Exhibit 10.1

 

MRI Interventions, Inc.

2013 Non-Employee Director Equity Incentive Plan

 

 

1.      Purpose of the Plan. The purpose of the 2013 Non-Employee Director Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) is to aid MRI Interventions, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in recruiting and retaining non-employee directors of outstanding ability and to motivate such directors to exert their best efforts on behalf of the Company by providing incentives through the granting of Awards (defined below). The Company expects that it will benefit from the added interest which such directors will have in the welfare of the Company as a result of their proprietary interest in the Company’s success.

 

2.      Definitions. The following capitalized terms used in the Plan have the respective meanings set forth in this Section 2:

 

Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or any successor thereto.

 

Award” means an Option, Stock Appreciation Right or Other Stock-Based Award granted pursuant to the Plan.

 

Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.

 

Change of Control” means the occurrence with respect to the Company of any of the following events: (i) a change in the ownership of the Company; (ii) a change in the effective control of the Company; (iii) a change in the ownership of a substantial portion of the assets of the Company.

 

For purposes of this definition, a change in the ownership of the Company occurs on the date on which any one person, or more than one person acting as a group, acquires ownership of stock of the Company that, together with stock held by such person or group constitutes more than 50% of the total fair market value or total voting power of the stock of the Company. A change in the effective control of the Company occurs on the date on which either (i) a person, or more than one person acting as a group, acquires ownership of stock of the Company possessing 30% or more of the total voting power of the stock of the Company, taking into account all such stock acquired during the 12-month period ending on the date of the most recent acquisition, or (ii) a majority of the members of the Board is replaced during any 12-month period by directors whose appointment or election is not endorsed by a majority of the members of such Board prior to the date of the appointment or election. A change in the ownership of a substantial portion of assets occurs on the date on which any one person, or more than one person acting as a group, other than a person or group of persons that is related to the Company, acquires assets from the Company that have a total gross fair market value equal to or more than 40% of the total gross fair market value of all of the assets of the Company immediately prior to such acquisition or acquisitions, taking into account all such assets acquired during the 12-month period ending on the date of the most recent acquisition.

 

An event constitutes a Change of Control with respect to a Participant only if the Participant performs services for the Company, or the Participant’s relationship to the Company otherwise satisfies the requirements of Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-3(i)(5)(ii).

 

 
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The determination as to the occurrence of a Change of Control shall be based on objective facts and in accordance with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code.

 

Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or any successor thereto.

 

Committee” means the Compensation Committee of the Board (or a subcommittee thereof as provided under Section 4), or such other committee of the Board (including, without limitation, the full Board) to which the Board has delegated power to act under or pursuant to the provisions of the Plan.

 

Company” has the meaning set forth in Section .

 

Disability” means Disability as defined for purposes of Section 409A of the Code. The Disability determination shall be in the sole discretion of the Committee and a Participant (or his representative) shall furnish the Committee with medical evidence documenting the Participant’s disability or infirmity which is satisfactory to the Committee.

 

Effective Date” means the date the Board approves the Plan, or, if applicable, such later date as is designated by the Board.

 

Fair Market Value” means, as of a given date, (i) if the Shares are listed or admitted to trading on a national securities exchange on such date, the closing price per Share for the regular market session on such date on the principal securities exchange on which the Shares are listed or admitted to trading, or (ii) if the Shares are not listed or admitted to trading on a national securities exchange, the average of the per Share closing bid price and per Share closing asked price on such date as reported on a quotation system, or (iii) in the absence of a market for the Shares of the type described in the foregoing clauses (i) or (ii), the value established by the Committee in good faith pursuant to the reasonable application of a reasonable valuation method under Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(b)(5)(iv)(B). With respect to clause (i) above, if no sale of Shares shall have been reported on such principal securities exchange on such date, then the immediately preceding date on which sales of the Shares have been so reported shall be used. With respect to clause (ii) above, if no closing bid and asked prices shall have been reported on such date, then the immediately preceding date on which such prices have been reported shall be used.

 

Option” means a stock option granted pursuant to Section 5 of the Plan.

 

Option Price” means the purchase price per Share of an Option, as determined pursuant to Section 5(a) of the Plan.

 

Other Stock-Based Awards” means Awards granted pursuant to Section 7 of the Plan.

 

Participant” means a non-employee director of the Company who is selected by the Committee to participate in the Plan.

 

Person” means a “person”, as such term is used for purposes of Section 13(d) or 14(d) of the Act (or any successor section thereto).

 

 
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Plan” has the meaning set forth in Section 1.

 

Service” means a Participant’s service as a non-employee director of the Company.

 

Shares” means shares of common stock of the Company.

 

Stock Appreciation Right” means a stock appreciation right granted pursuant to Section 6 of the Plan.

 

3.      Shares Subject to the Plan. Subject to Section 8 of the Plan, the total number of Shares which may be issued under the Plan is 570,000. The Shares may consist, in whole or in part, of unissued Shares or treasury Shares. The issuance of Shares or the payment of cash upon the exercise of an Award or in consideration of the cancellation or termination of an Award shall reduce the total number of Shares available under the Plan, as applicable. Shares subject to Awards that terminate or lapse without the payment of consideration may be granted again under the Plan.

 

4.      Administration. The Plan shall be administered by the Committee. The Committee is authorized to interpret the Plan, to establish, amend and rescind any rules and regulations relating to the Plan, and to make any other determinations that it deems necessary or advisable for the administration of the Plan. The Committee may correct any defect or supply any omission or reconcile any inconsistency in the Plan in the manner and to the extent the Committee deems necessary or advisable. Any decision of the Committee in the interpretation and administration of the Plan, as described herein, shall lie within its sole and absolute discretion and shall be final, conclusive and binding on all parties concerned (including, but not limited to, Participants and their beneficiaries or successors). The Committee shall have the full power and authority to establish the terms and conditions of any Award consistent with the provisions of the Plan and to waive any such terms and conditions at any time (including, without limitation, accelerating or waiving any vesting conditions). Determinations made by the Committee under the Plan need not be uniform and may be made selectively among Participants, whether or not such Participants are similarly situated. Awards may, in the discretion of the Committee, be made under the Plan in assumption of, or in substitution for, outstanding awards previously granted by the Company or any entity acquired by the Company or with which the Company combines. The number of Shares underlying such substitute awards shall be counted against the aggregate number of Shares available for Awards under the Plan. The Committee shall require payment of any minimum amount it may determine to be necessary to withhold for federal, state, local or other taxes as a result of the exercise, vesting or grant of an Award. Unless the Committee specifies otherwise, the Participant may elect to pay a portion or all of such minimum withholding taxes, to the extent not paid in cash, by (i) delivery in Shares, or (ii) having Shares withheld by the Company from any Shares that would have otherwise been received by the Participant. The number of Shares so delivered or withheld shall have an aggregate Fair Market Value sufficient to satisfy the applicable minimum withholding taxes.

 

 
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5.      Terms and Conditions of Options. Options granted under the Plan shall be non-qualified stock options for federal income tax purposes, and shall be subject to the foregoing and the following terms and conditions and to such other terms and conditions, not inconsistent therewith, as the Committee shall determine:

 

(a)     Option Price. The Option Price per Share shall be determined by the Committee, but shall not be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date an Option is granted (other than in the case of Options granted in assumption or substitution of previously granted awards, as described in Section 4; provided that such assumption or substitution is described in Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(b)(5)(v)(D)).

 

(b)     Exercisability. Options granted under the Plan shall be exercisable at such time and upon such terms and conditions as may be determined by the Committee, but in no event shall an Option be exercisable more than ten years after the date it is granted. Each Award agreement shall set forth the extent to which the Participant shall have the right to exercise the Option following termination of the Participant’s Service. Such provisions shall be determined in the sole discretion of the Committee, shall be included in the Award agreements, need not be uniform among all Options issued pursuant to the Plan, and may reflect distinctions based on the reasons for termination.

 

(c)     Exercise of Options. Except as otherwise provided in the Plan or in an Award agreement, an Option may be exercised for all, or from time to time any part, of the Shares for which it is then exercisable. For purposes of this Section 5, the exercise date of an Option shall be the later of the date a notice of exercise is received by the Company and, if applicable, the date payment is received by the Company pursuant to clauses (i), (ii), (iii) or (iv) in the following sentence. The purchase price for the Shares as to which an Option is exercised shall be paid to the Company to the extent permitted by law, (i) in cash or its equivalent (e.g., by personal check) at the time the Option is exercised, (ii) in Shares having a Fair Market Value equal to the aggregate Option Price for the Shares being purchased and satisfying such other requirements as may be imposed by the Committee; provided, that such Shares have been held by the Participant for no less than six months (or such other period as established from time to time by the Committee in order to avoid adverse accounting treatment applying generally accepted accounting principles), (iii) partly in cash and partly in Shares (as described in (ii) above), (iv) if there is a public market for the Shares at such time, through the delivery of irrevocable instructions to a broker to sell Shares obtained upon the exercise of the Option and to deliver promptly to the Company an amount out of the proceeds of such sale equal to the aggregate Option Price for the Shares being purchased, or (v) to the extent the Committee shall approve in the Award agreement or otherwise, through “net settlement” in Shares. In the case of a “net settlement” of an Option, the Company will not require a cash payment of the Option Price of the Option set forth in the Award agreement, but will reduce the number of Shares issued upon the exercise by the largest number of whole Shares that have a Fair Market Value that does not exceed the aggregate Option Price set forth in the Award agreement. With respect to any remaining balance of the aggregate Option Price, the Company shall accept a cash payment. No Participant shall have any rights to dividends or other rights of a stockholder with respect to Shares subject to an Option until the Participant has given written notice of exercise of the Option, paid in full for such Shares and, if applicable, has satisfied any other conditions imposed by the Committee pursuant to the Plan.

 

(d)     Attestation. Wherever in this Plan or any agreement evidencing an Award a Participant is permitted to pay the exercise price of an Option or taxes relating to the exercise of an Option by delivering Shares, the Participant may, subject to procedures satisfactory to the Committee, satisfy such delivery requirement by presenting proof of beneficial ownership of such Shares, in which case the Company shall treat the Option as exercised without further payment and/or shall withhold such number of Shares from the Shares acquired by the exercise of the Option, as appropriate.

 

 
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6.      Terms and Conditions of Stock Appreciation Rights.

 

(a)     Grants. The Committee may also grant (i) a Stock Appreciation Right independent of an Option or (ii) a Stock Appreciation Right in connection with an Option, or a portion thereof. A Stock Appreciation Right granted pursuant to clause (ii) of the preceding sentence (A) may be granted at the time the related Option is granted or at any time prior to the exercise or cancellation of the related Option, (B) shall cover the same number of Shares covered by an Option (or such lesser number of Shares as the Committee may determine), and (C) shall be subject to the same terms and conditions as such Option except for such additional limitations as are contemplated by this Section 6 (or such additional limitations as may be included in an Award agreement).

 

(b)     Terms. The exercise price per Share of a Stock Appreciation Right shall be an amount determined by the Committee but in no event shall such amount be less than the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date the Stock Appreciation Right is granted (other than in the case of a Stock Appreciation Right granted in assumption or substitution of previously granted awards, as described in Section 4; provided that such assumption or substitution is described in Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(b)(5)(v)(D)); provided, however, that, in the case of a Stock Appreciation Right granted in conjunction with an Option, or a portion thereof, the exercise price may not be less than the Option Price of the related Option. Each Stock Appreciation Right granted independent of an Option shall entitle a Participant upon exercise to an amount equal to (i) the excess of (A) the Fair Market Value on the exercise date of one Share over (B) the exercise price per Share, times (ii) the number of Shares covered by the Stock Appreciation Right. Each Stock Appreciation Right granted in conjunction with an Option, or a portion thereof, shall entitle a Participant to surrender to the Company the unexercised Option, or any portion thereof, and to receive from the Company in exchange therefor an amount equal to the product of (i) the excess of (A) the Fair Market Value on the exercise date of one Share over (B) the Option Price per Share, times (ii) the number of Shares covered by the Option, or portion thereof, which is surrendered. The date on which a notice of exercise is received by the Company shall be the exercise date. Payment shall be made in Shares or in cash, or partly in Shares and partly in cash (any such Shares valued at such Fair Market Value), as set forth in the Award agreement or as otherwise permitted by the Committee. Stock Appreciation Rights may be exercised from time to time upon actual receipt by the Company of written notice of exercise stating the number of Shares with respect to which the Stock Appreciation Right is being exercised. No fractional Shares will be issued in payment for Stock Appreciation Rights, but instead cash will be paid for a fraction or, if the Committee should so determine, the number of Shares will be rounded downward to the next whole Share.

 

(c)     Limitations. The Committee may impose, in its sole discretion, such conditions upon the exercisability or transferability of Stock Appreciation Rights as it may deem fit, but in no event shall a Stock Appreciation Right be exercisable more than ten years after the date it is granted.

 

 
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7.      Other Stock Based Awards. The Committee, in its sole discretion, may grant Awards of Shares, Awards of restricted Shares and Awards that are valued in whole or in part by reference to, or are otherwise based on the Fair Market Value of, Shares (“Other Stock-Based Awards”). Such Other Stock-Based Awards shall be in such form, and dependent on such conditions, as the Committee shall determine, including, without limitation, the right to receive one or more Shares (or the equivalent cash value of such Shares) upon the completion of a specified period of service, the occurrence of an event and/or the attainment of performance objectives. Other Stock-Based Awards may be granted alone or in addition to any other Awards granted under the Plan. Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Committee shall determine to whom and when Other Stock-Based Awards will be made; the number of Shares to be awarded under (or otherwise related to) such Other Stock-Based Awards; whether such Other Stock-Based Awards shall be settled in cash, Shares or a combination of cash and Shares; and all other terms and conditions of such Awards (including, without limitation, the vesting provisions thereof and provisions ensuring that all Shares so awarded and issued shall be fully paid and non-assessable).

 

8.      Adjustments upon Certain Events. Notwithstanding any other provisions in the Plan to the contrary, the following provisions shall apply to all Awards granted under the Plan:

 

(a)     Generally. In the event of any change in the outstanding Shares after the Effective Date by reason of any Share dividend or split, reorganization, recapitalization, merger, consolidation, spin-off, combination or exchange of Shares or other corporate exchange or change in capital structure, any distribution to stockholders of Shares (other than regular cash dividends) or any similar event, the Committee without liability to any person shall make such substitution or adjustment, if any, as it deems to be equitable (subject to Section 15), as to the number or kind of Shares or other securities issued or reserved for issuance as set forth in Section 3 of the Plan or pursuant to outstanding Awards; provided that the Committee shall determine in its sole discretion the manner in which such substitution or adjustment shall be made.

 

(b)     Change of Control. In the event of a Change of Control (or similar corporate transaction) after the Effective Date, the Committee may (subject to Section 15), but shall not be obligated to, (i) accelerate, vest or cause the restrictions to lapse with respect to all or any portion of an Award, (ii) cancel such Awards for fair value (as determined in the sole discretion of the Committee) which, in the case of Options and Stock Appreciation Rights, may equal the excess, if any, of value of the consideration to be paid in the Change of Control transaction to holders of the same number of Shares subject to such Options or Stock Appreciation Rights (or, if no consideration is paid in any such transaction, the Fair Market Value of the Shares subject to such Options or Stock Appreciation Rights) over the aggregate exercise price of such Options or Stock Appreciation Rights, (iii) provide for the issuance of substitute Awards that will substantially preserve the otherwise applicable terms of any affected Awards previously granted hereunder as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion, or (iv) provide that for a period of at least 10 days prior to the Change of Control, such Options shall be exercisable as to all Shares subject thereto and that upon the occurrence of the Change of Control, such Options shall terminate and be of no further force or effect. For the avoidance of doubt, pursuant to (ii) above, the Committee may cancel Options and Stock Appreciation Rights for no consideration if the aggregate Fair Market Value of the Shares subject to such Options or Stock Appreciation Rights is less than or equal to the aggregate Option Price of such Options or exercise price of such Stock Appreciation Rights.

 

 
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9.      No Right to Continued Service or Awards. The granting of an Award under the Plan shall impose no obligation on the Company to continue the Service of a Participant. No Participant or other Person shall have any claim to be granted any Award, and there is no obligation for uniformity of treatment of Participants, or holders or beneficiaries of Awards. The terms and conditions of Awards and the Committee’s determinations and interpretations with respect thereto need not be the same with respect to each Participant (whether or not such Participants are similarly situated).

 

10.     Successors and Assigns. The Plan shall be binding on all successors and assigns of the Company and the Participants, including, without limitation, the estate of each such Participant and the executor, administrator or trustee of such estate, and any receiver or trustee in bankruptcy or any other representative of the Participant’s creditors.

 

11.     Nontransferability of Awards. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, an Award shall not be transferable or assignable by the Participant otherwise than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution. An Award exercisable after the death of a Participant may be exercised by the legatees, personal representatives or distributees of the Participant.

 

12.     Amendments or Termination. The Committee may amend, alter or discontinue the Plan, but no amendment, alteration or discontinuation shall be made which, without the consent of a Participant, would materially adversely impair any of the rights under any Award theretofore granted to such Participant under the Plan; provided, however, that the Committee may amend the Plan in such manner as it deems necessary to permit the granting of Awards meeting the requirements of the Code or other applicable laws (including, without limitation, to avoid adverse tax consequences to the Company or any Participant).

 

Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, to the extent applicable, notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, this Plan and Awards issued hereunder shall be interpreted in accordance with Section 409A of the Code and Department of Treasury regulations and other interpretative guidance issued thereunder, including without limitation any such regulations or other guidance that may be issued after the Effective Date. Notwithstanding any provision of the Plan to the contrary, in the event the Committee determines that any amounts payable hereunder will be taxable to a Participant under Section 409A of the Code and related Department of Treasury guidance prior to payment to such Participant of such amount, the Company may (i) adopt such amendments to the Plan and Awards and appropriate policies and procedures, including amendments and policies with retroactive effect, that the Committee determines necessary or appropriate to preserve the intended tax treatment of the benefits provided by the Plan and Awards hereunder, and/or (ii) take such other actions as the Committee determines necessary or appropriate to avoid the imposition of an additional tax under Section 409A of the Code. 

 

13.     Choice of Law. The Plan shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware without regard to conflicts of laws.

 

 
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14.     Effectiveness of Plan. The Plan shall be effective as of the Effective Date.

 

15.     Section 409A. Notwithstanding other provisions of the Plan or any Award agreements thereunder, no Award shall be granted, deferred, accelerated, extended, paid out or modified under this Plan in a manner that would result in the imposition of an additional tax under Section 409A of the Code upon a Participant. In the event that it is reasonably determined by the Committee that, as a result of Section 409A of the Code, any payment or delivery of Shares in respect of any Award under the Plan may not be made at the time contemplated by the terms of the Plan or the relevant Award agreement, as the case may be, without causing the Participant holding such Award to be subject to taxation under Section 409A of the Code, the Company will make such payment or delivery of Shares on the first day that would not result in the Participant incurring any tax liability under Section 409A of the Code. The Company shall use commercially reasonable efforts to implement the provisions of this Section 15 in good faith; provided that neither the Company, the Committee nor any of the Company’s employees, directors or representatives shall have any liability to Participants with respect to this Section 15.

 

 

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