Stock Option Agreement [2004 Non-Employee Directors' Stock Option Plan] - Blue Nile Inc.
BLUE NILE, INC.
2004 NON-EMPLOYEE DIRECTORS' STOCK OPTION PLAN
STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT
(NONSTATUTORY STOCK OPTION)
Pursuant to your Stock Option Grant Notice ("Grant Notice") and this
Stock Option Agreement, Blue Nile, Inc. (the "Company") has granted you an
option under its 2004 Non-Employee Directors' Stock Option Plan (the "Plan") to
purchase the number of shares of the Company's Common Stock indicated in your
Grant Notice at the exercise price indicated in your Grant Notice. Defined terms
not explicitly defined in this Stock Option Agreement but defined in the Plan
shall have the same definitions as in the Plan.
The details of your option are as follows:
1. VESTING. Subject to the limitations contained herein, your option
will vest as provided in your Grant Notice, provided that vesting will cease
upon the termination of your Continuous Service.
2. NUMBER OF SHARES AND EXERCISE PRICE. The number of shares of Common
Stock subject to your option and your exercise price per share referenced in
your Grant Notice may be adjusted from time to time for Capitalization
Adjustments.
3. METHOD OF PAYMENT. Payment of the exercise price is due in full upon
exercise of all or any part of your option. You may elect to make payment of the
exercise price in cash or by check or in any other manner PERMITTED BY YOUR
GRANT NOTICE, which may include one or more of the following:
(a) In the Company's sole discretion at the time your option
is exercised and provided that at the time of exercise the Common Stock is
publicly traded and quoted regularly in The Wall Street Journal, pursuant to a
program developed under Regulation T as promulgated by the Federal Reserve Board
that, prior to the issuance of Common Stock, 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 sales proceeds.
(b) Provided that at the time of exercise the Common Stock is
publicly traded and quoted regularly in The Wall Street Journal, by delivery of
already-owned shares of Common Stock either that you have held for the period
required to avoid a charge to the Company's reported earnings (generally six (6)
months) or that you did not acquire, directly or indirectly from the Company,
that are owned free and clear of any liens, claims, encumbrances
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or security interests, and that are valued at Fair Market Value on the date of
exercise. "Delivery" for these purposes, in the sole discretion of the Company
at the time you exercise your option, shall include delivery to the Company of
your attestation of ownership of such shares of Common Stock in a form approved
by the Company. Notwithstanding the foregoing, you may not exercise your option
by tender to the Company of Common Stock to the extent such tender would violate
the provisions of any law, regulation or agreement restricting the redemption of
the Company's stock.
4. WHOLE SHARES. You may exercise your option only for whole shares of
Common Stock.
5. SECURITIES LAW COMPLIANCE. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary
contained herein, you may not exercise your option unless the shares of Common
Stock issuable upon such exercise are then registered under the Securities Act
or, if such shares of Common Stock are not then so registered, the Company has
determined that such exercise and issuance would be exempt from the registration
requirements of the Securities Act. The exercise of your option also must comply
with other applicable laws and regulations governing your option, and you may
not exercise your option if the Company determines that such exercise would not
be in material compliance with such laws and regulations.
6. TERM. You may not exercise your option before the commencement or
after the expiration of its term. The term of your option commences on the Date
of Grant and expires upon the earliest of the following:
(a) three (3) months after the termination of your Continuous
Service for any reason other than your Disability or death, provided that if
during any part of such three (3) month period your option is not exercisable
solely because of the condition set forth in Section 5, your option shall not
expire until the earlier of the Expiration Date or until it shall have been
exercisable for an aggregate period of three (3) months after the termination of
your Continuous Service;
(b) twelve (12) months after the termination of your
Continuous Service due to your Disability;
(c) eighteen (18) months after your death if you die either
during your Continuous Service or within three (3) months after your Continuous
Service terminates;
(d) the Expiration Date indicated in your Grant Notice; or
(e) the day before the tenth (10th) anniversary of the Date of
Grant.
7. EXERCISE.
(a) You may exercise the vested portion of your option during
its term by delivering a Notice of Exercise (in a form designated by the
Company) together with the exercise price to the Secretary of the Company, or to
such other person as the Company may designate, during regular business hours,
together with such additional documents as the Company may then require.
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(b) By exercising your option you agree that, as a condition
to any exercise of your option, the Company may require you to enter into an
arrangement providing for the payment by you to the Company of any tax
withholding obligation of the Company arising by reason of (1) the exercise of
your option, (2) the lapse of any substantial risk of forfeiture to which the
shares of Common Stock are subject at the time of exercise, or (3) the
disposition of shares of Common Stock acquired upon such exercise.
8. TRANSFERABILITY. Your option is not transferable, except by will or
by the laws of descent and distribution, and is exercisable during your life
only by you. Notwithstanding the foregoing, by delivering written notice to the
Company, in a form satisfactory to the Company, you may designate a third party
who, in the event of your death, shall thereafter be entitled to exercise your
option.
9. OPTION NOT A SERVICE CONTRACT. Your option is not an employment or
service contract, and nothing in your option shall be deemed to create in any
way whatsoever any obligation on your part to continue in the employ of the
Company or an Affiliate, or of the Company or an Affiliate to continue your
employment. In addition, nothing in your option shall obligate the Company or an
Affiliate, their respective stockholders, Boards of Directors, Officers or
Employees to continue any relationship that you might have as a Director or
Consultant for the Company or an Affiliate.
10. CHANGE IN CONTROL.
(a) If a Change in Control occurs and your Continuous Service
with the Company has not terminated as of, or immediately prior to, the
effective time of the Change in Control, then, as of the effective time of such
Change in Control, the vesting and exercisability of your option shall be
accelerated in full.
(b) If any payment or benefit you would receive pursuant to a
Change in Control from the Company or otherwise ("Payment") would (i) constitute
a "parachute payment" within the meaning of Section 280G of the Code, and (ii)
but for this sentence, be subject to the excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of
the Code (the "Excise Tax"), then such Payment shall be equal to the Reduced
Amount. The "Reduced Amount" shall be either (x) the largest portion of the
Payment that would result in no portion of the Payment being subject to the
Excise Tax or (y) the largest portion, up to and including the total, of the
Payment, whichever amount, after taking into account all applicable federal,
state and local employment taxes, income taxes, and the Excise Tax (all computed
at the highest applicable marginal rate), results in your receipt, on an
after-tax basis, of the greater amount of the Payment notwithstanding that all
or some portion of the Payment may be subject to the Excise Tax. If a reduction
in payments or benefits constituting "parachute payments" is necessary so that
the Payment equals the Reduced Amount, reduction shall occur in the following
order unless you elect in writing a different order (provided, however, that
such election shall be subject to Company approval if made on or after the
effective date of the event that triggers the Payment): reduction of cash
payments; cancellation of accelerated vesting of Stock Awards; reduction of
employee benefits. In the event that acceleration of vesting of Stock Award
compensation is to be reduced, such acceleration of vesting shall be cancelled
in the reverse order of the date of grant of your Stock Awards (i.e.,
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earliest granted Stock Award cancelled last) unless you elect in writing a
different order for cancellation.
The accounting firm engaged by the Company for general audit purposes as of the
day prior to the effective date of the Change in Control shall perform the
foregoing calculations. If the accounting firm so engaged by the Company is
serving as accountant or auditor for the individual, entity or group effecting
the Change in Control, the Company shall appoint a nationally recognized
accounting firm to make the determinations required hereunder. The Company shall
bear all expenses with respect to the determinations by such accounting firm
required to be made hereunder.
(c) The accounting firm engaged to make the determinations
hereunder shall provide its calculations, together with detailed supporting
documentation, to you and the Company within fifteen (15) calendar days after
the date on which your right to a Payment is triggered (if requested at that
time by you or the Company) or such other time as requested by you or the
Company. If the accounting firm determines that no Excise Tax is payable with
respect to a Payment, either before or after the application of the Reduced
Amount, it shall furnish you and the Company with an opinion reasonably
acceptable to you that no Excise Tax will be imposed with respect to such
Payment. Any good faith determinations of the accounting firm made hereunder
shall be final, binding and conclusive upon you and the Company.
11. WITHHOLDING OBLIGATIONS.
(a) At the time you exercise your option, in whole or in part,
or at any time thereafter as requested by the Company, you hereby authorize
withholding from payroll and any other amounts payable to you, and otherwise
agree to make adequate provision for (including by means of a "cashless
exercise" pursuant to a program developed under Regulation T as promulgated by
the Federal Reserve Board to the extent permitted by the Company), any sums
required to satisfy the federal, state, local and foreign tax withholding
obligations of the Company or an Affiliate, if any, which arise in connection
with the exercise of your option.
(b) Upon your request and subject to approval by the Company,
in its sole discretion, and compliance with any applicable legal conditions or
restrictions, the Company may withhold from fully vested shares of Common Stock
otherwise issuable to you upon the exercise of your option a number of whole
shares of Common Stock having a Fair Market Value, determined by the Company as
of the date of exercise, not in excess of the minimum amount of tax required to
be withheld by law (or such lower amount as may be necessary to avoid variable
award accounting). If the date of determination of any tax withholding
obligation is deferred to a date later than the date of exercise of your option,
share withholding pursuant to the preceding sentence shall not be permitted
unless you make a proper and timely election under Section 83(b) of the Code,
covering the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock acquired upon such
exercise with respect to which such determination is otherwise deferred, to
accelerate the determination of such tax withholding obligation to the date of
exercise of your option. Notwithstanding the filing of such election, shares of
Common Stock shall be withheld solely from fully vested shares of Common Stock
determined as of the date of exercise of your option that are otherwise issuable
to you upon such exercise. Any adverse consequences to you arising in connection
with such share withholding procedure shall be your sole responsibility.
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(c) You may not exercise your option unless the tax
withholding obligations of the Company and/or any Affiliate are satisfied.
Accordingly, you may not be able to exercise your option when desired even
though your option is vested, and the Company shall have no obligation to issue
a certificate for such shares of Common Stock or release such shares of Common
Stock from any escrow provided for herein unless such obligations are satisfied.
12. NOTICES. Any notices provided for in your option or the Plan shall
be given in writing and shall be deemed effectively given upon receipt or, in
the case of notices delivered by mail by the Company to you, five (5) days after
deposit in the United States mail, postage prepaid, addressed to you at the last
address you provided to the Company.
13. GOVERNING PLAN DOCUMENT. Your option is subject to all the
provisions of the Plan, the provisions of which are hereby made a part of your
option, and is further subject to all interpretations, amendments, rules and
regulations, which may from time to time be promulgated and adopted pursuant to
the Plan. In the event of any conflict between the provisions of your option and
those of the Plan, the provisions of the Plan shall control.
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