TESLA, INC. AMENDED AND RESTATED 2019 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN STOCK OPTION AWARD AGREEMENT
Exhibit 10.9
AMENDED AND RESTATED 2019 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN
Unless otherwise defined herein, the terms defined in the Tesla, Inc. Amended and Restated 2019 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) will have the same defined meanings in this Stock Option Award Agreement (the “Award Agreement”).
NOTICE OF STOCK OPTION GRANT
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Participant has been granted an Option to purchase Common Stock of Tesla, Inc. (the “Company”), subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan and this Award Agreement, as follows:
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Vesting Schedule:
Subject to any acceleration provisions contained in the Plan or set forth below, the Option may be exercised, in whole or in part, in accordance with the following schedule:
[insert vesting schedule]
Termination Period:
The Option will be exercisable for three (3) months after Participant ceases to be a Service Provider, unless such termination is due to Participant’s death or Disability, in which case the Option will be exercisable for twelve (12) months after Participant ceases to be a Service Provider. Notwithstanding the forgoing, in no event may the Option be exercised after the Term/Expiration date as provided above and may be subject to earlier termination as provided in Section 14 of the Plan.
By Participant’s acceptance of this Award Agreement either electronically through the electronic acceptance procedure established by the Company or through a written acceptance delivered to the Company in a form satisfactory to the Company, Participant agrees that the Option is granted under and governed by the terms and conditions of the Plan and this Award Agreement, including the Terms and Conditions of Stock Option Grant, attached hereto as Exhibit A, all of which are made a part of this document. Participant has reviewed the Plan and this Award Agreement in their entirety, has had an opportunity to obtain the advice of counsel prior to executing this Award Agreement and fully understands all provisions of the Plan and Award Agreement. Participant hereby agrees to accept as final and binding and non-reviewable and non-appealable all decisions or interpretations of the Administrator upon any questions relating to the Plan and Award Agreement. Participant further agrees to notify the Company upon any change in the residence address indicated below.
In witness whereof, Tesla, Inc. has caused this Agreement to be executed on its behalf by its duly-authorized officer on the day and year first indicated above.
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EXHIBIT A
TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF STOCK OPTION GRANT
1. Grant of Option. The Company hereby grants to Participant named in the Notice of Grant attached as Part I of this Award Agreement (“Participant”) an option (the “Option”) to purchase the number of Shares, as set forth in the Notice of Grant, at the exercise price per Share set forth in the Notice of Grant (the “Exercise Price”), subject to all of the terms and conditions in this Award Agreement and the Plan, which is incorporated herein by reference. Subject to Section 19(c) of the Plan, in the event of a conflict between the terms and conditions of the Plan and the terms and conditions of this Award Agreement, the terms and conditions of the Plan will prevail.
If designated in the Notice of Grant as an Incentive Stock Option (“ISO”), the Option is intended to qualify as an ISO under Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). However, if the Option is intended to be an ISO, to the extent that it exceeds the $100,000 rule of Code Section 422(d) it will be treated as a Nonstatutory Stock Option (“NSO”). Further, if for any reason the Option (or portion thereof) will not qualify as an ISO, then, to the extent of such nonqualification, such Option (or portion thereof) shall be regarded as a NSO granted under the Plan. In no event will the Administrator, the Company or any Parent or Subsidiary or any of their respective employees or directors have any liability to Participant (or any other person) due to the failure of the Option to qualify for any reason as an ISO.
2. Vesting Schedule. Except as provided in Section 3, the Option awarded by this Award Agreement will vest in accordance with the vesting provisions set forth in the Notice of Grant. Shares scheduled to vest on a certain date or upon the occurrence of a certain condition will not vest in accordance with any of the provisions of this Award Agreement unless Participant will have been continuously a Service Provider from the Date of Grant until the date such vesting occurs.
3. Administrator Discretion. The Administrator, in its discretion, may accelerate the vesting of the balance, or some lesser portion of the balance, of the unvested Option at any time, subject to the terms of the Plan. If so accelerated, such Option will be considered as having vested as of the date specified by the Administrator.
4. Exercise of Option.
(a) Right to Exercise. The Option may be exercised only within the term set out in the Notice of Grant, and may be exercised during such term only in accordance with the Plan and the terms of this Award Agreement.
(b) Method of Exercise. The Option is exercisable by delivery of an exercise notice, in the form attached as Exhibit B (the “Exercise Notice”) or in a manner and pursuant to such procedures as the Administrator may determine, which will state the election to exercise the Option, the number of Shares in respect of which the Option is being exercised (the “Exercised Shares”), and such other representations and agreements as may be required by the Company
pursuant to the provisions of the Plan. The Exercise Notice will be completed by Participant and delivered to the Company. The Exercise Notice will be accompanied by payment of the aggregate Exercise Price as to all Exercised Shares together with any applicable tax withholding. The Option will be deemed to be exercised upon receipt by the Company of such fully executed Exercise Notice accompanied by such aggregate Exercise Price.
5. Method of Payment. Payment of the aggregate Exercise Price will be by any of the following, or a combination thereof, at the election of Participant:
(a) cash;
(b) check;
(c) consideration received by the Company under a formal cashless exercise program adopted by the Company in connection with the Plan; or
(d) surrender of other Shares which have a Fair Market Value on the date of surrender equal to the aggregate Exercise Price of the Exercised Shares, provided that accepting such Shares, in the sole discretion of the Administrator, will not result in any adverse accounting consequences to the Company.
6. Tax Obligations.
(a) Withholding Taxes. Notwithstanding any contrary provision of this Award Agreement, no certificate representing the Shares will be issued to Participant, unless and until satisfactory arrangements (as determined by the Administrator) will have been made by Participant with respect to the payment of income, employment and other taxes which the Company determines must be withheld with respect to such Shares. To the extent determined appropriate by the Company in its discretion, it will have the right (but not the obligation) to satisfy any tax withholding obligations by reducing the number of Shares otherwise deliverable to Participant. If Participant fails to make satisfactory arrangements for the payment of any required tax withholding obligations hereunder at the time of the Option exercise, Participant acknowledges and agrees that the Company may refuse to honor the exercise and refuse to deliver Shares if such withholding amounts are not delivered at the time of exercise.
(b) Notice of Disqualifying Disposition of ISO Shares. If the Option granted to Participant herein is an ISO, and if Participant sells or otherwise disposes of any of the Shares acquired pursuant to the ISO on or before the later of (i) the date two (2) years after the Grant Date, or (ii) the date one (1) year after the date of exercise, Participant will immediately notify the Company in writing (which, for clarity, includes electronic communications) of such disposition. Participant agrees that Participant may be subject to income tax withholding by the Company on the compensation income recognized by Participant.
(c) Code Section 409A. Under Code Section 409A, an option that vests after December 31, 2004 (or that vested on or prior to such date but which was materially modified after October 3, 2004) that was granted with a per Share exercise price that is determined by the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) to be less than the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of grant (a “Discount Option”) may be considered “deferred compensation.” A Discount Option
may result in (i) income recognition by Participant prior to the exercise of the option, (ii) an additional twenty percent (20%) federal income tax, and (iii) potential penalty and interest charges. The Discount Option may also result in additional state income, penalty and interest charges to Participant. Participant acknowledges that the Company cannot and has not guaranteed that the IRS will agree that the per Share exercise price of the Option equals or exceeds the Fair Market Value of a Share on the Date of Grant in a later examination. Participant agrees that if the IRS determines that the Option was granted with a per Share exercise price that was less than the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of grant, Participant will be solely responsible for Participant’s costs related to such a determination.
7. Rights as Shareholder. Neither Participant nor any person claiming under or through Participant will have any of the rights or privileges of a shareholder of the Company in respect of any Shares deliverable hereunder unless and until certificates representing such Shares will have been issued, recorded on the records of the Company or its transfer agents or registrars, and delivered to Participant. After such issuance, recordation and delivery, Participant will have all the rights of a shareholder of the Company with respect to voting such Shares and receipt of dividends and distributions on such Shares.
8. No Guarantee of Continued Service. PARTICIPANT ACKNOWLEDGES AND AGREES THAT THE VESTING OF SHARES PURSUANT TO THE VESTING SCHEDULE HEREOF IS EARNED ONLY BY CONTINUING AS A SERVICE PROVIDER AT THE WILL OF THE COMPANY (OR THE PARENT OR SUBSIDIARY EMPLOYING OR RETAINING PARTICIPANT) AND NOT THROUGH THE ACT OF BEING HIRED, BEING GRANTED THE OPTION OR ACQUIRING SHARES HEREUNDER. PARTICIPANT FURTHER ACKNOWLEDGES AND AGREES THAT THIS AWARD AGREEMENT, THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREUNDER AND THE VESTING SCHEDULE SET FORTH HEREIN DO NOT CONSTITUTE AN EXPRESS OR IMPLIED PROMISE OF CONTINUED ENGAGEMENT AS A SERVICE PROVIDER FOR THE VESTING PERIOD, FOR ANY PERIOD, OR AT ALL, AND WILL NOT INTERFERE IN ANY WAY WITH PARTICIPANT’S RIGHT OR THE RIGHT OF THE COMPANY (OR THE PARENT OR SUBSIDIARY EMPLOYING OR RETAINING PARTICIPANT) TO TERMINATE PARTICIPANT’S RELATIONSHIP AS A SERVICE PROVIDER AT ANY TIME, WITH OR WITHOUT CAUSE.
9. Address for Notices. Any notice to be given to the Company under the terms of this Award Agreement will be addressed to the Company at Tesla, Inc., Attention: Stock Administrator, ▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, or at such other address as the Company may hereafter designate in writing (which, for clarity, includes electronic communications).
10. Non-Transferability of Option. The Option may not be transferred in any manner otherwise than by will or by the laws of descent or distribution and may be exercised during the lifetime of Participant only by Participant.
11. Binding Agreement. Subject to the limitation on the transferability of the Option contained herein, this Award Agreement will be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the heirs, legatees, legal representatives, successors and assigns of the parties hereto.
12. Additional Conditions to Issuance of Stock. If at any time the Administrator will determine, in its sole discretion, that the listing, registration or qualification of the Shares upon any securities exchange or under any state or federal law, or the consent or approval of any governmental regulatory authority is necessary or desirable as a condition to the issuance of Shares to Participant (or his or her estate), such issuance will not occur unless and until such listing, registration, qualification, consent or approval will have been effected or obtained free of any conditions not acceptable to the Administrator. The Company will make all reasonable efforts to meet the requirements of any such state or federal law or securities exchange and to obtain any such consent or approval of any such governmental authority. Assuming such compliance, for income tax purposes the Exercised Shares will be considered transferred to Participant on the date the Option is exercised with respect to such Exercised Shares.
13. Recoupment. Notwithstanding any other provision herein, the Option and any Shares or other amount or property that may be issued, delivered or paid in respect of the Option, as well as any consideration that may be received in respect of a sale or other disposition of any such Shares or property, shall be subject to any recoupment, “clawback” or similar provisions of applicable law, as well as any recoupment or “clawback” policies of the Company that may be in effect from time to time. In addition, the Company may require Participant to deliver or otherwise repay to the Company the Option and any Shares or other amount or property that may be issued, delivered or paid in respect of the Option, as well as any consideration that may be received in respect of a sale or other disposition of any such Shares or property, if the Company reasonably determines that one or more of the following has occurred:
(a) during the period of Participant’s status as a Service Provider with the Company or any of its Subsidiaries (the “Service Period”), Participant has committed a felony (under the laws of the United States or any relevant state, or a similar crime or offense under the applicable laws of any relevant foreign jurisdiction);
(b) during the Service Period or at any time thereafter, Participant has committed or engaged in a breach of confidentiality, or an unauthorized disclosure or use of inside information, customer lists, trade secrets or other confidential information of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries; or
(c) during the Service Period or at any time thereafter, Participant has committed or engaged in an act of theft, embezzlement or fraud, or materially breached any agreement to which Participant is a party with the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.
14. Plan Governs. This Award Agreement is subject to all terms and provisions of the Plan. In the event of a conflict between one or more provisions of this Award Agreement and one or more provisions of the Plan, the provisions of the Plan will govern. Capitalized terms used and not defined in this Award Agreement will have the meaning set forth in the Plan.
15. Administrator Authority. The Administrator will have the power to interpret the Plan and this Award Agreement and to adopt such rules for the administration, interpretation and application of the Plan as are consistent therewith and to interpret or revoke any such rules (including, but not limited to, the determination of whether or not any Shares subject to the Option have vested). All actions taken and all interpretations and determinations made by the
Administrator in good faith will be final and binding and non-reviewable and non-appealable upon Participant, the Company and all other interested persons. No member of the Administrator will be personally liable for any action, determination or interpretation made in good faith with respect to the Plan or this Award Agreement.
16. Electronic Delivery. The Company may, in its sole discretion, decide to deliver any documents related to Options awarded under the Plan or future options that may be awarded under the Plan by electronic means or request Participant’s consent to participate in the Plan by electronic means. Participant hereby consents to receive such documents by electronic delivery and agrees to participate in the Plan through any on-line or electronic system established and maintained by the Company or another third party designated by the Company.
17. Captions. Captions provided herein are for convenience only and are not to serve as a basis for interpretation or construction of this Award Agreement.
18. Agreement Severable. In the event that any provision in this Award Agreement will be held invalid or unenforceable, such provision will be severable from, and such invalidity or unenforceability will not be construed to have any effect on, the remaining provisions of this Award Agreement.
19. Modifications to the Agreement. This Award Agreement constitutes the entire understanding of the parties on the subjects covered. Participant expressly warrants that he or she is not accepting this Award Agreement in reliance on any promises, representations, or inducements other than those contained herein. Modifications to this Award Agreement or the Plan can be made only in an express written contract executed by a duly authorized officer of the Company. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Plan or this Award Agreement, the Company reserves the right to revise this Award Agreement as it deems necessary or advisable, in its sole discretion and without the consent of Participant, to comply with Code Section 409A or to otherwise avoid imposition of any additional tax or income recognition under Code Section 409A in connection to the Option.
20. Amendment, Suspension or Termination of the Plan. By accepting this Award, Participant expressly warrants that he or she has received an Option under the Plan, and has received, read and understood a description of the Plan. Participant understands that the Plan is discretionary in nature and may be amended, suspended or terminated by the Company at any time.
21. Governing Law. This Award Agreement will be governed by the laws of the State of Texas, without giving effect to the conflict of law principles thereof. For purposes of litigating any dispute that arises under the Option or this Award Agreement, the parties hereby submit to and consent to the jurisdiction of the State of Texas, and agree that such litigation will be conducted in the courts of Travis County, Texas, or the federal courts for the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas, Austin Division, and no other courts, where the Option is made and/or to be performed.
EXHIBIT B
AMENDED AND RESTATED 2019 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN
EXERCISE NOTICE
ATTN: Stock Administrator
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Austin, Texas 78725
1. Exercise of Option. Effective as of today, _________________, _________ , the undersigned (“Purchaser”) hereby elects to purchase ___________ shares (the “Shares”) of the Common Stock of Tesla, Inc. (the “Company”) under and pursuant to the Amended and Restated 2019 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) and the Stock Option Award Agreement dated (the “Award Agreement”). The purchase price for the Shares will be per Share, as required by the Award Agreement.
2. Delivery of Payment. Purchaser herewith delivers to the Company the full purchase price of the Shares and any required tax withholding to be paid in connection with the exercise of the Option.
3. Representations of Purchaser. Purchaser acknowledges that ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ has received, read and understood the Plan and the Award Agreement and agrees to abide by and be bound by their terms and conditions.
4. Rights as Shareholder. Until the issuance (as evidenced by the appropriate entry on the books of the Company or of a duly authorized transfer agent of the Company) of the Shares, no right to vote or receive dividends or any other rights as a shareholder will exist with respect to the Shares subject to the Option, notwithstanding the exercise of the Option. The Shares so acquired will be issued to Purchaser as soon as practicable after exercise of the Option. No adjustment will be made for a dividend or other right for which the record date is prior to the date of issuance, except as provided in Section 14 of the Plan.
5. Tax Consultation. Purchaser understands that Purchaser may suffer adverse tax consequences as a result of Purchaser’s purchase or disposition of the Shares. Purchaser represents that Purchaser has consulted with any tax consultants Purchaser deems advisable in connection with the purchase or disposition of the Shares and that Purchaser is not relying on the Company for any tax advice.
6. Entire Agreement; Governing Law. The Plan and Award Agreement are incorporated herein by reference. This Exercise Notice, the Plan and the Award Agreement constitute the entire agreement of the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersede in their entirety all prior undertakings and agreements of the Company and Purchaser with respect to the subject matter hereof, and may not be modified adversely to Purchaser’s interest except by means of a writing (which, for clarity, includes electronic communications) signed by the Company and Purchaser. This agreement is governed by the internal substantive laws, but not the choice of law rules, of the State of Texas.
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