As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 17, 2007
Registration No. 333-
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM S-8
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
CTRIP.COM INTERNATIONAL, LTD.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Cayman Islands | 7389 | Not Applicable | ||
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(Primary Standard Industrial Classification Code Number) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number) |
99 Fu Quan Road
Shanghai 200335, People’s Republic of China
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)
Ctrip.com International, Ltd. 2007 Share Incentive Plan
(Full Title of the Plans)
Law Debenture Corporate Services Inc.
4th Floor, 400 Madison Avenue,
New York, New York 10017
(212) 750-6474
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
Copies to:
Z. Julie Gao, Esq.
Latham & Watkins LLP
41st Floor, One Exchange Square
8 Connaught Place, Central
Hong Kong S.A.R., China
(852) 2522-7886
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
| Title of Securities to be Registered | Amount to be Registered(1) |
Proposed Maximum Offering Price Per Share |
Proposed Maximum Aggregate Offering Price(2) |
Amount of Registration Fee | |||||||
| Ordinary Shares, $0.01 par value per share (3) |
10,000,000 | $ | 97.68 | $ | 976,800,000 | $ | 29,988 | ||||
| (1) | Pursuant to Rule 416(a) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration Statement includes an indeterminate number of additional shares which may be offered and issued to prevent dilution from stock splits, stock dividends or similar transactions as provided in the above-referenced plans. |
| (2) | These shares are to be offered under the 2007 Share Incentive Plan. As of the date of this Registration Statement, no options or other awards have been issued under the plan. Pursuant to Rule 457(h)(1), the maximum aggregate offering price is calculated as the product of the 10,000,000 shares under the plan for future issuance multiplied by the average of the high and low prices for the Registrant’s ordinary shares, each share being represented by two American Depositary Shares, or ADSs, as quoted on the Nasdaq Global Market on October 16, 2007, or $97.68, which is equal to an aggregate offering price of $976,800,000. |
| (3) | These shares may be represented by the Registrant’s ADSs, each of which represents 0.5 ordinary share. The Registrants’ ADSs issuable upon deposit of the ordinary shares registered hereby have been registered under a separate registration statement on Form F-6 (333-110459), as amended. |
| INCORPORATION OF PREVIOUS REGISTRATION STATEMENT | 2 | |||
| PART II | INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT | 2 | ||
| Item 3. | Incorporation of Documents by Reference. | 2 | ||
| Item 8. | Exhibits. | 3 | ||
| SIGNATURES | 4 | |||
| POWER OF ATTORNEY | 4 | |||
| EXHIBIT INDEX | 6 | |||
| Exh. 5.1 | Opinion of Maples and Calder. | |||
| Exh. 10.3 | Ctrip.com International, Ltd. 2007 Share Incentive Plan. | |||
| Exh. 23.1 | Consent of Maples and Calder. | |||
| Exh. 23.2 | Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. | |||
| Exh. 24.1 | Power of Attorney. | |||
INCORPORATION OF PREVIOUS REGISTRATION STATEMENT
Pursuant to the General Instruction E of Form S-8, Ctrip.com International, Ltd. (the “Registrant”) is filing this registration statement on Form S-8 with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) to include an additional 10,000,000 ordinary shares under its Ctrip.com International, Ltd. 2007 Share Incentive Plan. Pursuant to Instruction E, the contents of the Registrant’s Form S-8 Registration Statement No. 333-136264 filed with the Commission on August 3, 2006 are hereby incorporated by reference, except as revised in Part II of this Registration Statement.
INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT
Item 3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference.
The following documents filed by the Registrant with the Commission are incorporated by reference herein:
(a) The Registrant’s prospectus dated August 6, 2007 filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
(b) The Registrant’s current reports on Form 6-K, filed with the Commission on May 17, June 18, July 12, August 6, and August 16 in the year 2007.
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(c) The description of the Registrant’s ordinary shares contained in its Registration Statement on Form 8-A (File No. 000-50483) filed with the Commission on November 25, 2003 pursuant to Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”).
All documents filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act, subsequent to the effective date of this Registration Statement, prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement indicating that all securities offered hereby have been sold or deregistering all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference herein and to be part hereof from the date of filing of such documents. Any statement contained herein or in any 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 herein or in any other subsequently filed document which also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed to constitute a part of this Registration Statement, except as so modified or superseded.
| Exhibit No. | Description | |
| 5.1 | Opinion of Maples and Calder. | |
| 10.3 | Ctrip.com International, Ltd. 2007 Share Incentive Plan. | |
| 23.1 | Consent of Maples and Calder (included in Exhibit 5.1). | |
| 23.2 | Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. | |
| 24.1 | Power of Attorney (included on signature page hereto). |
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Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Ctrip.com International, Ltd. 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 Shanghai, People’s Republic of China, on October 17, 2007.
| CTRIP.COM INTERNATIONAL, LTD. | ||
| By: | /s/ Min Fan | |
| Name: | Min Fan | |
| Title: | Chief Executive Officer | |
KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints each of Min Fan and Jane Jie Sun to act as his true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution, for him and in his name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments, including post-effective amendments, and supplements to this registration statement, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agent full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or their substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this registration statement and power of attorney have been signed by the following persons in the following capacities on October 17, 2007.
| Signature |
Title | |||
| /s/ Min Fan Name: Min Fan |
Chief Executive Officer (principal executive officer) | |||
| /s/ Jane Jie Sun Name: Jane Jie Sun |
Chief Financial Officer (principal financial and accounting officer) | |||
| /s/ James Jianzhang Liang Name: James Jianzhang Liang |
Chairman of the Board | |||
| /s/ Gabriel Li Name: Gabriel Li |
Deputy Chairman of the Board | |||
| /s/ Neil Nanpeng Shen Name: Neil Nanpeng Shen |
Director | |||
| /s/ Qi Ji Name: Qi Ji |
Director | |||
| /s/ JP Gan Name: JP Gan |
Director | |||
| /s/ Suyang Zhang Name: Suyang Zhang |
Director | |||
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SIGNATURE OF AUTHORIZED U.S. REPRESENTATIVE
Under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the undersigned, the duly authorized representative in the United States of Ctrip.com International, Ltd., has signed this registration statement on Form S-8 and Power of Attorney in New York, New York, U.S.A., on October 17, 2007.
| Authorized U.S. Representative | ||
| By: | /s/ Jasmine Marrero | |
| Name: | Jasmine Marrero | |
| Title: | Manager, Law Debenture Corporate Services Inc. | |
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| Exhibit No. | Description | |
| 5.1 | Opinion of Maples and Calder. | |
| 10.3 | Ctrip.com International, Ltd. 2007 Share Incentive Plan. | |
| 23.1 | Consent of Maples and Calder (included in Exhibit 5.1). | |
| 23.2 | Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. | |
| 24.1 | Power of Attorney (included on signature page hereto). |
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Exhibit 5.1
Our ref RJT/302248/2254603/v1
Your ref
| Ctrip.com International, Ltd | Direct: | +852 2971 3007 | ||
| 99 Fu Quan Road | Mobile: | +852 9020 8007 | ||
| Shanghai 200335 | E-mail: | richard.thorp@maplesandcalder.com | ||
| People’s Republic of China |
17 October 2007
Dear Sirs,
Re: Ctrip.com International, Ltd
We have examined the Registration Statement on Form S-8 to be filed by Ctrip.com International, Ltd, a Cayman Islands exempted company incorporated with limited liability (the “Company”), with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Registration Statement”), relating to the registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, of an amount of ordinary shares of the Company (the “Shares”) for issuance pursuant to the following Plan (the “Plan”):
| - | Ctrip.com International, Ltd. 2007 Share Incentive Plan |
As Cayman Islands counsel to the Company, we have examined the corporate authorisations of the Company in connection with the Plan and the issue of the Shares by the Company and have assumed that the Shares will be issued in accordance with the Plan and the resolutions authorising their issue.
It is our opinion that the Shares to be issued by the Company have been duly and validly authorised, and when issued, sold and paid for in the manner described in the Plan and in accordance with the resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors of the Company (or any committee to whom the Board of Directors have delegated their powers with respect to administration of the Plan) and when appropriate entries have been made in the Register of Members of the Company, will be legally issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
We consent to the use of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and further consent to all references to us in the Registration Statement and any amendments thereto.
Yours faithfully,
| /s/ Maples and Calder |
| MAPLES and CALDER |
Exhibit 10.3
CTRIP.COM INTERNATIONAL, LTD.
2007 SHARE INCENTIVE PLAN
ARTICLE 1
PURPOSE
The purpose of this 2007 Share Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) is to promote the success and enhance the value of Ctrip.com International, Ltd., an exempted company formed under the laws of the Cayman Islands (the “Company”) by linking the personal interests of the members of the Board, Employees, and Consultants to those of Company shareholders and by providing such individuals with an incentive for outstanding performance to generate superior returns to Company shareholders. The Plan is further intended to provide flexibility to the Company in its ability to motivate, attract, and retain the services of members of the Board, Employees, and Consultants upon whose judgment, interest, and special effort the successful conduct of the Company’s operation is largely dependent.
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 “Applicable Laws” means the legal requirements relating to the Plan and the Awards under applicable provisions of the corporate and securities laws of the Cayman Islands, the Code, the PRC tax laws, rules, regulations and government orders, the rules of any applicable Share exchange or national market system, and the laws and the rules of any jurisdiction applicable to Awards granted to residents therein.
2.2 “Award” means an Option, a Restricted Share award, a Share Appreciation Right award, a Dividend Equivalents award, a Share Payment award, a Deferred Share award, or a Restricted Share Unit award granted to a Participant pursuant to the Plan.
2.3 “Award Agreement” means any written agreement, contract, or other instrument or document evidencing an Award, including through electronic medium.
2.4 “Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.
2.5 “Board Adoption Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 12.1.
2.6 “Change in Control” means a change in ownership or control of the Company effected through either of the following transactions:
(a) the direct or indirect acquisition by any person or related group of persons (other than an acquisition from or by the Company or by a Company-sponsored employee benefit plan or by a person that directly or indirectly controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, the Company) of beneficial ownership (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 of the Exchange Act) of securities possessing more than fifty percent (50%) of the total combined voting power of the Company’s outstanding securities pursuant to a tender or exchange offer made directly to the Company’s shareholders which a majority of the Incumbent Board (as defined below) who are not affiliates or associates of the offeror under Rule 12b-2 promulgated under the Exchange Act do not recommend such shareholders accept, or
(b) the individuals who, as of the Effective Date, are members of the Board (the “Incumbent Board”), cease for any reason to constitute at least fifty percent (50%) of the Board; provided that if the election, or nomination for election by the Company’s shareholders, of any new member of the Board is approved by a vote of at least fifty percent (50%) of the Incumbent Board, such new member of the Board shall be considered as a member of the Incumbent Board.
2.7 “Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 of the United States, as amended.
2.8 “Committee” means the committee of the Board described in Article 11.
2.9 “Consultant” means any consultant or adviser if: (a) the consultant or adviser renders bona fide services to a Service Recipient; (b) the services rendered by the consultant or adviser are not in connection with the offer or sale of securities in a capital-raising transaction and do not directly or indirectly promote or maintain a market for the Company’s securities; and (c) the consultant or adviser is a natural person who has contracted directly with the Service Recipient to render such services.
2.10 “Corporate Transaction” means any of the following transactions, provided, however, that the Committee shall determine under (d) and (e) whether multiple transactions are related, and its determination shall be final, binding and conclusive:
(a) an amalgamation, arrangement or consolidation in which the Company is not the surviving entity, except for a transaction the principal purpose of which is to change the jurisdiction in which the Company is incorporated;
(b) the sale, transfer or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company;
(c) the complete liquidation or dissolution of the Company;
(d) any reverse takeover or series of related transactions culminating in a reverse takeover (including, but not limited to, a tender offer followed by a reverse takeover) in which the Company is the surviving entity but (A) the Ordinary Shares outstanding immediately prior to such takeover are converted or exchanged by virtue of the takeover into other property, whether in the form of securities, cash or otherwise, or (B) in which securities possessing more than fifty percent (50%) of the total combined voting power of the Company’s outstanding securities are transferred to a person or persons different from those who held such securities
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immediately prior to such takeover or the initial transaction culminating in such takeover, but excluding any such transaction or series of related transactions that the Committee determines shall not be a Corporate Transaction; or
(e) acquisition in a single or series of related transactions by any person or related group of persons (other than the Company or by a Company-sponsored employee benefit plan) of beneficial ownership (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 of the Exchange Act) of securities possessing more than fifty percent (50%) of the total combined voting power of the Company’s outstanding securities but excluding any such transaction or series of related transactions that the Committee determines shall not be a Corporate Transaction.
2.11 “Deferred Share” means a right to receive a specified number of Shares during specified time periods pursuant to Article 8.
2.12 “Disability” means that the Participant qualifies to receive long-term disability payments under the Service Recipient’s long-term disability insurance program, as it may be amended from time to time, to which the Participant provides services regardless of whether the Participant is covered by such policy. If the Service Recipient to which the Participant provides service does not have a long-term disability plan in place, “Disability” means that a Participant is unable to carry out the responsibilities and functions of the position held by the Participant by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment for a period of not less than ninety (90) consecutive days. A Participant will not be considered to have incurred a Disability unless he or she furnishes proof of such impairment sufficient to satisfy the Committee in its discretion.
2.13 “Dividend Equivalents” means a right granted to a Participant pursuant to Article 8 to receive the equivalent value (in cash or Share) of dividends paid on Share.
2.14 “Effective Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 12.1.
2.15 “Employee” means any person, including an officer or member of the Board of the Company, any Parent or Subsidiary of the Company, who is in the employ of a Service Recipient, subject to the control and direction of the Service Recipient as to both the work to be performed and the manner and method of performance. The payment of a director’s fee by a Service Recipient shall not be sufficient to constitute “employment” by the Service Recipient.
2.16 “Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 of the United States, as amended.
2.17 “Fair Market Value” means, as of any date, the value of Shares determined as follows:
(a) If the Shares are listed on one or more established Share exchanges or national market systems, including without limitation, The Nasdaq Global Market or The Nasdaq SmallCap Market of The Nasdaq Share Market, its Fair Market Value shall be the closing sales price for such shares (or the closing bid, if no sales were reported) as quoted on the principal exchange or system on which the Shares are listed (as determined by the Committee) on the date of determination (or, if no closing sales price or closing bid
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was reported on that date, as applicable, on the last trading date such closing sales price or closing bid was reported), as reported in The Wall Street Journal or such other source as the Committee deems reliable;
(b) If the Shares are regularly quoted on an automated quotation system (including the OTC Bulletin Board) or by a recognized securities dealer, its Fair Market Value shall be the closing sales price for such shares as quoted on such system or by such securities dealer on the date of determination, but if selling prices are not reported, the Fair Market Value of an Ordinary Share shall be the mean between the high bid and low asked prices for the Ordinary Shares on the date of determination (or, if no such prices were reported on that date, on the last date such prices were reported), as reported in The Wall Street Journal or such other source as the Committee deems reliable; or
(c) In the absence of an established market for the Shares of the type described in (i) and (ii), above, the Fair Market Value thereof shall be determined by the Committee in good faith by reference to the placing price of the latest private placement of the Shares and the development of the Company’s business operations and the general economic and market conditions since such latest private placement.
2.18 “Incentive Share Option” means an Option that is intended to meet the requirements of Section 422 of the Code or any successor provision thereto.
2.19 “Independent Director” means a member of the Board who is not an Employee of the Company.
2.20 “Non-Employee Director” means a member of the Board who qualifies as a “Non-Employee Director” as defined in Rule 16b-3(b)(3) of the Exchange Act, or any successor definition adopted by the Board.
2.21 “Non-Qualified Share Option” means an Option that is not intended to be an Incentive Share Option.
2.22 “Option” means a right granted to a Participant pursuant to Article 5 of the Plan to purchase a specified number of Shares at a specified price during specified time periods. An Option may be either an Incentive Share Option or a Non-Qualified Share Option.
2.23 “Participant” means a person who, as a member of the Board, Consultant or Employee, has been granted an Award pursuant to the Plan.
2.24 “Parent” means a parent corporation under Section 424(e) of the Code.
2.25 “Plan” means this 2007 Share Incentive Plan, as amended from time to time.
2.26 “PRC” means the People’s Republic of China
2.27 “Related Entity” means any business, corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other entity which is not a Subsidiary but is consolidated in the Company’s consolidated financial statements prepared under the United States generally accepted accounting principles.
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2.28 “Restricted Share” means a Share awarded to a Participant pursuant to Article 6 that is subject to certain restrictions and may be subject to risk of forfeiture.
2.29 “Restricted Share Unit” means an Award granted pursuant to Section 8.4.
2.30 “Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933 of the United States, as amended.
2.31 “Service Recipient” means the Company, any Parent or Subsidiary of the Company and any Related Entity to which a Participant provides services as an Employee, Consultant or as a Director.
2.32 “Share” means the ordinary share of the Company, par value US$0.01 per share, and such other securities that may be substituted for Shares pursuant to Article 10.
2.33 “Share Appreciation Right” or “SAR” means a right granted pursuant to Article 7 to receive a payment equal to the excess of the Fair Market Value of a specified number of Shares on the date the SAR is exercised over the Fair Market Value on the date the SAR was granted as set forth in the applicable Award Agreement.
2.34 “Share Payment” means (a) a payment in the form of Shares, or (b) an option or other right to purchase Shares, as part of any bonus, deferred compensation or other arrangement, made in lieu of all or any portion of the compensation, granted pursuant to Article 8.
2.35 “Subsidiary” means any corporation or other entity of which a majority of the outstanding voting shares or voting power is beneficially owned directly or indirectly by the Company.
2.36 “Trading Date” means the closing of the first sale to the general public of the Shares pursuant to a registration statement filed with and declared effective by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act.
ARTICLE 3
SHARES SUBJECT TO THE PLAN
3.1 Number of Shares.
(a) Subject to the provisions of Article 10 and Section 3.1(b), the maximum aggregate number of Shares which may be issued pursuant to all Awards (including Incentive Share Options) is one (1) million Shares as of the first business day of 2007, plus an annual increase of one (1) million Shares to be added on the first business day of each calendar year beginning in 2008.
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(b) To the extent that an Award terminates, expires, or lapses for any reason, any Shares subject to the Award shall again be available for the grant of an Award pursuant to the Plan. To the extent permitted by Applicable Law or any exchange rule, Shares issued in assumption of, or in substitution for, any outstanding awards of any entity acquired in any form or combination by the Company or any Parent or Subsidiary of the Company shall not be counted against Shares available for grant pursuant to the Plan. Shares delivered by the Participant or withheld by the Company upon the exercise of any Award under the Plan, in payment of the exercise price thereof or tax withholding thereon, may again be optioned, granted or awarded hereunder, subject to the limitations of Section 3.1(a), If any Restricted Shares are forfeited by the Participant or repurchased by the Company, such Shares may again be optioned, granted or awarded hereunder, subject to the limitations of Section 3.1(a). 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 Share Option to fail to qualify as an incentive share option under Section 422 of the Code.
3.2 Shares Distributed. Any Shares distributed pursuant to an Award may consist, in whole or in part, of authorized and unissued Shares, treasury or Shares purchased on the open market. Additionally, in the discretion of the Committee, American Depository Shares in an amount equal to the number of Shares which otherwise would be distributed pursuant to an Award may be distributed in lieu of Shares in settlement of any Award. If the number of Shares represented by an American Depository Share is other than on a one-to-one basis, the limitations of Section 3.1 shall be adjusted to reflect the distribution of American Depository Shares in lieu of Shares.
ARTICLE 4
ELIGIBILITY AND PARTICIPATION
4.1 Eligibility. Persons eligible to participate in this Plan include Employees and Consultants, as determined by the Committee.
4.2 Participation. Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Committee may, from time to time, select from among all eligible individuals, those to whom Awards shall be granted and shall determine the nature and amount of each Award. No individual shall have any right to be granted an Award pursuant to this Plan.
4.3 Jurisdictions. In order to assure the viability of Awards granted to Participants employed in various jurisdictions, the Committee may provide for such special terms as it may consider necessary or appropriate to accommodate differences in local law, tax policy, or custom applicable in the jurisdiction in which the Participant resides or is employed. Moreover, the Committee may approve such supplements to, or amendments, restatements, or alternative versions of, the Plan as it may consider necessary or appropriate for such purposes without thereby affecting the terms of the Plan as in effect for any other purpose; provided, however, that no such supplements, amendments, restatements, or alternative versions shall increase the share limitations contained in Section 3.1 of the Plan. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Committee may not take any actions hereunder, and no Awards shall be granted, that would violate any Applicable Laws.
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ARTICLE 5
OPTIONS
5.1 General. The Committee is authorized to grant Options to Participants on the following terms and conditions:
(a) Exercise Price. The exercise price per Share subject to an Option shall be determined by the Committee and set forth in the Award Agreement which may be a fixed or variable price related to the Fair Market Value of the Shares.
(b) Time and Conditions of Exercise. The Committee shall determine the time or times at which an Option may be exercised in whole or in part, including exercise prior to vesting; provided that the term of any Option granted under the Plan shall not exceed ten years, except as provided in Section 9.2. The Committee shall also determine any conditions, if any, that must be satisfied before all or part of an Option may be exercised.
(c) Payment. The Committee shall determine the methods by which the exercise price of an Option may be paid, the form of payment, including, without limitation (i) cash or check denominated in U.S. Dollars, (ii) Shares held for such period of time as may be required by the Committee in order to avoid adverse financial accounting consequences and having a Fair Market Value on the date of delivery equal to the aggregate exercise price of the Option or exercised portion thereof, (iii) after the Trading Date the delivery of a notice that the Participant has placed a market sell order with a broker with respect to Shares then issuable upon exercise of the Option, 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 Option exercise price; provided that payment of such proceeds is then made to the Company upon settlement of such sale, and the methods by which Shares shall be delivered or deemed to be delivered to Participants, (iv) other property acceptable to the Committee with a Fair Market Value equal to the exercise price, or (v) any combination of the foregoing. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan to the contrary, no Participant who is a member of the Board or an “executive officer” of the Company within the meaning of Section 13(k) of the Exchange Act shall be permitted to pay the exercise price of an Option in any method which would violate Section 13(k) of the Exchange Act.
(d) Evidence of Grant. All Options shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement between the Company and the Participant. The Award Agreement shall include such additional provisions as may be specified by the Committee.
5.2 Incentive Share Options. Incentive Share Options shall be granted only to Employees of the Company, a Parent or Subsidiary of the Company. Incentive Share Options may not be granted to Employees of a Related Entity. The terms of any Incentive Share Options granted pursuant to the Plan, in addition to the requirements of Section 5.1, must comply with the following additional provisions of this Section 5.2:
(a) Expiration of Option. An Incentive Share Option may not be exercised to any extent by anyone after the first to occur of the following events:
(i) Five years from the date it is granted, unless an earlier time is set in the Award Agreement;
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(ii) Three months after the Participant’s termination of employment as an Employee; and
(iii) One year after the date of the Participant’s termination of employment or service on account of Disability or death. Upon the Participant’s Disability or death, any Incentive Share Options exercisable at the Participant’s Disability or death may be exercised by the Participant’s legal representative or representatives, by the person or persons entitled to do so pursuant to the Participant’s last will and testament, or, if the Participant fails to make testamentary disposition of such Incentive Share Option or dies intestate, by the person or persons entitled to receive the Incentive Share Option pursuant to the applicable laws of descent and distribution.
(b) Individual Dollar Limitation. The aggregate Fair Market Value (determined as of the time the Option is granted) of all Shares with respect to which Incentive Share Options are first exercisable by a Participant in any calendar year may not exceed US$100,000 or such other limitation as imposed by Section 422(d) of the Code, or any successor provision. To the extent that Incentive Share Options are first exercisable by a Participant in excess of such limitation, the excess shall be considered Non-Qualified Share Options.
(c) Ten Percent Owners. An Incentive Share Option shall be granted to any individual who, at the date of grant, owns Shares possessing more than ten percent of the total combined voting power of all classes of shares of the Company only if such Option is granted at a price that is not less than 110% of Fair Market Value on the date of grant and the Option is exercisable for no more than five years from the date of grant.
(d) Transfer Restriction. The Participant shall give the Company prompt notice of any disposition of Shares acquired by exercise of an Incentive Share Option within (i) two years from the date of grant of such Incentive Share Option or (ii) one year after the transfer of such Shares to the Participant.
(e) Expiration of Incentive Share Options. No Award of an Incentive Share Option may be made pursuant to this Plan after the fifth anniversary of the Effective Date.
(f) Right to Exercise. During a Participant’s lifetime, an Incentive Share Option may be exercised only by the Participant.
5.3 Substitution of Share Appreciation Rights. The Committee may provide in the Award Agreement evidencing the grant of an Option that the Committee, in its sole discretion, shall have to right to substitute a Share Appreciation Right for such Option at any time prior to or upon exercise of such Option, provided that such Share Appreciation Right shall be exercisable for the same number of shares of Share as such substituted Option would have been exercisable for.
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ARTICLE 6
RESTRICTED SHARES
6.1 Grant of Restricted Shares. The Committee is authorized to make Awards of Restricted Shares to any Participant selected by the Committee in such amounts and subject to such terms and conditions as determined by the Committee. All Awards of Restricted Shares shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement.
6.2 Issuance and Restrictions. Restricted Shares shall be subject to such restrictions on transferability and other restrictions as the Committee may impose (including, without limitation, limitations on the right to vote Restricted Shares or the right to receive dividends on the Restricted Share). These restrictions may lapse separately or in combination at such times, pursuant to such circumstances, in such installments, or otherwise, as the Committee determines at the time of the grant of the Award or thereafter.
6.3 Forfeiture. Except as otherwise determined by the Committee at the time of the grant of the Award or thereafter, upon termination of employment or service during the applicable restriction period, Restricted Shares that are at that time subject to restrictions shall be forfeited; provided, however, that the Committee may (a) provide in any Restricted Share Award Agreement that restrictions or forfeiture conditions relating to Restricted Shares will be waived in whole or in part in the event of terminations resulting from specified causes, and (b) in other cases waive in whole or in part restrictions or forfeiture conditions relating to Restricted Shares.
6.4 Certificates for Restricted Shares. Restricted Shares granted pursuant to the Plan may be evidenced in such manner as the Committee shall determine. If certificates representing Restricted Shares are registered in the name of the Participant, certificates must bear an appropriate legend referring to the terms, conditions, and restrictions applicable to such Restricted Shares, and the Company may, at its discretion, retain physical possession of the certificate until such time as all applicable restrictions lapse.
ARTICLE 7
SHARE APPRECIATION RIGHTS
7.1 Grant of Share Appreciation Rights.
(a) A Share Appreciation Right may be granted to any Participant selected by the Committee. A Share Appreciation Right shall be subject to such terms and conditions not inconsistent with the Plan as the Committee shall impose and shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement.
(b) A Share Appreciation Right shall entitle the Participant (or other person entitled to exercise the Share Appreciation Right pursuant to the Plan) to exercise all or a specified portion of the Share Appreciation Right (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 the Share Appreciation Right from the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of exercise of the Share Appreciation Right by the number of Shares with respect to which the Share Appreciation Right shall have been exercised, subject to any limitations the Committee may impose.
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7.2 Payment and Limitations on Exercise.
(a) Payment of the amounts determined under Section 7.1(b) above shall be in cash, in Shares (based on its Fair Market Value as of the date the Share Appreciation Right is exercised) or a combination of both, as determined by the Committee in the Award Agreement.
(b) To the extent payment for a Share Appreciation Right is to be made in cash the Award Agreements shall to the extent necessary to comply with the requirements to Section 409A of the Code, specify the date of payment which may be different than the date of exercise of the Share Appreciation right. If the date of payment for a Share Appreciation Right is later than the date of exercise, the Award Agreement may specify that the Participant be entitled to earnings on such amount until paid.
(c) To the extent any payment under Section 7.1(b) is effected in Shares it shall be made subject to satisfaction of all provisions of Article 5 above pertaining to Options.
ARTICLE 8
OTHER TYPES OF AWARDS
8.1 Dividend Equivalents. Any Participant selected by the Committee may be granted Dividend Equivalents based on the dividends declared on the Shares that are subject to any Award, to be credited as of dividend payment dates, during the period between the date the Award is granted and the date the Award is exercised, vests or expires, as determined by the Committee. Such Dividend Equivalents shall be converted to cash or additional Shares by such formula and at such time and subject to such limitations as may be determined by the Committee.
8.2 Share Payments. Any Participant selected by the Committee may receive Share Payments in the manner determined from time to time by the Committee; provided, that unless otherwise determined by the Committee such Share Payments shall be made in lieu of base salary, bonus, or other cash compensation otherwise payable to such Participant. The number of shares shall be determined by the Committee and may be based upon the Performance Criteria or other specific criteria determined appropriate by the Committee, determined on the date such Share Payment is made or on any date thereafter.
8.3 Deferred Shares. Any Participant selected by the Committee may be granted an award of Deferred Shares in the manner determined from time to time by the Committee. The number of shares of Deferred Shares shall be determined by the Committee and may be linked to such specific criteria determined to be appropriate by the Committee, in each case on a specified date or dates or over any period or periods determined by the Committee. Shares underlying a Deferred Share award will not be issued until the Deferred Share award has vested, pursuant to a vesting schedule or criteria set by the Committee. Unless otherwise provided by the Committee, a Participant awarded Deferred Shares shall have no rights as a Company shareholder with respect to such Deferred Shares until such time as the Deferred Share Award has vested and the Shares underlying the Deferred Share Award has been issued.
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8.4 Restricted Share Units. The Committee is authorized to make Awards of Restricted Share Units to any Participant selected by the Committee in such amounts and subject to such terms and conditions as determined by the Committee. At the time of grant, the Committee shall specify the date or dates on which the Restricted Share Units shall become fully vested and nonforfeitable, and may specify such conditions to vesting as it deems appropriate. At the time of grant, the Committee shall specify the maturity date applicable to each grant of Restricted Share Units which shall be no earlier than the vesting date or dates of the Award and may be determined at the election of the grantee. On the maturity date, the Company shall transfer to the Participant one unrestricted, fully transferable Share for each Restricted Share Unit scheduled to be paid out on such date and not previously forfeited. The Committee shall specify the purchase price, if any, to be paid by the grantee to the Company for such Shares.
8.5 Term. Except as otherwise provided herein, the term of any Award of Dividend Equivalents, Share Payments, Deferred Share, or Restricted Share Units shall be set by the Committee in its discretion.
8.6 Exercise or Purchase Price. The Committee may establish the exercise or purchase price, if any, of any Award of Deferred Share, Share Payments or Restricted Share Units; provided, however, that such price shall not be less than the par value of a Share, unless otherwise permitted by Applicable Law.
8.7 Exercise Upon Termination of Employment or Service. An Award of Dividend Equivalents, Deferred Share, Share Payments, and Restricted Share Units shall only be exercisable or payable while the Participant is an Employee, Consultant or a member of the Board, as applicable; provided, however, that the Committee in its sole and absolute discretion may provide that an Award of Dividend Equivalents, Share Payments, Deferred Share, or Restricted Share Units may be exercised or paid subsequent to a termination of employment or service, as applicable, or following a Change of Control of the Company, or because of the Participant’s retirement, death or Disability, or otherwise.
8.8 Form of Payment. Payments with respect to any Awards granted under this Article 8 shall be made in cash, in Shares or a combination of both, as determined by the Committee.
8.9 Award Agreement. All Awards under this Article 8 shall be subject to such additional terms and conditions as determined by the Committee and shall be evidenced by an Award Agreement.
ARTICLE 9
PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO AWARDS
9.1 Stand-Alone and Tandem Awards. Awards granted pursuant to the Plan may, in the discretion of the Committee, be granted either alone, in addition to, or in tandem with, any other Award granted pursuant to the Plan. Awards granted in addition to or in tandem with other Awards may be granted either at the same time as or at a different time from the grant of such other Awards.
9.2 Award Agreement. Awards under the Plan shall be evidenced by Award Agreements that set forth the terms, conditions and
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limitations for each Award which may include the term of an Award, the provisions applicable in the event the Participant’s employment or service terminates, and the Company’s authority to unilaterally or bilaterally amend, modify, suspend, cancel or rescind an Award.
9.3 Limits on Transfer. No right or interest of a Participant in any Award may be pledged, encumbered, or hypothecated to or in favor of any party other than the Company or a Subsidiary, or shall be subject to any lien, obligation, or liability of such Participant to any other party other than the Company or a Subsidiary. Except as otherwise provided by the Committee, no Award shall be assigned, transferred, or otherwise disposed of by a Participant other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution. The Committee by express provision in the Award or an amendment thereto may permit an Award (other than an Incentive Share Option) to be transferred to, exercised by and paid to certain persons or entities related to the Participant, including but not limited to members of the Participant’s family, charitable institutions, or trusts or other entities whose beneficiaries or beneficial owners are members of the Participant’s family and/or charitable institutions, or to such other persons or entities as may be expressly approved by the Committee, pursuant to such conditions and procedures as the Committee may establish. Any permitted transfer shall be subject to the condition that the Committee receive evidence satisfactory to it that the transfer is being made for estate and/or tax planning purposes (or to a “blind trust” in connection with the Participant’s termination of employment or service with the Company or a Subsidiary to assume a position with a governmental, charitable, educational or similar non-profit institution) and on a basis consistent with the Company’s lawful issue of securities.
9.4 Beneficiaries. Notwithstanding Section 10.3, a Participant may, in the manner determined by the Committee, designate a beneficiary to exercise the rights of the Participant 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, except to the extent the Plan and Award Agreement otherwise provide, and to any additional restrictions deemed necessary or appropriate by the Committee. If the Participant is married and resides in a community property state, a designation of a person other than the Participant’s spouse as his or her beneficiary with respect to more than 50% of the Participant’s interest in the Award shall not be effective without the prior written consent of the Participant’s spouse. 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 the change or revocation is filed with the Committee.
9.5 Share Certificates.
(a) Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Company shall not be required to issue or deliver any certificates evidencing shares of Share pursuant to the exercise of any Award, unless and until the Board has determined, with advice of counsel, that the issuance and delivery of such certificates is in compliance with all Applicable Laws, regulations of governmental authorities and, if applicable, the requirements of any exchange on which the Shares are listed or traded. All Share certificates delivered pursuant to the Plan are subject to any stop-transfer orders and other restrictions as the Committee deems necessary or advisable to comply
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with federal, state, or foreign jurisdiction, securities or other laws, rules and regulations and the rules of any national securities exchange or automated quotation system on which the Shares are listed, quoted, or traded. The Committee may place legends on any Share certificate to reference restrictions applicable to the Share. In addition to the terms and conditions provided herein, the Board may require that a Participant make such reasonable covenants, agreements, and representations as the Board, in its discretion, deems advisable in order to comply with any such laws, regulations, or requirements. The Committee shall have the right to require any Participant to comply with any timing or other restrictions with respect to the settlement or exercise of any Award, including a window-period limitation, as may be imposed in the discretion of the Committee.
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, unless otherwise determined by the Committee or required by Applicable Laws, the Company shall not deliver to any Participant certificates evidencing Shares issued in connection with any Award and instead such Shares shall be recorded on the books of the Company or, as applicable, its transfer agent or share plan administrator.
9.6 Paperless Administration. Subject to Applicable Laws, the Committee may make Awards, provide applicable disclosure and procedures for exercise of Awards by an internet website or interactive voice response system for the paperless administration of Awards.
9.7 Foreign Currency. A Participant may be required to provide evidence that any U.S. dollars used to pay the exercise price of any Award were acquired and taken out of the jurisdiction in which the Participant resides in accordance with Applicable Laws, including foreign exchange control laws and regulations.
ARTICLE 10
CHANGES IN CAPITAL STRUCTURE
10.1 Adjustments. In the event of any dividend, share split, combination or exchange of Shares, amalgamation, arrangement or consolidation, spin-off, recapitalization or other distribution (other than normal cash dividends) of Company assets to its shareholders, or any other change affecting the shares of Shares or the share price of a Share, the Committee shall make such proportionate adjustments, if any, as necessary to reflect such change with respect to (a) the aggregate number and type of shares that may be issued under the Plan (including, but not limited to, adjustments of the limitations in Section 3.1); (b) the terms and conditions of any outstanding Awards (including, without limitation, any applicable performance targets or criteria with respect thereto); and (c) the grant or exercise price per share for any outstanding Awards under the Plan.
10.2 Acceleration upon a Change of Control. Except as may otherwise be provided in any Award Agreement or any other written agreement entered into by and between the Company and a Participant, if a Change of Control occurs and a Participant’s Options, Restricted Share or Share Appreciation Rights settled in Shares are not converted, assumed, or replaced by a successor, such Awards shall become fully exercisable and all forfeiture restrictions on such Awards shall lapse; and provided such Change of
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Control is a change in the ownership or effective control of the Company or in the ownership of or a substantial portion of the assets of the Company within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code, then all Restricted Share Units, Deferred Share and Performance Share shall become deliverable upon the Change of Control. Upon, or in anticipation of, a Change of Control, the Committee may in its sole discretion provide for (i) any and all Awards outstanding hereunder to terminate at a specific time in the future and shall give each Participant the right to exercise such Awards during a period of time as the Committee shall determine, (ii) either the purchase of any Award for an amount of cash equal to the amount that could have been attained upon the exercise of such Award or realization of the Participant’s rights had such Award been currently exercisable or payable or fully vested (and, for the avoidance of doubt, if as of such date the Committee 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), (iii) the replacement of such Award with other rights or property selected by the Committee in its sole discretion the assumption of or substitution of such Award by the successor or surviving corporation, or a parent or subsidiary thereof, with appropriate adjustments as to the number and kind of Shares and prices, or (iv) provide for payment of Awards in cash based on the value of Shares on the date of the Change of Control plus reasonable interest on the Award through the date such Award would otherwise be vested or have been paid in accordance with its original terms, if necessary to comply with Section 409A of the Code.
10.3 Outstanding Awards – Corporate Transactions. In the event of a Corporate Transaction, each Award will terminate upon the consummation of the Corporate Transaction, unless the Award is assumed by the successor entity or Parent thereof in connection with the Corporate Transaction. Except as provided otherwise in an individual Award Agreement, in the event of a Corporate Transaction and:
(a) the Award either is (x) assumed by the successor entity or Parent thereof or replaced with a comparable Award (as determined by the Committee) with respect to shares of the capital stock of the successor entity or Parent thereof or (y) replaced with a cash incentive program of the successor entity which preserves the compensation element of such Award existing at the time of the Corporate Transaction and provides for subsequent payout in accordance with the same vesting schedule applicable to such Award, then such Award (if assumed), the replacement Award (if replaced), or the cash incentive program automatically shall become fully vested, exercisable and payable and be released from any restrictions on transfer (other than transfer restrictions applicable to Options) and repurchase or forfeiture rights, immediately upon termination of the Participant’s employment or service with all Service Recipient within twelve (12) months of the Corporate Transaction without cause; and
(b) For each Award that is neither assumed nor replaced, such portion of the Award shall automatically become fully vested and exercisable and be released from any repurchase or forfeiture rights (other than repurchase rights exercisable at Fair Market Value) for all of the Shares at the time represented by such portion of the Award, immediately prior to the specified effective date of such Corporate Transaction, provided that the Participant remains an Employee, Consultant or Director on the effective date of the Corporate Transaction.
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10.4 Outstanding Awards – Other Changes. In the event of any other change in the capitalization of the Company or corporate change other than those specifically referred to in this Article 10, the Committee may, in its absolute discretion, make such adjustments in the number and class of shares subject to Awards outstanding on the date on which such change occurs and in the per share grant or exercise price of each Award as the Committee may consider appropriate to prevent dilution or enlargement of rights.
10.5 No Other Rights. Except as expressly provided in the Plan, no Participant shall have any rights by reason of any subdivision or consolidation of Shares of any class, the payment of any dividend, any increase or decrease in the number of shares of any class or any dissolution, liquidation, merger, or consolidation of the Company or any other corporation. Except as expressly provided in the Plan or pursuant to action of the Committee under the Plan, no issuance by the Company of shares of any class, or securities convertible into shares of any class, shall affect, and no adjustment by reason thereof shall be made with respect to, the number of shares subject to an Award or the grant or exercise price of any Award.
ARTICLE 11
ADMINISTRATION
11.1 Committee. The Plan shall be administered by the Compensation Committee of the Board; provided, however that the Compensation Committee may delegate to a committee the authority to grant or amend Awards to Participants other than Independent Directors and executive officers of the Company (such committee being the “Committee”). The Committee shall consist of two or more individuals who are officers and/or directors of the Company. Reference to the Committee shall refer to the Board if the Compensation Committee ceases to exist and the Board does not appoint a successor Committee. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the full Board, acting by majority of its members in office shall conduct the general administration of the Plan if required by Applicable Law, and with respect to Awards granted to Independent Directors and executive officers of the Company and for purposes of such Awards the term “Committee” as used in the Plan shall be deemed to refer to the Board.
11.2 Action by the Committee. A majority of the Committee shall constitute a quorum. The acts of a majority of the members present at any meeting at which a quorum is present, and acts approved in writing by a majority of the Committee in lieu of a meeting, shall be deemed the acts of the Committee. Each member of the Committee 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.
11.3 Authority of Committee. Subject to any specific designation in the Plan, the Committee has the exclusive power, authority and discretion to:
(a) Designate Participants to receive Awards;
(b) Determine the type or types of Awards to be granted to each Participant;
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(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, or purchase price, any restrictions or limitations on the Award, any schedule for lapse of forfeiture restrictions or restrictions on the exercisability of an Award, and accelerations or waivers thereof, any provisions related to non-competition and recapture of gain on an Award, based in each case on such considerations as the Committee in its sole discretion determines;
(e) Determine whether, to what extent, and pursuant to 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 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 or any Award Agreement; and
(j) Make all other decisions and determinations that may be required pursuant to the Plan or as the Committee deems necessary or advisable to administer the Plan.
11.4 Decisions Binding. The Committee’s interpretation of the Plan, any Awards granted pursuant to the Plan, any Award Agreement and all decisions and determinations by the Committee with respect to the Plan are final, binding, and conclusive on all parties.
ARTICLE 12
EFFECTIVE AND EXPIRATION DATE
12.1 Effective Date. The Plan is effective as of the date the Plan is approved by the Company’s shareholders (the “Effective Date”). The Plan will be deemed to be approved by the shareholders if it receives the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the share capital of the Company present or represented and entitled to vote at a meeting duly held in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Company’s Memorandum of Association and Articles of Association. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Effective Date shall not be later than the first anniversary of the date on which the Board adopts the Plan (the “Board Adoption Date”). Between the Board Adoption Date and the Effective Date, the Committee may grant Options to any persons pursuant to the terms of the Plan, provided that none of such persons shall be allowed to exercise the Options prior to the Effective Date.
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12.2 Expiration Date. The Plan will expire on, and no Award may be granted pursuant to the Plan after, the tenth anniversary of the Effective Date. Any Awards that are outstanding on the tenth anniversary of the Effective Date shall remain in force according to the terms of the Plan and the applicable Award Agreement.
ARTICLE 13
AMENDMENT, MODIFICATION, AND TERMINATION
13.1 Amendment, Modification, And Termination. With the approval of the Board, at any time and from time to time, the Committee may terminate, amend or modify the Plan; provided, however, that (a) to the extent necessary and desirable to comply with any applicable law, regulation, or stock exchange rule, the Company shall obtain shareholder approval of any Plan amendment in such a manner and to such a degree as required, and (b) shareholder approval is required for any amendment to the Plan that (i) increases the number of Shares available under the Plan (other than any adjustment as provided by Article 10), (ii) permits the Committee to grant Options with an exercise price that is below Fair Market Value on the date of grant, (iii) permits the Committee to extend the exercise period for an Option beyond ten years from the date of grant, or (iv) results in a material increase in benefits or a change in eligibility requirements.
13.2 Awards Previously Granted. Except with respect to amendments made pursuant to Section 14.14, no termination, amendment, or modification of the Plan shall adversely affect in any material way any Award previously granted pursuant to the Plan without the prior written consent of the Participant.
ARTICLE 14
GENERAL PROVISIONS
14.1 No Rights to Awards. No Participant, employee, or other person shall have any claim to be granted any Award pursuant to the Plan, and neither the Company nor the Committee is obligated to treat Participants, employees, and other persons uniformly.
14.2 No Shareholders Rights. No Award gives the Participant any of the rights of a Shareholder of the Company unless and until Shares are in fact issued to such person in connection with such Award.
14.3 Taxes. No Shares shall be delivered under the Plan to any Participant until such Participant has made arrangements acceptable to the Committee for the satisfaction of any income and employment tax withholding obligations under Applicable Laws, including without limitation the PRC tax laws, rules, regulations and government orders or the U.S. Federal, state or local tax laws, as applicable. The Company or any Subsidiary shall have the authority and the right to deduct or withhold, or require a Participant to remit to the Company, an amount sufficient to satisfy federal, state, local and foreign taxes (including the Participant’s payroll tax obligations) required by law to be withheld with respect to any taxable event concerning a Participant arising as a result of this Plan. The Committee may in its discretion and in satisfaction of the foregoing requirement allow a Participant to elect to have the Company
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withhold Shares otherwise issuable under an Award (or allow the return of Shares) having a Fair Market Value equal to the sums required to be withheld. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, the number of Shares which may be withheld with respect to the issuance, vesting, exercise or payment of any Award (or which may be repurchased from the Participant of such Award after such Shares were acquired by the Participant from the Company) in order to satisfy the Participant’s federal, state, local and foreign income and payroll tax liabilities with respect to the issuance, vesting, exercise or payment of the Award shall, unless specifically approved by the Committee, be limited to the number of Shares which have a Fair Market Value on the date of withholding or repurchase equal to the aggregate amount of such liabilities based on the minimum statutory withholding rates for federal, state, local and foreign income tax and payroll tax purposes that are applicable to such supplemental taxable income.
14.4 No Right to Employment or Services. Nothing in the Plan or any Award Agreement shall interfere with or limit in any way the right of the Service Recipient to terminate any Participant’s employment or services at any time, nor confer upon any Participant any right to continue in the employ or service of any Service Recipient.
14.5 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.
14.6 Indemnification. To the extent allowable pursuant to applicable law, each member of the Committee or of the Board shall be indemnified and held harmless by the Company from any loss, cost, liability, or expense that may be imposed upon or reasonably incurred by such member in connection with or resulting from any claim, action, suit, or proceeding to which he or she may be a party or in which he or she may be involved by reason of any action or failure to act pursuant to the Plan and against and from any and all amounts paid by him or her in satisfaction of judgment in such action, suit, or proceeding against him or her; provided he or she gives the Company an opportunity, at its own expense, to handle and defend the same before he or she undertakes to handle and defend it on his or her own behalf. The foregoing right of indemnification shall not be exclusive of any other rights of indemnification to which such persons may be entitled pursuant to the Company’s Memorandum of Association and Articles of Association, as a matter of law, or otherwise, or any power that the Company may have to indemnify them or hold them harmless.
14.7 Relationship to other Benefits. No payment pursuant to the Plan shall be taken into account in determining any benefits pursuant to 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.
14.8 Expenses. The expenses of administering the Plan shall be borne by the Company and its Subsidiaries.
14.9 Titles and Headings. 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.
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14.10 Fractional Shares. No fractional shares of Share shall be issued and the Committee shall determine, in its discretion, whether cash shall be given in lieu of fractional shares or whether such fractional shares shall be eliminated by rounding up or down as appropriate.
14.11 Government and Other Regulations. The obligation of the Company to make payment of awards in Share or otherwise shall be subject to all Applicable Laws, rules, and regulations, and to such approvals by government agencies as may be required. The Company shall be under no obligation to register any of the Shares paid pursuant to the Plan under the Securities Act or any other similar law in any applicable jurisdiction. If the Shares paid pursuant to the Plan may in certain circumstances be exempt from registration pursuant to the Securities Act or other Applicable Laws the Company may restrict the transfer of such shares in such manner as it deems advisable to ensure the availability of any such exemption.
14.12 Governing Law. The Plan and all Award Agreements shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the laws of the Cayman Islands.
14.13 Section 409A. To the extent that the Committee determines that any Award granted under the Plan is or may become subject to Section 409A of the Code, the Award Agreement evidencing such Award shall incorporate the terms and conditions required by Section 409A of the Code. To the extent applicable, the Plan and the Award Agreements shall be interpreted in accordance with Section 409A of the Code and the U.S. Department of Treasury regulations and other interpretative guidance issued thereunder, including without limitation any such regulation or other guidance that may be issued after the Effective Date. Notwithstanding any provision of the Plan to the contrary, in the event that following the Effective Date the Committee determines that any Award may be subject to Section 409A of the Code and related Department of Treasury guidance (including such Department of Treasury guidance as may be issued after the Effective Date), the Committee may 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 Committee determines is necessary or appropriate to (a) exempt the Award from Section 409A of the Code and /or preserve the intended tax treatment of the benefits provided with respect to the Award, or (b) comply with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code and related U.S. Department of Treasury guidance.
14.14 Appendices. The Committee may approve such supplements, amendments or appendices to the Plan as it may consider necessary or appropriate for purposes of compliance with applicable laws or otherwise and such supplements, amendments or appendices shall be considered a part of the Plan; provided, however, that no such supplements shall increase the share limitations contained in Sections 3.1 and 3.3 of the Plan.
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* * * * *
I hereby certify that the foregoing Plan was duly adopted by the Board of Directors of Ctrip.com International, Ltd. on March 28, 2007.
* * * * *
I hereby certify that the foregoing Plan was approved by the shareholders of Ctrip.com International, Ltd. on June 15, 2007.
Executed on , 2007.
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Exhibit 23.2
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-8 of our report dated April 12, 2007 relating to the financial statements, management’s assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting of Ctrip.com International, Ltd., which appears in Ctrip.com International, Ltd.’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2006.
/s/ PriceWaterhouseCoopers Zhong Tian CPAs Limited Company
Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
October 16, 2007