1993 Stock Option Plan - Wild Oats Markets Inc.
WILD OATS MARKETS, INC.
(a Delaware corporation)
1993 STOCK OPTION PLAN
Adopted by the Board of Directors on August 5, 1993
Amended October 28, 1993
1. PURPOSES.
(a) The purpose of the Plan is to provide a means by which
selected Employees and Directors of and Consultants to the Company, and its
Affiliates, may be given an opportunity to purchase stock of the Company.
(b) The Company, by means of the Plan, seeks to retain the
services of persons who are now Employees or Directors of or Consultants to the
Company and its Affiliates, to secure and retain the services of new Employees,
Directors and Consultants, and to provide incentives for such persons to exert
maximum efforts for the success of the Company and its Affiliates.
(c) The Company intends that the Options issued under the Plan
shall, in the discretion of the Board or any Committee to which responsibility
for administration of the Plan has been delegated pursuant to subsection 3(c),
be either Incentive Stock Options or Nonstatutory Stock Options. All Options
shall be separately designated Incentive Stock Options or Nonstatutory Stock
Options at the time of grant, and in such form as issued pursuant to Section 6,
and a separate certificate or certificates will be issued for shares purchased
on exercise of each type of Option.
2. DEFINITIONS.
(a) "AFFILIATE" means any parent corporation or subsidiary
corporation, whether now or hereafter existing, as those terms are defined in
Sections 424(e) and (f) respectively, of the Code.
(b) "BOARD" means the Board of Directors of the Company.
(c) "CODE" means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
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(d) "COMMITTEE" means a Committee appointed by the Board in
accordance with subsection 3(c) of the Plan.
(e) "COMPANY" means WILD OATS MARKETS, INC., a Delaware
corporation.
(f) "CONSULTANT" means any person, including an advisor, engaged
by the Company or an Affiliate to render services and who is compensated for
such services, provided that the term "Consultant" shall not include Directors
who are paid only a director's fee by the Company or who are not compensated by
the Company for their services as Directors.
(g) "CONTINUOUS STATUS AS AN EMPLOYEE, DIRECTOR OR CONSULTANT"
means the employment or relationship as a Director or Consultant is not
interrupted or terminated. The Board, in its sole discretion, may determine
whether Continuous Status as an Employee, Director or Consultant shall be
considered interrupted in the case of: (i) any leave of absence approved by
the Board, including sick leave, military leave, or any other personal leave;
or (ii) transfers between locations of the Company or between the Company,
Affiliates or their successors.
(h) "DIRECTOR" means a member of the Board.
(i) "DISABILITY" means total and permanent disability as defined
in Section 22(e)(3) of the Code.
(j) "DISINTERESTED PERSON" means a Director: (i) who was not
during the one year prior to service as an administrator of the Plan granted or
awarded equity securities pursuant to the Plan or any other plan of the Company
or any of its affiliates entitling the participants therein to acquire equity
securities of the Company or any of its affiliates except as permitted by Rule
16b-3(c)(2)(i); or (ii) who is otherwise considered to be a "disinterested
person" in accordance with Rule 16b-3(c)(2)(i), or any other applicable rules,
regulations or interpretations of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
(k) "EMPLOYEE" means any person, including Officers and Directors,
employed by the Company or any Affiliate of the Company. Neither service as a
Director nor payment of a director's fee by the Company shall be sufficient to
constitute "employment" by the Company.
(l) "EXCHANGE ACT" means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended.
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(m) "FAIR MARKET VALUE" means the value of the common stock as
determined in good faith by the Board and in a manner consistent with Section
260.140.50 of Title 10 of the California Code of Regulations.
(n) "INCENTIVE STOCK OPTION" means an Option intended to qualify
as an incentive stock option within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code and
the regulations promulgated thereunder.
(o) "NONSTATUTORY STOCK OPTION" means an Option not intended to
qualify as an Incentive Stock Option.
(p) "OFFICER" means a person who is an officer of the Company
within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act and the rules and
regulations promulgated thereunder.
(q) "OPTION" means a stock option granted pursuant to the Plan.
(r) "OPTION AGREEMENT" means a written agreement between the
Company and an Optionee evidencing the terms and conditions of an individual
Option grant. Each Option Agreement shall be subject to the terms and
conditions of the Plan.
(s) "OPTIONED STOCK" means the common stock of the Company subject
to an Option.
(t) "OPTIONEE" means an Employee, Director or Consultant who
holds an outstanding Option.
(u) "PLAN" means this 1993 Stock Option Plan.
(v) "RULE 16B-3" means Rule 16b-3 of the Exchange Act or any
successor to Rule 16b-3, as in effect when discretion is being exercised with
respect to the Plan.
3. ADMINISTRATION.
(a) The Plan shall be administered by the Board unless and until
the Board delegates administration to a Committee, as provided in subsection
3(c).
(b) The Board shall have the power, subject to, and within the
limitations of, the express provisions of the Plan:
(1) To determine from time to time which of the persons
eligible under the Plan shall be granted Options; when and how each Option
shall be granted; whether an Option
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will be an Incentive Stock Option or a Nonstatutory Stock Option; the
provisions of each Option granted (which need not be identical), including the
time or times such Option may be exercised in whole or in part; and the number
of shares for which an Option shall be granted to each such person.
(2) To construe and interpret the Plan and Options
granted under it, and to establish, amend and revoke rules and regulations for
its administration. The Board, in the exercise of this power, may correct any
defect, omission or inconsistency in the Plan or in any Option Agreement, in a
manner and to the extent it shall deem necessary or expedient to make the Plan
fully effective.
(3) To amend the Plan as provided in Section 11.
(c) The Board may delegate administration of the Plan to a
committee composed of not fewer than two (2) members (the "Committee"), all of
the members of which Committee shall be Disinterested Persons, if required
under subsection 3(d). If administration is delegated to a Committee, the
Committee shall have, in connection with the administration of the Plan, the
powers theretofore possessed by the Board (and references in this Plan to the
Board shall thereafter be to the Committee), subject, however, to such
resolutions, not inconsistent with the provisions of the Plan, as may be
adopted from time to time by the Board. The Board may abolish the Committee at
any time and revest in the Board the administration of the Plan. Additionally,
prior to the date of the first registration of an equity security of the
Company under Section 12 of the Exchange Act, and notwithstanding anything to
the contrary contained herein, the Board may delegate administration of the
Plan to any person or persons and the term "Committee" shall apply to any
person or persons to whom such authority has been delegated.
(d) Notwithstanding anything in this paragraph 3 to the contrary,
the Board may delegate to a Committee of one or more members of the Board the
authority to grant options to eligible persons who are not officers of the
Company or members of the Board.
(e) Any requirement that an administrator of the Plan be a
Disinterested Person shall not apply (i) prior to the date of the first
registration of an equity security of the Company under Section 12 of the
Exchange Act, or (ii) if the Board or the Committee expressly declares that
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such requirement shall not apply. Any Disinterested Person shall otherwise
comply with the requirements of Rule 16b-3.
4. SHARES SUBJECT TO THE PLAN.
(a) Subject to the provisions of Section 10 relating to
adjustments upon changes in stock, the stock that may be sold pursuant to
Options shall not exceed in the aggregate two hundred seventy-seven thousand
two hundred (277,200) shares of the Company's common stock. If any Option
shall for any reason expire or otherwise terminate without having been
exercised in full, the stock not purchased under such Option shall revert to
and again become available for issuance under the Plan.
(b) The aggregate number of shares of stock issuable upon the
exercise of all Options granted to any single eligible employee shall not
exceed one hundred thousand (100,000).
(c) The stock subject to the Plan may be unissued shares or
reacquired shares, bought on the market or otherwise.
5. ELIGIBILITY.
(a) Incentive Stock Options may be granted only to Employees.
Nonstatutory Stock Options may be granted only to Employees, Directors or
Consultants.
(b) A Director shall in no event be eligible for the benefits of
the Plan unless at the time discretion is exercised in the selection of the
Director as a person to whom Options may be granted, or in the determination of
the number of shares which may be covered by Options granted to the Director:
(i) the Board has delegated its discretionary authority over the Plan to a
Committee which consists solely of Disinterested Persons; or (ii) the Plan
otherwise complies with the requirements of Rule 16b-3. The Board shall
otherwise comply with the requirements of Rule 16b-3. This subsection 5(b)
shall not apply (i) prior to the date of the first registration of an equity
security of the Company under Section 12 of the Exchange Act, or (ii) if the
Board or Committee expressly declares that it shall not apply.
(c) No person shall be eligible for the grant of an Option if, at
the time of grant, such person owns (or is deemed to own pursuant to Section
424(d) of the Code) stock possessing more
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than ten percent (10%) of the total combined voting power of all classes of
stock of the Company or of any of its Affiliates unless the exercise price of
such Option is at least one hundred ten percent (110%) of the Fair Market Value
of such stock at the date of grant and the Option is not exercisable after the
expiration of five (5) years from the date of grant.
6. OPTION PROVISIONS.
Each Option shall be in such form and shall contain such terms and
conditions as the Board shall deem appropriate. The provisions of separate
Options need not be identical, but each Option shall include (through
incorporation of provisions hereof by reference in the Option or otherwise) the
substance of each of the following provisions:
(a) TERM. No Option shall be exercisable after the expiration of
ten (10) years from the date it was granted.
(b) PRICE. The exercise price of each Incentive Stock Option
shall be not less than one hundred percent (100%) of the Fair Market Value of
the stock subject to the Option on the date the Option is granted. The
exercise price of each Nonstatutory Stock Option shall be not less than
eighty-five percent (85%) of the Fair Market Value of the stock subject to the
Option on the date the Option is granted.
(c) CONSIDERATION. The purchase price of stock acquired pursuant
to an Option shall be paid, to the extent permitted by applicable statutes and
regulations, either (i) in cash at the time the option is exercised, or (ii) at
the discretion of the Board or the Committee, either at the time of the grant
or exercise of the Option, (A) by delivery to the Company of other common stock
of the Company, (B) according to a deferred payment or other arrangement (which
may include, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the use of other
common stock of the Company) with the person to whom the Option is granted or
to whom the Option is transferred pursuant to subsection 6(d), or (C) in any
other form of legal consideration that may be acceptable to the Board.
In the case of any deferred payment arrangement, interest shall be
payable at least annually and shall be charged at the minimum rate of interest
necessary to avoid the treatment as
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interest, under any applicable provisions of the Code, of any amounts other
than amounts stated to be interest under the deferred payment arrangement.
(d) TRANSFERABILITY. An Incentive Stock Option shall not be
transferable except by will or by the laws of descent and distribution, and
shall be exercisable during the lifetime of the person to whom the Incentive
Stock Option is granted only by such person. A Nonstatutory Stock Option shall
not be transferable except by will or by the laws of descent and distribution
or pursuant to a qualified domestic relations order as defined by the Code or
Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, or the rules thereunder
(a "QDRO"), and shall be exercisable during the lifetime of the person to whom
the Option is granted only by such person or any transferee pursuant to a QDRO.
(e) VESTING. The total number of shares of stock subject to an
Option may, but need not, be allotted in periodic installments (which may, but
need not, be equal). The Option Agreement may provide that from time to time
during each of such installment periods, the Option may become exercisable
("vest") with respect to some or all of the shares allotted to that period, and
may be exercised with respect to some or all of the shares allotted to such
period and/or any prior period as to which the Option became vested but was not
fully exercised. The vesting provisions of individual Options may vary but in
each case will provide for vesting of at least twenty percent (20%) of the
total number of shares subject to the Option per year. During the remainder of
the term of the Option (if its term extends beyond the end of the installment
periods), the Option may be exercised from time to time with respect to any
shares then remaining subject to the Option. The provisions of this
subsection 6(e) are subject to any Option provisions governing the minimum
number of shares as to which an Option may be exercised.
(f) SECURITIES LAW COMPLIANCE. The Company may require any
Optionee, or any person to whom an Option is transferred under subsection 6(d),
as a condition of exercising any such Option, (1) to give written assurances
satisfactory to the Company as to the Optionee's 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
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the purchaser representative, the merits and risks of exercising the Option;
and (2) to give written assurances satisfactory to the Company stating that
such person is acquiring the stock subject to the Option for such person's own
account and not with any present intention of selling or otherwise distributing
the stock. These requirements, and any assurances given pursuant to such
requirements, shall be inoperative if (i) the issuance of the shares upon the
exercise of the Option has been registered under a then currently effective
registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (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 stock.
(g) TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT OR RELATIONSHIP AS A DIRECTOR OR
CONSULTANT. In the event an Optionee's Continuous Status as an Employee,
Director or Consultant terminates (other than upon the Optionee's death or
Disability), the Optionee may exercise his or her Option (to the extent that
the Optionee was entitled to exercise it at the date of termination) but only
within such period of time ending on the earlier of (i) the date thirty (30)
days after the termination of the Optionee's Continuous Status as an Employee,
Director or Consultant (or such longer or shorter period, which in no event
shall be less than thirty (30) days, as specified in the Option Agreement), or
(ii) the expiration of the term of the Option as set forth in the Option
Agreement. If, after termination, the Optionee does not exercise his or her
Option within the time specified in the Option Agreement, the Option shall
terminate, and the shares covered by such Option shall revert to and again
become available for issuance under the Plan. Notwithstanding the foregoing,
in the event an Optionee's Continuous Status as an Employee, Director or
Consultant is terminated for "cause," his or her Option (even to the extent
that the Optionee was entitled to exercise it at the date of termination) shall
immediately be terminated and canceled. For purposes of the Plan, "cause"
shall mean misconduct including but not limited to criminal acts involving
moral turpitude or dishonesty.
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(h) DISABILITY OF OPTIONEE. In the event an Optionee's Continuous
Status as an Employee, Director or Consultant terminates as a result of the
Optionee's Disability, the Optionee may exercise his or her Option (to the
extent that the Optionee was entitled to exercise it at the date of
termination), but only within such period of time ending on the earlier of (i)
the date six (6) months following such termination (or such longer or shorter
period, which in no event shall be less than six (6) months, as specified in
the Option Agreement), or (ii) the expiration of the term of the Option as set
forth in the Option Agreement. If, at the date of termination, the Optionee is
not entitled to exercise his or her entire Option, the shares covered by the
unexercisable portion of the Option shall revert to and again become available
for issuance under the Plan. If, after termination, the Optionee does not
exercise his or her Option within the time specified herein, the Option shall
terminate, and the shares covered by such Option shall revert to and again
become available for issuance under the Plan.
(i) DEATH OF OPTIONEE. In the event of the death of an Optionee
during, or within thirty (30) days of the termination of, the Optionee's
Continuous Status as an Employee, Director or Consultant, the Option may be
exercised (to the extent the Optionee was entitled to exercise the Option at
the date of death) by the Optionee's estate or by a person who acquired the
right to exercise the Option by bequest or inheritance, but only within the
period ending on the earlier of (i) the date twelve (12) months following the
date of death (or such longer or shorter period, which in no event shall be
less then six (6) months, as specified in the Option Agreement), or (ii) the
expiration of the term of such Option as set forth in the Option Agreement.
If, at the time of death, the Optionee was not entitled to exercise his or her
entire Option, the shares covered by the unexercisable portion of the Option
shall revert to and again become available for issuance under the Plan. If,
after death, the Optionee's estate or a person who acquired the right to
exercise the Option by bequest or inheritance does not exercise the Option
within the time specified herein, the Option shall terminate, and the shares
covered by such Option shall revert to and again become available for issuance
under the Plan.
(j) EARLY EXERCISE. The Option may, but need not, include a
provision whereby the Optionee may elect at any time while an Employee,
Director or Consultant to exercise the Option as to any part or all of the
shares subject to the Option prior to the full vesting of the Option.
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Any unvested shares so purchased may be subject to a repurchase right in favor
of the Company or to any other restriction the Board determines to be
appropriate.
(k) WITHHOLDING. To the extent provided by the terms of an Option
Agreement, the Optionee may satisfy any federal, state or local tax withholding
obligation relating to the exercise of such Option by any of the following
means or by a combination of such means: (1) tendering a cash payment; (2)
authorizing the Company to withhold shares from the shares of the common stock
otherwise issuable to the participant as a result of the exercise of the
Option; or (3) delivering to the Company owned and unencumbered shares of the
common stock of the Company.
7. COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY.
(a) During the terms of the Options, the Company shall keep
available at all times the number of shares of stock required to satisfy such
Options.
(b) The Company shall seek to obtain from each regulatory
commission or agency having jurisdiction over the Plan such authority as may be
required to issue and sell shares of stock upon exercise of the Options;
provided, however, that this undertaking shall not require the Company to
register under the Securities Act either the Plan, any Option or any stock
issued or issuable pursuant to any such Option. If, after reasonable efforts,
the Company is unable to obtain from any such regulatory commission or agency
the authority which counsel for the Company deems necessary for the lawful
issuance and sale of stock under the Plan, the Company shall be relieved from
any liability for failure to issue and sell stock upon exercise of such Options
unless and until such authority is obtained.
8. USE OF PROCEEDS FROM STOCK.
Proceeds from the sale of stock pursuant to Options shall constitute
general funds of the Company.
1. MISCELLANEOUS.
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(a) Neither an Optionee nor any person to whom an Option is
transferred under subsection 6(d) shall be deemed to be the holder of, or to
have any of the rights of a holder with respect to, any shares subject to such
Option unless and until such person has satisfied all requirements for exercise
of the Option pursuant to its terms.
(b) Throughout the term of any Option, the Company shall deliver
to the holder of such Option, not later than one hundred twenty (120) days
after the close of each of the Company's fiscal years during the Option term, a
balance sheet and an income statement. This section shall not apply when
issuance is limited to key employees whose duties in connection with the
company assure them access to equivalent information.
(c) Nothing in the Plan or any instrument executed or Option
granted pursuant thereto shall confer upon any Employee, Director, Consultant
or Optionee any right to continue in the employ of the Company or any Affiliate
(or to continue acting as a Director or Consultant) or shall affect the right
of the Company or any Affiliate to terminate the employment or relationship as
a Director or Consultant of any Employee, Director, Consultant or Optionee with
or without cause.
(d) To the extent that the aggregate Fair Market Value (determined
at the time of grant) of stock with respect to which Incentive Stock Options
granted after 1986 are exercisable for the first time by any Optionee during
any calendar year under all plans of the Company and its Affiliates exceeds one
hundred thousand dollars ($100,000), the Options or portions thereof which
exceed such limit (according to the order in which they were granted) shall be
treated as Nonstatutory Stock Options.
1. ADJUSTMENTS UPON CHANGES IN STOCK.
(a) If any change is made in the stock subject to the Plan, or
subject to any Option (through merger, consolidation, reorganization,
recapitalization, stock dividend, dividend in property other than cash, stock
split, liquidating dividend, combination of shares, exchange of shares, change
in corporate structure or otherwise), the Plan and outstanding Options will be
appropriately adjusted in the class(es) and maximum number of shares subject to
the Plan and the class(es) and number of shares and price per share of stock
subject to outstanding Options.
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(b) In the event of: (1) a merger or consolidation in which the
Company is not the surviving corporation or (2) a reverse merger in which the
Company is the surviving corporation but the shares of the Company's common
stock outstanding immediately preceding the merger are converted by virtue of
the merger into other property, whether in the form of securities, cash or
otherwise then to the extent permitted by applicable law: (i) any surviving
corporation shall assume any Options outstanding under the Plan or shall
substitute similar Options for those outstanding under the Plan or, (ii) such
Options shall continue in full force and effect. In the event any surviving
corporation refuses to assume or continue such Options, or to substitute
similar options for those outstanding under the Plan, then such Options shall
be terminated if not exercised prior to such event. In the event of a
dissolution or liquidation of the Company, any Options outstanding under the
Plan shall terminate if not exercised prior to such event.
2. AMENDMENT OF THE PLAN.
(a) The Board at any time, and from time to time, may amend the
Plan. However, except as provided in Section 10 relating to adjustments upon
changes in stock, no amendment shall be effective unless approved by the
stockholders of the Company within twelve (12) months before or after the
adoption of the amendment, where the amendment will:
(1) Increase the number of shares reserved for Options
under the Plan;
(2) Modify the requirements as to eligibility for
participation in the Plan (to the extent such modification requires stockholder
approval in order for the Plan to satisfy the requirements of Section 422 of
the Code); or
(3) Modify the Plan in any other way if such modification
requires stockholder approval in order for the Plan to satisfy the requirements
of Section 422 of the Code or to comply with the requirements of Rule 16b-3.
(b) It is expressly contemplated that the Board may amend the Plan
in any respect the Board deems necessary or advisable to provide Optionees with
the maximum benefits provided or to be provided under the provisions of the
Code and the regulations promulgated thereunder relating to Incentive Stock
Options and/or to bring the Plan and/or Incentive Stock Options granted under
it into compliance therewith.
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(c) Rights and obligations under any Option granted before
amendment of the Plan shall not be altered or impaired by any amendment of the
Plan unless (i) the Company requests the consent of the person to whom the
Option was granted and (ii) such person consents in writing.
3. TERMINATION OR SUSPENSION OF THE PLAN.
(a) The Board may suspend or terminate the Plan at any time.
Unless sooner terminated, the Plan shall terminate on August 4, 2003. No
Options may be granted under the Plan while the Plan is suspended or after it
is terminated.
(b) Rights and obligations under any Option granted while the Plan
is in effect shall not be altered or impaired by suspension or termination of
the Plan, except with the consent of the person to whom the Option was granted.
4. EFFECTIVE DATE OF PLAN.
The Plan shall become effective as determined by the Board, but no
Options granted under the Plan shall be exercised unless and until the Plan has
been approved by the stockholders of the Company.
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