S-8

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 4, 2020

Registration No. 333-            

 

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

RACKSPACE TECHNOLOGY, INC.

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Delaware   81-3369925

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

 

(IRS Employer

Identification No.)

 

 

1 Fanatical Place

City of Windcrest

San Antonio, Texas 78218

(Address, including zip code, of Registrant’s principal executive offices)

 

 

Rackspace Technology, Inc. Equity Incentive Plan

Rackspace Technology, Inc. 2020 Equity Incentive Plan

Rackspace Technology, Inc. Employee Stock Purchase Plan

(Full title of the plan)

 

 

Holly Windham Esq.

Executive Vice President, Chief Legal and People Officer & Corporate Secretary

1 Fanatical Place

City of Windcrest

San Antonio, Texas 78218

(210) 312-4000

(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

 

 

COPIES TO:

Brian M. Janson, Esq.

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP

1285 Avenue of the Americas

New York, New York 10019–6064

(212) 373-3000

 

 

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.  ☐

 

 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

 

 

Title of Securities

to be Registered

 

Amount

to be

Registered(1)

 

Proposed

Maximum
Offering Price

Per Share(5)

 

Proposed

Maximum
Aggregate

Offering Price

 

Amount of

Registration Fee

Common stock, par value $0.01 per share

  25,178,352 shares(2)   $21.00   $528,745,392   $68,631.16

Common stock, par value $0.01 per share

  25,000,000 shares(3)   $21.00   $525,000,000   $68,145.00

Common stock, par value $0.01 per share

  11,500,000 shares(4)   $21.00   $241,500,000   $31,346.70

Total

  61,678,352 shares       $1,295,245,392   $168,122.86

 

 

(1)

Pursuant to Rule 416 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), this Registration Statement shall be deemed to cover any additional securities to be offered or issued from stock splits, stock dividends or similar transactions.

(2)

Consists of shares of common stock issuable in respect of awards granted under the Rackspace Technology, Inc. Equity Incentive Plan.

(3)

Consists of shares of common stock issuable directly, or in respect of awards granted or to be granted, under the Rackspace Technology, Inc. 2020 Equity Incentive Plan.

(4)

Consists of shares of common stock issuable under the Rackspace Technology, Inc. Employee Stock Purchase Plan.

(5)

Pursuant to Rule 457(c) and Rule 457(h) under the Securities Act, the proposed maximum offering price per share was determined based on the price per share of the registrant’s proposed initial public offering.

 

 

 

 


EXPLANATORY NOTE

Rackspace Technology, Inc. (the “Company”) has prepared this Registration Statement in accordance with the requirements of Form S-8 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), to register the issuance of (i) 25,178,352 shares of its common stock, par value $0.01 per share, which is referred to as the common stock, that are reserved for issuance in respect of awards granted under the Rackspace Technology, Inc. Equity Incentive Plan (the “2017 Incentive Plan”), (ii) 25,000,000 shares of common stock that are reserved for issuance directly, or in respect of awards granted or to be granted, under the Rackspace Technology, Inc. 2020 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2020 Incentive Plan”), and (iii) 11,500,000 shares of common stock that are reserved for issuance under the Rackspace Technology, Inc. Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “ESPP”).

PART I

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

 

Item 1.

Plan Information.

The document(s) containing the information specified in Part I of Form S-8 will be sent or given to participants in the 2017 Incentive Plan, the 2020 Incentive Plan and the ESPP as specified by Rule 428(b)(1) under the Securities Act. Such documents are not being filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) but constitute, along with the documents incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement, a prospectus that meets the requirements of Section 10(a) of the Securities Act.

 

Item 2.

Company Information and Employee Plan Annual Information.

The Company will furnish without charge to each person to whom the prospectus is delivered, upon the written or oral request of such person, a copy of any and all of the documents incorporated by reference in Item 3 of Part II of this Registration Statement, other than exhibits to such documents (unless such exhibits are specifically incorporated by reference to the information that is incorporated) and any other documents required to be delivered pursuant to Rule 428. Those documents are incorporated by reference in the Section 10(a) prospectus. Requests should be directed to Rackspace Technology, Inc., 1 Fanatical Place, City of Windcrest, San Antonio, Texas 78218, Attention: Chief Legal Officer, Telephone number (212) 312-4000.


PART II

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

 

Item 3.

Incorporation of Documents by Reference

The following documents filed with the Commission by the Company are incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement:

 

  1.

The Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (Registration No. 333-239794) as confidentially submitted on May  6, 2020, and as amended June  18, 2020, and as publicly filed with the Commission on July  10, 2020, and as amended on July  20, 2020 and July 27, 2020; and

 

  2.

The description of the common stock set forth in the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed pursuant to Section 12 of the Exchange Act on August 4, 2020, and any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating any such description.

In addition, all reports and documents filed by the Company pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, subsequent to the date hereof 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 herein and made a part hereof from the date of the filing of such documents.

Any statement contained 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 this Registration Statement or in any other subsequently filed document that also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement 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”) provides that a corporation may indemnify directors and officers as well as other employees and individuals against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with any threatened, pending or completed actions, suits or proceedings in which such person is made a party by reason of such person being or having been a director, officer, employee or agent to the registrant. The DGCL provides that Section 145 is not exclusive of other rights to which those seeking indemnification may be entitled under any bylaw, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise. The registrant’s certificate of incorporation provides for indemnification by the registrant of its directors, officers and employees to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL.

Section 102(b)(7) of the Delaware General Corporation Law permits a corporation to provide in its certificate of incorporation that a director of the corporation shall not be personally liable to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as

 

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a director, except for liability (i) for any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders, (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (iii) for unlawful payments of dividends or unlawful stock repurchases, redemptions or other distributions, or (iv) for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit. The registrant’s certificate of incorporation provides for such limitation of liability.

The registrant maintains standard policies of insurance under which coverage is provided (a) to its directors and officers against loss rising from claims made by reason of breach of duty or other wrongful act, and (b) to the registrant with respect to payments which may be made by the registrant to such officers and directors pursuant to the above indemnification provision or otherwise as a matter of law.

Reference is made to Item 9 for our undertakings with respect to indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act.

We have entered into customary indemnification agreements with our executive officers and directors that provide them, in general, with customary indemnification in connection with their service to us or on our behalf.

 

Item 7.

Exemption from Registration Claimed

Not Applicable.

 

Item 8.

Exhibits

 

Exhibits

    
  3.1*    Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Rackspace Technology, Inc.
  3.2*    Second Amended and Restated Bylaws of Rackspace Technology, Inc.
  4.1    Rackspace Technology, Inc. Equity Incentive Plan, dated as of April  7, 2017 (incorporated by reference from Exhibit 10.27 to Rackspace Technology, Inc.’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed on July 27, 2020).
  4.2*    Rackspace Technology, Inc. 2020 Equity Incentive Plan.
  4.3*    Rackspace Technology, Inc. Employee Stock Purchase Plan.
  5.1*    Opinion of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP.
23.1*    Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, independent registered certified public accounting firm.
23.2*    Consent of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1 to this Registration Statement).
24.1*    Powers of Attorney (included on signature pages hereto).

 

*

Filed herewith.

 

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Item 9.

Undertakings

The Company hereby undertakes:

 

  (a)(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 the 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 Commission 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 Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement;

 

  (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) above do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by us pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (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 hereby which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

 

  (4)

That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the

 

4


  underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:

 

  (i)

any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;

 

  (ii)

any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;

 

  (iii)

the portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and

 

  (iv)

any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.

 

  (b)

The Company hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the Company’s 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 hereof.

 

  (c)

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Company pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Company has been advised that in the opinion of the Commission 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 the Company of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Company 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 Company 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.

 

5


SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, Rackspace Technology, Inc. certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of 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 Antonio, state of Texas, on August 4, 2020.

 

Rackspace Technology, Inc.
By:  

             /s/ Kevin Jones

  Name:   Kevin Jones
  Title:   Chief Executive Officer

POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each individual whose signature appears below hereby constitutes and appoints each of Dustin Semach and Holly Windham, acting singly, his or her true and lawful agent, proxy and attorney-in-fact, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him and her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to (i) act on, sign and file with the Securities and Exchange Commission any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this registration statement together with all schedules and exhibits thereto and any subsequent registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, together with all schedules and exhibits thereto, (ii) act on, sign and file such certificates, instruments, agreements and other documents as may be necessary or appropriate in connection therewith, (iii) act on and file any supplement to any prospectus included in this registration statement or any such amendment or any subsequent registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and (iv) take any and all actions which may be necessary or appropriate in connection therewith, granting unto such agents, proxies and attorneys-in-fact, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing necessary or appropriate to be done, as fully for all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby approving, ratifying and confirming all that such agents, proxies and attorneys-in-fact or any of their substitutes may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue thereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this registration statement and Power of Attorney have been signed on August 4, 2020, by the following persons in the capacities indicated.


Signature

  

Title

/s/ Kevin Jones

Kevin Jones

   Chief Executive Officer; Director
(Principal Executive Officer)

/s/ Dustin Semach

Dustin Semach

   Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)

/s/ Susan Arthur

Susan Arthur

   Director

/s/ Jeffrey Benjamin

Jeffrey Benjamin

   Director

/s/ Timothy Campos

Timothy Campos

   Director

/s/ Dhiren Fonseca

Dhiren Fonseca

   Director

/s/ Mitch Garber

Mitch Garber

   Director

/s/ Darren Glatt

Darren Glatt

   Director

/s/ Brian St. Jean

Brian St. Jean

   Director

/s/ David Sambur

David Sambur

   Director

/s/ Aaron Sobel

Aaron Sobel

   Director
EX-3.1

Exhibit 3.1

SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED

CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION OF

RACKSPACE TECHNOLOGY, INC.

Rackspace Technology, Inc. is a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware (the “Corporation”). The original certificate of incorporation of the Corporation was filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on July 21, 2016, under the name “Inception TopCo, Inc.” This Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation (as the same may be further amended and/or restated, this “Charter”), which further amends and restates the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation, as heretofore amended, in its entirety, has been duly adopted by all necessary action of the board of directors of the Corporation (the “Board”) and the stockholders of the Corporation, pursuant to Sections 228, 242 and 245 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, as the same now exists or may hereafter be amended and/or supplemented from time to time (the “DGCL”), to read as follows:

ARTICLE I

The name of the corporation (hereinafter the “Corporation”) is Rackspace Technology, Inc.

ARTICLE II

The address of the Corporation’s registered office in the State of Delaware is Corporation Service Company, 251 Little Falls Drive, Wilmington, New Castle County, Delaware 19808. The name of the Corporation’s registered agent at such address is Corporation Service Company.

ARTICLE III

The purpose of the Corporation is to engage in any lawful act or activity for which corporations may be organized under the DGCL.

ARTICLE IV

Section 4.01 Authorized Capital Stock. The total number of shares of all classes of capital stock that the Corporation is authorized to issue is 1,500,000,000 (one billion five hundred million) shares of capital stock, of which 1,495,000,000 shares shall be common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Common Stock”), and 5,000,000 shares shall be preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Preferred Stock”). Subject to the rights of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock then outstanding, the number of authorized shares of any of the Common Stock or Preferred Stock may be increased or decreased (but not below the number of shares thereof then outstanding) by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority in voting power of the stock of the Corporation entitled to vote thereon irrespective of the provisions of Section 242(b)(2) of the DGCL or any successor provision thereof, and no vote of the holders of any of the Common Stock or Preferred Stock voting separately as a class shall be required therefor.


Section 4.02 Common Stock. The terms of the Common Stock set forth below shall be subject to the express terms of any series of Preferred Stock then outstanding.

(a) Voting Rights. Except as otherwise required by applicable law or this Charter, the holders of Common Stock, as such, shall be entitled to one vote per share on all matters submitted to a vote of the Corporation’s stockholders generally.

(b) Dividends. Subject to applicable law and the rights, if any, of the holders of any outstanding series of Preferred Stock or any class or series of stock having a preference over or the right to participate with the Common Stock with respect to the payment of dividends or distributions, the holders of Common Stock shall be entitled to receive, as, if and when declared by the Board out of the funds of the Corporation legally available therefor, such dividends (payable in cash, shares of stock of the Corporation, property or assets of the Corporation or otherwise) as the Board may from time to time in its sole discretion determine.

(c) Liquidation. In the event of any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, whether voluntary or involuntary, after the payment or provision for the payment of any debts and other liabilities of the Corporation, and subject to the rights, if any, of the holders of any outstanding series of Preferred Stock or other class or series of stock having a preference over or the right to participate with the Common Stock with respect to the distribution of assets upon any such liquidation, dissolution or winding up, the remaining assets of the Corporation available for distribution to stockholders shall be distributed among and paid to the holders of Common Stock ratably in proportion to the number of shares of Common Stock held by them respectively.

Section 4.03 Preferred Stock. The Board is authorized, by resolution or resolutions, to provide, out of the authorized but unissued shares of Preferred Stock, for the issuance from time to time of shares of Preferred Stock in one or more series and, by filing a certificate of designation (a “Preferred Stock Certificate of Designation”) pursuant to the applicable provisions of the DGCL, to establish from time to time the number of shares to be included in each such series, with such powers (including voting powers, if any), designations, preferences, participating, optional or other rights, if any, and qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, if any, as are stated and expressed in the resolution or resolutions providing for the issuance thereof adopted by the Board, including, but not limited to, determination of any of the following:

(a) the distinctive designation of the series, whether by number, letter or title, and the number of shares which will constitute the series;

(b) the dividend rate, if any, and the times of payment of dividends, if any, on the shares of the series, whether such dividends will be cumulative and, if so, from what date or dates, and the relation which such dividends, if any, shall bear to the dividends payable on any other class or classes or series of stock;

 

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(c) the price or prices at which, and the terms and conditions on which, the shares of the series may be redeemed at the option of the Corporation or the holder thereof or upon the happening of a specified event;

(d) whether or not the shares of the series will be entitled to the benefit of a retirement or sinking fund to be applied to the purchase or redemption of such shares and, if so entitled, the amount of such fund and the terms and provisions relative to the operation thereof;

(e) the amounts payable on, and the preferences, if any, of the shares of the series in the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the affairs of the Corporation or upon the happening of any other specified event;

(f) whether or not the shares of the series will be convertible into, or exchangeable for, at the option of either the holder or the Corporation or upon the happening of a specified event, shares of any other class or classes or series of stock of the Corporation and, if so convertible or exchangeable, the conversion price or prices, or the rates of exchange, and any adjustments thereof, at which such conversion or exchange may be made, and any other terms and conditions of such conversion or exchange;

(g) whether or not the shares of the series will have priority over or be on a parity with or be junior to the shares of any other class or classes or series of stock of the Corporation in any respect, or will be entitled to the benefit of limitations restricting the issuance of shares of any other class or classes or series of stock of the Corporation, restricting the payment of dividends on or the making of other distributions in respect of shares of any other class or classes or series of stock of the Corporation ranking junior to the shares of the series as to dividends or distributions, or restricting the purchase or redemption of the shares of any such junior class or classes or series of stock of the Corporation, and the terms of any such restriction;

(h) whether or not the shares of the series will have voting rights or powers and, if so, the terms of such voting rights and powers; and

(i) any other powers, preferences and rights, and qualifications, limitations and restrictions thereof, of the series.

Except as otherwise required by law, holders of any series of Preferred Stock shall be entitled to only such voting rights and powers, if any, as shall expressly be granted thereto by this Charter. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this Charter, no vote of the holders of shares of Preferred Stock or Common Stock shall be a prerequisite to the issuance of any shares of any series of the Preferred Stock so authorized in accordance with this Charter. Except as otherwise required by law, holders of Common Stock shall not be entitled to vote on any amendment to this Charter that relates solely to the terms of one or more outstanding series of Preferred Stock if the holders of such affected series are entitled, either separately as a class or together with the holders of one or more other such series as a separate class, to vote thereon pursuant to this Charter or pursuant to the DGCL. Unless otherwise provided by this Charter, the Board may, by resolution or resolutions, increase or decrease (but not below the number of shares of such series

 

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then outstanding) the number of shares of any series of Preferred Stock established by a Preferred Stock Certificate of Designation pursuant to this Article IV and the DGCL and, if the number of shares of such series shall be so decreased, the shares constituting such decrease shall resume the status that they had prior to the adoption of the resolution originally fixing the number of shares of such series.

ARTICLE V

Section 5.01 General Powers. Except as otherwise provided by applicable law or this Charter, the business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by or under the direction of the Board.

Section 5.02 Number of Directors. Except as otherwise provided for or fixed pursuant to Article IV and this Article V (relating to the rights of any series of Preferred Stock to elect additional directors), and subject to the terms of each of (i) the Amended and Restated Investor Rights Agreement, dated on or about the date of the effectiveness of the filing of this Charter, by and among the Corporation, Searchlight Capital II, L.P. and Searchlight Capital II PV, L.P. (collectively, “SCP”) and certain affiliates of Apollo (as defined below) (as the same may be amended, supplemented, restated or otherwise modified from time to time, the “SCP Stockholders Agreement”), and (ii) the Amended and Restated Investor Rights Agreement, dated on or about the date of the effectiveness of the filing of this Charter, by and among the Corporation, Datapipe Holdings, LLC and Ace Investment Holdings, LLC. (collectively “ABRY”) and certain affiliates of Apollo (as defined below) (as the same may be amended, supplemented, restated or otherwise modified from time to time, the “ABRY Stockholders Agreement” and, together with the SCP Stockholders Agreement, the “Stockholders Agreements”), the total number of directors shall be as determined from time to time exclusively by the Board; provided, that in no event shall the total number of directors be less than three (3) nor more than fifteen (15). Election of directors need not be by written ballot unless the Bylaws (as defined below) shall so require.

Section 5.03 Classified Board; Term of Office. The directors (other than those directors elected by the holders of any series of Preferred Stock, voting separately as a series or together with one or more other such series, as the case may be) shall be divided into three classes designated Class I, Class II and Class III. Each class shall consist, as nearly as possible, of one-third of the total number of such directors. Class I directors shall initially serve for a term expiring at the first annual meeting of stockholders following the date the Common Stock is first publicly traded (the “IPO Date”), Class II directors shall initially serve for a term expiring at the second annual meeting of stockholders following the IPO Date and Class III directors shall initially serve for a term expiring at the third annual meeting of stockholders following the IPO Date. At each succeeding annual meeting, successors to the class of directors whose term expires at that annual meeting shall be elected for a term expiring at the third succeeding annual meeting of stockholders. If the number of such directors is changed, any increase or decrease shall be apportioned among the classes so as to maintain the number of directors in each class as nearly equal as possible, and any such additional director of any class elected to fill a newly created directorship resulting from an increase in such class shall hold office for a term that shall coincide with the remaining term of that class, but in no case shall a decrease in the number of

 

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directors remove or shorten the term of any incumbent director. Each director shall hold office until the annual meeting at which his or her term expires and until his or her successor shall be elected and qualified, subject, however, to such director’s earlier death, resignation, retirement, removal or disqualification. The Board is authorized to assign members of the Board already in office to their respective class.

Section 5.04 Quorum. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in this Charter, the Bylaws or applicable law, but in addition to any requirements set forth in this Charter, the Bylaws and applicable law, if Apollo Global Management, Inc. (together with its subsidiaries, “Apollo”), investment funds managed by affiliates of Apollo, including Apollo Management VIII, L.P., and their respective affiliates, including AP VIII Inception Holdings, L.P. (the “Apollo Stockholder” and, collectively, the “Apollo Entities” and, each, an “Apollo Entity”), own, beneficially or of record, at least 5% of the outstanding Common Stock of the Corporation and there is at least one member of the Board who is an Apollo Board Nominee (as defined in each of the Stockholders Agreements), a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of the Board shall include at least one Apollo Board Nominee unless each Apollo Board Nominee provides notice in writing or by electronic transmission to the Corporation waiving his or her right to be included in the quorum at such meeting. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth herein, but in addition to any other vote required by this Charter, the Bylaws or applicable law, at any time that the Apollo Entities own, beneficially or of record, at least 5% of the outstanding Common Stock of the Corporation, the Corporation shall not (directly or indirectly, by merger, consolidation or otherwise) amend, alter or repeal this Section 5.04, or adopt any provision inconsistent herewith, without the prior written consent of the Apollo Stockholder.

Section 5.05 Vacancies; Newly Created Directorships. Except as otherwise provided by this Charter, and subject to the terms of the Stockholders Agreements, any vacancy resulting from the death, resignation, removal or disqualification of a director or other cause, or any newly created directorship in the Board, shall be filled only by an affirmative vote of a majority of the directors then in office, although less than a quorum, or by the sole remaining director, and shall not be filled by the stockholders of the Corporation; provided, that, (i) for so long as the Apollo Entities own, beneficially or of record, at least 5% of the outstanding Common Stock of the Corporation, any vacancy resulting from the death, resignation, removal, disqualification or other cause in respect of any Apollo Board Nominee, including the failure of any Apollo Board Nominee to be elected, shall be filled only by the Apollo Stockholder, (ii) for so long as the SCP Nomination Condition (as defined in the SCP Stockholders Agreement) is satisfied, any vacancy resulting from the death, resignation, removal, disqualification or other cause in respect of the SCP Board Nominee (as defined in the SCP Stockholders Agreement), including the failure of the SCP Board Nominee to be elected, shall be filled in the manner set forth in the SCP Stockholders Agreement, and (iii) for so long as the ABRY Nomination Condition (as defined in the ABRY Stockholders Agreement) is satisfied, any vacancy resulting from the death, resignation, removal, disqualification or other cause in respect of the ABRY Board Nominee (as defined in the ABRY Stockholders Agreement), including the failure of the ABRY Board Nominee to be elected, shall be filled in the manner set forth in the ABRY Stockholders Agreement. Except as otherwise provided by this Charter, a director elected to fill a vacancy or newly created directorship shall hold office until the annual meeting of stockholders for the election of directors of the class to which he or she has been appointed and until his or her successor has been duly elected and qualified, subject, however, to such director’s earlier death, resignation, retirement, removal or disqualification.

 

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Section 5.06 Removal of Directors. Except as otherwise provided by law, any Stockholders Agreement or this Charter, directors may be removed with or without cause by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the voting power of the outstanding shares of the stock of the Corporation entitled to vote thereon; provided, however, that, from and after the Trigger Event (as defined in Article VII hereof) any such director or all such directors may be removed only for cause and only by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds (2/3rds or 66 2/3%) of the voting power of the then-outstanding shares of stock of the Corporation entitled to vote thereon, voting together as a single class.

Section 5.07 Voting Rights of Preferred Stock. Notwithstanding the foregoing, whenever the holders of any one or more series of Preferred Stock shall have the right, voting separately as a series or separately as a class with one or more such other series of Preferred Stock, to elect directors, the election, term of office, removal, filling of vacancies (including filling any newly created directorships) any and other features of such directorships shall be governed by the terms of the other provisions of this Charter (including any Preferred Stock Certificate of Designation). Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, during any period when the holders of any series of Preferred Stock have the right to elect additional directors, then upon commencement and for the duration of the period during which such right continues: (i) the then otherwise total number of directors of the Corporation shall automatically be increased by such specified number of directors, and the holders of such Preferred Stock shall be entitled to elect the additional directors so provided for or fixed pursuant to such provisions, and (ii) each such additional director shall serve until such director’s successor shall have been duly elected and qualified, or until such director’s right to hold such office terminates pursuant to such provisions, whichever occurs earlier, subject to his or her earlier death, resignation, retirement, removal or disqualification. Except as otherwise provided by the Board in the resolution or resolutions establishing such series, whenever the holders of any series of Preferred Stock having such right to elect additional directors are divested of such right pursuant to the provisions of such stock, the terms of office of all such additional directors elected by the holders of such stock, or elected to fill any vacancies resulting from the death, resignation, retirement, removal or disqualification of such additional directors, shall forthwith terminate, and the total authorized number of directors of the Corporation shall be reduced accordingly.

ARTICLE VI

In furtherance and not in limitation of the rights, powers, privileges and discretionary authority granted or conferred by the DGCL or other statutes or laws of the State of Delaware, the Board is expressly authorized to make, alter, amend or repeal the bylaws of the Corporation (as the same may be amended and/or restated from time to time, the “Bylaws”), without any action on the part of the stockholders.

 

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ARTICLE VII

Except as otherwise required by law, and subject to the rights of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock, special meetings of the stockholders of the Corporation may be called only by (i) the Chairman of the Board, at any time, (ii) the Secretary of the Corporation at the direction of a majority of the directors then in office, at any time, or (iii) until such time as the Apollo Entities cease to beneficially own at least 50.1% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (the “Trigger Event”), the Secretary of the Corporation at the written request of the holders of a majority of the voting power of the then outstanding Common Stock, and special meetings may not be called by any other person or persons. Business transacted at any special meeting of stockholders shall be limited to the purpose or purposes stated in the notice.

ARTICLE VIII

To the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, as it now exists or may hereafter be amended, a director of the Corporation shall not be personally liable to the Corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty owed to the Corporation or its stockholders. Any repeal or amendment or modification of this Article VIII (including by changes in applicable law), or the adoption of any provision of this Charter inconsistent with this Article VIII, shall, to the extent permitted by applicable law, be prospective only (except to the extent such amendment or change in applicable law permits the Corporation to provide a broader limitation on a retroactive basis than permitted prior thereto), and shall not adversely affect any limitation on the personal liability of any director of the Corporation with respect to acts or omissions occurring prior to the time of such repeal or amendment or modification or adoption of such inconsistent provision. If any provision of the DGCL is amended to authorize corporate action further eliminating or limiting the personal liability of directors, then the liability of directors shall be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, as so amended.

ARTICLE IX

Subject to the rights of the holders of one or more series of Preferred Stock then outstanding to act by written consent as provided in any Preferred Stock Certificate of Designation, any action required or permitted to be taken by stockholders must be effected at a duly called annual or special meeting of stockholders; provided, that prior to the Trigger Event, any action required or permitted to be taken at any annual or special meeting of stockholders of the Corporation may be taken without a meeting, without prior notice and without a vote, if a consent or consents in writing, setting forth the action so taken, is signed by or on behalf of the holders of outstanding stock having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all shares entitled to vote thereon were present and voted and shall be delivered to the Corporation in accordance with the DGCL.

 

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ARTICLE X

Section 10.01 Indemnification. Each person who was or is made a party or is threatened to be made a party to or is otherwise involved in any action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (hereinafter a “Proceeding”), by reason of the fact that he or she or a person of whom he or she is the legal representative is or was, at any time during which this Charter is in effect (whether or not such person continues to serve in such capacity at the time any indemnification or payment of expenses pursuant hereto is sought or at the time any proceeding relating thereto exists or is brought), a director or officer of the Corporation or is or was at any such time serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, trustee, employee or agent of another corporation or of a partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, including service with respect to employee benefit plans maintained or sponsored by the Corporation (hereinafter, an “Indemnitee”), whether the basis of such Proceeding is alleged action in an official capacity as a director, officer, trustee, employee or agent or in any other capacity while serving as a director, officer, trustee, employee or agent, shall be (and shall be deemed to have a contractual right to be) indemnified and held harmless by the Corporation (and any successor of the Corporation by merger or otherwise) to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL as the same exists or may hereafter be amended or modified from time to time (but, in the case of any such amendment or modification, only to the extent that such amendment or modification permits the Corporation to provide greater indemnification rights than said law permitted the Corporation to provide prior to such amendment or modification), against all expense, liability and loss (including attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines, excise taxes or penalties arising under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 and amounts paid or to be paid in settlement) incurred or suffered by such person in connection therewith and such indemnification shall continue as to a person who has ceased to be a director, officer, trustee, employee or agent and shall inure to the benefit of his or her heirs, executors and administrators; provided, however, that except as provided in Section 10.04 of this Article X, the Corporation shall indemnify any such person seeking indemnification in connection with a Proceeding (or part thereof) initiated by such person only if such Proceeding (or part thereof) was authorized in the first instance by the Board.

Section 10.02 Advancement of Expenses. The right to indemnification conferred upon Indemnitees in this Article X shall include the right, without the need for any action by the Board, to be paid by the Corporation (and any successor of the Corporation by merger or otherwise) the expenses incurred in defending any such Proceeding in advance of its final disposition, such advances to be paid by the Corporation within twenty (20) days after the receipt by the Corporation of a statement or statements from the claimant requesting such advance or advances from time to time; provided, however, the payment of such expenses incurred by a director or officer in his or her capacity as a director or officer (and not in any other capacity in which service was or is rendered by such person while a director or officer, including, without limitation, service to an employee benefit plan) shall be made only upon delivery to the Corporation of an undertaking by or on behalf of such director or officer to repay all amounts so advanced if it shall ultimately be determined by final judicial decision from which there is no further right of appeal that such director or officer is not entitled to be indemnified for such expenses under this Article X or otherwise.

Section 10.03 Nature of Rights; Other Sources. The rights conferred upon Indemnitees in this Article X shall be contract rights between the Corporation and each Indemnitee to whom such rights are extended that vest at the commencement of such person’s service to or at the request of the Corporation and all such rights shall continue as to an Indemnitee who has ceased

 

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to be a director or officer of the Corporation or ceased to serve at the Corporation’s request as a director, officer, trustee, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, as described herein, and shall inure to the benefit of the Indemnitee’s heirs, executors and administrators. The Corporation hereby acknowledges that certain Indemnitees may have certain rights to indemnification, advancement of expenses and/or insurance (other than directors’ and officers’ liability insurance or similar insurance obtained or maintained by or on behalf of the Corporation, its affiliates or any of the foregoing’s respective subsidiaries) from persons or entities other than the Corporation (collectively, the “Other Indemnitors”). The Corporation hereby agrees (i) that it is the indemnitor of first resort of the Indemnitees (i.e., its obligations to an Indemnitee hereunder are primary and any obligation of the Other Indemnitors to advance expenses or to provide indemnification for the same expenses or liabilities incurred by such Indemnitee are secondary), (ii) that it shall be required to advance the full amount of expenses incurred by an Indemnitee and shall be liable for the full amount of all losses, claims, damages, liabilities and expenses (including attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines, penalties and amounts paid in settlement) to the extent legally permitted and as required by the terms hereof, without regard to any rights an Indemnitee may have against the Other Indemnitors, and (iii) that it irrevocably waives, relinquishes and releases the Other Indemnitors from any and all claims against the Other Indemnitors for contribution, subrogation or any other recovery of any kind in respect thereof. The Corporation further agrees that no advancement or payment by the Other Indemnitors on behalf of an Indemnitee with respect to any claim for which such Indemnitee has sought indemnification from the Corporation hereunder shall affect the foregoing and the Other Indemnitors shall have a right of contribution and/or be subrogated to the extent of such advancement or payment to all of the rights of recovery of such Indemnitee against the Corporation. For the avoidance of doubt, no person or entity providing directors’ or officers’ liability insurance or similar insurance obtained or maintained by or on behalf of the Corporation, any of its affiliates or any of the foregoing’s respective subsidiaries, including any person or entity providing such insurance obtained or maintained as contemplated by Section 10.08, shall be an Other Indemnitor.

Section 10.04 Claims. To obtain indemnification under this Article X, a claimant shall submit to the Corporation a written request, including therein or therewith such documentation and information as is reasonably available to the claimant and is reasonably necessary to determine whether and to what extent the claimant is entitled to indemnification. Upon written request by a claimant for indemnification pursuant to the first sentence of this Section 10.04, a determination, if required by applicable law, with respect to the claimant’s entitlement thereto shall be made as follows: (i) if requested by the claimant, by Independent Counsel (as hereinafter defined), or (ii) if no request is made by the claimant for a determination by Independent Counsel, (a) by a majority vote of Disinterested Directors (as hereinafter defined), even though less than a quorum, (b) if there are no such Disinterested Directors, or if a majority of the Disinterested Directors so directs, by Independent Counsel in a written opinion to the Board, a copy of which shall be delivered to the claimant, or (c) if a majority of Disinterested Directors so directs, by a majority of the stockholders of the Corporation. In the event the determination of entitlement to indemnification is to be made by Independent Counsel, the Independent Counsel shall be selected by the Board. If it is so determined that the claimant is entitled to indemnification, payment to the claimant shall be made within ten (10) days after such determination.

 

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Section 10.05 Enforcement. If a claim under Section 10.01 of this Article X is not paid in full by the Corporation within sixty (60) days after a written claim pursuant to Section 10.04 of this Article X has been received by the Corporation, or if a claim under Section 10.02 of this Article X is not paid in full by the Corporation within twenty (20) days after a written claim therefor has been made, the claimant may at any time thereafter bring suit against the Corporation to recover the unpaid amount of the claim and, if successful in whole or in part, the claimant shall be entitled to be paid also the expense of prosecuting such claim to the fullest extent permitted by law. It shall be a defense to any such action that in the case of a claim for indemnification, the claimant has not met the standard of conduct which makes it permissible under the DGCL for the Corporation to indemnify the claimant for the amount claimed. Neither the failure of the Corporation (including its Board, Disinterested Directors, Independent Counsel or stockholders) to have made a determination prior to the commencement of such action that indemnification of the claimant is proper in the circumstances because he or she has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in the DGCL, nor an actual determination by the Corporation (including its Board, Disinterested Directors, Independent Counsel or stockholders) that the claimant has not met such applicable standard of conduct, shall be a defense to the action or create a presumption that the claimant has not met the applicable standard of conduct.

Section 10.06 Procedures. If a determination shall have been made pursuant to Section 10.04 of this Article X that the claimant is entitled to indemnification, the Corporation shall be bound by such determination in any judicial proceeding commenced pursuant to Section 10.05 of this Article X. The Corporation shall be precluded from asserting in any judicial proceeding commenced pursuant to Section 10.05 of this Article X that the procedures and presumptions of this Article X are not valid, binding and enforceable and shall stipulate in such proceeding that the Corporation is bound by all the provisions of this Article X.

Section 10.07 Non-Exclusive Rights. The right to indemnification and the payment of expenses incurred in defending a Proceeding in advance of its final disposition conferred in this Article X: (i) shall not be exclusive of any other right which any person may have or hereafter acquire under any statute, provision of this Charter, Bylaws, agreement, vote of stockholders or Disinterested Directors or otherwise and (ii) cannot be terminated by the Corporation, the Board or the stockholders of the Corporation with respect to any act or omission that is the subject of the Proceeding for which indemnification or advancement of expenses is sought prior to the date of such termination. Any amendment, modification, alteration or repeal of this Article X (by merger, consolidation or otherwise) that in any way diminishes, limits, restricts, adversely affects or eliminates any right of an Indemnitee or his or her successors to indemnification, advancement of expenses or otherwise shall be prospective only and shall not, without the written consent of the Indemnitee, in any way diminish, limit, restrict, adversely affect or eliminate any such right with respect to any actual or alleged state of facts, occurrence, action or omission then or previously existing, or any action, suit or proceeding previously or thereafter brought or threatened based in whole or in part upon any such actual or alleged state of facts, occurrence, action or omission.

Section 10.08 Insurance. The Corporation may maintain insurance, at its expense, to protect itself and any director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation or another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against any expense, liability or loss, whether or not the Corporation would have the power to indemnify such person against such expense, liability or loss under the DGCL.

 

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Section 10.09 Additional Rights. The Board may grant rights to indemnification, and rights to be paid by the Corporation the expenses incurred in connection with any Proceeding in advance of its final disposition, to any current or former employee or agent of the Corporation to the fullest extent of the provisions of this Article X with respect to the indemnification and advancement of expenses of current or former directors and officers of the Corporation.

Section 10.10 Severability. If any provision or provisions of this Article X shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable for any reason whatsoever: (i) the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Article X (including, without limitation, each portion of any Section of this Article X containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that is not itself held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby; and (ii) to the fullest extent possible, the provisions of this Article X (including, without limitation, each such portion of any Section of this Article X containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall be construed so as to give effect to the intent manifested by the provision held invalid, illegal or unenforceable.

Section 10.11 Definitions; Construction. For purposes of this Article X: “Disinterested Director” means a director of the Corporation who is not and was not a party to the Proceeding in respect of which indemnification is sought by the claimant; and “Independent Counsel” means a law firm, a member of a law firm, or an independent practitioner, that is experienced in matters of corporate law and shall include any person who, under the applicable standards of professional conduct then prevailing, would not have a conflict of interest in representing either the Corporation or the claimant in an action to determine the claimant’s rights under this Article X. Any reference to an officer of the Corporation in this Article X shall be deemed to refer exclusively to the officers appointed as such pursuant to the Bylaws by the Board or by an officer to whom the Board has delegated the power to appoint officers, and any reference to an officer of any other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise shall be deemed to refer exclusively to an officer appointed by the board of directors (or equivalent governing body) of such other entity pursuant to the certificate of incorporation and bylaws (or equivalent organizational documents) of such other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise. The fact that any person who is or was an employee of the Corporation or an employee of any other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise has been given or has used the title of “vice president” or any other title that could be construed to suggest or imply that such person is or may be an officer of the Corporation or of such other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise shall not result in such person being constituted as, or being deemed to be, an officer of the Corporation or of such other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise for purposes of this Article X.

Section 10.12 Notices. Any notice, request or other communication required or permitted to be given to the Corporation under this Article X shall be in writing and either delivered in person or sent by telecopy, fax, email, overnight mail or courier service, or certified or registered mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested, to the Secretary of the Corporation and shall be effective only upon receipt by the Secretary.

 

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ARTICLE XI

Section 11.01 Recognition of Corporate Opportunities. In recognition and anticipation that (i) certain directors, officers, principals, partners, members, managers, employees, agents and/or other representatives of the Apollo Entities, SCP, ABRY and their respective Affiliates (as defined below) may serve as directors, officers or agents of the Corporation and its Affiliates, and (ii) the Apollo Entities, SCP, ABRY and their respective Affiliates may now engage and may continue to engage in the same or similar activities or related lines of business as those in which the Corporation and Affiliates, directly or indirectly, may engage and/or other business activities that overlap with or compete with those in which the Corporation and its Affiliates, directly or indirectly, may engage, the provisions of this Article XI are set forth to regulate and define the conduct of certain affairs of the Corporation and its Affiliates with respect to certain classes or categories of business opportunities as they may involve the Apollo Entities, SCP, ABRY and their respective Affiliates and any person or entity who, while a stockholder, director, officer or agent of the Corporation or any of its Affiliates, is a director, officer, principal, partner, member, manager, employee, agent and/or other representative of the Apollo Entities, SCP, ABRY and their respective Affiliates (each, an “Identified Person”), on the one hand, and the powers, rights, duties and liabilities of the Corporation and its Affiliates and its and their respective stockholders, directors, officers, and agents in connection therewith, on the other. To the fullest extent permitted by law (including, without limitation, the DGCL), and notwithstanding any other duty (contractual, fiduciary or otherwise, whether at law or in equity), each Identified Person (i) shall have the right to, directly or indirectly, engage in and possess interests in other business ventures of every type and description, including those engaged in the same or similar business activities or lines of business as the Corporation or any of its Affiliates or deemed to be competing with the Corporation or any of its Affiliates, on its own account, or in partnership with, or as a direct or indirect equity holder, controlling person, stockholder, director, officer, employee, agent, Affiliate (including any portfolio company), member, financing source, investor, director or indirect manager, general or limited partner or assignee of any other person or entity with no obligation to offer to the Corporation or its subsidiaries or other Affiliates the right to participate therein and (ii) shall have the right to invest in, or provide services to, any person that is engaged in the same or similar business activities as the Corporation or its Affiliates or directly or indirectly competes with the Corporation or any of its Affiliates.

Section 11.02 Competitive Opportunities. In the event that any Identified Person acquires knowledge of a potential transaction or matter which may be an investment, corporate or business opportunity or prospective economic or competitive advantage in which the Corporation or its Affiliates could have an interest or expectancy (contractual, equitable or otherwise) (a “Competitive Opportunity”) or otherwise is then exploiting any Competitive Opportunity, to the fullest extent permitted under the DGCL and notwithstanding any other duty existing at law or in equity, the Corporation and its Affiliates will have no interest in, and no expectation (contractual, equitable or otherwise) that such Competitive Opportunity be offered to it. To the fullest extent permitted by law, any such interest or expectation (contractual, equitable or otherwise) is hereby renounced so that such Identified Person shall (i) have no duty to

 

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communicate or present such Competitive Opportunity to the Corporation or its Affiliates, (ii) have the right to either hold any such Competitive Opportunity for such Identified Person’s own account and benefit or the account of the former, current or future direct or indirect equity holders, controlling persons, stockholders, directors, officers, employees, agents, Affiliates, members, financing sources, investors, direct or indirect managers, general or limited partners or assignees of any Identified Person or to direct, recommend, assign or otherwise transfer such Competitive Opportunity to persons or entities other than the Corporation or any of its subsidiaries, Affiliates or direct or indirect equity holders and (iii) notwithstanding any provision in this Charter to the contrary, not be obligated or liable to the Corporation, any stockholder, director or officer of the Corporation or any other person or entity by reason of the fact that such Identified Person, directly or indirectly, took any of the actions noted in the immediately preceding clause (ii), pursued or acquired such Competitive Opportunity for itself or any other person or entity or failed to communicate or present such Competitive Opportunity to the Corporation or its Affiliates.

Section 11.03 Acknowledgement. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring or holding any interest in any shares of capital stock of the Corporation or any other interest in the Corporation shall be deemed to have notice of and to have consented to the provisions of this Article XI.

Section 11.04 Interpretation; Duties. In the event of a conflict or other inconsistency between this Article XI and any other Article or provision of this Charter, this Article XI shall prevail under all circumstances. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, under no circumstances shall the provisions of this Article XI (other than this Section 11.04 of this Article XI) apply to (or result in or be deemed to result in a limitation or elimination of any duty (contractual, fiduciary or otherwise, whether at law or in equity)) owed by any employee of the Corporation or any of its subsidiaries, irrespective of whether such employee otherwise would be an Identified Person, and any Competitive Opportunity waived or renounced by any person or entity pursuant to such other provisions of this Article XI shall be expressly reserved and maintained by such person or entity, as applicable (and shall not be waived or renounced) as to any such employee.

Section 11.05 Section 122(17) of the DGCL. For the avoidance of doubt, subject to Section 11.04 of this Article XI, this Article XI is intended to constitute, with respect to the Identified Persons, a disclaimer and renunciation, to the fullest extent permitted under Section 122(17) of the DGCL, of any right of the Corporation or any of its Affiliates with respect to the matters set forth in this Article XI, and this Article XI shall be construed to effect such disclaimer and renunciation to the fullest extent permitted under the DGCL.

Section 11.06 Definitions. Solely for purposes of this Article XI, “Affiliate” shall mean (a) with respect to the Apollo Entities, any person or entity that, directly or indirectly, is controlled by an Apollo Entity, controls an Apollo Entity, or is under common control with an Apollo Entity, (b) with respect to an SCP entity, any person or entity that, directly or indirectly, is controlled by an SCP entity, controls an SCP entity, or is under common control with an SCP entity, (c) with respect to an ABRY entity, any person or entity that, directly or indirectly, is controlled by an ABRY entity, controls an ABRY entity, or is under common control with an

 

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ABRY entity, but in each case in clauses (a) through (c), excluding (i) the Corporation, and (ii) any entity that is controlled by the Corporation (including its direct and indirect subsidiaries), and (d) in respect of the Corporation, any person or entity that, directly or indirectly, is controlled by the Corporation.

ARTICLE XII

Unless the Corporation consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the sole and exclusive forum for (a) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Corporation, (b) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer, other employee or stockholder of the Corporation, (c) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL or of this Charter or the Bylaws or as to which the DGCL confers jurisdiction on the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware, or (d) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, but subject to the foregoing provisions of this Article XII, the federal district courts of the United States shall be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any action, suit or proceeding asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The provisions of this Article XII do not apply to claims arising under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of capital stock of the Corporation shall be deemed to have notice of and, to the fullest extent permitted by law, to have consented to the provisions of this Article XII.

ARTICLE XIII

Section 13.01 Section 203 of the DGCL. The Corporation hereby expressly elects not to be governed by Section 203 of the DGCL.

Section 13.02 Interested Stockholders. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Corporation shall not engage in any business combination (as defined below), at any point in time at which the Common Stock is registered under Section 12(b) or 12(g) of the Exchange Act, with any interested stockholder (as defined below) for a period of three (3) years following the time that such stockholder became an interested stockholder, unless:

(a) prior to such time, the Board approved either the business combination or the transaction which resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, or

(b) upon consummation of the transaction which resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, the interested stockholder owned at least 85% of the voting stock (as defined below) of the Corporation outstanding at the time the transaction commenced, excluding for purposes of determining the voting stock outstanding (but not the outstanding voting stock owned by the interested stockholder) those shares owned (a) by persons who are directors and also officers and (b) employee stock plans in which employee participants do not have the right to determine confidentially whether shares held subject to the plan will be tendered in a tender or exchange offer, or

 

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(c) at or subsequent to such time, the business combination is approved by the Board and authorized at an annual or special meeting of stockholders, and not by written consent, by the affirmative vote of at least 66 2/3% of the outstanding voting stock of the Corporation which is not owned by the interested stockholder.

Section 13.03 Certain Exceptions. The restrictions contained in this Article XIII shall not apply if:

(a) a stockholder becomes an interested stockholder inadvertently and (i) as soon as practicable divests itself of ownership of sufficient shares so that the stockholder ceases to be an interested stockholder and (ii) would not, at any time, within the three-year period immediately prior to the business combination between the Corporation and such stockholder, have been an interested stockholder but for the inadvertent acquisition of ownership, or

(b) the business combination is proposed prior to the consummation or abandonment of and subsequent to the earlier of the public announcement or the notice required hereunder of a proposed transaction which (i) constitutes one of the transactions described in the second sentence of this Section 13.03(b), (ii) is with or by a person who either was not an interested stockholder during the previous three years or who became an interested stockholder with the approval of the Board and (iii) is approved or not opposed by a majority of the directors then in office (but not less than one) who were directors prior to any person becoming an interested stockholder during the previous three years or were recommended for election or elected to succeed such directors by a majority of such directors. The proposed transactions referred to in the preceding sentence are limited to (x) a merger or consolidation of the Corporation (except for a merger in respect of which, pursuant to Section 251(f) of the DGCL, no vote of the stockholders of the Corporation is required), (y) a sale, lease, exchange, mortgage, whether as part of a dissolution or otherwise, of assets of the Corporation or of any direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiary of the Corporation (other than to any direct or indirect wholly owned subsidiary or to the Corporation ) having an aggregate market value equal to fifty percent or more of either that aggregate market value of all the assets of the Corporation determined on a consolidated basis or the aggregate market value of all the outstanding stock of the Corporation or (z) a proposed tender or exchange offer for fifty percent or more of the outstanding voting stock of the Corporation. The Corporation shall give not less than 20 days’ notice to all interested stockholders prior to the consummation of any of the transactions described in clause (x) or (y) of the second sentence of this Section 13.03.

Section 13.04 Definitions. For purposes of this Article XIII only, references to:

(a) “affiliate” means a person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, or is controlled by, or is under common control with, another person.

(b) “Apollo Direct Transferee” means any person that acquires (other than in a registered public offering) directly from an Apollo Entity or any of its affiliates or successors or any “group”, or any member of any such group, of which such persons are a party under Rule 13d-5 of the Exchange Act, beneficial ownership of 15% or more of the then outstanding voting stock of the Corporation.

 

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(c) “Apollo Indirect Transferee” means any person that acquires (other than in a registered public offering) directly from any Apollo Direct Transferee or any other Apollo Indirect Transferee beneficial ownership of 15% or more of the then outstanding voting stock of the Corporation.

(d) “associate”, when used to indicate a relationship with any person, means: (i) any corporation, partnership, unincorporated association or other entity of which such person is a director, officer or partner or is, directly or indirectly, the owner of 20% or more of any class of voting stock; (ii) any trust or other estate in which such person has at least a 20% beneficial interest or as to which such person serves as trustee or in a similar fiduciary capacity; and (iii) any relative or spouse of such person, or any relative of such spouse, who has the same residence as such person.

(e) “business combination”, when used in reference to the Corporation and any interested stockholder of the Corporation, means:

(i) any merger or consolidation of the Corporation or any direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiary of the Corporation (a) with the interested stockholder, or (b) with any other corporation, partnership, unincorporated association or other entity if the merger or consolidation is caused by the interested stockholder and as a result of such merger or consolidation Section 13.02 of this Article XIII is not applicable to the surviving entity;

(ii) (any sale, lease, exchange, mortgage, pledge, transfer or other disposition (in one transaction or a series of transactions), except proportionately as a stockholder of the Corporation, to or with the interested stockholder, whether as part of a dissolution or otherwise, of assets of the Corporation or of any direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiary of the Corporation which assets have an aggregate market value equal to 10% or more of either the aggregate market value of all the assets of the Corporation determined on a consolidated basis or the aggregate market value of all the outstanding stock of the Corporation;

(iii) any transaction which results in the issuance or transfer by the Corporation or by any direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiary of the Corporation of any stock of the Corporation or of such subsidiary to the interested stockholder, except: (a) pursuant to the exercise, exchange or conversion of securities exercisable for, exchangeable for or convertible into stock of the Corporation or any such subsidiary which securities were outstanding prior to the time that the interested stockholder became such; (b) pursuant to a merger under Section 251(g) of the DGCL; (c) pursuant to a dividend or distribution paid or made, or the exercise, exchange or conversion of securities exercisable for, exchangeable for or convertible into stock of the Corporation or any such subsidiary which security is distributed, pro rata to all holders of a class or series of stock of the Corporation subsequent to the time the interested stockholder became such; (d) pursuant to an exchange offer by the Corporation to purchase stock made on the same terms to all holders of said stock; or (e) any issuance or

 

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transfer of stock by the Corporation; provided, however, that in no case under items (c)-(e) of this subsection (iii) shall there be an increase in the interested stockholder’s proportionate share of the stock of any class or series of the Corporation or of the voting stock of the Corporation (except as a result of immaterial changes due to fractional share adjustments);

(iv) any transaction involving the Corporation or any direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiary of the Corporation which has the effect, directly or indirectly, of increasing the proportionate share of the stock of any class or series, or securities convertible into the stock of any class or series, of the Corporation or of any such subsidiary which is owned by the interested stockholder, except as a result of immaterial changes due to fractional share adjustments or as a result of any purchase or redemption of any shares of stock not caused, directly or indirectly, by the interested stockholder; or

(v) any receipt by the interested stockholder of the benefit, directly or indirectly (except proportionately as a stockholder of the Corporation), of any loans, advances, guarantees, pledges, or other financial benefits (other than those expressly permitted in subsections (i)-(iv) above) provided by or through the Corporation or any direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiary.

(f) “control”, including the terms “controlling,” “controlled by” and “under common control with,” means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of a person, whether through the ownership of voting stock, by contract, or otherwise. A person who is the owner of 20% or more of the outstanding voting stock of a corporation, partnership, unincorporated association or other entity shall be presumed to have control of such entity, in the absence of proof by a preponderance of the evidence to the contrary. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a presumption of control shall not apply where such person holds voting stock, in good faith and not for the purpose of circumventing this Section, as an agent, bank, broker, nominee, custodian or trustee for one or more owners who do not individually or as a group have control of such entity.

(g) “interested stockholder” means any person (other than the Corporation or any direct or indirect majority-owned subsidiary of the Corporation) that (i) is the owner of 15% or more of the outstanding voting stock of the Corporation, or (ii) is an affiliate or associate of the Corporation and was the owner of 15% or more of the outstanding voting stock of the Corporation at any time within the three (3) year period immediately prior to the date on which it is sought to be determined whether such person is an interested stockholder; and the affiliates and associates of such person; but “interested stockholder” shall not include (A) the Apollo Entities, any Apollo Direct Transferee, any Apollo Indirect Transferee or any of their respective affiliates or successors or any “group”, or any member of any such group, of which such persons are a party under Rule 13d-5 of the Exchange Act, or (B) any person whose ownership of shares in excess of the 15% limitation set forth herein is the result of any action taken solely by the Corporation, provided that, in the case of clause (B), such person shall be an interested stockholder if thereafter such person acquires additional shares of voting stock of the Corporation, except as a result of further corporate action not caused, directly or indirectly, by such person. For the purpose of determining whether a person is an interested stockholder, the voting stock of the Corporation deemed to be outstanding shall include stock deemed to be

 

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owned by the person through application of the definition of “owner” below but shall not include any other unissued stock of the Corporation which may be issuable pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding, or upon exercise of conversion rights, warrants or options, or otherwise.

(h) “owner,” including the terms “own” and “owned,” when used with respect to any stock, means a person that individually or with or through any of its affiliates or associates:

(i) beneficially owns such stock, directly or indirectly; or

(i) has (A) the right to acquire such stock (whether such right is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time) pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding, or upon the exercise of conversion rights, exchange rights, warrants or options, or otherwise; provided, however, that a person shall not be deemed the owner of stock tendered pursuant to a tender or exchange offer made by such person or any of such person’s affiliates or associates until such tendered stock is accepted for purchase or exchange; or (B) the right to vote such stock pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding; provided, however, that a person shall not be deemed the owner of any stock because of such person’s right to vote such stock if the agreement, arrangement or understanding to vote such stock arises solely from a revocable proxy or consent given in response to a proxy or consent solicitation made to ten (10) or more persons; or

(ii) has any agreement, arrangement or understanding for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting (except voting pursuant to a revocable proxy or consent as described in item (B) of subsection (i) above), or disposing of such stock with any other person that beneficially owns, or whose affiliates or associates beneficially own, directly or indirectly, such stock.

(j) “person” means any individual, corporation, partnership, unincorporated association or other entity.

(k) “stock” means, with respect to any corporation, capital stock and, with respect to any other entity, any equity interest.

(l) “voting stock” means stock of any class or series entitled to vote generally in the election of directors. Every reference to a percentage of voting stock shall refer to such percentages of the votes of such voting stock.

ARTICLE XIV

If any provision or provisions of this Charter shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable as applied to any circumstance for any reason whatsoever: (i) the validity, legality and enforceability of such provisions in any other circumstance and of the remaining provisions of this Charter (including, without limitation, each portion of any Article (or section or subsection thereof) of this Charter containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable that is not itself held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall not in any way

 

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be affected or impaired thereby and (ii) to the fullest extent possible, the provisions of this Charter (including, without limitation, each such portion of any Article (or any section or subsection thereof) of this Charter containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall be construed so as to permit the Corporation to protect its directors, officers, employees and agents from personal liability in respect of their good faith service to or for the benefit of the Corporation to the fullest extent permitted by law.

ARTICLE XV

The Corporation reserves the right to amend, alter, change or repeal any provision contained in this Charter, in the manner now or hereafter prescribed by this Charter and the DGCL, and all rights, preferences and privileges herein conferred upon stockholders by and pursuant to this Charter in its current form or as hereafter amended are granted subject to the right reserved in this Article XV. Notwithstanding the foregoing, from and after the occurrence of the Trigger Event, notwithstanding any other provisions of this Charter or any provision of law which might otherwise permit a lesser vote or no vote, but in addition to greater or additional vote or consent required hereunder (including any vote of the holders of any particular class or classes or series of stock required by law or by this Charter), the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 66 2/3% of the voting power of the outstanding shares of stock entitled to vote thereon, voting together as a single class, shall be required to alter, amend or repeal Section 4.03 of Article IV, Articles V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII and XIII, and this Article XV.

From and after the occurrence of the Trigger Event, notwithstanding any other provisions of this Charter or any provision of law which might otherwise permit a lesser vote or no vote, but in addition to any additional or greater vote or consent required hereunder (including any vote of the holders of any particular class or classes or series of stock required by law or by this Charter), the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 66 2/3% of the voting power of the outstanding shares of stock entitled to vote thereon, voting together as a single class, shall be required in order for the stockholders of the Corporation to alter, amend or repeal, in whole or in part, any provision of the Bylaws or to adopt any provision inconsistent therewith.

[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Corporation has caused this Charter to be signed by a duly authorized officer as of this 4th date of August, 2020.

 

RACKSPACE TECHNOLOGY, INC.
By:  

/s/ Stefanie Box

Name: Stefanie Box
Title:   Vice President, Deputy General Counsel & Assistant Corporate Secretary

Rackspace Technology, Inc. — CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION

EX-3.2

Exhibit 3.2

SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED BYLAWS

OF

RACKSPACE TECHNOLOGY, INC.

(Adopted as of August 4, 2020)

ARTICLE I

OFFICES

Section 1.01 Registered Office. The address of the registered office of Rackspace Technology, Inc. (hereinafter the “Corporation”) in the State of Delaware, and the name of its registered agent at such address, shall be as set forth in the Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation, as the same may be amended and/or restated from time to time (the “Certificate of Incorporation”).

Section 1.02 Other Offices. The Corporation may have a principal or other office or offices at such other place or places, either within or without the State of Delaware, as the Board of Directors may from time to time determine or as shall be necessary or appropriate for the conduct of the business of the Corporation.

ARTICLE II

STOCKHOLDERS

Section 2.01 Place of Meetings. All meetings of stockholders shall be held at the principal office of the Corporation or at such other place, if any, within or without the State of Delaware, or solely by means of remote communication in accordance with Section 2.13 of these Bylaws and applicable law, as may be designated by the Board of Directors and stated in the notice of the meeting.

Section 2.02 Annual Meetings. If required by applicable law, an annual meeting of stockholders for the election of directors and the transaction of such other business as may properly be brought before the meeting in accordance with Section 2.07 of these Bylaws shall be held on such day and at such hour, as shall be fixed by the Board of Directors and designated in the notice of meeting. The Corporation may postpone, adjourn, reschedule or cancel any previously scheduled annual meeting of stockholders.

Section 2.03 Special Meetings. Special meetings of stockholders may only be called in the manner provided in the Certificate of Incorporation. Special meetings of stockholders shall be held on such day and at such hour, as shall be designated in the notice of meeting. Business transacted at any special meeting of stockholders shall be limited to the purpose or purposes stated in the notice of meeting. Except in the case of a special meeting of stockholders called at the request of the stockholders pursuant to the express terms of the Certificate of Incorporation, the Corporation may postpone, adjourn, reschedule or cancel any previously scheduled special meeting of stockholders.


Section 2.04 Notice of Meetings. Except as otherwise provided by the Certificate of Incorporation or applicable law, notice, stating the place, if any, date and time of the meeting, the means of remote communication, if any, by which stockholders and proxyholders not physically present may be deemed to be present and vote at such meeting, the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting, if such date is different from the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of the meeting, and, in the case of a special meeting, the purpose or purposes for which the meeting is called, shall be given not less than ten (10) days nor more than sixty (60) days before the date on which the meeting is to be held, to each stockholder entitled to vote at such meeting as of the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to notice of the meeting. Notice may be given either personally, by courier service, by electronic mail, by other form of electronic transmission in the manner provided in Section 232 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware or by mail. If mailed, such notice shall be deemed to be delivered when deposited in the United States mail with postage thereon prepaid, addressed to the stockholder at such stockholder’s address as it appears on the stock transfer books of the Corporation. If delivered by courier service, such notice shall be deemed to be given at the earlier of when the notice is received or left at such stockholder’s address. If notice is given by electronic mail or other electronic transmission, such notice shall be deemed to be given at the times provided in the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware. Such further notice shall be given as may be required by law.

Section 2.05 Quorum; Adjournment of Meetings. Except as otherwise provided by law or by the Certificate of Incorporation, the holders of a majority in voting power of the outstanding capital stock entitled to vote at the meeting, represented in person or by proxy, shall constitute a quorum at a meeting of stockholders, except that when specified business is to be voted on by a class or series or classes or series of stock voting as a separate class, the holders of a majority in voting power of the shares of such class or series or classes or series shall constitute a quorum of such class or series or classes or series with respect to the vote on such business. The chairman of the meeting may adjourn the meeting from time to time, whether or not there is such a quorum. No notice of an adjourned meeting need be given except as required by law. At the adjourned meeting, the Corporation may transact any business which might have been transacted at the original meeting. The stockholders present at a duly called meeting at which a quorum is present may continue to transact business until adjournment, notwithstanding the withdrawal of enough stockholders to leave less than a quorum.

Section 2.06 Proxies. Each stockholder entitled to vote at a meeting of stockholders or to express consent to corporate action in writing without a meeting may authorize another person or persons to act for such stockholder by proxy in any manner provided by applicable law, but no such proxy shall be voted or acted upon after three years from its date, unless the proxy provides for a longer period. A proxy shall be irrevocable if it states that it is irrevocable and if, and only as long as, it is coupled with an interest sufficient in law to support an irrevocable power. A stockholder may revoke any proxy which is not irrevocable by attending the meeting and voting in person or by delivering to the Secretary a revocation of the proxy or a new proxy bearing a later date.

 

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Section 2.07 Notice of Stockholder Business and Nominations.

(a) Annual Meeting of Stockholders.

(i) At any annual meeting of the stockholders, only such nominations of persons for election to the Board of Directors and only other business shall be considered or conducted, as shall have been properly brought before the meeting. For nominations to be properly made at an annual meeting, and proposals of other business to be properly brought before an annual meeting, nominations and proposals of other business must be: (A) pursuant to the Corporation’s notice of meeting (or any supplement thereto) delivered pursuant to Section 2.04 of these Bylaws, (B) by or at the direction of the Board of Directors or any duly authorized committee thereof, (C) by any stockholder of the Corporation who (i) was a stockholder of record at the time of giving of notice provided for in this Bylaw and at the time of the annual meeting, (ii) is entitled to vote at the meeting and (iii) complies with the notice procedures set forth in this Bylaw as to such business or nomination or (D) as provided in the SCP Stockholders Agreement (as defined in the Certificate of Incorporation) or the ABRY Stockholders Agreement (as defined in the Certificate of Incorporation, and, together with the SCP Stockholders Agreement, the “Stockholders Agreements”). Subject to the Stockholders Agreements, clause (C) of this Section 2.07(a)(i) shall be the exclusive means for a stockholder to make nominations or submit other business (other than matters properly brought under Rule 14a-8 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and included in the Corporation’s notice of meeting) before an annual meeting of stockholders.

(ii) Without qualification or limitation, for any nominations or any other business to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a stockholder pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)(C) of this Bylaw, the stockholder must have given timely notice thereof in writing to the Secretary and such other business must otherwise be a proper matter for stockholder action. To be timely, a stockholder’s notice shall be delivered to the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not earlier than the close of business on the 120th day and not later than the close of business on the 90th day prior to the first anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting (which date shall, for purposes of the Corporation’s first annual meeting of stockholders after its shares of Common Stock are first publicly traded, be deemed to have occurred on May 10, 2020); provided, however, that in the event that the date of the annual meeting is more than 30 days before or more than 60 days after such anniversary date, notice by the stockholder to be timely must be so delivered not earlier than the close of business on the 120th day prior to the date of such annual meeting and not later than the close of business on the 90th day prior to the date of such annual meeting or, if the first public announcement of the date of such annual meeting is less than 100 days prior to the date of such annual meeting, the 10th day following the day on which public announcement of the date of such meeting is first made by the Corporation. In no event shall any adjournment or postponement of an annual meeting or the announcement thereof commence a new time period (or extend any time period) for the giving of a stockholder’s notice as described above. In addition, to be timely, a stockholder’s notice shall further be updated and supplemented, if necessary, so that the information provided or required to be provided in such notice shall be true and correct as of the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting and as of the date that is ten (10) business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof, and such update and supplement shall be delivered to the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the

 

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Corporation not later than five (5) business days after such record date for the meeting in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of such record date, and not later than eight (8) business days prior to the date for the meeting, any adjournment or postponement thereof in the case of the update and supplement required to be made as of ten (10) business days prior to the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof. To be in proper form, a stockholder’s notice (whether given pursuant to this paragraph (a)(ii) or paragraph (b)) to the Secretary must: (a) set forth, as to the stockholder giving the notice and the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the nomination or proposal is made (i) the name and address of such stockholder, as they appear on the Corporation’s books and records, of such beneficial owner, if any, and of their respective affiliates or associates or others acting in concert therewith, (ii) (A) the class or series and number of shares of capital stock of the Corporation which are, directly or indirectly, owned beneficially and of record by such stockholder, such beneficial owner, and of their respective affiliates or associates or others acting in concert therewith, (B) any option, warrant, convertible security, stock appreciation right, or similar right with an exercise or conversion privilege or a settlement payment or mechanism at a price related to any class or series of shares of the Corporation or with a value derived in whole or in part from the value of any class or series of shares of the Corporation, any derivative or synthetic arrangement having the characteristics of a long position in any class or series of shares of the Corporation, or any contract, derivative, swap or other transaction or series of transactions designed to produce economic benefits and risks that correspond substantially to the ownership of any class or series of shares of the Corporation, including due to the fact that the value of such contract, derivative, swap or other transaction or series of transactions is determined by reference to the price, value or volatility of any class or series of shares of the Corporation, whether or not such instrument, contract or right shall be subject to settlement in the underlying class or series of capital stock of the Corporation or otherwise, through the delivery of cash or other property, or otherwise, and without regard of whether the stockholder of record, the beneficial owner, if any, or any affiliates or associates or others acting in concert therewith, may have entered into transactions that hedge or mitigate the economic effect of such instrument, contract or right, or any other direct or indirect opportunity to profit or share in any profit derived from any increase or decrease in the value of shares of the Corporation (any of the foregoing, a “Derivative Instrument”) directly or indirectly owned beneficially by such stockholder, the beneficial owner, if any, or any affiliates or associates or others acting in concert therewith, (C) any proxy, contract, arrangement, understanding, or relationship pursuant to which such stockholder or beneficial owner has a right to vote any shares of any security of the Corporation, (D) any contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship or otherwise, including any repurchase or similar so-called “stock borrowing” agreement or arrangement, engaged in, directly or indirectly, by such stockholder or beneficial owner, the purpose or effect of which is to mitigate loss to, reduce the economic risk (of ownership or otherwise) of any class or series of the shares of the Corporation by, manage the risk of share price changes for, or increase or decrease the voting power of, such stockholder or beneficial owner with respect to any class or series of the shares of the Corporation, or which provides, directly or indirectly, the opportunity to profit or share in any profit derived from any decrease in the price or value of any security of the Corporation (any of the foregoing, a “Short Interest”), (E) any rights to dividends on the shares of the Corporation owned beneficially by such stockholder or beneficial owner that are separated or separable from the underlying shares of the Corporation, (F) any proportionate interest in shares of the Corporation or Derivative Instruments held, directly or indirectly, by a general or limited partnership in which such

 

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stockholder or beneficial owner is a general partner or, directly or indirectly, beneficially owns an interest in a general partner of such general or limited partnership, (G) any performance-related fees (other than an asset-based fee) that such stockholder or beneficial owner is entitled to based on any increase or decrease in the value of shares of the Corporation or Derivative Instruments, if any, as of the date of such notice, including without limitation any such interests held by members of such stockholder’s or beneficial owner’s immediate family sharing the same household, (H) any significant equity interests or any Derivative Instruments or Short Interests in any principal competitor of the Corporation held by such stockholder or beneficial owner, and (I) any direct or indirect interest of such stockholder or beneficial owner in any contract with the Corporation, any affiliate of the Corporation or any principal competitor of the Corporation (including, in any such case, any employment agreement, collective bargaining agreement or consulting agreement), and (iii) any other information relating to such stockholder and beneficial owner, if any, that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement and form of proxy or other filings required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies for, as applicable, the proposal and/or for the election of directors in a contested election pursuant to Section 14 of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder; (b) if the notice relates to any business other than a nomination of a director or directors that the stockholder proposes to bring before the meeting, set forth (i) a brief description of the business desired to be brought before the meeting, the reasons for conducting such business at the meeting and any material interest of such stockholder and beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf such proposal is made in such business, (ii) the text of the proposal or business (including the text of any resolutions proposed for consideration, and, in the event that such business includes a proposal to amend the Bylaws, the text of such proposed amendment) and (iii) a description of all agreements, arrangements and understandings between such stockholder and beneficial owner, if any, and any other person or persons (including their names) in connection with the proposal of such business by such stockholder; (c) set forth, as to each person, if any, whom the stockholder proposes to nominate for election or reelection to the Board of Directors (i) all information relating to such person that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filings required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies for election of directors in a contested election pursuant to Section 14 of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, (ii) such person’s written consent to being named in the Corporation’s proxy statement as a nominee and to serving as a director if elected and (iii) a description of all direct and indirect compensation and other material monetary agreements, arrangements and understandings during the past three (3) years, and any other material relationships, between or among such stockholder and beneficial owner, if any, and their respective affiliates and associates, or others acting in concert therewith, on the one hand, and each proposed nominee, and his or her respective affiliates and associates, or others acting in concert therewith, on the other hand, including, without limitation, all information that would be required to be disclosed pursuant to Rule 404 promulgated under Regulation S-K if the stockholder making the nomination and any beneficial owner on whose behalf the nomination is made, if any, or any affiliate or associate thereof or person acting in concert therewith, were the “registrant” for purposes of such rule and the nominee were a director or executive officer of such registrant; and (d) with respect to each nominee for election or reelection to the Board of Directors, include a completed and signed questionnaire, representation and agreement required by Section 2.08 of these Bylaws. The Corporation may require any proposed nominee to furnish such other information as may be required by the Corporation, including, without limitation, such information as may be requested to determine the eligibility of such proposed nominee to serve as an independent director of the Corporation or that could be material to a reasonable stockholder’s understanding of the independence, or lack thereof, of such nominee.

 

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(iii) Notwithstanding anything in the second sentence of paragraph (a)(ii) of this Bylaw to the contrary, in the event that the number of directors to be elected to the Board of Directors is increased effective after the time period for which nominations would otherwise be due under paragraph (a)(ii) of this Bylaw and there is no public announcement by the Corporation naming all of the nominees for director or specifying the size of the increased Board of Directors at least 100 days prior to the first anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting, a stockholder’s notice required by this Bylaw shall also be considered timely, but only with respect to nominees for any new directorships created by such increase, if it shall be delivered to the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not later than the close of business on the 10th day following the day on which such public announcement is first made by the Corporation.

(b) Special Meetings of Stockholders. Only such business shall be conducted at a special meeting of stockholders as shall have been brought before the meeting pursuant to the Corporation’s notice of meeting. Nominations of persons for election to the Board of Directors may be made at a special meeting of stockholders at which directors are to be elected pursuant to the Corporation’s notice of meeting (A) by or at the direction of the Board of Directors or any duly authorized committee thereof, (B) provided that the Board of Directors has determined that directors shall be elected at such meeting, by any stockholder of the Corporation who (i) is a stockholder of record at the time of giving of notice provided for in this Bylaw and at the time of the special meeting, (ii) is entitled to vote at the meeting, and (iii) complies with the notice procedures set forth in this Bylaw as to such nomination, or (C) as provided in the Stockholders Agreements. The immediately preceding sentence shall be the exclusive means for a stockholder to make nominations before a special meeting of stockholders at which directors are to be elected or appointed. In the event that the Corporation calls a special meeting of stockholders for the purpose of electing one or more directors to the Board of Directors, other than with respect to any nomination made in the manner provided in the Stockholders Agreements, any stockholder may nominate a person or persons (as the case may be) for election to such position(s) as specified in the Corporation’s notice of meeting only if the stockholder’s notice required by paragraph (a)(ii) of this Bylaw with respect to any nomination (including the completed and signed questionnaire, representation and agreement required by Section 2.08 of these Bylaws) shall be delivered to the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not earlier than the close of business on the 120th day prior to the date of such special meeting and not later than the close of business on the later of the 90th day prior to the date of such special meeting or, if the first public announcement of the date of such special meeting is less than 100 days prior to the date of such special meeting, the 10th day following the day on which the Corporation first makes a public announcement of the date of the special meeting at which directors are to be elected. In no event shall any adjournment or postponement of a special meeting or the announcement thereof commence a new time period (or extend any time period) for the giving of a stockholder’s notice as described in the immediately preceding sentence.

 

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(c) General.

(i) Only such persons who are nominated in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Bylaw or in the Stockholders Agreements shall be eligible to serve as directors and only such business shall be conducted at a meeting of stockholders as shall have been brought before the meeting in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Bylaw. Except as otherwise provided by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, the chairman of the meeting shall have the power and duty to determine whether a nomination or any business proposed to be brought before the meeting was made or proposed, as the case may be, in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Bylaw and, if any proposed nomination or business is not in compliance with this Bylaw, to declare that such defective proposal or nomination shall be disregarded; provided, that nothing herein shall limit the power and authority of the Board of Directors to make any such determinations in advance of any meeting of stockholders. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, unless otherwise required by law, if the stockholder (or a qualified representative of the stockholder) does not appear at the annual or special meeting of stockholders of the Corporation to make a nomination or present a proposal of other business, such nomination shall be disregarded and such proposed business shall not be transacted, notwithstanding that proxies in respect of such vote may have been received by the Corporation. For purposes of this Bylaw, to be considered a qualified representative of the stockholder, a person must be a duly authorized officer, manager or partner of such stockholder or authorized by a writing executed by such stockholder or an electronic transmission delivered by such stockholder to act for such stockholder as proxy at the meeting of stockholders and such person must produce such writing or electronic transmission, or a reliable reproduction of the writing or electronic transmission, at the meeting of stockholders.

(ii) For purposes of this Bylaw, “public announcement” shall mean disclosure in a press release reported by a national news service or in a document publicly filed by the Corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Section 13, 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

(iii) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Bylaw, a stockholder shall also comply with all applicable requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder with respect to the matters set forth in this Bylaw; provided, however, that any references in these Bylaws to the Exchange Act or the rules promulgated thereunder are not intended to and shall not limit the requirements applicable to nominations or proposals as to any other business to be considered pursuant to paragraph (a)(i)(C) or paragraph (b) of this Bylaw. Nothing in this Bylaw shall be deemed to affect any rights (i) of stockholders to request inclusion of proposals in the Corporation’s proxy statement pursuant to Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act or (ii) of the holders of any series of Preferred Stock if and to the extent provided for under law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws. Subject to Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act, nothing in these Bylaws shall be construed to permit any stockholder, or give any stockholder the right, to include or have disseminated or described in the Corporation’s proxy statement any nomination of director or directors or any other business proposal.

(iv) Notwithstanding the foregoing, the nomination of any Apollo Board Nominee, SCP Board Nominee or ABRY Board Nominee (each as defined in the Stockholders Agreements) shall not be subject to the provisions of this Section 2.07.

 

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Section 2.08 Submission of Questionnaire, Representation and Agreement. To be eligible to be a nominee for election or reelection as a director of the Corporation and qualified to serve as a director, a person must deliver (such delivery to be made, in the case of a person nominated for election as a director of the Corporation pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)(C) or paragraph (b) of Section 2.07 of these Bylaws, in accordance with the time periods prescribed for delivery of notice under Section 2.07 of these Bylaws) to the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation a written questionnaire with respect to the background and qualification of such person and the background of any other persons or entities on whose behalf the nomination is being made pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)(C) or paragraph (b) Section 2.07 of these Bylaws (which questionnaire shall be provided by the Secretary upon written request) and a written representation and agreement (in the form provided by the Secretary upon written request) that such person (A) is not and will not become a party to (1) any agreement, arrangement or understanding with, and has not given any commitment or assurance to, any person or entity as to how such person, if elected as a director of the Corporation, will act or vote on any issue or question (a “Voting Commitment”) that has not been disclosed to the Corporation or (2) any Voting Commitment that could limit or interfere with such person’s ability to comply, if elected as a director of the Corporation, with such person’s fiduciary duties under applicable law, (B) is not and will not become a party to any agreement, arrangement or understanding with any person or entity other than the Corporation with respect to any direct or indirect compensation, reimbursement or indemnification in connection with service or action as a director that has not been disclosed therein and (C) in such person’s individual capacity and on behalf of any person or entity on whose behalf the nomination is being made, would be in compliance, if elected as a director of the Corporation, and will comply with all applicable publicly disclosed corporate governance, conflict of interest, confidentiality and stock ownership and trading policies and guidelines of the Corporation.

Section 2.09 Required Vote. At all meetings of the stockholders at which directors are to be elected and a quorum is present, a plurality of the votes cast by stockholders entitled to vote for the election of such directors shall be sufficient to elect such directors. Except as otherwise provided by applicable law, the Certificate of Incorporation, these Bylaws, the rules or regulations of any stock exchange applicable to the Corporation, or any regulation applicable to the Corporation, its stockholders or its securities (in which case such vote as prescribed by applicable law shall be the applicable vote on the matter), in all matters other than the election of directors, the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority in voting power of the shares present in person or represented by proxy at the meeting and entitled to vote on the matter shall be the act of the stockholders.

Section 2.10 Inspectors of Elections. The Corporation may, and to the extent required by applicable law, in advance of any meeting of stockholders, appoint one or more inspectors of election, which inspector or inspectors may include individuals who serve the Corporation in other capacities, including, without limitation, as officers, employees, agents or representatives, to act at the meetings of stockholders and make a written report thereof. One or more persons may be designated as alternate inspectors to replace any inspector who fails to act. If no inspector or alternate has been appointed to act or is able to act at a meeting of stockholders, the chairman of the meeting shall appoint one or more inspectors to act at the meeting. Each inspector, before discharging his or her duties, shall take and sign an oath faithfully to execute the duties of inspector with strict impartiality and according to the best of his or her ability. The inspectors shall have the duties prescribed by law.

 

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Section 2.11 Action Without a Meeting. Unless prohibited by the Certificate of Incorporation, any action permitted or required to be taken at a meeting of stockholders, may be taken without a meeting, without prior notice and without a vote, if a consent or consents in writing, setting forth the action so taken, shall be signed by or on behalf of the holders of outstanding stock having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all shares entitled to vote thereon were present and voted and shall be delivered to the Corporation in accordance with applicable law. Prompt notice of the taking of corporate action without a meeting by less than a unanimous written consent shall be given to those stockholders who have not consented in writing and who, if the action had been taken at a meeting, would have been entitled to notice of the meeting if the record date for notice of such meeting had been the date that written consents signed by a sufficient number of the holders to take the action were delivered to the Corporation.

Section 2.12 Conduct of Meetings. The date and time of the opening and the closing of the polls for each matter upon which the stockholders will vote at a meeting shall be announced at the meeting by the chairman of the meeting. The Board of Directors may adopt by resolution such rules and regulations for the conduct of the meeting of stockholders as it shall deem appropriate. Except to the extent inconsistent with such rules and regulations as adopted by the Board of Directors, the chairman of any meeting of stockholders shall have the right and authority to convene and (for any or no reason) to recess and/or adjourn the meeting, to prescribe such rules, regulations and procedures and to do all such acts as, in the judgment of such presiding person, are appropriate for the proper conduct of the meeting. Such rules, regulations or procedures, whether adopted by the Board of Directors or prescribed by the chairman of the meeting, may include, without limitation, the following: (i) the establishment of an agenda or order of business for the meeting; (ii) rules and procedures for maintaining order at the meeting and the safety of those present; (iii) limitations on attendance at or participation in the meeting to stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting, their duly authorized and constituted proxies or such other persons as the chairman of the meeting shall determine; (iv) restrictions on entry to the meeting after the time fixed for the commencement thereof; and (v) limitations on the time allotted to questions or comments by participants. Unless and to the extent determined by the Board of Directors or the chairman of the meeting, meetings of stockholders shall not be required to be held in accordance with the rules of parliamentary procedure.

Section 2.13 Remote Meetings. If authorized by the Board of Directors in its sole discretion, and subject to such guidelines and procedures as the Board of Directors may adopt, stockholders and proxyholders not physically present at a meeting of stockholders may, by means of remote communication:

(a) participate in a meeting of stockholders; and

 

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(b) be deemed present in person and vote at a meeting of stockholders whether such meeting is to be held at a designated place or solely by means of remote communication; provided, that (i) the Corporation shall implement reasonable measures to verify that each person deemed present and permitted to vote at the meeting by means of remote communication is a stockholder or proxyholder, (ii) the Corporation shall implement reasonable measures to provide such stockholders and proxyholders a reasonable opportunity to participate in the meeting and to vote on matters submitted to the stockholders, including an opportunity to read or hear the proceedings of the meeting substantially concurrently with such proceedings, and (iii) if any stockholder or proxyholder votes or takes other action at the meeting by means of remote communication, a record of such vote or other action shall be maintained by the Corporation.

ARTICLE III

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Section 3.01 General Powers. Except as otherwise provided in the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware or the Certificate of Incorporation, the business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed by or under the direction of the Board of Directors.

Section 3.02 Number of Directors. The total number of directors shall be fixed from time to time in the manner provided by the Certificate of Incorporation. No decrease in the total number of directors shall shorten the term of any incumbent director.

Section 3.03 Quorum; Required Vote. Except as otherwise provided by law or the Certificate of Incorporation, a majority of the total number of directors then in office shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of the Board of Directors, but in no event shall less than one-third of the total number of directors (including any vacancies or unfilled newly created directorships) constitute a quorum. Except as otherwise provided by law or the Certificate of Incorporation, the vote of the majority of the directors present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the Board of Directors.

Section 3.04 Telephonic Participation. All or any one or more directors may participate in a meeting of the Board of Directors or of any committee thereof by means of conference telephone or other communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other and participation in a meeting pursuant to such communications equipment shall constitute presence in person at such meeting.

Section 3.05 Place of Meetings. The Board of Directors may hold its meetings at such place or places, if any, within or without the State of Delaware, as the Board of Directors may from time to time determine.

Section 3.06 Regular Meetings. Regular meetings of the Board of Directors may be held at such time and place, if any, within or without the State of Delaware, as shall from time to time be determined by the Board of Directors. After there has been such determination, and notice thereof has been given to each member of the Board of Directors, regular meetings may be held without further notice being given.

Section 3.07 Special Meetings. Subject to the notice requirements of Section 3.08, special meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held whenever called by the Chairman of the Board, if any, the Chief Executive Officer or by a majority of the directors.

 

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Section 3.08 Notice. Notice of any special meeting of directors shall be given to each director at his or her business or residence in writing by hand delivery, overnight mail or courier service, facsimile, electronic mail or other electronic transmission, or orally in person or by telephone. If by overnight mail or courier service, such notice shall be deemed adequately delivered when the notice is delivered to the overnight mail or courier service company at least twenty-four (24) hours before such meeting. If by facsimile, electronic mail or other electronic transmission, such notice shall be deemed adequately delivered when the notice is transmitted at least twelve (12) hours before such meeting. If given orally in person or by telephone or by hand delivery, the notice shall be given at least twelve (12) hours prior to the time set for the meeting. Neither the business to be transacted at, nor the purpose of, any regular or special meeting of the Board of Directors need be specified in the notice of such meeting.

Section 3.09 Resignation. Any director of the Corporation may resign at any time by giving notice in writing or by electronic transmission thereof to the Corporation. The resignation of any director shall be effective when the resignation is delivered, unless the resignation specifies a later effective date or an effective date determined upon the happening of an event or events; and, unless otherwise specified therein, the acceptance of such resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective.

Section 3.10 Vacancies on Board of Directors; Newly Created Directorships. Except as otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation, and subject to the terms of the Stockholders Agreements, any vacancy resulting from the death, resignation, removal or disqualification of any director or other cause, or any newly created directorship resulting from any increase in the authorized number of directors, shall be filled only by an affirmative vote of a majority of the directors then in office, although less than a quorum, or by the sole remaining director, and shall not be filled by the stockholders of the Corporation; provided, that, (i) for so long as the Apollo Entities own, beneficially or of record, at least 5% of the outstanding Common Stock of the Corporation, any vacancy resulting from the death, resignation, removal, disqualification or other cause in respect of any Apollo Board Nominee, including the failure of any Apollo Board Nominee to be elected, shall be filled only by the Apollo Stockholder (as defined in the Certificate of Incorporation), (ii) for so long as the SCP Nomination Condition (as defined in the SCP Stockholders Agreement) is satisfied, any vacancy resulting from the death, resignation, removal, disqualification or other cause in respect of such SCP Board Nominee (as defined in the SCP Stockholders Agreement), including the failure of the SCP Board Nominee to be elected, shall be filled in the manner set forth in the SCP Stockholders Agreement, and (iii) for so long as the ABRY Nomination Condition (as defined in the ABRY Stockholders Agreement) is satisfied, any vacancy resulting from the death, resignation, removal, disqualification or other cause in respect of the ABRY Board Nominee (as defined in the ABRY Stockholders Agreement), including the failure of the ABRY Board Nominee to be elected, shall be filled in the manner set forth in the ABRY Stockholders Agreement. Except as otherwise provided by this Bylaw, a director elected to fill a vacancy or newly created directorship shall hold office until the annual meeting of stockholders for the election of directors of the class to which he or she has been appointed and until his or her successor has been duly elected and qualified, subject, however, to such director’s earlier death, resignation, retirement, removal or disqualification.

 

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Section 3.11 Executive and Other Committees. The Board of Directors may designate one or more committees of the Board of Directors, including an Executive Committee to exercise, subject to applicable provisions of law, all the powers and authority of the Board of Directors in the management of the business and affairs of the Corporation when the Board of Directors is not in session. The Executive Committee and each such other committee shall consist of two (2) or more directors of the Corporation and, subject to applicable law and any other law, rule or regulation applicable to the Corporation (including the rules and regulations of any securities exchange on the which the Corporation’s shares are listed), at least one Apollo Board Nominee, for so long as the Apollo Entities (as defined in the Certificate of Incorporation) own, beneficially or of record, at least 5% of the outstanding Common Stock of the Corporation. The Board of Directors may designate one (1) or more directors as alternate members of any committee, who may replace any absent or disqualified member at any meeting of the committee. Except to the extent restricted by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, any such committee, to the extent provided by the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, these Bylaws or the designating resolution, shall have and may exercise all the powers and authority of the Board of Directors. In the absence or disqualification of any member of such committee or committees, the member or members thereof present at any meeting and not disqualified from voting, whether or not constituting a quorum, may unanimously appoint another member of the Board of Directors to act at the meeting in the place of any such absent or disqualified member. Each committee shall keep written minutes of its proceedings and shall report such proceedings to the Board of Directors when required.

Each committee of the Board of Directors may fix its own rules of procedure and shall hold its meetings as provided by such rules, except as may otherwise be provided by in these Bylaws or by resolution of the Board of Directors designating such committee. Notice of such meetings shall be given to each member of the committee in the manner provided for in Section 3.08 of these Bylaws. Each committee shall serve at the pleasure of the Board of Directors and the Board of Directors shall have power at any time to fill vacancies in, to change the membership of, or to dissolve any such committee. Unless otherwise provided in the Certificate of Incorporation, these Bylaws or the resolution of the Board of Directors designating the committee, a committee may create one or more subcommittees, each subcommittee to consist of one or more members of the committee, and delegate to a subcommittee any or all of the powers and authority of the committee. Except as otherwise expressly provided in these Bylaws or the by resolution of the Board of Directors designating such committee, every reference to a committee or to a member of a committee in these Bylaws shall apply to any subcommittee or member of a subcommittee mutatis mutandis.

Section 3.12 Action Without Meeting. Unless otherwise restricted by the Certificate of Incorporation, any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the Board of Directors or of any committee thereof may be taken without a meeting if all members of the Board of Directors or any committee thereof, as the case may be, consent thereto in writing or by electronic transmission. After an action is taken, the consent or consents relating thereto shall be filed with the minutes or proceedings of the Board of Directors or committee in the same paper or electronic form as the minutes are maintained.

 

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Section 3.13 Fees and Compensation. The Board of Directors shall have the authority to fix the compensation, including fees, reimbursement of expenses and equity compensation, of directors for services to the Corporation in any capacity, including for attendance of meetings of the Board of Directors or participation on any committees. Directors who are officers or employees of the Corporation may receive, if the Board of Directors desires, compensation for service as directors. Nothing herein contained shall be construed to preclude any director from serving the Corporation in any other capacity and receiving compensation therefor.

ARTICLE IV

OFFICERS

Section 4.01 Officers. The elected officers of the Corporation shall be chosen by the Board of Directors and may include a Chairman of the Board, a Chief Executive Officer, one or more Presidents, a Chief Financial Officer, and a Secretary, all of whom shall be elected by the Board of Directors. The Chairman of the Board, if any, shall be chosen from among the directors. All officers elected by the Board of Directors shall each have such powers and duties as generally pertain to their respective offices, subject to the specific provisions of this ARTICLE IV. Such officers shall also have such powers and duties as from time to time may be conferred by the Board of Directors or by any committee thereof. In addition, the Board of Directors or any committee thereof may from time to time elect, or the Chief Executive Officer may appoint, such other officers (including one or more Vice Presidents, Assistant Secretaries, Treasurers and Controllers) and such agents, as may be necessary or desirable for the conduct of the business of the Corporation. Any number of offices may be held by the same person. Such other officers and agents shall have such duties and shall hold their offices for such terms as shall be provided in these Bylaws or as may be prescribed by the Board of Directors or such committee or by the Chief Executive Officer, as the case may be.

Section 4.02 Term of Office. The principal officers of the Corporation shall hold office until his or her successor shall have been duly chosen and shall qualify, or until his or her earlier death, resignation, retirement, removal or disqualification.

Section 4.03 Removal. Any officer may be removed, either with or without cause, at any time, by the Board of Directors. Any officer or agent appointed by the Chief Executive Officer may also be removed by him or her whenever, in his or her judgment, the best interests of the Corporation would be served thereby. No elected officer shall have any contractual rights against the Corporation for compensation by virtue of such election beyond the date of the election of his or her successor or his or her earlier death, resignation, removal or disqualification, whichever event shall first occur, except as otherwise provided in an employment contract or under an employee deferred compensation plan.

Section 4.04 Resignations. Any officer may resign at any time by giving notice in writing or by electronic transmission thereof to the Corporation. The resignation of any officer shall be effective when the resignation is delivered, unless the resignation specifies a later effective date or an effective date determined upon the happening of an event or events; and, unless otherwise specified therein, the acceptance of such resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective.

 

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Section 4.05 Vacancies. A vacancy in any office may be filled in the manner prescribed in these Bylaws for appointment to such office.

Section 4.06 Powers and Duties. Subject to the control of the Board of Directors, the officers shall each have such authority and perform such duties in the management of the Corporation as from time to time may be prescribed by the Board of Directors and as may be delegated by the Chief Executive Officer without limiting the foregoing:

(a) Chairman of the Board. The Chairman of the Board, if any, shall preside at all meetings of the Board of Directors and he or she shall have and perform such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to him or her by the Board of Directors.

(b) Chief Executive Officer. The Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation shall, subject to the control of the Board of Directors, have general supervision, direction and control of the business and officers of the Corporation. The Chief Executive Officer shall preside at all meetings of the stockholders and, in the absence of a Chairman of the Board, at all meetings of the Board of Directors. Unless there shall have been elected one or more Presidents of the Corporation, the Chief Executive Officer shall be the President of the Corporation.

(c) President. Each President shall have such general powers and duties of supervision and management as shall be assigned to him or her by the Board of Directors.

(d) Chief Financial Officer. The Chief Financial Officer shall have the custody of the corporate funds and securities and shall keep full and accurate account of receipts and disbursements in books belonging to the Corporation. He or she shall deposit all moneys and other valuables in the name and to the credit of the Corporation in such depositaries as may be designated by the Board of Directors. He or she shall disburse the funds of the Corporation as may be ordered by the Board of Directors, the Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer or a President, taking proper vouchers for such disbursements. He or she shall render to the Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, each President and the Board of Directors at the regular meetings of the Board of Directors, or whenever they may request it, an account of all his or her transactions as Chief Financial Officer and of the financial condition of the Corporation. If required by the Board of Directors, he or she shall give the Corporation a bond for the faithful discharge of his or her duties in such amount and with such surety as the Board of Directors shall prescribe. The Chief Executive Officer may direct the Treasurer or any assistant Treasurer to assume and perform the duties of the Chief Financial Officer in the absence or disability of the Chief Financial Officer, and the Treasurer or any assistant Treasurer shall perform other duties commonly incident to his or her office and shall also perform such other duties and have such other powers as the Board of Directors or the Chief Executive Officer shall designate from time to time.

 

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(e) Secretary. The Secretary, if present, shall act as secretary at all meetings of the Board of Directors or any committee thereof and of the stockholders and keep the minutes thereof in a book or books to be provided for that purpose. He or she shall see that all notices required to be given by the Corporation are duly given and served; he or she shall have charge of the stock records of the Corporation; he or she shall see that all reports, statements and other documents required by law are properly kept and filed; and in general, he or she shall perform all the duties incident to the office of Secretary and such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to him or her by the Chief Executive Officer or the Board of Directors.

Section 4.07 Salaries. The salaries of the principal officers shall be fixed from time to time by the Board of Directors or a committee thereof appointed for such purpose, and the salaries of any other officers may be fixed by the Chief Executive Officer.

ARTICLE V

CAPITAL STOCK

Section 5.01 Certificated and Uncertificated Stock; Transfers.

(a) Subject to clause (d) below, the shares of stock of the Corporation shall be represented by certificates, provided that the Board of Directors may provide by resolution or resolutions that some or all of any or all classes or series of the Corporation’s stock shall be uncertificated shares. Any such resolution shall not apply to shares represented by a certificate until such certificate is surrendered to the Corporation.

(b) The shares of the stock of the Corporation shall be transferable in the manner prescribed by law and in these Bylaws. In the case of certificated shares of stock, transfers shall be made on the books of the Corporation only by the holder thereof or by such holder’s attorney duly authorized in writing, upon surrender for cancellation of certificate(s) for at least the same number of shares, with an assignment and power of transfer endorsed thereon or attached thereto, duly executed, with such proof of the authenticity of the signature as the Corporation or its agents may reasonably require. In the case of uncertificated shares of stock, transfers shall be made on the books of the Corporation only upon receipt of proper transfer instructions from the registered holder of the shares or by such person’s attorney duly authorized in writing, and upon compliance with appropriate procedures for transferring shares in uncertificated form. No transfer of stock shall be valid as against the Corporation for any purpose until it shall have been entered in the stock records of the Corporation by an entry showing from and to whom transferred.

(c) Every holder of stock in the Corporation represented by certificates shall be entitled to have a certificate signed by, or in the name of the Corporation by any two authorized officers certifying the number and class of shares of stock of the Corporation owned by such holder. Unless the Board of Directors by resolution directs otherwise, the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, any President, any Vice President, the Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary and any Assistant Secretary of the Corporation shall be authorized to sign stock certificates. Any or all of the signatures on such certificates may be an electronic signature. In case any officer, transfer agent or registrar who has signed or whose electronic signature has been placed upon a certificate has ceased to be such officer, transfer agent or registrar before such certificate is issued, it may be issued by the Corporation with the same effect as if he or she were such officer, transfer agent or registrar at the date of issue.

 

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(d) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in these Bylaws, at all times that the Corporation’s stock is listed on a stock exchange, the shares of the stock of the Corporation shall comply with all direct registration system eligibility requirements established by such exchange, including any requirement that shares of the Corporation’s stock be eligible for issue in uncertificated or book-entry form. All issuances and transfers of shares of the Corporation’s stock shall be entered on the books of the Corporation with all information necessary to comply with such direct registration system eligibility requirements, including the name and address of the person to whom the shares of stock are issued, the number of shares of stock issued and the date of issue. The Board of Directors shall have the power and authority to make such rules and regulations as it may deem necessary or proper concerning the issue, transfer and registration of shares of stock of the Corporation in both the certificated and uncertificated form.

Section 5.02 Last, Stolen, Mutilated or Destroyed Certificates. As a condition to the issue of a new certificate of stock or uncertificated shares in the place of any certificate theretofore issued and alleged to have been lost, stolen, mutilated or destroyed, the Corporation may require the owner of any such certificate, or such owner’s legal representatives, to give the Corporation a bond in such sum and in such form as it may direct or to otherwise indemnify the Corporation against any claim that may be made against it on account of the alleged loss, theft, mutilation or destruction of any such certificate or the issuance of such new certificate or uncertificated shares. Proper evidence of such loss, theft, mutilation or destruction shall be procured for the Corporation, if required. The Corporation may authorize the issuance of such new certificate without any bond when in its judgment it is proper to do so.

Section 5.03 Record Owners. The stock ledger shall be the only evidence as to who are the stockholders of the Corporation and the Corporation shall be entitled to recognize the exclusive right of a person registered on its stock ledger as the owner of shares to receive dividends, to vote and to receive notice, and otherwise to exercise all of the rights and powers of an owner of such shares, and shall not be bound to recognize any equitable or other claim to or interest in such share or shares on the part of any other person, whether or not it shall have express or other notice thereof, except as otherwise required by law.

Section 5.04 Transfer and Registry Agents. The Corporation may from time to time maintain one or more transfer offices or agencies and registry offices or agencies at such place or places as may be determined from time to time by the Board of Directors.

Section 5.05 Record Date.

(a) In order that the Corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to notice of and to vote at any meeting of stockholders or any adjournment thereof, the Board of Directors may fix a record date, which record date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted and which record date, unless otherwise required by law, shall not be more than 60 nor less than 10 days before the date of such meeting. If the Board of Directors so fixes a date, such date shall also be the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to vote at such meeting unless the Board of Directors determines, at the time it fixes such record date, that a later date on or before the date of meeting shall be the date for making such determination. If no such record date is fixed by the Board of Directors, then the record date shall, unless otherwise required by law, be at the close of business on the day next preceding the day on which notice of such meeting is given, or, if notice is waived, at the close of business on the day next preceding the day on which the meeting is held.

 

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(b) In order that the Corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to receive payment of any dividend or other distribution or allotment of any rights or the stockholders entitled to exercise any rights in respect of any change, conversion or exchange of stock, or for the purpose of any other lawful action, the Board of Directors may fix a record date, which record date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted and which record date shall not be more than 60 days prior to such action. If no such record date is fixed, the record date for determining stockholders for any such purpose shall be at the close of business on the day on which the Board of Directors adopts the resolution relating thereto.

(c) In order that the Corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to express consent to corporate action in writing without a meeting, the Board of Directors may fix a record date, which record date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Board of Directors and which record date shall not be more than 10 days after the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Board of Directors. If no record date for determining stockholders entitled to express consent to corporate action in writing without a meeting has been fixed by the Board of Directors (i) when no prior action of the Board of Directors is required by law, the record date for such purpose shall be the first date on which a signed written consent setting forth the action taken or proposed to be taken is delivered to the Corporation in accordance with applicable law, and (ii) if prior action by the Board of Directors is required by law, the record date for such purpose shall be at the close of business on the day on which the Board of Directors adopts the resolution taking such prior action.

ARTICLE VI

AMENDMENTS

Section 6.01 Amendments by Stockholders. These Bylaws may be altered, amended or repealed and new Bylaws may be added by the stockholders (i) prior to the Trigger Event (as defined in the Certificate of Incorporation), by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority in voting power of the stock entitled to vote thereon and (ii) after the Trigger Event, by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 66 2/3% of the voting power of the stock entitled to vote thereon at any annual meeting of the stockholders or at any special meeting thereof if notice of the proposed alteration, amendment, repeal or addition is contained in the notice of such special meeting.

Section 6.02 Amendments by the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may adopt, amend or repeal these Bylaws as provided in the Certificate of Incorporation.

 

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ARTICLE VII

MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

Section 7.01 Fiscal Year. The fiscal year of the Corporation shall be fixed by resolution of the Board of Directors.

Section 7.02 Voting of Securities Owned by the Corporation. The Board of Directors may authorize any person on behalf of the Corporation to attend and vote at any meeting of security holders of any entity in which the Corporation holds securities and to exercise, on behalf of the Corporation, any and all of the rights and powers incident to the ownership of such securities, including the authority to execute and deliver proxies, powers of attorney and consents on behalf of the Corporation. Unless the Board of Directors directs otherwise, each of the Chairman, the Chief Executive Officer and any President shall have the powers specified in the preceding provisions of this Section 7.02.

Section 7.03 Dividends. Subject to the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation, the Board of Directors may, out of funds legally available therefor, declare dividends upon the capital stock of the Corporation as and when they deem expedient, in accordance with law. Before declaring any dividend there may be set apart out of any funds of the Corporation available for dividends such sum or sums as the directors from time to time in their discretion may deem proper for working capital or as a reserve fund to meet contingencies or for equalizing dividends or for such other purposes as the directors may deem conducive to the interests of the Corporation. The Board of Directors may abolish any such reserve at any time.

Section 7.04 Waiver of Notice. Whenever any notice is required to be given under the provisions of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, a written waiver, signed by the person or persons entitled to such notice, or a waiver by electronic transmission by the person entitled to notice, whether before or after the time stated therein, shall be deemed equivalent to the giving of such notice. Attendance of a person at a meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting, except when the person attends a meeting for the express purpose of objecting at the beginning of the meeting to the transaction of any business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened. Neither the business to be transacted at, nor the purpose of, any annual, regular or special meeting of the stockholders or the Board of Directors or committee thereof need be specified in any waiver of notice of such meeting.

Section 7.05 Contracts. Except as otherwise required by law, the Certificate of Incorporation or these Bylaws, any contracts or other instruments may be executed and delivered in the name and on the behalf of the Corporation by such officer or officers of the Corporation as the Board of Directors may from time to time direct. Such authority may be general or confined to specific instances as the Board of Directors may determine. The Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, each President, the Chief Financial Officer or any Vice President may execute bonds, contracts, deeds, leases and other instruments to be made or executed for or on behalf of the Corporation. Subject to any restrictions imposed by the Board of Directors or the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, each President, the Chief Financial Officer or any Vice President of the Corporation may delegate contractual powers to others under his or her jurisdiction, it being understood, however, that any such delegation of power shall not relieve such officer of responsibility with respect to the exercise of such delegated power.

 

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EX-4.2

Exhibit 4.2

RACKSPACE TECHNOLOGY, INC.

2020 EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN

ARTICLE 1.

PURPOSE

The purpose of the Rackspace Technology, Inc. 2020 Equity Incentive Plan (as it may be amended or restated from time to time, the “Plan”) is to promote the long-term success and enhance the value of Rackspace Technology, Inc. (the “Company”) by assisting the Company in attracting, motivating and retaining highly-qualified Employees, Directors and Consultants and linking the interests of such eligible individuals to those of Company’s stockholders by providing such individuals with an incentive for outstanding performance to generate superior returns to Company stockholders.

ARTICLE 2.

DEFINITIONS AND CONSTRUCTION

Wherever the following terms are used in the Plan they shall have the meanings specified below, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The singular pronoun shall include the plural where the context so indicates.

2.1    “Administrator” shall mean the Board or a Committee to the extent that the Board’s powers or authority under the Plan have been delegated to such Committee.

2.2    “Affiliate” shall mean any person or entity that directly or indirectly controls, is controlled by or is under common control with the Company. The term “control” (including, with correlative meaning, the terms “controlled by” and “under common control with”), as applied to any person or entity, means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of such person or entity, whether through the ownership of voting or other securities, by contract or otherwise.

2.3    “Applicable Accounting Standards” shall mean Generally Accepted Accounting Principles in the United States, International Financial Reporting Standards or such other accounting principles or standards as may apply to the Company’s financial statements under United States federal securities laws from time to time.

2.4    “Applicable Law” shall mean any applicable law, including, without limitation: (a) provisions of the Code, the Securities Act, the Exchange Act and any rules or regulations thereunder; (b) corporate, securities, tax or other laws, statutes, rules, requirements or regulations, whether U.S. or non-U.S., federal, state or local; and (c) rules of any securities exchange or automated quotation system on which the Shares are listed, quoted or traded.

2.5     “Award” shall mean any Incentive Stock Option, Nonqualified Stock Option, Stock Appreciation Right, Restricted Stock, Restricted Stock Unit, Other Stock or Cash Based Award, or a Dividend Equivalent award, which may be awarded or granted under the Plan.

 

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2.6    “Award Agreement” shall mean any written notice, agreement, terms and conditions, contract or other instrument or document evidencing an Award, including through electronic medium, which shall contain such terms and conditions with respect to an Award as the Administrator shall determine consistent with the Plan.

2.7    “Beneficial Ownership” has the meaning set forth in Rule 13d-3 promulgated under Section 13 of the Exchange Act.

2.8    “Board” shall mean the Board of Directors of the Company.

2.9    “Cause” shall mean, unless otherwise specifically provided in any applicable Award Agreement or in any other written agreement entered into between the Company and a Participant, with respect to any Participant: (a) the Participant’s indictment for, conviction of, or plea of guilty or nolo contendere to, any (A) felony, (B) misdemeanor involving moral turpitude, or (C) other crime (including equivalent offenses to (A) or (B) under Applicable Law) involving either fraud or a breach of Participant’s duty of loyalty with respect to the Company or any Subsidiaries or other Affiliates thereof, or any of its customers or suppliers, (b) the Participant’s substantial and repeated failure to perform duties as reasonably directed by the Board and/or the Participant’s direct or indirect supervisor, as applicable (other than as a consequence of Disability) after written notice thereof and failure to cure within fifteen (15) days, (c) the Participant’s fraud, misappropriation, embezzlement, or material misuse of funds or property belonging to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates, (d) the Participant’s willful violation of the written policies of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates, or other misconduct in connection with the performance of his or her duties that in either case results in material injury to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates, after written notice thereof and failure to cure within fifteen (15) days, to the extent curable, (e) the Participant’s breach of any of the material terms of any employment agreement, consulting agreement or other applicable agreement that results in material injury to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates, and failure to cure such breach within fifteen (15) days after written notice, or (f) the Participant’s breach of the confidentiality or non-disparagement provisions (excluding unintentional breaches that are cured within fifteen (15) days after the Participant becomes aware of such breaches, to the extent curable) or the non-competition and non-solicitation provisions to which the Participant is subject, if any. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein or elsewhere, if, within six (6) months subsequent to a Participant’s Termination of Service for any reason other than by the Company or a Subsidiary or Affiliate for Cause, the Company discovers facts that such Participant’s Termination of Service could have been for Cause, such Participant’s Termination of Service will be deemed to have been for Cause for all purposes, and such Participant will be required to disgorge to the Company all amounts received under this Plan, any Award Agreement or otherwise that would not have been payable to such Participant had such Termination of Service been by the Company or a Subsidiary or Affiliate for Cause.

2.10    “Change in Control means, in the case of a particular Award, unless otherwise specifically provided in any applicable Award Agreement or in any other written agreement entered into between the Company and a Participant, the first to occur of any of the following events:

(a)    the acquisition by any Person or related “group” (as such term is used in Section 13(d) and Section 14(d) of the Exchange Act) of Persons, or Persons acting jointly or in concert, of Beneficial Ownership (including control or direction) of 50% or more (on a fully diluted basis) of the then- Outstanding Company Common Stock or the Outstanding Company Voting Securities, but excluding any acquisition by the Company or any of its Affiliates, or the Investor, its Permitted Transferees or any of their respective Affiliates or by any employee benefit plan sponsored or maintained by the Company or any of its Affiliates;

 

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(b)    the acquisition by any Person or related “group” (as such terms is used in Section 13(d) and Section 14(d) of the Exchange Act) of Persons, or Persons acting jointly or in concert, of Beneficial Ownership (including control or direction) of 35% or more (on a fully diluted basis) of the then-Outstanding Company Voting Securities; provided that at such time the Beneficial Ownership (including control or direction) of the Investor is less than 35% (on a fully diluted basis) of the then-Outstanding Company Voting Securities;

(c)    a change in the composition of the Board such that members of the Board during any consecutive 12-month period (the “Incumbent Directors”) cease to constitute a majority of the Board. Any person becoming a director through election or nomination for election approved by a valid vote of at least two-thirds of the Incumbent Directors shall be deemed an Incumbent Director; provided, however, that no individual becoming a director as a result of an actual or threatened election contest, as such terms are used in Rule 14a-12 of Regulation 14A promulgated under the Exchange Act, or as a result of any other actual or threatened solicitation of proxies or consents by or on behalf of any person other than the Board, shall be deemed to be an Incumbent Director;

(d)    the approval by the stockholders of the Company of a plan of complete dissolution or liquidation of the Company; and

(d)    the consummation of a reorganization, recapitalization, merger, amalgamation, consolidation, statutory share exchange or similar form of corporate transaction involving the Company (a “Business Combination”), or sale, transfer or other disposition of all or substantially all of the business or assets of the Company to an entity that is not an Affiliate of the Company (a “Sale”), unless immediately following such Business Combination or Sale: (A) more than 50% of the total voting power of the entity resulting from such Business Combination or the entity that acquired all or substantially all of the business or assets of the Company in such Sale (in either case, the “Surviving Company”), or the ultimate parent entity that has Beneficial Ownership of sufficient voting power to elect a majority of the board of directors (or analogous governing body) of the Surviving Company (the “Parent Company”), is represented by the Outstanding Company Voting Securities that were outstanding immediately prior to such Business Combination or Sale (or, if applicable, is represented by shares into which the Outstanding Company Voting Securities were converted pursuant to such Business Combination or Sale), and such voting power among the holders thereof is in substantially the same proportion as the voting power of the Outstanding Company Voting Securities among the holders thereof immediately prior to the Business Combination or Sale, (B) no Person (other than any employee benefit plan sponsored or maintained by the Surviving Company or the Parent Company) is or becomes the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of 50% or more of the total voting power of the outstanding voting securities eligible to elect members of the board of directors (or the analogous governing body) of the Parent Company (or, if there is no Parent Company, the Surviving Company), and (C) at least a majority of the members of the board of directors (or the analogous governing body) of the Parent Company (or, if there is no Parent Company, the Surviving Company) following the consummation of the Business Combination or Sale were Board members at the time of the Board’s approval of the execution of the initial agreement providing for such Business Combination or Sale.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, a transaction shall not constitute a Change in Control if its sole purpose is to change the jurisdiction of the Company’s incorporation or to create a holding company that will be owned in substantially the same proportions by the persons who held the Company’s securities immediately before such transaction. Further, if a Change in Control constitutes a payment event with respect to any Award (or any portion of an Award) that provides for the deferral of compensation that is subject to Section 409A, to the extent required to avoid the imposition of additional taxes under Section 409A, the transaction or event described in subsection (a), (b), (c) or (d) with respect to such Award (or portion thereof) shall constitute a Change in Control for purposes of the payment timing of such Award only if such transaction also constitutes a “change in control event,” as defined in Treasury Regulation

 

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Section 1.409A-3(i)(5). The Administrator shall have full and final authority, which shall be exercised in its sole discretion, to determine conclusively whether a Change in Control has occurred pursuant to the above definition, the date of the occurrence of such Change in Control and any incidental matters relating thereto; provided that any exercise of authority in conjunction with a determination of whether a Change in Control is a “change in control event” as defined in Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-3(i)(5) shall be consistent with such regulation.

2.11    “Code” shall mean the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time, together with the regulations and official guidance promulgated thereunder, whether issued prior or subsequent to the grant of any Award.

2.12     “Committee” shall mean the Compensation Committee of the Board or such other committee that has been authorized to administer the Plan, which may be comprised of one or more Directors and/or executive officers of the Company as appointed by the Board, to the extent permitted by Applicable Law, as set forth in Article 11 hereof.

2.13    “Common Stock” shall mean the common stock of the Company, par value $0.01 per share.

2.14    “Company” shall have the meaning set forth in Article 1.

2.15    “Consultant” shall mean any consultant or adviser engaged to provide services to the Company or any parent of the Company or Subsidiary who qualifies as a consultant or advisor under the applicable rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission for registration of shares on a Form S-8 Registration Statement.

2.16    “Director” shall mean a member of the Board, as constituted from time to time.

2.17    “Director Limit” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4.5.

2.18    “Disability” when used in connection with a Participant’s Termination of Service, shall mean, unless otherwise specifically provided in any applicable Award Agreement or in any other written agreement entered into between the Company and a Participant, a finding by the Committee of the Participant’s incapacitation through any illness, injury, accident or condition of either a physical or psychological nature that has resulted in his or her inability to perform the essential functions of his or her position, even with reasonable accommodations, for one hundred eighty (180) calendar days during any period of three hundred sixty-five (365) consecutive calendar days, and such incapacity is expected to continue.

2.19    “Dividend Equivalent” shall mean a right to receive the equivalent value (in cash or Shares) of dividends paid on Shares, awarded under Section 9.2.

2.20     “Effective Date” shall mean the business day prior to the IPO Date. For avoidance of doubt, no Awards shall be granted under the Plan prior to the Effective Date.

2.21    “Eligible Individual” shall mean any person who is an Employee, a Consultant or a Non-Employee Director, as determined by the Administrator.

 

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2.22    “Employee” shall mean any officer or other employee (as determined in accordance with Section 3401(c) of the Code and the Treasury Regulations thereunder) of the Company or of any parent of the Company or any Subsidiary.

2.23    “Equity Restructuring” shall mean a nonreciprocal transaction between the Company and its stockholders, such as a stock dividend, stock split, spin-off, rights offering or recapitalization through a cash dividend, in each case to the extent above and beyond normal cash dividends or amounts in substitution therefor, that affects the number or kind of Shares (or other securities of the Company) or the share price of Common Stock (or other securities) and causes a change in the per-share value of the Common Stock underlying outstanding Awards.

2.24    “Exchange Act” shall mean the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended from time to time.

2.25    “Fair Market Value” shall mean, (a) with respect to Common Stock on a given date, (i) if the Common Stock is listed on a national securities exchange, the closing sales price of a share of Common Stock reported on such exchange on such date, or if there is no such sale on that date, then on the last preceding date on which such a sale was reported, or (ii) if the Common Stock is not listed on any national securities exchange, the amount determined by the Committee in good faith to be the fair market value of the Common Stock, or (b) with respect to any other property on any given date, the amount determined by the Committee in good faith to be the fair market value of such other property as of such date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, for purposes of any Awards granted on the IPO Date, the Fair Market Value will be the initial price to the public as set forth in the final prospectus included with the registration statement on Form S-1 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission for the initial public offering of the Company’s Common Stock.

2.26     “Greater Than 10% Stockholder” shall mean an individual then owning (within the meaning of Section 424(d) of the Code) more than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company or any subsidiary corporation (as defined in Section 424(f) of the Code) or parent corporation thereof (as defined in Section 424(e) of the Code).

2.27    “Incentive Stock Option” shall mean an Option that is intended to qualify as an incentive stock option and conforms to the applicable provisions of Section 422 of the Code.

2.28    “Investor” means, collectively, the investment funds managed, sponsored or advised by Apollo Management VIII, L.P. or its Affiliates. A reference to a member of Investor is a reference to any such investment fund.

2.29    “IPO Date” means the date of the underwritten, firm commitment initial public offering pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act covering the offer and sale by the Company of its Common Stock to the public.

2.30    “Non-Employee Director” shall mean a Director of the Company who is not an Employee.

2.31     “Non-Qualified Stock Option” shall mean an Option that is not an Incentive Stock Option or which is designated as an Incentive Stock Option but does not meet the applicable requirements of Section 422 of the Code.

 

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2.32    “Option” shall mean a right to purchase Shares at a specified exercise price, granted under Article 5. An Option shall be either a Non-Qualified Stock Option or an Incentive Stock Option; provided, however, that any Option granted to a Non-Employee Director or a Consultant shall be a Non-Qualified Stock Option.

2.33    “Option Term” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5.4.

2.34    “Organizational Documents” shall mean, collectively, (a) the Company’s articles of incorporation, certificate of incorporation, bylaws or other similar organizational documents relating to the creation and governance of the Company, and (b) the Committee’s charter or other similar organizational documentation relating to the creation and governance of the Committee, each as may be amended from time to time.

2.35    “Other Stock or Cash Based Award” shall mean a cash payment, cash bonus award, stock payment, stock bonus award or incentive award that is paid in cash, Shares or a combination of both, awarded under Section 9.1, which may include, without limitation, deferred stock, deferred stock units and performance awards.

2.36    “Outstanding Company Common Stock” shall mean the then-outstanding shares of Common Stock, including Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of options or warrants, the conversion of convertible stock or debt, and the exercise of any similar right to acquire such Common Stock.

2.37    “Outstanding Company Voting Securities” shall mean the then-outstanding voting securities of the Company entitled to vote in the election of directors.

2.38    “Participant” shall mean a person who has been granted an Award.

2.39    “Performance Criteria” shall mean the criteria that the Administrator selects for an Award for purposes of establishing the Performance Goal or Performance Goals for a Performance Period. The Performance Criteria that may be used to establish Performance Goals which may be determined in accordance with GAAP or on a non-GAAP basis, include, but are not limited to, the following: (a) net earnings or net income (before or after taxes); (b) basic or diluted earnings per share (before or after taxes); (c) net revenue, net revenue growth, annualized recurring revenue, or net revenue retention rates; (d) gross revenue or gross revenue growth, gross profit or gross profit growth; (e) net operating profit (before or after taxes); (f) return measures (including, but not limited to, return on investment, assets, net assets, capital, gross revenue or gross revenue growth, invested capital, equity or sales); (g) cash flow measures (including, but not limited to, operating cash flow, free cash flow and cash flow return on capital), which may but are not required to be measured on a per-share basis; (h) earnings before or after taxes, interest, depreciation, and amortization (including EBIT and EBITDA); (i) bookings and customer churn metrics; (j) gross or net operating margins; (k) productivity ratios; (l) share price (including, but not limited to, growth measures and total shareholder return); (m) expense targets or cost reduction goals, general and administrative expense savings; (n) operating efficiency; (o) customer satisfaction; (p) working capital targets; (q) measures of economic value added or other ‘‘value creation’’ metrics; (r) enterprise value; (s) stockholder return; (t) client or customer retention; (u) competitive market metrics; (v) employee retention; (w) personal targets, goals or completion of projects (including but not limited to succession and hiring projects, completion of specific acquisitions, reorganizations or other corporate transactions or capital-raising transactions, expansions of specific business operations and meeting divisional or project budgets); (x) system-wide revenues; (y) cost of capital, debt leverage year-end cash position or book value; (z) strategic objectives, development of new product lines and related revenue, sales and margin targets, or international operations; or (aa) any combination of the foregoing. Any one or more of the aforementioned

 

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Performance Criteria may be stated as a percentage of another Performance Criteria, or used on an absolute or relative basis to measure the performance of the Company and/or one or more Affiliates as a whole or any divisions or operational and/or business units, product lines, brands, business segments, administrative departments of the Company and/or one or more Affiliates or any combination thereof, as the Committee may deem appropriate, or any of the above performance criteria may be compared to the performance of a group of comparator companies, or a published or special index that the Committee deems appropriate, or as compared to various stock market indices. The Performance Criteria may include a threshold level of performance below which no payment shall be made (or no vesting shall occur), levels of performance at which specified payments shall be made (or specified vesting shall occur), and a maximum level of performance above which no additional payment shall be made (or at which full vesting shall occur). The Committee shall have the authority to make equitable adjustments to the Performance Criteria as may be determined by the Committee, in its sole discretion.

2.40    “Performance Goals” shall mean, for a Performance Period, one or more goals (and adjustments) established in writing by the Administrator for the Performance Period based upon one or more Performance Criteria. Depending on the Performance Criteria used to establish such Performance Goals, the Performance Goals may be expressed in terms of overall Company performance or the performance of a Subsidiary, division, business unit, or an individual, or a combination thereof, or in such other manner determined by the Administrator. The permissible forms in which a Performance Goal may be expressed further include, without limitation, percentage growth, performance against an index or peer companies, absolute growth, cumulative growth, a designated absolute amount, percent of sales, and per share of Common Stock outstanding. The achievement of each Performance Goal may be determined with reference to Applicable Accounting Standards or other methodology as determined appropriate by the Administrator. The Administrator, in its sole discretion, may provide that one or more adjustments shall be made to one or more of the Performance Goals.

2.41    “Performance Period” shall mean one or more periods of time, which may be of varying and overlapping durations, as the Administrator may select, over which the attainment of one or more Performance Goals will be measured for the purpose of determining a Participant’s right to, vesting of, and/or the payment in respect of, an Award.

2.42    “Permitted Transferee” shall mean, with respect to a Participant, any “family member” of the Participant, as defined in the General Instructions to Form S-8 Registration Statement under the Securities Act (or any successor form thereto), or any other transferee specifically approved by the Administrator after taking into account Applicable Law.

2.43    “Person” has the meaning given in Section 3(a)(9) of the Exchange Act, as modified and used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) thereof, except that such term shall not include (a) the Company or any of its subsidiaries, (b) a trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under an employee benefit plan of the Company or any of its Affiliates, (c) an underwriter temporarily holding securities pursuant to an offering of such securities, or (d) a corporation owned, directly or indirectly, by the stockholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of Common Stock of the Company.

2.44    “Plan” shall have the meaning set forth in Article 1.

2.45     “Restricted Stock” shall mean Common Stock awarded under Article 7 that is subject to certain restrictions and may be subject to risk of forfeiture or repurchase.

2.46    “Restricted Stock Units” shall mean the right to receive Shares awarded under Article 8.

2.47    “SAR Term” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 5.4.

 

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2.48    “Section 409A” shall mean Section 409A of the Code and the Department of Treasury regulations and other interpretive guidance issued thereunder, including, without limitation, any such regulations or other guidance that may be issued after the Effective Date.

2.49    “Securities Act” shall mean the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

2.50    “Shares” shall mean shares of Common Stock.

2.51    “Share Limit” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3.1.

2.52    “Stock Appreciation Right” shall mean an Award entitling the Participant (or other person entitled to exercise pursuant to the Plan) to exercise all or a specified portion thereof (to the extent then exercisable pursuant to its terms) and to receive from the Company an amount determined by multiplying the difference obtained by subtracting the exercise price per Share of such Award from the Fair Market Value on the date of exercise of such Award by the number of Shares with respect to which such Award shall have been exercised, subject to any limitations the Administrator may impose.

2.53    “Subsidiary” shall mean any entity (other than the Company), whether domestic or foreign, in an unbroken chain of entities beginning with the Company if each of the entities other than the last entity in the unbroken chain beneficially owns, at the time of the determination, securities or interests representing at least fifty percent (50%) of the total combined voting power of all classes of securities or interests in one of the other entities in such chain.

2.54    “Substitute Award” shall mean an Award granted under the Plan in connection with a corporate transaction, such as a merger, combination, consolidation or acquisition of property or stock, in any case, upon the assumption of, or in substitution for, outstanding equity awards previously granted by a company or other entity; provided, however, that in no event shall the term “Substitute Award” be construed to refer to an award made in connection with the cancellation and repricing of an Option or Stock Appreciation Right.

2.55    “Termination of Service” shall mean the time when the Participant ceases to be an Eligible Individual for any reason, including, without limitation, a termination by resignation, discharge (with or without Cause), Disability, death or retirement; but excluding terminations where the Participant simultaneously commences or remains in employment with the Company or any parent of the Company or Subsidiary. The Company, in its sole discretion, shall determine the effect of all matters and questions relating to any Termination of Service, including, without limitation, whether a Termination of Service has occurred, whether a Termination of Service resulted from a discharge for Cause and all questions of whether particular leaves of absence constitute a Termination of Service; provided, however, that, with respect to Incentive Stock Options, unless the Administrator otherwise provides in the terms of any Award Agreement or otherwise, or as otherwise required by Applicable Law, a leave of absence, change in status from an employee to an independent contractor or other change in the employee-employer relationship shall constitute a Termination of Service only if, and to the extent that, such leave of absence, change in status or other change interrupts employment for the purposes of Section 422(a)(2) of the Code and the then-applicable regulations and revenue rulings under said Section. For purposes of the Plan, a Participant’s employee-employer relationship or consultancy relationship shall be deemed to be terminated in the event that the Subsidiary employing or engaging such Participant ceases to remain a Subsidiary following any merger, sale of stock or other corporate transaction or event (including, without limitation, a spin-off or divestiture).

 

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ARTICLE 3.

SHARES SUBJECT TO THE PLAN

3.1    Number of Shares.

(a)    Subject to Sections 3.1(b) and 12.2, the aggregate number of Shares which may be issued or transferred pursuant to Awards under the Plan shall be no more than 25,000,000 Shares (the “Share Limit”). All of the Shares reserved under the Plan may be designated as Incentive Stock Options. The Share Limit shall be reduced, on the date of grant of an Award, by the relevant number of shares of Common Stock for each Award granted under the Plan that is valued by reference to a share of Common Stock; provided that Awards that are valued by reference to shares of Common Stock but are required to be paid in cash pursuant to their terms shall not reduce the Share Limit. Any Shares distributed pursuant to an Award may consist, in whole or in part, of authorized and unissued Common Stock, treasury Common Stock or Common Stock purchased on the open market.

(b)    The following Shares subject to an Award shall again be available for future grants of Awards under the Plan: (i) Shares subject to an Award that is forfeited or expires (including Shares repurchased by the Company under Section 7.4 at the same price paid by the Participant), (ii) Shares converted to shares of another person in connection with a recapitalization, reorganization, merger, consolidation, split-up, spin-off, combination, exchange of shares or other similar event, (iii) Shares subject to any portion of an Award that is settled in cash, (iv) Shares tendered by a Participant or withheld by the Company in payment of the exercise price of an Option; (v) Shares tendered by the Participant or withheld by the Company to satisfy any tax withholding obligation with respect to an Award; (vi) Shares subject to Stock Appreciation Rights that are not issued in connection with the stock settlement of the Stock Appreciation Rights on exercise thereof and (vii) Shares purchased on the open market by the Company with the cash proceeds received from the exercise of Options. Further, the payment of Dividend Equivalents in cash in conjunction with any outstanding Awards shall not be counted against the Shares available for issuance under the Plan. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 3.1(b), no Shares may again be optioned, granted or awarded if such action would cause an Incentive Stock Option to fail to qualify as an incentive stock option under Section 422 of the Code.

(c)    Substitute Awards may be granted on such terms as the Administrator deems appropriate, notwithstanding limitations on Awards in the Plan. Substitute Awards shall not reduce the Shares authorized for grant under the Plan, except as may be required by reason of Section 422 of the Code, and Shares subject to such Substitute Awards shall not be added to the Shares available for Awards under the Plan as provided in Section 3.1(b) above. Additionally, in the event that a company acquired by the Company or any Subsidiary or with which the Company or any Subsidiary combines has shares available under a pre-existing plan approved by its stockholders and not adopted in contemplation of such acquisition or combination, the shares available for grant pursuant to the terms of such pre-existing plan (as adjusted, to the extent appropriate, using the exchange ratio or other adjustment or valuation ratio or formula used in such acquisition or combination to determine the consideration payable to the holders of common stock of the entities party to such acquisition or combination) may be used for Awards under the Plan and shall not reduce the Shares authorized for grant under the Plan (and Shares subject to such Awards shall not be added to the Shares available for Awards under the Plan as provided in Section 3.1(b) above); provided that Awards using such available Shares shall not be made after the date awards or grants could have been made under the terms of the pre-existing plan, absent the acquisition or combination, and shall be made only to individuals who were not employed by or providing services to the Company or its Subsidiaries immediately prior to such acquisition or combination.

 

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ARTICLE 4.

GRANTING OF AWARDS

4.1    Participation. The Administrator may, from time to time, select from among all Eligible Individuals, those to whom an Award shall be granted and shall determine the nature and amount of each Award, which shall not be inconsistent with the requirements of the Plan. No Eligible Individual or other person shall have any right to be granted an Award pursuant to the Plan and neither the Company nor the Administrator is obligated to treat Eligible Individuals, Participants or any other persons uniformly. Participation by each Participant in the Plan shall be voluntary and nothing in the Plan shall be construed as mandating that any Eligible Individual or other person shall participate in the Plan.

4.2    Award Agreement. Each Award shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement that sets forth the terms, conditions and limitations for such Award as determined by the Administrator in its sole discretion (consistent with the requirements of the Plan). Award Agreements evidencing Incentive Stock Options shall contain such terms and conditions as may be necessary to meet the applicable provisions of Section 422 of the Code. The Administrator, in its sole discretion, may grant Awards to Eligible Individuals that are based on one or more Performance Criteria or achievement of one or more Performance Goals or any such other criteria or goals as the Administrator shall establish.

4.3    Limitations Applicable to Section 16 Persons. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, the Plan, and any Award granted or awarded to any individual who is then subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act, shall be subject to any additional limitations set forth in any applicable exemptive rule under Section 16 of the Exchange Act (including Rule 16b-3 of the Exchange Act and any amendments thereto) that are requirements for the application of such exemptive rule. To the extent permitted by Applicable Law, the Plan and Awards granted or awarded hereunder shall be deemed amended to the extent necessary to conform to such applicable exemptive rule.

4.4    At-Will Service. Nothing in the Plan or in any Award Agreement hereunder shall confer upon any Participant any right to continue in the employ of, or as a Director or Consultant of, the Company or any Subsidiary, or shall interfere with or restrict in any way any rights of the Company and any Subsidiary, which rights are hereby expressly reserved, to discharge any Participant at any time for any reason whatsoever, with or without cause, and with or without notice, or to terminate or change all other terms and conditions of employment or engagement, except to the extent expressly provided otherwise in a written agreement between the Participant and the Company or any Subsidiary.

4.5    Director Limit. Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in the Plan or in any policy of the Company regarding compensation payable to a Non-Employee Director, the sum of the grant date fair value (determined in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Topic 718, or any successor thereto) of all Awards payable in Shares and the maximum cash value of any other Award granted under the Plan to an individual as compensation for services as a Non-Employee Director, together with cash compensation paid to such Director in the form of Board and Committee retainer, meeting or similar fees, during any fiscal year of the Company shall not exceed $750,000 (the “Director Limit”), provided, that the foregoing limitation shall not apply in respect of any compensation payable in the year of a Non-Employee Director’s initial appointment or election to the Board. For avoidance of doubt, compensation will count towards this limit for the fiscal year in which it was granted or earned, and not later when distributed, in the event it is deferred. The foregoing limit may not be increased without the approval of the stockholders of the Company.

4.6    Non-U.S. Participants. Notwithstanding any provision of the Plan to the contrary, in order to comply with the laws in countries other than the United States in which the Company and its

 

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Subsidiaries operate or have Employees, Directors or Consultants, or in order to comply with the requirements of any non-U.S. securities exchange or other Applicable Law, the Administrator, in its sole discretion, shall have the power and authority to: (a) determine which Subsidiaries shall be covered by the Plan; (b) determine which Eligible Individuals outside the United States are eligible to participate in the Plan; (c) modify the terms and conditions of any Award granted to Eligible Individuals outside the United States to comply with Applicable Law (including, without limitation, applicable non-U.S. laws or listing requirements of any non-U.S. securities exchange); (d) establish subplans and modify exercise procedures and other terms and procedures, to the extent such actions may be necessary or advisable; provided, however, that no such subplans and/or modifications shall increase the Share Limit contained in Section 3.1 or the Director Limit; and (e) take any action, before or after an Award is made, that it deems advisable to obtain approval or comply with any necessary local governmental regulatory exemptions or approvals or listing requirements of any non-U.S. securities exchange.

ARTICLE 5.

GRANTING OF OPTIONS AND STOCK APPRECIATION RIGHTS

5.1    Granting of Options and Stock Appreciation Rights to Eligible Individuals. The Administrator is authorized to grant Options and Stock Appreciation Rights to Eligible Individuals from time to time, in its sole discretion, on such terms and conditions as it may determine, which shall not be inconsistent with the Plan.

5.2    Qualification of Incentive Stock Options. The Administrator may grant Options intended to qualify as Incentive Stock Options only to employees of the Company, any of the Company’s present or future “parent corporations” or “subsidiary corporations” as defined in Sections 424(e) or (f) of the Code, respectively, and any other entities the employees of which are eligible to receive Incentive Stock Options under the Code. No person who qualifies as a Greater Than 10% Stockholder may be granted an Incentive Stock Option unless such Incentive Stock Option conforms to the applicable provisions of Section 422 of the Code. To the extent that the aggregate fair market value of stock with respect to which “incentive stock options” (within the meaning of Section 422 of the Code, but without regard to Section 422(d) of the Code) are exercisable for the first time by a Participant during any calendar year under the Plan, and all other plans of the Company and any parent corporation or subsidiary corporation thereof (as defined in Section 424(e) and 424(f) of the Code, respectively), exceeds $100,000, the Options shall be treated as Non-Qualified Stock Options to the extent required by Section 422 of the Code. The rule set forth in the immediately preceding sentence shall be applied by taking Options and other “incentive stock options” into account in the order in which they were granted and the fair market value of stock shall be determined as of the time the respective options were granted. Any interpretations and rules under the Plan with respect to Incentive Stock Options shall be consistent with the provisions of Section 422 of the Code. Neither the Company nor the Administrator shall have any liability to a Participant, or any other person, (a) if an Option (or any part thereof) which is intended to qualify as an Incentive Stock Option fails to qualify as an Incentive Stock Option or (b) for any action or omission by the Company or the Administrator that causes an Option not to qualify as an Incentive Stock Option, including, without limitation, the conversion of an Incentive Stock Option to a Non-Qualified Stock Option or the grant of an Option intended as an Incentive Stock Option that fails to satisfy the requirements under the Code applicable to an Incentive Stock Option.

5.3    Option and Stock Appreciation Right Exercise Price. The exercise price per Share subject to each Option and Stock Appreciation Right shall be set by the Administrator, but shall not be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date the Option or Stock Appreciation Right, as applicable, is granted (or, as to Incentive Stock Options, on the date the Option is modified, extended or renewed for purposes of Section 424(h) of the Code). In addition, in the case of Incentive Stock Options granted to a Greater Than 10% Stockholder, such price shall not be less than 110% of the Fair Market Value of a Share

 

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on the date the Option is granted (or the date the Option is modified, extended or renewed for purposes of Section 424(h) of the Code). Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case of an Option or Stock Appreciation Right that is a Substitute Award, the exercise price per share of the Shares subject to such Option or Stock Appreciation Right, as applicable, may be less than the Fair Market Value per share on the date of grant; provided that the exercise price of any Substitute Award shall be determined in accordance with the applicable requirements of Section 424 and 409A of the Code.

5.4    Option and SAR Term. The term of each Option (the “Option Term”) and the term of each Stock Appreciation Right (the “SAR Term”) shall be set by the Administrator in its sole discretion; provided, however, that the Option Term or SAR Term, as applicable, shall not be more than (a) ten (10) years from the date the Option or Stock Appreciation Right, as applicable, is granted to an Eligible Individual or (b) five (5) years from the date an Incentive Stock Option is granted to a Greater Than 10% Stockholder. Except as limited by the requirements of Section 409A or Section 422 of the Code and regulations and rulings thereunder or the first sentence of this Section 5.4 and without limiting the Company’s rights under Section 10.7, the Administrator may extend the Option Term of any outstanding Option or the SAR Term of any outstanding Stock Appreciation Right, and may extend the time period during which vested Options or Stock Appreciation Rights may be exercised, in connection with any Termination of Service of the Participant or otherwise, and may amend, subject to Section 10.7 and 12.1, any other term or condition of such Option or Stock Appreciation Right relating to such Termination of Service of the Participant or otherwise. Further, unless determined otherwise by the Company, in the event that on the last business day of the term of an Option or Stock Appreciation Right (other than an Incentive Stock Option) (i) the exercise of the Option or Stock Appreciation Right is prohibited by Applicable Law, as determined by the Company, or (ii) Shares may not be purchased or sold by the applicable Participant due to any Company insider trading policy (including blackout periods), the term of the Option or Stock Appreciation Right shall be extended until the date that is thirty (30) days after the end of the legal prohibition or black-out period, as determined by the Company; provided, however, in no event shall the extension last beyond the ten (10) year (or shorter) term of the applicable Option or Stock Appreciation Right.

5.5    Option and SAR Vesting. The period during which the Participant may have a right to vest in and exercise, in whole or in part, an Option or Stock Appreciation Right shall be set by the Administrator and set forth in the applicable Award Agreement. At any time after the grant of an Option, the Administrator may, in its sole discretion and subject to whatever terms and conditions it selects, accelerate the vesting of the Option; provided, however, that in no event shall an Option become exercisable following its expiration, termination or forfeiture. Notwithstanding the foregoing, unless otherwise determined by the Administrator in the Award Agreement or by action of the Administrator following the grant of the Option or Stock Appreciation Right (i) no portion of an Option or Stock Appreciation Right which is unexercisable at a Participant’s Termination of Service shall thereafter become exercisable and (ii) the portion of an Option or Stock Appreciation Right that is unexercisable at a Participant’s Termination of Service shall automatically expire on the date of such Termination of Service.

5.6    Substitution of Stock Appreciation Rights. The Administrator may provide in the applicable Award Agreement evidencing the grant of an Option that the Administrator, in its sole discretion, shall have the right to substitute a Stock Appreciation Right for such Option at any time prior to or upon exercise of such Option; provided that such Stock Appreciation Right shall be exercisable with respect to the same number of Shares for which such substituted Option would have been exercisable, and shall also have the same exercise price, vesting schedule and remaining term as the substituted Option.

 

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ARTICLE 6.

EXERCISE OF OPTIONS AND STOCK APPRECIATION RIGHTS

6.1    Exercise and Payment. An exercisable Option or Stock Appreciation Right may be exercised in whole or in part. However, unless the Administrator otherwise determines, an Option or Stock Appreciation Right shall not be exercisable with respect to fractional Shares and the Administrator may require that, by the terms of the Option or Stock Appreciation Right, a partial exercise must be with respect to a minimum number of Shares. Payment of the amounts payable with respect to Stock Appreciation Rights pursuant to this Article 6 shall be in cash, Shares (based on the Fair Market Value as of the date the Stock Appreciation Right is exercised), or a combination of both, as determined by the Administrator.

6.2    Manner of Exercise. All or a portion of an exercisable Option or Stock Appreciation Right shall be deemed exercised upon delivery of all of the following to the Secretary of the Company, the stock plan administrator of the Company or such other person or entity designated by the Administrator, or his, her or its office, as applicable:

(a)    A written or electronic notice complying with the applicable rules established by the Administrator stating that the Option or Stock Appreciation Right, or a portion thereof, is exercised. The notice shall be signed or otherwise acknowledged electronically by the Participant or other person then entitled to exercise the Option or Stock Appreciation Right or such portion thereof;

(b)    Such representations and documents as the Administrator, in its sole discretion, deems necessary or advisable to effect compliance with Applicable Law.

(c)    In the event that the Option or Stock Appreciation Right shall be exercised pursuant to Section 10.3 by any person or persons other than the Participant, appropriate proof of the right of such person or persons to exercise the Option or Stock Appreciation Right, as determined in the sole discretion of the Administrator; and

(d)    Full payment of the exercise price and applicable withholding taxes for the Shares with respect to which the Option or Stock Appreciation Right, or portion thereof, is exercised, in a manner permitted by the Administrator in accordance with Sections 10.1 and 10.2.

6.3    Notification Regarding Disposition. The Participant shall give the Company prompt written or electronic notice of any disposition of Shares acquired by exercise of an Incentive Stock Option which occurs within (a) two (2) years from the date of granting (including the date the Option is modified, extended or renewed for purposes of Section 424(h) of the Code) such Option to such Participant, or (b) one (1) year after the date of transfer of such Shares to such Participant. Such notice shall specify the date of such disposition or other transfer and the amount realized, in cash, other property, assumption of indebtedness or other consideration, by the Participant in such disposition or other transfer.

ARTICLE 7.

AWARD OF RESTRICTED STOCK

7.1    Award of Restricted Stock. The Administrator is authorized to grant Restricted Stock to Eligible Individuals, and shall determine the terms and conditions, including the restrictions applicable to each award of Restricted Stock, which terms and conditions shall not be inconsistent with the Plan, and may impose such conditions on the issuance of such Restricted Stock as it deems appropriate. The Administrator shall establish the purchase price, if any, and form of payment for Restricted Stock; provided,

 

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however, that if a purchase price is charged, such purchase price shall be no less than the par value, if any, of the Shares to be purchased, unless otherwise permitted by Applicable Law. In all cases, legal consideration shall be required for each issuance of Restricted Stock to the extent required by Applicable Law.

7.2    Rights as Stockholders. Subject to Section 7.4, upon issuance of Restricted Stock, the Participant shall have, unless otherwise provided by the Administrator, all of the rights of a stockholder with respect to said Shares, subject to the restrictions in the Plan and/or the applicable Award Agreement, including the right to receive all dividends and other distributions paid or made with respect to the Shares to the extent such dividends and other distributions have a record date that is on or after the date on which the Participant to whom such Restricted Stock are granted becomes the record holder of such Restricted Stock; provided, however, that, any dividends and distributions with respect to the Shares shall be subject to the restrictions set forth in Section 7.3.

7.3    Restrictions. All shares of Restricted Stock (including any shares received by holders thereof with respect to shares of Restricted Stock as a result of stock dividends, stock splits or any other form of recapitalization) shall be subject to such restrictions and vesting requirements as the Administrator shall provide in the applicable Award Agreement. By action taken after the Restricted Stock is issued, the Administrator may, on such terms and conditions as it may determine to be appropriate, accelerate the vesting of such Restricted Stock by removing any or all of the restrictions imposed by the terms of the applicable Award Agreement.

7.4    Repurchase or Forfeiture of Restricted Stock. Except as otherwise determined by the Administrator, if no price was paid by the Participant for the Restricted Stock, upon a Termination of Service during the applicable restriction period, the Participant’s rights in unvested Restricted Stock then subject to restrictions shall lapse, and such Restricted Stock shall be surrendered to the Company and cancelled without consideration on the date of such Termination of Service. If a price was paid by the Participant for the Restricted Stock, upon a Termination of Service during the applicable restriction period, the Company shall have the right to repurchase from the Participant the unvested Restricted Stock then subject to restrictions at a cash price per share equal to the price paid by the Participant for such Restricted Stock or such other amount as may be specified in the applicable Award Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Administrator, in its sole discretion, may provide that upon certain events, including, without limitation, a Change in Control, the Participant’s death, retirement or Disability or any other specified Termination of Service or any other event, the Participant’s rights in unvested Restricted Stock then subject to restrictions shall not lapse, such Restricted Stock shall vest and cease to be forfeitable and, if applicable, the Company shall cease to have a right of repurchase.

7.5    Section 83(b) Election. If a Participant makes an election under Section 83(b) of the Code to be taxed with respect to the Restricted Stock as of the date of transfer of the Restricted Stock rather than as of the date or dates upon which the Participant would otherwise be taxable under Section 83(a) of the Code, the Participant shall be required to deliver a copy of such election to the Company promptly after filing such election with the Internal Revenue Service along with proof of the timely filing thereof with the Internal Revenue Service.

ARTICLE 8.

AWARD OF RESTRICTED STOCK UNITS

8.1    Grant of Restricted Stock Units. The Administrator is authorized to grant Awards of Restricted Stock Units to any Eligible Individual selected by the Administrator in such amounts and subject to such terms and conditions as determined by the Administrator. A Participant will have no rights of a stockholder with respect to Shares subject to any Restricted Stock Unit unless and until the Shares are delivered in settlement of the Restricted Stock Unit.

 

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8.2    Vesting of Restricted Stock Units. At the time of grant, the Administrator shall specify the date or dates on which the Restricted Stock Units shall become fully vested and nonforfeitable, and may specify such conditions to vesting as it deems appropriate, including, without limitation, vesting based upon the Participant’s duration of service to the Company or any Subsidiary, or vesting based on achievement of one or more Performance Goals, in each case on a specified date or dates or over any period or periods, as determined by the Administrator. By action taken after the Restricted Stock Units are granted, the Administrator may, on such terms and conditions as it may determine to be appropriate, accelerate the vesting of such Restricted Stock Units by removing any or all of the restrictions imposed by the terms of the applicable Award Agreement.

8.3    Settlement and Payment. At the time of grant, the Administrator shall specify the settlement date applicable to each grant of Restricted Stock Units, which shall be no earlier than the vesting date or dates of the Award and may be determined at the election of the Participant (if permitted by the applicable Award Agreement); provided that, except as otherwise determined by the Administrator, and subject to compliance with Section 409A, in no event shall the settlement date relating to each Restricted Stock Unit occur following the later of (a) the 15th day of the third month following the end of the calendar year in which the applicable portion of the Restricted Stock Unit vests; or (b) the 15th day of the third month following the end of the Company’s fiscal year in which the applicable portion of the Restricted Stock Unit vests. On the settlement date, the Company shall, in accordance with the applicable Award Agreement and subject to Section 10.4(f), transfer to the Participant one unrestricted, fully transferable Share for each Restricted Stock Unit scheduled to be paid out on such date and not previously forfeited, or in the sole discretion of the Administrator, an amount in cash equal to the Fair Market Value of such Shares on the settlement date or a combination of cash and Common Stock as determined by the Administrator.

8.4    Payment upon Termination of Service. An Award of Restricted Stock Units shall be payable only while the Participant is an Employee, a Non-Employee Director or a Consultant; provided, however, that the Administrator, in its sole discretion, may provide (in an Award Agreement or otherwise) that a Restricted Stock Unit award may be paid subsequent to a Termination of Service in certain events, including a Change in Control, the Participant’s death, retirement or Disability or any other specified Termination of Service.

ARTICLE 9.

AWARD OF OTHER STOCK OR CASH BASED AWARDS AND DIVIDEND EQUIVALENTS

9.1    Other Stock or Cash Based Awards. The Administrator is authorized to grant Other Stock or Cash Based Awards, including awards entitling a Participant to receive Shares or cash to be delivered immediately or in the future, to any Eligible Individual. Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Administrator shall determine the terms and conditions of each Other Stock or Cash Based Award, including the term of the Award, any exercise or purchase price, any Performance Criteria and Performance Goals, transfer restrictions, vesting conditions and other terms and conditions applicable thereto, which shall be set forth in the applicable Award Agreement. Other Stock or Cash Based Awards may be paid in cash, Shares, or a combination of cash and Shares, as determined by the Administrator, and may be available as a form of payment in the settlement of other Awards granted under the Plan, as stand-alone payments, as a part of a bonus, deferred bonus, deferred compensation or other arrangement, and/or as payment in lieu of compensation to which an Eligible Individual is otherwise entitled.

 

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9.2    Dividend Equivalents and Dividends. Dividend Equivalents may be granted by the Administrator, either alone or in tandem with another Award, based on dividends declared on the Common Stock, to be credited as of dividend payment dates during the period between the date the Dividend Equivalents are granted to a Participant and the date such Dividend Equivalents terminate or expire, as determined by the Administrator. Such Dividend Equivalents shall be converted to cash or additional Shares by such formula and at such time and subject to such restrictions and limitations as may be determined by the Administrator. Unless otherwise determined by the Administrator, Dividend Equivalents with respect to an Award that are based on dividends paid prior to the vesting of such Award shall be paid out to the Participant only to the extent that the vesting conditions are subsequently satisfied and the Award vests and in no event may any Award provide for a Participant’s receipt of any other dividends prior to the vesting of such Award. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Dividend Equivalents shall be payable with respect to Options or Stock Appreciation Rights.

ARTICLE 10.

ADDITIONAL TERMS OF AWARDS

10.1    Payment. The Administrator shall determine the method or methods by which payments by any Participant with respect to any Awards granted under the Plan shall be made, including, without limitation: (a) cash, wire transfer of immediately available funds or check, (b) Shares (including, in the case of payment of the exercise price of an Award, Shares issuable pursuant to the exercise of the Award) or Shares held for such minimum period of time as may be established by the Administrator, in each case, having a Fair Market Value on the date of delivery equal to the aggregate payments required, (c) delivery of a written or electronic notice that the Participant has placed a market sell order with a broker acceptable to the Company with respect to Shares then issuable upon exercise or vesting of an Award, and that the broker has been directed to pay a sufficient portion of the net proceeds of the sale to the Company in satisfaction of the aggregate payments required; provided that payment of such proceeds is then made to the Company upon settlement of such sale, (d) having the Company withhold from the number of Shares otherwise issuable or deliverable pursuant to the exercise or settlement of the Award a number of Shares with a Fair Market Value on such date equal to the aggregate payments required; (e) other form of legal consideration acceptable to the Administrator in its sole discretion, or (f) any combination of the above permitted forms of payment. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan to the contrary, no Participant who is a Director or an “executive officer” of the Company within the meaning of Section 13(k) of the Exchange Act shall be permitted to make payment with respect to any Awards granted under the Plan, or continue any extension of credit with respect to such payment, with a loan from the Company or a loan arranged by the Company in violation of Section 13(k) of the Exchange Act.

10.2    Tax Withholding. The Company or any Subsidiary shall have the authority and the right to deduct or withhold from any payment of any kind otherwise due to a Participant, or require a Participant to remit to the Company, an amount sufficient to satisfy U.S. federal, state, local and non-U.S. taxes (including the Participant’s FICA, employment tax or other social security contribution obligation) required or permitted by law to be withheld with respect to any taxable event concerning a Participant arising as a result of the Plan or any Award. The Administrator may, in its sole discretion and in satisfaction of the foregoing requirement, allow a Participant to satisfy such obligations by any payment means described in Section 10.1 hereof, including without limitation, by allowing such Participant to elect to have the Company withhold Shares otherwise issuable under an Award (or allow the surrender of Shares). The number of Shares which may be so withheld or surrendered shall be limited to the number of Shares that have a fair market value on the date of withholding or repurchase no greater than the aggregate amount of such liabilities based on the maximum statutory withholding rates in such Participant’s applicable jurisdictions for U.S. federal, state, local and non-U.S. income tax and payroll tax purposes that are applicable to such taxable income (or such other rate as may be required to avoid adverse accounting consequences). The

 

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Administrator shall determine the fair market value of the Shares, consistent with applicable provisions of the Code and other Applicable Law, for tax withholding obligations due in connection with a broker-assisted cashless Option or Stock Appreciation Right exercise involving the sale of Shares to pay the Option or Stock Appreciation Right exercise price or any tax withholding obligation.

10.3    Transferability of Awards.

(a)    Except as otherwise provided in Sections 10.3(b) and 10.3(c):

(i)    No Award under the Plan may be sold, pledged, assigned or transferred in any manner other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution;

(ii)    No Award or interest or right therein shall be liable for or otherwise subject to the debts, contracts or engagements of the Participant or the Participant’s successors in interest or shall be subject to disposition by transfer, alienation, anticipation, pledge, hypothecation, encumbrance, assignment or any other means whether such disposition be voluntary or involuntary or by operation of law by judgment, levy, attachment, garnishment or any other legal or equitable proceedings (including bankruptcy) unless and until such Award has been exercised, or the Shares underlying such Award have been issued, and all restrictions applicable to such Shares have lapsed, and any attempted disposition of an Award prior to satisfaction of these conditions shall be null and void and of no effect, except to the extent that such disposition is permitted by Section 10.3(a)(i); and

(iii)    During the lifetime of the Participant, only the Participant may exercise any exercisable portion of an Award granted to such Participant under the Plan. After the death of the Participant, any exercisable portion of an Award may, prior to the time when such portion becomes unexercisable under the Plan or the applicable Award Agreement, be exercised by the Participant’s personal representative or by any person empowered to do so under the deceased Participant’s will or under the then-applicable laws of descent and distribution.

(b)    Notwithstanding Section 10.3(a), the Administrator, in its sole discretion, may determine to permit a Participant or a Permitted Transferee of such Participant to transfer an Award other than an Incentive Stock Option (unless such Incentive Stock Option is intended to become a Nonqualified Stock Option) to any one or more Permitted Transferees of such Participant, subject to the following terms and conditions: (i) an Award transferred to a Permitted Transferee shall not be assignable or transferable by the Permitted Transferee other than (A) to another Permitted Transferee of the applicable Participant or (B) by will or the laws of descent and distribution or, subject to the consent of the Administrator; (ii) an Award transferred to a Permitted Transferee shall continue to be subject to all the terms and conditions of the Award as applicable to the original Participant (other than the ability to further transfer the Award to any person other than another Permitted Transferee of the applicable Participant); (iii) the Participant (or transferring Permitted Transferee) and the receiving Permitted Transferee shall execute any and all documents requested by the Administrator, including, without limitation documents to (A) confirm the status of the transferee as a Permitted Transferee, (B) satisfy any requirements for an exemption for the transfer under Applicable Law and (C) evidence the transfer; and (iv) the transfer of an Award to a Permitted Transferee shall be without consideration. In addition, and further notwithstanding Section 10.3(a), hereof, the Administrator, in its sole discretion, may determine to permit a Participant to transfer Incentive Stock Options to a trust that constitutes a Permitted Transferee if, under Section 671 of the Code and other Applicable Law, the Participant is considered the sole beneficial owner of the Incentive Stock Option while it is held in the trust.

(c)    Notwithstanding Section 10.3(a), a Participant may, in the sole discretion of and manner determined by the Administrator, designate a beneficiary to exercise the rights of the Participant

 

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and to receive any distribution with respect to any Award upon the Participant’s death. A beneficiary, legal guardian, legal representative, or other person claiming any rights pursuant to the Plan is subject to all terms and conditions of the Plan and any Award Agreement applicable to the Participant and any additional restrictions deemed necessary or appropriate by the Administrator. If the Participant is married or a domestic partner in a domestic partnership qualified under Applicable Law and resides in a community property state, a designation of a person other than the Participant’s spouse or domestic partner, as applicable, as the Participant’s beneficiary with respect to more than 50% of the Participant’s interest in the Award shall not be effective without the prior written or electronic consent of the Participant’s spouse or domestic partner. If no beneficiary has been designated or survives the Participant, payment shall be made to the person entitled thereto pursuant to the Participant’s will or the laws of descent and distribution. Subject to the foregoing, a beneficiary designation may be changed or revoked by a Participant at any time; provided that the change or revocation is delivered in writing to the Administrator prior to the Participant’s death.

10.4    Conditions to Issuance of Shares.

(a)    The Administrator shall determine the methods by which Shares shall be delivered or deemed to be delivered to Participants. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Company shall not be required to issue or deliver any certificates or make any book entries evidencing Shares pursuant to the exercise of any Award, unless and until the Administrator has determined that the issuance of such Shares is in compliance with all Applicable Laws and the Shares are covered by an effective registration statement or applicable exemption from registration. In addition to the terms and conditions provided herein, the Administrator may require that a Participant make such reasonable covenants, agreements and representations as the Administrator, in its sole discretion, deems advisable in order to comply with Applicable Law. The inability or impracticability of the Company to obtain or maintain authority from any regulatory body having jurisdiction, which authority is deemed by the Company’s counsel to be necessary to the lawful issuance and sale of any Shares hereunder, shall relieve the Company of any liability in respect of the failure to issue or sell such Shares as to which such requisite authority shall not have been obtained, and shall constitute circumstances in which the Administrator may determine to amend or cancel Awards pertaining to such Shares, with or without consideration to the Participant.

(b)    All share certificates delivered pursuant to the Plan and all Shares issued pursuant to book entry procedures are subject to any stop-transfer orders and other restrictions as the Administrator deems necessary or advisable to comply with Applicable Law. The Administrator may place legends on any share certificate or book entry to reference restrictions applicable to the Shares (including, without limitation, restrictions applicable to Restricted Stock).

(c)    The Administrator shall have the right to require any Participant to comply with any timing or other restrictions with respect to the settlement, distribution or exercise of any Award, including a window-period limitation, as may be imposed in the sole discretion of the Administrator.

(d)    Unless the Administrator otherwise determines, no fractional Shares shall be issued and the Administrator, in its sole discretion, shall determine whether cash shall be given in lieu of fractional Shares or whether such fractional Shares shall be eliminated by rounding down.

(e)    The Company, in its sole discretion, may (i) retain physical possession of any stock certificate evidencing Shares until any restrictions thereon shall have lapsed and/or (ii) require that the stock certificates evidencing such Shares be held in custody by a designated escrow agent (which may but need not be the Company) until the restrictions thereon shall have lapsed, and that the Participant deliver a stock power, endorsed in blank, relating to such Shares.

 

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(f)    Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, unless otherwise determined by the Administrator or required by Applicable Law, the Company shall not deliver to any Participant certificates evidencing Shares issued in connection with any Award and instead such Shares shall be recorded in the books of the Company (or, as applicable, its transfer agent or stock plan administrator).

10.5    Forfeiture and Claw-Back Provisions. All Awards (including any proceeds, gains or other economic benefit actually or constructively received by a Participant upon any receipt or exercise of any Award or upon the receipt or resale of any Shares underlying the Award and any payments of a portion of an incentive-based bonus pool allocated to a Participant) shall be subject to forfeiture and/or repayment to the Company to the extent and in the manner required (a) to comply with any requirements imposed under applicable laws and/or the rules and regulations of the securities exchange or inter-dealer quotation system on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted, including, without limitation, pursuant to Section 954 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, and (b) under the terms of any policy, guideline or Board committee charter adopted by the Company as may be amended from time to time for reasons related to fraud prevention, governance, avoidance of monetary or reputational damage to the Company and its Affiliates or similar considerations, whether or not such policy or guideline was in place at the time of grant of an Award (and such requirements shall be deemed incorporated into this Plan without the consent of Participant).

10.6    Prohibition on Repricing. Subject to Section 12.2, the Administrator shall not, without the approval of the stockholders of the Company, (a) authorize the amendment of any outstanding Option or Stock Appreciation Right to reduce its price per Share, (b) cancel any Option or Stock Appreciation Right in exchange for cash or another Award when the Option or Stock Appreciation Right price per Share exceeds the Fair Market Value of the underlying Shares, in its sole discretion, or (c) cancel an Option or Stock Appreciation Right in exchange for an Option or Stock Appreciation Right with a lower exercise price than such original Option or Stock Appreciation Right.

10.7    Amendment of Awards. Subject to Applicable Law and Section 10.6 above, the Administrator may amend, modify or terminate any outstanding Award, including but not limited to, substituting therefor another Award of the same or a different type, changing the date of exercise or settlement, and converting an Incentive Stock Option to a Non-Qualified Stock Option. The Participant’s consent to such action shall be required unless (i) the Administrator determines that the action, taking into account any related action, would not materially and adversely affect the Participant, or (ii) the change is otherwise permitted under the Plan (including, without limitation, under Section 12.2, 12.7 or 12.10).

ARTICLE 11.

ADMINISTRATION

11.1    Administrator. The Committee shall administer the Plan (except as otherwise permitted herein). To the extent required to comply with the provisions of Rule 16b-3, it is intended that each member of the Committee will be, at the time the Committee takes any action with respect to an Award that is subject to Rule 16b-3, a “non-employee director” within the meaning of Rule 16b-3. Additionally, to the extent required by Applicable Law, each of the individuals constituting the Committee shall be an “independent director” under the rules of any securities exchange or automated quotation system on which the Shares are listed, quoted or traded. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any action taken by the Committee shall be valid and effective, whether or not members of the Committee at the time of such action are later determined not to have satisfied the requirements for membership set forth in this Section 11.1 or the Organizational Documents. Except as may otherwise be provided in the Organizational Documents or as otherwise required by Applicable Law, (a) appointment of Committee members shall be effective upon acceptance of appointment, (b) Committee members may resign at any time by delivering written or

 

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electronic notice to the Board and (c) vacancies in the Committee may only be filled by the Board. Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) the full Board, acting by a majority of its members in office, shall conduct the general administration of the Plan with respect to Awards granted to Non-Employee Directors and, with respect to such Awards, the term “Administrator” as used in the Plan shall be deemed to refer to the Board and (ii) the Board or Committee may delegate its authority hereunder to the extent permitted by Section 11.6.

11.2    Duties and Powers of Administrator. It shall be the duty of the Administrator to conduct the general administration of the Plan in accordance with its provisions. The Administrator shall have the power to interpret the Plan and all Award Agreements, and to adopt such rules for the administration, interpretation and application of the Plan as are not inconsistent with the Plan, to interpret, amend or revoke any such rules and to amend the Plan or any Award Agreement; provided that the rights or obligations of the Participant of the Award that is the subject of any such Award Agreement are not materially and adversely affected by such amendment, unless the consent of the Participant is obtained or such amendment is otherwise permitted under the Plan, including, without limitation, under Section 12.2, Section 12.7 or Section 12.10. In its sole discretion, the Board may at any time and from time to time exercise any and all rights and duties of the Committee in its capacity as the Administrator under the Plan except with respect to matters which under Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act or any successor rule, or any regulations or rules issued thereunder, or the rules of any securities exchange or automated quotation system on which the Shares are listed, quoted or traded are required to be determined in the sole discretion of the Committee.

11.3    Action by the Administrator. Unless otherwise established by the Board, set forth in any Organizational Documents or as required by Applicable Law, a majority of the Administrator shall constitute a quorum and the acts of a majority of the members present at any meeting at which a quorum is present, and acts approved in writing by all members of the Administrator in lieu of a meeting, shall be deemed the acts of the Administrator. Each member of the Administrator is entitled to, in good faith, rely or act upon any report or other information furnished to that member by any officer or other employee of the Company or any Subsidiary, the Company’s independent certified public accountants, or any executive compensation consultant or other professional retained by the Company to assist in the administration of the Plan. Neither the Administrator nor any member or delegate thereof shall have any liability to any person (including any Participant) for any action taken or omitted to be taken or any determination made in good faith with respect to the Plan or any Award.

11.4    Authority of Administrator. Subject to the Organizational Documents, any specific designation in the Plan and Applicable Law, the Administrator has the exclusive power, authority and sole discretion to:

(a)    Designate Eligible Individuals to receive Awards;

(b)    Determine the type or types of Awards to be granted to each Eligible Individual (including, without limitation, any Awards granted in tandem with another Award granted pursuant to the Plan);

(c)    Determine the number of Awards to be granted and the number of Shares to which an Award will relate;

(d)    Determine the terms and conditions of any Award granted pursuant to the Plan, including, but not limited to, the exercise price, grant price, purchase price, any Performance Criteria and/or Performance Goals, any restrictions or limitations on the Award, any schedule for vesting, lapse of forfeiture restrictions or restrictions on the exercisability of an Award, and accelerations or waivers thereof, and any provisions related to non-competition and claw-back and recapture of gain on an Award, based in each case on such considerations as the Administrator in its sole discretion determines;

 

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(e)    Determine whether, to what extent, and under what circumstances an Award may be settled in, or the exercise price of an Award may be paid in cash, Shares, other Awards, or other property, or an Award may be canceled, forfeited, or surrendered;

(f)    Prescribe the form of each Award Agreement, which need not be identical for each Participant;

(g)    Decide all other matters that must be determined in connection with an Award;

(h)    Establish, adopt, or revise any policies, rules and regulations as it may deem necessary or advisable to administer the Plan;

(i)    Interpret the terms of, and any matter arising pursuant to, the Plan, any policy or any Award Agreement;

(j)    determine the circumstances under which the delivery of cash, property or other amounts payable with respect to an Award may be deferred, either automatically or at the Participant’s or the Administrator’s election

(k)    Accelerate wholly or partially the vesting or lapse of restrictions of any Award or portion thereof at any time after the grant of an Award, pursuant to any terms and conditions it selects, subject to Section 12.2; and

(l)    Make all other decisions and determinations that may be required pursuant to the Plan or as the Administrator deems necessary or advisable to administer the Plan.

11.5    Decisions Binding. The Administrator’s interpretation of the Plan, any Awards granted pursuant to the Plan and any Award Agreement and all decisions and determinations by the Administrator with respect to the Plan are final, binding and conclusive on all persons.

11.6    Delegation of Authority. The Board or Committee may from time to time delegate to a committee of one or more Directors or one or more officers of the Company the authority to grant or amend Awards or to take other administrative actions pursuant to this Article 11; provided, however, that in no event shall an officer of the Company be delegated the authority to grant Awards to, or amend Awards held by, the following individuals: (a) individuals who are subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act, or (b) officers of the Company (or Directors) to whom authority to grant or amend Awards has been delegated hereunder; provided, further, that any delegation of administrative authority shall only be permitted to the extent it is permissible under any Organizational Documents and Applicable Law. Any delegation hereunder shall be subject to the restrictions and limits that the Board or Committee specifies at the time of such delegation or that are otherwise included in the applicable Organizational Documents, and the Board or Committee, as applicable, may at any time rescind the authority so delegated or appoint a new delegate. At all times, the delegate appointed under this Section 11.6 shall serve in such capacity at the pleasure of the Board or the Committee, as applicable, and the Board or the Committee may abolish any committee at any time and re-vest in itself any previously delegated authority.

 

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ARTICLE 12.

MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

12.1    Amendment, Suspension or Termination of the Plan.

(a)    Except as otherwise provided in Section 12.1(b), the Plan may be wholly or partially amended or otherwise modified, suspended or terminated at any time or from time to time by the Board; provided that, except as provided in Section 10.7, no amendment, suspension or termination of the Plan shall, without the consent of the Participant, materially and adversely affect any rights or obligations under any Award theretofore granted or awarded, unless the Award itself otherwise expressly so provides.

(b)    Notwithstanding Section 12.1(a), the Board may not, except as provided in Section 12.2, take any of the following actions without approval of the Company’s stockholders given within twelve (12) months before or after such action: (i) increase the Share Limit imposed in Section 3.1 on the maximum number of Shares which may be issued under the Plan; (ii) reduce the price per share of any outstanding Option or Stock Appreciation Right granted under the Plan or take any action prohibited under Section 10.6; or (iii) cancel any Option or Stock Appreciation Right in exchange for cash or another Award in violation of Section 10.6.

(c)    No Awards may be granted or awarded during any period of suspension or after termination of the Plan. Unless earlier terminated by the Board under Section 12.1(a), the Plan shall remain in effect for a period of ten (10) years from the Effective Date; provided that no Incentive Stock Options may be granted after the earlier of ten (10) years from the date of the (i) adoption of the Plan by the Board and (ii) the approval of the Plan by the Company’s stockholders. Any Awards that are outstanding on the date that the Plan is terminated shall remain in force according to the terms of the Plan and the applicable Award Agreement.

12.2    Changes in Common Stock or Assets of the Company, Acquisition or Liquidation of the Company and Other Corporate Events.

(a)    In the event of any stock dividend, stock split, combination or exchange of shares, merger, consolidation or other distribution (other than normal cash dividends) of Company assets to stockholders, or any other change affecting the shares of the Company’s stock or the share price of the Company’s stock other than an Equity Restructuring, the Administrator may make equitable adjustments, if any, to reflect such change with respect to: (i) the aggregate number and kind of Shares that may be issued under the Plan (including, but not limited to, adjustments of the limitations in Section 3.1 on the maximum number and kind of Shares which may be issued under the Plan); (ii) the number and kind of Shares (or other securities or property) subject to outstanding Awards; (iii) the terms and conditions of any outstanding Awards (including, without limitation, any applicable Performance Goals or Performance Criteria with respect thereto); and (iv) the grant or exercise price per share for any outstanding Awards under the Plan.

(b)    In the event of any transaction or event described in Section 12.2(a) or any unusual or nonrecurring transactions or events affecting the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, or the financial statements of the Company or any Subsidiary, or of changes in Applicable Law or Applicable Accounting Standards, the Administrator, in its sole discretion, and on such terms and conditions as it deems appropriate, either by the terms of the Award or by action taken prior to the occurrence of such transaction or event, is hereby authorized to take any one or more of the following actions whenever the Administrator determines that such action is appropriate in order to prevent dilution or enlargement of the benefits or potential benefits intended to be made available under the Plan or with respect to any Award under the Plan,

 

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to facilitate such transactions or events or to give effect to such changes in Applicable Law or Applicable Accounting Standards:

(i)    To provide for the termination of any such Award in exchange for an amount of cash and/or other property with a value equal to the amount that would have been attained upon the exercise of such Award or realization of the Participant’s rights (and, for the avoidance of doubt, if as of the date of the occurrence of the transaction or event described in this Section 12.2 the Administrator determines in good faith that no amount would have been attained upon the exercise of such Award or realization of the Participant’s rights, then such Award may be terminated by the Company without payment);

(ii)    To provide that such Award be assumed by the successor or survivor corporation, or a parent or subsidiary thereof, or shall be substituted for by similar options, rights or awards covering the stock of the successor or survivor corporation, or a parent or subsidiary thereof, with appropriate adjustments as to the number and kind of shares and applicable exercise or purchase price, in all cases, as determined by the Administrator;

(iii)    To make adjustments in the number and type of Shares of the Company’s stock (or other securities or property) subject to outstanding Awards, and/or in the terms and conditions of (including the grant or exercise price), and the criteria included in, outstanding Awards and Awards which may be granted in the future;

(iv)    To provide that such Award shall be exercisable or payable or fully vested with respect to all Shares covered thereby, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Plan or the applicable Award Agreement;

(v)    To replace such Award with other rights or property selected by the Administrator; and/or

(vi)    To provide that the Award cannot vest, be exercised or become payable after such event.

(c)    In connection with the occurrence of any Equity Restructuring, and notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Sections 12.2(a) and 12.2(b):

(i)    The number and type of securities subject to each outstanding Award and the exercise price or grant price thereof, if applicable, shall be equitably adjusted (and the adjustments provided under this Section 12.2(c)(i) shall be nondiscretionary and shall be final and binding on the affected Participant and the Company); and/or

(ii)    The Administrator shall make such equitable adjustments, if any, as the Administrator, in its sole discretion, may deem appropriate to reflect such Equity Restructuring with respect to the aggregate number and kind of Shares that may be issued under the Plan (including, but not limited to, adjustments of the limitation in Section 3.1 on the maximum number and kind of Shares which may be issued under the Plan).

(d)    Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, in the event of a Change in Control, outstanding Awards under the Plan shall be subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable Award Agreement, the agreement evidencing the Change in Control transaction, or treated as otherwise determined in the Administrator’s discretion without the Participant’s consent, and such treatment need not apply to all outstanding Award in an identical manner. The Administrator’s determination as to the treatment of outstanding Awards upon a Change in Control shall be final, binding, and conclusive and may include, without limitation, any of the alternatives provided for in Section 12.2(b) above.

 

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(e)    The Administrator, in its sole discretion, may include such further provisions and limitations in any Award, agreement or certificate, as it may deem equitable and in the best interests of the Company that are not inconsistent with the provisions of the Plan.

(f)    Unless otherwise determined by the Administrator, no adjustment or action described in this Section 12.2 or in any other provision of the Plan shall be authorized to the extent it would (i) cause the Plan to violate Section 422(b)(1) of the Code; (ii) result in short-swing profits liability under Section 16 of the Exchange Act or violate the exemptive conditions of Rule 16b-3 of the Exchange Act; or (iii) cause an Award to fail to be exempt from or comply with Section 409A.

(g)    The existence of the Plan, any Award Agreement and/or the Awards granted hereunder shall 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 structure or its business, any merger or consolidation of the Company, any issue of stock or of options, warrants or 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.

(h)     In the event of any pending stock dividend, stock split, combination or exchange of shares, merger, consolidation or other distribution (other than normal cash dividends) of Company assets to stockholders, or any other change affecting the Shares or the share price of the Common Stock including any Equity Restructuring, for reasons of administrative convenience, the Administrator, in its sole discretion, may refuse to permit the exercise of any Award during a period of up to thirty (30) days prior to the consummation of any such transaction.

12.3    Approval of Plan by Stockholders. The Plan shall be submitted for the approval of the Company’s stockholders within twelve (12) months after the date of the Board’s initial adoption of the Plan. Awards may be granted or awarded prior to such stockholder approval; provided that such Awards shall not be exercisable, shall not vest and the restrictions thereon shall not lapse and no Shares shall be issued pursuant thereto prior to the time when the Plan is approved by the Company’s stockholders; and provided, further, that if such approval has not been obtained at the end of said twelve (12) month period, all Awards previously granted or awarded under the Plan shall thereupon be canceled and become null and void.

12.4    No Stockholder Rights. Except as otherwise provided herein or in an applicable Award Agreement, a Participant shall have none of the rights of a stockholder with respect to Shares covered by any Award until the Participant becomes the record owner of such Shares.

12.5    Paperless Administration. In the event that the Company establishes, for itself or using the services of a third party, an automated system for the documentation, granting or exercise of Awards, such as a system using an internet website or interactive voice response, then the paperless documentation, granting or exercise of Awards by a Participant may be permitted through the use of such an automated system.

12.6    Effect of Plan upon Other Compensation Plans. The adoption of the Plan shall not affect any other compensation or incentive plans in effect for the Company or any Subsidiary. Nothing in the Plan

 

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shall be construed to limit the right of the Company or any Subsidiary: (a) to establish any other forms of incentives or compensation for Employees, Directors or Consultants of the Company or any Subsidiary, or (b) to grant or assume options or other rights or awards otherwise than under the Plan in connection with any proper corporate purpose including without limitation, the grant or assumption of options in connection with the acquisition by purchase, lease, merger, consolidation or otherwise, of the business, stock or assets of any corporation, partnership, limited liability company, firm or association.

12.7    Compliance with Laws. The Plan, the granting and vesting of Awards under the Plan and the issuance and delivery of Shares and the payment of money under the Plan or under Awards granted or awarded hereunder are subject to compliance with all Applicable Law (including but not limited to U.S. state, federal and Non-U.S. securities law and margin requirements), and to such approvals by any listing, regulatory or governmental authority as may, in the opinion of counsel for the Company, be necessary or advisable in connection therewith. Any securities delivered under the Plan shall be subject to such restrictions, and the person acquiring such securities shall, if requested by the Company, provide such assurances and representations to the Company as the Company may deem necessary or desirable to assure compliance with all Applicable Law. The Administrator, in its sole discretion, may take whatever actions it deems necessary or appropriate to effect compliance with Applicable Law, including, without limitation, placing legends on share certificates and issuing stop-transfer notices to agents and registrars. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, the Administrator may not take any actions hereunder, and no Awards shall be granted, that would violate Applicable Law. To the extent permitted by Applicable Law, the Plan and Awards granted or awarded hereunder shall be deemed amended to the extent necessary to conform to Applicable Law.

12.8    Titles and Headings, References to Sections of the Code or Exchange Act. The titles and headings of the Sections in the Plan are for convenience of reference only and, in the event of any conflict, the text of the Plan, rather than such titles or headings, shall control. References to sections of the Code or the Exchange Act shall include any amendment or successor thereto.

12.9    Governing Law. The Plan and any Award Agreements hereunder shall be administered, interpreted and enforced under the internal laws of the State of Delaware without regard to conflicts of laws thereof or of any other jurisdiction.

12.10    Section 409A. To the extent that the Administrator determines that any Award granted under the Plan is subject to Section 409A, the Plan and the Award Agreement evidencing such Award shall incorporate the terms and conditions required by Section 409A. In that regard, to the extent any Award under the Plan or any other compensatory plan or arrangement of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is subject to Section 409A, and such Award or other amount is payable on account of a Participant’s Termination of Service (or any similarly defined term), then (a) such Award or amount shall only be paid to the extent such Termination of Service qualifies as a “separation from service” as defined in Section 409A, and (b) if such Award or amount is payable to a “specified employee” as defined in Section 409A then, to the extent required in order to avoid a prohibited distribution under Section 409A, such Award or other compensatory payment shall not be payable prior to the earlier of (i) the expiration of the six-month period measured from the date of the Participant’s Termination of Service, or (ii) the date of the Participant’s death. To the extent applicable, the Plan and any Award Agreements shall be interpreted in accordance with Section 409A. Notwithstanding any provision of the Plan to the contrary, in the event that, following the Effective Date the Administrator determines that any Award may be subject to Section 409A, the Administrator may (but is not obligated to), without a Participant’s consent, adopt such amendments to the Plan and the applicable Award Agreement or adopt other policies and procedures (including amendments, policies and procedures with retroactive effect), or take any other actions, that the Administrator determines are necessary or appropriate to (A) exempt the Award from Section 409A and/or preserve the intended tax treatment of the benefits provided with respect to the Award, or (B) comply with

 

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the requirements of Section 409A and thereby avoid the application of any penalty taxes under Section 409A. The Company makes no representations or warranties as to the tax treatment of any Award under Section 409A or otherwise. The Company shall have no obligation under this Section 12.10 or otherwise to take any action (whether or not described herein) to avoid the imposition of taxes, penalties or interest under Section 409A with respect to any Award and shall have no liability to any Participant or any other person if any Award, compensation or other benefits under the Plan are determined to constitute non-compliant, “nonqualified deferred compensation” subject to the imposition of taxes, penalties and/or interest under Section 409A.

12.11    Unfunded Status of Awards. The Plan is intended to be an “unfunded” plan for incentive compensation. With respect to any payments not yet made to a Participant pursuant to an Award, nothing contained in the Plan or any Award Agreement shall give the Participant any rights that are greater than those of a general creditor of the Company or any Subsidiary.

12.12    Relationship to Other Benefits. No payment pursuant to the Plan shall be taken into account in determining any benefits under any pension, retirement, savings, profit sharing, group insurance, welfare or other benefit plan of the Company or any Subsidiary except to the extent otherwise expressly provided in writing in such other plan or an agreement thereunder.

12.13    Expenses. The expenses of administering the Plan shall be borne by the Company and its Subsidiaries.

 

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EX-4.3

Exhibit 4.3

RACKSPACE TECHNOLOGY, INC.

EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN

1.    Purpose of the Plan. The purpose of the Plan is to provide an opportunity for Eligible Employees of the Company and its Designated Companies to purchase Common Stock at a discount through voluntary Contributions, thereby attracting, retaining and rewarding such persons and strengthening the mutuality of interest between such persons and the Company’s stockholders. The Company intends for offerings under the Plan to qualify as an “employee stock purchase plan” under Section 423 of the Code (each, a “Section 423 Offering”); provided, however, that the Committee may also authorize the grant of rights under offerings of the Plan that are not intended to comply with the requirements of Section 423 of the Code, pursuant to any rules, procedures, agreements, appendices, or sub-plans adopted by the Committee for such purpose (each, a “Non-423 Offering”).

2.    Definitions.

(a)    “Affiliate” means any person or entity that directly or indirectly controls, is controlled by or is under common control with the Company. The term “control” (including, with correlative meaning, the terms “controlled by” and “under common control with”), as applied to any person or entity, means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of such person or entity, whether through the ownership of voting or other securities, by contract or otherwise.

(b)    “Applicable Law” means the requirements relating to the administration of equity-based awards under state corporate laws, United States federal and state securities laws, the Code, the rules of any stock exchange or quotation system on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted and the applicable laws of any non-U.S. jurisdiction where rights are, or will be, granted under the Plan.

(c)    “Beneficial Ownership” has the meaning set forth in Rule 13d-3 promulgated under Section 13 of the Exchange Act.

(d)    “Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.

(e)    “Change in Control” means, the first to occur of any of the following events:

(i)    the acquisition by any Person or related “group” (as such term is used in Section 13(d) and Section 14(d) of the Exchange Act) of Persons, or Persons acting jointly or in concert, of Beneficial Ownership (including control or direction) of 50% or more (on a fully diluted basis) of the then- Outstanding Company Common Stock or the Outstanding Company Voting Securities, but excluding any acquisition by the Company or any of its Affiliates, or the Investor, its Permitted Transferees or any of their respective Affiliates or by any employee benefit plan sponsored or maintained by the Company or any of its Affiliates;

(ii)    the acquisition by any Person or related “group” (as such terms are used in Section 13(d) and Section 14(d) of the Exchange Act) of Persons, or Persons acting jointly or in concert, of Beneficial Ownership (including control or direction) of 35% or more (on a fully diluted basis) of the then-Outstanding Company Voting Securities; provided that at such time the Beneficial Ownership (including control or direction) of the Investor is less than 35% (on a fully diluted basis) of the then-Outstanding Company Voting Securities;

(iii)    a change in the composition of the Board such that members of the Board during any consecutive 12-month period (the “Incumbent Directors”) cease to constitute a majority of the


Board. Any person becoming a director through election or nomination for election approved by a valid vote of at least two-thirds of the Incumbent Directors shall be deemed an Incumbent Director; provided, however, that no individual becoming a director as a result of an actual or threatened election contest, as such terms are used in Rule 14a-12 of Regulation 14A promulgated under the Exchange Act, or as a result of any other actual or threatened solicitation of proxies or consents by or on behalf of any person other than the Board, shall be deemed to be an Incumbent Director;

(iv)    the approval by the stockholders of the Company of a plan of complete dissolution or liquidation of the Company; and

(v)    the consummation of a reorganization, recapitalization, merger, amalgamation, consolidation, statutory share exchange or similar form of corporate transaction involving the Company (a “Business Combination”), or sale, transfer or other disposition of all or substantially all of the business or assets of the Company to an entity that is not an Affiliate of the Company (a “Sale”), unless immediately following such Business Combination or Sale: (A) more than 50% of the total voting power of the entity resulting from such Business Combination or the entity that acquired all or substantially all of the business or assets of the Company in such Sale (in either case, the “Surviving Company”), or the ultimate parent entity that has Beneficial Ownership of sufficient voting power to elect a majority of the board of directors (or analogous governing body) of the Surviving Company (the “Parent Company”), is represented by the Outstanding Company Voting Securities that were outstanding immediately prior to such Business Combination or Sale (or, if applicable, is represented by shares into which the Outstanding Company Voting Securities were converted pursuant to such Business Combination or Sale), and such voting power among the holders thereof is in substantially the same proportion as the voting power of the Outstanding Company Voting Securities among the holders thereof immediately prior to the Business Combination or Sale, (B) no Person (other than any employee benefit plan sponsored or maintained by the Surviving Company or the Parent Company) is or becomes the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of 50% or more of the total voting power of the outstanding voting securities eligible to elect members of the board of directors (or the analogous governing body) of the Parent Company (or, if there is no Parent Company, the Surviving Company), and (C) at least a majority of the members of the board of directors (or the analogous governing body) of the Parent Company (or, if there is no Parent Company, the Surviving Company) following the consummation of the Business Combination or Sale were Board members at the time of the Board’s approval of the execution of the initial agreement providing for such Business Combination or Sale.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, a transaction shall not constitute a Change in Control if its sole purpose is to change the jurisdiction of the Company’s incorporation or to create a holding company that will be owned in substantially the same proportions by the persons who held the Company’s securities immediately before such transaction.

(f)    “Code” means the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time, together with the regulations and official guidance promulgated thereunder, whether issued prior or subsequent to the grant of any purchase right.

(g)    “Committee” means the Compensation Committee of the Board or any subcommittee or other plan administrator referred to in Section 4(e).

(h)    “Common Stock” means the common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company, as the same may be converted, changed, reclassified or exchanged.

(i)    “Company” means Rackspace Technology, Inc., a Delaware corporation, or any successor to all or substantially all of the Company’s business that adopts the Plan.

 

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(j)    “Contributions” means the amount of Eligible Pay contributed by a Participant through payroll deductions or other payments that the Committee may permit a Participant to make to fund the exercise of rights to purchase Shares granted pursuant to the Plan. Without limitation, Contributions may include direct payments from a Participant as may be accepted by the Company to adjust for the Company’s delay or mistake in processing an enrollment form or in otherwise effecting a Participant’s election under the Plan or as advisable to comply with the requirements of Section 423 of the Code.

(k)    “Designated Company” means any Parent, Subsidiary or Affiliate, whether now existing or existing in the future, that has been designated by the Committee from time to time in its sole discretion as eligible to participate in the Plan. The Committee may designate any Parent, Subsidiary or Affiliate as a Designated Company in a Non-423 Offering. For purposes of a Section 423 Offering, only the Company and any Parent or Subsidiary may be Designated Companies; provided, however, that at any given time, a Parent or Subsidiary that is a Designated Company under a Section 423 Offering will not be a Designated Company under a Non-423 Offering.

(l)    “Effective Date” means the business day prior to the IPO Date, as provided in Section 18 hereof.

(m)    “Eligible Employee” means any individual in an employee-employer relationship with the Company or a Designated Company for income tax and employment tax withholding and reporting purposes. For purposes of clarity, the term “Eligible Employee” will not include the following, regardless of any subsequent reclassification as an employee by the Company or a Designated Company, any governmental agency, or any court: (i) any independent contractor; (ii) any consultant; (iii) any individual performing services for the Company or a Designated Company who has entered into an independent contractor or consultant agreement with the Company or a Designated Company; (iv) any individual performing services for the Company or a Designated Company under a purchase order, a supplier agreement or any other agreement that the Company or a Designated Company enters into for services; (v) any individual classified by the Company or a Designated Company as contract labor (such as contractors, contract employees, job shoppers), regardless of length of service; (vi) any individual whose base wage or salary is not processed for payment by the payroll department(s) or payroll provider(s) of the Company or a Designated Company; and (vii) any leased employee. The Committee will have exclusive discretion to determine whether an individual is an Eligible Employee for purposes of the Plan.

(n)    “Eligible Pay” means the total amount paid by the Company or any Parent, Subsidiary or Affiliate to the Eligible Employee (other than amounts paid after termination of employment, even if such amounts are paid for pre-termination date services) as base salary or wages (including 13th/14th month payments or similar concepts under local law) and any portion of such amounts voluntarily deferred or reduced by the Eligible Employee (i) under any employee benefit plan of the Company or a Parent, Subsidiary or Affiliate available to all levels of employees on a non-discriminatory basis upon satisfaction of eligibility requirements, and (ii) under any deferral plan of the Company (provided such amounts would not otherwise have been excluded had they not been deferred), but excluding cash bonuses, commissions, overtime pay, stipends, lump sum payments in lieu of foregone merit increases, “bonus buyouts” as the result of job changes, pension, retainers, severance pay, special stay-on bonus, income derived from stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock units and dispositions of stock acquired thereunder, any other allowances, and any other special remuneration or variable pay. For Eligible Employees in the United States, Eligible Pay will include elective amounts that are not includible in gross income of the Eligible Employee by reason of Sections 125, 132(f), 402(e)(3), 402(h) or 403(b) of the Code. The Committee, in its discretion, may establish a different definition of Eligible Pay for a subsequent Offering Period, which for Section 423 Offerings shall apply on a uniform and nondiscriminatory basis. Further, the Committee will have discretion to determine the application of this definition to Eligible Employees outside the United States.

 

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(o)    “Enrollment Period” means the period during which an Eligible Employee may elect to participate in the Plan, with such period generally occurring before the first day of each Offering Period, as prescribed by the Committee.

(p)    “Exchange Act” means the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, from time to time, or any successor law thereto, and the regulations promulgated thereunder.

(q)    “Fair Market Value” means, as of any date and unless the Committee determines otherwise, the value of Common Stock determined as follows:

(i)    if the Common Stock is listed on a national securities exchange, the closing sales price of a Share reported on such exchange on such date, or if there is no such sale on that date, then on the last preceding date on which such a sale was reported;

(ii)    if the Common Stock is not listed on any national securities exchange, the amount determined by the Committee in good faith to be the fair market value of the Common Stock; or

(iii)    for the Initial Offering Period, if the date for which the Fair Market Value is determined is the first day when trading prices for the Common Stock are reported on the Nasdaq Global Select Market or another national securities exchange, the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock shall be the initial price to the public as set forth in the final prospectus included with the registration statement on Form S-1 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission for the initial public offering of the Company’s Common Stock.

(r)    “Initial Offering Period” means the Offering Period commencing on the IPO Date and ending on the Trading Day immediately prior to the start of the next applicable Offering Period set forth in Section 6, and consisting of a single Purchase Period which shall run concurrently with the Initial Offering Period.

(s)    “Investor” means, collectively, the investment funds managed, sponsored or advised by Apollo Management VIII, L.P. or its Affiliates. A reference to a member of Investor is a reference to any such investment fund.

(t)    “IPO Date” means the date of the underwritten, firm commitment initial public offering pursuant to an effective registration statement under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, covering the offer and sale by the Company of its Common Stock to the public.

(u)    “Offering” means a Section 423 Offering or a Non-423 Offering of a right to purchase Shares under the Plan during an Offering Period as further described in Section 6. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, each Offering under the Plan in which Eligible Employees of one or more Designated Companies may participate will be deemed a separate offering for purposes of Section 423 of the Code, even if the dates of the applicable Offering Periods of each such Offering are identical, and the provisions of the Plan will separately apply to each Offering. With respect to Section 423 Offerings, the terms of separate Offerings need not be identical provided that all Eligible Employees granted purchase rights in a particular Offering will have the same rights and privileges, except as otherwise may be permitted by Code Section 423; a Non-423 Offering need not satisfy such requirements.

(v)    “Offering Period” means the periods established in accordance with Section 6 during which rights to purchase Shares may be granted pursuant to the Plan and Shares may be purchased on one or more Purchase Dates. The duration and timing of Offering Periods may be changed pursuant to Sections 6 and 17.

 

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(w)    “Outstanding Company Common Stock” shall mean the then-outstanding shares of Common Stock, including Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of options or warrants, the conversion of convertible stock or debt, and the exercise of any similar right to acquire such Common Stock.

(x)    “Outstanding Company Voting Securities” shall mean the then-outstanding voting securities of the Company entitled to vote in the election of directors.

(y)    “Parent” means a “parent corporation,” whether now or hereafter existing, as defined in Section 424(e) of the Code.

(z)    “Person” has the meaning given in Section 3(a)(9) of the Exchange Act, as modified and used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) thereof, except that such term shall not include (i) the Company or any of its subsidiaries, (ii) a trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under an employee benefit plan of the Company or any of its Affiliates, (iii) an underwriter temporarily holding securities pursuant to an offering of such securities, or (iv) a corporation owned, directly or indirectly, by the stockholders of the Company in substantially the same proportions as their ownership of Common Stock of the Company.

(aa)    “Participant” means an Eligible Employee who elects to participate in the Plan.

(bb)    “Permitted Transferee” shall mean, with respect to a Participant, any “family member” of the Participant, as defined in the General Instructions to Form S-8 Registration Statement under the Securities Act (or any successor form thereto), or any other transferee specifically approved by the Committee after taking into account Applicable Law.

(cc)    “Plan” means the Rackspace Technology, Inc., Employee Stock Purchase Plan, as may be amended from time to time.

(dd)    “Purchase Date” means the last Trading Day of each Purchase Period (or such other Trading Day as the Committee may determine).

(ee)    “Purchase Period” means a period of time within an Offering Period, as may be specified by the Committee in accordance with Section 6, generally beginning on the first Trading Day of each Offering Period and ending on a Purchase Date. An Offering Period may consist of one or more Purchase Periods.

(ff)    “Purchase Price” means the purchase price at which Shares may be acquired on a Purchase Date and which will be set by the Committee; provided, however, that the Purchase Price for a Section 423 Offering will not be less than eighty-five percent (85%) of the lesser of (i) the Fair Market Value of the Shares on the first Trading Day of the Offering Period or (ii) the Fair Market Value of the Shares on the Purchase Date. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee prior to the commencement of an Offering Period, the Purchase Price will be 85% of the lesser of (a) the Fair Market Value of the Shares on the first Trading Day of the Offering Period or (b) the Fair Market Value of the Shares on the Purchase Date.

(gg)    “Shares” means the shares of Common Stock.

(hh)    “Subsidiary” means a “subsidiary corporation,” whether now or hereafter existing, as defined in Section 424(f) of the Code.

(ii)    “Tax-Related Items” means any income tax, social insurance, payroll tax, payment on account or other tax-related items arising in relation to the Participant’s participation in the Plan.

(jj)    “Trading Day” means a day on which the principal exchange that Shares are listed on is open for trading.

 

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3.    Number of Reserved Shares. Subject to adjustment pursuant to Section 16 hereof, 11,500,000 Shares may be sold pursuant to the Plan. Such Shares may be authorized but unissued Shares, treasury Shares or Shares purchased in the open market. For avoidance of doubt, up to the maximum number of Shares reserved under this Section 3 may be used to satisfy purchases of Shares under Section 423 Offerings and any remaining portion of such maximum number of Shares may be used to satisfy purchases of Shares under Non-423 Offerings.

4.    Administration of the Plan.

(a)    Committee as Administrator. The Plan will be administered by the Committee. Notwithstanding anything in the Plan to the contrary, subject to Applicable Law, any authority or responsibility that, under the terms of the Plan, may be exercised by the Committee may alternatively be exercised by the Board. Subject to Applicable Law, no member of the Board or Committee (or its delegates) will be liable for any good faith action or determination made in connection with the operation, administration or interpretation of the Plan. In the performance of its responsibilities with respect to the Plan, the Committee will be entitled to rely upon, and no member of the Committee will be liable for any action taken or not taken in reliance upon, information and/or advice furnished by the Company’s officers or employees, the Company’s accountants, the Company’s counsel and any other party that the Committee deems necessary.

(b)    Powers of the Committee. The Committee will have full power and authority to: administer the Plan, including, without limitation, the authority to (i) construe, interpret, reconcile any inconsistency in, correct any default in and supply any omission in, and apply the terms of the Plan and any enrollment form or other instrument or agreement relating to the Plan, (ii) determine eligibility and adjudicate all disputed claims filed under the Plan, including whether Eligible Employees will participate in a Section 423 Offering or a Non-423 Offering and which Subsidiaries and Affiliates of the Company (or Parent, if applicable) will be Designated Companies participating in either a Section 423 Offering or a Non-423 Offering, (iii) determine the terms and conditions of any right to purchase Shares under the Plan, (iv) establish, amend, suspend or waive such rules and regulations and appoint such agents as it deems appropriate for the proper administration of the Plan, (v) amend an outstanding right to purchase Shares, including any amendments to a right that may be necessary for purposes of effecting a transaction contemplated under Section 16 hereof (including, but not limited to, an amendment to the class or type of stock that may be issued pursuant to the exercise of a right or the Purchase Price applicable to a right), provided that the amended right otherwise conforms to the terms of the Plan, and (vi) make any other determination and take any other action that the Committee deems necessary or desirable for the administration of the Plan including, without limitation, the adoption of such any rules, procedures, agreements, appendices, or sub-plans (collectively, “Sub-Plans”) as are necessary or appropriate to permit the participation in the Plan by employees who are foreign nationals or employed outside the United States, as further set forth in Section 4(c) below.

(c)    Non-U.S. Sub-Plans. Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in this Plan, the Committee may adopt such Sub-Plans relating to the operation and administration of the Plan to accommodate local laws, customs and procedures for jurisdictions outside of the United States, the terms of which Sub-Plans may take precedence over other provisions of this Plan, with the exception of Section 3 hereof, but unless otherwise superseded by the terms of such Sub-Plan, the provisions of this Plan will govern the operation of such Sub-Plan. To the extent inconsistent with the requirements of Section 423, any such Sub-Plan will be considered part of a Non-423 Offering, and purchase rights granted thereunder will not be required by the terms of the Plan to comply with Section 423 of the Code. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Committee is authorized to adopt Sub-Plans for particular non-U.S. jurisdictions that modify the terms of the Plan to meet applicable local requirements, customs or procedures regarding, without limitation, (i) eligibility to participate, (ii) the definition of Eligible Pay, (iii) the dates and duration of Offering Periods or other periods during which Participants may make Contributions towards the purchase of

 

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Shares, (iv) the method of determining the Purchase Price and the discount from Fair Market Value at which Shares may be purchased, (v) any minimum or maximum amount of Contributions a Participant may make in an Offering Period or other specified period under the applicable Sub-Plan, (vi) the treatment of purchase rights upon a Change in Control or a change in capitalization of the Company, (vii) the handling of payroll deductions, (viii) establishment of bank, building society or trust accounts to hold Contributions, (ix) payment of interest, (x) conversion of local currency, (xi) obligations to pay payroll tax, (xii) determination of beneficiary designation requirements, (xiii) withholding procedures and (xiv) handling of Share issuances.

(d)    Binding Authority. All determinations by the Committee in carrying out and administering the Plan and in construing and interpreting the Plan and any enrollment form or other instrument or agreement relating to the Plan will be made in the Committee’s sole discretion and will be final, binding and conclusive for all purposes and upon all interested persons.

(e)    Delegation of Authority. To the extent not prohibited by Applicable Law, the Committee may, from time to time, delegate some or all of its authority under the Plan to a subcommittee or subcommittees of the Committee or to one or more officers of the Company or other persons or groups of persons as it deems necessary, appropriate or advisable under conditions or limitations that it may set at or after the time of the delegation. For purposes of the Plan, reference to the Committee will be deemed to refer to any subcommittee, subcommittees, or other persons or groups of persons to whom the Committee delegates authority pursuant to this Section 4(e).

5.    Eligible Employees.

(a)    General. Any individual who is an Eligible Employee as of the commencement of an Offering Period will be eligible to participate in the Plan, subject to the requirements of Section 7.

(b)    Non-U.S. Employees. An Eligible Employee who works for a Designated Company and is a citizen or resident of a jurisdiction other than the United States (without regard to whether such individual also is a citizen or resident of the United States or is a resident alien (within the meaning of Section 7701(b)(1)(A) of the Code)) may be excluded from participation in the Plan or an Offering if the participation of such Eligible Employee is prohibited under the laws of the applicable jurisdiction or if complying with the laws of the applicable jurisdiction would cause the Plan or a Section 423 Offering to violate Section 423 of the Code. In the case of a Non-423 Offering, an Eligible Employee (or group of Eligible Employees) may be excluded from participation in the Plan or an Offering if the Committee has determined, in its sole discretion, that participation of such Eligible Employee(s) is not advisable or practicable for any reason.

(c)    Code Section 423 Limitations. Notwithstanding any provisions of the Plan to the contrary, no Eligible Employee will be granted a right to purchase Shares (i) to the extent that, immediately after the grant, such Eligible Employee (or any other person whose stock would be attributed to such Eligible Employee pursuant to Section 424(d) of the Code) would own capital stock of the Company and/or hold outstanding options to purchase capital stock possessing five percent (5%) or more of the total combined voting power or value of all classes of the capital stock of the Company or of any Parent or Subsidiary of the Company, or (ii) under a Section 423 Offering, to the extent that his or her rights to purchase capital stock under all employee stock purchase plans of the Company and any Parent and Subsidiaries accrues at a rate that exceeds Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars (US$25,000) worth of such stock (determined at the fair market value of the shares of such stock at the time such right is granted) for each calendar year in which such purchase right is outstanding.

(d)    Other Limitations on Eligibility. The Committee, in its discretion, from time to time may, prior to an Enrollment Period for all purchase rights to be granted in an Offering, determine (on a uniform and nondiscriminatory basis for Section 423 Offerings) that the definition of Eligible Employee will

 

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or will not include an individual if he or she: (i) has not completed at least two (2) years of service since his or her last hire date (or such lesser period of time as may be determined by the Committee in its discretion), (ii) customarily works not more than twenty (20) hours per week (or such lesser period of time as may be determined by the Committee in its discretion), (iii) customarily works not more than five (5) months per calendar year (or such lesser period of time as may be determined by the Committee in its discretion), (iv) is a highly compensated employee within the meaning of Section 414(q) of the Code, or (v) is a highly compensated employee within the meaning of Section 414(q) of the Code with compensation above a certain level or who is an officer or subject to the disclosure requirements of Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act, provided the exclusion is applied with respect to each Section 423 Offering in an identical manner to all highly compensated individuals of the Designated Company whose employees are participating in that Offering.

6.    Offering Periods. The Plan will be implemented by consecutive Offering Periods with a new Offering Period commencing on the first Trading Day of the relevant Offering Period and terminating on the last Trading Day of the relevant Offering Period. After the Initial Offering Period has ended, unless and until the Committee determines otherwise in its discretion, each Offering Period will consist of one (1) approximately six (6)-month Purchase Period, which will run simultaneously with the Offering Period. Unless otherwise provided by the Committee, Offering Periods will run from January 1st (or the first Trading Day thereafter) through June 30th (or the first Trading Day prior to such date) and from July 1st (or the first Trading Day thereafter) through December 31st (or the first Trading Day prior to such date). The Committee has authority to establish additional or alternative sequential or overlapping Offering Periods, a different number of Purchase Periods within an Offering Period, a different duration for one or more Offering Periods or Purchase Periods or different commencement or ending dates for such Offering Periods with respect to future offerings without stockholder approval if such change is announced prior to the scheduled beginning of the first Offering Period to be affected thereafter, provided, however, that no Offering Period may have a duration exceeding twenty-seven (27) months. To the extent that the Committee establishes additional or overlapping Offering Periods, the Committee will have discretion to structure an Offering Period so that if the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock on the first Trading Day of the Offering Period in which a Participant is currently enrolled is higher than the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock on the first Trading Day of any subsequent Offering Period, the Company will automatically enroll such Participant in the subsequent Offering Period and will terminate his or her participation in such original Offering Period.

7.    Participation.

(a)    Enrollment and Payroll Deductions. An Eligible Employee may elect to participate in an Offering Period under the Plan during any Enrollment Period. Any such election will be made by completing the online enrollment process through the Company’s designated Plan broker or, if permitted by the Company, by completing and submitting an enrollment form to the Company during such Enrollment Period, authorizing Contributions in whole percentages from one percent (1%) to fifteen percent (15%) of the Eligible Employee’s Eligible Pay for the Purchase Period within the Offering Period to which the deduction applies. A Participant may elect to increase or decrease the rate of such Contributions during any subsequent Enrollment Period by submitting the appropriate form online through the Company’s designated Plan broker or, if permitted by the Company, to the Company, provided that no change in Contributions will be permitted to the extent that such change would result in total Contributions exceeding fifteen percent (15%) of the Eligible Employee’s Eligible Pay, or such other maximum amount as may be determined by the Committee.

(b)    Election Changes. A Participant may reduce his or her rate of Contributions twice during a Purchase Period to become effective as soon as possible after completing an amended enrollment form (either through the Company’s online Plan enrollment process, or if permitted by the Company, by submitting the appropriate form to the Company). A Participant may increase his or her rate of Contributions only during an Enrollment Period. If a Participant reduces his or her rate of Contributions to zero percent (0%) during an Offering Period, the Contributions made by the Participant prior to such

 

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reduction will be applied to the purchase of Shares on the next Purchase Date, but if the Participant does not increase such rate of Contributions above zero percent (0%) prior to the commencement of the next subsequent Offering Period under the Plan, such action will be treated as the Participant’s withdrawal from the Plan in accordance with Section 14 hereof.

(c)    Automatic Enrollment for Initial Offering Period. Each person who, on the Effective Date, is an Eligible Employee will be automatically enrolled in the Initial Offering Period. An Eligible Employee will be entitled to continue to participate in the Initial Offering Period only if such individual authorizes Contributions under the procedures described in Section 7(a) above (i) no earlier than the effective date of the Form S-8 registration statement with respect to the issuance of Common Stock under the Plan and (ii) no later than ten (10) Trading Days following the effective date of such Form S-8 registration statement or such other period of time as the Committee may determine (the “Enrollment Window”). An Eligible Employee’s failure to authorize Contributions during the Enrollment Window will result in the automatic termination of such individual’s participation in the Initial Offering Period.

(d)    Participation in Subsequent Offering Periods. Once an Eligible Employee elects to participate in an Offering Period (including the Initial Offering Period), then such Participant will automatically participate in the Offering Period commencing immediately following the last day of such prior Offering Period at the same contribution level as was in effect in the prior Offering Period unless the Participant elects to increase or decrease the rate of Contributions or withdraws or is deemed to withdraw from this Plan as described above in this Section 7. A Participant that is automatically enrolled in a subsequent Offering Period pursuant to this Section 7 is not required to file any additional documentation in order to continue participation in the Plan.

(e)    Committee Authority. The Committee has the authority to change the foregoing rules set forth in this Section 7 regarding participation in the Plan.

8.    Contributions. The Company will establish an account in the form of a bookkeeping entry for each Participant for the purpose of tracking Contributions made by each Participant during the Offering Period, and will credit all Contributions made by each Participant to such account. The Company will not be obligated to segregate the Contributions from the general funds of the Company or any Designated Company nor will any interest be paid on such Contributions, unless otherwise determined by the Committee or required by Applicable Law. All Contributions received by the Company for Shares sold by the Company on any Purchase Date pursuant to this Plan may be used for any corporate purpose.

9.    Limitation on Number of Shares That an Employee May Purchase. Subject to the limitations set forth in Section 5(c), each Participant will have the right to purchase as many whole Shares as may be purchased with the Contributions credited to his or her account as of the last day of the Offering Period (or such other date as the Committee may determine) at the Purchase Price applicable to such Offering Period; provided, however, that a Participant may not purchase in excess of 500 Shares under the Plan per Offering Period or such other maximum number of Shares as may be established for an Offering Period by the Committee (in each case subject to adjustment pursuant to Section 16 hereof). Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, any amount remaining in a Participant’s account that was not applied to the purchase of Shares on a Purchase Date because it was not sufficient to purchase a whole Share will be carried forward for the purchase of Shares on the next following Purchase Date. However, any amounts not applied to the purchase of Shares during an Offering Period for any reason other than as described in the foregoing sentence shall be promptly refunded following such Purchase Date and will not be carried forward to any subsequent Offering Period.

10.    Taxes. At the time a Participant’s purchase right is exercised, in whole or in part, or at the time a Participant disposes of some or all of the Shares acquired under the Plan, the Participant will make adequate provision for any Tax-Related Items. In their sole discretion, and except as otherwise determined

 

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by the Committee, the Company or the Designated Company that employs the Participant may satisfy their obligations to withhold Tax-Related Items by (a) withholding from the Participant’s wages or other compensation, (b) withholding a sufficient whole number of Shares otherwise issuable following purchase having an aggregate Fair Market Value sufficient to pay the Tax-Related Items required to be withheld with respect to the Shares, or (c) withholding from proceeds from the sale of Shares issued upon purchase, either through a voluntary sale or a mandatory sale arranged by the Company.

11.    Brokerage Accounts or Plan Share Accounts. By enrolling in the Plan, each Participant will be deemed to have authorized the establishment of a brokerage account on his or her behalf at a securities brokerage firm selected by the Committee. Alternatively, the Committee may provide for Plan share accounts for each Participant to be established by the Company or by an outside entity selected by the Committee which is not a brokerage firm. Shares purchased by a Participant pursuant to the Plan will be held in the Participant’s brokerage or Plan share account. The Company may require that Shares be retained in such brokerage or Plan share account for a designated period of time, and/or may establish procedures to permit tracking of dispositions of Shares.

12.    Rights as a Stockholder. A Participant will have no rights as a stockholder with respect to Shares subject to any rights granted under this Plan or any Shares deliverable under this Plan unless and until recorded in the books of the brokerage firm selected by the Committee or, as applicable, the Company, its transfer agent, stock plan administrator or such other outside entity which is not a brokerage firm.

13.    Rights Not Transferable. Rights granted under this Plan are not transferable by a Participant other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution, and are exercisable during a Participant’s lifetime only by the Participant.

14.    Withdrawals. A Participant may withdraw from an Offering Period by submitting the appropriate form online through the Company’s designated Plan broker or, if permitted by the Company, to the Company. A notice of withdrawal must be received by the relevant deadline as prescribed by the Committee. Upon receipt of such notice, automatic deductions of Contributions on behalf of the Participant will be discontinued commencing with the payroll period immediately following the effective date of the notice of withdrawal, and such Participant will not be eligible to participate in the Plan until the next Enrollment Period. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, amounts credited to the contribution account of any Participant who withdraws prior to the date set forth in this Section 14 will be refunded, without interest, as soon as practicable.

15.    Termination of Employment.

(a)    General. Upon a Participant ceasing to be an Eligible Employee for any reason prior to a Purchase Date, Contributions for such Participant will be discontinued and any amounts then credited to the Participant’s contribution account will be refunded, without interest, as soon as practicable, except as otherwise determined by the Committee.

(b)    Leave of Absence. Subject to the discretion of the Committee, if a Participant is granted a paid leave of absence, payroll deductions on behalf of the Participant will continue and any amounts credited to the Participant’s contribution account may be used to purchase Shares as provided under the Plan. If a Participant is granted an unpaid leave of absence, payroll deductions on behalf of the Participant will be discontinued and no other Contributions will be permitted (unless otherwise determined by the Committee or required by Applicable Law), but any amounts then credited to the Participant’s contribution account may be used to purchase Shares on the next applicable Purchase Date. Where the period of leave exceeds three (3) months and the Participant’s right to reemployment is not guaranteed by statute or by contract, the employment relationship will be deemed to have terminated three (3) months and one (1) day following the commencement of such leave.

 

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(c)    Transfer of Employment. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, a Participant whose employment transfers or whose employment terminates with an immediate rehire (with no break in service) by or between the Company or a Designated Company will not be treated as having terminated employment for purposes of participating in the Plan or an Offering; however, if a Participant transfers from a Section 423 Offering to a Non-423 Offering, the exercise of the Participant’s purchase right will be qualified under the Section 423 Offering only to the extent that such exercise complies with Section 423 of the Code. If a Participant transfers from a Non-423 Offering to a Section 423 Offering, the exercise of the Participant’s purchase right will remain non-qualified under the Non-423 Offering.

16.    Adjustment Provisions.

(a)    Changes in Capitalization. In the event of any change affecting the number, class, value, or terms of the shares of Common Stock resulting from a recapitalization, stock split, reverse stock split, stock dividend, spinoff, split up, combination, reclassification or exchange of Shares, merger, consolidation, rights offering, separation, reorganization or liquidation or any other change in the corporate structure or Shares, including any extraordinary dividend or extraordinary distribution (but excluding any regular cash dividend), then the Committee, in order to prevent dilution or enlargement of the benefits or potential benefits intended to be made available under the Plan, will, in such manner as it may deem equitable, adjust the number and class of Common Stock that may be delivered under the Plan (including the numerical limits of Sections 3 and 9), the Purchase Price per Share and the number of shares of Common Stock covered by each right under the Plan that has not yet been exercised. For the avoidance of doubt, the Committee may not delegate its authority to make adjustments pursuant to this Section. Except as expressly provided herein, no issuance by the Company of shares of stock of any class, or securities convertible into shares of stock of any class, will affect, and no adjustment by reason thereof will be made with respect to, the number or price of Shares subject to a purchase right.

(b)    Change in Control. In the event of a Change in Control, each outstanding right to purchase Shares will be equitably adjusted and assumed or an equivalent right to purchase Shares substituted by the successor corporation or a parent or subsidiary of the successor corporation. In the event that the successor corporation (or parent or subsidiary thereof) in a Change in Control refuses to assume or substitute for the purchase right or the successor corporation is not a publicly traded corporation, the Offering Period then in progress will be shortened by setting a New Purchase Date and will end on the New Purchase Date. The “New Purchase Date” will be before the date of the Company’s proposed Change in Control. The Committee will notify each Participant in writing, at least ten (10) Trading Days prior to the New Purchase Date, that the Purchase Date for the Participant’s purchase right has been changed to the New Purchase Date and that Shares will be purchased automatically for the Participant on the New Purchase Date, unless prior to such date the Participant has withdrawn from the Offering Period, as provided in Section 14 hereof. Notwithstanding in the foregoing, in the case of a Change in Control event under Section 2(e)(iv) of the Plan, the Board or Committee shall, in its discretion, determine the treatment of outstanding rights to purchase Shares under the Plan.

17.    Amendments and Termination of the Plan. The Board or the Committee may amend the Plan at any time, provided that, if stockholder approval is required pursuant to Applicable Law, then no such amendment will be effective unless approved by the Company’s stockholders within such time period as may be required. The Board may suspend the Plan or discontinue the Plan at any time, including shortening an Offering Period in connection with a spin-off or other similar corporate event. Upon termination of the Plan, all Contributions will cease and all amounts then credited to a Participant’s account will be equitably applied to the purchase of whole Shares then available for sale, and any remaining amounts will be promptly refunded, without interest, to Participants. For the avoidance of doubt, the Board or Committee, as applicable herein, may not delegate its authority to make amendments to or suspend the operations of the Plan pursuant to this Section.

 

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18.    Stockholder Approval; Effective Date. The Plan shall take effect on the date immediately preceding, and contingent upon, the IPO Date, subject to approval by the stockholders of the Company within twelve (12) months before or after the date the Plan is adopted by the Board. Such stockholder approval will be obtained in the manner and to the degree required under Applicable Laws. For the avoidance of doubt, the Board may not delegate its authority to approve the Plan pursuant to this Section.

19.    Conditions Upon Issuance of Shares. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, unless there is an available exemption from any registration, qualification or other legal requirement applicable to the Shares, the Company will not be required to deliver any Shares issuable upon exercise of a right under the Plan prior to the completion of any registration or qualification of the Shares under any local, state, federal or foreign securities or exchange control law or under rulings or regulations of any governmental regulatory body, or prior to obtaining any approval or other clearance from any local, state, federal or foreign governmental agency, which registration, qualification or approval the Committee will, in its absolute discretion, deem necessary or advisable. The Company is under no obligation to register or qualify the Shares with any state or foreign securities commission, or to seek approval or clearance from any governmental authority for the issuance or sale of the Shares. If, pursuant to this Section 19, the Committee determines that the Shares will not be issued to any Participant, any Contributions credited to such Participant’s account will be promptly refunded, without interest, to the Participant, without any liability to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates (or any Parent, if applicable).

20.    Code Section 409A; Tax Qualification.

(a)    Code Section 409A. Rights to purchase Shares granted under a Section 423 Offering are exempt from the application of Section 409A of the Code and rights to purchase Shares granted under a Non-423 Offering are intended to be exempt from Section 409A of the Code pursuant to the “short-term deferral” exemption contained therein. In furtherance of the foregoing and notwithstanding any provision in the Plan to the contrary, if the Committee determines that a right granted under the Plan may be subject to Section 409A of the Code or that any provision in the Plan would cause a right under the Plan to be subject to Section 409A of the Code, the Committee may amend the terms of the Plan and/or of an outstanding right granted under the Plan, or take such other action the Committee determines is necessary or appropriate, in each case, without the Participant’s consent, to exempt any outstanding right or future right that may be granted under the Plan from or to allow any such rights to comply with Section 409A of the Code, but only to the extent any such amendments or action by the Committee would not violate Section 409A of the Code. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company will have no liability to a Participant or any other party if the right to purchase Shares under the Plan that is intended to be exempt from or compliant with Section 409A of the Code is not so exempt or compliant or for any action taken by the Committee with respect thereto. The Company makes no representation that the right to purchase Shares under the Plan is compliant with Section 409A of the Code.

(b)    Tax Qualification. Although the Company may endeavor to (i) qualify a right to purchase Shares for favorable tax treatment under the laws of the United States or jurisdictions outside of the United States or (ii) avoid adverse tax treatment (e.g., under Section 409A of the Code), the Company makes no representation to that effect and expressly disavows any covenant to maintain favorable or avoid unfavorable tax treatment, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Plan, including Section 20(a) hereof. The Company will be unconstrained in its corporate activities without regard to the potential negative tax impact on Participants under the Plan.

21.    No Employment Rights. Participation in the Plan will not be construed as giving any Participant the right to be retained as an employee of the Company, its Subsidiary, or one of its Affiliates or Parent, as applicable. Furthermore, the Company, a Subsidiary, or an Affiliate (or Parent, if applicable) may dismiss any Participant from employment at any time, free from any liability or any claim under the Plan.

 

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22.    Governing Law; Choice of Forum. Except to the extent that provisions of this Plan are governed by applicable provisions of the Code or any other substantive provision of United States federal law, this Plan will be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of Delaware without giving effect to the conflict of laws principles thereof. The Company and each Participant, as a condition to such Participant’s participation in the Plan, hereby irrevocably submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of any state or U.S. federal court located in the District of Delaware over any suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to or concerning the Plan. The Company and each Participant, as a condition to such Participant’s participation in the Plan, acknowledge that the forum designated by this Section 22 has a reasonable relation to the Plan and to the relationship between such Participant and the Company. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing in the Plan will preclude the Company from bringing any action or proceeding in any other court for the purpose of enforcing the provisions of this Section 22. The agreement by the Company and each Participant as to forum is independent of the law that may be applied in the action, and the Company and each Participant, as a condition to such Participant’s participation in the Plan, (i) agree to such forum even if the forum may under applicable law choose to apply non-forum law, (ii) hereby waive, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any objection which the Company or such Participant now or hereafter may have to personal jurisdiction or to the laying of venue of any such suit, action or proceeding in any court referred to in this Section 22, (iii) undertake not to commence any action arising out of or relating to or concerning the Plan in any forum other than the forum described in this Section 22 and (iv) agree that, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, a final and non-appealable judgment in any such suit, action or proceeding in any such court will be conclusive and binding upon the Company and each Participant.

23.    Titles and Headings, References to Sections of the Code or Exchange Act. The titles and headings of the Sections in the Plan are for convenience of reference only and, in the event of any conflict, the text of the Plan, rather than such titles or headings, shall control. References to sections of the Code or the Exchange Act shall include any amendment or successor thereto.

24.    Expenses. Unless otherwise set forth in the Plan or determined by the Committee, all expenses of administering the Plan, including expenses incurred in connection with the purchase of Shares for sale to Participants, will be borne by the Company and its Subsidiaries or Affiliates (or any Parent, if applicable).

 

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EX-5.1

Exhibit 5.1

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP

1285 Avenue of the Americas

New York, New York 10019-6064

212-373-3000

212-757-3990

August 4, 2020

Rackspace Technology, Inc.

1 Fanatical Place

City of Windcrest

San Antonio, Texas 78218

Registration Statement on Form S-8

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have acted as special counsel to Rackspace Technology, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the Registration Statement on Form S-8 (the “Registration Statement”) of the Company, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), and the rules and regulations thereunder (the “Rules”). You have asked us to furnish our opinion as to the legality of the securities being registered under the Registration Statement. The Registration Statement relates to the registration under the Act of


Rackspace Technology, Inc.    2

 

61,678,352 shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company (collectively, the “Shares”), that are reserved for issuance under (i) the Rackspace Technology, Inc. Equity Incentive Plan, as amended (the “2017 Incentive Plan”), (ii) the Rackspace Technology, Inc. 2020 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2020 Incentive Plan”) and (iii) the Rackspace Technology, Inc. Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “ESPP” and, collectively with the 2017 Incentive Plan and the 2020 Incentive Plan, the “Plans”).

In connection with the furnishing of this opinion, we have examined originals, or copies certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of the following documents (collectively, the “Documents”):

1.    the Registration Statement;

2.    the 2017 Incentive Plan and the forms of award agreements (the “2017 Plan Agreements”) relating to awards under the 2017 Incentive Plan;

3.    the 2020 Incentive Plan and the forms of award agreements (the “2020 Plan Agreements” and, together with the 2017 Plan Agreements, the “Plan Agreements”) relating to awards under the 2020 Incentive Plan;

4.    the ESPP;

5.    the Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company, included as Exhibit 3.1 to the Registration Statement; and

6.    the Second Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company, included as Exhibit 3.2 to the Registration Statement.

In addition, we have examined (i) such corporate records of the Company that we have considered appropriate, including copies of resolutions of the board of directors of the Company relating to the issuance of the Shares, certified by the Company


Rackspace Technology, Inc.    3

 

and (ii) such other certificates, agreements and documents that we deemed relevant and necessary as a basis for the opinion expressed below. We have also relied upon certificates of public officials and the officers of the Company.

In our examination of the documents referred to above, we have assumed, without independent investigation, the genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity of all individuals who have executed any of the documents reviewed by us, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to the originals of all documents submitted to us as certified, photostatic, reproduced or conformed copies of valid existing agreements or other documents, the authenticity of all the latter documents and that the statements regarding matters of fact in the certificates, records, agreements, instruments and documents that we have examined are accurate and complete.

Based upon the above, and subject to the stated assumptions, exceptions and qualifications, we are of the opinion that the Shares have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company and, when issued and delivered in accordance with the terms of the Plans, and any applicable Plan Agreement under the 2017 Incentive Plan or the 2020 Incentive Plan, as applicable, the Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

The opinion expressed above is limited to the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware. Our opinion is rendered only with respect to the laws, and the rules, regulations and orders under those laws, that are currently in effect.


Rackspace Technology, Inc.    4

 

We hereby consent to use of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. In giving this consent, we do not thereby admit that we come within the category of persons whose consent is required by the Act or the Rules.

 

Very truly yours,
/s/ PAUL, WEISS, RIFKIND, WHARTON & GARRISON LLP
PAUL, WEISS, RIFKIND, WHARTON & GARRISON LLP
EX-23.1

Exhibit 23.1

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-8 of Rackspace Technology, Inc. of our report dated May 6, 2020, except for the effects of the stock split described in Note 1, as to which the date is July 20, 2020, relating to the financial statements of Rackspace Technology, Inc. (formerly known as Rackspace Corp.), which appears in Amendment No. 2 to the Registration Statement on Form S-1 (No. 333-239794) of Rackspace Technology, Inc.

/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Austin, Texas

August 4, 2020