NONQUALIFIED STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT
THIS NONQUALIFIED STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is made as of the date set forth on Schedule I hereto (the “Grant Date”), by and between the issuer identified in Schedule I hereto (the “Company”), and the recipient (the “Grantee”) of an Award of Options granted by the Plan Administrator (as defined in Schedule I hereto) as set forth in this Agreement.
The Company has adopted the incentive plan identified on Schedule I hereto (as has been or may hereafter be amended, the “Plan”), a copy of which is attached via a link at the end of this online Agreement as Exhibit A and by this reference made a part hereof, for the benefit of eligible persons as specified in the Plan. Capitalized terms used and not otherwise defined in this Agreement will have the meanings ascribed to them in the Plan.
Pursuant to the Plan, the Plan Administrator has determined that it would be in the interest of the Company and its stockholders to award Options to the Grantee, subject to the conditions and restrictions set forth herein and in the Plan, in order to provide the Grantee with additional remuneration for services rendered, to encourage the Grantee to remain in the service or employ of the Company or its Subsidiaries and to increase the Grantee’s personal interest in the continued success and progress of the Company.
The Company and the Grantee therefore agree as follows:
“Base Price” means, with respect to each type of Common Stock for which Options are granted hereunder, the amount set forth on Schedule I hereto as the Base Price for such Common Stock, which is the Fair Market Value of a share of such Common Stock on the Grant Date.
“Business Day” means any day other than Saturday, Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in Denver, Colorado, are required or authorized to be closed.
“Cause” has the meaning specified as “cause” in Section 10.2(b) of the Plan.
“Close of Business” means, on any day, 5:00 p.m., Denver, Colorado time.
“Common Stock” has the meaning specified in Schedule I hereto.
“Company” has the meaning specified in the preamble to this Agreement.
“Grant Date” has the meaning specified in the preamble to this Agreement.
“Grantee” has the meaning specified in the preamble to this Agreement.
“Nonemployee Director” has the meaning specified in the Plan.
“Options” has the meaning specified in Section 2.
“Option Share” has the meaning specified in Section 4(c)(i).
“Option Termination Date” has the meaning specified in Schedule I hereto.
“Plan” has the meaning specified in the recitals of this Agreement.
“Plan Administrator” has the meaning specified in Schedule I hereto.
“Required Withholding Amount” has the meaning specified in Section 5.
“Section 409A” has the meaning specified in Section 21.
“Term” has the meaning specified in Section 2.
“Unvested Fractional Option” has the meaning specified in Section 3(b).
“Vesting Date” has the meaning specified in Section 3(a).
“Vesting Percentage” has the meaning specified in Section 3(a).
3. Conditions of Exercise. Unless otherwise determined by the Plan Administrator in its sole discretion, the Options will be exercisable only in accordance with the conditions stated in this Section 3. |
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7. Early Termination of Options. Subject to any longer period of exercisability specified in Schedule I hereto, the Options will terminate, prior to the expiration of the Term, at the time specified below: |
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terminated, in each case other than (i) by the Company or such Subsidiary for Cause, or (ii) by reason of death or Disability, then the Options will terminate at the Close of Business on the first Business Day following the expiration of the 90-day period that began on the date of termination of the Grantee’s employment, or, in the case of a Nonemployee Director, at the Close of Business on the first Business Day following the expiration of the one-year period that began on the date of termination of the Grantee’s service as a Nonemployee Director. |
In any event in which Options remain exercisable for a period of time following the date of termination of the Grantee’s employment or service as provided above or on Schedule I, the Options may be exercised during such period of time only to the extent the same were exercisable as provided in Section 3 effective as of such date of termination of the Grantee’s employment or service. Notwithstanding any period of time referenced in this Section 7 or any other provision of this Section 7 that may be construed to the contrary, the Options will in any event terminate upon the expiration of the Term.
Unless the Plan Administrator otherwise determines, a change of the Grantee’s employment from the Company to a Subsidiary or from a Subsidiary to the Company or another Subsidiary will not be considered a termination of the Grantee’s employment for purposes of this Agreement if such change of employment is made at the request or with the express consent of the Company. Unless the Plan Administrator otherwise determines, however, any such change of employment that is not made at the request or with the express consent of the Company will be a termination of the Grantee’s employment within the meaning of this Agreement.
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accordance with the provisions of the preceding sentence shall take such Options subject to all of the terms and conditions of the Plan and this Agreement, including that the vesting and termination provisions of this Agreement will continue to be applied with respect to the Grantee. Options are exercisable only by the Grantee (or, during the Grantee’s lifetime, by the Grantee’s court appointed legal representative) or a person to whom the Options have been transferred in accordance with this Section. |
(a) The Options will be subject to adjustment (including, without limitation, as to the Base Price) in such manner as the Plan Administrator, in its sole discretion, deems equitable and appropriate in connection with the occurrence of any of the events described in Section 4.2 of the Plan following the Grant Date. |
(b) In the event of any Approved Transaction, Board Change or Control Purchase following the Grant Date, the Options may become exercisable in accordance with Section 10.1(b) of the Plan. |
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contemplated by Section 10.7(b) of the Plan. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, without the consent of the Grantee: |
17. Construction. References in this Agreement to “this Agreement” and the words “herein,” “hereof,” “hereunder” and similar terms include all Exhibits and Schedules appended |
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hereto, including the Plan. All references to “Sections” in this Agreement shall be to Sections of this Agreement unless explicitly stated otherwise. The word “include” and all variations thereof are used in an illustrative sense and not in a limiting sense. All decisions of the Plan Administrator upon questions regarding the Plan or this Agreement will be conclusive. Unless otherwise expressly stated herein, in the event of any inconsistency between the terms of the Plan and this Agreement, the terms of the Plan will control. The headings of the sections of this Agreement have been included for convenience of reference only, are not to be considered a part hereof and will in no way modify or restrict any of the terms or provisions hereof. |
22. Administrative Blackouts. In addition to its other powers under the Plan, the Plan Administrator has the authority to suspend (i) the exercise of Options and (ii) any other transactions under the Plan as it deems necessary or appropriate for administrative reasons. |
23. Stock Ownership Guidelines. This Award may be subject to any applicable stock ownership guidelines adopted by the Company, as amended or superseded from time to time. |
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Schedule I
to Liberty Broadband Corporation
Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement
[●], 20[●]
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Issuer/Company: |
Liberty Broadband Corporation, a Delaware corporation
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Plan: |
Liberty Broadband Corporation 2019 Omnibus Incentive Plan, as the same may be amended from time to time
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Plan Administrator: |
The Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company appointed by the Board of Directors of the Company pursuant to Section 3.1 of the Plan to administer the Plan
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Common Stock: |
The Company’s Series [●] Common Stock
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Option Termination Date: |
[●], 20[●]
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Base Price: |
LBRD[●] Common Stock: $[●]
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Vesting Dates and Percentages: |
Vesting Date |
Vesting Percentage |
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[●], 20[●] |
[●]% |
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[●], 20[●] |
[●]% |
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Additional Vesting Terms Upon Termination Without Cause: |
If the Grantee’s employment with, or service to, the Company or a Subsidiary is terminated by the Company or such Subsidiary without Cause prior to [●], 20[●], certain Options will become exercisable effective as of the date of termination of the Grantee’s employment with, or service to, the Company or a Subsidiary (the “Termination Date”) if the Release Conditions (as defined below) are met. The Grantee acknowledges that while certain Options will retroactively vest effective as of the Termination Date if the Release Conditions are met, the Grantee will nonetheless not be able to exercise any such Options unless and until such conditions are met.
“Release Conditions” means satisfaction of the following conditions: (1) not later than 60 days following the Termination Date the Grantee has executed and delivered to the Company in accordance with the notice requirements of this Agreement, a general release agreement in a form satisfactory to the Company and (2) not later than 60 days following the Termination Date such release has become irrevocable in accordance with its terms.
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The Options that become vested on each of the Vesting Dates specified above on this Schedule I are referred to as individual “Tranches.” If the Release Conditions are met, then a pro rata portion of each Tranche of Options that is not fully vested on the Termination Date will vest effective as of the Termination Date, such pro rata portion with respect to each such Tranche of Options to be equal to the product of “A” multiplied by “B,” where “A” equals the number of Options in such Tranche that are not vested on the Termination Date, and “B” is a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of calendar days that have elapsed from the Grant Date through the Termination Date plus (i) an additional 270 calendar days if the Grantee is an Assistant Vice President or Vice President of the Company or a Subsidiary, Liberty Media Corporation or Qurate Retail, Inc. on the Termination Date or (ii) an additional 365 calendar days if the Grantee is a Senior Vice President, Executive Vice President or Chief of the Company or a Subsidiary, Liberty Media Corporation or Qurate Retail, Inc. on the Termination Date, and the denominator of which is the number of days in the entire vesting period for such Tranche (in no event to exceed the total number of unvested Options in such Tranche as of the Termination Date). For purposes of this Agreement, the vesting period for each Tranche of Options is the period that begins on the Grant Date and ends on the Vesting Date for such Tranche.
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Additional Exercisability Terms: |
Section 7 of the Option Agreement is amended as follows:
1.If the Release Conditions (as defined in Schedule I hereto) are met, the following sentence is added to the end of Section 7(b):
If the Grantee dies prior to the expiration of a period of time following termination of the Grantee’s employment or service during which the Options remain exercisable as provided in Section 7(e), the Options will terminate at the Close of Business on the first Business Day following the later of the expiration of (i) the one-year period that began on the date of the Grantee’s death or (ii) the Special Termination Period (as defined in Section 7(e)).
2.If the Release Conditions are met, the following provisions are added as Section 7(e):
Subject to Section 7(b), if the Grantee’s employment or service with the Company or a Subsidiary is terminated by the Company or such Subsidiary without Cause, the Options will terminate at the Close of Business on the first Business Day following the expiration of the Special Termination Period. The Special Termination Period is the period of time beginning on the Termination Date and continuing for the |
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number of days that is equal to the sum of (i) 90, plus (ii) 180 multiplied by the Grantee’s total Years of Continuous Service. A Year of Continuous Service means a consecutive 12-month period, measured by the Grantee’s hire date (as reflected in the payroll records of Liberty Media Corporation) and the anniversaries of that date, during which the Grantee is employed by Liberty Media Corporation or a Subsidiary. |
Additional Provisions Applicable to Grantees who as of the Grant Date hold the office of Assistant Vice President or above of the Company or of Liberty Media Corporation: |
Forfeiture for Misconduct and Repayment of Certain Amounts. If (i) a material restatement of any financial statement of the Company (including any consolidated financial statement of the Company and its consolidated Subsidiaries) is required and (ii) in the reasonable judgment of the Plan Administrator, (A) such restatement is due to material noncompliance with any financial reporting requirement under applicable securities laws and (B) such noncompliance is a result of misconduct on the part of the Grantee, the Grantee will repay to the Company Forfeitable Benefits received by the Grantee during the Misstatement Period in such amount as the Plan Administrator may reasonably determine, taking into account, in addition to any other factors deemed relevant by the Plan Administrator, the extent to which the market value of Common Stock during the Misstatement Period was affected by the error(s) giving rise to the need for such restatement. “Forfeitable Benefits” means (i) any and all cash and/or shares of Common Stock received by the Grantee (A) upon the exercise during the Misstatement Period of any SARs held by the Grantee or (B) upon the payment during the Misstatement Period of any Cash Award or Performance Award held by the Grantee, the value of which is determined in whole or in part with reference to the value of Common Stock, and (ii) any proceeds received by the Grantee from the sale, exchange, transfer or other disposition during the Misstatement Period of any shares of Common Stock received by the Grantee upon the exercise, vesting or payment during the Misstatement Period of any Award held by the Grantee. By way of clarification, “Forfeitable Benefits” will not include any shares of Common Stock received upon exercise of any Options during the Misstatement Period that are not sold, exchanged, transferred or otherwise disposed of during the Misstatement Period. “Misstatement Period” means the 12-month period beginning on the date of the first public issuance or the filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, whichever occurs earlier, of the financial statement requiring restatement.
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Qualifying Service: |
Unless the Plan Administrator in its sole discretion determines otherwise in connection with the commencement of employment or service with Liberty Media Corporation, Qurate Retail, Inc. or any entity that is a Subsidiary of either of them, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, Grantee’s employment or service |
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with Liberty Media Corporation, Qurate Retail, Inc. or any entity that is a Subsidiary of either of them at the time of determination shall be deemed to be employment or service with the Company for all purposes under the Awards granted pursuant to this Agreement. |
Other Clawback Policies: |
Notwithstanding any other provisions in the Plan, this Award shall be subject to recovery or clawback by the Company under any clawback policy adopted by the Company in accordance with SEC regulations or other applicable law, as amended or superseded from time to time.
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Company Notice Address: |
Liberty Broadband Corporation 12300 Liberty Boulevard Englewood, Colorado 80112 Attn: [●]
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