Exhibit 4.4
ATARA BIOTHERAPEUTICS, INC.
2024 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN
APPROVED BY THE STOCKHOLDERS: JUNE 10, 2024
EFFECTIVE DATE: JUNE 10, 2024
1. | GENERAL. |
(a) Purpose. This Plan, through the granting of Awards, is intended to help the Company secure and retain the services of eligible award recipients, provide incentives for such persons to exert maximum efforts for the success of the Company and any Affiliate and provide a means by which the eligible recipients may benefit from increases in value of the Common Stock.
(b) Successor to Prior Plan. The Plan is the successor to the Companys 2014 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended, and each other equity plan maintained by the Company under which awards are outstanding as of the effective date of this Plan (collectively, the Prior Plan). All stock awards granted under the Prior Plan remain subject to the terms of the Prior Plan.
(c) Eligible Award Recipients. Employees, Directors and Consultants are eligible to receive Awards. The Committees selection of a person to participate in this Plan at any time shall not require the Committee to select such person to participate in this Plan at any other time.
(d) Available Awards. The Plan provides for the grant of the following awards: (i) Incentive Stock Options; (ii) Nonstatutory Stock Options; (iii) Stock Appreciation Rights; (iv) Restricted Stock Awards; (v) Restricted Stock Unit Awards; (vi) Performance Stock Awards; (vii) Performance Cash Awards; and (viii) Other Stock Awards.
2. | ADMINISTRATION. |
(a) Administration by Board. The Board will administer the Plan. The Board may delegate administration of the Plan to a Committee or Committees, as provided in Section 2(c).
(b) Powers of Board. The Board will have the power, subject to, and within the limitations of, the express provisions of the Plan:
(i) To determine: (A) who will be granted Awards; (B) when and how each Award will be granted; (C) what type of Award will be granted; (D) the provisions of each Award (which need not be identical), including when a person will be permitted to exercise or otherwise receive cash or Common Stock under the Award; (E) the number of shares of Common Stock subject to, or the cash value of, an Award; and (F) the Fair Market Value applicable to a Stock Award.
(ii) To construe and interpret the Plan and Awards granted under it, and to establish, amend and revoke rules and regulations for administration of the Plan and Awards. The Board, in the exercise of these powers, may correct any defect, omission or inconsistency in the Plan or in any Award Agreement or in the written terms of a Performance Cash Award, in a manner and to the extent it will deem necessary or expedient to make the Plan or Award fully effective.
(iii) To settle all controversies regarding the Plan and Awards granted under it.
(iv) To accelerate, in whole or in part, the time at which an Award may be exercised or vest (or at which cash or shares of Common Stock may be issued), including but not limited to, the power to provide that the Performance Goals (if any) applicable to any outstanding Awards shall be deemed to be satisfied at the target, maximum or any other level.
(v) To suspend or terminate the Plan at any time; provided that, except as otherwise provided in the Plan or an Award Agreement, suspension or termination of the Plan will not materially impair a Participants rights under his or her then-outstanding Award without his or her written consent.
(vi) To amend the Plan in any respect the Board deems necessary or advisable, including, without limitation, adopting amendments relating to Incentive Stock Options and nonqualified deferred compensation under Section 409A of the Code and/or making the Plan or Awards granted under the Plan exempt from or compliant with the requirements for Incentive Stock Options or exempt from or compliant with the requirements for nonqualified deferred compensation under Section 409A of the Code, subject to the limitations, if any, of applicable law. If required by applicable law or listing requirements, and except as provided in Section 9(a) relating to Capitalization Adjustments, the Company will seek stockholder approval of any amendment of the Plan that (A) materially increases the number of shares of Common Stock available for issuance under the Plan, (B) materially expands the class of individuals eligible to receive Awards under the Plan, (C) materially increases the benefits accruing to Participants under the Plan, (D) materially reduces the price at which shares of Common Stock may be issued or purchased under the Plan, (E) materially extends the term of the Plan, or (F) materially expands the types of Awards available for issuance under the Plan. Except as otherwise provided in the Plan (including subsection (viii) below) or an Award Agreement, no amendment of the Plan will materially impair a Participants rights under an outstanding Award without the Participants written consent.
(vii) To submit any amendment to the Plan for stockholder approval, including, but not limited to, amendments to the Plan intended to satisfy the requirements of (A) Section 422 of the Code regarding incentive stock options or (B) Rule 16b-3 of Exchange Act or any successor rule.
(viii) To approve forms of Award Agreements for use under the Plan and to amend the terms of any one or more outstanding Awards, including, but not limited to, amendments to provide terms more favorable to the Participant than previously provided in the Award Agreement, subject to any specified limits in the Plan that are not subject to Board discretion. A Participants rights under any Award will not be impaired by any such amendment unless the Company requests the consent of the affected Participant, and the Participant consents in writing. A Participants rights will not be deemed to have been impaired by any such amendment if the Board, in its sole discretion, determines that the amendment, taken as a whole, does not materially impair the Participants rights. In addition, subject to the limitations of applicable law, if any, the Board may amend the terms of any one or more Awards without the affected Participants consent to: (A) maintain the qualified status of the Award as an Incentive Stock Option under Section 422 of the Code; (B) change the terms of an Incentive Stock Option, if such change results in impairment of the Award solely because it impairs the qualified status of the Award as an Incentive Stock Option under Section 422 of the Code; (C) clarify the manner of exemption from, or to bring the Award into compliance with, Section 409A of the Code; or (D) comply with other applicable laws or listing requirements.
(ix) Generally, to exercise such powers and to perform such acts as the Board deems necessary or expedient to promote the best interests of the Company and that are not in conflict with the provisions of the Plan and/or Award Agreements.
(x) To adopt such procedures and sub-plans as are necessary or appropriate to (A) permit or facilitate participation in the Plan by Employees, Directors or Consultants who are foreign nationals or employed outside the United States or (B) allow Awards to qualify for special tax treatment in a foreign jurisdiction; provided that Board approval will not be necessary for immaterial modifications to the Plan or any Award Agreement that are required for compliance with the laws of the relevant foreign jurisdiction.
2
(xi) To effect, with the consent of any adversely affected Participant and subject to approval by the Companys stockholders, (A) the reduction of the exercise price, purchase price or base price of any previously granted Option or SAR, (B) the cancellation of any previously granted Option or SAR in exchange for another Option or SAR with a lower exercise price, purchase price or base price, (C) the cancellation of any previously granted Option or SAR in exchange for cash or another award if the exercise price, purchase price or base price of such Option or SAR exceeds the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock on the date of such cancellation, or (D) any other action that is treated as a repricing under generally accepted accounting principles, in each case, other than in connection with a Corporate Transaction or other adjustment provisions set forth in Section 9.
(c) Delegation to Committee.
(i) General. The Board may delegate some or all of the administration of the Plan to a Committee or Committees. If administration of the Plan is delegated to a Committee, the Committee will have, in connection with the administration of the Plan, the powers theretofore possessed by the Board that have been delegated to the Committee, including the power to delegate to a subcommittee of the Committee any of the administrative powers the Committee is authorized to exercise (and references in this Plan to the Board will thereafter be to the Committee or subcommittee); provided, however, that neither the Board nor the Committee may delegate its power and authority to a member of the Board with regard to the selection for participation in this Plan of an Officer, Director or other person subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act or decisions concerning the timing, pricing or amount of an award to such an Officer, Director or other person. Any delegation of administrative powers will be reflected in resolutions, not inconsistent with the provisions of the Plan, adopted from time to time by the Board or Committee (as applicable). The Committee may, at any time, abolish the subcommittee and/or revest in the Committee any powers delegated to the subcommittee. The Board may retain the authority to concurrently administer the Plan with the Committee and may, at any time, revest in the Board some or all of the powers previously delegated.
(d) Delegation to an Officer. The Board may delegate to one (1) or more Officers the authority to do one or both of the following: (i) designate Employees who are not Officers to be recipients of Options and SARs (and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, other Stock Awards) and, to the extent permitted by applicable law, the terms of such Awards; and (ii) determine the number of shares of Common Stock to be subject to such Stock Awards granted to such Employees; provided, however, that the Board resolutions regarding such delegation will specify (x) the total number of shares of Common Stock that may be subject to the Stock Awards granted by such Officer, (y) such other limitations required to comply with applicable law, and (z) that such Officer may not grant a Stock Award to himself or herself. For the avoidance of doubt, the Board may not delegate its power and authority to an Officer with regard to the selection for participation in this Plan of an Officer, Director or other person subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act or decisions concerning the timing, pricing or amount of an award to such an officer, director or other person. Any such Stock Awards will be granted on the form of Award Agreement most recently approved for use by the Committee or the Board, unless otherwise provided for in the resolutions approving the delegation authority. The Board may not delegate authority to an Officer who is acting solely in the capacity of an Officer (and not also as a Director) to determine the Fair Market Value (as defined below).
3
(e) Effect of Boards Decision. No member of the Board or Committee, and Officer to whom the Board delegates any of its power and authority hereunder, shall be liable for any act, omission, interpretation, construction or determination made in connection with this Plan in good faith, and the members of the Board and the Committee and Officers shall be entitled to indemnification and reimbursement by the Company in respect of any claim, loss, damage or expense (including attorneys fees) arising therefrom to the full extent permitted by law (except as otherwise may be provided in the Companys Certificate of Incorporation and/or By-laws) and under any directors and officers liability insurance that may be in effect from time to time.
3. | SHARES SUBJECT TO THE PLAN. |
(a) Share Reserve.
(i) Subject to Section 9(a) relating to Capitalization Adjustments, the number of shares of Common Stock that shall initially be available for all awards under this Plan, other than Substitute Awards, shall be 6,900,000 shares (the Share Reserve).
(ii) RESERVED.
(iii) For clarity, the Share Reserve is a limitation on the number of shares of Common Stock that may be issued under the Plan. As a single share may be subject to grant more than once (e.g., if a share subject to a Stock Award is forfeited, it may be made subject to grant again as provided in Section 3(b) below), the Share Reserve is not a limit on the number of Stock Awards that can be granted.
(iv) Shares subject to Substitute Awards may be issued under the terms of this Plan, and such issuance will not reduce the number of shares available for issuance under the Plan.
(b) Reversion of Shares to the Share Reserve. To the extent that shares of Common Stock subject to an outstanding Stock Award granted under the Plan or the Prior Plan, other than Substitute Awards, are not issued or delivered by reason of (i) the expiration, termination, cancellation or forfeiture of such award (excluding shares subject to an Option cancelled upon settlement in shares of a related SAR or shares subject to a SAR cancelled upon exercise of a related Option) or (ii) the settlement of such award in cash, then such shares of Common Stock shall again be available under this Plan. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, shares of Common Stock subject to an award under this Plan or a Prior Plan shall not again be available for issuance under this Plan if such shares are (x) shares that were subject to a Stock Option or a SAR and were not issued or delivered upon the net settlement or net exercise of such Stock Option or SAR, (y) shares delivered to or withheld by the Company to pay the taxes related to an outstanding Award or (z) shares repurchased by the Company on the open market with the proceeds of an option exercise. Shares of Common Stock subject to an Option granted under this Plan or the Prior Plan shall not again be available for issuance under this Plan if such shares are repurchased by the Company on the open market with the proceeds of an option exercise.
(c) Incentive Stock Option Limit. Subject to Section 9(a) relating to Capitalization Adjustments, the aggregate maximum number of shares of Common Stock that may be issued on the exercise of Incentive Stock Options will be 6,900,000 shares of Common Stock.
(d) Source of Shares. The stock issuable under the Plan will be shares of authorized but unissued or reacquired Common Stock, including shares repurchased by the Company on the open market or otherwise, or a combination thereof.
(e) Director Limitations. The aggregate value of cash compensation and the grant date fair value of shares of Common Stock that may be awarded or granted during any fiscal year of the Company to any Non-Employee Director, for his or her services as a Non-Employee Director, shall not exceed $1,250,000; provided, however, that this limit shall not apply to distributions of previously deferred compensation under a deferred compensation plan maintained by the Company or compensation received by the director in his or her capacity as an executive officer or employee of the Company.
4
4. | ELIGIBILITY. |
(a) Eligibility for Specific Stock Awards. Incentive Stock Options may be granted only to employees of the Company or a parent corporation or subsidiary corporation thereof (as such terms are defined in Sections 424(e) and 424(f) of the Code). Stock Awards other than Incentive Stock Options may be granted to Employees, Directors and Consultants; provided, however, that in the case of an Option or SAR, the stock underlying such Option or SAR constitutes service recipient stock under Section 409A of the Code or the Company, in consultation with its legal counsel, has determined that such Options or SARs are otherwise exempt from or comply with the distribution requirements of Section 409A of the Code.
(b) Ten Percent Stockholders. A Ten Percent Stockholder will not be granted an Incentive Stock Option unless the exercise price of such Option is at least 110% of the Fair Market Value on the date of grant and the Option is not exercisable after the expiration of five (5) years from the date of grant.
5. | PROVISIONS RELATING TO OPTIONS AND STOCK APPRECIATION RIGHTS. |
Each Option or SAR will be in such form and will contain such terms and conditions as the Board deems appropriate. All Options will be separately designated Incentive Stock Options or Nonstatutory Stock Options at the time of grant, and, if certificates are issued, a separate certificate or certificates will be issued for shares of Common Stock purchased on exercise of each type of Option. If an Option is not specifically designated as an Incentive Stock Option, or if an Option is designated as an Incentive Stock Option but some portion or all of the Option fails to qualify as an Incentive Stock Option under the applicable rules, then the Option (or portion thereof) will be a Nonstatutory Stock Option. The provisions of separate Options or SARs need not be identical; provided, however, that each Award Agreement will conform to (through incorporation of provisions hereof by reference in the applicable Award Agreement or otherwise) the substance of each of the following provisions:
(a) Term. Subject to the provisions of Section 4(b) regarding Ten Percent Stockholders, no Option or SAR will be exercisable after the expiration of 10 years from the date of its grant or such shorter period specified in the Award Agreement.
(b) Exercise Price. Subject to the provisions of Section 4(b) regarding Ten Percent Stockholders, the exercise or strike price of each Option or SAR will be not less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock subject to the Option or SAR on the date the Award is granted. Notwithstanding the foregoing, an Option or SAR granted as a Substitute Award may be granted with an exercise or strike price lower than 100% of the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock subject to the Award if such Award is granted in a manner consistent with the provisions of Section 409A of the Code and, if applicable, Section 424(a) of the Code. Each SAR will be denominated in shares of Common Stock equivalents.
(c) Purchase Price for Options. The purchase price of Common Stock acquired pursuant to the exercise of an Option may be paid, to the extent permitted by applicable law and as determined by the Board in its sole discretion, by any combination of the methods of payment set forth below. The Board will have the authority to grant Options that do not permit all of the following methods of payment (or otherwise restrict the ability to use certain methods) and to grant Options that require the consent of the Company to use a particular method of payment. No shares of Common Stock shall be issued and no certificate representing Common Stock shall be delivered until the full purchase price therefor and any withholding taxes thereon, as described in Section 8(g), have been paid (or arrangement made for such payment to the Companys satisfaction). The permitted methods of payment are as follows:
(i) by cash, check, bank draft or money order payable to the Company;
5
(ii) pursuant to a program developed under Regulation T as promulgated by the Federal Reserve Board that, prior to the issuance of the stock subject to the Option, results in either the receipt of cash (or check) by the Company or the receipt of irrevocable instructions to pay the aggregate exercise price to the Company from the sale proceeds;
(iii) by delivery to the Company (either by actual delivery or attestation) of shares of Common Stock;
(iv) if an Option is a Nonstatutory Stock Option, by a net exercise arrangement pursuant to which the Company will reduce the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise by the largest whole number of shares with a Fair Market Value that does not exceed the aggregate exercise price; provided, however, that the Company will accept cash or other payment from the Participant to the extent of any remaining balance of the aggregate exercise price not satisfied by such reduction in the number of whole shares to be issued. Shares of Common Stock will no longer be subject to an Option and will not be exercisable thereafter to the extent that (A) shares issuable upon exercise are used to pay the exercise price pursuant to the net exercise, (B) shares are delivered to the Participant as a result of such exercise, and (C) shares are withheld to satisfy tax withholding obligations; or
(v) in any other form of legal consideration that may be acceptable to the Board and specified in the applicable Award Agreement.
(d) Exercise and Payment of a SAR. To exercise any outstanding SAR, the Participant must provide written or electronic notice of exercise to the Company in compliance with the provisions of the Stock Appreciation Right Agreement evidencing such SAR. The appreciation distribution payable on the exercise of a SAR will be not greater than an amount equal to the excess of (A) the aggregate Fair Market Value (on the date of the exercise of the SAR) of a number of shares of Common Stock equal to the number of Common Stock equivalents in which the Participant is vested under such SAR (with respect to which the Participant is exercising the SAR on such date), over (B) the aggregate strike price of the number of Common Stock equivalents with respect to which the Participant is exercising the SAR on such date. The appreciation distribution may be paid in Common Stock, in cash, in any combination of the two or in any other form of consideration, as determined by the Board and contained in the Award Agreement evidencing such SAR.
(e) Transferability of Options and SARs. The Board may, in its sole discretion, impose such limitations on the transferability of Options and SARs as the Board will determine. In the absence of such a determination by the Board to the contrary, the following restrictions on the transferability of Options and SARs will apply:
(i) Restrictions on Transfer. An Option or SAR will not be transferable except by will or by the laws of descent and distribution (or pursuant to subsections (ii) and (iii) below), and will be exercisable during the lifetime of the Participant only by the Participant. The Board may permit transfer of the Option or SAR in a manner that is not prohibited by applicable tax and securities laws. Except as explicitly provided herein, neither an Option nor a SAR may be transferred for consideration.
6
(ii) Domestic Relations Orders. Subject to the approval of the Board or a duly authorized Officer, an Option or SAR may be transferred pursuant to the terms of a domestic relations order, official marital settlement agreement or other divorce or separation instrument as permitted by U.S. Treasury Regulation 1.421-1(b)(2). If an Option is an Incentive Stock Option, such Option may be deemed to be a Nonstatutory Stock Option as a result of such transfer.
(iii) Beneficiary Designation. Subject to the approval of the Board or a duly authorized Officer, a Participant may, by delivering written notice to the Company, in a form approved by the Company (or the designated broker), designate a third party who, on the death of the Participant, will thereafter be entitled to exercise the Option or SAR and receive the Common Stock or other consideration resulting from such exercise. In the absence of such a designation, the executor or administrator of the Participants estate will be entitled to exercise the Option or SAR and receive the Common Stock or other consideration resulting from such exercise. However, the Company may prohibit designation of a beneficiary at any time, including due to any conclusion by the Company that such designation would be inconsistent with the provisions of applicable laws.
(f) Vesting Generally. The total number of shares of Common Stock subject to an Option or SAR may vest and therefore become exercisable in periodic installments that may or may not be equal. The Option or SAR may be subject to such other terms and conditions on the time or times when it may or may not be exercised (which may be based on the satisfaction of Performance Goals or other criteria) as the Board may deem appropriate. The vesting provisions of individual Options or SARs may vary. The provisions of this Section 5(f) are subject to any Option or SAR provisions governing the minimum number of shares of Common Stock as to which an Option or SAR may be exercised.
(g) Termination of Continuous Service. Except as otherwise provided in the applicable Award Agreement, or other agreement between the Participant and the Company, if a Participants Continuous Service terminates (other than for Cause and other than upon the Participants death or Disability), the Participant may exercise his or her Option or SAR (to the extent that the Participant was entitled to exercise such Award as of the date of termination of Continuous Service) within the period of time ending on the earlier of (i) the date 90 days following the termination of the Participants Continuous Service and (ii) the expiration of the term of the Option or SAR as set forth in the applicable Award Agreement. If, after termination of Continuous Service, the Participant does not exercise his or her Option or SAR within the applicable time frame, the Option or SAR will terminate.
(h) Extension of Termination Date. Except as otherwise provided in the applicable Award Agreement, if the exercise of an Option or SAR following the termination of the Participants Continuous Service (other than for Cause and other than upon the Participants death or Disability) would be prohibited at any time solely because the issuance of shares of Common Stock would violate the registration requirements under the Securities Act, then the Option or SAR will terminate on the earlier of (i) the expiration of a total period of 90 days (that need not be consecutive) after the termination of the Participants Continuous Service during which the exercise of the Option or SAR would not be in violation of such registration requirements, and (ii) the expiration of the term of the Option or SAR as set forth in the applicable Award Agreement. In addition, unless otherwise provided in a Participants applicable Award Agreement, if the sale of any Common Stock received upon exercise of an Option or SAR following the termination of the Participants Continuous Service (other than for Cause) would violate the Companys insider trading policy, then the Option or SAR will terminate on the earlier of (i) the expiration of a period of months (that need not be consecutive) equal to the applicable post-termination exercise period after the termination of the Participants Continuous Service during which the sale of the Common Stock received upon exercise of the Option or SAR would not be in violation of the Companys insider trading policy, and (ii) the expiration of the term of the Option or SAR as set forth in the applicable Award Agreement.
7
(i) Disability of Participant. Except as otherwise provided in the applicable Award Agreement, or other agreement between the Participant and the Company, if a Participants Continuous Service terminates as a result of the Participants Disability, the Participant may exercise his or her Option or SAR (to the extent that the Participant was entitled to exercise such Option or SAR as of the date of termination of Continuous Service), but only within such period of time ending on the earlier of (i) the date 12 months following such termination of Continuous Service, and (ii) the expiration of the term of the Option or SAR as set forth in the applicable Award Agreement. If, after termination of Continuous Service, the Participant does not exercise his or her Option or SAR within the applicable time frame, the Option or SAR (as applicable) will terminate.
(j) Death of Participant. Except as otherwise provided in the applicable Award Agreement, or other agreement between the Participant and the Company, if (i) a Participants Continuous Service terminates as a result of the Participants death, or (ii) the Participant dies within the period (if any) specified in the applicable Award Agreement for exercisability after the termination of the Participants Continuous Service (for a reason other than death), then the Option or SAR may be exercised (to the extent the Participant was entitled to exercise such Option or SAR as of the date of death) by the Participants estate, by a person who acquired the right to exercise the Option or SAR by bequest or inheritance or by a person designated to exercise the Option or SAR upon the Participants death, but only within the period ending on the earlier of (i) the date 18 months following the date of death, and (ii) the expiration of the term of such Option or SAR as set forth in the applicable Award Agreement. If, after the Participants death, the Option or SAR is not exercised within the applicable time frame, the Option or SAR will terminate.
(k) Termination for Cause. Except as explicitly provided otherwise in a Participants Award Agreement or other individual written agreement between the Company or any Affiliate and the Participant, if a Participants Continuous Service is terminated for Cause, the Option or SAR will terminate upon the Participants termination for Cause, provided that, if a Participants Continuous Service is suspended pending an investigation of the existence of Cause, all of the Participants rights under the Option or SAR will also be suspended during the investigation period.
(l) Non-Exempt Employees. If an Option or SAR is granted to an Employee who is a non-exempt employee for purposes of the U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, as amended, the Option or SAR will not be first exercisable for any shares of Common Stock until at least six (6) months following the date of grant of the Option or SAR (although the Award may vest prior to such date). Consistent with the provisions of the U.S. Worker Economic Opportunity Act, (i) if such non-exempt Employee dies or suffers a Disability, (ii) upon a Corporate Transaction in which such Option or SAR is not assumed, continued, or substituted, (iii) upon a Change in Control, or (iv) upon the non-exempt Employees retirement (as such term may be defined in the non-exempt Employees applicable Award Agreement, in another agreement between the non-exempt Employee and the Company, or, if no such definition, in accordance with the Companys then current employment policies and guidelines), the vested portion of any Options and SARs may be exercised earlier than six (6) months following the date of grant. The foregoing provision is intended to operate so that any income derived by a non-exempt Employee in connection with the exercise or vesting of an Option or SAR will be exempt from his or her regular rate of pay. To the extent permitted and/or required for compliance with the U.S. Worker Economic Opportunity Act to ensure that any income derived by a non-exempt Employee in connection with the exercise, vesting or issuance of any shares under any other Stock Award will be exempt from such employees regular rate of pay, the provisions of this paragraph will apply to all Stock Awards and are hereby incorporated by reference into such Award Agreements.
8
(m) No Dividend Equivalents. Notwithstanding anything in an Award Agreement to the contrary, the holder of an Option or SAR shall not be entitled to receive dividend equivalents with respect to the number of shares of Common Stock subject to such Option or SAR.
6. | PROVISIONS OF STOCK AWARDS OTHER THAN OPTIONS AND SARS. |
(a) Restricted Stock Awards. Each Restricted Stock Award Agreement will be in such form and will contain such terms and conditions as the Board deems appropriate. To the extent consistent with the Companys bylaws, at the Boards election, shares of Common Stock may be (x) held in book entry form subject to the Companys instructions until any restrictions relating to the Restricted Stock Award lapse, or (y) evidenced by a certificate, which certificate will be held in such form and manner as determined by the Board. The terms and conditions of Restricted Stock Award Agreements may change from time to time, and the terms and conditions of separate Restricted Stock Award Agreements need not be identical. Each Restricted Stock Award Agreement will conform to (through incorporation of the provisions hereof by reference in the Award Agreement or otherwise) the substance of each of the following provisions:
(i) Consideration. A Restricted Stock Award may be awarded in consideration for (A) cash, check, bank draft or money order payable to the Company, (B) past services to the Company or an Affiliate, or (C) any other form of legal consideration (including future services) that may be acceptable to the Board, in its sole discretion, and permissible under applicable law.
(ii) Vesting. Shares of Common Stock awarded under the Restricted Stock Award Agreement may be subject to forfeiture to the Company in accordance with a vesting schedule to be determined by the Board.
(iii) Termination of Participants Continuous Service. If a Participants Continuous Service terminates, the Company may receive through a forfeiture condition or a repurchase right, any or all of the shares of Common Stock held by the Participant that have not vested as of the date of termination of Continuous Service under the terms of the Restricted Stock Award Agreement.
(iv) Transferability. Rights to acquire shares of Common Stock under the Restricted Stock Award Agreement will be transferable by the Participant only upon such terms and conditions as are set forth in the Restricted Stock Award Agreement, as the Board will determine in its sole discretion, so long as Common Stock awarded under the Restricted Stock Award Agreement remains subject to the terms of the Restricted Stock Award Agreement. Upon completion of such terms and conditions subject to the Companys right to require payment of any taxes in accordance with Section 8(g), the restrictions shall be removed from the requisite number of any shares of Common Stock that are held in book entry form, and all certificates evidencing Ownership of the requisite number of shares of Common Stock shall be delivered to the holder of such award.
(v) Rights with Respect to Restricted Stock Awards. Unless otherwise set forth in an Award Agreement relating to a Restricted Stock Award, and subject to the terms and conditions of a Restricted Stock Award, the holder of such award shall have all rights as a stockholder of the Company, including, but not limited to, voting rights, the right to receive dividends and the right to participate in any capital adjustment applicable to all holders of Common Stock; provided, however, that a distribution with respect to shares of Common Stock, including a regular cash dividend, shall be deposited with the Company and shall be subject to the same restrictions as the shares of Common Stock with respect to which such distribution was made.
9
(b) Restricted Stock Unit Awards. Each Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement will be in such form and will contain such terms and conditions as the Board deems appropriate. The terms and conditions of Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreements may change from time to time, and the terms and conditions of separate Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreements need not be identical. Each Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement will conform to (through incorporation of the provisions hereof by reference in the Award Agreement or otherwise) the substance of each of the following provisions:
(i) Consideration. At the time of grant of a Restricted Stock Unit Award, the Board will determine the consideration, if any, to be paid by the Participant upon delivery of each share of Common Stock subject to the Restricted Stock Unit Award. The consideration to be paid (if any) by the Participant for each share of Common Stock subject to a Restricted Stock Unit Award may be paid in any form of legal consideration that may be acceptable to the Board, in its sole discretion, and permissible under applicable law.
(ii) Vesting. At the time of the grant of a Restricted Stock Unit Award, the Board may impose such restrictions on or conditions to the vesting of the Restricted Stock Unit Award as it, in its sole discretion, deems appropriate.
(iii) Payment. A Restricted Stock Unit Award may be settled by the delivery of shares of Common Stock, their cash equivalent, any combination thereof or in any other form of consideration, as determined by the Board and contained in the Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement.
(iv) Additional Restrictions. At the time of the grant of a Restricted Stock Unit Award, the Board, as it deems appropriate, may impose such restrictions or conditions that delay the delivery of the shares of Common Stock (or their cash equivalent) subject to a Restricted Stock Unit Award to a time after the vesting of such Restricted Stock Unit Award.
(v) Dividend Equivalents. Dividend equivalents may be credited in respect of shares of Common Stock covered by a Restricted Stock Unit Award, as determined by the Board and contained in the Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement. At the sole discretion of the Board, such dividend equivalents may be converted into additional shares of Common Stock covered by the Restricted Stock Unit Award in such manner as determined by the Board. Any additional shares covered by the Restricted Stock Unit Award credited by reason of such dividend equivalents will be subject to all of the same terms and conditions of the underlying Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement to which they relate.
(vi) Termination of Participants Continuous Service. Except as otherwise provided in the applicable Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement, such portion of the Restricted Stock Unit Award that has not vested will be forfeited upon the Participants termination of Continuous Service.
(c) Performance Awards.
(i) Performance Stock Awards. A Performance Stock Award is a Stock Award that is payable (including that may be granted, vest or exercised) contingent upon the attainment during a Performance Period of certain Performance Goals. A Performance Stock Award may, but need not, require the completion of a specified period of Continuous Service. The length of any Performance Period, the Performance Goals to be achieved during the Performance Period, and the measure of whether and to what degree such Performance Goals have been attained will be conclusively determined by the Board, in its sole discretion. In addition, to the extent permitted by applicable law and the applicable Award Agreement, the Board may determine that cash may be used in payment of Performance Stock Awards.
10
(ii) Performance Cash Awards. A Performance Cash Award is a cash award that is payable contingent upon the attainment during a Performance Period of certain Performance Goals. A Performance Cash Award may also require the completion of a specified period of Continuous Service. At the time of grant of a Performance Cash Award, the length of any Performance Period, the Performance Goals to be achieved during the Performance Period, and the measure of whether and to what degree such Performance Goals have been attained will be conclusively determined by the Board, in its sole discretion. To the extent permitted by applicable law and the applicable Award Agreement, the Board may specify the form of payment of Performance Cash Awards, which may be cash or other property, or may provide for a Participant to have the option for his or her Performance Cash Award, or such portion thereof as the Board may specify, to be paid in whole or in part in cash or other property.
(d) Other Stock Awards. Other forms of Stock Awards valued in whole or in part by reference to, or otherwise based on, Common Stock, including the appreciation in value thereof, may be granted either alone or in addition to Stock Awards provided for under Section 5 and the preceding provisions of this Section 6. Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Board will have sole and complete authority to determine the persons to whom and the time or times at which such Other Stock Awards will be granted, the number of shares of Common Stock (or the cash equivalent thereof) to be granted pursuant to such Other Stock Awards and all other terms and conditions of such Other Stock Awards.
(e) Dividend Equivalents. Dividend equivalents may be credited in respect of shares of Common Stock covered by a Performance Share Award or other forms of Stock Awards, as determined by the Board and contained in the applicable Award Agreement (for avoidance of doubt, no dividend equivalents shall be paid prior to satisfaction of the applicable time-based and/or performance-based vesting conditions). At the sole discretion of the Board, such dividend equivalents may be converted into additional shares of Common Stock covered by the applicable Stock Award in such manner as determined by the Board. Any additional shares covered by the applicable Stock Award credited by reason of such dividend equivalents will be subject to all of the same terms and conditions of the underlying Award Agreement to which they relate.
7. | COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY. |
(a) Availability of Shares. The Company will keep available at all times the number of shares of Common Stock reasonably required to satisfy then-outstanding Stock Awards.
(b) Securities Law Compliance. The Company will seek to obtain from each regulatory commission or agency having jurisdiction over the Plan such authority as may be required to grant Stock Awards and to issue and sell shares of Common Stock upon exercise of the Stock Awards; provided, however, that this undertaking will not require the Company to register under the Securities Act the Plan, any Stock Award or any Common Stock issued or issuable pursuant to any such Stock Award. If, after reasonable efforts and at a reasonable cost, the Company is unable to obtain from any such regulatory commission or agency the authority that counsel for the Company deems necessary for the lawful issuance and sale of Common Stock under the Plan, the Company will be relieved from any liability for failure to issue and sell Common Stock upon exercise of such Stock Awards unless and until such authority is obtained. A Participant will not be eligible for the grant of an Award or the subsequent issuance of cash or Common Stock pursuant to the Award if such grant or issuance would be in violation of any applicable securities law.
(c) No Obligation to Notify or Minimize Taxes. The Company will have no duty or obligation to any Participant to advise such holder as to the time or manner of exercising such Stock Award. Furthermore, the Company will have no duty or obligation to warn or otherwise advise such holder of a pending termination or expiration of an Award or a possible period in which the Award may not be exercised. The Company has no duty or obligation to minimize the tax consequences of an Award to the holder of such Award.
11
8. | MISCELLANEOUS. |
(a) Use of Proceeds from Sales of Common Stock. Proceeds from the sale of shares of Common Stock pursuant to Stock Awards will constitute general funds of the Company.
(b) Corporate Action Constituting Grant of Awards. Corporate action constituting a grant by the Company of an Award to any Participant will be deemed completed as of the date of such corporate action, unless otherwise determined by the Board, regardless of when the instrument, certificate, or letter evidencing the Award is communicated to, or actually received or accepted by, the Participant. In the event that the corporate records (e.g., Board consents, resolutions or minutes) documenting the corporate action constituting the grant contain terms (e.g., exercise price, vesting schedule or number of shares) that are inconsistent with those in the Award Agreement as a result of a clerical error in the papering of the Award Agreement, the corporate records will control and the Participant will have no legally binding right to the incorrect term in the Award Agreement.
(c) Stockholder Rights. No Participant will be deemed to be the holder of, or to have any of the rights of a holder with respect to, any shares of Common Stock subject to a Stock Award unless and until (i) such Participant has satisfied all requirements for exercise of, or the issuance of shares of Common Stock under, the Stock Award pursuant to its terms, and (ii) the issuance of the Common Stock subject to such Stock Award has been entered into the books and records of the Company.
(d) No Employment or Other Service Rights. Nothing in the Plan, any Award Agreement or any other instrument executed thereunder or in connection with any Award granted pursuant thereto will confer upon any Participant any right to continue to serve the Company or an Affiliate in the capacity in effect at the time the Award was granted or will affect the right of the Company or an Affiliate to terminate (i) the employment of an Employee with or without notice and with or without cause, including, but not limited to, Cause, (ii) the service of a Consultant pursuant to the terms of such Consultants agreement with the Company or an Affiliate, or (iii) the service of a Director pursuant to the bylaws of the Company or an Affiliate, and any applicable provisions of the corporate law of the state in which the Company or the Affiliate is incorporated, as the case may be.
(e) Incentive Stock Option Limitations. To the extent that the aggregate Fair Market Value (determined at the time of grant) of Common Stock with respect to which Incentive Stock Options are exercisable for the first time by any Optionholder during any calendar year (under all plans of the Company and any Affiliates) exceeds $100,000 (or such other limit established in the Code) or otherwise does not comply with the rules governing Incentive Stock Options, the Options or portions thereof that exceed such limit (according to the order in which they were granted) or otherwise do not comply with such rules will be treated as Nonstatutory Stock Options, notwithstanding any contrary provision of the applicable Option Agreement(s).
(f) Investment Assurances. The Company may require a Participant, as a condition of exercising or acquiring Common Stock under any Stock Award, (i) to give written assurances satisfactory to the Company as to the Participants knowledge and experience in financial and business matters and/or to employ a purchaser representative reasonably satisfactory to the Company who is knowledgeable and experienced in financial and business matters and that he or she is capable of evaluating, alone or together with the purchaser representative, the merits and risks of exercising the Stock Award, and (ii) to give written assurances satisfactory to the Company stating that the Participant is acquiring Common Stock subject to the Stock Award for the Participants own account and not with any present intention of selling
12
or otherwise distributing the Common Stock. The foregoing requirements, and any assurances given pursuant to such requirements, will be inoperative if (i) the issuance of the shares upon the exercise of a Stock Award or acquisition of Common Stock under the Stock Award has been registered under a then currently effective registration statement under the Securities Act, or (ii) as to any particular requirement, a determination is made by counsel for the Company that such requirement need not be met in the circumstances under the then applicable securities laws. The Company may, upon advice of counsel to the Company, place legends on stock certificates issued under the Plan as such counsel deems necessary or appropriate in order to comply with applicable securities laws, including, but not limited to, legends restricting the transfer of the Common Stock.
(g) Withholding Obligations. Unless prohibited by the terms of an Award Agreement, the Company may, in its sole discretion, satisfy any U.S. federal, state, local, foreign or other tax withholding obligation relating to an Award by any of the following means or by a combination of such means: (i) causing the Participant to tender a cash payment; (ii) withholding shares of Common Stock from the shares of Common Stock issued or otherwise issuable to the Participant in connection with the Award; provided, however, that no shares of Common Stock are withheld with a value exceeding the minimum amount of tax required to be withheld by law (or, if permitted by the Company, such other rate as will not cause adverse accounting consequences under the accounting rules then in effect, and is permitted under applicable IRS withholding rules); (iii) withholding cash from an Award settled in cash; (iv) withholding payment from any amounts otherwise payable to the Participant, including proceeds from the sale of shares of Common Stock issued pursuant to a Stock Award; or (v) by such other method as may be set forth in the Award Agreement.
(h) Electronic Delivery. Any reference herein to a written agreement or document will include any agreement or document delivered electronically, filed publicly at www.sec.gov (or any successor website thereto), or posted on the Companys intranet (or other shared electronic medium controlled by the Company to which the Participant has access).
(i) Deferrals. To the extent permitted by applicable law, the Board, in its sole discretion, may determine that the delivery of Common Stock or the payment of cash, upon the exercise, vesting or settlement of all or a portion of any Award may be deferred and may establish programs and procedures for deferral elections to be made by Participants. Deferrals by Participants will be made in accordance with Section 409A of the Code (to the extent applicable to a Participant). Consistent with Section 409A of the Code, the Board may provide for distributions while a Participant is still an employee or otherwise providing services to the Company. The Board is authorized to make deferrals of Awards and determine when, and in what annual percentages, Participants may receive payments, including lump sum payments, following the Participants termination of Continuous Service, and implement such other terms and conditions consistent with the provisions of the Plan and in accordance with applicable law.
(j) Compliance with Section 409A. Unless otherwise expressly provided for in an Award Agreement, the Plan and Award Agreements will be interpreted to the greatest extent possible in a manner that makes the Plan and the Awards granted hereunder exempt from Section 409A of the Code, and, to the extent not so exempt, in compliance with Section 409A of the Code. If the Board determines that any Award granted hereunder is not exempt from and is therefore subject to Section 409A of the Code, the Award Agreement evidencing such Award will incorporate the terms and conditions necessary to avoid the consequences specified in Section 409A(a)(1) of the Code, and to the extent an Award Agreement is silent on terms necessary for compliance, such terms are hereby incorporated by reference into the Award Agreement. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Plan (and unless the Award Agreement specifically provides otherwise), if the shares of Common Stock are publicly traded, and if a Participant holding an Award that constitutes deferred compensation under Section 409A of the Code is a specified employee for purposes of Section 409A of the Code, no distribution or payment of any
13
amount that is due upon a separation from service (as defined in Section 409A of the Code without regard to alternative definitions thereunder) will be issued or paid before the date that is six (6) months following the date of such Participants separation from service or, if earlier, the date of the Participants death, unless such distribution or payment can be made in a manner that complies with Section 409A of the Code, and any amounts so deferred will be paid in a lump sum on the day after such six (6) month period elapses, with the balance paid thereafter on the original schedule. For purposes of Section 409A, each payment hereunder shall be considered a separate payment.
(k) Clawback/Recovery. All Awards granted under the Plan will be subject to recoupment in accordance with any clawback policy that the Company has adopted, or will be required to adopt, pursuant to the listing standards of any national securities exchange or association on which the Companys securities are listed or as is otherwise required by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act or other applicable law, including, but not limited to, the Atara Biotherapeutics, Inc. Incentive Compensation Recoupment Policy. In addition, the Board may impose such other clawback, recovery or recoupment provisions in an Award Agreement as the Board determines necessary or appropriate, including, but not limited to, a reacquisition right in respect of previously acquired shares of Common Stock or other cash or property upon the occurrence of Cause. No recovery of compensation under such a clawback policy will be an event giving rise to a right to resign for good reason or constructive termination (or similar term) under any agreement with the Company or an Affiliate.
(l) Protected Rights. Nothing contained in this Plan or an Award Agreement is intended to limit the Participants ability to (i) report possible violations of law or regulation to, or file a charge or complaint with, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the National Labor Relations Board, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Department of Justice, the Congress, any Inspector General, or any other federal, state or local governmental agency or commission (Government Agencies), (ii) communicate with any Government Agencies or otherwise participate in any investigation or proceeding that may be conducted by any Government Agency, including providing documents or other information, without notice to the Company or (iii) under applicable United States federal law to (A) disclose in confidence trade secrets to federal, state, and local government officials, or to an attorney, for the sole purpose of reporting or investigating a suspected violation of law or (B) disclose trade secrets in a document filed in a lawsuit or other proceeding, but only if the filing is made under seal and protected from public disclosure.
(m) Severability. The provisions of the Plan shall be deemed severable. If any provision of the Plan shall be held unlawful or otherwise invalid or unenforceable in whole or in part by a court of competent jurisdiction or any governmental regulatory agency, or impermissible under the rules of any securities exchange on which the Common Stock is listed or by reason of change in a law or regulation, such provision shall (a) be deemed limited to the extent that such court of competent jurisdiction deems it lawful, valid and/or enforceable and as so limited shall remain in full force and effect, and (b) not affect any other provision of the Plan or part thereof, each of which shall remain in full force and effect. If the making of any payment or the provision of any other benefit required under the Plan shall be held unlawful or otherwise invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, such unlawfulness or invalidity shall not prevent any other payment or benefit from being made or provided under the Plan, and if the making of any payment in full or the provision of any other benefit required under the Plan in full would be unlawful or otherwise invalid or impermissible, then such unlawfulness, invalidity or impermissibility shall not prevent such payment or benefit from being made or provided in part, to the extent that it would not be unlawful, invalid, unenforceable or impermissible, and the maximum payment or benefit that would not be unlawful, invalid or impermissible shall be made or provided under the Plan.
14
9. | ADJUSTMENTS UPON CHANGES IN COMMON STOCK; OTHER CORPORATE EVENTS. |
(a) Capitalization Adjustments. In the event of a Capitalization Adjustment, the Board will appropriately and proportionately adjust: (i) the class(es) and maximum number of securities subject to the Plan pursuant to Section 3(a); (ii) the class(es) and maximum number of securities that may be issued pursuant to the exercise of Incentive Stock Options pursuant to Section 3(c); and (iii) the class(es) and number of securities and price per share of stock subject to outstanding Stock Awards. The Board will make such adjustments, and its determination will be final, binding and conclusive.
(b) Dissolution or Liquidation. Except as otherwise provided in the Stock Award Agreement, in the event of a dissolution or liquidation of the Company, all outstanding Stock Awards (other than Stock Awards consisting of vested and outstanding shares of Common Stock not subject to a forfeiture condition or the Companys right of repurchase) will terminate immediately prior to the completion of such dissolution or liquidation, and the shares of Common Stock subject to the Companys repurchase rights or subject to a forfeiture condition may be repurchased or reacquired by the Company notwithstanding the fact that the holder of such Stock Award is providing Continuous Service; provided, however, that the Board may, in its sole discretion, cause some or all Stock Awards to become fully vested, exercisable and/or no longer subject to repurchase or forfeiture (to the extent such Stock Awards have not previously expired or terminated) before the dissolution or liquidation is completed but contingent on its completion.
(c) Corporate Transaction. The following provisions will apply to Stock Awards in the event of a Corporate Transaction unless otherwise provided in the Award Agreement or any other written agreement between the Company or any Affiliate and the Participant or unless otherwise expressly provided by the Board at the time of grant of a Stock Award. In the event of a Corporate Transaction, then, notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, the Board will take one or more of the following actions with respect to Stock Awards, contingent upon the closing or completion of the Corporate Transaction:
(i) arrange for the surviving corporation or acquiring corporation (or the surviving or acquiring corporations parent company) to assume or continue the Stock Award or to substitute a similar stock award for the Stock Award (including, but not limited to, an award to acquire the same consideration paid to the stockholders of the Company pursuant to the Corporate Transaction);
(ii) arrange for the assignment of any reacquisition or repurchase rights held by the Company in respect of Common Stock issued pursuant to the Stock Award to the surviving corporation or acquiring corporation (or the surviving or acquiring corporations parent company);
(iii) accelerate the vesting, in whole or in part, of the Stock Award (and, if applicable, the time at which the Stock Award may be exercised) to a date prior to the effective time of such Corporate Transaction as the Board will determine (or, if the Board will not determine such a date, to the date that is five (5) days prior to the effective date of the Corporate Transaction), with such Stock Award terminating if not exercised (if applicable) at or prior to the effective time of the Corporate Transaction;
(iv) arrange for the lapse, in whole or in part, of any reacquisition or repurchase rights held by the Company with respect to the Stock Award;
(v) cancel or arrange for the cancellation of the Stock Award, to the extent not vested or not exercised prior to the effective time of the Corporate Transaction, in exchange for such cash consideration or other property, if any, as the Board, in its sole discretion, may consider appropriate; and
15
(vi) cancel or arrange for the cancellation of the Stock Award, to the extent not vested or not exercised prior to the effective time of the Corporate Transaction, in exchange for a payment, in such form as may be determined by the Board equal to the excess, if any, of (A) the value of the property the Participant would have received upon the exercise of the Stock Award immediately prior to the effective time of the Corporate Transaction, over (B) any exercise price payable by such holder in connection with such exercise.
The Board need not take the same action or actions with respect to all Stock Awards or portions thereof or with respect to all Participants. The Board may take different actions with respect to the vested and unvested portions of a Stock Award.
(d) Change in Control. A Stock Award may be subject to additional acceleration of vesting and exercisability upon or after a Change in Control as may be provided in the Stock Award Agreement for such Stock Award or as may be provided in any other written agreement between the Company or any Affiliate and the Participant, but in the absence of such provision, no such acceleration will occur.
10. | TERMINATION OR SUSPENSION OF THE PLAN. |
This Plan shall be submitted to the stockholders of the Company for approval at the Companys 2024 annual meeting of stockholders and, if approved by the Companys stockholders, shall become effective as of the date on which the Plan was approved by stockholders (the Effective Date). This Plan shall terminate as of the first annual meeting of the Companys stockholders to occur on or after the tenth anniversary of its effective date, unless terminated earlier by the Board. Termination of this Plan shall not affect the terms or conditions of any award granted prior to termination. Awards hereunder may be made at any time prior to the termination of this Plan, provided that no Incentive Stock Option may be granted later than ten years after the date on which the Plan was approved by the Board.
11. | CHOICE OF LAW. |
The laws of the State of Delaware will govern all questions concerning the construction, validity and interpretation of this Plan, without regard to that states conflict of laws rules.
12. | DEFINITIONS. |
As used in the Plan, the following definitions will apply to the capitalized terms indicated below:
(a) Affiliate means, at the time of determination, any parent or subsidiary of the Company, as such terms are defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. The Board will have the authority to determine the time or times at which parent or subsidiary status is determined within the foregoing definition.
(b) Award means a Stock Award or a Performance Cash Award.
(c) Award Agreement means a written or electronic agreement between the Company and a Participant evidencing the terms and conditions of an Award.
(d) Board means the Board of Directors of the Company.
(e) Capitalization Adjustment means any change that is made in, or other events that occur with respect to, the Common Stock subject to the Plan or subject to any Stock Award after the Effective Date without the receipt of consideration by the Company through merger, consolidation, reorganization, recapitalization, reincorporation, stock dividend, dividend in property other than cash, large nonrecurring cash dividend, stock split, liquidating dividend, combination of shares, exchange of shares, change in
16
corporate structure or other similar equity restructuring transaction, as that term is used in Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Topic 718 (or any successor thereto). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the conversion of any convertible securities of the Company will not be treated as a Capitalization Adjustment.
(f) Cause will have the meaning ascribed to such term in any written agreement between the Participant and the Company or any Affiliate defining such term and which is in effect as of the date of grant and, in the absence of such agreement, such term means, with respect to a Participant, the occurrence of any of the following events: (i) Participants willful failure substantially to perform his or her duties and responsibilities to the Company or any Affiliate or deliberate violation of a policy of the Company or any Affiliate; (ii) Participants commission of any act of fraud, embezzlement, dishonesty or any other willful misconduct that has caused or is reasonably expected to result in material injury to the Company or any Affiliate; (iii) unauthorized use or disclosure by Participant of any proprietary information or trade secrets of the Company or any other party to whom the Participant owes an obligation of nondisclosure as a result of his or her relationship with the Company or any Affiliate; or (iv) Participants willful breach of any of his or her obligations under any written agreement or covenant with the Company or any Affiliate. The determination as to whether a Participant is being terminated for Cause will be made in good faith by the Company and will be final and binding on the Participant. Any determination by the Company that the Continuous Service of a Participant was terminated with or without Cause for the purposes of outstanding Awards held by such Participant will have no effect upon any determination of the rights or obligations of the Company, any Affiliate or such Participant for any other purpose.
(g) Change in Control means the occurrence, in a single transaction or in a series of related transactions, of any one or more of the following events:
(i) any Exchange Act Person becomes the Owner, directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing more than 50% of the combined voting power of the Companys then outstanding securities other than by virtue of a merger, consolidation or similar transaction. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a Change in Control will not be deemed to occur (A) on account of the acquisition of securities of the Company directly from the Company, (B) on account of the acquisition of securities of the Company by an investor, any affiliate thereof or any other Exchange Act Person that acquires the Companys securities in a transaction or series of related transactions the primary purpose of which is to obtain financing for the Company through the issuance of equity securities or (C) solely because the level of Ownership held by any Exchange Act Person (the Subject Person) exceeds the designated percentage threshold of the outstanding voting securities as a result of a repurchase or other acquisition of voting securities by the Company reducing the number of shares outstanding, provided that if a Change in Control would occur (but for the operation of this sentence) as a result of the acquisition of voting securities by the Company, and after such share acquisition, the Subject Person becomes the Owner of any additional voting securities that, assuming the repurchase or other acquisition had not occurred, increases the percentage of the then outstanding voting securities Owned by the Subject Person over the designated percentage threshold, then a Change in Control will be deemed to occur;
(ii) there is consummated a merger, consolidation or similar transaction involving (directly or indirectly) the Company and, immediately after the consummation of such merger, consolidation or similar transaction, the stockholders of the Company immediately prior thereto do not Own, directly or indirectly, either (A) outstanding voting securities representing more than 50% of the combined outstanding voting power of the surviving Entity in such merger, consolidation or similar transaction or (B) more than 50% of the combined outstanding voting power of the parent of the surviving Entity in such merger, consolidation or similar transaction, in each case in substantially the same proportions as their Ownership of the outstanding voting securities of the Company immediately prior to such transaction;
17
(iii) there is consummated a sale, lease, exclusive license or other disposition of all or substantially all of the consolidated assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries, other than a sale, lease, license or other disposition of all or substantially all of the consolidated assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries to an Entity, more than 50% of the combined voting power of the voting securities of which are Owned by stockholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their Ownership of the outstanding voting securities of the Company immediately prior to such sale, lease, license or other disposition; or
(iv) individuals who, on the Effective Date, are members of the Board (the Incumbent Board) cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the members of the Board; provided, however, that if the appointment or election (or nomination for election) of any new Board member was approved or recommended by a majority vote of the members of the Incumbent Board then still in office, such new member will, for purposes of this Plan, be considered as a member of the Incumbent Board; provided, further, that no individual initially elected or nominated as a director of the Company as a result of an actual or threatened election contest with respect to directors or as a result of any other actual or threatened solicitation of proxies by or on behalf of any person other than the Board shall be deemed to be an Incumbent Director.
Notwithstanding the foregoing definition or any other provision of this Plan, the term Change in Control will not include a sale of assets, merger or other transaction effected exclusively for the purpose of changing the domicile of the Company.
If required for compliance with Section 409A of the Code, in no event will a Change in Control be deemed to have occurred if such transaction is not also a change in the ownership or effective control of the Company or a change in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets of the Company as determined under U.S. Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-3(i)(5) (without regard to any alternative definition thereunder). The Board may, in its sole discretion and without a Participants consent, amend the definition of Change in Control to conform to the definition of Change in Control under Section 409A of the Code, and the regulations thereunder.
(h) Code means the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, including any applicable regulations and guidance thereunder.
(i) Committee means the Compensation Committee of the Board, or a subcommittee thereof, or such other committee to whom authority has been delegated by the Board in accordance with Section 2(c), in each case, consisting of two or more members of the Board, each of whom is intended to be (i) a non-employee director within the meaning of Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act and (ii) independent within the meaning of the rules of the Nasdaq Global Select Market or, if the Common Stock is not listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market, within the meaning of the rules of the principal stock exchange on which the Common Stock is then traded.
(j) Common Stock means the common stock of the Company.
(k) Company means Atara Biotherapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation, or any successor thereto.
18
(l) Consultant means any person, including an advisor, who is (i) engaged by the Company or an Affiliate to render consulting or advisory services and is compensated for such services, or (ii) serving as a member of the board of directors of an Affiliate and is compensated for such services. However, service solely as a Director, or payment of a fee for such service, will not cause a Director to be considered a Consultant for purposes of the Plan. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a person is treated as a Consultant under this Plan only if a Form S-8 Registration Statement under the Securities Act is available to register either the offer or the sale of the Companys securities to such person.
(m) Continuous Service means that the Participants service with the Company or an Affiliate, whether as an Employee, Director or Consultant, is not interrupted or terminated. A change in the capacity in which the Participant renders service to the Company or an Affiliate as an Employee, Consultant or Director or a change in the Entity for which the Participant renders such service, provided that there is no interruption or termination of the Participants service with the Company or an Affiliate, will not terminate a Participants Continuous Service. For example, a change in status from an Employee of the Company to a Consultant of an Affiliate or to a Director will not constitute an interruption of Continuous Service. If the Entity for which a Participant is rendering services ceases to qualify as an Affiliate, as determined by the Board in its sole discretion, such Participants Continuous Service will be considered to have terminated on the date such Entity ceases to qualify as an Affiliate. To the extent permitted by law, the Board or, with respect to Participants that are not Officers, the chief executive officer of the Company, in that partys sole discretion, may determine whether Continuous Service will be considered interrupted in the case of (i) any leave of absence approved by the Board or chief executive officer, including sick leave, military leave or any other personal leave, or (ii) transfers between the Company, an Affiliate, or their successors. In addition, if required for exemption from or compliance with Section 409A of the Code, the determination of whether there has been a termination of Continuous Service will be made, and such term will be construed, in a manner that is consistent with the definition of separation from service as defined under U.S. Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(h) (without regard to any alternative definition thereunder). A leave of absence will be treated as Continuous Service for purposes of vesting in a Stock Award only to such extent as may be provided in the Companys leave of absence policy, in the written terms of any leave of absence agreement or policy applicable to the Participant, or as otherwise required by law.
(n) Corporate Transaction means the consummation, in a single transaction or in a series of related transactions, of any one or more of the following events:
(i) a sale or other disposition of all or substantially all, as determined by the Board in its sole discretion, of the consolidated assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries;
(ii) a sale or other disposition of at least 90% of the outstanding securities of the Company;
(iii) a merger, consolidation or similar transaction following which the Company is not the surviving corporation; or
(iv) a merger, consolidation or similar transaction following which the Company is the surviving corporation but the shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately preceding the merger, consolidation or similar transaction are converted or exchanged by virtue of the merger, consolidation or similar transaction into other property, whether in the form of securities, cash or otherwise.
To the extent required for compliance with Section 409A of the Code, in no event will an event be deemed a Corporate Transaction if such transaction is not also a change in the ownership or effective control of the Company or a change in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets of the Company as determined under U.S. Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-3(i)(5) (without regard to any alternative definition thereunder).
19
(o) Director means a member of the Board.
(p) Disability will have the meaning ascribed to such term in any written agreement between the Participant and the Company or any Affiliate defining such term and which is in effect as of the date of grant and, in the absence of such agreement or in the case of Incentive Stock Options or to the extent required to comply with Section 409A of the Code, such term means, with respect to a Participant, the inability of such Participant to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment that can be expected to result in death or that has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months as provided in Sections 22(e)(3) and 409A(a)(2)(C)(i) of the Code, and will be determined by the Board on the basis of such medical evidence as the Board deems warranted under the circumstances.
(q) Effective Date is defined in Section 10 of the Plan.
(r) Employee means any person providing services as an employee of the Company or an Affiliate. However, service solely as a Director, or payment of a fee for such services, will not cause a Director to be considered an Employee for purposes of the Plan.
(s) Entity means a corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other entity.
(t) Exchange Act means the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
(u) Exchange Act Person means any natural person, Entity or group (within the meaning of Section 13(d) or 14 (d) of the Exchange Act), except that Exchange Act Person will not include (i) the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company, (ii) any employee benefit plan of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company or any trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under an employee benefit plan of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company, (iii) an underwriter temporarily holding securities pursuant to a registered public offering of such securities, (iv) an Entity Owned, directly or indirectly, by the stockholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their Ownership of stock of the Company, or (v) any natural person, Entity or group (within the meaning of Section 13(d) or 14(d) of the Exchange Act) that, as of the Effective Date, is the Owner, directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing more than 50% of the combined voting power of the Companys then outstanding securities.
(v) Fair Market Value means, as of any date, the value of the Common Stock determined as follows:
(i) If the Common Stock is listed on any established stock exchange or traded on any established market, the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock will be, unless otherwise determined by the Board, the closing sale price for such stock as quoted on such exchange or market (or the exchange or market with the greatest volume of trading in the Common Stock) on the date of determination, as reported in a source the Board deems reliable.
(ii) Unless otherwise provided by the Board, if there is no closing sale price for the Common Stock on the date of determination, then the Fair Market Value will be the closing selling price on the last preceding date for which such quotation exists.
20
(iii) In the absence of such markets for the Common Stock, the Fair Market Value will be determined by the Board in good faith and in a manner that complies with Sections 409A and 422 of the Code.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company may in its discretion use the closing sale price of a share of Common Stock on the day preceding the date as of which such value is being determined to the extent the Company determines such method is more practical for administrative purposes, such as for purposes of tax withholding.
(w) Incentive Stock Option means an Option granted pursuant to Section 5 of the Plan that is intended to be, and that qualifies as, an incentive stock option within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code.
(x) Non-Employee Director means a Director who is not a current employee or officer of the Company or an Affiliate.
(y) Nonstatutory Stock Option means any option granted pursuant to Section 5 of the Plan that does not qualify as an Incentive Stock Option.
(z) Officer means a person who is an officer of the Company within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act.
(aa) Option means an Incentive Stock Option or a Nonstatutory Stock Option to purchase shares of Common Stock granted pursuant to the Plan.
(bb) Option Agreement means a written agreement between the Company and an Optionholder evidencing the terms and conditions of an Option grant. Each Option Agreement will be subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan.
(cc) Optionholder means a person to whom an Option is granted pursuant to the Plan or, if applicable, such other person who holds an outstanding Option.
(dd) Other Stock Award means an award based in whole or in part by reference to the Common Stock which is granted pursuant to the terms and conditions of Section 6(d).
(ee) Other Stock Award Agreement means a written agreement between the Company and a holder of an Other Stock Award evidencing the terms and conditions of an Other Stock Award grant. Each Other Stock Award Agreement will be subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan.
(ff) Own, Owned, Owner, Ownership means a person or Entity will be deemed to Own, to have Owned, to be the Owner of, or to have acquired Ownership of securities if such person or Entity, directly or indirectly, through any contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship or otherwise, has or shares voting power, which includes the power to vote or to direct the voting, with respect to such securities.
(gg) Participant means a person to whom an Award is granted pursuant to the Plan or, if applicable, such other person who holds an outstanding Stock Award.
(hh) Performance Cash Award means an award of cash granted pursuant to the terms and conditions of Section 6 (c)(ii).
21
(ii) Performance Criteria means the one or more criteria that the Board will select for purposes of establishing the Performance Goals for a Performance Period. The Performance Criteria that may be used to establish such Performance Goals may be based on any one of, or combination of, the following as determined by the Board: (1) profit before tax; (2) billings; (3) revenue; (4) net revenue; (5) earnings (which may include earnings before interest and taxes, earnings before taxes, and net earnings); (6) operating income; (7) operating margin; (8) operating profit; (9) controllable operating profit, or net operating profit; (10) net profit; (11) gross margin; (12) operating expenses or operating expenses as a percentage of revenue; (13) net income; (14) earnings per share; (15) total stockholder return; (16) market share; (17) return on assets or net assets; (18) the Companys stock price; (19) growth in stockholder value relative to a pre-determined index; (20) return on equity; (21) return on invested capital; (22) cash flow (including free cash flow or operating cash flows); (23) cash conversion cycle; (24) economic value added; (25) individual confidential business objectives; (26) contract awards or backlog; (27) overhead or other expense reduction; (28) credit rating; (29) strategic plan development and implementation; (30) succession plan development and implementation; (31) improvement in workforce diversity; (32) customer indicators; (33) new product invention or innovation; (34) attainment of research and development milestones; (35) improvements in productivity; (36) bookings; (37) initiation of phases of clinical trials and/or studies by specified dates; (38) regulatory body approval with respect to products, studies and/or trials; (39) patient enrollment dates; (40) commercial launch of products; and (41) other measures of performance selected by the Board.
(jj) Performance Goals means, for a Performance Period, the one or more goals established by the Board for the Performance Period based upon the Performance Criteria. Performance Goals may be based on a Company-wide basis, with respect to one or more business units, divisions, Affiliates, or business segments, and in either absolute terms or relative to the performance of one or more comparable companies or the performance of one or more relevant indices. In establishing a Performance Goal or determining the achievement of a Performance Goal, the Board may provide that achievement of the applicable Performance Goals may be amended or adjusted to include or exclude components of any Performance Goal, including, without limitation, foreign exchange gains and losses, asset writedowns, acquisitions and divestitures, change in fiscal year, unbudgeted capital expenditures, special charges such as restructuring or impairment charges, debt refinancing costs, extraordinary or noncash items, unusual, infrequently occurring, nonrecurring or one-time events affecting the Company or its financial statements or changes in law or accounting principles. Performance Goals shall be subject to such other special rules and conditions as the Board may establish at any time. Partial achievement of the specified criteria may result in the payment or vesting corresponding to the degree of achievement as specified in the Stock Award Agreement or the written terms of a Performance Cash Award.
(kk) Performance Period means the period of time selected by the Board over which the attainment of one or more Performance Goals will be measured for the purpose of determining a Participants right to and the payment of a Stock Award or a Performance Cash Award. Performance Periods may be of varying and overlapping duration, at the sole discretion of the Board.
(ll) Performance Stock Award means a Stock Award granted under the terms and conditions of Section 6(c)(i).
(mm) Plan means this Atara Biotherapeutics, Inc. 2024 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended and restated.
(nn) Restricted Stock Award means an award of shares of Common Stock which is granted pursuant to the terms and conditions of Section 6(a).
22
(oo) Restricted Stock Award Agreement means a written agreement between the Company and a holder of a Restricted Stock Award evidencing the terms and conditions of a Restricted Stock Award grant. Each Restricted Stock Award Agreement will be subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan.
(pp) Restricted Stock Unit Award means a right to receive shares of Common Stock which is granted pursuant to the terms and conditions of Section 6(b).
(qq) Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement means a written agreement between the Company and a holder of a Restricted Stock Unit Award evidencing the terms and conditions of a Restricted Stock Unit Award grant. Each Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement will be subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan.
(rr) Securities Act means the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
(ss) Stock Appreciation Right or SAR means a right to receive the appreciation on Common Stock that is granted pursuant to the terms and conditions of Section 5.
(tt) Stock Appreciation Right Agreement means a written agreement between the Company and a holder of a Stock Appreciation Right evidencing the terms and conditions of a Stock Appreciation Right grant. Each Stock Appreciation Right Agreement will be subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan.
(uu) Stock Award means any right to receive Common Stock granted under the Plan, including an Incentive Stock Option, a Nonstatutory Stock Option, a Restricted Stock Award, a Restricted Stock Unit Award, a Stock Appreciation Right, a Performance Stock Award, or any Other Stock Award.
(vv) Stock Award Agreement means a written agreement between the Company and a Participant evidencing the terms and conditions of a Stock Award grant. Each Stock Award Agreement will be subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan.
(ww) Subsidiary means, with respect to the Company, (i) any corporation of which more than 50% of the outstanding capital stock having ordinary voting power to elect a majority of the board of directors of such corporation (irrespective of whether, at the time, stock of any other class or classes of such corporation will have or might have voting power by reason of the happening of any contingency) is at the time, directly or indirectly, Owned by the Company, and (ii) any partnership, limited liability company or other entity in which the Company has a direct or indirect interest (whether in the form of voting or participation in profits or capital contribution) of more than 50%.
(xx) Substitute Award shall mean an Award granted under this Plan upon the assumption of, or in substitution for, outstanding equity awards previously granted by a company or other entity in connection with a corporate transaction, including a merger, combination, consolidation or acquisition of property or stock; provided, however, that in no event shall the term Substitute Award be construed to refer to an Award made in connection with the cancellation and repricing of an Option or SAR.
(yy) Ten Percent Stockholder means a person who Owns (or is deemed to Own pursuant to Section 424(d) of the Code) stock possessing more than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or any Affiliate.
23