As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 11, 2022
Registration No. 333-
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
_____________________________________
FORM S-8
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
_____________________________________
NERDWALLET, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
_____________________________________
| Delaware | 45-4180440 | ||||
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) | ||||
55 Hawthorne Street, 11th Floor
San Francisco, California 94105
(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)
2022 Inducement Equity Incentive Plan
(Full title of the plan)
Tim Chen
Chief Executive Officer
NerdWallet, Inc.
55 Hawthorne Street, 11th Floor
San Francisco, California 94105
(415) 549-8913
(Name and address of agent for service) (Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
Copies to:
Bryan K. Brown Justin W. McKithen Jones Day 717 Texas Avenue Suite 3300 Houston, Texas 77002 (832) 239-3939 | Ekumene Lysonge Aby Castro Office of the General Counsel NerdWallet, Inc. 55 Hawthorne Street, 11th Floor San Francisco, California 94105 (415) 549-8913 | ||||
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer ☐ | Accelerated filer ☐ | ||||
Non-accelerated filer ☒ | Smaller reporting company ☐ | ||||
Emerging growth company ☒ | |||||
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐
EXPLANATORY NOTE
On June 23, 2022, the Compensation Committee (the Compensation Committee) of the Board of Directors of NerdWallet, Inc. (the Registrant) adopted the NerdWallet, Inc. 2022 Inducement Equity Incentive Plan (the Plan), pursuant to which the Registrant reserved 1,998,531 shares of Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (Class A common stock) to be used exclusively for grants of equity-based awards to individuals who were not previously employees or directors of the Registrant, as an inducement material to the individuals' entry into employment with the Registrant within the meaning of Rule 5635(c)(4) of the Nasdaq Listing Rules. The Plan was adopted by the Compensation Committee without stockholder approval pursuant to Rule 5635(c)(4) of the Nasdaq Listing Rules and became effective on July 11, 2022.
This Registration Statement on Form S-8 (this Registration Statement) is being filed to register the 1,998,531 shares of Class A common stock issuable pursuant to the Plan.
PART I
INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS
The information specified in Part I of Form S-8 to be contained in the Section 10(a) prospectus is omitted from this Registration Statement in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The documents containing the information specified in Part I of Form S-8 will be delivered to the participants in the equity plan covered by this Registration Statement as specified by Rule 428(b)(1) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
PART II
INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT
Item 3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference.
The following documents filed by the Registrant with the SEC are incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement:
a) The Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, filed with the SEC on March 24, 2022;
b) The Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2022, filed with the SEC on May 3, 2022;
c) The Registrant’s Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on April 5, 2022, May 26, 2022, June 24, 2022 and July 11, 2022 (excluding any portions thereof which are deemed “furnished” rather than filed with the SEC); and
d) The description of the Registrant’s Class A common stock contained in the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed with the SEC on November 1, 2021 (File No. 001-40994) under Section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act), including any amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating such description.
All documents filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act subsequent to the filing of this Registration Statement and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered hereby have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement and to be a part hereof from the date of filing such documents.
Any statement contained herein, or in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein, shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement to the extent that a statement contained in any subsequently filed document that also is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein
modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this Registration Statement.
Item 4. Description of Securities.
Not applicable.
Item 5. Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.
Not applicable.
Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the DGCL) authorizes a court to award, or a corporation’s board of directors to grant, indemnity to directors and officers in terms sufficiently broad to permit such indemnification under certain circumstances for liabilities, including reimbursement for expenses incurred, arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act). In addition, Section 145 provides that a corporation has the power to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of its directors and officers against any liability asserted against them and incurred by them in their capacity as a director or officer, or arising out of their status as such, whether or not the corporation would have the power to indemnify the director or officer against such liability under Section 145.
The Registrant’s amended and restated certificate of incorporation contains provisions that limit the liability of the Registrant’s directors, officers, and other agents to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, as it now exists or may in the future be amended, and the Registrant’s amended and restated bylaws provide that the Registrant will indemnify its directors and executive officers to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL or any other applicable law as it presently exists or may hereafter be amended and permit the Registrant to indemnify its other officers, employees and other agents, in each case as set forth in the DGCL or any other applicable law.
The Registrant has entered into indemnification agreements with its directors and officers, whereby it has agreed to indemnify its directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by law, including indemnification against expenses and liabilities incurred in legal actions, proceedings, or investigations to which the director or officer was, or is threatened to be made, a party by reason of the fact that such director or officer is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the Registrant, provided that such director or officer acted in good faith and in a manner that the director or officer reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the Registrant.
The Registrant maintains insurance policies that indemnify its directors and officers against various liabilities arising under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act that might be incurred by any director or officer in his or her capacity as such.
See also the Undertakings set forth in the response to Item 9 herein.
Item 7. Exemption from Registration Claimed.
Not applicable.
Item 8. Exhibits.
| Exhibit Number | Description of Exhibit | Location | ||||||||||||
| 4.1 | Exhibit 3.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K (No. 001-40994) filed November 10, 2021 | |||||||||||||
| 4.2 | Exhibit 3.2 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K (No. 001-40994) filed November 10, 2021 | |||||||||||||
| 5.1 | Filed herewith | |||||||||||||
| 23.1 | Filed herewith | |||||||||||||
| 23.2 | Filed herewith | |||||||||||||
| 24.1 | Filed herewith | |||||||||||||
| 99.1 | Filed herewith | |||||||||||||
| 99.2 | Filed herewith | |||||||||||||
| 99.3 | Filed herewith | |||||||||||||
| 107 | Filed herewith | |||||||||||||
Item 9. Undertakings.
(a) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:
(1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:
(i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act;
(ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Filing Fee” table in Exhibit 107 to the effective registration statement; and
(iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement;
provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the SEC by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement.
(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.
(b) The registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of such annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by such registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the city of San Francisco, State of California, on this 11th day of July 2022.
| NERDWALLET, INC. | |||||
| By: | /s/ Tim Chen | ||||
| Name: Tim Chen | |||||
| Title: Chief Executive Officer | |||||
POWER OF ATTORNEY
KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Tim Chen, Lauren StClair and Ekumene Lysonge, and each of them, as his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign this Registration Statement on Form S-8 of NerdWallet, Inc., and any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) thereto and any new registration statement with respect to the offering contemplated thereby filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) of the Securities Act of 1933, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite or necessary to be done in connection therewith and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or his or her substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
| Signature | Title | Date | ||||||||||||
/s/ Tim Chen | Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors | July 11, 2022 | ||||||||||||
Tim Chen | (Principal Executive Officer) | |||||||||||||
/s/ Lauren StClair | Chief Financial Officer | July 11, 2022 | ||||||||||||
Lauren StClair | (Principal Financial and Principal Accounting Officer) | |||||||||||||
/s/ Jennifer Ceran | Director | July 11, 2022 | ||||||||||||
Jennifer Ceran | ||||||||||||||
/s/ Lynne Laube | Director | July 11, 2022 | ||||||||||||
Lynne Laube | ||||||||||||||
/s/ Thomas Loverro | Director | July 11, 2022 | ||||||||||||
Thomas Loverro | ||||||||||||||
/s/ Kenneth McBride | Director | July 11, 2022 | ||||||||||||
Kenneth McBride | ||||||||||||||
Exhibit 107
Calculation of Filing Fee Table
Form S-8
(Form Type)
NERDWALLET, INC.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)
Table 1: Newly Registered Securities
| Security Type | Security Class Title | Fee Calculation Rule | Amount Registered(1) | Proposed Maximum Offering Price Per Share | Maximum Aggregate Offering Price | Fee Rate | Amount of Registration Fee | ||||||||||||||||
| Equity | Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share | Other(2) | 1,998,531(3) | $8.50(2) | $16,987,513.50(2) | $0.0000927 | $1,574.75 | ||||||||||||||||
| Total Offering Amounts | $16,987,513.50 | $1,574.75 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Total Fee Offsets | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net Fee Due | $1,574.75 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
(1)Pursuant to Rule 416(a) under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”), this Registration Statement shall also cover any additional shares of the Registrant’s Class A common stock that become issuable under the NerdWallet, Inc. 2022 Inducement Equity Incentive Plan (the“Plan”), by reason of any stock dividend, stock split, recapitalization or any other similar transaction effected that results in an increase to the number of outstanding shares of the Registrant’s Class A common stock
(2)Estimated in accordance with Rule 457(c) and Rule 457(h) under the Securities Act, solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee, based on the average of the $8.94 (high) and $8.06 (low) sales prices of the Registrant’s Class A common stock as reported on The Nasdaq Global Market on July 5, 2022, which date is within five business days prior to the date of filing of this Registration Statement.
(3)Represents 1,998,531 shares of the Registrant’s Class A common stock issuable pursuant to the Plan.
| Exhibit 5.1 | ||||||||
 | ||||||||
July 11, 2022
NerdWallet, Inc.
55 Hawthorne Street, 11th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94105
Re. Registration Statement on Form S-8 Filed by NerdWallet, Inc.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as counsel for NerdWallet, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with registration of 1,998,531 shares (the “Shares”) of Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of the Company that may be issued or delivered and sold pursuant to the NerdWallet, Inc. 2022 Inducement Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”). In connection with the opinion expressed herein, we have examined such documents, records and matters of law as we have deemed relevant or necessary for purposes of this opinion. Based on the foregoing, and subject to the further limitations, qualifications and assumptions set forth herein, we are of the opinion that the Shares that may be issued or delivered and sold pursuant to the Plan and the authorized forms of stock option, restricted stock unit or other applicable agreements thereunder (the “Award Agreements”) will be, when issued or delivered and sold in accordance with such Plan and the Award Agreements, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, provided that the consideration for the Shares is at least equal to the stated par value thereof.
The opinion expressed herein is limited to the laws of the State of Delaware, as currently in effect, and we express no opinion as to the effect of the laws of any other jurisdiction on the opinion expressed herein. In addition, we have assumed that the resolutions authorizing the Company to issue or deliver and sell the Shares pursuant to the Plan and the Award Agreements will be in full force and effect at all times at which the Shares are issued or delivered and sold by the Company, and that the Company will take no action inconsistent with such resolutions. In rendering the opinion above, we have assumed that each award under the Plan will be approved by the Board of Directors of the Company or an authorized committee of the Board of Directors.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as Exhibit 5.1 to the Registration Statement on Form S-8 filed by the Company to effect registration of the Shares under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Act”). In giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that we are included in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Act, or the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission promulgated thereunder.
Very truly yours,
/s/ Jones Day
Exhibit 23.1
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-8 of our report dated March 24, 2022, relating to the consolidated financial statements of NerdWallet, Inc., appearing in the Annual Report on Form 10-K of NerdWallet, Inc. for the year ended December 31, 2021.
/s/ Deloitte & Touche LLP
San Jose, California
July 11, 2022
Exhibit 99.1
NerdWallet, Inc.
2022 Inducement Equity Incentive Plan
2022 Inducement Equity Incentive Plan
1.General.
(a)Plan Purpose. The Company, by means of the Plan, seeks to provide Awards as an inducement material to certain employees of the Company or its Affiliates who are entering into employment with the Company or its Affiliates and to encourage stock ownership by such individuals, thereby aligning their interests with those of the stockholders of the Company. The Plan, and the Awards granted under the Plan, are intended to comply with Rule 5635(c)(4) of the Nasdaq Stock Market Listing Rules, which provide an exception to the Nasdaq Stock Market Listing Rules’ shareholder approval requirement for the issuance of securities with regards to grants to employees of the Company or its Affiliates as an inducement material to such individuals entering into employment with the Company or its Affiliates and shall be administered and interpreted consistent with such intent.
(b)Available Awards. The Plan provides for the grant of Awards, which shall consist of restricted stock units as provided in Section 4 and other provisions of the Plan.
(c)Effective Date. The Plan will be effective as of the Effective Date.
2.Shares Subject to the Plan. Subject any adjustments as necessary to implement any Capitalization Adjustments, the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock that may be issued pursuant to Awards will not exceed 1,998,531 shares. If any Award granted under the Plan is cancelled or forfeited, expires, is settled for cash, or is unearned, the shares of Common Stock subject to such Award will not again be available under for issuance under the Plan.
3.Eligibility. An Employee will be eligible to become a Participant in the Plan if he or she is selected by the Administrator to receive benefits under the Plan and (i) was not previously a Director or an employee of the Company or an Affiliate, or was previously an employee of the Company or an Affiliate and is returning to the employment of the Company or an Affiliate following a bona-fide period of non-employment and (ii) if the grant of an Award under the Plan will be a material inducement to the person’s decision to enter into the employment of the Company or an Affiliate is eligible to participate in the Plan.
4.Awards. Each Award will have such terms and conditions as determined by the Administrator; provided, however, that each Award Agreement will conform (through incorporation of the provisions hereof by reference in the Award Agreement or otherwise) to the substance of each of the following provisions:
(a)An Award represents a Participant’s right to be issued on a future date the number of shares of Common Stock that is equal to the number of restricted stock units subject to the Award. As a holder of an Award, a Participant is an unsecured creditor of the Company with respect to the Company’s unfunded obligation, if any, to issue shares of Common Stock in settlement of such Award and nothing contained in the Plan or any Agreement, and no action taken pursuant to its provisions, will create or be construed to create a trust of any kind or a fiduciary relationship between a Participant and the Company or an Affiliate or any other person. A Participant will not have voting or any other rights as a stockholder of the Company with
respect to any Award (unless and until shares are actually issued in settlement of a vested Award).
(b)Vesting. The Administrator may impose such restrictions on or conditions to the vesting of an Award as determined by the Administrator. Except as otherwise provided in the Award Agreement or other written agreement between a Participant and the Company or an Affiliate, if a Participant’s Continuous Service terminates for any reason, any portion of their Award that has not vested will be forfeited upon such termination and the Participant will have no further right, title or interest in the Award, the shares of Common Stock issuable pursuant to the Award, or any consideration in respect of the Award.
(c)Dividends and Dividend Equivalents. Dividends or dividend equivalents may be paid or credited, as applicable, with respect to any shares of Common Stock subject to an Award, as determined by the Administrator and specified in the Award Agreement).
(d)Settlement of Awards. An Award may be settled by the issuance of shares of Common Stock or cash (or any combination thereof) or in any other form of payment, as determined by the Administrator and specified in the Award Agreement. At the time of grant, the Administrator may determine to impose such restrictions or conditions that delay such delivery to a date following the vesting of the Award.
5.Adjustments upon Changes in Common Stock; Other Corporate Events.
(a)Capitalization Adjustments. In the event of a Capitalization Adjustment, the Administrator shall appropriately and proportionately adjust: the class(es) and maximum number of shares of Common Stock subject to the Plan and the class(es) and number of securities and purchase price of Common Stock subject to outstanding Awards. The Administrator shall make such adjustments, and its determination shall be final, binding and conclusive. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no fractional shares or rights for fractional shares of Common Stock shall be created in order to implement any Capitalization Adjustment. The Administrator shall determine an appropriate equivalent benefit, if any, for any fractional shares or rights to fractional shares that might be created by the adjustments referred to in the preceding provisions of this Section.
(b)Dissolution or Liquidation. Except as otherwise provided in the Award Agreement, in the event of a dissolution or liquidation of the Company, all outstanding Awards (other than Awards consisting of vested and outstanding shares of Common Stock not subject to a forfeiture condition or the Company’s right of repurchase) will terminate immediately prior to the completion of such dissolution or liquidation, and the shares of Common Stock subject to the Company’s repurchase rights or subject to a forfeiture condition may be repurchased or reacquired by the Company notwithstanding the fact that the holder of such Award is providing Continuous Service; provided, however, that the Administrator may determine to cause some or all Awards to become fully vested, exercisable and/or no longer subject to repurchase or forfeiture (to the extent such Awards have not previously expired or terminated) before the dissolution or liquidation is completed but contingent on its completion.
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(c)Corporate Transaction. The following provisions will apply to Awards in the event of a Corporate Transaction, except as set forth in Section 10, unless otherwise provided in the instrument evidencing the Award or any other written agreement between the Company or any Affiliate and the Participant or unless otherwise expressly provided by the Administrator at the time of grant of an Award.
(i)Awards May Be Assumed. In the event of a Corporate Transaction, any surviving or acquiring corporation (or the surviving or acquiring corporation’s parent company) may assume or continue any or all Awards outstanding under the Plan or may substitute similar awards for Awards outstanding under the Plan (including but not limited to awards to acquire the same consideration paid to the stockholders of the Company pursuant to the Corporate Transaction), and any reacquisition or repurchase rights held by the Company in respect of Common Stock issued pursuant to Awards may be assigned by the Company to the successor of the Company (or the successor’s parent company, if any), in connection with such Corporate Transaction. A surviving or acquiring corporation (or its applicable parent) may choose to assume or continue only a portion of an Award or substitute a similar award for only a portion of an Award, or may choose to assume or continue the Awards held by some, but not all Participants. The terms of any assumption, continuation or substitution will be set by the Administrator, provided, however, that to qualify as a substitute award, such award must continue the vesting terms of the original Awards (including any accelerated vesting terms), must preserve the cash value of the Award (as valued in the Corporate Transaction) on the date of substitution and must not Materially Impair the rights conferred in the Award.
(ii)Awards Not Assumed. In the event of a Corporate Transaction in which the surviving or acquiring corporation (or its parent company) does not assume or continue outstanding Awards or substitute similar awards for such outstanding Awards, then with respect to Awards that have not been assumed, continued or substituted, the vesting of such Awards will be accelerated in full to a date prior to the effective time of such Corporate Transaction (contingent upon the effectiveness of the Corporate Transaction) that the Administrator determines (or, if the Administrator does not determine such a date, to the date that is five (5) days prior to the effective time of the Corporate Transaction). Awards so accelerated will terminate at or prior to the effective time of the Corporate Transaction, and any reacquisition or repurchase rights held by the Company with respect to such Awards will lapse (contingent upon the effectiveness of the Corporate Transaction).
(d)Appointment of Stockholder Representative. As a condition to the receipt of an Award under this Plan, a Participant will be deemed to have agreed that the Award will be subject to the terms of any agreement governing a Corporate Transaction involving the Company, including, without limitation, a provision for the appointment of a stockholder representative that is authorized to act on the Participant’s behalf with respect to any escrow, indemnities and any contingent consideration.
(e)No Restriction on Right to Undertake Transactions. The grant of any Award under the Plan and the issuance of shares pursuant to any Award does not affect or restrict in any way the right or power of the Company or the stockholders of the Company to make or authorize any adjustment, recapitalization, reorganization or other change in the Company’s capital
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structure or its business, any merger or consolidation of the Company, any issue of stock or of rights to purchase stock or of bonds, debentures, preferred or prior preference stocks whose rights are superior to or affect the Common Stock or the rights thereof or which are convertible into or exchangeable for Common Stock, or the dissolution or liquidation of the Company, or any sale or transfer of all or any part of its assets or business, or any other corporate act or proceeding, whether of a similar character or otherwise.
6.Administration.
(a)Administration by Administrator. The Plan will be administered by the Administrator.
(b)Powers of Administrator. The Administrator will have the power, subject to, and within the limitations of, the express provisions of the Plan:
(i)To determine from time to time (1) which of the persons eligible under the Plan will be granted Awards; (2) when and how each Award will be granted; (3) the provisions of each Award granted (which need not be identical), including the time or times when a person will be permitted to receive an issuance of Common Stock or other payment pursuant to an Award; (4) the number of shares of Common Stock with respect to which an Award will be granted to each such person; and (5) the Fair Market Value applicable to an Award.
(ii)To construe and interpret the Plan and Awards granted under it, and to establish, amend and revoke rules and regulations for its administration. The Administrator, in the exercise of this power, may correct any defect, omission or inconsistency in the Plan or in any Award Agreement, in a manner and to the extent it deems 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 the time during which an Award or any part thereof will vest, notwithstanding the provisions in the Award Agreement stating the time during which it will vest.
(v)To suspend or terminate the Plan at any time. Suspension or termination of the Plan will not Materially Impair rights and obligations under any Award granted while the Plan is in effect except with the written consent of the affected Participant.
(vi)To amend the Plan in any respect the Administrator deems necessary or advisable; provided, however, that stockholder approval will be required for any amendment to the extent required by Applicable Law. Except as provided above, rights under any Award granted before amendment of the Plan will not be Materially Impaired by any amendment of the Plan unless (1) the Company requests the consent of the affected Participant, and (2) such Participant consents in writing.
(vii)To submit any amendment to the Plan for stockholder approval.
(viii)To approve forms of Award Agreements for use under the Plan and to amend the terms of any one or more Awards, including, but not limited to, amendments to
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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 Administrator discretion; provided however, that, a Participant’s rights under any Award will not be Materially Impaired by any such amendment unless (1) the Company requests the consent of the affected Participant, and (2) such Participant consents in writing.
(ix)Generally, to exercise such powers and to perform such acts as the Administrator deems necessary or expedient to promote the best interests of the Company and that are not in conflict with the provisions of the Plan or Awards.
(x)To adopt such procedures and sub-plans as are necessary or appropriate to permit and facilitate participation in the Plan by, or take advantage of specific tax treatment for Awards granted to, Employees who are foreign nationals or employed outside the United States (provided that Administrator approval will not be necessary for immaterial modifications to the Plan or any Award Agreement to ensure or facilitate compliance with the laws of the relevant foreign jurisdiction).
7.Tax Withholding
(a)Withholding Authorization. As a condition to acceptance of any Award under the Plan, a Participant authorizes withholding from payroll and any other amounts payable to such Participant, and otherwise agrees to make adequate provision for (including), any sums required to satisfy any U.S. federal, state, local and/or foreign tax or social insurance contribution withholding obligations of the Company or an Affiliate, if any, which arise in connection with the vesting or settlement of such Award, as applicable. Accordingly, the Company shall have no obligation to issue shares of Common Stock subject to an Award unless and until such obligations are satisfied.
(b)Satisfaction of Withholding Obligation. To the extent permitted by the terms of an Award Agreement, the Company may, in its sole discretion, satisfy any U.S. federal, state, local and/or foreign tax or social insurance 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; (iii) withholding payment from any amounts otherwise payable to the Participant; or (iv) by such other method as may be set forth in the Award Agreement.
(c)No Obligation to Notify or Minimize Taxes; No Liability to Claims. The Company has no duty or obligation to minimize the tax consequences of an Award to the holder of such Award and will not be liable to any holder of an Award for any adverse tax consequences to such holder in connection with an Award. As a condition to accepting an Award under the Plan, each Participant (i) agrees to not make any claim against the Company, or any of its Officers, Directors, Employees or Affiliates related to tax liabilities arising from such Award or other Company compensation and (ii) acknowledges that such Participant was advised to consult with their own personal tax, financial and other legal advisors regarding the tax consequences of the Award and has either done so or knowingly and voluntarily declined to do so.
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(d)Withholding Indemnification. As a condition to accepting an Award under the Plan, in the event that the amount of the Company’s and/or its Affiliate’s withholding obligation in connection with such Award was greater than the amount actually withheld by the Company and/or its Affiliates, each Participant agrees to indemnify and hold the Company and/or its Affiliates harmless from any failure by the Company and/or its Affiliates to withhold the proper amount.
8.Miscellaneous.
(a)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.
(b)Use of Proceeds from Sales of Common Stock. Proceeds from the sale of shares of Common Stock pursuant to Awards will constitute general funds of the Company.
(c)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 Administrator, 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., Administrator consents, resolutions or minutes) documenting the corporate action approving the grant contain terms (e.g., vesting schedule or number of shares) that are inconsistent with those in the Award Agreement or related grant documents as a result of a clerical error in the Award Agreement or related grant documents, the corporate records will control and the Participant will have no legally binding right to the incorrect term in the Award Agreement or related grant documents.
(d)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 such Award unless and until the issuance of the Common Stock subject to such Award is reflected in the records of the Company.
(e)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 affect the right of the Company or an Affiliate to terminate at will and without regard to any future vesting opportunity that a Participant may have with respect to any Award the employment of an Employee with or without notice and with or without cause. Further, nothing in the Plan, any Award Agreement or any other instrument executed thereunder or in connection with any Award will constitute any promise or commitment by the Company or an Affiliate regarding the fact or nature of future positions, future work assignments, future compensation or any other term or condition of employment or service or confer any right or benefit under the Award or the Plan unless such right or benefit has specifically accrued under the terms of the Award Agreement and/or Plan.
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(f)Change in Time Commitment. In the event a Participant’s regular level of time commitment in the performance of their services for the Company and any Affiliates is reduced (for example, and without limitation, if the Participant is an Employee of the Company and the Employee has a change in status from a full-time Employee to a part-time Employee or takes an extended leave of absence) after the date of grant of any Award to the Participant, the Administrator may determine, to the extent permitted by Applicable Law, to (i) make a corresponding reduction in the number of shares or cash amount subject to any portion of such Award that is scheduled to vest or become payable after the date of such change in time commitment, and (ii) in lieu of or in combination with such a reduction, extend the vesting or payment schedule applicable to such Award. In the event of any such reduction, the Participant will have no right with respect to any portion of the Award that is so reduced or extended.
(g)Execution of Additional Documents. As a condition to accepting an Award under the Plan, the Participant agrees to execute any additional documents or instruments necessary or desirable, as determined in the Plan Administrator’s sole discretion, to carry out the purposes or intent of the Award, or facilitate compliance with securities and/or other regulatory requirements, in each case at the Plan Administrator’s request.
(h)Electronic Delivery and Participation. Any reference herein or in an Award Agreement 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 Company’s intranet (or other shared electronic medium controlled by the Company to which the Participant has access). By accepting any Award the Participant consents to receive documents by electronic delivery and to participate in the Plan through any on-line electronic system established and maintained by the Plan Administrator or another third party selected by the Plan Administrator. The form of delivery of any Common Stock (e.g., a stock certificate or electronic entry evidencing such shares) shall be determined by the Company.
(i)Clawback/Recovery. All Awards granted under the Plan will be subject to recoupment in accordance with any clawback policy that the Company is required to adopt pursuant to the listing standards of any national securities exchange or association on which the Company’s securities are listed or as is otherwise required by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act or other Applicable Law and any clawback policy that the Company otherwise adopts, to the extent applicable and permissible under Applicable Law. In addition, the Administrator may impose such other clawback, recovery or recoupment provisions in an Award Agreement as the Administrator 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 Participant’s right to voluntarily terminate employment upon a “resignation for good reason,” or for a “constructive termination” or any similar term under any plan of or agreement with the Company.
(j)Securities Law Compliance. A Participant will not be issued any shares in respect of an Award unless either (i) the shares are registered under the Securities Act; or (ii) the Company has determined that such issuance would be exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act. Each Award also must comply with other Applicable Law governing the
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Award, and a Participant will not receive such shares if the Company determines that such receipt would not be in material compliance with Applicable Law.
(k)Transfer or Assignment of Awards; Issued Shares. Except as expressly provided in the Plan or the form of Award Agreement, Awards granted under the Plan may not be transferred or assigned by the Participant. After the vested shares subject to an Award have been issued, the holder of such shares is free to assign, hypothecate, donate, encumber or otherwise dispose of any interest in such shares provided that any such actions are in compliance with the provisions herein, the terms of the Trading Policy and Applicable Law.
(l)Effect on Other Employee Benefit Plans. The value of any Award granted under the Plan, as determined upon grant, vesting or settlement, shall not be included as compensation, earnings, salaries, or other similar terms used when calculating any Participant’s benefits under any employee benefit plan sponsored by the Company or any Affiliate, except as such plan otherwise expressly provides. The Company expressly reserves its rights to amend, modify, or terminate any of the Company’s or any Affiliate’s employee benefit plans.
(m)Deferrals. To the extent permitted by Applicable Law, the Administrator, in its sole discretion, may determine that the delivery of Common Stock or the payment of cash, upon the vesting or settlement of all or a portion of any Award may be deferred and may also establish programs and procedures for deferral elections to be made by Participants. Deferrals will be made in accordance with the requirements of Section 409A.
(n)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, and, to the extent not so exempt, in compliance with the requirements of Section 409A. If the Administrator determines that any Award granted hereunder is not exempt from and is therefore subject to Section 409A, 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 is a “specified employee” for purposes of Section 409A, no distribution or payment of any amount that is due because of a “separation from service” (as defined in Section 409A without regard to alternative definitions thereunder) will be issued or paid before the date that is six months and one day following the date of such Participant’s “separation from service” or, if earlier, the date of the Participant’s death, unless such distribution or payment can be made in a manner that complies with Section 409A, and any amounts so deferred will be paid in a lump sum on the day after such six month period elapses, with the balance paid thereafter on the original schedule.
(o)Choice of Law. This Plan and any controversy arising out of or relating to this Plan shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the internal laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to conflict of law principles that would result in any application of any law other than the law of the State of Delaware.
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9.Covenants of the Company.
The Company will seek to obtain from each regulatory commission or agency, as may be deemed to be necessary, having jurisdiction over the Plan such authority as may be required to grant Awards and to issue and sell shares of Common Stock upon vesting of the Awards; provided, however, that this undertaking will not require the Company to register under the Securities Act the Plan, any Award or any Common Stock issued or issuable pursuant to any such 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 or advisable 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 vesting of such Awards unless and until such authority is obtained. A Participant is not eligible for the grant of an Award or the subsequent issuance of Common Stock pursuant to the Award if such grant or issuance would be in violation of any Applicable Law.
10.Additional Rules for Awards Subject to Section 409A.
(a)Application. Unless the provisions of this Section of the Plan are expressly superseded by the provisions in the form of Award Agreement, the provisions of this Section shall apply and shall supersede anything to the contrary set forth in the Award Agreement for a Non-Exempt Award.
(b)Non-Exempt Awards Subject to Non-Exempt Severance Arrangements. To the extent a Non-Exempt Award is subject to Section 409A due to application of a Non-Exempt Severance Arrangement, the following provisions of this subsection (b) apply.
(i)If the Non-Exempt Award vests in the ordinary course during the Participant’s Continuous Service in accordance with the vesting schedule set forth in the Award Agreement, and does not accelerate vesting under the terms of a Non-Exempt Severance Arrangement, in no event will the shares be issued in respect of such Non-Exempt Award any later than the later of: (i) December 31st of the calendar year that includes the applicable vesting date, or (ii) the 60th day that follows the applicable vesting date.
(ii)If vesting of the Non-Exempt Award accelerates under the terms of a Non-Exempt Severance Arrangement in connection with the Participant’s Separation from Service, and such vesting acceleration provisions were in effect as of the date of grant of the Non-Exempt Award and, therefore, are part of the terms of such Non-Exempt Award as of the date of grant, then the shares will be earlier issued in settlement of such Non-Exempt Award upon the Participant’s Separation from Service in accordance with the terms of the Non-Exempt Severance Arrangement, but in no event later than the 60th day that follows the date of the Participant’s Separation from Service. However, if at the time the shares would otherwise be issued the Participant is subject to the distribution limitations contained in Section 409A applicable to “specified employees,” as defined in Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) of the Code, such shares shall not be issued before the date that is six months following the date of such Participant’s Separation from Service, or, if earlier, the date of the Participant’s death that occurs within such six month period.
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(iii)If vesting of a Non-Exempt Award accelerates under the terms of a Non-Exempt Severance Arrangement in connection with a Participant’s Separation from Service, and such vesting acceleration provisions were not in effect as of the date of grant of the Non-Exempt Award and, therefore, are not a part of the terms of such Non-Exempt Award on the date of grant, then such acceleration of vesting of the Non-Exempt Award shall not accelerate the issuance date of the shares, but the shares shall instead be issued on the same schedule as set forth in the Grant Notice as if they had vested in the ordinary course during the Participant’s Continuous Service, notwithstanding the vesting acceleration of the Non-Exempt Award. Such issuance schedule is intended to satisfy the requirements of payment on a specified date or pursuant to a fixed schedule, as provided under Treasury Regulations Section 1.409A-3(a)(4).
(c)Treatment of Non-Exempt Awards Upon a Corporate Transaction for Employees and Consultants. The provisions of this subsection (c) shall apply and shall supersede anything to the contrary set forth in the Plan with respect to the permitted treatment of any Non-Exempt Award in connection with a Corporate Transaction if the Participant was either an Employee or Consultant upon the applicable date of grant of the Non-Exempt Award.
(i)Vested Non-Exempt Awards. The following provisions shall apply to any Vested Non-Exempt Award in connection with a Corporate Transaction:
(1)If the Corporate Transaction is also a Section 409A Change in Control then the Acquiring Entity may not assume, continue or substitute the Vested Non-Exempt Award. Upon the Section 409A Change in Control the settlement of the Vested Non-Exempt Award will automatically be accelerated and the shares will be immediately issued in respect of the Vested Non-Exempt Award. Alternatively, the Company may instead provide that the Participant will receive a cash settlement equal to the Fair Market Value of the shares that would otherwise be issued to the Participant upon the Section 409A Change in Control.
(2)If the Corporate Transaction is not also a Section 409A Change in Control, then the Acquiring Entity must either assume, continue or substitute each Vested Non-Exempt Award. The shares to be issued in respect of the Vested Non-Exempt Award shall be issued to the Participant by the Acquiring Entity on the same schedule that the shares would have been issued to the Participant if the Corporate Transaction had not occurred. In the Acquiring Entity’s discretion, in lieu of an issuance of shares, the Acquiring Entity may instead substitute a cash payment on each applicable issuance date, equal to the Fair Market Value of the shares that would otherwise be issued to the Participant on such issuance dates, with the determination of the Fair Market Value of the shares made on the date of the Corporate Transaction.
(ii)Unvested Non-Exempt Awards. The following provisions shall apply to any Unvested Non-Exempt Award unless otherwise determined by the Administrator pursuant to subsection (d) of this Section.
(1)In the event of a Corporate Transaction, the Acquiring Entity shall assume, continue or substitute any Unvested Non-Exempt Award. Unless otherwise determined by the Administrator, any Unvested Non-Exempt Award will remain subject to the same vesting and forfeiture restrictions that were applicable to the Award prior to the Corporate Transaction. The shares to be issued in respect of any Unvested Non-Exempt Award shall be issued to the
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Participant by the Acquiring Entity on the same schedule that the shares would have been issued to the Participant if the Corporate Transaction had not occurred. In the Acquiring Entity’s discretion, in lieu of an issuance of shares, the Acquiring Entity may instead substitute a cash payment on each applicable issuance date, equal to the Fair Market Value of the shares that would otherwise be issued to the Participant on such issuance dates, with the determination of Fair Market Value of the shares made on the date of the Corporate Transaction.
(2)If the Acquiring Entity will not assume, substitute or continue any Unvested Non-Exempt Award in connection with a Corporate Transaction, then such Award shall automatically terminate and be forfeited upon the Corporate Transaction with no consideration payable to any Participant in respect of such forfeited Unvested Non-Exempt Award. Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent permitted and in compliance with the requirements of Section 409A, the Administrator may in its discretion determine to elect to accelerate the vesting and settlement of the Unvested Non-Exempt Award upon the Corporate Transaction, or instead substitute a cash payment equal to the Fair Market Value of such shares that would otherwise be issued to the Participant, as further provided in subsection (d)(ii) below. In the absence of such discretionary election by the Administrator, any Unvested Non-Exempt Award shall be forfeited without payment of any consideration to the affected Participants if the Acquiring Entity will not assume, substitute or continue the Unvested Non-Exempt Awards in connection with the Corporate Transaction.
(3)The foregoing treatment shall apply with respect to all Unvested Non-Exempt Awards upon any Corporate Transaction, and regardless of whether or not such Corporate Transaction is also a Section 409A Change in Control.
(d)If the Award is a Non-Exempt Award, then the provisions in this Section 10(d) shall apply and supersede anything to the contrary that may be set forth in the Plan or the Award Agreement with respect to the permitted treatment of such Non-Exempt Award:
(i)Any exercise by the Board of discretion to accelerate the vesting of a Non-Exempt Award shall not result in any acceleration of the scheduled issuance dates for the shares in respect of the Non-Exempt Award unless earlier issuance of the shares upon the applicable vesting dates would be in compliance with the requirements of Section 409A.
(ii)The Company explicitly reserves the right to earlier settle any Non-Exempt Award to the extent permitted and in compliance with the requirements of Section 409A, including pursuant to any of the exemptions available in Treasury Regulations Section 1.409A-3(j)(4)(ix).
(iii)To the extent the terms of any Non-Exempt Award provide that it will be settled upon a Change in Control or Corporate Transaction, to the extent it is required for compliance with the requirements of Section 409A, the Change in Control or Corporate Transaction event triggering settlement must also constitute a Section 409A Change in Control. To the extent the terms of a Non- Exempt Award provides that it will be settled upon a termination of employment or termination of Continuous Service, to the extent it is required for compliance with the requirements of Section 409A, the termination event triggering settlement must also constitute a Separation From Service. However, if at the time the shares would
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otherwise be issued to a Participant in connection with a “separation from service” such Participant is subject to the distribution limitations contained in Section 409A applicable to “specified employees,” as defined in Section 409A(a)(2)(B)(i) of the Code, such shares shall not be issued before the date that is six months following the date of the Participant’s Separation From Service, or, if earlier, the date of the Participant’s death that occurs within such six month period.
(iv)The provisions in this subsection (d) for delivery of the shares in respect of the settlement of an Award that is a Non-Exempt Award are intended to comply with the requirements of Section 409A so that the delivery of the shares to the Participant in respect of such Non-Exempt Award will not trigger the additional tax imposed under Section 409A, and any ambiguities herein will be so interpreted.
11.Severability.
If all or any part of the Plan or any Award Agreement is declared by any court or governmental authority to be unlawful or invalid, such unlawfulness or invalidity shall not invalidate any portion of the Plan or such Award Agreement not declared to be unlawful or invalid. Any Section of the Plan or any Award Agreement (or part of such a Section) so declared to be unlawful or invalid shall, if possible, be construed in a manner which will give effect to the terms of such Section or part of a Section to the fullest extent possible while remaining lawful and valid.
12.Termination of the Plan.
The Administrator may suspend or terminate the Plan at any time. No Awards may be granted under the Plan while the Plan is suspended or after it is terminated.
13.Definitions.
As used in the Plan, the following definitions apply to the capitalized terms indicated below:
(a)“Acquiring Entity” means the surviving or acquiring corporation (or its parent company) in connection with a Corporate Transaction.
(b)“Administrator” means the Compensation Committee of the Board (or its successor(s)), or shall also mean a group of Directors consisting solely of a majority of the Directors who meet the requirements for independence under the Nasdaq Stock Market Listing Rules.
(c)“Affiliate” means, at the time of determination, any “parent” or “subsidiary” of the Company as such terms are defined in Rule 405 promulgated under the Securities Act. The Administrator may determine the time or times at which “parent” or “subsidiary” status is determined within the foregoing definition.
(d)“Applicable Law” means any applicable securities, federal, state, foreign, material local or municipal or other law, statute, constitution, principle of common law, resolution, ordinance, code, edict, decree, rule, listing rule, regulation, judicial decision, ruling or requirement issued, enacted, adopted, promulgated, implemented or otherwise put into effect by
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or under the authority of any Governmental Body (including under the authority of any applicable self-regulating organization such as the Nasdaq Stock Market, New York Stock Exchange, or the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority).
(e)“Award” means an Award of restricted stock units representing the right to receive an issuance of shares of Common Stock which is granted pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Plan.
(f)“Award Agreement” means a written agreement between the Company and a holder of an Award evidencing the terms and conditions of an Award grant. The Award Agreement includes the Grant Notice for the Award and the agreement containing the written summary of the general terms and conditions applicable to the Award and which is provided to a Participant along with the Grant Notice. Each Award Agreement will be subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan.
(g)“Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company (or its designee).
(h)“Capital Stock” means each and every class of stock of the Company, regardless of the number of votes per share.
(i)“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 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, reverse stock split, liquidating dividend, combination of shares, exchange of shares, change in corporate structure or any similar equity restructuring transaction, as that term is used in Statement of 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.
(j)“Change in Control” or “Change of Control” means the occurrence, in a single transaction or in a series of related transactions, of any one or more of the following events; provided, however, to the extent necessary to avoid adverse personal income tax consequences to the Participant in connection with an Award, also constitutes a Section 409A Change in Control:
(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 Company’s then outstanding securities other than by virtue of a merger, consolidation or similar transaction. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a Change in Control shall 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 Company’s 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
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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 shall 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;
(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 date the Plan is adopted by the Board, 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 shall, for purposes of this Plan, be considered as a member of the Incumbent Board.
Notwithstanding the foregoing or any other provision of this Plan, (A) the term Change in Control shall not include a sale of assets, merger or other transaction effected exclusively for the purpose of changing the domicile of the Company, and (B) the definition of Change in Control (or any analogous term) in an individual written agreement between the Company or any Affiliate and the Participant shall supersede the foregoing definition with respect to Awards subject to such agreement; provided, however, that if no definition of Change in Control or any analogous term is set forth in such an individual written agreement, the foregoing definition shall apply.
(k)“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, including any applicable regulations and guidance thereunder.
(l)“Common Stock” means the Class A common stock of the Company.
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(m)“Company” means NerdWallet, Inc., a Delaware corporation.
(n)“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.
(o)“Continuous Service” means that the Participant’s 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, Director or Consultant or a change in the Entity for which the Participant renders such service, provided that there is no interruption or termination of the Participant’s service with the Company or an Affiliate, will not terminate a Participant’s Continuous Service; provided, however, that if the Entity for which a Participant is rendering services ceases to qualify as an Affiliate, as determined by the Board, such Participant’s Continuous Service will be considered to have terminated on the date such Entity ceases to qualify as an Affiliate. 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. To the extent permitted by law, the Board or the chief executive officer of the Company, in that party’s 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. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a leave of absence will be treated as Continuous Service for purposes of vesting in an Award only to such extent as may be provided in the Company’s 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. In addition, to the extent required for exemption from or compliance with Section 409A, 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 Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(h) (without regard to any alternative definition thereunder).
(p)“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 Administrator, of the consolidated assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries;
(ii)a sale or other disposition of at least 50% 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
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of the merger, consolidation or similar transaction into other property, whether in the form of securities, cash or otherwise.
Notwithstanding the foregoing or any other provision of this Plan, (A) the term Corporate Transaction shall not include a sale of assets, merger or other transaction effected exclusively for the purpose of changing the domicile of the Company, (B) the definition of Corporate Transaction (or any analogous term) in an individual written agreement between the Company or any Affiliate and the Participant shall supersede the foregoing definition with respect to Awards subject to such agreement; provided, however, that if no definition of Corporate Transaction or any analogous term is set forth in such an individual written agreement, the foregoing definition shall apply, and (C) with respect to any nonqualified deferred compensation that becomes payable on account of the Corporate Transaction, the transaction or event described in clause (i), (ii), (iii), or (iv) also constitutes a Section 409A Change in Control if required in order for the payment not to violate Section 409A of the Code.
(q)“Director” means a member of the Board.
(r)“Determine” or “Determined” means as determined by the Administrator in its sole discretion.
(s)“Effective Date” means July 11, 2022.
(t)“Employee” means any person employed by the Company or an Affiliate.
(u)“Employer” means the Company or the Affiliate of the Company that employs the Participant.
(v)“Entity” means a corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other entity.
(w)“Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
(x)“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 Company’s then outstanding securities.
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(y)“Fair Market Value” means, as of any date, unless otherwise determined by the Board, the value of the Common Stock (as determined on a per share or aggregate basis, as applicable) 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 will be the closing sales 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)If there is no closing sales 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.
(iii)In the absence of such markets for the Common Stock, or if otherwise determined by the Board, 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.
(z)“Governmental Body” means any: (i) nation, state, commonwealth, province, territory, county, municipality, district or other jurisdiction of any nature; (ii) federal, state, local, municipal, foreign or other government; (iii) governmental or regulatory body, or quasi-governmental body of any nature (including any governmental division, department, administrative agency or bureau, commission, authority, instrumentality, official, ministry, fund, foundation, center, organization, unit, body or Entity and any court or other tribunal, and for the avoidance of doubt, any Tax authority) or other body exercising similar powers or authority; or (iv) self-regulatory organization (including the Nasdaq Stock Market, New York Stock Exchange, and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority).
(aa)“Grant Notice” means the notice provided to a Participant that he or she has been granted an Award under the Plan and which includes the name of the Participant, the date of grant of the Award, number of shares of Common Stock subject to the Award, the vesting schedule for the Award (if any) and other key terms applicable to the Award.
(bb)“Materially Impair” means any amendment to the terms of the Award that materially adversely affects the Participant’s rights under the Award. A Participant’s rights under an Award will not be deemed to have been Materially Impaired by any such amendment if the Administrator, in its sole discretion, determines that the amendment, taken as a whole, does not materially impair the Participant’s rights. For example, the following types of amendments to the terms of an Award do not Materially Impair the Participant’s rights under the Award: (i) to clarify the manner of exemption from, or to bring the Award into compliance with or qualify it for an exemption from, Section 409A; or (ii) to comply with other Applicable Laws.
(cc)“Non-Exempt Award” means any Award that is subject to, and not exempt from, Section 409A, including as the result of (i) a deferral of the issuance of the shares subject to the Award which is elected by the Participant or imposed by the Company, or (ii) the terms of any Non-Exempt Severance Agreement.
17
(dd)“Non-Exempt Severance Arrangement” means a severance arrangement or other agreement between the Participant and the Company that provides for acceleration of vesting of an Award and issuance of the shares in respect of such Award upon the Participant’s termination of employment or separation from service (as such term is defined in Section 409A(a)(2)(A)(i) of the Code (and without regard to any alternative definition thereunder) (“Separation from Service”) and such severance benefit does not satisfy the requirements for an exemption from application of Section 409A provided under Treasury Regulations Section 1.409A-1(b)(4), 1.409A-1(b)(9) or otherwise.
(ee)“Officer” means a person who is an officer of the Company within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act.
(ff)“Own,” “Owned,” “Owner,” “Ownership” means that 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 an Employee to whom an Award is granted pursuant to the Plan.
(hh)“Plan” means this NerdWallet, Inc. 2022 Inducement Equity Incentive Plan, as amended from time to time.
(ii)“Plan Administrator” means the person, persons, and/or third-party administrator designated by the Company to administer the day to day operations of the Plan and the Company’s other equity incentive programs.
(jj)“Prospectus” means the document containing the Plan information specified in Section 10(a) of the Securities Act.
(kk)“Rule 405” means Rule 405 promulgated under the Securities Act.
(ll)“Section 409A” means Section 409A of the Code and the regulations and other guidance thereunder.
(mm)“Section 409A Change in Control” means a change in the ownership or effective control of the Company, or in the ownership of a substantial portion of the Company’s assets, as provided in Section 409A(a)(2)(A)(v) of the Code and Treasury Regulations Section 1.409A-3(i)(5) (without regard to any alternative definition thereunder).
(nn)“Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
(oo)“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
18
or indirect interest (whether in the form of voting or participation in profits or capital contribution) of more than 50%.
(pp)“Trading Policy” means the Company’s policy permitting certain individuals to sell Company shares only during certain “window” periods and/or otherwise restricts the ability of certain individuals to transfer or encumber Company shares, as in effect from time to time.
(qq)“Unvested Non-Exempt Award” means the portion of any Non-Exempt Award that had not vested in accordance with its terms upon or prior to the date of any Corporate Transaction.
(rr)“Vested Non-Exempt Award” means the portion of any Non-Exempt Award that had vested in accordance with its terms upon or prior to the date of a Corporate Transaction.
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Exhibit 99.2
NerdWallet, Inc.
RSU Inducement Award Grant Notice
(2022 Inducement Equity Incentive Plan)
NerdWallet, Inc. (the “Company”), pursuant to its 2022 Inducement Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) has awarded to you (the “Participant”) the number of restricted stock units (“RSUs”) specified, and on the terms set forth, below (the “RSU Award”). Your RSU Award is subject to all of the terms and conditions set forth herein and in the Plan and the Award Agreement (the “Agreement”), both of which are attached hereto and incorporated herein in their entirety. Capitalized terms not explicitly defined herein but defined in the Plan or the Agreement shall have the meanings set forth in the Plan or the Agreement.
| Participant: | ||||||||
| Date of Grant: | ||||||||
| Vesting Commencement Date: | ||||||||
| Number of Restricted Stock Units: | ||||||||
Vesting Schedule: | The RSUs shall vest in full upon the third anniversary of the Date of Grant, subject to the Participant’s Continuous Service through such date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that in the period between the Date of Grant and the third anniversary of the Date of Grant, the Participant’s Continuous Service ends as a result of a Qualifying Termination and the Participant (or the Participant’s executor or representative in the case of his or her death) signs, and does not revoke, a release of all claims against the Company and its affiliates, in a form approved by the Company, within sixty (60) days following such Qualifying Termination, then the RSUs shall immediately vest in full on the date that such release becomes effective. Upon any termination of the Participant’s Continuous Service that is not a Qualifying Termination, any unvested RSUs shall be immediately forfeited. | |||||||
| Issuance Schedule: | One share of Common Stock will be issued for each RSU which vests at the time set forth in Section 5 of the Agreement. | |||||||
Participant Acknowledgements: By your signature below or by electronic acceptance or authentication in a form authorized by the Company, you understand and agree that:
•The RSU Award is governed by this RSU Inducement Award Grant Notice (the “Grant Notice”), and the provisions of the Plan and the Agreement, all of which are made a part of this document. Unless otherwise provided in the Plan, this Grant Notice and the Agreement (together, the “RSU Award Agreement”) may not be modified, amended or revised except in a writing signed by you and a duly authorized officer of the Company.
•You have read and are familiar with the provisions of the Plan, the RSU Award Agreement and the Prospectus. In the event of any conflict between the provisions in the RSU Award Agreement, or the Prospectus and the terms of the Plan, the terms of the Plan shall control.
•The RSU Award Agreement sets forth the entire understanding between you and the Company regarding the acquisition of Common Stock and supersedes all prior oral and written agreements, promises and/or representations on that subject with the exception of (i) other equity awards previously granted to you, and (ii) any written employment agreement, offer letter, severance agreement, written severance plan or policy, or other written agreement between the Company and you in each case that specifies the terms that should govern this RSU Award.
| NerdWallet, Inc. | Participant: | |||||||||||||
By: | By: | |||||||||||||
| Signature | Signature | |||||||||||||
| Title: | Date: | |||||||||||||
| Date: | ||||||||||||||
Attachments: RSU Award Agreement, 2022 Inducement Equity Incentive Plan
Attachment I
Award Agreement
NerdWallet, Inc.
2022 Inducement Equity Incentive Plan
Award Agreement (RSU Inducement Award)
As reflected by your RSU Inducement Award Grant Notice (“Grant Notice”), NerdWallet, Inc. (the “Company”) has granted you an Award under its 2022 Inducement Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) for the number of restricted stock units indicated in your Grant Notice (the “RSU Award”). The terms of your RSU Award as specified in this Award Agreement for your RSU Award (the “Agreement”) and the Grant Notice constitute your “RSU Award Agreement.” Defined terms not explicitly defined in this Agreement but defined in the Grant Notice or the Plan shall have the same definitions as in the Grant Notice or Plan, as applicable.
The general terms applicable to your RSU Award are as follows:
1. Governing Plan Document. Your RSU Award is subject to all the provisions of the Plan, including but not limited to the provisions in:
(a) Section 5 of the Plan regarding the impact of a Capitalization Adjustment, dissolution, liquidation, or Corporate Transaction on your RSU Award;
(b) Section 8(e) of the Plan regarding the Company’s retained rights to terminate your Continuous Service notwithstanding the grant of the RSU Award; and
(c) Section 7 of the Plan regarding the tax consequences of your RSU Award.
Your RSU Award 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 RSU Award Agreement and the provisions of the Plan, the provisions of the Plan shall control.
2. Grant of the RSU Award. This RSU Award represents your right to be issued on a future date the number of shares of the Company’s Common Stock that is equal to the number of restricted stock units indicated in the Grant Notice as modified to reflect any Capitalization Adjustment and subject to your satisfaction of the vesting conditions set forth therein (the “Restricted Stock Units”). Any additional Restricted Stock Units that become subject to the RSU Award pursuant to Capitalization Adjustments as set forth in the Plan and the provisions of Section 3 below, if any, shall be subject, in a manner determined by the Administrator, to the same forfeiture restrictions, restrictions on transferability, and time and manner of delivery as applicable to the other Restricted Stock Units covered by your RSU Award.
3. Dividends. You shall receive no benefit or adjustment to your RSU Award with respect to any cash dividend, stock dividend or other distribution that does not result from a Capitalization Adjustment as provided in the Plan; provided, however, that this sentence shall not apply with respect to any shares of Common Stock that are delivered to you in connection with your RSU Award after such shares have been delivered to you.
4. Withholding Obligations. As further provided in Section 7 of the Plan, you hereby authorize withholding a number of shares of the Company’s Common Stock vesting under the RSU Award or from payroll and any other amounts payable to you, and otherwise agree to make adequate provision for, any sums required to satisfy the federal, state, local and foreign tax withholding obligations, if any, which arise in connection with your RSU Award (the “Withholding Obligation”) in accordance with the withholding procedures established by the Company. Unless the Withholding Obligation is satisfied, the Company shall have no obligation to deliver to you any Common Stock in respect of the RSU Award. In the event the Withholding Obligation of the Company arises prior to the delivery to you of Common Stock or it is determined after the delivery of Common Stock to you that the amount of the Withholding Obligation was greater than the amount withheld by the Company, you agree to indemnify and hold the Company harmless from any failure by the Company to withhold the proper amount.
5. Date of Issuance.
(a)The issuance of shares in respect of the Restricted Stock Units is intended to comply with Treasury Regulations Section 1.409A-1(b)(4) and will be construed and administered in such a manner. Subject to the satisfaction of the Withholding Obligation, if any, in the event one or more Restricted Stock Units vests, the Company shall issue to you one (1) share of Common Stock for each Restricted Stock Unit that vests on the applicable vesting date(s) (subject to any adjustment under Section 3 above, and subject to any different provisions in the Grant Notice). Each issuance date determined by this paragraph is referred to as an “Original Issuance Date.” Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Restricted Stock Units vest on account of a Qualifying Termination, such shares of Common Stock may be issued within ten (10) days following the Original Issuance Date.
(b)If the Original Issuance Date falls on a date that is not a business day, delivery shall instead occur on the next following business day. In addition, if:
(i)the Original Issuance Date does not occur (1) during an “open window period” applicable to you, as determined by the Company in accordance with the Company’s then-effective policy on trading in Company securities, or (2) on a date when you are otherwise permitted to sell shares of Common Stock on an established stock exchange or stock market (including but not limited to under a previously established written trading plan that meets the requirements of Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act and was entered into in compliance with the Company’s policies (a “10b5-1 Arrangement”)), and
(ii)either (1) a Withholding Obligation does not apply, or (2) the Company decides, prior to the Original Issuance Date, (A) not to satisfy the Withholding Obligation by withholding shares of Common Stock from the shares otherwise due, on the Original Issuance Date, to you under this Award, and (B) not to permit you to enter into a “same day sale” commitment with a broker-dealer (including but not limited to a commitment under a 10b5-1 Arrangement) and (C) not to permit you to pay your Withholding Obligation in cash,
(iii)then the shares that would otherwise be issued to you on the Original Issuance Date will not be delivered on such Original Issuance Date and will instead be delivered on the first business day when you are not prohibited from selling shares of the Company’s Common Stock in the open public market, but in no event later than December 31 of the calendar year in which the Original Issuance Date occurs (that is, the last day of your taxable year in which the Original Issuance Date occurs), or, if and only if permitted in a manner that complies with Treasury Regulations Section 1.409A-1(b)(4), no later than the date that is the 15th day of the third calendar month of the applicable year following the year in which the shares of Common Stock under this Award are no longer subject to a “substantial risk of forfeiture” within the meaning of Treasury Regulations Section 1.409A-1(d).
(c)In addition and notwithstanding the foregoing, no shares of Common Stock issuable to you under this Section 5 as a result of the vesting of one or more Restricted Stock Units will be delivered to you until any filings that may be required pursuant to the Hart-Scott-Rodino (“HSR”) Act in connection with the issuance of such shares have been filed and any required waiting period under the HSR Act has expired or been terminated (any such filings and/or waiting period required pursuant to HSR, the “HSR Requirements”). If the HSR Requirements apply to the issuance of any shares of Common Stock issuable to you under this Section 5 upon vesting of one or more Restricted Stock Units, such shares of Common Stock will not be issued on the Original Issuance Date and will instead be issued on the first business day on or following the date when all such HSR Requirements are satisfied and when you are permitted to sell shares of Common Stock on an established stock exchange or stock market, as determined by the Company in accordance with the Company’s then-effective policy on trading in Company securities. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the issuance date for any shares of Common Stock delayed under this Section 5(c) shall in no event be later than December 31 of the calendar year in which the Original Issuance Date occurs (that is, the last day of your taxable year in which the Original Issuance Date occurs), unless a later issuance date is permitted without incurring adverse tax consequences under Section 409A of the Code or other Applicable Law.
(d)To the extent the RSU Award is a Non-Exempt RSU Award, the provisions of Section 10 of the Plan shall apply.
6. Transferability. Except as otherwise provided in the Plan, your RSU Award is not transferable, except by will or by the applicable laws of descent and distribution.
7. Corporate Transaction. Your RSU Award is subject to the terms of any agreement governing a Corporate Transaction involving the Company, including, without limitation, a provision for the appointment of a stockholder representative that is authorized to act on your behalf with respect to any escrow, indemnities and any contingent consideration.
8. No Liability For Taxes. As a condition to accepting the RSU Award, you hereby (a) agree to not make any claim against the Company, or any of its Officers, Directors, Employees or Affiliates related to tax liabilities arising from the RSU Award or other Company compensation and (b) acknowledge that you were advised to consult with your own personal tax, financial and other legal advisors regarding the tax consequences of the RSU Award and have either done so or knowingly and voluntarily declined to do so.
9. Severability. If any part of this Agreement or the Plan is declared by any court or governmental authority to be unlawful or invalid, such unlawfulness or invalidity will not invalidate any portion of this Agreement or the Plan not declared to be unlawful or invalid. Any Section of this Agreement (or part of such a Section) so declared to be unlawful or invalid will, if possible, be construed in a manner which will give effect to the terms of such Section or part of a Section to the fullest extent possible while remaining lawful and valid.
10. Other Documents. You hereby acknowledge receipt of or the right to receive a document providing the information required by Rule 428(b)(1) promulgated under the Securities Act, which includes the Prospectus. In addition, you acknowledge and agree to be subject to the Company’s Trading Policy, which such Trading Policy has been or will be made available to you.
11. Definitions.
(a)“Cause” means the occurrence of any of the following events: (i) your conviction of any felony or any crime involving moral turpitude or dishonesty, (ii) your participation in a material fraud or material act of dishonesty against the Company, (iii) your willful and material breach of your duties that has not been cured within thirty (30) days after written notice from the Company of such breach, (iv) your intentional and material damage to the Company’s property (but excluding inadvertent damage to Company property having a de minimis value), or (v) your material breach of your Confidential Information and Inventions Assignment Agreement or any other written restrictive covenant agreement between you and the Company. The determination that a termination of the Participant’s Continuous Service is either for Cause or without Cause will be made by the Administrator with respect to Participants who are executive officers of the Company and by the Company’s Chief Executive Officer with respect to Participants who are not executive officers of the Company. Any determination by the Company that the Continuous Service of the Participant was terminated with or without Cause for the purposes of outstanding Awards held by the Participant will have no effect upon any determination of the rights or obligations of the Company or the Participant for any other purpose.
(b)“Good Reason” means, without your consent, (i) a reduction of your base compensation by 10% or more, excluding any reduction that is applicable to substantially all similarly situated employees or (ii) a relocation of your principal office to a location that is in excess of 50 miles from its location as of the date of this Agreement. In order to resign for Good Reason, you must provide written notice of the event giving rise to Good Reason to the Company within thirty (30) days after the condition arises, allow the Company thirty (30) days to cure such condition, and if the Company fails to cure the condition within such period, resign from all positions then held with the Company effective not later than thirty (30) days after the end of the Company’s cure period.
(c)“Qualifying Termination” means the termination of your employment as a result of (i) the Company terminating your employment for any reason other than Cause or (ii) you voluntarily resigning your employment for Good Reason, provided, in any case, that a termination or resignation due your death or disability will not constitute a Qualifying Termination.
12. Questions. If you have questions regarding these or any other terms and conditions applicable to your RSU Award, including a summary of the applicable federal income tax consequences please see the Prospectus.
Exhibit 99.3
NerdWallet, Inc.
RSU Inducement Award Grant Notice
(2022 Inducement Equity Incentive Plan)
NerdWallet, Inc. (the “Company”), pursuant to its 2022 Inducement Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) has awarded to you (the “Participant”) the number of restricted stock units (“RSUs”) specified, and on the terms set forth, below (the “RSU Award”). Your RSU Award is subject to all of the terms and conditions set forth herein and in the Plan and the Award Agreement (the “Agreement”), both of which are attached hereto and incorporated herein in their entirety. Capitalized terms not explicitly defined herein but defined in the Plan or the Agreement shall have the meanings set forth in the Plan or the Agreement.
| Participant: | ||||||||
| Date of Grant: | ||||||||
| Vesting Commencement Date: | ||||||||
| Number of Restricted Stock Units: | ||||||||
| Vesting Schedule: | ||||||||
| Issuance Schedule: | One share of Common Stock will be issued for each RSU which vests at the time set forth in Section 5 of the Agreement. | |||||||
Participant Acknowledgements: By your signature below or by electronic acceptance or authentication in a form authorized by the Company, you understand and agree that:
•The RSU Award is governed by this RSU Inducement Award Grant Notice (the “Grant Notice”), and the provisions of the Plan and the Agreement, all of which are made a part of this document. Unless otherwise provided in the Plan, this Grant Notice and the Agreement (together, the “RSU Award Agreement”) may not be modified, amended or revised except in a writing signed by you and a duly authorized officer of the Company.
•You have read and are familiar with the provisions of the Plan, the RSU Award Agreement and the Prospectus. In the event of any conflict between the provisions in the RSU Award Agreement, or the Prospectus and the terms of the Plan, the terms of the Plan shall control.
•The RSU Award Agreement sets forth the entire understanding between you and the Company regarding the acquisition of Common Stock and supersedes all prior oral and written agreements, promises and/or representations on that subject with the exception of (i) other equity awards previously granted to you, and (ii) any written employment agreement, offer letter, severance agreement, written severance plan or policy, or other written agreement between the Company and you in each case that specifies the terms that should govern this RSU Award.
| NerdWallet, Inc. | Participant: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
By | By: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Signature | Signature | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Title: | Date: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Attachments: RSU Award Agreement, 2022 Inducement Equity Incentive Plan
Attachment I
Award Agreement
NerdWallet, Inc.
2022 Inducement Equity Incentive Plan
Award Agreement (RSU Inducement Award)
As reflected by your RSU Inducement Award Grant Notice (“Grant Notice”), NerdWallet, Inc. (the “Company”) has granted you an Award under its 2022 Inducement Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) for the number of restricted stock units indicated in your Grant Notice (the “RSU Award”). The terms of your RSU Award as specified in this Award Agreement for your RSU Award (the “Agreement”) and the Grant Notice constitute your “RSU Award Agreement.” Defined terms not explicitly defined in this Agreement but defined in the Grant Notice or the Plan shall have the same definitions as in the Grant Notice or Plan, as applicable.
The general terms applicable to your RSU Award are as follows:
1. Governing Plan Document. Your RSU Award is subject to all the provisions of the Plan, including but not limited to the provisions in:
(a) Section 5 of the Plan regarding the impact of a Capitalization Adjustment, dissolution, liquidation, or Corporate Transaction on your RSU Award;
(b) Section 8(e) of the Plan regarding the Company’s retained rights to terminate your Continuous Service notwithstanding the grant of the RSU Award; and
(c) Section 7 of the Plan regarding the tax consequences of your RSU Award.
Your RSU Award 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 RSU Award Agreement and the provisions of the Plan, the provisions of the Plan shall control.
2. Grant of the RSU Award. This RSU Award represents your right to be issued on a future date the number of shares of the Company’s Common Stock that is equal to the number of restricted stock units indicated in the Grant Notice as modified to reflect any Capitalization Adjustment and subject to your satisfaction of the vesting conditions set forth therein (the “Restricted Stock Units”). Any additional Restricted Stock Units that become subject to the RSU Award pursuant to Capitalization Adjustments as set forth in the Plan and the provisions of Section 3 below, if any, shall be subject, in a manner determined by the Administrator, to the same forfeiture restrictions, restrictions on transferability, and time and manner of delivery as applicable to the other Restricted Stock Units covered by your RSU Award.
3. Dividends. You shall receive no benefit or adjustment to your RSU Award with respect to any cash dividend, stock dividend or other distribution that does not result from a
Capitalization Adjustment as provided in the Plan; provided, however, that this sentence shall not apply with respect to any shares of Common Stock that are delivered to you in connection with your RSU Award after such shares have been delivered to you.
4. Withholding Obligations. As further provided in Section 7 of the Plan, you hereby authorize withholding a number of shares of the Company’s Common Stock vesting under the RSU Award or from payroll and any other amounts payable to you, and otherwise agree to make adequate provision for, any sums required to satisfy the federal, state, local and foreign tax withholding obligations, if any, which arise in connection with your RSU Award (the “Withholding Obligation”) in accordance with the withholding procedures established by the Company. Unless the Withholding Obligation is satisfied, the Company shall have no obligation to deliver to you any Common Stock in respect of the RSU Award. In the event the Withholding Obligation of the Company arises prior to the delivery to you of Common Stock or it is determined after the delivery of Common Stock to you that the amount of the Withholding Obligation was greater than the amount withheld by the Company, you agree to indemnify and hold the Company harmless from any failure by the Company to withhold the proper amount.
5. Date of Issuance.
(a)The issuance of shares in respect of the Restricted Stock Units is intended to comply with Treasury Regulations Section 1.409A-1(b)(4) and will be construed and administered in such a manner. Subject to the satisfaction of the Withholding Obligation, if any, in the event one or more Restricted Stock Units vests, the Company shall issue to you one (1) share of Common Stock for each Restricted Stock Unit that vests on the applicable vesting date(s) (subject to any adjustment under Section 3 above, and subject to any different provisions in the Grant Notice). Each issuance date determined by this paragraph is referred to as an “Original Issuance Date.”
(b)If the Original Issuance Date falls on a date that is not a business day, delivery shall instead occur on the next following business day. In addition, if:
(i)the Original Issuance Date does not occur (1) during an “open window period” applicable to you, as determined by the Company in accordance with the Company’s then-effective policy on trading in Company securities, or (2) on a date when you are otherwise permitted to sell shares of Common Stock on an established stock exchange or stock market (including but not limited to under a previously established written trading plan that meets the requirements of Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act and was entered into in compliance with the Company’s policies (a “10b5-1 Arrangement”)), and
(ii)either (1) a Withholding Obligation does not apply, or (2) the Company decides, prior to the Original Issuance Date, (A) not to satisfy the Withholding Obligation by withholding shares of Common Stock from the shares otherwise due, on the Original Issuance Date, to you under this Award, and (B) not to permit you to enter into a “same day sale” commitment with a broker-dealer (including but not limited to a commitment under a 10b5-1 Arrangement) and (C) not to permit you to pay your Withholding Obligation in cash,
(iii)then the shares that would otherwise be issued to you on the Original Issuance Date will not be delivered on such Original Issuance Date and will instead be delivered on the first business day when you are not prohibited from selling shares of the Company’s Common Stock in the open public market, but in no event later than December 31 of the calendar year in which the Original Issuance Date occurs (that is, the last day of your taxable year in which the Original Issuance Date occurs), or, if and only if permitted in a manner that complies with Treasury Regulations Section 1.409A-1(b)(4), no later than the date that is the 15th day of the third calendar month of the applicable year following the year in which the shares of Common Stock under this Award are no longer subject to a “substantial risk of forfeiture” within the meaning of Treasury Regulations Section 1.409A-1(d).
(c)In addition and notwithstanding the foregoing, no shares of Common Stock issuable to you under this Section 5 as a result of the vesting of one or more Restricted Stock Units will be delivered to you until any filings that may be required pursuant to the Hart-Scott-Rodino (“HSR”) Act in connection with the issuance of such shares have been filed and any required waiting period under the HSR Act has expired or been terminated (any such filings and/or waiting period required pursuant to HSR, the “HSR Requirements”). If the HSR Requirements apply to the issuance of any shares of Common Stock issuable to you under this Section 5 upon vesting of one or more Restricted Stock Units, such shares of Common Stock will not be issued on the Original Issuance Date and will instead be issued on the first business day on or following the date when all such HSR Requirements are satisfied and when you are permitted to sell shares of Common Stock on an established stock exchange or stock market, as determined by the Company in accordance with the Company’s then-effective policy on trading in Company securities. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the issuance date for any shares of Common Stock delayed under this Section 5(c) shall in no event be later than December 31 of the calendar year in which the Original Issuance Date occurs (that is, the last day of your taxable year in which the Original Issuance Date occurs), unless a later issuance date is permitted without incurring adverse tax consequences under Section 409A of the Code or other Applicable Law.
(d)To the extent the RSU Award is a Non-Exempt RSU Award, the provisions of Section 10 of the Plan shall apply.
6. Transferability. Except as otherwise provided in the Plan, your RSU Award is not transferable, except by will or by the applicable laws of descent and distribution.
7. Corporate Transaction. Your RSU Award is subject to the terms of any agreement governing a Corporate Transaction involving the Company, including, without limitation, a provision for the appointment of a stockholder representative that is authorized to act on your behalf with respect to any escrow, indemnities and any contingent consideration.
8. No Liability For Taxes. As a condition to accepting the RSU Award, you hereby (a) agree to not make any claim against the Company, or any of its Officers, Directors, Employees or Affiliates related to tax liabilities arising from the RSU Award or other Company compensation and (b) acknowledge that you were advised to consult with your own personal tax,
financial and other legal advisors regarding the tax consequences of the RSU Award and have either done so or knowingly and voluntarily declined to do so.
9. Severability. If any part of this Agreement or the Plan is declared by any court or governmental authority to be unlawful or invalid, such unlawfulness or invalidity will not invalidate any portion of this Agreement or the Plan not declared to be unlawful or invalid. Any Section of this Agreement (or part of such a Section) so declared to be unlawful or invalid will, if possible, be construed in a manner which will give effect to the terms of such Section or part of a Section to the fullest extent possible while remaining lawful and valid.
10. Other Documents. You hereby acknowledge receipt of or the right to receive a document providing the information required by Rule 428(b)(1) promulgated under the Securities Act, which includes the Prospectus. In addition, you acknowledge and agree to be subject to the Company’s Trading Policy, which such Trading Policy has been or will be made available to you.
11. Questions. If you have questions regarding these or any other terms and conditions applicable to your RSU Award, including a summary of the applicable federal income tax consequences please see the Prospectus.