these actions help to ensure that the Company can continue to attract and retain key management personnel.
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Pay for Performance
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A significant portion of each NEO’s compensation is “at-risk” or variable, based on predetermined performance criteria. Such criteria include both short- and long-term goals, as well as financial and non-financial goals. The Compensation Committee considers each of these criteria in making its compensation decisions each year.
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Pay Mix
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The Company uses a variety of fixed-pay and incentive compensation forms, including cash, stock, options and RSUs.
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Alignment of Incentives
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The Company requires its CEO and CFO to obtain a significant stock ownership stake in the Company and tie a meaningful portion of NEO compensation to awards that vest over multi-year periods.
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Competitive Packages
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The Company evaluates its compensation program in an effort to provide a competitive compensation package to each NEO that takes into account their responsibilities, performance and organization.
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How Executive Compensation is Determined
Role of the Compensation Committee
The Compensation Committee oversees the Company’s executive compensation programs. Additionally, the Compensation Committee is charged with the review and approval of all annual compensation decisions relating to the NEOs and other officers.
The Compensation Committee is composed entirely of independent, non-management members of the Board. Each member of the Compensation Committee is both a “non-employee director” within the meaning of Rule 16b‑3 of the Exchange Act, and an “outside director” within the meaning of Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code. No Compensation Committee member participates in any of the Company’s employee compensation programs. Each year the Company reviews any and all relationships that each director has with the Company, and the Board subsequently reviews these findings. The responsibilities of the Compensation Committee, as stated in its charter, include the following:
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review and make such recommendations to the Board as the Compensation Committee deems advisable with regard to all incentive-based compensation plans and equity-based plans;
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review and approve the corporate goals and objectives that may be relevant to the compensation of NEOs;
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evaluate the performance of the NEOs in light of the goals and objectives that were set and determine and approve the compensation of the NEOs based on such evaluation; and
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review and approve the recommendations of the CEO with regard to the compensation of all officers of the Company other than the CEO.
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Role of Management
The Compensation Committee considers input from the CEO when making executive compensation decisions for the other NEOs. The CEO’s input is useful because the CEO reviews and observes the performance of the other NEOs. No other NEO is present or privileged to the recommendations of the CEO to the Compensation Committee. The Compensation Committee and the Board of Directors determine the compensation of the CEO without any management input.
Financial and Non-Financial Performance Goals
The Compensation Committee believes that a significant portion of each NEO’s compensation should be tied to the Company’s performance measured against specific financial performance targets. The Company measures financial performance awards against certain operational cost targets, budget targets and development, production, restoration and/or reclamation objectives. The Compensation Committee also believes that a significant portion of NEO compensation should be tied to the creation and protection of stockholder value through the achievement of non-financial performance goals and core values. Both financial and non-financial performance goals have changed from time to time and will continue to change as the conditions of the Company and the graphite, lithium and uranium markets evolve. The Company’s core values are identified below.
Core Values: Continuous Improvement in:
oOf each other;
oOf our environment;
oOf the communities where we work;
oOf our assets; and
oOf our reputation.
oEveryone manages cost;
oFocus on first quartile cost performance; and
oEffective and efficient use of our cash.
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Reliability and Integrity:
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oImproving our processes every day;
oLeadership with integrity counts;
oEmpowered people make the difference; and
oConservative promises well kept.
Peer Group Analysis and Use of Compensation Consultants
The Company has historically evaluated its compensation program against the programs at other companies in order to ensure its compensation program is competitive. Peer companies were selected based on (i) revenue scope within a reasonable range, (ii) asset size within a reasonable range of the Company’s asset size, and (iii) mining companies with operational scope comparable to that of the Company – specifically, mining companies with operational activities versus pure “junior” developmental/exploration companies. During 2018, the Compensation Committee utilized the services of Meridian Compensation Partners which reviewed Westwater’s LTI program to ensure it was competitive as an incentive and retention program.
2013 Omnibus Incentive Plan
In June 2013, Westwater adopted the 2013 Omnibus Incentive Plan (the “2013 OIP”) to provide flexibility in structuring its executive compensation program and to ensure that it would have a sufficient number of shares of common stock available for equity-based awards that it expects to make to eligible individuals over the next several years. The 2013 OIP replaced all prior plans and no more awards were granted under any of the prior plans following the adoption of the 2013 OIP.
The 2013 OIP provides the Compensation Committee substantial flexibility in structuring awards that meet the objectives outlined above. In particular, the 2013 OIP permits the grant of performance-based and time-based RSUs, with many possible performance criteria available as the Compensation Committee determines to be appropriate. In addition to RSUs, the 2013 OIP provides for the grant of awards of stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, unrestricted stock, dividend equivalent rights, performance shares and other performance-based awards, other equity-based awards and cash bonus awards. All of the Company’s officers, directors and employees, and the officers, directors and employees of our subsidiaries and affiliates are eligible to receive awards under the 2013 OIP. In addition, consultants,
advisors and certain other individuals whose participation in the 2013 OIP is determined to be in the best interests of the Company by the Compensation Committee may participate. Incentive share options, however, are only available to employees. Please see Proposal 2 for further information about the 2013 OIP and certain proposed amendments to the 2013 OIP.
The 2013 OIP is administered by the Compensation Committee. The Compensation Committee also interprets the provisions of the 2013 OIP. The Compensation Committee also determines who will receive awards under the 2013 OIP, the types of award made, the terms and conditions of awards, and the number of shares of common stock subject to an award, if the award is equity-based.
Executive Compensation Elements
The following table illustrates the principal elements of the Company’s executive compensation program, each of which is evaluated and updated on an annual basis by the Compensation Committee:
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Pay Element
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Characteristics
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Primary Objective
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Base Salary
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Annual fixed cash compensation
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Attract and retain qualified and high performing executives
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Short-Term Incentive Compensation
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Annual compensation based on the achievement of predetermined performance goals
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Incentivize NEOs to achieve the short-term performance goals established by the Compensation Committee
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Long-Term Incentive Compensation
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Long-term equity awards granted as time-based and performance-based RSUs or stock options
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Retain NEOs and align their interests with the interests of the stockholders
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In addition to the above-mentioned elements, the Company also provides a retirement, health and welfare benefit component to the executive compensation program.
Actions Taken by the Board and the Compensation Committee as a Result of the Failed Say-on-Pay Proposals
The Compensation Committee takes shareholder feedback seriously. The Committee considers the results of the advisory vote of the stockholders at each annual meeting as the Committee completes its annual review of each pay element and the compensation packages provided to our NEOs. Based on its review and analysis as well as stockholder outreach in 2018 and 2019, the Compensation Committee regularly evaluates whether the compensation program provides a competitive pay-for-performance package that effectively incentivizes its NEOs to maximize stockholder value. The Compensation Committee will continue to consider the outcome of the Company’s Say-on-Pay votes and its stockholder views when making future compensation decisions for our NEOs.
At our 2018 Annual Meeting, 51% of the shares cast on the Say-on-Pay proposal voted against the compensation paid to our NEOs, 45% voted to approve such compensation, and 4% abstained. Due to the results of the Say-on-Pay vote, the Compensation Committee initiated and directed a comprehensive review of the Company’s compensation policies and practices. The Board of Directors directed management to contact some of our largest stockholders to determine how the Company can improve its executive compensation practices. As a result of investor outreach, the Compensation Committee did not award short-term incentive (STI) bonuses to NEOs for 2018. In addition, since total shareholder return in 2018 did not meet specific performance objectives identified in the 2017 LTI goals set by the Compensation Committee, 2018 performance-based RSUs were forfeited.
Also in direct response to the failed Say-on-Pay proposal at the 2018 Annual Meeting, the Board of Directors held a meeting on January 29, 2019 and therein accepted an offer from Patrick Burke to step-down as Chairman of the Compensation Committee. At the same meeting, the Board appointed Karli Anderson to the Compensation Committee, and also appointed her to serve as the new Chairman of the Compensation Committee effective immediately. Mr. Burke continued to serve on the Compensation Committee until April 18, 2019, when the 2019 annual general meeting of stockholders was held and Mr. Burke’s term as a director ended.
At our 2019 Annual Meeting, 45% of the shares cast on the Say-on-Pay proposal voted against the compensation paid to our NEOs, 39% voted to approve such compensation, and 26% abstained. In direct response to the failed Say-on-Pay proposals at the 2018 and 2019 Annual Meetings, the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors held meetings on August 6, 2019 and August 15, 2019 and therein directed the Westwater management team to prepare a survey of stockholders in order to solicit their input regarding the Company’s compensation structure for its named executive officers. The stockholder survey was conducted in December 2019 and its results are discussed below.
Deliberations of the Compensation Committee in 2019
The Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors currently consists of three independent directors: Ms. Anderson (as Chair), and Tracy D. Pagliara and Marvin K. Kaiser. In 2019, the Compensation Committee held seven meetings and its members engaged in numerous additional informal telephone conference calls. At every meeting in 2019, the Compensation Committee discussed executive compensation issues and made several significant decisions involving both short-term incentive (STI) awards and long-term incentive (LTI) awards for the named executive officers, as follows:
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On January 22, 2019, the Compensation Committee held a meeting and therein questioned whether any STI award should be made to Westwater’s management team in light of the failed Say-on-Pay proposal at the 2018 Annual Meeting.
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On January 29, 2019, the Compensation Committee held a meeting and therein accepted two recommendations from the Westwater management team:
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othat the three NEOs would forego an STI award for 2018 in light of the failed Say-on-Pay proposal at the 2018 Annual Meeting and the absence of specific STI goals and objectives for 2018; and
othat two-thirds of previously issued LTI awards that were tied to shareholder performance metrics would be forfeited because those metrics were not met.
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On February 14, 2019, the Compensation Committee held a meeting and therein considered 2019 STI goals and 2019 LTI goals and objectives that were presented by Westwater management and discussed whether different goals should be added to or substituted for the 2019 STIs in order to enhance alignment between management and shareholders. The Committee directed the management team to work towards the proposed goals but recognizing that changes could be made after further consideration by the Committee.
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On April 2, 2019, the Compensation Committee held a meeting and therein approved a revised set of 2019 STIs and the 2019 LTIs based upon input received from the Westwater management team.
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On August 6, 2019, the Compensation Committee held a meeting and therein considered and acted upon the following:
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oin direct response to failed Say-on-Pay proposals at the 2018 and 2019 Annual Meetings of Stockholders, the Compensation Committee discussed the value of conducting a survey of the Company’s stockholders in matters involving executive compensation and directed the Westwater management team to prepare such a survey for consideration by the Committee and eventual posting on the Company’s website after the third quarter financials were issued; and
ore-affirming its decision not to issue STI awards to the three NEOs for fiscal year 2018 but concluding that, as appropriate, STI and LTI awards for performance in fiscal year 2019 could be determined, in part, based upon extraordinary circumstances in 2019; and
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On August 15, 2019, the Compensation Committee held a meeting and therein considered and acted upon two relevant issues:
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oLTI awards made in July 2018 that were conditioned upon a stockholder approval of an increase to the 2013 Omnibus Incentive Plan, which occurred at the 2019 Annual Meeting in April 2019, should be made; and
othe nature of the stockholder survey as well as the method and timing of its availability was discussed.
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On December 19, 2019, the Compensation Committee held a meeting and therein considered the following three relevant issues:
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othe Committee acknowledged that the STI goals established at the beginning of 2019 and decided against changing those goals despite changes in the Company’s business activities, which occurred throughout the year, making some of those goals unachievable;
othe Committee recognized that some of the Company business activities that occurred in 2019 may warrant a discretionary STI award and requested the Westwater management team to address those issues separately; and
othe Committee requested that its deliberations during fiscal 2019 on executive compensation be incorporated into the Compensation Discussion & Analysis in this proxy statement.
2019 Stockholder Survey on Executive Compensation
As noted above, on August 6, 2019 and on August 15, 2019, the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors held meetings and therein directed the Westwater management team to prepare a survey of stockholders regarding the Company’s compensation structure for its NEOs. Through informal discussions with Westwater’s management team, the Compensation Committee and other members of the Board of Directors participated in the development of the survey questions. On December 7, 2019, the Chairman of the Board approved the survey and issued a letter to the Company’s stockholders encouraging their participation. Immediately thereafter the Westwater management team posted the survey to the Company’s website, caused the survey also to be posted to website of a third-party service provider, and sent a broadcast email message to approximately 2,500 addresses from Westwater’s investor relations database alerting them to the availability of the survey.
The survey was posted for approximately two (2) months and during that time Westwater received 64 responses, of which 55 responses indicated that they owned Westwater common stock. All responses were provided anonymously. The survey revealed that the stockholders are aligned with the Board of Directors in their expectations regarding compensation planning for the Company’s NEOs. The stockholders agreed with the Board that NEO incentive compensation should emphasize goal achievement, should be “at risk” and should be tied to approved key performance indicators. In addition, the stockholders agreed that STI and LTI awards should be granted when the Westwater management team is challenged with and achieves goals that include specific performance criteria, but if those criteria are not satisfied, the STI or LTI award should be “at risk” – i.e., the failure to achieve a goal forfeits in part or in whole the incentive compensation that is tied to the goal.
The survey also reveals that the stockholders would prefer LTI awards issued to NEOs to consist principally of performance-based stock awards and to a lesser extent time-based awards. When evaluating the long-term performance of the Company’s executive management team, the preference is to reward in greater proportion the achievement of specific goals, with the remainder tied to length of service. Finally, the surveyed stockholders believe that approximately one-quarter of the total NEO compensation should involve equity compensation.
2019 STI and LTI Goals and Objectives
The Company did not have proper goals and objectives for STI awards in place for 2018, which contributed in part to the decision by the Compensation Committee not to make an STI award to the NEOs for fiscal 2018. The Company had LTI goals and objectives from 2017 that were both performance-based and time-based, and which were operative in 2018; however, the performance-based portions of those 2017 LTIs were not met and they lapsed in 2018. The Company had only time-based LTI goals in 2018, which were operative in both 2018 and 2019.
In early 2019, the Compensation Committee directed the Westwater management team to prepare both STI and LTI goals for 2019 and beyond, and to present them to the Committee for consideration and approval. As noted above, on February 14, 2019, the Compensation Committee held a meeting and therein considered 2019 STI goals and 2019 LTI goals that were presented by Westwater management and discussed whether different goals should be added to or substituted for the 2019 STIs. The Committee directed the management team to work towards the proposed goals while recognizing that changes could be made after further consideration by the Committee. On April 2, 2019, the Compensation Committee held a meeting and therein approved the following 2019 STIs and 2019 LTIs based upon input received from the Westwater management team, all of which goals were substantially uncertain of achievement as of April 2, 2019:
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2019 Short-Term Incentive Goal (each to be achieved by December 31, 2019)
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Weighting
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Zero lost-time accidents and zero reportable environmental incidents
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10%
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Complete three (3) additional tests of purified micronized graphite (PMG) with customers
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10%
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Complete land acquisition, permitting and financing for graphite pilot plant
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40%
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Achieve commercial production (24‑hrs continuous operation) at the graphite pilot plant
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40%
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2019 Long-Term Incentive Goal (stock award granted in 2019 but vesting contingent per below)
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Weighting
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Vesting contingent upon the publication of a feasibility study for the graphite production facility by no later than December 31, 2020
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⅓
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Vesting contingent upon the completion of the first continuous 24‑hours of operation of the graphite production facility by no later than December 31, 2021
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⅓
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Vesting contingent upon the completion of time-based service with the Company -- ⅓ each on the 31st day of March 2020, 2021 and 2022
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⅓
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The Compensation Committee’s evaluation of the NEO’s performance in fiscal 2019 against the 2019 STI goals, as well as the evaluation of NEO’s performance against the 2017 LTI goals and the 2018 LTI goals is discussed below.
Evaluation of NEO performance in fiscal 2019
The 2019 compensation mix for the NEOs demonstrates the Company’s philosophy regarding significant long-term and performance-based compensation. Over 22% of the total compensation of CEO, and approximately 18% of total compensation for all of NEOs, was performance-based and not guaranteed. The Compensation Committee anticipates granting additional long-term performance-based and time-based equity awards to executive officers during the course of 2020 to continue aligning their long-term incentives with those of stockholders.
The following is a summary of the components of the compensation policy for NEOs. As described in greater detail below, for 2020 short-term and long-term incentive programs were effective for each NEO—specifically, Messrs. Jones, Vigil and McCoig.
Base Salary
The Compensation Committee establishes base salaries for our executives based on the scope of their responsibilities, and takes into account competitive market compensation paid by comparable mining industry companies. The Company believes that a competitive compensation program will enhance its ability to attract and retain senior executives. In each case, the Compensation Committee takes into account each officer’s (i) current and prior compensation, (ii) scope of responsibilities, (iii) experience, (iv) comparable market salaries and (v) the Company’s achievement of performance goals (both financial and non-financial). The Compensation Committee also (i) has the opportunity to meet with the officers at various times during the year, which allows the Compensation Committee to form its own assessment of each individual’s performance and (ii) reviews reports of the CEO presented to the Compensation Committee, evaluating each of the other officers, including a review of their contributions and performance over the past year, strengths, weaknesses, development plans and succession potential.
For fiscal 2018, after taking into account the above-mentioned factors, historical base salaries, the performance of the NEOs and the challenging uranium pricing environment, the Compensation Committee increased base salaries for NEOs by 5% in fiscal 2019, as follows:
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2019 Base
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Name
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Title
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Salary
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Christopher M. Jones
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President and Chief Executive Officer
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$
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303,200
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Jeffrey L. Vigil
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Vice President—Finance and Chief Financial Officer
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$
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220,500
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Dain A. McCoig
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Vice President—South Texas Operations
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$
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202,000
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For more information about the 2019 base salaries for each of our NEOs, please see “2019 Summary Compensation Table” on page 43.
Retirement, Health and Welfare Benefits
The Company offers a variety of health and welfare and retirement programs to all eligible employees. The NEOs generally are eligible for the same benefit programs on the same basis as the rest of employees. The Company’s health and welfare programs include medical, dental and vision. In addition to the foregoing, the NEOs are eligible to participate in the following program:
401(k) Profit Sharing Plan. The Company maintains a defined contribution profit sharing plan for employees (the “401(k)”) that is administered by a committee of trustees appointed by the Company. All employees are eligible to participate upon the completion of one month of employment, subject to minimum age requirements. In past years, the Company has made contributions to the 401(k) without regard to current or accumulated net profits of the Company, but the Company suspended matching contributions at the beginning of January 2015.
No Perquisites
The Company does not provide any perquisites, whether cash or otherwise, to its NEOs. Westwater feels that its executive compensation program, particularly given the challenging uranium pricing environment, provides its NEOs with competitive compensation such that the Company does not need to provide any perquisites to achieve the goals of its executive compensation program.
Short-Term Incentive Compensation
In a meeting on December 19, 2019, the Compensation Committee began the process of evaluating the NEOs for their performance in fiscal 2019 as measured against the 2019 STI goals identified above. Despite there having been changes in the Company’s business activities throughout fiscal 2019, which made some of the goals unachievable, the
Committee decided against changing those goals. Instead, the Committee recognized that some of the Company business activities that occurred in fiscal 2019 may warrant a discretionary STI award and requested the Westwater management team to address those issues separately. Later in December 2019, the Westwater management team proposed the following scoring as regards their 2019 STI goals:
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With regard to the first STI goal, the Company reported that there had been no lost time actions and no reportable safety or environmental incidents throughout fiscal 2019. As a result, the Westwater management team recommended full payout on the first goal.
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With regard to the second STI goal, the Company reported that one round of PMG testing with a third party had been completed and, as a result of its success, further qualification testing with a larger sample size had been requested. However, because the STI goal required three tests and only one test was accomplished, the Westwater management team recommended one-third payout on the second goal.
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With regard to the third and fourth STI goals, the Company reported that land acquisition, permitting and financing of the graphite pilot plant was not completed and 24‑hours of continuous operation of the graphite pilot plant was not completed. The Westwater management team explained that the reason for missing these two STI goals was due to a business decision to pivot to a third-party entity to perform the pilot scale work, instead of developing the pilot plant internally, which saved the Company both time and money. The Westwater management team also explained that the pivot was carefully considered, vetted within management and with the Board, and executed flawlessly. Nevertheless, because the two latter STI goals had not been met, the Westwater management team recommending no payout on either the third or fourth goals.
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In response to the request from the Compensation Committee for information to assess whether the Company’s activities associated with the business pivot (as described above) as well as whether other considerations should qualify for a discretionary STI award, the Westwater management team provided the Compensation Committee with the following additional information:
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·
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When the STI goals for fiscal 2019 were developed and approved, Westwater’s graphite business plan was to perform pilot plant work in-house using purchased machinery. However, by the summer of 2019, various developments beyond the control of the Company and previously unknown prompted the Westwater management team to pivot away from an in-house graphite pilot plant and to use instead a third-party contractor to perform pilot scale work and another third-party contractor to perform graphite processing – each with their own equipment. The Westwater management team determined that the pivot was in the best interest of the Company, and secured approval from the Board to proceed, even though in formalizing the pivot the third and fourth STI goals were no longer achievable. The pivot was formalized in November 2019 with all the benefits described below.
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oThe graphite business plan was de-risked and improved by using third party contractors and avoiding staffing and technology licensing costs associated with the in-house option;
oThe anticipated capital expenditures for the pilot plant were reduced by over $1 million;
oRoyalty payments that would have been owed for technology licensing required with the in-house option were eliminated, which would have amounted to approximately $28 million over the life of the graphite project;
oThe ability to study and utilize alternate methods for graphite purification were available with the third party contractors, which could save costs and simplify operations;
oLicensing costs and longer time frames associated with the in-house pilot plant option were eliminated; and
oWhile land acquisition costs are delayed, production plant design and construction activities and timing are not negatively impacted.
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·
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The Company secured a long-term purchase agreement for the supply of graphite concentrate with a cap and collar pricing mechanism to mitigate the cost swings. As a result, the supply of raw material has been secured until building of the Coosa Graphite Mine (expected 2028), which also allows an on-plan start-up of the battery graphite production facility in 2022.
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·
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The Company encountered financial constraints during the first-half of 2019 that necessitated timely, effective and creative solutions that included putting an equity line of credit (ELOC) financing facility in place with Lincoln Park Capital, LLC. The ELOC was obtained at a considerably lower cost than what would have been available through a publicly-marketed financing. To achieve the full value of the ELOC, the Westwater management team successfully convened a special meeting of the stockholders, who approved the issuance of up to 3.2 million shares through the ELOC.
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In an executive session that occurred on January 15, 2020, the Compensation Committee met and agreed with the scoring proposed by the Westwater management team for the STI goals. Specifically, the Compensation Committee awarded a full payout for the first goal (10 percent) and a one-third payout for the second goal (3.33 percent) but no payout for either the third or fourth goals. The Compensation Committee also agreed that the Westwater management team should be awarded a discretionary payout (of 61.7 percent) for their extraordinary performance throughout fiscal 2019 in the following areas:
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·
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The business pivot from an in-house graphite pilot plant to third-party contractor as described above and with the cost, schedule and risk mitigation benefits derived from the pivot;
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·
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The efforts to confirm the presence of vanadium at the Company’s Coosa Graphite Project in Alabama;
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·
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The closing of the sale to Uranium Royalty Corp. of several of the Company’s uranium royalties and the remainder of a promissory note for a prior sale of a uranium property; and
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·
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The successful efforts to recapitalize the Company with the ELOC from Lincoln Park and to hold the related special meeting of stockholders in August 2019.
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Long-Term Incentive Compensation
In September 2017, the Compensation Committee approved the 2017 LTI goals that set long-term performance criteria for each of the NEOs with the awards being restricted stock units whose vesting was contingent on satisfying each of the goals. Two-thirds of the RSU grant would vest based upon the achievement of such performance criteria, with the other one-third in each case vesting based upon continued service to the Company. If the performance-based criteria, which includes total shareholder return, are not achieved in the relevant period, then the corresponding performance-based shares are forfeited.
The criteria for vesting of 2017 LTI awards for 2019 were:
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·
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Longevity – completing a full year of service in 2019 (33% - awarded for 2019)
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·
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Implementing a plan to produce cash flow in 2019 (33% - forfeited as the plan was delayed due to financial constraints); and
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·
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Total Shareholder Return (“TSR”) (33% - forfeited as the TSR was negative for 2019 – see below)
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In evaluating TSR performance in 2019, the Compensation Committee compared the Company’s stock performance against the performance of the Global X Uranium ETF and Global X Lithium ETF, which the Compensation Committee concluded represents a better measure of the status of the uranium industry than any potential peer group.
In July 2018, the Compensation Committee approved the 2018 LTI goals that set long-term criteria for each of the NEOs with the awards being 10‑year stock options. A portion of the award vested upon the grant of the award and the remainder vesting if the stockholders at the 2019 Annual Meeting approved an increase in the number of shares to be available for issuance under the 2013 Omnibus Incentive Plan. On April 18, 2019, the stockholders approved the increase to the Omnibus Plan and the remainder of the 2018 LTI award immediately vested.
The 2019 LTI goals approved by the Compensation Committee in April 2019, and reviewed above, do not have any criteria that vested in 2019. Two-thirds of the 2019 LTI goals are performance based and one-third are service-based. The awards associated with the 2019 LTI goals will vest, if at all, in fiscal 2020 and 2021. If the performance-based criteria are not achieved in the relevant period, then the corresponding performance-based shares are forfeited.
The Compensation Committee expects the incentive program to evolve over time as the Company transitions from its current primary focus on developmental and restoration activities to an operational focus driving towards enhancement of profit and stockholder returns.
Stock Ownership Policy
The Compensation Committee believes that stock ownership by senior management and stock-based performance compensation arrangements are beneficial in aligning management and stockholders’ interests and serves as an executive retention tool through vesting and post-vesting holding period requirements. To that end, the employment agreements for each of Mr. Jones and Mr. Vigil establish stock ownership targets for each executive of stock valued at three times the initial base salary of each executive under the employment agreements. Each of Mr. Jones and Mr. Vigil had five years from his respective employment date to reach the stock ownership target. As part of our efforts to refinance and restructure the Company, Messrs. Jones and Vigil did not receive long-term incentive grants in some years to facilitate these objectives.
Target Total Direct Compensation for Fiscal 2020
Based in part on the results of the shareholder feedback, thee target compensation packages for our NEOs in 2020 will continue to be comprised of base salary and, subject to Compensation Committee approval, both STI and LTI awards are contingent upon achieving specific criteria. For STI awards, performance-based specific objectives will be used and should be in place in the first quarter of fiscal 2020. For LTI awards, both time-based and performance-based specific objectives will be used, including total shareholder return relative to industry performance, and they should be in place in the first quarter of fiscal 2020 as well. Base salaries for the NEOs have been positioned to reflect job content and competitive pay practices, as discussed above.
Tax Treatment
Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code imposes limitations on the deductibility for corporate federal income tax purposes of remuneration in excess of $1 million paid to the chief executive officer, chief financial officer and each of the three next most highly compensated executive officers of a public company. Prior to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that was signed into law on December 22, 2017, compensation that satisfied conditions set forth under Section 162(m) to qualify as "performance-based compensation" was not subject to the limitation, and the limitation did not apply to compensation paid to the chief financial officer. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act eliminated the performance-based compensation exception beginning January 1, 2018, but provided a transition rule with respect to remuneration provided pursuant to a written binding contract that was in effect on November 2, 2017 and not materially modified after that date.
The Compensation Committee considers the anticipated tax treatment to the Company when determining executive compensation. It should be noted that there are many factors which are considered by the Compensation Committee in determining executive compensation, and the Compensation Committee retains flexibility in establishing the Company’s executive compensation programs.
PROPOSAL 5
RATIFICATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF THE INDEPENDENT
REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS
The Board has unanimously appointed Moss Adams LLP to be Westwater’s independent registered public accountants for the year ending December 31, 2020, and has further directed that management submit the appointment of our independent registered public accountants for ratification by the stockholders at the 2020 Annual Meeting. In recommending ratification by the stockholders of such appointment, the Board is acting upon the recommendation of the Audit Committee, which has satisfied itself as to the firm’s professional competence and standing.
Ratification of the appointment of Moss Adams LLP by the stockholders is not required by law. As a matter of policy, however, such appointment is being submitted to the stockholders for ratification at the 2020 Annual Meeting because the Audit Committee and the Board believe this to be a good corporate practice. The persons designated in the enclosed proxy will vote your shares “FOR” ratification unless you include instruction in your signed proxy to the contrary. If the stockholders fail to ratify the appointment of this firm, the Board will reconsider the matter.
Representatives of Moss Adams LLP are expected to be present at the Annual Meeting to answer appropriate questions from the stockholders and will be given an opportunity to make a statement on behalf of Moss Adams LLP should they desire to do so. None of Westwater’s directors or executive officers has any substantial interest, direct or indirect, in Moss Adams LLP.
THE BOARD UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS A VOTE “FOR” THE RATIFICATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF MOSS ADAMS LLP AS INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS OF WESTWATER.
Audit and Non-Audit Fees
The following table presents fees billed for professional audit services rendered by Moss Adams LLP for the audit of Westwater’s annual financial statements for 2019 and 2018.
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2019
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2018
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Audit fees (1)
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$
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251,525
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$
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196,823
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Audit-related fees
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|
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—
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|
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—
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Tax fees
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|
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—
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|
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—
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All other fees
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|
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—
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|
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—
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|
(1)
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Audit fees include fees for the audits of the Company’s consolidated financial statements and for services that are usually provided by an auditor in connection with statutory and regulatory filings and engagements.
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Audit Committee Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures
The Audit Committee is required to pre-approve the audit and non-audit services performed by the independent auditor to assure that the provision of such services does not impair the auditor’s independence. All of the foregoing services were pre-approved by the Audit Committee.
OWNERSHIP OF WESTWATER COMMON STOCK
The table below sets forth information as of December 31, 2019 regarding the beneficial ownership (as defined by Rule 13d‑3(d)(1) under the Exchange Act) of our common stock by each of our directors and named executive officers, and all directors and executive officers as a group. To the Company’s knowledge, no person or group beneficially owns more than five percent of our common stock.
In accordance with applicable rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission, beneficial ownership includes voting or investment power with respect to securities and includes the shares issuable pursuant to stock options that are exercisable, and shares subject to restricted stock units that vest, on, or within 60 days after December 31, 2019. Shares issuable pursuant to the exercise of stock options, and restricted stock units that vest, on, or within 60 days after December 31, 2019, are deemed outstanding for the purpose of computing the ownership percentage of the person holding such options, or shares subject to restricted stock units, but are not deemed outstanding for computing the ownership percentage of any other person. The percentage of beneficial ownership for the following table is based on 3,339,380 shares of common stock outstanding as of December 31, 2019. All officers and directors can be reached at the Company’s corporate office address of 6950 S. Potomac Street, Suite 300, Centennial, Colorado 80112.
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Number of Shares of
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Common Stock
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Percent
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Name of Individual or Group
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Beneficially Owned (1)
|
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of Class
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Terence J. Cryan
|
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1,601
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*
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Christopher M. Jones
|
|
14,319
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*
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Marvin K. Kaiser
|
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995
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|
*
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Tracy D. Pagliara
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946
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*
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Karli S. Anderson
|
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0
|
|
*
|
Jeffrey L. Vigil
|
|
5,167
|
|
*
|
Dain A. McCoig
|
|
4,621
|
|
*
|
All current directors and executive officers as a group (7 persons)
|
|
27,649
|
|
*
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*Represents less than 1%.
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(1)
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Includes the following shares that directors and executive officers have the right to acquire on, or within 60 days after, December 31, 2019, through the exercise of stock options and issuance of stock for vested restrictive stock units: Mr. Cryan, 946 shares; Mr. Jones, 13,441 shares; Mr. Kaiser, 957 shares; Mr. Pagliara, 946 shares; Mr. Vigil 4,854 shares; Mr. McCoig, 4,451 shares; and all current directors and officers as a group, 25,595 shares. Except as otherwise noted, the directors and executive officers exercise sole voting and investment power over their shares shown in the table and none of the shares are subject to pledge. Except as otherwise noted, the directors, director nominees and executive officers exercise sole voting and investment power over their shares shown in the table and none of the shares are subject to pledge.
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Other Business
The Board knows of no other matters to be brought before the Annual Meeting. However, if other matters should come before the Annual Meeting, it is the intention of each person named in the proxy to vote such proxy in accordance with his or her own judgment on such matters.
Delivery of Stockholder Documents
The Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) has adopted rules that permit companies and intermediaries (e.g., brokers) to satisfy the delivery requirements for proxy statements and annual reports with respect to two or more stockholders sharing the same address by delivering a single proxy statement and annual report addressed to those stockholders. This process, which is commonly referred to as “householding,” potentially means extra convenience for stockholders and cost savings for companies.
A number of brokers with account holders who are Westwater stockholders may be householding our proxy materials, to the extent such stockholders have given their prior express or implied consent in accordance with SEC rules. A single proxy statement and Annual Report will be delivered to multiple stockholders sharing an address unless contrary instructions have been received from the affected stockholders. Once you have received notice from your broker that it will be householding communications to your address, householding will continue until you are notified otherwise or until you revoke your consent, which is deemed to be given unless you inform the broker otherwise when you receive the original notice of householding. If, at any time, you no longer wish to participate in householding and would prefer to receive separate proxy materials, please notify your broker to discontinue householding and direct your written request to receive a separate proxy statement and annual report to Westwater at: Westwater Resources, Inc., Attention: Secretary, 6950 S. Potomac Street, Suite 300, Centennial, Colorado 80112, or by calling (303) 531‑0516, and we will promptly deliver a separate proxy statement and annual report per your request. Stockholders who currently receive multiple copies of the proxy materials at their address and would like to request householding of their communications should contact their broker.
Solicitation of Proxies; Payment of Solicitation Expenses
The Company is providing these proxy materials in connection with the solicitation by its Board of Directors of proxies to be voted at our Annual Meeting. The Company has retained Alliance Advisors as its proxy solicitor and will pay Alliance Advisors approximately $75,000. The Company will bear all expenses incurred in connection with the solicitations of proxies. In addition to the solicitation of proxies by mail. The Company may ask brokers and bank nominees to solicit proxies from their principals and will pay the brokers and bank nominees their expenses for the solicitation. The Company’s directors, officers and employees also may solicit proxies by mail, telephone, electronic or facsimile transmission or in person.
Adjournments and Postponements
Although it is not currently expected, the meeting may be adjourned on one or more occasions for the purpose of soliciting additional proxies if a quorum is not present at the meeting. An adjournment generally may be made with the affirmative vote of the owners of a majority of the shares of our common stock present in person or represented by proxy and entitled to vote thereon if no quorum is present or, if a quorum is present, with the majority of the votes cast. Any adjournment of the meeting for the purpose of soliciting additional proxies will allow our stockholders who have already sent in their proxies to revoke them at any time prior to their use at the meeting as adjourned.
Future Stockholder Proposals
In order to include a stockholder proposal in Westwater’s proxy statement and form of proxy for the annual meeting to be held in 2021 (the “2021 Annual Meeting”), we must receive the proposal at our principal executive offices, addressed to the Secretary, no later than [ ], which is 120 calendar days before the anniversary of the date this proxy statement for the 2020 Annual Meeting is released to stockholders. However, if the date of the 2021 Annual Meeting has
been changed by more than 30 days from the anniversary date of the 2020 Annual Meeting, then the deadline is a reasonable time before the company begins to print and send its proxy materials.
Any stockholder proposal or director nomination submitted to us for consideration at the 2021 Annual Meeting but which is not intended to be included in the related proxy statement and form of proxy, must be received between 90 days and 120 days prior to April 28, 2021, which is the first anniversary of the 2020 Annual Meeting, except that if the date of the 2021 Annual Meeting is more than 30 days before or more than 70 days after such anniversary, we must receive the proposal not earlier than the close of business on the 120th day prior to the 2021 Annual Meeting and not later than the close of business on the later of 90th day prior to the 2021 Annual Meeting date or the 10th day following the date on which public announcement of the 2021 Annual Meeting is first made; otherwise, the proposal will be considered by us to be untimely and not properly brought before the meeting.
Stockholders who wish to submit a proposal or a director nominee must meet the eligibility requirements of the SEC and comply with the requirements of our Bylaws and the SEC. In addition, pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC, the persons appointed as proxies for the annual meeting to be held in 2021 will have discretionary authority to vote any proxies they hold at such meeting on any matter for which Westwater has not received notice by 45 days prior to the anniversary date on which this proxy statement for the 2020 Annual Meeting is mailed to Westwater stockholders.
Annual Report to Stockholders
We have mailed this proxy statement to each stockholder entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting. A copy of our 2019 Annual Report to Stockholders accompanies this proxy statement. You may obtain, at no charge, additional copies of our 2019 Annual Report to Stockholders, which includes our Annual Report on Form 10‑K for the year ended December 31, 2019, by sending us a written request at Westwater Resources, Inc., Attention: Secretary, 6950 S. Potomac Street, Suite 300, Centennial, Colorado 80112, or by calling (303) 531‑0483.
THIRD AMENDMENT TO
WESTWATER RESOURCES, INC.
2013 OMNIBUS INCENTIVE PLAN
In accordance with those certain resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors of Westwater Resources, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Corporation”), and the Board of Directors’ Compensation Committee and the approval by the stockholders of the Corporation at the Corporation’s Annual Meeting of Stockholders held on April 28, 2020, the 2013 Omnibus Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) of the Corporation is hereby amended as follows:
1. Section 4.1 of the Plan is hereby amended and restated in its entirety to increase the number of shares reserved for issuance under the Plan by 350,000 shares, as follows:
“4.1 Number of Shares of Stock Available for Awards.
Subject to such additional shares of Stock as shall be available for Awards under the Plan pursuant to Section 4.2, and subject to adjustment pursuant to Section 17.1, the maximum number of shares of Stock available for Awards under the Plan shall be equal to the sum of (x) 437,666 shares of Stock plus (y) the number of shares of Stock available for awards under the Prior Plans as of the Effective Date plus (z) the number of shares of Stock related to awards outstanding under the Prior Plans as of the Effective Date which thereafter terminate by expiration, forfeiture, cancellation, or otherwise without the issuance of such shares. Such shares of Stock may be authorized and unissued shares of Stock or treasury shares of Stock or any combination of the foregoing, as may be determined from time to time by the Board or by the Committee. Any of the shares of Stock available for Awards under the Plan may be used for any type of Award under the Plan, and any or all of the shares of Stock available for Awards under the Plan shall be available for Awards pursuant to Incentive Stock Options.”
2. Section 6.2 of the Plan is hereby amended and restated in its entirety to increase the maximum number of shares of Stock that may be granted in a calendar year to any person, as follows:
“6.2 Limitation on Shares of Stock Subject to Awards and Cash Awards.
During any time when the Company has a class of equity security registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act:
(a) the maximum number of shares of Stock subject to Options or SARs that may be granted under the Plan in a calendar year to any person eligible for an Award under Section 6 is four hundred thousand (400,000) shares;
(b) the maximum number of shares of Stock that may be granted under the Plan, other than pursuant to Options or SARs, in a calendar year to any person eligible for an Award under Section 6 is four hundred thousand (400,000) shares; and
(c) the maximum amount that may be paid as a cash-settled Performance-Based Award for a Performance Period of twelve (12) months or less to any person eligible for an Award shall be four hundred thousand dollars ($400,000) and the maximum amount that may be paid as a cash-settled Performance-Based Award for a Performance Period of greater than twelve (12) months to any person eligible for an Award shall also be four hundred thousand dollars ($400,000).
The preceding limitations in this Section 6.2 are subject to adjustment as provided in Section 17.”
3. Unless otherwise expressly provided for in this Third Amendment to the Plan (the “Third Amendment”), all capitalized words, phrases, or defined terms used in this Third Amendment will have the same meaning ascribed to them in the Plan.
4. Except as expressly set forth in this Third Amendment, there have been no other changes or modifications to the Plan, and the plan remains otherwise unchanged and in full force and effect.
5. This Third Amendment shall be effective as of [____], 2020.
WESTWATER RESOURCES, INC.
2013 OMNIBUS INCENTIVE PLAN
AS AMENDED
Westwater Resources, Inc. (the “Company”) sets forth herein the terms of its 2013 Omnibus Incentive Plan (the “Plan”), as follows:
1. PURPOSE
The Plan is intended to (a) provide eligible persons with an incentive to contribute to the success of the Company and to operate and manage the Company’s business in a manner that will provide for the Company’s long-term growth and profitability to benefit its stockholders and other important stakeholders, including its employees and customers, and (b) provide a means of obtaining, rewarding and retaining key personnel. To this end, the Plan provides for the grant of awards of stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, stock units, unrestricted stock, dividend equivalent rights, performance shares and other performance-based awards, other equity-based awards, and cash bonus awards. Any of these awards may, but need not, be made as performance incentives to reward the holders of such awards for the achievement of performance goals in accordance with the terms of the Plan. Stock options granted under the Plan may be non-qualified stock options or incentive stock options, as provided herein.
2. DEFINITIONS
For purposes of interpreting the Plan documents (including the Plan and Award Agreements), the following definitions shall apply:
2.1 “Affiliate” means any company or other entity that controls, is controlled by or is under common control with the Company within the meaning of Rule 405 of Regulation C under the Securities Act, including any Subsidiary. For purposes of grants of Options or Stock Appreciation Rights, an entity may not be considered an Affiliate unless the Company holds a “controlling interest” in such entity within the meaning of Treasury Regulation Section 1.414(c)-2(b)(2)(i), provided that (a) except as specified in clause (b) below, an interest of “at least 50 percent” shall be used instead of an interest of “at least 80 percent” in each case where “at least 80 percent” appears in Treasury Regulation Section 1.414(c)-2(b)(2)(i) and (b) where the grant of Options or Stock Appreciation Rights is based upon a legitimate business criterion, an interest of “at least 20 percent” shall be used instead of an interest of “at least 80 percent” in each case where “at least 80 percent” appears in Treasury Regulation Section 1.414(c)-2(b)(2)(i).
2.2 “Applicable Laws” means the legal requirements relating to the Plan and the Awards under (a) applicable provisions of the corporate, securities, tax and other laws, rules, regulations and government orders of any jurisdiction applicable to Awards granted to residents therein and (b) the rules of any Stock Exchange on which the Stock is listed.
2.3 “Award” means a grant under the Plan of an Option, a Stock Appreciation Right, Restricted Stock, a Stock Unit, Unrestricted Stock, a Dividend Equivalent Right, a Performance Share or other Performance-Based Award, an Other Equity-Based Award, or cash.
2.4 “Award Agreement” means the agreement between the Company and a Grantee that evidences and sets out the terms and conditions of an Award.
2.5 “Award Stock” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 17.3(a)(ii).
2.6 “Benefit Arrangement” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 15.
2.7 “Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.
2.8 “Cause” means, with respect to any Grantee, as determined by the Committee and unless otherwise provided in an applicable agreement between such Grantee and the Company or an Affiliate, (a) gross negligence or willful misconduct in connection with the performance of duties; (b) conviction of a criminal offense (other than minor traffic offenses); or (c) material breach of any term of any employment, consulting or other services, confidentiality, intellectual property or non-competition agreements, if any, between such Grantee and the Company or an Affiliate. Any determination by the Committee whether an event constituting Cause shall have occurred shall be final, binding and conclusive.
2.9 “Capital Stock” means, with respect to any Person, any and all shares, interests, participations or other equivalents (however designated, whether voting or non-voting) in equity of such Person, whether outstanding on the Effective Date or issued thereafter, including, without limitation, all common stock, par value $.001 per share, of the Company.
2.10 “Change in Control” means the occurrence of any of the following:
(a) a “Person” or “group” (within the meaning of Sections 13(d) and 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act), other than the Existing Stockholders, becomes the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) of more than fifty percent (50%) of the total voting power of the Voting Stock of the Company, on a Fully Diluted Basis;
(b) individuals who on the Effective Date constitute the Board (together with any new Directors whose election by such Board or whose nomination by such Board for election by the stockholders of the Company was approved by a vote of at least a majority of the members of such Board then in office who either were members of such Board on the Effective Date or whose election or nomination for election was previously so approved) cease for any reason to constitute a majority of the members of such Board then in office;
(c) the Company consolidates with, or merges with or into, any Person, or any Person consolidates with, or merges with or into, the Company, other than any such transaction in which the holders of securities that represented one hundred percent (100%) of the Voting Stock of the Company immediately prior to such transaction (or other securities into which such securities are converted as part of such merger or consolidation transaction) own directly or indirectly at least a majority of the voting power of the Voting Stock of the surviving Person in such merger or consolidation transaction immediately after such transaction; or
(d) there is consummated any direct or indirect sale, lease, transfer, conveyance or other disposition (other than by way of merger or consolidation), in one transaction or a series of related transactions, of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, to any “Person” or “group” (within the meaning of Sections 13(d) and 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act).
2.11 “Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, as now in effect or as hereafter amended, and any successor thereto. References in the Plan to any Code Section shall be deemed to include, as applicable, regulations promulgated under such Code Section.
2.12 “Committee” means the Compensation Committee of the Board.
2.13 “Company” means Westwater Resources, Inc.
2.14 “Covered Employee” means a Grantee who is a “covered employee” within the meaning of Code Section 162(m)(3).
2.15 “Disability” means the inability of a Grantee to perform each of the essential duties of such Grantee’s position by reason of a medically determinable physical or mental impairment which is potentially permanent in character or which can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months; provided that, with respect to rules regarding expiration of an Incentive Stock Option following termination of a Grantee’s Service, Disability shall mean the inability of such Grantee to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of a medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or which has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months.
2.16 “Dividend Equivalent Right” means a right, granted to a Grantee pursuant to Section 13, to receive cash, Stock, other Awards or other property equal in value to dividends or other periodic payments paid or made with respect to a specified number of shares of Stock.
2.17 “Employee” means, as of any date of determination, an employee (including an officer) of the Company or an Affiliate.
2.18 “Effective Date” means June 4, 2013, the date on which the Plan was approved by the Company’s stockholders.
2.19 “Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, as now in effect or as hereafter amended.
2.20 “Existing Stockholders” means Resource Capital Fund V L.P. and RMB Australia Holdings Limited.
2.21 “Fair Market Value” means the fair market value of a share of Stock for purposes of the Plan, which shall be determined as of any Grant Date as follows:
(a) If on such Grant Date the shares of Stock are listed on a Stock Exchange, or are publicly traded on another established securities market (a “Securities Market”), the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock shall be the closing price of the Stock as reported on such Stock Exchange or such Securities Market (provided that, if there is more than one such Stock Exchange or Securities Market, the Committee shall designate the appropriate Stock Exchange or Securities Market for purposes of the Fair Market Value determination). If there is no such reported closing price on such Grant Date, the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock shall be the closing price of the Stock on the next preceding day on which any sale of Stock shall have been reported on such Stock Exchange or such Securities Market.
(b) If on such Grant Date the shares of Stock are not listed on a Stock Exchange or publicly traded on a Securities Market, the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock shall be the value of the Stock as determined by the Committee by the reasonable application of a reasonable valuation method, in a manner consistent with Code Section 409A.
Notwithstanding this Section 2.21 or Section 18.3, for purposes of determining taxable income and the amount of the related tax withholding obligation pursuant to Section 18.3, the Fair Market Value will be determined by the Company using any reasonable method; provided, further, that for any shares of Stock subject to an Award that are sold by or on behalf of a Grantee on the same date on which such shares may first be sold pursuant to the terms of the related Award Agreement, the Fair Market Value of such shares shall be the sale price of such shares on such date (or if
sales of such shares are effectuated at more than one sale price, the weighted average sale price of such shares on such date).
2.22 “Family Member” means, with respect to any Grantee as of any date of determination, (a) a person who is a spouse, former spouse, child, stepchild, grandchild, parent, stepparent, grandparent, niece, nephew, mother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother, sister, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law, including adoptive relationships, of such Grantee, (b) any person sharing such Grantee’s household (other than a tenant or employee), (c) a trust in which any one or more of the persons specified in clauses (a) and (b) above (and such Grantee) own more than fifty percent (50%) of the beneficial interest, (d) a foundation in which any one or more of the persons specified in clauses (a) and (b) above (and such Grantee) control the management of assets, and (e) any other entity in which one or more of the persons specified in clauses (a) and (b) above (and such Grantee) own more than fifty percent (50%) of the voting interests.
2.23 “Fully Diluted Basis” means, as of any date of determination, the sum of (x) the number of shares of Voting Stock outstanding as of such date of determination plus (y) the number of shares of Voting Stock issuable upon the exercise, conversion or exchange of all then-outstanding warrants, options, convertible Capital Stock or indebtedness, exchangeable Capital Stock or indebtedness, or other rights exercisable for or convertible or exchangeable into, directly or indirectly, shares of Voting Stock, whether at the time of issue or upon the passage of time or upon the occurrence of some future event, and whether or not in the money as of such date of determination
2.24 “Grant Date” means, as determined by the Committee, the latest to occur of (a) the date as of which the Committee approves the Award, (b) the date on which the recipient of an Award first becomes eligible to receive an Award under Section 6 hereof (e.g., in the case of a new hire, the first date on which such new hire performs any Service), or (c) such subsequent date specified by the Committee in the corporate action approving the Award.
2.25 “Grantee” means a person who receives or holds an Award under the Plan.
2.26 “Incentive Stock Option” means an “incentive stock option” within the meaning of Code Section 422, or the corresponding provision of any subsequently enacted tax statute, as amended from time to time.
2.27 “Non-qualified Stock Option” means an Option that is not an Incentive Stock Option.
2.28 “Option” means an option to purchase one or more shares of Stock pursuant to the Plan.
2.29 “Option Price” means the exercise price for each share of Stock subject to an Option.
2.30 “Other Agreement” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 15.
2.31 “Other Equity-Based Award” means an Award representing a right or other interest that may be denominated or payable in, valued in whole or in part by reference to, or otherwise based on, or related to, Stock, other than an Option, a Stock Appreciation Right, Restricted Stock, a Stock Unit, Unrestricted Stock, a Dividend Equivalent Right or a Performance Share.
2.32 “Outside Director” means a member of the Board who is not an Employee.
2.33 “Parachute Payment” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 15(a).
2.34 “Performance-Based Award” means an Award of Options, Stock Appreciation Rights, Restricted Stock, Stock Units, Performance Shares, Other Equity-Based Awards or cash made subject to the achievement of performance goals (as provided in Section 14) over a Performance Period specified by the Committee.
2.35 “Performance-Based Compensation” means compensation under an Award that is intended to satisfy the requirements of Code Section 162(m) for “qualified performance-based compensation” paid to Covered Employees. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing in the Plan shall be construed to mean that an Award which does not satisfy the requirements for “qualified performance-based compensation” within the meaning of and pursuant to Code Section 162(m) does not constitute performance-based compensation for other purposes, including the purposes of Code Section 409A.
2.36 “Performance Measures” means measures as specified in Section 14.6.4 on which the performance goals under Performance-Based Awards are based and which are approved by the Company’s stockholders pursuant to, and to the extent required by, the Plan in order to qualify such Performance-Based Awards as Performance-Based Compensation.
2.37 “Performance Period” means the period of time during which the performance goals under Performance-Based Awards must be met in order to determine the degree of payout and/or vesting with respect to any such Performance-Based Awards.
2.38 “Performance Shares” means a Performance-Based Award representing a right or other interest that may be denominated or payable in, valued in whole or in part by reference to, or otherwise based on, or related to, Stock, made subject to the achievement of performance goals (as provided in Section 14) over a Performance Period of up to ten (10) years.
2.39 “Person” means an individual, a corporation, a partnership, a limited liability company, an association, a trust or any other entity or organization, including a government or political subdivision or an agency or instrumentality thereof.
2.40 “Plan” means this 2013 Omnibus Incentive Plan, as amended from time to time.
2.41 “Prior Plans” means the Company’s Amended and Restated 1995 Stock Incentive Plan, the 2004 Stock Incentive Plan, the Amended and Restated 2004 Directors’ Stock Option and Restricted Stock Plan, and the 2007 Restricted Stock Plan.
2.42 “Reporting Person” means a person who is required to file reports under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act, or any successor provision.
2.43 “Restricted Period” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 10.2.
2.44 “Restricted Stock” means shares of Stock awarded to a Grantee pursuant to Section 10.
2.45 “SAR Price” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 9.1.
2.46 “Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, as now in effect or as hereafter amended.
2.47 “Service” means service qualifying a Grantee as a Service Provider to the Company or an Affiliate. Unless otherwise provided in the applicable Award Agreement, a Grantee’s change in position or duties shall not result in interrupted or terminated Service, so long as such Grantee continues to be a Service Provider to the Company or an Affiliate. Subject to the preceding sentence, any determination by the Committee whether a termination of Service shall have occurred for purposes of the Plan shall be final, binding and conclusive. If a Service Provider’s employment or other service relationship is with an Affiliate and the applicable entity ceases to be an Affiliate, a termination of Service shall be deemed to have occurred when such entity ceases to be an Affiliate unless the Service Provider transfers his or her employment or other service relationship to the Company or any other Affiliate.
2.48 “Service Provider” means an Employee, officer, or director of the Company or an Affiliate, or a consultant or adviser (who is a natural person) to the Company or an Affiliate currently providing services to the Company or an Affiliate.
2.49 “Stock” means the common stock, par value $0.001 per share, of the Company, or any security which shares of Stock may be changed into or for which shares of Stock may be exchanged as provided in Section 17.1.
2.50 “Stock Appreciation Right” or “SAR” means a right granted to a Grantee pursuant to Section 9.
2.51 “Stock Exchange” means The NASDAQ Stock Exchange LLC or another established national or regional stock exchange on which the Company’s equity securities may be listed.
2.52 “Stock Unit” means a bookkeeping entry representing the equivalent of one (1) share of Stock awarded to a Grantee pursuant to Section 10 that (a) is not subject to vesting or (b) is subject to time-based vesting, but not to performance-based vesting. A Stock Unit may also be referred to as a restricted stock unit.
2.53 “Subsidiary” means any corporation (other than the Company) or non-corporate entity with respect to which the Company owns, directly or indirectly, fifty percent (50%) or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock, membership interests or other ownership interests of any class or kind ordinarily having the power to vote for the directors, managers or other voting members of the governing body of such corporation or non-corporate entity. In addition, any other entity may be designated by the Committee as a Subsidiary, provided that (a) such entity could be considered as a subsidiary according to generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America, and (b) in the case of an Award of Options or Stock Appreciation Rights, such Award would be considered to be granted in respect of “service recipient stock” under Code Section 409A.
2.54 “Substitute Award” means an Award granted upon assumption of, or in substitution for, outstanding awards previously granted under a compensatory plan by a business entity acquired or to be acquired by the Company or an Affiliate or with which the Company or an Affiliate has combined or will combine.
2.55 “Ten Percent Stockholder” means a natural person who owns more than ten percent (10%) of the total combined voting power of all classes of outstanding voting securities of the Company, the Company’s parent (if any) or any of the Company’s Subsidiaries. In determining stock ownership, the attribution rules of Code Section 424(d) shall be applied.
2.56 “Unrestricted Stock” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11.
2.57 “Voting Stock” means, with respect to any Person, Capital Stock of any class or kind ordinarily having the power to vote for the election of directors, managers or other voting members of the governing body of such Person.
3. ADMINISTRATION OF THE PLAN
3.1 Committee.
3.1.1 Powers and Authorities.
The Committee shall administer the Plan and shall have such powers and authorities related to the administration of the Plan as are consistent with the Company’s certificate of incorporation and bylaws and Applicable Laws. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Committee shall have full power and authority to take all actions and to make all determinations required or provided for under the Plan, any Award or any Award Agreement, and shall have full power and authority to take all such other actions and make all such other determinations not inconsistent
with the specific terms and provisions of the Plan which the Committee deems to be necessary or appropriate to the administration of the Plan, any Award or any Award Agreement. All such actions and determinations shall be made by (a) the affirmative vote of a majority of the members of the Committee present at a meeting at which a quorum is present, or (b) the unanimous consent of the members of the Committee executed in writing in accordance with the Company’s certificate of incorporation and bylaws and Applicable Laws. Unless otherwise expressly determined by the Board, the Committee shall have the authority to interpret and construe all provisions of the Plan, any Award and any Award Agreement, and any such interpretation or construction, and any other determination contemplated to be made under the Plan or any Award Agreement, by the Committee shall be final, binding and conclusive whether or not expressly provided for in any provision of the Plan, such Award or such Award Agreement.
In the event that the Plan, any Award or any Award Agreement provides for any action to be taken by the Board or any determination to be made by the Board, such action may be taken or such determination may be made by the Committee constituted in accordance with this Section 3.1 if the Board has delegated the power and authority to do so to such Committee.
3.1.2 Composition of Committee.
The Committee shall be a committee composed of not fewer than two directors of the Company designated by the Board to administer the Plan. Each member of the Committee shall be a “Non-Employee Director” within the meaning of Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act, an “outside director” within the meaning of Code Section 162(m)(4)(C)(i) and, for so long as the Stock is listed on The NASDAQ Stock Exchange LLC, an “independent director” within the meaning of NASDAQ Listing Rule 5605(a)(2) (or, in each case, any successor term or provision); provided that any action taken by the Committee shall be valid and effective whether or not members of the Committee at the time of such action are later determined not to have satisfied the requirements for membership set forth in this Section 3.1.2 or otherwise provided in any charter of the Committee. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Committee may be the Compensation Committee of the Board or a subcommittee thereof if the Compensation Committee of the Board or such subcommittee satisfies the foregoing requirements.
3.1.3 Other Committees.
The Board also may appoint one or more committees of the Board, each composed of one or more directors of the Company who need not be Outside Directors, which may administer the Plan with respect to Grantees who are not “officers” as defined in Rule 16a-1(f) under the Exchange Act or directors of the Company, may grant Awards under the Plan to such Grantees, and may determine all terms of such Awards, subject to the requirements of Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act, Code Section 162(m) and, for so long as the Stock is listed on The NASDAQ Stock Exchange LLC, the rules of such Stock Exchange.
3.1.4 Delegation by Committee.
To the extent permitted by Applicable Laws, the Committee may by resolution delegate some or all of its authority with respect to the Plan and Awards to the Chief Executive Officer of the Company and/or any other officer of the Company designated by the Committee, provided that the Committee may not delegate its authority hereunder (a) to make Awards to directors of the Company, (b) to make Awards to Employees who are (i) “officers” as defined in Rule 16a-1(f) under the Exchange Act, (ii) Covered Employees or (iii) officers of the Company who are delegated authority by the Committee pursuant to this Section 3.1.4, or (c) to interpret the Plan or any Award. Any delegation hereunder shall be subject to the restrictions and limits that the Committee specifies at the time of such delegation or thereafter. Nothing in the Plan shall be construed as obligating the Committee to delegate authority to any officer of the Company, and the Committee may at any time rescind the authority delegated to an officer of the Company appointed hereunder and delegate authority to one or more other officers of the Company. At all times, an officer of the Company delegated authority pursuant to this Section 3.1.4 shall serve in such capacity at the pleasure of the Committee. Any action undertaken by any
such officer of the Company in accordance with the Committee’s delegation of authority shall have the same force and effect as if undertaken directly by the Committee, and any reference in the Plan to the “Committee” shall, to the extent consistent with the terms and limitations of such delegation, be deemed to include a reference to each such officer.
3.2 Board.
The Board from time to time may exercise any or all of the powers and authorities related to the administration and implementation of the Plan, as set forth in Section 3.1 and other applicable provisions of the Plan, as the Board shall determine, consistent with the Company’s certificate of incorporation and bylaws and Applicable Laws.
3.3 Terms of Awards.
3.3.1 Committee Authority.
Subject to the other terms and conditions of the Plan, the Committee shall have full and final authority to:
(a) designate Grantees;
(b) determine the type or types of Awards to be made to a Grantee;
(c) determine the number of shares of Stock to be subject to an Award;
(d) establish the terms and conditions of each Award (including the Option Price of any Option or the purchase price for Restricted Stock), the nature and duration of any restriction or condition (or provision for lapse thereof) relating to the vesting, exercise, transfer, or forfeiture of an Award or the shares of Stock subject thereto, the treatment of an Award in the event of a Change in Control (subject to applicable agreements), and any terms or conditions that may be necessary to qualify Options as Incentive Stock Options;
(e) prescribe the form of each Award Agreement evidencing an Award; and
(f) subject to the limitation on repricing in Section 3.4, amend, modify or supplement the terms of any outstanding Award, which authority shall include the authority, in order to effectuate the purposes of the Plan but without amending the Plan, to make Awards or to modify outstanding Awards made to eligible natural persons who are foreign nationals or are natural persons who are employed outside the United States to reflect differences in local law, tax policy, or custom, provided that, notwithstanding the foregoing, no amendment, modification or supplement of the terms of any outstanding Award shall, without the consent of the Grantee thereof, impair such Grantee’s rights under such Award.
The Committee shall have the right, in its discretion, to make Awards in substitution or exchange for any award granted under another compensatory plan of the Company, an Affiliate, or any business entity acquired or to be acquired by the Company or an Affiliate or with which the Company or an Affiliate has combined or will combine.
3.3.2 Forfeiture; Recoupment.
The Committee may reserve the right in an Award Agreement to cause a forfeiture of the gain realized by a Grantee with respect to an Award thereunder on account of actions taken by, or failed to be taken by, such Grantee in violation or breach of or in conflict with any (a) employment agreement, (b) non-competition agreement, (c) agreement
prohibiting solicitation of Employees or clients of the Company or an Affiliate, (d) confidentiality obligation with respect to the Company or an Affiliate, (e) Company policy or procedure, (f) other agreement, or (g) any other obligation of such Grantee to the Company or an Affiliate, as and to the extent specified in such Award Agreement. The Committee may annul an outstanding Award if the Grantee thereof is an Employee of the Company or an Affiliate and is terminated for Cause as defined in the Plan or the applicable Award Agreement or for “cause” as defined in any other agreement between the Company or such Affiliate and such Grantee, as applicable.
Any Award granted pursuant to the Plan shall be subject to mandatory repayment by the Grantee to the Company to the extent the Grantee is, or in the future becomes, subject to (a) any Company “clawback” or recoupment policy that is adopted to comply with the requirements of any Applicable Law, rule or regulation, or otherwise, or (b) any law, rule or regulation which imposes mandatory recoupment, under circumstances set forth in such law, rule or regulation.
3.4 No Repricing.
Except in connection with a corporate transaction involving the Company (including, without limitation, any stock dividend, distribution (whether in the form of cash, shares of Stock, other securities or other property), stock split, extraordinary cash dividend, recapitalization, change in control, reorganization, merger, consolidation, split-up, spin-off, combination, repurchase or exchange of shares of Stock or other securities or similar transaction), the Company may not, without obtaining stockholder approval: (a) amend the terms of outstanding Options or SARs to reduce the exercise price of such outstanding Options or SARs; (b) cancel outstanding Options or SARs in exchange for or substitution of Options or SARs with an exercise price that is less than the exercise price of the original Options or SARs; or (c) cancel outstanding Options or SARs with an exercise price above the current stock price in exchange for cash or other securities.
3.5 Deferral Arrangement.
The Committee may permit or require the deferral of any payment pursuant to any Award into a deferred compensation arrangement, subject to such rules and procedures as it may establish, which may include provisions for the payment or crediting of interest or Dividend Equivalent Rights and, in connection therewith, provisions for converting such credits into Stock Units and for restricting deferrals to comply with hardship distribution rules affecting tax-qualified retirement plans subject to Code Section 401(k)(2)(B)(IV), provided that no Dividend Equivalent Rights may be granted in connection with, or related to, an Award of Options or SARs. Any such deferrals shall be made in a manner that complies with Code Section 409A, including, if applicable, with respect to when a Separation from Service occurs as defined under Section 409A.
3.6 No Liability.
No member of the Board or the Committee shall be liable for any action or determination made in good faith with respect to the Plan or any Award or Award Agreement.
3.7 Registration; Share Certificates.
Notwithstanding any provision of the Plan to the contrary, the ownership of the shares of Stock issued under the Plan may be evidenced in such a manner as the Committee, in its sole discretion, deems appropriate, including by book-entry or direct registration (including transaction advices) or the issuance of one or more share certificates.
4. STOCK SUBJECT TO THE PLAN
4.1 Number of Shares of Stock Available for Awards.
Subject to such additional shares of Stock as shall be available for Awards under the Plan pursuant to Section 4.2, and subject to adjustment pursuant to Section 17.1, the maximum number of shares of Stock available for Awards under the Plan shall be equal to the sum of (x) 437,666 shares of Stock plus (y) the number of shares of Stock available for awards under the Prior Plans as of the Effective Date plus (z) the number of shares of Stock related to awards outstanding under the Prior Plans as of the Effective Date which thereafter terminate by expiration, forfeiture, cancellation, or otherwise without the issuance of such shares. Such shares of Stock may be authorized and unissued shares of Stock or treasury shares of Stock or any combination of the foregoing, as may be determined from time to time by the Board or by the Committee. Any of the shares of Stock available for Awards under the Plan may be used for any type of Award under the Plan, and any or all of the shares of Stock available for Awards under the Plan shall be available for Awards pursuant to Incentive Stock Options.
4.2 Adjustments in Authorized Shares of Stock.
In connection with mergers, reorganizations, separations, or other transactions to which Code Section 424(a) applies, the Committee shall have the right to cause the Company to assume awards previously granted under a compensatory plan by another business entity that is a party to such transaction and to substitute Awards under the Plan for such awards. The number of shares of Stock available for Awards under the Plan pursuant to Section 4.1 shall be increased by the number of shares of Stock subject to any such assumed awards and substitute Awards. Shares available for awards under a shareholder-approved plan of a business entity that is a party to such transaction (as appropriately adjusted, if necessary, to reflect such transaction) may be used for Awards under the Plan and shall not reduce the number of shares of Stock otherwise available for issuance under the Plan, subject to applicable rules of any Stock Exchange on which the Stock is listed.
4.3 Share Usage.
(a) Shares of Stock subject to an Award shall be counted as used as of the Grant Date.
(b) Any shares of Stock, including shares of Stock acquired through dividend reinvestment pursuant to Section 10.4, that are subject to an Award shall be counted against the share issuance limit set forth in Section 4.1 as one (1) share for every one (1) share of Stock subject to such Award. The number of shares of Stock subject to an Award of SARs shall be counted against the share issuance limit set forth in Section 4.1 as one (1) share of Stock for every one (1) share of Stock subject to such Award regardless of the number of shares of Stock actually issued to settle such SARs upon the exercise thereof. The target number of shares issuable under a Performance Share grant shall be counted against the share issuance limit set forth in Section 4.1 as of the Grant Date, but such number shall be adjusted to equal the actual number of shares issued upon settlement of the Performance Shares to the extent different from such target number of shares. An Award that, by its terms, cannot be settled in shares of Stock shall not count against the share limit set forth in Section 4.1.
(c) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Section 4.1, any shares of Stock related to Awards under the Plan or the Prior Plans which terminate by expiration, forfeiture, cancellation, or otherwise without the issuance of such shares shall be available again for issuance under the Plan.
(d) The number of shares of Stock available for issuance under the Plan shall not be increased by the number of shares of Stock (i) tendered or withheld or subject to an Award surrendered in connection with the purchase of shares of Stock upon exercise of an Option as provided in Section 12.2, (ii) deducted or delivered from payment of an Award in connection with the Company’s tax withholding obligations as provided in Section 18.3 or (iii) purchased by the Company with proceeds from Option exercises.
5. EFFECTIVE DATE; TERM; AMENDMENT AND TERMINATION
5.1 Effective Date.
The Plan shall be effective as of the Effective Date. Following the Effective Date, no awards shall be made under the Prior Plans. Notwithstanding the foregoing, shares of Stock reserved under the Prior Plans to settle awards, including performance-based awards, which are made under the Prior Plans prior to the Effective Date may be issued and delivered following the Effective Date to settle such awards.
5.2 Term.
The Plan shall terminate automatically ten (10) years after the Effective Date and may be terminated on any earlier date as provided in Section 5.3.
5.3 Amendment and Termination.
The Board may, at any time and from time to time, amend, suspend or terminate the Plan as to any shares of Stock as to which Awards have not been made. The effectiveness of any amendment to the Plan shall be contingent on approval of such amendment by the Company’s stockholders to the extent provided by the Board or required by Applicable Laws (including the rules of any Stock Exchange on which the Stock is then listed), provided that no amendment shall be made to the no-repricing provisions of Section 3.4 or the Option pricing provisions of Section 8.1 without the approval of the Company’s stockholders. No amendment, suspension or termination of the Plan shall impair rights or obligations under any Award theretofore made under the Plan without the consent of the Grantee thereof.
6. AWARD ELIGIBILITY AND LIMITATIONS
6.1 Eligible Grantees.
Subject to this Section 6, Awards may be made under the Plan to (i) any Service Provider, as the Committee shall determine and designate from time to time and (ii) any other individual whose participation in the Plan is determined to be in the best interests of the Company by the Committee.
6.2 Limitation on Shares of Stock Subject to Awards and Cash Awards.
During any time when the Company has a class of equity security registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act:
(a) the maximum number of shares of Stock subject to Options or SARs that may be granted under the Plan in a calendar year to any person eligible for an Award under Section 6 is four hundred thousand (400,000) shares;
(b) the maximum number of shares of Stock that may be granted under the Plan, other than pursuant to Options or SARs, in a calendar year to any person eligible for an Award under Section 6 is four hundred thousand (400,000) shares; and
(c) the maximum amount that may be paid as a cash-settled Performance-Based Award for a Performance Period of twelve (12) months or less to any person eligible for an Award shall be four hundred thousand dollars ($400,000) and the maximum amount that may be paid as a cash-settled Performance-Based Award for a Performance Period of greater than twelve (12) months to any person eligible for an Award shall also be four hundred thousand dollars ($400,000).
The preceding limitations in this Section 6.2 are subject to adjustment as provided in Section 17.
6.3 Stand-Alone, Additional, Tandem and Substitute Awards.
Subject to Section 3.4, 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, (a) any other Award, (b) any award granted under another plan of the Company, an Affiliate, or any business entity that has been a party to a transaction with the Company or an Affiliate, or (c) any other right of a Grantee to receive payment from the Company or an Affiliate. Such additional, tandem and substitute or exchange Awards may be granted at any time. If an Award is granted in substitution or exchange for another Award, or for an award granted under another plan of the Company, an Affiliate, or any business entity that has been a party to a transaction with the Company or an Affiliate, the Committee shall require the surrender of such other Award or award under such other plan in consideration for the grant of such substitute or exchange Award. In addition, Awards may be granted in lieu of cash compensation, including in lieu of cash payments under other plans of the Company or an Affiliate. Notwithstanding Section 8.1 and Section 9.1, but subject to Section 3.4, the Option Price of an Option or the SAR Price of a SAR that is a Substitute Award may be less than one hundred percent (100%) of the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock on the original Grant Date; provided that such Option Price or SAR Price is determined in accordance with the principles of Code Section 424 for any Incentive Stock Option and consistent with Code Section 409A for any other Option or SAR.
7. AWARD AGREEMENT
Each Award granted pursuant to the Plan shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement, which shall be in such form or forms as the Committee shall from time to time determine. Award Agreements employed under the Plan from time to time or at the same time need not contain similar provisions, but shall be consistent with the terms of the Plan. Each Award Agreement evidencing an Award of Options shall specify whether such Options are intended to be Non-qualified Stock Options or Incentive Stock Options, and, in the absence of such specification, such Options shall be deemed to constitute Non-qualified Stock Options.
8. TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF OPTIONS
8.1 Option Price.
The Option Price of each Option shall be fixed by the Committee and stated in the Award Agreement evidencing such Option. Except in the case of Substitute Awards, the Option Price of each Option shall be at least the Fair Market Value of one (1) share of Stock on the Grant Date; provided that in the event that a Grantee is a Ten Percent Stockholder, the Option Price of an Option granted to such Grantee that is intended to be an Incentive Stock Option shall be not less than one hundred ten percent (110%) of the Fair Market Value of one (1) share of Stock on the Grant Date. In no case shall the Option Price of any Option be less than the par value of a share of Stock.
8.2 Vesting.
Subject to Sections 8.3 and 17.3, each Option granted under the Plan shall become exercisable at such times and under such conditions as shall be determined by the Committee and stated in the Award Agreement, in another agreement with the Grantee or otherwise in writing, provided that no Option shall be granted to persons who are entitled to overtime under applicable state or federal laws, that will vest or be exercisable within a six-month period starting on the Grant Date.
8.3 Term.
Each Option granted under the Plan shall terminate, and all rights to purchase shares of Stock thereunder shall cease, upon the expiration of ten (10) years from the Grant Date of such Option, or under such circumstances and on such date prior thereto as is set forth in the Plan or as may be fixed by the Committee and stated in the Award Agreement relating to such Option; provided that in the event that the Grantee is a Ten Percent Stockholder, an Option granted to such Grantee that is intended to be an Incentive Stock Option shall not be exercisable after the expiration of five (5) years from its Grant Date; and provided, further, that, to the extent deemed necessary or appropriate by the Committee to reflect differences in local law, tax policy, or custom with respect to any Option granted to a Grantee who is a foreign national or is a natural person who is employed outside the United States, such Option may terminate, and all rights to purchase shares of Stock thereunder may cease, upon the expiration of such period longer than ten (10) years from the Grant Date of such Option as the Committee shall determine.
8.4 Termination of Service.
Each Award Agreement with respect to the grant of an Option shall set forth the extent to which the Grantee thereof, if at all, shall have the right to exercise such Option following termination of such Grantee’s Service. Such provisions shall be determined in the sole discretion of the Committee, need not be uniform among all Options issued pursuant to the Plan, and may reflect distinctions based on the reasons for termination of Service.
8.5 Limitations on Exercise of Option.
Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, in no event may any Option be exercised, in whole or in part, after the occurrence of an event referred to in Section 17 which results in the termination of such Option.
8.6 Method of Exercise.
Subject to the terms of Section 12 and Section 18.3, an Option that is exercisable may be exercised by the Grantee’s delivery to the Company or its designee or agent of notice of exercise on any business day, at the Company’s principal office or the office of such designee or agent, on the form specified by the Company and in accordance with any additional procedures specified by the Committee. Such notice shall specify the number of shares of Stock with respect to which such Option is being exercised and shall be accompanied by payment in full of the Option Price of the shares of Stock for which such Option is being exercised plus the amount (if any) of federal and/or other taxes which the Company may, in its judgment, be required to withhold with respect to the exercise of such Option.
8.7 Rights of Holders of Options.
Unless otherwise stated in the applicable Award Agreement, a Grantee or other person holding or exercising an Option shall have none of the rights of a stockholder of the Company (for example, the right to receive cash or dividend payments or distributions attributable to the shares of Stock subject to such Option, to direct the voting of the shares of Stock subject to such Option, or to receive notice of any meeting of the Company’s stockholders) until the shares of Stock subject thereto are fully paid and issued to such Grantee or other person. Except as provided in Section 17, no
adjustment shall be made for dividends, distributions or other rights with respect to any shares of Stock subject to an Option for which the record date is prior to the date of issuance of such shares of Stock.
8.8 Delivery of Stock.
Promptly after the exercise of an Option by a Grantee and the payment in full of the Option Price with respect thereto, such Grantee shall be entitled to receive such evidence of such Grantee’s ownership of the shares of Stock subject to such Option as shall be consistent with Section 3.7.
8.9 Transferability of Options.
Except as provided in Section 8.10, during the lifetime of a Grantee of an Option, only such Grantee (or, in the event of such Grantee’s legal incapacity or incompetency, such Grantee’s guardian or legal representative) may exercise such Option. Except as provided in Section 8.10, no Option shall be assignable or transferable by the Grantee to whom it is granted, other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution.
8.10 Family Transfers.
If authorized in the applicable Award Agreement and by the Committee, in its sole discretion, a Grantee may transfer, not for value, all or part of an Option which is not an Incentive Stock Option to any Family Member. For the purpose of this Section 8.10, a transfer “not for value” is a transfer which is (a) a gift, (b) a transfer under a domestic relations order in settlement of marital property rights or (c) unless Applicable Laws do not permit such transfer, a transfer to an entity in which more than fifty percent (50%) of the voting interests are owned by Family Members (and/or the Grantee) in exchange for an interest in such entity. Following a transfer under this Section 8.10, any such Option shall continue to be subject to the same terms and conditions as were applicable immediately prior to such transfer, and the shares of Stock acquired pursuant to such Option shall be subject to the same restrictions with respect to transfers of such shares of Stock as would have applied to the Grantee thereof. Subsequent transfers of transferred Options shall be prohibited except to Family Members of the original Grantee in accordance with this Section 8.10 or by will or the laws of descent and distribution. The provisions of Section 8.4 relating to termination of Service shall continue to be applied with respect to the original Grantee of the Option, following which such Option shall be exercisable by the transferee only to the extent, and for the periods specified, in Section 8.4.
8.11 Limitations on Incentive Stock Options.
An Option shall constitute an Incentive Stock Option only (a) if the Grantee of such Option is an Employee of the Company or any corporate Subsidiary, (b) to the extent specifically provided in the related Award Agreement and (c) to the extent that the aggregate Fair Market Value (determined at the time such Option is granted) of the shares of Stock with respect to which all Incentive Stock Options held by such Grantee become exercisable for the first time during any calendar year (under the Plan and all other plans of the Company and its Affiliates) does not exceed one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000). Except to the extent provided in the regulations under Code Section 422, this limitation shall be applied by taking Options into account in the order in which they were granted.
8.12 Notice of Disqualifying Disposition.
If any Grantee shall make any disposition of shares of Stock issued pursuant to the exercise of an Incentive Stock Option under the circumstances provided in Code Section 421(b) (relating to certain disqualifying dispositions), such Grantee shall notify the Company of such disposition within ten (10) days thereof.
9. TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF STOCK APPRECIATION RIGHTS
9.1 Right to Payment and Grant Price.
A SAR shall confer on the Grantee to whom it is granted a right to receive, upon exercise thereof, the excess of (x) the Fair Market Value of one (1) share of Stock on the date of exercise over (y) the per share exercise price of such SAR (the “SAR Price”) as determined by the Committee. The Award Agreement for a SAR shall specify the SAR Price, which shall be no less than the Fair Market Value of one (1) share of Stock on the Grant Date of such SAR. SARs may be granted in tandem with all or part of an Option granted under the Plan or at any subsequent time during the term of such Option, in combination with all or any part of any other Award or without regard to any Option or other Award; provided that a SAR that is granted subsequent to the Grant Date of a related Option must have a SAR Price that is no less than the Fair Market Value of one (1) share of Stock on the Grant Date of such SAR.
9.2 Other Terms.
The Committee shall determine, on the Grant Date or thereafter, the time or times at which and the circumstances under which a SAR may be exercised in whole or in part (including based on achievement of performance goals and/or future Service requirements), the time or times at which SARs shall cease to be or become exercisable following termination of Service or upon other conditions, the method of exercise, method of settlement, form of consideration payable in settlement, method by or forms in which shares of Stock shall be delivered or deemed to be delivered to Grantees, whether or not a SAR shall be granted in tandem or in combination with any other Award, and any and all other terms and conditions of any SAR.
9.3 Term.
Each SAR granted under the Plan shall terminate, and all rights thereunder shall cease, upon the expiration of ten (10) years from the Grant Date of such SAR or under such circumstances and on such date prior thereto as is set forth in the Plan or as may be fixed by the Committee and stated in the Award Agreement relating to such SAR.
9.4 Transferability of SARS.
Except as provided in Section 9.5, during the lifetime of a Grantee of a SAR, only the Grantee (or, in the event of such Grantee’s legal incapacity or incompetency, such Grantee’s guardian or legal representative) may exercise such SAR. Except as provided in Section 9.5, no SAR shall be assignable or transferable by the Grantee to whom it is granted, other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution.
9.5 Family Transfers.
If authorized in the applicable Award Agreement and by the Committee, in its sole discretion, a Grantee may transfer, not for value, all or part of a SAR to any Family Member. For the purpose of this Section 9.5, a transfer “not for value” is a transfer which is (a) a gift, (b) a transfer under a domestic relations order in settlement of marital property rights or (c) unless Applicable Laws do not permit such transfer, a transfer to an entity in which more than fifty percent (50%) of the voting interests are owned by Family Members (and/or the Grantee) in exchange for an interest in such entity. Following a transfer under this Section 9.5, any such SAR shall continue to be subject to the same terms and conditions as were in effect immediately prior to such transfer, and shares of Stock acquired pursuant to a SAR shall be subject to the same restrictions on transfers of such shares of Stock as would have applied to the Grantee or such SAR. Subsequent transfers of transferred SARs shall be prohibited except to Family Members of the original Grantee in accordance with this Section 9.5 or by will or the laws of descent and distribution.
10. TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF RESTRICTED STOCK AND STOCK UNITS
10.1 Grant of Restricted Stock or Stock Units.
Awards of Restricted Stock and Stock Units may be made for consideration or for no consideration, other than the par value of the shares of Stock, which shall be deemed paid by past Service or, if so provided in the related Award Agreement or a separate agreement, the promise by the Grantee to perform future Service to the Company or an Affiliate.
10.2 Restrictions.
At the time a grant of Restricted Stock or Stock Units is made, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, (a) establish a period of time during which such Restricted Stock or Stock Units are unvested (a “Restricted Period”) and (b) prescribe restrictions in addition to or other than the expiration of the Restricted Period, including the achievement of corporate or individual performance goals, which may be applicable to all or any portion of such Restricted Stock or Stock Units as provided in Section 14. Awards of Restricted Stock and Stock Units may not be sold, transferred, assigned, pledged or otherwise encumbered or disposed of during the Restricted Period or prior to the satisfaction of any other restrictions prescribed by the Committee with respect to such Awards.
10.3 Registration; Restricted Share Certificates.
Pursuant to Section 3.7, to the extent that ownership of Restricted Stock is evidenced by a book-entry registration or direct registration (including transaction advices), such registration shall be notated to evidence the restrictions imposed on such Award of Restricted Stock under the Plan and the applicable Award Agreement. Subject to Section 3.7 and the immediately following sentence, the Company may issue, in the name of each Grantee to whom Restricted Stock has been granted, share certificates representing the total number of shares of Restricted Stock granted to the Grantee, as soon as reasonably practicable after the Grant Date of such Restricted Stock. The Committee may provide in an Award Agreement with respect to an Award of Restricted Stock that either (a) the Secretary of the Company shall hold such share certificates for such Grantee’s benefit until such time as such shares of Restricted Stock are forfeited to the Company or the restrictions applicable thereto lapse and such Grantee shall deliver a stock power to the Company with respect to each share certificate, or (b) such share certificates shall be delivered to such Grantee, provided that such share certificates shall bear legends that comply with applicable securities laws and regulations and make appropriate reference to the restrictions imposed on such Award of Restricted Stock under the Plan and such Award Agreement.
10.4 Rights of Holders of Restricted Stock.
Unless the Committee otherwise provides in an Award Agreement, holders of Restricted Stock shall have the right to vote such shares of Restricted Stock and the right to receive any dividends declared or paid with respect to such shares of Restricted Stock. The Committee may provide that any dividends paid on Restricted Stock must be reinvested in shares of Stock, which may or may not be subject to the same vesting conditions and restrictions as the vesting conditions and restrictions applicable to such Restricted Stock. Dividends paid on Restricted Stock which vests or is earned based upon the achievement of performance goals shall not vest unless such performance goals for such Restricted Stock are achieved, and if such performance goals are not achieved, the Grantee of such Restricted Stock shall promptly forfeit and repay to the Company such dividend payments. All stock distributions, if any, received by a Grantee with respect to Restricted Stock as a result of any stock split, stock dividend, combination of stock, or other similar transaction shall be subject to the vesting conditions and restrictions applicable to such Restricted Stock.
10.5 Rights of Holders of Stock Units.
10.5.1 Voting and Dividend Rights.
Holders of Stock Units shall have no rights as stockholders of the Company (for example, the right to receive cash or dividend payments or distributions attributable to the shares of Stock subject to such Stock Units, to direct the voting of the shares of Stock subject to such Stock Units, or to receive notice of any meeting of the Company’s stockholders). The Committee may provide in an Award Agreement evidencing a grant of Stock Units that the holder of such Stock Units shall be entitled to receive, upon the Company’s payment of a cash dividend on its outstanding shares of Stock, a cash payment for each such Stock Unit which is equal to the per-share dividend paid on such shares of Stock. Dividends paid on Stock Units which vest or are earned based upon the achievement of performance goals shall not vest unless such performance goals for such Stock Units are achieved. Such Award Agreement also may provide that such cash payment shall be deemed reinvested in additional Stock Units at a price per unit equal to the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock on the date on which such cash dividend is paid. Such cash payments paid in connection with Stock Units which vest or are earned based upon the achievement of performance goals shall not vest unless such performance goals for such Stock Units are achieved, and if such performance goals are not achieved, the Grantee of such Stock Units shall promptly forfeit and repay to the Company such cash payments.
10.5.2 Creditor’s Rights.
A holder of Stock Units shall have no rights other than those of a general unsecured creditor of the Company. Stock Units represent unfunded and unsecured obligations of the Company, subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable Award Agreement.
10.6 Termination of Service.
Unless the Committee otherwise provides in an Award Agreement, in another agreement with the Grantee or otherwise in writing after such Award Agreement is entered into, but prior to termination of Grantee’s Service, upon the termination of such Grantee’s Service, any Restricted Stock or Stock Units held by such Grantee that have not vested, or with respect to which all applicable restrictions and conditions have not lapsed, shall immediately be deemed forfeited. Upon forfeiture of such Restricted Stock or Stock Units, the Grantee thereof shall have no further rights with respect thereto, including any right to vote such Restricted Stock or any right to receive dividends with respect to such Restricted Stock or Stock Units.
10.7 Purchase of Restricted Stock and Shares of Stock Subject to Stock Units.
The Grantee of an Award of Restricted Stock or vested Stock Units shall be required, to the extent required by Applicable Laws, to purchase such Restricted Stock or the shares of Stock subject to such vested Stock Units from the Company at a purchase price equal to the greater of (x) the aggregate par value of the shares of Stock represented by such Restricted Stock or such vested Stock Units or (y) the purchase price, if any, specified in the Award Agreement relating to such Restricted Stock or such vested Stock Units. Such purchase price shall be payable in a form provided in Section 12 or, in the sole discretion of the Committee, in consideration for Service rendered or to be rendered to the Company or an Affiliate.
10.8 Delivery of Shares of Stock.
Upon the expiration or termination of any Restricted Period and the satisfaction of any other conditions prescribed by the Committee, including, but not limited to, any delayed delivery period, the restrictions applicable to Restricted Stock or Stock Units settled in shares of Stock shall lapse, and, unless otherwise provided in the applicable Award Agreement, a book-entry or direct registration (including transaction advices) or a share certificate evidencing
ownership of such shares of Stock shall, consistent with Section 3.7, be issued, free of all such restrictions, to the Grantee thereof or such Grantee’s beneficiary or estate, as the case may be. Neither the Grantee, nor the Grantee’s beneficiary or estate, shall have any further rights with regard to a Stock Unit once the shares of Stock represented by such Stock Unit have been delivered in accordance with this Section 10.8.
11. TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF UNRESTRICTED STOCK AWARDS AND OTHER EQUITY-BASED AWARDS
11.1 Unrestricted Stock Awards.
The Committee may, in its sole discretion, grant (or sell at the par value of a share of Stock or at such other higher purchase price as shall be determined by the Committee) an Award to any Grantee pursuant to which such Grantee may receive shares of Stock free of any restrictions (“Unrestricted Stock”) under the Plan. Unrestricted Stock Awards may be granted or sold to any Grantee as provided in the immediately preceding sentence in respect of past Service or, if so provided in the related Award Agreement or a separate agreement, the promise by the Grantee to perform future Service, to the Company or an Affiliate or other valid consideration, or in lieu of, or in addition to, any cash compensation due to such Grantee.
11.2 Other Equity-Based Awards.
The Committee may, in its sole discretion, grant Awards in the form of Other Equity-Based Awards, as deemed by the Committee to be consistent with the purposes of the Plan. Awards granted pursuant to this Section 11.2 may be granted with vesting, value and/or payment contingent upon the achievement of one or more performance goals. The Committee shall determine the terms and conditions of Other Equity-Based Awards at the Grant Date or thereafter. Any dividends paid on Other Equity-Based Awards which vest or are earned based upon the achievement of performance goals shall not vest unless such performance goals for such Other Equity-Based Awards are achieved. Unless the Committee otherwise provides in an Award Agreement, in another agreement with the Grantee, or otherwise in writing after such Award Agreement is issued, upon the termination of a Grantee’s Service, any Other Equity-Based Awards held by such Grantee that have not vested, or with respect to which all applicable restrictions and conditions have not lapsed, shall immediately be deemed forfeited. Upon forfeiture of any Other Equity-Based Award, the Grantee thereof shall have no further rights with respect to such Other Equity-Based Award.
12. FORM OF PAYMENT FOR OPTIONS AND RESTRICTED STOCK
12.1 General Rule.
Payment of the Option Price for the shares of Stock purchased pursuant to the exercise of an Option or the purchase price, if any, for Restricted Stock shall be made in cash or in cash equivalents acceptable to the Company.
12.2 Surrender of Shares of Stock.
To the extent that the applicable Award Agreement so provides, payment of the Option Price for shares of Stock purchased pursuant to the exercise of an Option or the purchase price, if any, for Restricted Stock may be made all or in part through the tender or attestation to the Company of shares of Stock, which shall be valued, for purposes of determining the extent to which such Option Price or purchase price has been paid thereby, at their Fair Market Value on the date of such tender or attestation.
12.3 Cashless Exercise.
To the extent permitted by Applicable Laws and to the extent the Award Agreement so provides, payment of the Option Price for shares of Stock purchased pursuant to the exercise of an Option may be made all or in part by delivery (on a form acceptable to the Committee) of an irrevocable direction to a licensed securities broker acceptable to the Company to sell shares of Stock and to deliver all or part of the proceeds of such sale to the Company in payment of such Option Price and any withholding taxes described in Section 18.3, or, with the consent of the Company, by issuing the number of shares of Stock equal in value to the difference between such Option Price and the Fair Market Value of the shares of Stock subject to the portion of such Option being exercised.
12.4 Other Forms of Payment.
To the extent the Award Agreement so provides and/or unless otherwise specified in an Award Agreement, payment of the Option Price for shares of Stock purchased pursuant to exercise of an Option or the purchase price, if any, for Restricted Stock may be made in any other form that is consistent with Applicable Laws, including (a) Service by the Grantee thereof to the Company or an Affiliate and (b) by withholding shares of Stock that would otherwise vest or be issuable in an amount equal to the Option Price or purchase price and the required tax withholding amount.
13. TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF DIVIDEND EQUIVALENT RIGHTS
13.1 Dividend Equivalent Rights.
A Dividend Equivalent Right is an Award entitling the recipient thereof to receive credits based on cash distributions that would have been paid on the shares of Stock specified in such Dividend Equivalent Right (or other Award to which such Dividend Equivalent Right relates) if such shares of Stock had been issued to and held by the recipient of such Dividend Equivalent Right as of the record date. A Dividend Equivalent Right may be granted hereunder to any Grantee, provided that no Dividend Equivalent Rights may be granted in connection with, or related to, an Award of Options or SARs. The terms and conditions of Dividend Equivalent Rights shall be specified in the Award Agreement therefor. Dividend equivalents credited to the holder of a Dividend Equivalent Right may be paid currently (with or without being subject to forfeiture or a repayment obligation) or may be deemed to be reinvested in additional shares of Stock, which may thereafter accrue additional Dividend Equivalent Rights (with or without being subject to forfeiture or a repayment obligation). Any such reinvestment shall be at the Fair Market Value thereof on the date of such reinvestment. Dividend Equivalent Rights may be settled in cash or shares of Stock or a combination thereof, in a single installment or in multiple installments, all as determined in the sole discretion of the Committee. A Dividend Equivalent Right granted as a component of another Award may provide that such Dividend Equivalent Right shall be settled upon exercise, settlement, or payment of, or lapse of restrictions on, such other Award, and that such Dividend Equivalent Right shall expire or be forfeited or annulled under the same conditions as such other Award. A Dividend Equivalent Right granted as a component of another Award also may contain terms and conditions which are different from the terms and conditions of such other Award, provided that Dividend Equivalent Rights credited pursuant to a Dividend Equivalent Right granted as a component of another Award which vests or is earned based upon the achievement of performance goals shall not vest unless such performance goals for such underlying Award are achieved, and if such performance goals are not achieved, the Grantee of such Dividend Equivalent Rights shall promptly forfeit and repay to the Company payments made in connection with such Dividend Equivalent Rights.
13.2 Termination of Service.
Unless the Committee otherwise provides in an Award Agreement, in another agreement with the Grantee, or otherwise in writing after such Award Agreement is issued, a Grantee’s rights in all Dividend Equivalent Rights shall automatically terminate upon such Grantee’s termination of Service for any reason.
14. TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF PERFORMANCE-BASED AWARDS
14.1 Grant of Performance-Based Awards.
Subject to the terms and provisions of the Plan, the Committee, at any time and from time to time, may grant Performance-Based Awards to a Plan participant in such amounts and upon such terms as the Committee shall determine.
14.2 Value of Performance-Based Awards.
Each grant of a Performance-Based Award shall have an actual or target number of shares of Stock or initial value that is established by the Committee at the time of grant. The Committee shall set performance goals in its discretion which, depending on the extent to which they are achieved, shall determine the value and/or number of shares of Stock subject to a Performance-Based Award that will be paid out to the Grantee thereof.
14.3 Earning of Performance-Based Awards.
Subject to the terms of the Plan, in particular Section 14.6.3, after the applicable Performance Period has ended, the Grantee of Performance-Based Awards shall be entitled to receive a payout on the number of the Performance-Based Awards or value earned by such Grantee over such Performance Period.
14.4 Form and Timing of Payment of Performance-Based Awards.
Payment of earned Performance-Based Awards shall be made in the manner described in the applicable Award Agreement as determined by the Committee. Subject to the terms of the Plan, the Committee, in its sole discretion, may pay earned Performance-Based Awards in the form of cash or shares of Stock (or a combination thereof) equal to the value of such earned Performance-Based Awards and shall pay the Awards that have been earned at the close of the applicable Performance Period, or as soon as reasonably practicable after the Committee has determined that the performance goal or goals relating thereto have been achieved; provided that, unless specifically provided in the Award Agreement for such Awards, such payment shall occur no later than the 15th day of the third month following the end of the calendar year in which such Performance Period ends. Any shares of Stock paid out under such Performance-Based Awards may be granted subject to any restrictions deemed appropriate by the Committee. The determination of the Committee with respect to the form of payout of such Performance-Based Awards shall be set forth in the Award Agreement therefor.
14.5 Performance Conditions.
The right of a Grantee to exercise or receive a grant or settlement of any Performance-Based Award, and the timing thereof, may be subject to such performance conditions as may be specified by the Committee. The Committee may use such business criteria and other measures of performance as it may deem appropriate in establishing any performance conditions. If and to the extent required under Code Section 162(m), any power or authority relating to an Award intended to qualify under Code Section 162(m) shall be exercised by the Committee and not by the Board.
14.6 Performance-Based Awards Granted to Designated Covered Employees.
If and to the extent that the Committee determines that a Performance-Based Award to be granted to a Grantee should constitute “qualified performance-based compensation” for purposes of Code Section 162(m), the grant, exercise and/or settlement of such Award shall be contingent upon achievement of pre-established performance goals and other terms set forth in this Section 14.6.
14.6.1 Performance Goals Generally.
The performance goals for Performance-Based Awards shall consist of one or more business criteria and a targeted level or levels of performance with respect to each of such criteria, as specified by the Committee consistent with this Section 14.6. Performance goals shall be objective and shall otherwise meet the requirements of Code Section 162(m), including the requirement that the level or levels of performance targeted by the Committee result in the achievement of performance goals being “substantially uncertain.” The Committee may determine that such Awards shall be granted, exercised and/or settled upon achievement of any single performance goal or of two (2) or more performance goals. Performance goals may differ for Awards granted to any one Grantee or to different Grantees.
14.6.2 Timing For Establishing Performance Goals.
Performance goals for any Performance-Based Award shall be established not later than the earlier of (a) 90 days after the beginning of any Performance Period applicable to such Award, and (b) the date on which twenty-five percent (25%) of any Performance Period applicable to such Award has expired, or at such other date as may be required or permitted for compensation payable to a Covered Employee to constitute Performance-Based Compensation.
14.6.3 Payment of Awards; Other Terms.
Payment of Performance-Based Awards shall be in cash, shares of Stock, or other Awards, including an Award that is subject to additional Service-based vesting, as determined in the sole discretion of the Committee. The Committee may, in its sole discretion, reduce the amount of a payment otherwise to be made in connection with such Awards. The Committee shall specify the circumstances in which such Performance-Based Awards shall be paid or forfeited in the event of termination of Service by the Grantee prior to the end of a Performance Period or settlement of such Awards. In the event payment of the Performance-Based Award is made in the form of another Award subject to Service-based vesting, the Committee shall specify the circumstances in which the payment Award will be paid or forfeited in the event of a termination of Service.
14.6.4 Performance Measures.
The performance goals upon which the payment or vesting of a Performance-Based Award to a Covered Employee that is intended to qualify as Performance-Based Compensation may be conditioned shall be limited to the following Performance Measures, with or without adjustment:
(a) net earnings or net income;
(b) operating earnings;
(c) pretax earnings;
(d) earnings per share;
(e) share price, including growth measures and total stockholder return;
(f) earnings before interest and taxes;
(g) earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and/or amortization;
(h) earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and/or amortization as adjusted to exclude any one or more of the following:
stock-based compensation expense;
income from discontinued operations;
gain on cancellation of debt;
debt extinguishment and related costs;
restructuring, separation and/or integration charges and costs;
reorganization and/or recapitalization charges and costs;
impairment charges;
gain or loss related to investments;
sales and use tax settlement; and
gain on non-monetary transactions.
(i) sales or revenue growth, whether in general, by type of product or service, or by type of customer;
(j) gross or operating margins;
(k) return measures, including return on assets, capital, investment, equity, sales or revenue;
(l) cash flow, including:
operating cash flow;
free cash flow, defined as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and/or amortization (as adjusted to exclude any one or more of the items that may be excluded pursuant to the Performance Measure specified in clause (h) above) less capital expenditures;
levered free cash flow, defined as free cash flow less interest expense;
cash flow return on equity; and
cash flow return on investment;
(m) productivity ratios;
(n) expense targets;
(o) market share;
(p) financial ratios as provided in credit agreements of the Company and its subsidiaries;
(q) working capital targets;
(r) completion of acquisitions of businesses or companies;
(s) completion of divestitures and asset sales;
(t) customer satisfaction;
(u) overhead costs;
(v) burn rates;
(w) resource and reserve identification and targeting;
(x) attainment of measurable objectives with respect to compliant resource statements or technical reports;
(y) safety and environmental performance;
(z) completion of capital markets transactions as approved by the Board; or
(aa) any combination of the foregoing business criteria.
Performance under any of the foregoing Performance Measures (a) may be used to measure the performance of (i) the Company and its Subsidiaries and other Affiliates as a whole, (ii) the Company, any Subsidiary, and/or any other Affiliate or any combination thereof, or (iii) any one or more business units of the Company, any Subsidiary, and/or any other Affiliate, as the Committee, in its sole discretion, deems appropriate and (b) may be compared to the performance of one or more other companies or one or more published or special indices designated or approved by the Committee for such comparison, as the Committee, in its sole discretion, deems appropriate. In addition, the Committee, in its sole discretion, may select performance under the Performance Measure specified in clause (e) above for comparison to performance under one or more stock market indices designated or approved by the Committee. The Committee also shall have the authority to provide for accelerated vesting of any Performance-Based Award based on the achievement of performance goals pursuant to the Performance Measures specified in this Section 14.
14.6.5 Evaluation of Performance.
The Committee may provide in any Performance-Based Award that any evaluation of performance may include or exclude any of the following events that occur during a Performance Period: (a) asset write-downs; (b) litigation or claims, judgments or settlements; (c) the effect of changes in tax laws, accounting principles or other laws or provisions affecting reported results; (d) any reorganization or restructuring events or programs; (e) extraordinary, non-core, non-operating or non-recurring items; (f) acquisitions or divestitures; and (g) foreign exchange gains and losses. To the extent such inclusions or exclusions affect Awards to Covered Employees that are intended to qualify as Performance-Based Compensation, such inclusions or exclusions shall be prescribed in a form that meets the requirements of Code Section 162(m) for deductibility.
14.6.6 Adjustment of Performance-Based Compensation.
The Committee shall have the sole discretion to adjust Awards that are intended to qualify as Performance-Based Compensation, either on a formula or discretionary basis, or on any combination thereof, as the Committee determines consistent with the requirements of Code Section 162(m) for deductibility.
14.6.7 Committee Discretion.
In the event that Applicable Laws change to permit Committee discretion to alter the governing Performance Measures without obtaining stockholder approval of such changes, the Committee shall have sole discretion to make such changes without obtaining stockholder approval, provided that the exercise of such discretion shall not be inconsistent with the requirements of Code Section 162(m). In addition, in the event that the Committee determines that it is advisable to grant Awards that shall not qualify as Performance-Based Compensation, the Committee may make such grants without satisfying the requirements of Code Section 162(m) and base vesting on Performance Measures other than those set forth in Section 14.6.4.
14.7 Status of Awards Under Code Section 162(m).
It is the intent of the Company that Performance-Based Awards under Section 14.6 granted to persons who are designated by the Committee as likely to be Covered Employees within the meaning of Code Section 162(m) and the regulations promulgated thereunder shall, if so designated by the Committee, constitute “qualified performance-based compensation” within the meaning of Code Section 162(m). Accordingly, the terms of Section 14.6, including the definitions of Covered Employee and other terms used therein, shall be interpreted in a manner consistent with Code Section 162(m). If any provision of the Plan or any agreement relating to any such Performance-Based Award does not comply or is inconsistent with the requirements of Code Section 162(m), such provision shall be construed or deemed amended to the extent necessary to conform to such requirements.
15. PARACHUTE LIMITATIONS
If any Grantee is a “disqualified individual,” as defined in Code Section 280G(c), then, notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan or of any other agreement, contract, or understanding heretofore or hereafter entered into by such Grantee with the Company or an Affiliate, except an agreement, contract, or understanding that expressly addresses Code Section 280G or Code Section 4999 (an “Other Agreement”), and notwithstanding any formal or informal plan or other arrangement for the direct or indirect provision of compensation to the Grantee (including groups or classes of Grantees or beneficiaries of which the Grantee is a member), whether or not such compensation is deferred, is in cash, or is in the form of a benefit to or for the Grantee (a “Benefit Arrangement”), any right of the Grantee to any exercise, vesting, payment, or benefit under the Plan shall be reduced or eliminated:
(a) to the extent that such right to exercise, vesting, payment, or benefit, taking into account all other rights, payments, or benefits to or for the Grantee under the Plan, all Other Agreements, and all Benefit Arrangements, would cause any exercise, vesting, payment, or benefit to the Grantee under the Plan to be considered a “parachute payment” within the meaning of Code Section 280G(b)(2) as then in effect (a “Parachute Payment”); and
(b) if, as a result of receiving such Parachute Payment, the aggregate after-tax amounts received by the Grantee from the Company under the Plan, all Other Agreements, and all Benefit Arrangements would be less than the maximum after-tax amount that could be received by the Grantee without causing any such payment or benefit to be considered a Parachute Payment.
The Company shall accomplish such reduction by first reducing or eliminating any cash payments (with the payments to be made furthest in the future being reduced first), then by reducing or eliminating any accelerated vesting of Performance-Based Awards, then by reducing or eliminating any accelerated vesting of Options or SARs, then by reducing or eliminating any accelerated vesting of Restricted Stock or Stock Units, then by reducing or eliminating any other remaining Parachute Payments.
16. REQUIREMENTS OF LAW
16.1 General.
The Company shall not be required to offer, sell or issue any shares of Stock under any Award, whether pursuant to the exercise of an Option or SAR or otherwise, if the offer, sale or issuance of such shares of Stock would constitute a violation by the Grantee, the Company or an Affiliate, or any other person, of any provision of Applicable Laws, including any federal or state securities laws or regulations. If at any time the Company shall determine, in its discretion, that the listing, registration or qualification of any shares of Stock subject to an Award upon any securities exchange or under any governmental regulatory body is necessary or desirable as a condition of, or in connection with, the offering, issuance, sale or purchase of shares of Stock in connection with any Award, no shares of Stock may be
offered, issued or sold to the Grantee or any other person under such Award, whether pursuant to the exercise of an Option or SAR or otherwise, unless such listing, registration or qualification shall have been effected or obtained free of any conditions not acceptable to the Company, and any delay caused thereby shall in no way affect the date of termination of such Award. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, upon the exercise of any Option or any SAR that may be settled in shares of Stock or the delivery of any shares of Stock underlying an Award, unless a registration statement under the Securities Act is in effect with respect to the shares of Stock subject to such Award, the Company shall not be required to offer, sell or issue such shares of Stock unless the Committee shall have received evidence satisfactory to it that the Grantee or any other person exercising such Option or SAR or accepting delivery of such shares may acquire such shares of Stock pursuant to an exemption from registration under the Securities Act. Any determination in this connection by the Committee shall be final, binding, and conclusive. The Company may register, but shall in no event be obligated to register, any shares of Stock or other securities issuable pursuant to the Plan pursuant to the Securities Act. The Company shall not be obligated to take any affirmative action in order to cause the exercise of an Option or a SAR or the issuance of shares of Stock or other securities issuable pursuant to the Plan or any Award to comply with any Applicable Laws. As to any jurisdiction that expressly imposes the requirement that an Option or SAR that may be settled in shares of Stock shall not be exercisable until the shares of Stock subject to such Option or SAR are registered under the securities laws thereof or are exempt from such registration, the exercise of such Option or SAR under circumstances in which the laws of such jurisdiction apply shall be deemed conditioned upon the effectiveness of such registration or the availability of such an exemption.
16.2 Rule 16b-3.
During any time when the Company has a class of equity security registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act, it is the intention of the Company that Awards pursuant to the Plan and the exercise of Options and SARs granted hereunder that would otherwise be subject to Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act shall qualify for the exemption provided by Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act. To the extent that any provision of the Plan or action by the Committee does not comply with the requirements of such Rule 16b-3, such provision or action shall be deemed inoperative with respect to such Awards to the extent permitted by Applicable Laws and deemed advisable by the Committee, and shall not affect the validity of the Plan. In the event that such Rule 16b-3 is revised or replaced, the Board may exercise its discretion to modify the Plan in any respect necessary or advisable in its judgment to satisfy the requirements of, or to permit the Company to avail itself of the benefits of, the revised exemption or its replacement.
17. EFFECT OF CHANGES IN CAPITALIZATION
17.1 Changes in Stock.
If the number of outstanding shares of Stock is increased or decreased or the shares of Stock are changed into or exchanged for a different number of shares or kind of capital stock or other securities of the Company on account of any recapitalization, reclassification, stock split, reverse stock split, spin-off, combination of stock, exchange of stock, stock dividend or other distribution payable in capital stock, or other increase or decrease in shares of Stock effected without receipt of consideration by the Company occurring after the Effective Date, the number and kinds of shares of stock for which grants of Options and other Awards may be made under the Plan, including the share limits set forth in Section 6.2, shall be adjusted proportionately and accordingly by the Committee. In addition, the number and kind of shares of stock for which Awards are outstanding shall be adjusted proportionately and accordingly by the Committee so that the proportionate interest of the Grantee therein immediately following such event shall, to the extent practicable, be the same as immediately before such event. Any such adjustment in outstanding Options or SARs shall not change the aggregate Option Price or SAR Price payable with respect to shares that are subject to the unexercised portion of such outstanding Options or SARs, as applicable, but shall include a corresponding proportionate adjustment in the per share Option Price or SAR Price, as the case may be. The conversion of any convertible securities of the Company shall not be treated as an increase in shares effected without receipt of consideration. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event of any distribution to the Company’s stockholders of securities of any other entity or other assets (including an extraordinary
dividend, but excluding a non-extraordinary dividend, declared and paid by the Company) without receipt of consideration by the Company, the Board or the Committee constituted pursuant to Section 3.1.2 shall, in such manner as the Board or the Committee deems appropriate, adjust (a) the number and kind of shares of stock subject to outstanding Awards and/or (b) the aggregate and per share Option Price of outstanding Options and the aggregate and per share SAR Price of outstanding SARs as required to reflect such distribution.
17.2 Reorganization in Which the Company Is the Surviving Entity Which Does not Constitute a Change in Control.
Subject to Section 17.3, if the Company shall be the surviving entity in any reorganization, merger or consolidation of the Company with one or more other entities which does not constitute a Change in Control, any Option or SAR theretofore granted pursuant to the Plan shall pertain to and apply to the securities to which a holder of the number of shares of Stock subject to such Option or SAR would have been entitled immediately following such reorganization, merger or consolidation, with a corresponding proportionate adjustment of the per share Option Price or SAR Price so that the aggregate Option Price or SAR Price thereafter shall be the same as the aggregate Option Price or SAR Price of the shares of Stock remaining subject to the Option or SAR as in effect immediately prior to such reorganization, merger, or consolidation. Subject to any contrary language in an Award Agreement or in another agreement with the Grantee, or otherwise set forth in writing, any restrictions applicable to such Award shall apply as well to any replacement shares received by the Grantee as a result of such reorganization, merger or consolidation. In the event of any reorganization, merger or consolidation of the Company referred to in this Section 17.2, Performance-Based Awards shall be adjusted (including any adjustment to the Performance Measures applicable to such Awards deemed appropriate by the Committee) so as to apply to the securities that a holder of the number of shares of Stock subject to the Performance-Based Awards would have been entitled to receive immediately following such reorganization, merger or consolidation.
17.3 Change in Control in which Awards are not Assumed.
Except as otherwise provided in the applicable Award Agreement or in another agreement with the Grantee, or as otherwise set forth in writing, upon the occurrence of a Change in Control in which outstanding Options, SARs, Restricted Stock, Stock Units, Dividend Equivalent Rights or Other Equity-Based Awards are not being assumed or continued, the following provisions shall apply to such Award, to the extent not assumed or continued:
(a) in each case with the exception of Performance-Based Awards, all outstanding Restricted Stock shall be deemed to have vested, all Stock Units shall be deemed to have vested and the shares of Stock subject thereto shall be delivered, and all Dividend Equivalent Rights shall be deemed to have vested and the shares of Stock subject thereto shall be delivered, immediately prior to the occurrence of such Change in Control, and either of the following two actions shall be taken:
(i) fifteen (15) days prior to the scheduled consummation of such Change in Control, all Options and SARs outstanding hereunder shall become immediately exercisable and shall remain exercisable for a period of fifteen (15) days, which exercise shall be effective upon such consummation; or
(ii) the Committee may elect, in its sole discretion, to cancel any outstanding Awards of Options, SARs, Restricted Stock, Stock Units and/or Dividend Equivalent Rights and pay or deliver, or cause to be paid or delivered, to the holder thereof an amount in cash or securities having a value (as determined by the Committee acting in good faith), in the case of Restricted Stock or Stock Units and Dividend Equivalent Rights (for shares of Stock subject thereto), equal to the formula or fixed price per share paid to holders of shares of Stock pursuant to such Change in Control and, in the case of Options or
SARs, equal to the product of the number of shares of Stock subject to such Options or SARs (the “Award Stock”) multiplied by the amount, if any, by which (x) the formula or fixed price per share paid to holders of shares of Stock pursuant to such transaction exceeds (y) the Option Price or SAR Price applicable to such Award Stock.
(b) For Performance-Based Awards denominated in Stock, if less than half of the Performance Period has lapsed, such Awards shall be treated as though target performance has been achieved. If at least half the Performance Period has lapsed, actual performance to date shall be determined as of a date reasonably proximal to the date of consummation of the Change in Control as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion, and that level of performance thus determined shall be treated as achieved immediately prior to occurrence of the Change in Control. For purposes of the preceding sentence, if, based on the discretion of the Committee, actual performance is not determinable, the Awards shall be treated as though target performance has been achieved. After application of this Section 17.3(b), if any Awards arise from application of this Section 17, such Awards shall be settled under the applicable provision of Section 17.3(a).
(c) Other Equity-Based Awards shall be governed by the terms of the applicable Award Agreement.
With respect to the Company’s establishment of an exercise window, (A) any exercise of an Option or SAR during the fifteen (15)-day period referred to above shall be conditioned upon the consummation of the applicable Change in Control and shall be effective only immediately before the consummation thereof, and (B) upon consummation of any Change in Control, the Plan and all outstanding but unexercised Options and SARs shall terminate. The Committee shall send notice of an event that shall result in such a termination to all natural persons and entities who hold Options and SARs not later than the time at which the Company gives notice thereof to its stockholders.
17.4 Change in Control in which Awards are Assumed.
Except as otherwise provided in the applicable Award Agreement or in another agreement with the Grantee, or as otherwise set forth in writing, upon the occurrence of a Change in Control in which outstanding Options, SARs, Restricted Stock, Stock Units, Dividend Equivalent Rights or Other Equity-Based Awards are being assumed or continued, the following provisions shall apply to such Award, to the extent assumed or continued:
The Plan and the Options, SARs, Restricted Stock, Stock Units, Dividend Equivalent Rights and Other Equity-Based Awards granted under the Plan shall continue in the manner and under the terms so provided in the event of any Change in Control to the extent that provision is made in writing in connection with such Change in Control for the assumption or continuation of such Options, SARs, Restricted Stock, Stock Units, Dividend Equivalent Rights and Other Equity-Based Awards, or for the substitution for such Options, SARs, Restricted Stock, Stock Units, Dividend Equivalent Rights and Other Equity-Based Awards of new common stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, common stock units, dividend equivalent rights and other equity-based awards relating to the stock of a successor entity, or a parent or subsidiary thereof, with appropriate adjustments as to the number of shares (disregarding any consideration that is not common stock) and option and stock appreciation rights exercise prices. In the event an Award is assumed, continued or substituted upon the consummation of any Change in Control and the employment of such Grantee with the Company or an Affiliate is terminated without Cause within one year following the consummation of such Change in Control, such Award shall be fully vested and may be exercised in full, to the extent applicable, beginning on the date of such termination and for the one-year period immediately following such termination or for such longer period as the Committee shall determine.
17.5 Adjustments
Adjustments under this Section 17 related to shares of Stock or other securities of the Company shall be made by the Committee, whose determination in that respect shall be final, binding and conclusive. No fractional shares or other securities shall be issued pursuant to any such adjustment, and any fractions resulting from any such adjustment shall be eliminated in each case by rounding downward to the nearest whole share. The Committee may provide in the applicable Award Agreement at the time of grant, in another agreement with the Grantee, or otherwise in writing at any time thereafter with the consent of the Grantee, for different provisions to apply to an Award in place of those provided in Sections 17.1, 17.2, 17.3 and 17.4. This Section 17 shall not limit the Committee’s ability to provide for alternative treatment of Awards outstanding under the Plan in the event of a change in control event involving the Company that is not a Change in Control.
17.6 No Limitations on Company.
The making of Awards pursuant to the Plan shall not affect or limit in any way the right or power of the Company to make adjustments, reclassifications, reorganizations, or changes of its capital or business structure or to merge, consolidate, dissolve, or liquidate, or to sell or transfer all or any part of its business or assets (including all or any part of the business or assets of any Subsidiary or other Affiliate) or engage in any other transaction or activity.
18. GENERAL PROVISIONS
18.1 Disclaimer of Rights.
No provision in the Plan or in any Award or Award Agreement shall be construed to confer upon any individual the right to remain in the employ or Service of the Company or an Affiliate, or to interfere in any way with any contractual or other right or authority of the Company or an Affiliate either to increase or decrease the compensation or other payments to any natural person or entity at any time, or to terminate any employment or other relationship between any natural person or entity and the Company or an Affiliate. In addition, notwithstanding anything contained in the Plan to the contrary, unless otherwise stated in the applicable Award Agreement, in another agreement with the Grantee, or otherwise in writing, no Award granted under the Plan shall be affected by any change of duties or position of the Grantee thereof, so long as such Grantee continues to provide Service. The obligation of the Company to pay any benefits pursuant to the Plan shall be interpreted as a contractual obligation to pay only those amounts provided herein, in the manner and under the conditions prescribed herein. The Plan and Awards shall in no way be interpreted to require the Company to transfer any amounts to a third-party trustee or otherwise hold any amounts in trust or escrow for payment to any Grantee or beneficiary under the terms of the Plan.
18.2 Nonexclusivity of the Plan.
Neither the adoption of the Plan nor the submission of the Plan to the stockholders of the Company for approval shall be construed as creating any limitations upon the right and authority of the Board to adopt such other incentive compensation arrangements (which arrangements may be applicable either generally to a class or classes of individuals or specifically to a particular individual or particular individuals) as the Board in its discretion determines desirable.
18.3 Withholding Taxes.
The Company or an Affiliate, as the case may be, shall have the right to deduct from payments of any kind otherwise due to a Grantee any federal, state, or local taxes of any kind required by law to be withheld with respect to the vesting of or other lapse of restrictions applicable to an Award or upon the issuance of any shares of Stock upon the exercise of an Option or pursuant to any other Award. At the time of such vesting, lapse, or exercise, the Grantee shall
pay in cash to the Company or an Affiliate, as the case may be, any amount that the Company or such Affiliate may reasonably determine to be necessary to satisfy such withholding obligation; provided that if there is a same-day sale of shares of Stock subject to an Award, the Grantee shall pay such withholding obligation on the day on which such same-day sale is completed. Subject to the prior approval of the Company or an Affiliate, which may be withheld by the Company or such Affiliate, as the case may be, in its sole discretion, the Grantee may elect to satisfy such withholding obligation, in whole or in part, (a) by causing the Company or such Affiliate to withhold shares of Stock otherwise issuable to the Grantee or (b) by delivering to the Company or such Affiliate shares of Stock already owned by the Grantee. The shares of Stock so withheld or delivered shall have an aggregate Fair Market Value equal to such withholding obligation. The Fair Market Value of the shares of Stock used to satisfy such withholding obligation shall be determined by the Company or such Affiliate as of the date on which the amount of tax to be withheld is to be determined. A Grantee who has made an election pursuant to this Section 18.3 may satisfy such Grantee’s withholding obligation only with shares of Stock that are not subject to any repurchase, forfeiture, unfulfilled vesting, or other similar requirements. The maximum number of shares of Stock that may be withheld from any Award to satisfy any federal, state or local tax withholding requirements upon the exercise, vesting, or lapse of restrictions applicable to any Award or payment of shares of Stock pursuant to such Award, as applicable, may not exceed such number of shares of Stock having a Fair Market Value equal to the minimum statutory amount required by the Company or the applicable Affiliate to be withheld and paid to any such federal, state or local taxing authority with respect to such exercise, vesting, lapse of restrictions, or payment of shares of Stock. Notwithstanding Section 2.21 or this Section 18.3, for purposes of determining taxable income and the amount of the related tax withholding obligation pursuant to this Section 18.3, for any shares of Stock subject to an Award that are sold by or on behalf of a Grantee on the same date on which such shares may first be sold pursuant to the terms of the related Award Agreement, the Fair Market Value of such shares shall be the sale price of such shares on such date (or if sales of such shares are effectuated at more than one sale price, the weighted average sale price of such shares on such date), so long as such Grantee has provided the Company, or its designee or agent, with advance written notice of such sale. In such case, the percentage of shares of Stock withheld shall equal the applicable minimum withholding rate.
18.4 Captions.
The use of captions in the Plan or any Award Agreement is for convenience of reference only and shall not affect the meaning of any provision of the Plan or such Award Agreement.
18.5 Construction.
Unless the context otherwise requires, all references in the Plan to “including” shall mean “including, without limitation.”
18.6 Other Provisions.
Each Award granted under the Plan may contain such other terms and conditions not inconsistent with the Plan as may be determined by the Committee, in its sole discretion.
18.7 Number and Gender.
With respect to words used in the Plan, the singular form shall include the plural form and the masculine gender shall include the feminine gender, as the context requires.
18.8 Severability.
If any provision of the Plan or any Award Agreement shall be determined to be illegal or unenforceable by any court of law in any jurisdiction, the remaining provisions hereof and thereof shall be severable and enforceable in accordance with their terms, and all provisions shall remain enforceable in any other jurisdiction.
18.9 Governing Law.
The validity and construction of the Plan and the instruments evidencing the Awards hereunder shall be governed by, and construed and interpreted in accordance with, the laws of the State of Delaware, other than any conflicts or choice of law rule or principle that might otherwise refer construction or interpretation of the Plan and the instruments evidencing the Awards granted hereunder to the substantive laws of any other jurisdiction.
18.10 Section 409A of the Code.
The Company intends to comply with Code Section 409A, or an exemption to Code Section 409A, with regard to Awards hereunder that constitute nonqualified deferred compensation within the meaning of Code Section 409A. To the extent that the Company determines that a Grantee would be subject to the additional twenty percent (20%) tax imposed on certain nonqualified deferred compensation plans pursuant to Code Section 409A as a result of any provision of any Award granted under the Plan, such provision shall be deemed amended to the minimum extent necessary to avoid application of such additional tax. The nature of any such amendment shall be determined by the Committee.
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PRELIMINARY PROXY MATERIALS – SUBJECT TO COMPLETION Westwater Resources, Inc. ELECTRONIC VOTING INSTRUCTIONS Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! Instead of mailing your proxy, you may choose one of the voting methods outlines below to vote your proxy. VALIDATION DETAILS ARE LOCATED BELOW IN THE TITLE BAR. Proxies submitted by the Internet or telephone must be received by 1:00 a.m., Mountain Time, on April 28, 2020. Vote by Internet • Go to www.investorvote.com/WWR • Or scan the QR code with your smartphone • Follow the steps outlined on the secure website Vote by telephone • Call toll free 1-800-652-VOTE (8683) within the USA, US territories & Canada on a touch tone telephone • Follow the instructions provided by the recorded message IMPORTANT ANNUAL MEETING INFORMATION Using a black ink pen, mark your votes with an X as show in this example. Please do not write outside the designated area: Proposals — The Board of Directors recommends a vote FOR Proposals 1, 2, 4 and 5 and FOR all the nominees listed. For Against Abstain 1 To approve the issuance of shares of common stock to Lincoln Park Capital Fund pursuant to Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(d). To approve an amendment to the Westwater Resources, Inc. 2013 Omnibus Incentive Plan to increase the authorized number of shares of common stock available and reserved for issuance under such plan by 350,000 shares, and to modify certain issuance limitations thereunder. Election of Directors: 2 3 For Withhold For 02 – Christopher M. Jones Withhold 01 – Terence J. Cryan 03 – Tracy D. Pagliara 05 – Deborah A. Peacock 04 – Karli S. Anderson For Against Abstain 4 To provide advisory approval of our executive compensation. 5 To ratify the appointment of Moss Adams LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for 2020. To transact such other business as may properly come before the Annual Meeting or any adjournment or postponement of the Annual Meeting. 6 Authorized Signatures — This section must be completed for your vote to be counted. — Date and Sign Below Please sign exactly as name(s) appears hereon. Joint owners should each sign. When signing as attorney, executor, administrator, corporate officer, trustee, guardian, or custodian, please give full title. Date (mm/dd/yyyy) — Please print date below Signature 1 — Please keep signature within the box Signature 2 — Please keep signature within the box DE - 040518/000001 - 3523950 v4 C B Change of Address — Please print new address below. A Annual Meeting Proxy Card
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IF YOU HAVE NOT VOTED VIA THE INTERNET OR TELEPHONE, FOLD ALONG THE PERFORATION, DETACH AND RETURN THE BOTTOM PORTION IN THE ENCLOSED ENVELOPE. Proxy — Westwater Resources, Inc. Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders 6950 S. Potomac Street, Suite 300 Centennial, Colorado 80112 Proxy Solicited by Board of Directors for Annual Meeting — April 28, 2020, 9:00 a.m., Mountain Time Christopher M. Jones and Terence J. Cryan, or either of them, each with the power of substitution, are hereby authorized to represent and vote the shares of the undersigned, with all the powers which the undersigned would possess if personally present, at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Westwater Resources, Inc. to be held on April 28, 2020 or at any postponement or adjournment thereof. Shares represented by this proxy will be voted as directed by the stockholder when properly executed. If no such directions are indicated, shares represented by this proxy will be voted FOR Proposals 1, 2, 4 and 5 and FOR each of the nominees listed in Proposal 3. In their discretion, the Proxies are authorized to vote upon such other business as may properly come before the meeting. (Items to be voted appear on reverse side.) DE - 040518/000001 - 3523950 v4
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